Coming March 1st 2012, Google’s services will become more streamlined than they’ve ever been. Over the last several months, users may have started to notice that when they’re logged into their Google accounts, information from one account is being transferred or shown in another account. With the streamlining of services, the whole search experience in Google is about to change and become even more personal. For example, if you search for an image in Google, you may start to see images that were posted by those in your social circle. For website owners, this change poses the question: Will Google’s streamlined services affect web traffic?

It really depends on how you acquire your website’s traffic. First, let’s start with the positive side of the changes. With Google giving users the option of personal search, it means that they can now target searchers with more relevant ads. If you use Google’s AdWords to drive traffic to your website, this set up could immensely help your targeted traffic. If users are shown ads in Google that relate to things that they’re interested in, it could mean more clicks for those who choose to advertise using AdWords. Of course there is no guarantee of things actually panning out this way, but it’s something to keep your eye on if you use pay per click ads in Google to help drive traffic for your website.

What if you depend on organic traffic? This is where some concern may be needed. It’s common sense that if people are being shown search results and advertisements that are relevant to their interests, it may distract away from organic search results that would otherwise be clicked on if personal search was not being used. As a website owner, this is an area to definitely track over the next few months so that you can accurately gauge whether or not personal search is affecting your website traffic.

Another thing to note in regards to Google’s streamlined services and website traffic is that users do have the option to turn personal search off. Since users can select to turn off personal search, it means that not everyone is going to be using it. Some web users prefer to keep their searches unrelated to other web activity. Every website owner’s traffic is going to be affected differently whenever a change by the search engines is put in place. For now it’s a watch and wait game but more certainty will be realised once the full switch is made.

You thought some the rules lording over communication here in the States were infuriatingly pedantic, get a load of this:

France’s broadcasting regulation organization, the CSA, has banned the casual use of the words “Facebook” and “Twitter” on the air. The just issued decree cites an article from another decree issued in 1992.

Paris-based writer Matthew Fraser notes that “the French are notorious for their obsession with maddening, micro-meddling rules and regulations,” and that the country is “infamous for its oppressive bureaucratic culture of legalistic codes and decrees. The term ‘French bureaucracy’ is shorthand for the worst imaginable Kafkaesque nightmare.”

Well, this kind of proves that.

The only time radio or television broadcasters can say “Facebook” or “Twitter” now is if the two companies make the news. For example, “Social Network Facebook involved in scandal” would technically be permitted. But things like “Follow us on Twitter” are strictly prohibited. This new regulation takes away a powerful tool that news organizations uses to connect with viewers.

Imagine if the FCC told CNN that they couldn’t ask users to follow them on Twitter? They would go absolutely berserk. But according to Fraser, this new regulation came and went with little media coverage or outrage, save a few French bloggers.

What is the reasoning behind this seemingly ridiculous new regulation? A CSA spokesperson had this to say:

Why give preference to Facebook, which is worth billions of dollars, when there are many other social networks that are struggling for recognition,” she said. “This would be a distortion of competition. If we allow Facebook and Twitter to be cited on air, it’s opening a Pandora’s Box — other social networks will complain to us saying, ‘why not us?

So it’s about fairness? Neutrality in journalism? Money?

Facebook and Twitter are so much a part of everyday life around the world, that it seems disingenuous to say that other lesser social networks deserve equal mention. They simply aren’t as important, and therefore aren’t discussed nearly as much. In order for a news organization to ask viewers to “like” them on Facebook, should they also be forced to tell viewers to follow them on MySpace? It’s ludicrous.

Fraser has a different explanation, one that the CSA would obviously never cop to:

But there is another, more plausible, explanation. Facebook and Twitter are, of course, American social networks. In France, they are regarded — at least implicitly — as symbols of Anglo-Saxon global dominance — along with Apple, MTV, McDonald’s, Hollywood, Disneyland, and other cultural juggernauts. That there is a deeply-rooted animosity in the French psyche towards Anglo-Saxon cultural domination cannot be disputed; indeed, it has been documented and analysed for decades. Sometimes this cultural resentment finds expression in French regulations and laws, frequently described, and often denounced, by foreigners as protectionism.

Yeah, I guess Americans do give the French a pretty hard time sometimes. And I can understand a little bit of hostility towards American cultural intrusion. But banning “Facebook” and “Twitter?” That’s just burying your head in the sand.

White House workers were reportedly targeted in recent attacks against Google’s Gmail service, said to come from hackers in China. The White House has not indicated who exactly was targeted, but has said that there were no official messages compromised.

A report from Devlin Barrett and Siobhan Gorman at the Wall Street Journal says:

The hackers likely were hoping the officials were conducting administration business on their private emails, according to lawmakers and security experts.

The Obama administration reiterated Thursday that no official messages were compromised. But lawmakers and outside computer-security experts said recent White House history suggests administration officials sometimes use personal email to talk business, despite rules against doing so.

Google is currently said to be working with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, investigating the attack.

On June 1, Google wrote on its blog:

Through the strength of our cloud-based security and abuse detection systems*, we recently uncovered a campaign to collect user passwords, likely through phishing. This campaign, which appears to originate from Jinan, China, affected what seem to be the personal Gmail accounts of hundreds of users including, among others, senior U.S. government officials, Chinese political activists, officials in several Asian countries (predominantly South Korea), military personnel and journalists.

It’s important to stress that our internal systems have not been affected—these account hijackings were not the result of a security problem with Gmail itself. But we believe that being open about these security issues helps users better protect their information online.

As you probably know, this isn’t the first time Google has been involved with China-based hacking. About a year and a half ago, incidents actually led to Google directing its Chinese domain to Hong Kong.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Pentagon has decided that cyber attacks can be considered acts of war, a subject that will be addressed in its cyber strategy, which will be made public (in part) sometime this month. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Obama Administration is not going to raise the matter with the Chinese government until more facts become clear.

It would seem, however, that the Chinese government is raising the matter anyway. Rachel King at ZDNet is reporting that China has refuted claims that it was responsible for the incident, and is accusing the U.S. of starting a global “Internet War”. Meanwhile, neither the U.S. government or Google has pointed the finger at the Chinese government yet.

According to a new report from the Pew Research Center, Twitter usage has climbed to 13 percent of U.S. adults online – up from 8 percent in November. Usage among people ages 25 to 34 and 55 to 64 has more than doubled since late 2010.

These statistics are impressive but they don’t tell the whole story about recent developments with Twitter and the fact that it is on its way to becoming the Web's next great search engine. For that, you need to optimize. But first, let's look at how Twitter is getting closer to its goal of becoming a legitimate powerhouse.

Earlier this year, Twitter acquired TweetDeck, the service that helps users organize information on Twitter and eases the burden of constantly streaming updates. They also recently acquired AdGrok, an advertising platform intended to help Twitter monetize the site. Other recent developments include an embeddable button that allows users to more easily follow their favorite accounts on Twitter, and the ability to share photos on Twitter directly (expect video to follow). 

One can argue all day that Twitter is used by a small percent of the population and that the number of accounts is inflated, due to users having several accounts at one time. But what cannot be argued is that the amount of information that flows through Twitter is enough to challenge any other source on the Web. Although it might not be a core of Twitter’s current usage, the new acquisitions point to a new phase in the service’s development – a budding real-time, social search engine. It should now be treated as such. Below, are 10 tips for Twitter optimization to make sure that your business is at the forefront of the Web’s next search boom.

1. Use TweetDeck. Twitter acquired the TweetDeck so that they could centralize Twitter functionality and keep a tight grip on the information flowing through the site. You can be sure that those who use TweetDeck will have an inherent leg-up on the competition.
    
2. Use Hashtags. As it stands, hashtags (#web or #sports, for example) are a good way to get your tweets indexed, searchable and noticed by other users. Don’t be afraid to get creative with hasthags, either. Sometimes they can create new streams of content or simply catch the attention of other users who will retweet your message.
    
3. Use Keywords. Think like a SEO professional. Research keywords and use them in your updates.
    
4. Be Witty. Keywords are necessary. But you must also entertain, from time to time. Clever tweets have a way of being re-tweeted. Also, consider using teasers to encourage clicks on links.
    
5. Use Descriptive Short URLs. When possible, edit short URLs to include content keywords. Not only will they stand out from the rest, but users will be inclined to use that URL rather than re-shrinking it on their own – resulting in better, more accurate click and share data.
    
6. Vary Content Types and Providers. If users wanted to only read about your company, all the time, they would subscribe to your RSS feed or bookmark your blog. Mix it up with content from other sources and by type (video, audio, photos). Remember that we are focused on search, and multimedia is increasingly important for search engines and users.
    
7. Tweet Regularly and Promptly. You don’t want to be a nuisance but be sure to post quality updates on a regular basis. It ensures you stay top-of-mind with consumers and provides more content available to index and search. Tweet every piece of content you produce. Twitter is used by many to find breaking news. Provide it.
    
8. Post Contests, Giveaways and Promotions. People love a good deal and Twitter users are no exception. Running promotions will attract followers. And the number of followers is undoubtedly part of the search formula at Twitter and on standard search engines, where tweets are increasingly displayed.
    
9. Re-tweet and Follow. By re-tweeting others and following other accounts, you will earn more followers and encourage interaction – another factor that Twitter will take into account when assigning “status” to information providers.
    
10. Listen. Many people use Twitter to contact businesses, air grievances and seek support. Listen up, and reply promptly and fairly. It shows that you respect your followers, can foster any number of opportunities for cross-promotion and branding, and can prevent a bad experience from “going viral.” Solicit feedback, too. People like to feel that they are making a difference.

The E3 2011 gaming conference kicks off next week. As we head into the show it’s undeniable that in the battle of the big two, it’s a good time for Microsoft and dark days at Sony.

While Sony has taken hit after hit, most importantly but not limited to their PlayStation Network, Microsoft just continues to grow the popularity of the Xbox360 and Xbox Live. A post on the Microsoft blog recently hinted at the direction that the future Xbox will take, and that direction is “entertainment.” They reported that 40% of all the activity on the Xbox 360 is now non-game related. That includes streaming video, music and other personal uses.

But E3 is about gaming, and Microsoft hasn’t lost sight of that focus.

Xbox Live’s director of programming Larry Hryb, who blogs and games under the name “Major
Nelson,” has released some stats on his blog about the Xbox 360 as we head into the biggest gaming conference of the year. They are truly impressive stats, and shows that Sony has a lot of ground to make up, in the States at least.

• Microsoft has now sold 55 million Xbox 360 consoles across 38 countries and sales are accelerating.
• Xbox 360 maintains its lead in the U.S. as the top selling console in 2011, and ten of the past eleven months.
• In the first four months of 2011, Xbox 360 has seen a 29 percent year over year increase in sales, which is more than triple the growth of PlayStation 3 and the largest growth of any console on the market.
• There are now nearly 35 million active Xbox LIVE members worldwide spending an average of almost 60 hours a month on the service.
• Cumulatively Xbox LIVE members are now logging 2.1 billion entertainment hours a month.

He also posted this graph, showing the sales of multiple consoles from years 1 to 9. Out of all the consoles, the Xbox 360 and the PS2 are the only ones to record growth in year five. As of year four, PS3 sales have flattened out. Even though it is in decline, the Wii sales are still mighty impressive.