The Live Indian Entertainment Blog

Google Plus continues to get more open bit by bit, and just today made the service available to teens age 13 and up. Previously, Google Plus was restricted to people 18 and up. Along with the wave of new teenagers, Google Plus is also getting new privacy and security features--a fairly important thing if the service is to become something parents encourage their children to use.

Google is probably doing the slow rollout on purpose. This is their third or fourth wave of opening the service up. Each time it's followed by new statistics on membership, and this time will be no different. Millions of teens are going to sign up in the near future.

Google Plus Opens To Teens

Google Plus is now open to everyone 13 and up, and I'm guessing there will be plenty of takers.

This kind of news should be music to a video marketer's ears, because teenagers are among the most avid video consumers. They're also much more prone to social activity, with most of today's teenagers having grown up with mobile devices, Facebook, and Twitter.

The influx of teenagers 13 and up to Google Plus means the demographic will change almost overnight. It should also make Google Plus a more attractive social video marketing tool for brands and businesses--particularly those that create content known to appeal to teenagers: I'm thinking about action-oriented brands like Go Pro and Red Bull, music videos and music industry brands, movie trailers, etc.

doubleTwist has unveiled an updated Android app and desktop client. The announcement came shortly after Winamp's announcement that its own Android app has exited beta, and doubleTwist added a feature that Winamp just added as well: wireless sync.

doubleTwist is a company founded by Monique Farantzos and Jon Lech Johansen (or DVD Jon). DVD Jon famously cracked the AACS DVD encryption system, as well as Apple's iTunes FairPlay DRM.

doubleTwist desktop app makes no bones about wanting to be the "iTunes for Android." The desktop app has access to the Android App Store as well as Amazon MP3, and a directory of Podcasts. The wireless sync feature treads close to Apple's naming convention for "AirPlay;" it is called "AirSync" and will allow wireless syncing of videos, music, and photos.

However, doubleTwist until now has been free in the Android Market. That version is still free, but the new version, called doubleTwist AirSync in the Android Market, will cost you $0.99 if you are among the first 10,000 buyers, and $4.99 after that. One caveat: you must have the free version installed as well to use AirSync.

After the initial setup of both desktop and Android client, everything should work seamlessly. Assuming your PC is on, whenever the Android app is connected to your wireless LAN, the desktop version of doubleTwist will detect any new content on your phone and sync it (and vice versa).

When asked about Winamp's announcement of wireless syncing in their new client, doubleTwist gave the following acerbic comment:

In general, we do not consider Winamp a competitor as they are geared towards a specific subcategory of users who don’t mind endless menus, preferences and options. We are more focused on the mass market, average user who just wants to make the most out of their device without being overwhelmed by technology.

For those who want to increase their chances of hitting their broadband caps, Comcast has announced an online backup service, free if you want just 2 GB of storage. Seriously, however, it's unclear if those who use the service are exempt from Comcast's 250 GB monthly usage cap.

Secure Backup&Share is for Comcast customers only and leverages Mozy's technology. Mozy is arguably the most popular online backup service.

All existing Comcast customers receive 2 GB of online storage for free. Those who want more (let's face it, 2 GB is nothing) can opt for different plans. There is a 50GB storage plan for $4.99 monthly or $49.99 annually, and a 200GB storage plan for $9.99 monthly or $99.99 annually.

Also, Secure Backup & Share allows customers to share files via a personalized Web site called Comcast Vault. Shareable content can include photos, videos, music, and documents.

We have a request in to Comcast about the cap: whether or not users are exempted from it. In fact, this is the main reason we haven't adopted such an online backup in the past. There is little reason to use such a program if all it does is cause you to overshoot your cap on Comcast, and thus lose the service (as Comcast can and will terminate your service if that continues).