Google Is Trying To Protect Itself From Its Own Platform

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Google Is Clamping Down On The Android Open Source Project (ARS Technica)
Google originally launched its mobile device Android Open Source Project in 2007 as a way to package Google mobile services like Maps, Gmail, and others within an open source mobile platform that third-party developers could fork for their mobile devices. Bigger picture, this was also a way for Google, which had zero mobile market share, to fend off the possibility of an Apple mobile monopoly.

Now, Android is the leading mobile computing platform, and Google's open source policies are turning it's own platform against it. The proliferation of open-source Android means the proliferation of millions of generic Android apps that could pass for an entire platform ecosystem on their own. Amazon has already done this with its Kindle Fire apps.

In order to protect its standing, Google must now close the loop on parts of its open source project. Most importantly, it is locking down its Google services and taking back more and more apps under the Google umbrella, including Search, Music, Calendar, and Messaging. Read >

In other news...

David Pogue, popular tech columnist at the New York Times, will be joining Yahoo to expand the site's consumer tech coverage. (Yahoo)

Netflix Q3 earnings were released. The service added 1.3 million subscribers during the quarter and generated revenue of $1.1 billion. Netflix also surpassed HBO in U.S. subscribers. (TechCrunch)

Gartner claims tablet shipments will grow 54.3% in 2013 while PC shipments will decline 11.2% for the year. (Gartner)

Facebook launched video ads for its mobile app. It is targeted to companies promoting their own mobile apps, and is tied to Facebook's existing app install ads. (Venture Beat)

Is is truly bad news for Apple that the iPhone 5S is vastly outselling the 5C? (Stratechery)

American Express is partnering with electronic payments company Verifone to allow NYC cab riders to pay for fares with AmEx rewards points. (TechCrunch)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made his first public angel investment in Panorama, an education company that utilizes data analytics. (All Things Digital)