The Battle - Next Round: Google Wallet vs. New Facebook Buttons

As the way to continue my previous post about the war on the current software market, I’ve got some news more about the upcoming and already happening miraclous new features from Google and Facebook (Twitter has to fasten its innovations, perhaps, in this case))

So, what are the impressive functions?

1. K, let’s start with Facebook this time. The company has lately officially declared the soon introduction of “Listened”, “Watched” and “Read” Facebook buttons except for the old-known “Like”. Do you think it’d be fun? Well, I guess it seems so. At the same time, if to look at the update from more general perspective, it doesn’t look like something really useful.

Just think about it: what have we had by now? If you press “Like” under the link with a magazine article, what could you possibly do with the article, except for reading it? Can it be something like, “I’ve listened to the article”?)))) Imaginable, but not probable. In this respect, the whole sense of inserting the specific buttons for watching, reading or listening in Facebook really lose the whole sense in them. Thank you, FB, or better to say, Captian Obvious)))

Moreover, there’s the hell of a tendency to make the social networks too multifunctional. It’s not that more possibilities available for users are a bad thing, but me personally has already stopped paying attention to pop-up feature tour offers and the number of features I’m now using is pretty limited. May be, if I didn’t have my job, my girlfriend, my friends, and my hobbys, I’d have enough time for using all of them.

2. Now, about Google. Have you heard the incredible news? Google has officially presented its Google Wallet app working on the basis of HFC.

What does Google Wallet have to do with Near Field Communication technology? The app has been created to enable the user's paying with cell phone without taking the actual credit card out of the wallet. Simple? Well, of course, it is simple. Useful? Well, certainly it is. Yet, can you use the app in every Android phone? No! Unfortunately, Google Wallet only works with Sprint Nexus S in this release. Can you use every credit card? No, at least for now you can enjoy google payment app only if you’re a CitiMasterCard owner. Oh, or in case you’ve got Google pre-paid card.

Is it safe? I dunno. I mean, of course, it seems safe, but I’m always pretty cautious about my credit card info, really. It took me like the whole half of the year to get accustomed to online purchases, but only if they aren’t very expensive (like, $10 for a monthly 4shared Premium, or $20 a new exclusively-designed T-shirt from eBay), and from the trustworthy sites only. Here, thanks god that we have the internet-security warriors, like ITM Secure providing you with the listings of reliable sites and online-shops)).


Back to the battle, with these updates from Facebook and Google, who do you think have won this round? As for me, we need to wait for the next one to decide.

Stay cool)
Andy