Google recently released a statement that they will be using your surfing history to better tailor ads to you as a consumer. The interests are stored per browser which does mean you could get different ads based on which browser you use for certain things. For example, I check email in one browser all day while another opens my links from Twitter. Most of which are video game related.

Here’s a video explaining their ad system:

The only issue so far is that when you look to see what Google thinks your preferences are, they seem to be defaulting us women as men. So far out of my friends on Twitter, only one woman on one of her browsers is a female. The rest of us show as 25-34 year old male. I get that my interests might seem male (they list comics, video games and technology), but everyone seems to default to male? I also have shopping listed and I’m sure Hello Kitty will show up there soon. But what does it take to get listed as female? I mean over the past few months I’ve visited Pinterest, TechMoms’ sites, and sites about ovulation. Does it get any more female than that?

Check out your preferences? What does it have you listed as? I wonder why Google chose to list these as defaults at all. While I can correct the information, why should I?

If you haven’t seen this explode on Twitter or Facebook yet, go to Google and type “Do a Barrel Roll”. Google is known for updating it’s logo, but this new trick is actually something pretty cool. Everyone from News organizations to celebs are tweeting about it (some people are a little sick of it already).

The New York Times Bits Blog suggested in a tweet that “Google responds in something of a Siri-like fashion.”

What are the true motivations behind this new web trick? Not sure but in the end, it’s pretty cool trick.

Two big moves in the tablet gaming space for one game retailer have been confirmed today.

GameStop has selected an Android tablet model to serve as their “official” gaming platform next year. These tablet models will launch with some titles pre-installed.

“We’re in test phase right now,” GameStop president Tony Bartel told GamesIndustry.biz. “But we’re excited at the prospect of coming out with this tablet. I would call it a ‘GameStop certified gaming platform.’ We looked at all the tablets and these are the ones that really worked for gaming and we’re going to give you a few benefits that you’re not going to get elsewhere.”

Google + has just launched a gaming platform and Electronic Arts/Bioware will be one of the first companies to embrace it. Dragon Age Legends is now available on Google + to play. As of yesterday, I heard the games part of Google+ will be slowly rolled out, so you may not have access to it yet, but when you get access it will be there.

“We’re very excited to be among the first games launching on Google’s new social project. It’s an honor to join Google in celebrating the birth of their gaming platform on Google+ by expanding Dragon Age Legends to an even wider audience,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Co-founder of BioWare, and General Manager of the BioWare Label at EA. “Dragon Age Legends raises the quality bar for social network games. By bringing the franchise to Google+, we’re able to connect and entertain millions of existing and new fans within the rich, immersive Dragon Age universe!”

Dragon Age Legends is set in Free Marches, the primary setting for Dragon Age II. Players will not only be able to learn more in their universe but also participate in pvp combat.

To play the game go to www.plus.google.com.

To enter:
All you have to do is comment below on Google +. What you like about it? How many circles you have? It can be anything about the new service.

Each comment gets you one entry into the random drawing on Friday.

Good luck and make sure to add me on Google +!

What makes this version a little different then previous versions of the game is the fact that there is little homage to the Chrome version with little hints of chrome in the environment, as well as new levels for the game.

Rovio’s Peter Vesterbacka made the announcement, and said, “Now we’ll make those flights more bearable,” showing off the offline mode of the game (game data is stored locally).

You can obtain you addiction via the Chrome Store and the best part of all….it’s free! So, play responsibly!

The Amazon Appstore, will have it’s hands full starting with a lawsuit from Apple. Their plan to sell Androids’ mobile apps, could be perceived to encroach on Google by going around them. Leaving Google out of the equation will be certain to test Google’s resolve to be open source. Although, open source usually excludes taking the software and using it to make a profit. Amazon could find themselves in a pain sandwich between the two giants.

A trademark infringement suit began on Friday from Apple, which claims ownership of the App Store name. Theoretically other companies can open stores that sell Android apps. But that does not apply to Apple. It could be said that the proprietary Apple Apps and devices are safer and less prone to hacking the way that the Android software, Gingerbread. So openness, however good it was in theory might not be the best in practice for Google, and consumers after all.

Amazon plans to use the recommendation algorithm from its Web site to suggest apps. In emulation of the Apple Store Genius. Recommendation engines are seen by both Amazon and Google as their best assets. The thinking behind it being that recommendations are the holy grail of marketing, which may or may not be true, as you know if you shop online. The recommendations can indeed be way off base and even ridiculous.

Amazon will be setting the prices the apps will sell for. Potentially they could undercut Google and sell them for less than the sales prices on the Android Market.

Amazon will review apps before they are sold, and Google does not. Again they opened a door there for who knows what and might regret it, based on the weird and controversial stuff that has managed to even slip in past the filters at the Apple App Store. Right now Amazon claims that they will only block them if they don’t work or if they put the consumer’s privacy at risk.

It may evolve to the point where the tinkerers’ phones would be Android based, the way Linux PC’s are. With Android becoming more popular with those who don’t mind a little extra effort, or a taking the time to learn how to have a better understanding of the bells and whistles involved in having a smart phone and keeping it secure.

Facebook

According to the Experian Hitwise, which is a online measurement service, Facebook achieved 8.9 percent of all visits between January 2010 and November 2010. Google, which was the raining champion in 2008 and 2009, had to accept second place with 7.2 percent of all visits. For reference, this does not include all of Google’s proporities such as Youtube or email.

000000">However, when all of Google’s properties are considered — such as YouTube and email, for instance — Google still reigns as the most visited site at 9.9 percent between January and November 2010. Facebook follows at 8.9 percent. Yahoo and all of its properties ranked third at 8.1 percent.

It comes as no surprises that Facebook has made such a jump to knock out Google from it’s raining position, with the increases in it’s popularity over the last few years, Facebook has been the go to social network for marketing, social connections, or even “Facebook stalking” Don’t lie, you know you’ve done it too. The look up someone you haven’t seen in years, just to find out where they are today.  Also, it the apps such as games to play on the site, more people are logging in on a daily, or a bi-daily bases. As I discussed in an article back in September about how many hours (7.5 hours) students spend in a week on social networking sites such as Facebo

ok, it is no surprise that more and more people are logging in to connect to other, and to keep on contact with them, which made Facebook the most visited site in the US in 2010

The new ESRB app allows parents to simply snap a photo of the game box to get the full ratings summary for that title. If you’re not that much of a shutterbug and are more into typing the game title out, that works as well.

Hopefully, this will make some parents’ holiday shopping a little easier – and more age-appropriate.

To get the application, search either the iPhone App Store or the Android Market for “ESRB.” And if you don’t have an Apple or Android phone, you can access the new mobile ESRB site at http://m.esrb.org. You can’t take pictures with that, but it at least makes the research easier.

Watch the app trailer below to get an idea about how it works.

The single biggest roadblock with playing poker on Android devices is its relative newness, as online sites simply haven’t yet rolled out safe, secure apps that they’re comfortable offering to their players for Texas Holdem Games real money play. Google is much more open than Apple when it comes to the approval process for Android apps, so most believe that the reason there are currently no apps to play online poker on Android devices is due to development issues instead of the apps not being approved (as is the case with Apple refusing to approve online poker apps for the iPhone and iPad).

While a few online sites do offer no-download Flash versions that can be accessed on Android phones, the selection is pretty sparse, as many online poker sites have refused to offer Flash versions due to security risks. More sites offer no-download versions but most of these actually aren’t Flash based and won’t work with Android phones.

Like iPhone owners, the best bet for those with Android phones who want to play on their favorite online sites is to use a remote desktop program or service (see, how to guide real money poker on iphone). Using a remote desktop solution isn’t optimal (you won’t be playing ten tables at a time like you might on your desktop) due to lag and general sluggishness in using your phone to remotely access your desktop, but it does give you access to any online site that you can download and play on your desktop.

Most sites have announced that they’re hard at work on Android apps, so hopefully the wait won’t be long before major online poker sites have all released Android apps that let you enjoy their sites on your phone just like you do on your desktop.