Google’s Spring Clean: Google Mini, Talk Chatback, Google Video, Others are Done For
Google is a massive company that not only maintains a vast stable of products and services but also gives interesting ideas a shot all the time. From time to time, as various Google offerings get merged into another, outlive their usefulness, or simply never really catch on, the company does a spring cleaning to get rid of the flotsam and jetsam. This time around, a few old chestnuts get the axe, as well as a feature or two you may have never used.
Google Mini is an enterprise search appliance that is being retired because Google Search Appliance, Google Site Search, and Google Commerce Search can do what it does better. Google says that it will continue to support Google Mini owners for the life of their contracts, though.
The “Meebo bar” is replacing Google Talk Chatback, a Google Talk widget that users can embed on their sites to facilitate site visitor interaction. Google Video, which was made redundant once Google acquired YouTube, stopped taking uploads back in 2009; all remaining vids will be migrated to YouTube by August 20th. The Symbian OS continues its downward spiral to irrelevancy, as Google will no longer be offering its Symbian Search App.
Finally, iGoogle is getting the axe; by November 1st, 2013, it’s disappearing. Although the widget-laden customizable home page was great for a time, that time has past as up-to-the minute information, news, and email alerts get to us in better ways.
Google Mini is an enterprise search appliance that is being retired because Google Search Appliance, Google Site Search, and Google Commerce Search can do what it does better. Google says that it will continue to support Google Mini owners for the life of their contracts, though.
The “Meebo bar” is replacing Google Talk Chatback, a Google Talk widget that users can embed on their sites to facilitate site visitor interaction. Google Video, which was made redundant once Google acquired YouTube, stopped taking uploads back in 2009; all remaining vids will be migrated to YouTube by August 20th. The Symbian OS continues its downward spiral to irrelevancy, as Google will no longer be offering its Symbian Search App.
Finally, iGoogle is getting the axe; by November 1st, 2013, it’s disappearing. Although the widget-laden customizable home page was great for a time, that time has past as up-to-the minute information, news, and email alerts get to us in better ways.
