Digital Week in Review: Why Google + is Not the Facebook Killer it Thinks Amsive Digital Published: July 18, 2011 2 min read Categories: News Why Google+ is Not the Facebook Killer it Thinks it is; Technorati Google+ has attempted to usurp the King of Social Media, Facebook. While it will start things with a slightly changed interface, it will not be the change that we are all looking for, as the Google insight into social media is the same as it was, and the same as it will be until a fundamental shift in ideas occurs. The Takeaway: Despite the majority of truly innovative products that Google has developed over the years, the move into the Social Media space makes Google and Google+ a big, yes, you guessed it, copycat. Readers vs. Gamers, ‘Google News Badges’ Could Revolutionize Both; International Business Times Google’s latest concoction ‘Google News Badges’ could be making strides toward a revolutionary way of reading, gaming, and social networking. The Takeaway: By connecting Google News with Google+ through the user profile, the tech giant has turned reading news into a gaming experience. App Makers and Twitter Feel Strains; The New York Times The relationship between Twitter and the outside developers that build its apps is a little like the one between sharks and the small fish that latch onto their backs — beneficial for both, until it isn’t. The Takeaway: The boom in apps, though, has fueled longstanding tensions between Twitter and the developers over whether they are partners or competitors. What each fails to effectively realize is that one can not survive without the other. Microsoft pitches Google Health users, developers on moving to HealthVault; ZDNet Microsoft is attempting to make it easier for Google Health users and developers to move their data and applications over to Microsoft’s HealthVault alternative, using the Direct Project messaging protocols established by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. The Takeaway: Can Microsoft succeed where Google failed? It’s unlikely that most users will consider keeping personal health information on the cloud a necessity anytime soon.