Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » juillet 20, 2012

BetaNews.Com (10 non lus)

HTC One S, X and XL will get Jelly Bean, but when is anyone's guess

Publié: juillet 20, 2012, 9:05pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Have you ever wanted the latest and greatest but you couldn’t get it? That is the ongoing problem for Android phone users. Google announces the new version and they wait. And wait and wait. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean released last week, leaving many people like you asking: Will I get it? If so, when?

HTC has an answer to the first question, but not the second -- that is for One series owners.

The company says it will update One S, One X and One XL to Jelly Bean. Why shouldn’t you want the latest and greatest? But you have to wait, because HTC isn't saying when. As usual, the “please stay tuned” expression disappoints and is sadly typical behavior of a major Android phone manufacturer. Sure, Jelly Bean is new, but Galaxy Nexus has it already. Why shouldn't HTC bless owners of its hot One series smartphones with goodness?

"We know HTC fans are excited to get their hands on Google’s latest version of Android", the phone maker says in a statement given to BetaNews. "At this point in time, we can confirm that we have plans to upgrade our HTC One X, HTC One XL and HTC One S to Jelly Bean. Please stay tuned for more updates regarding device upgrades, timing and other details about HTC and Jelly Bean".

Australian carrier Telstra updated its “Smartphone software updates” page on July 18, adding the HTC One XL and One S to the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update list, confirming but nothing more: “HTC is preparing an update but is yet to confirm the date it will be submitted for Telstra testing”. But like the smartphone manufacturer announced, there’s no expected delivery date set just yet.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean comes with quite a few new and great features like “Project Butter”, making for a more fluent, responsive interface, something that even Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich didn’t quite manage to perfect. There’s also Google Voice Search, which kicks Siri’s ass. Jelly Bean is set to make Android even better and should be normal for smartphone manufacturers to announce the update. It’s the best after all, isn’t it?

HTC’s financial situation isn’t the best possible, that despite the newly announced and very popular (well, among Android users), One series and EVO 4G LTE smartphones. HTC CEO Peter Chou says that the company's smartphones will revolve around build quality and a premium experience; they are making an effort to deliver a better overall experience and through Jelly Bean updates they want to make sure their claims stand.

HTC is rumored to be developing its own voice assistant, so the news announcing the Jelly Bean update is rather unexpected. Maybe they’ve changed strategies and want to adopt the default voice assistant or maybe their attempt is just as good as Samsung S Voice on the Galaxy SIII. S Voice is a similar program to Google Voice Search, except the latter actually works as intended, so Samsung is at a wedge by having duplicate functionality; therefore they have to choose. Is this the reason for them not whispering even a word about Jelly Bean?

Sony has barely released the Ice Cream Sandwich update to the flagship Xperia S, so it’s unlikely for them to announce an update to Jelly Bean considering not even a month has passed since the last major update.

Android late updates remain a major issue that has plagued the Google operating system right from the start. Google announced Jelly Bean three weeks ago and updated its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Nexus. What are the rest of the smartphone manufacturers doing? Their silence is deafening.
DirecTV the apparent winner in new deal with Viacom, 10-day blackout ends

Publié: juillet 20, 2012, 8:08pm CEST par Ed Oswald

A 10-day dispute between Viacom and satellite provider DirecTV ended Friday as the two sides consented to a new long-term agreement that put Viacom channels back on the air.

DirecTV customers lost access to 26 channels on July 10 after the company walked away from negotiations, claiming Viacom wanted a 30-percent increase in carriage rates. While the two sides did not disclose the financial terms of the deal, both Bloomberg and Reuters report that it is worth about $600 million, or a 20 percent increase over current rates.

The satellite provider won some important concessions from Viacom. First, it will have the option to carry movie channel Epix, which Viacom had attempted to force DirecTV to pick up. Viacom also will allow DirecTV to stream all channels live through its mobile DirecTV application. That said, no timeline was given for the availability of those channels.

Even in apparent victory, DirecTV officials still took a defiant stance.

"The attention surrounding this unnecessary and ill-advised blackout by Viacom has accomplished one key thing: it serves notice to all media companies that bullying TV providers and their customers with blackouts won't get them a better deal", DirecTV's content strategy chief Derek Chang says. "It's high time programmers ended these anti-consumer blackouts once and for all and prove our industry is about enabling people to connect to their favorite programs rather than denying them access".

Viacom's response is muted. "Viacom is extremely pleased to bring its programming back to DIRECTV subscribers, and thanks everyone affected by the disruption for their patience and understanding during this challenging period", the company says in a brief statement.

At 10 days and 26 channels, the blackout is unprecedented in both size and scope. However, the tactic of yanking access to channels is becoming more common as of late as entertainment providers look for more leverage in a market that grows at a far slower pace than in the past.

Regardless, both sides did not walk away unscathed. DirecTV is said to have lost some customers during the period, and Viacom channels like Nickelodeon saw an appreciable drop in their ratings, losing ground to competitors like The Disney Channel.
Well done Microsoft for bringing Office closer to the cloud

Publié: juillet 20, 2012, 7:41pm CEST par Chris Wright

One of the areas of this week's Office 2013 launch that received slightly less attention as the updated Office Web Apps. These are the light weight web counterparts of the ‘full fat’ desktop applications, and are Microsoft's answer to Google Docs. Existing users of Skydrive, Office 365, or SharePoint 2010 will be familiar with them.

The apps received various updates, some major and many minor. Most obvious is the Metro look and feel, in line with everything else you have seen of Office 2013. Excel gains the ability to insert forms, PowerPoint sees its rendering engine markedly improved, and OneNote doesn’t seem to get anything other than a lick of paint. All in all its an incremental improvement, and certainly nothing to make happy Google Docs users sit up and take notice.

It seems quite clear that Microsoft isn’t really interested in making its web apps any better than good (and they are good, just not remarkable. Outlook is the pick of the bunch and actually very good). After all why would it? Microsoft wants you to buy Office 2013 and run the full desktop apps. It doesn’t want to lose you to free online alternatives, where is the revenue in that?

I’m actually a pretty heavy user of Google Docs. I like the lightweight approach. I like being able to quickly edit something. I like the online storage. So I shouldn’t like Microsoft’s attitude? Well true but with the advent of Office 2013 it is starting to sit a little better with me. If you have had a peek at the customer preview you will know why -- and it's called Click to Run.

This technology was used in Office 2010, but has be improved for this new release. Essentially it allows you to install and start using the Office apps very very quickly (not instantly, but impressively quickly). By the time the Office 2013 installer has opened, it has actually already got going in the background installing the apps. In day-to-day use the software is actually streamed to your PC, cached rather than installed.

Click to Run really comes into its own when teamed with the rest of the Office 365 ecosystem. When you purchase Office you can use it on up to five different computers at any one time. Click to Run makes this process quick and simple. If you want to edit a document on a machine that doesn’t have Office 2013 you can install it as a "roaming app". Again Click to Run makes this painless. So no matter where you are or what machine you are using you can get going with ease. Office 365, and Skydrive, complete the job by storing your files in the cloud, even remembering what page you were on when you reopen them.

I started by saying I am a big fan of Google Docs (this article started there, as do most of my articles). Getting going with Office 2013 is hardly the same as just opening a new browser tab. But, on the other hand, you're getting a full desktop application, with all of the functionality that brings with it. Sometimes I need that. And when I do, the experience is quicker and more elegant no matter where I am. I applaud Microsoft for its approach and bringing its desktop suite closer to the cloud in this manner. Well done, chaps.

Photo Credit: Tom Wang/Shutterstock
Twitter fights for its users

Publié: juillet 20, 2012, 7:03pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Twitter will appeal the ruling of a New York Criminal Court, which ordered the social network to turn over the tweets of Malcolm Harris. He is an Occupy Wall Street protester charged along with several hundred others for allegedly marching onto the Brooklyn Bridge roadway on Oct. 1, 2011. The ruling came last month, after a series of legal back-and-forth actions.

Today, Twitter legal counsel Ben Lee declares that Twitter will fight back: "We're appealing the Harris decision. It doesn't strike the right balance between the rights of users and the interests of law enforcement". The case, and more significantly, the appeal is a loaded gun, pitting free speech against the state's right to prosecute and searing emotions about Occupy's crusade against the so-called 1 percent, whom some will accuse the ruling benefits. Twitter does the right thing, by protecting its users. But considering the statements Judge Matthew Sciarrino made in his ruling, do they have a chance to win the appeal?

The prosecutors want Harris' tweets, and Twitter informed him about the subpoena it was served on January 26. Twitter sought to quash the subpoena, which the court denied on April 20, ironically for the reason “that the tweets the defendant posted were not his” according to Twitter’s privacy policy and the terms of mandate.

Judge Sciarrino oversaw the trial on New York v. Harris ruling on June 30 that the deleted public tweets of Harris must be turned over by Twitter, and according to the court public tweets do not have the same character as email, private direct message or private chat, thus negating the need for a warrant.

Judge Sciarrino declared that "If you post a tweet, just like if you scream it out the window, there is no reasonable expectation of privacy," furthermore adding that "there is no proprietary interest in your tweets, which you have now gifted to the world". Keep in mind that his statements are based on the fact that Harris' tweets were public, while they now are deleted. The defendant clearly had the right to delete the tweets and it’s in his best interest to keep them deleted, but it makes for a difficult defense considering they didn’t address a limited number of parties.

Twitter says it does have a chance to win the appeal and they’re now taking the case to the Appellate Term of the Supreme Court for the First Judicial Department of New York, according to a court document. They’ve got Twitter’s Terms of Service to fight the ruling with, which according to the company, gives its users ownership rights to their content, hence their reason for a “steadfast commitment to our users and their rights".

The problem: the government doesn’t acknowledge Twitter’s Terms of Service and dismisses the ownership rights, which are stated clearly in section 5, titled “Your Rights”: “You retain your rights to any Content you submit, post or display on or through the Services”.

There's a problem here.

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BYOD apocalypse deniers suffer from post-PC depression

Publié: juillet 20, 2012, 5:36pm CEST par Randall C. Kennedy

It’s a form of denial. In my recent post on the Office team dissing Windows 8, I noted how the lack of full touch support in Office 2013 undermines Microsoft’s efforts to break into the Post-PC space. And while I expected some push back from the Redmond choir, I was surprised at how many readers seem to be having a hard time accepting the reality of the Post-PC phenomenon.

Simply put, the PC as a technology driver is dead. Yet some people -- most notably, IT professionals who fear the coming BYOD apocalypse -- are determined to prop-up the corpse, slap some lipstick on those rotting lips and pretend that it’s still 2009.

Their core argument seems to center around the idea that, while tablets and other mobile devices are great for content consumption, you still need a PC (or a PC-like tablet device) to get real work done. Unfortunately for them, someone forgot to tell their users.

Look around the tablet accessory aftermarket and you see a veritable cornucopia of add-ons and enhancements all designed to make content creation easier for the Post-PC set. In fact, the very first accessory that Apple made available for the original iPad was that god-awful dock/keyboard thingy. Since then, third-party stalwarts like Logitech have taken on the task of filling the various content creation gaps by offering a plethora of wireless keyboards, mice and other goodies all designed to satisfy the tablet toting crowd’s desire to do more with their devices than merely consume Netflix videos.

It’s this bottom-up push by users seeking to simplify their lives around a single, highly-portable device that is powering the BYOD revolution. The question is no longer “can I”, but rather “why can’t I” ditch my laptop/desktop/boat anchor and just use my <insert generic tablet name here> for everything? It all feels eerily similar to the groundswell of users demanding PCs back in the mid-1980s -- except that this time around, users are willing to shell out their own money in return for the freedom to use a device of their choice.

Microsoft seems to have recognized this trend, which is why the most highly-touted feature of the new Surface tablet is its integrated keyboard/trackpad/magnetic cover. And while the cynic in me would point out that the company had no choice in the matter since its own Metro UI paradigm is so half-baked (many Windows 8 and Office 2013 UI mechanisms are still geared towards a mouse and keyboard), the truth is that Microsoft understands that users will want to consolidate their computing platforms and thus need to be able to both consume and create content with ease.

Which brings us back to those BYOD apocalypse deniers I mentioned earlier. On the one hand, they seek to challenge the notion that users no longer want or need a laptop or desktop PC to “get work done”. Yet in the same breath they point to Surface as the answer to BYOD since it’s an iPad-competitive Windows tablet that will also allow users to “get work done”.

Guys, you really can’t have it both ways. So unless you want to find yourselves on the wrong side of history (think mini-computer loyalists circa 1983), it’s time to stop questioning why users want to bring their tablets to work and instead start figuring out how best to accommodate them in a secure, reliable fashion.

Catch Randall C. Kennedy's smart analysis of tech trends every Tuesday and Friday here at BetaNews.

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Google+ wins me over

Publié: juillet 20, 2012, 4:17pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

“Bigger is always better” is an expression we’ve become accustomed to over the years and while counter-intuitive it best describes everything that’s wrong with Facebook. The most popular social networking website is the best example of size losing over quality. Are we really satisfied with our Internet alter-ego living in the largest environment or the better one?

The American Customer Satisfaction Index has revealed rather interesting user satisfaction results on Facebook and Google+. Satisfaction is the word of the day and Facebook users don’t really get it, which is curious because there are more than 900 million of them. The satisfaction index rating decreased from 66 in 2011 to 61 in 2012. That's out of 100 points. Surely CEO Mark Zuckerberg should be concerned. Why? The sun shines brighter on Google+, which ranks 78 its first time on the index, equal to Wikipedia.

People don’t like Facebook, They like their Friends

It's easy to see why some people don’t really like Facebook, which is quite funny because how they popularized "Like". The introduction of Timeline stirred the waters in the Facebook community with many disliking the idea (so much for "Like"). I've read many posts from people wanting to change back from Timeline. I guess you can’t force people to like a concept they didn’t ask for or need. The fact that it was another in a long line of forced upgrades doesn't help with user satisfaction at all.

I have used Facebook since October 2010 and have witnessed a degradation of user experience since. Perhaps business model is part of the problem. Facebook's main source of revenue is advertising and the loads of information the social network seeks to unearth for ad partners, and those developing apps, too. Let’s face it, Facebook ads aren’t our happy time, nor the clutter and complexity created to squeeze out more personal info.

One thing that baffles me every day is the number of Facebook app posts seen whenever I scroll through the newsfeed. It’s like every app wants to tell me how good it is. If I want to play a game I will, but I simply don’t want to be reminded of its existence every time I want to read some real news. To me they're far more annoying than Facebook ads.

What doesn’t seem to go away and is quite sad actually: The number of offending comments, be they sexual, racist, etc. We live in a modern world that’s supposed to be better than it was 50 years ago, but plenty of users don’t realize that other people can read the stupid things they post. Facebook seems more concerned about being popular than taking action against offenders.

There are plenty of reasons as to why people don’t enjoy Facebok more over Google+, but only one reason for them staying: friends.

Google+ Breadth of Fresh Air

By comparison, I joined Google+ in July last year, soon after its introduction. I started by registering just to see what all the fuss was about, since it was touted as a Facebook killer with many new concepts being implemented, such as the idea of Circles. We all know that didn’t happen, but something else did: people enjoy Google+.

I quite like the concept of Circles and use them every day to keep tabs on what’s new on Google+. Compared to the idea of the "List" Facebook uses, this is miles away in terms of flexibility and what’s more important: Circles are rooted into the social network, while the List looks like an afterthought. Having the possibility to not have everyone in the same pot makes a difference and it actually makes for a better user experience.

Trending on Google+ is a brilliant idea from my perspective, and it’s a great way to make your posts popular while at the same time having the ability to connect similar content. I’ve used it many times, particularly since contributing to BetaNews. I find the tool very useful in getting feedback on my articles as well as reaching a wider audience. Searching through millions or billions of posts makes a huge difference and trending makes it easier.

Posting with hash tags makes sense, too. You’re making your posts and your content better categorized and with the ability to search through them, which can make your ideas more powerful than in any other social network.

I’d like to compare it with Facebook’s search ability, but they obviously haven’t bothered. And why should they? It’s not like it can be popular. Search should be a given in 2012. It’s not 1990 anymore, and when we’re talking about hundreds of friends and millions of posts.

At Google I/O +Vic Gundotra said that 250 million people use Google+, with 150 million as active monthly users, with half of those using Google+ each day. It all sounds like it is taking off quite well and I’m only wondering what’s stopping everyone from deleting their Facebook account and joining Google’s social network.

Google+ wins the war against Facebook for other reasons, like the minimalistic design, which is elegant and complex without feeling cluttered. Features like searching, tagging posts and Circles are really enjoyable for me and make for a true social orientation rather than profit at any cost.

Which is the Better One?

There are plenty more reasons why I don’t much like Facebook but there’s only one reason for me to still use it: friends. And that’s the key to Facebook’s existence. People don’t switch overnight and a massive move from one network to another is impossible. Mark Zuckerberg started at a time when all other social networks weren’t as good and didn’t focus as much on relationships. Right now 900 million users are inertia for it. As long as people don’t search for a better alternative they’re going to be stuck with the clutter that is Facebook.

On the other hand, Google+ is a totally different animal compared to Facebook and one that's far more evolved. Comparing the user experience on Google+ with the one on Facebook isn’t like comparing apples to oranges, because apples aren’t definitely better than oranges, but Google+ sure is the more enjoyable social network.
VLC 2.0.3 improves Mountain Lion, Windows 8 support

Publié: juillet 20, 2012, 3:53pm CEST par Nick Peers

VideoLAN.org has released VLC Media Player 2.0.3, the latest build of its popular open-source media player software for Mac, Windows and Linux. Although a minor refresh, version 2.0.3 contains two notable updates in adding support for Mountain Lion’s Gatekeeper, and fixing the QT interface style in Windows 8.

In addition to these updates, version 2.0.3, which is also available as a separate 64-bit build (not updated to 2.0.3 at time of writing), contains a number of minor bug fixes and translation updates.

OS X users will be pleased to learn that VLC 2.0.3 is now fully compliant with the forthcoming Mountain Lion release with its support for the Gatekeeper security system. Other minor fixes in the Mac build include better handling for some hotkeys, plus a fix for full-screen toggle over extra interfaces.

The Windows build, released just a few hours ago, offers unspecified fixes for the QT interface style in Windows 8. This doesn’t improve the native design however, which is based on Windows 8’s own blocky user interface, so users are encouraged to visit VideoLAN’s Skins repository should they wish to replace it with something more sleek and attractive. Skins are applied via the Tools > Preferences menu.

Other minor changes include a fix for some HTTP requests that broke selected radio channels, better support for FLV files and a fix for crashes occurring when opening APE files containing ID3v1 tags. Various translation updates have also been implemented, and two new languages, Uzbek and Marathi, have been added.

VLC Media Player 2.0.3 is available as an open-source freeware download for Mac, Windows and Linux. A standalone 64-bit build is also available for Windows and Mac.

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Avira Protection Cloud 'technical preview' released -- get it NOW!

Publié: juillet 20, 2012, 2:28pm CEST par Mike Williams

Avira has released a first public “technical preview” of Avira Protection Cloud, a simple cloud-based tool for detecting malware.

And we really do mean simple. There are no menus here, no toolbars, no options, settings anything else: all you have to do is launch the program, click “Cloud Scan” and wait for the results.

Protection Cloud then scans running processes, startup programs, Windows services and other likely targets of infection, calculating a hash (a digital fingerprint) for each one and sending it to Avira’s server. If this matches any known malware you’ll be warned right away.

Occasionally the program will find an executable file it doesn’t recognise, though, and this will be uploaded for analysis. Which could take a while if there are a few, or you’ve a slow internet connection (and there’s currently no way that uploading can be disabled).

Protection Cloud displays the server’s verdict on each file as it arrives, though, so you’ve at least something to watch as time passes by. And fortunately the program remembers what it’s scanned previously, so if you run it again it’ll only upload new or changed files, greatly improving performance.

As malware tools go, this is plainly rather limited. There’s no real-time detection, no way to scan just a particular file or folder, and no malware removal options, either -- if the program does uncover something nasty then you’ll have to figure out how to get rid of it for yourself.

Protection Cloud is also lightweight, easy to use and relatively fast, though (after the first scan, at least). The program’s simplicity means it should run happily alongside any other security tool. And so, if you think your system has been infected by something which your regular antivirus package has missed, Avira Protection Cloud could be a useful way to help you find out more.

Photo Credit: Jirsak/Shutterstock
Which Firefox is right for you -- 14, 15, 16 or 17?

Publié: juillet 20, 2012, 1:34pm CEST par Nick Peers

The recent release of Firefox 14 FINAL means the whole developmental cycle has moved on again, and as expected versions 15 (Beta), 16 (Aurora) and 17 (Nightly/UX) of Mozilla’s web browser have made their first appearances. Version 14 was a relatively minor release after the excitement of version 13, but versions 15 and 16 both promise some exciting new features as we reveal below.

Get a head’s up on what’s coming and discover which build is best for your personal needs with our updated guide to what the future holds in store for Firefox.

Firefox 14.0 FINAL

Without a doubt the recommended release for most users, as it’s the most stable build out there. There’s little in the current build to get too excited about, however, so if you’re feeling a little let down by the lack of new features, read on.

Firefox 15.0b1 Beta

At first glance there’s little to differentiate version 15 from 14 -- most confirmed changes are behind-the-scenes, such as start-up performances in Windows, the implementation of silent background updates to follow on from Firefox 14’s new service-based update mechanism and incremental garbage collection. Mac users should also see a number of accessibility improvements.

One undocumented feature that is active in Firefox 15 Beta is the inline PDF browser. The Mozilla Features/Release Tracking page has this down for version 16, but we found the feature present and correct in Firefox 15.

It may not be the only radical change either -- other major changes slated (but not yet enabled) include the integration of web apps to the desktop, which, although reportedly landed, is currently switched off while further testing is done in the Aurora channel.

As part of Firefox’s drive to eliminate all pop-up management windows, there’s also the possibility of the old Preferences dialogue box being replaced by a dedicated in-content tab to reduce clutter. Firefox Social Integration, the incorporation of a range of social network-friendly tools into a toolbar, sidebar or floating window, is also mooted, but seeing as it’s still as “Definition” stage only, we doubt very much if it’ll appear in time for Firefox 15 Final.

Firefox 16.0a2 Aurora

Firefox’s “alpha” build installs alongside either Firefox Final or Beta, allowing you to test it without affecting day-to-day browsing. Settings are shared between both builds, however, so install and use with caution.

Version 16 promises to be a landmark build for a number of reasons, and many of those are present and can be previewed in the current Aurora build. There’s a new panel-based download manager that replaces the old separate pop-up window -- it’s accessible when you click the download button above Bookmarks. Look out too for two Developer features: the Developer Toolbar and Command Line.

OS X Lion users hungry for more after version 14 finally introduced full-screen support will be interested to learn other Lion improvements, such as scroll bars, remapped gestures and double tap zoom support, are also under development, with version 16 the target release for at least a few more to make their appearance.

Another feature promised for version 16 is “speedy session restore”. This latter feature aims to speed up the reloading of previously open tabs and windows when restarting Firefox so Mozilla can make it the default choice for the browser.

Firefox 17.0a1 Nightly

Firefox’s Nightly channel gives users access to code hot off the press, and again it installs alongside other Firefox builds. It’s incredibly unstable, updated frequently and you’re just as likely to see new features disappear as appear.

After the excitement of version 16, new features in Firefox 17 are still thin on the ground. There are planned improvements to the display of location bar results -- some of these restylings have landed in Firefox 16, but others, such as using larger favicons, remain in development. Elsewhere, the only other change of note comes with mooted improvements to the Add-ons Compatibility Check feature, but these remain at the planning stage only.

Some features mentioned above, but currently unavailable to preview, such as the in-content preferences dialog slated for Firefox 15, can be previewed via Firefox 17.0a1 UX, the parallel nightly build of Firefox where interface improvements make their first appearance. We’d recommend all but developers and serious, knowledgeable enthusiasts avoid the Nightly builds of Firefox.

So, to Summarize

Which version of Firefox should you try? Firefox 15 Beta certainly looks tempting with its inline PDF viewer and the promise of more to follow, while Firefox 16 Aurora also has some exciting new features to look forward to. At the present time, however, there’s nothing in Firefox 17 to suggest you venture into the murky waters of a Nightly build. All, along with Firefox 14 FINAL, are free, open-source downloads for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Shareholders reward Google, after paid clicks lift Q2 2012 results

Publié: juillet 20, 2012, 4:34am CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Google shares rose about 3 percent in after-hours trading today, following a positive second-quarter earnings report that included subsidiary Motorola Mobility. Revenue reached $12.21 billion, up 35 percent year over year. Motorola contributed $1.25 billion revenue on its first listing in a Google earnings report. Without the subsidiary, revenue would have grown 21 percent.

The search and information giant completed the $12.5 billion acquisition in mid May, so Motorola only contributed for about 39 days to second-quarter results.

Traffic acquisition costs were $2.6 billion, or 25 percent of revenues, during Q2. Removing them and Motorola, revenue reached $8.36 billion.

Paid clicks rose 42 percent year over year and 1 percent sequentially.

In Q2 2012 net income was $2.79 billion, up from $2.51 billion a year earlier.

Motorola posted an operating loss of $233 million -- $192 million from mobile and $41 million for the home operations, dragging earnings as it lifted revenue.

CEO Larry Page issued a statement about the quarter's results, but he didn't participate in the earnings call, nor did he post to Google+, as he has done in recent quarters. His absence continues to raise questions about his health.

"Google standalone had a strong quarter with 21 percent year-on-year revenue growth, and we launched a bunch of exciting new products at I/O -- in particular the Nexus 7 tablet, which has received rave reviews", Page says. "This quarter is also special because Motorola is now part of the Google family, and we’re excited about the potential to build great devices for users".

In after-hours trading, Google pushed up more than 3 percent before settling at plus 2.72 percent. Google closed $593.06 and is $609.20 as this story posts.

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