Google announced that it was going to start mixing its Google+ results into normal search results. Twitter wasn’t happy (because Google+ results will drive traffic back to Google’s own properties), saying that Google’s changes were “bad for people, publishers, news organizations and Twitter users.”

We used Social Radar to analyze conversations online.

Google sentiment

Conversations around Google went from 73% to 64% positive overnight. Twitter is currently being mentioned in 12% of all Google conversations.

Google is appearing in 9% of Twitter conversations.

As Blake Ross, director of product at Facebook, mentioned in a comment to this TechCrunch article:

“When you search Google for ‘basketball’ now, you get a link to Dwyane Wade’s Google+ profile in the right column. Why isn’t Google also linking to Dwyane’s Twitter profile, which has been around for much longer, has far more content, and is fully public?”

Did Google just make it more difficult to find relevant information online?

News broke this week that Verizon would be blocking Google’s flagship Galaxy Nexus phone from including Google Wallet, the NFC-based system that will let you tap your phone against special sensors to pay for goods and services. Speculation was that the decision was spurred by Verizon’s support of a rival NFC-based payment solution ISIS. The decision sparked a battle between Google and Verizon.

We used Social Radar to analyze conversations online.

Verizon conversation sentiment

Conversations around Verizon averaged more than 75% positive throughout the past month but spiked to nearly 50% negative this week. The phrases ‘blocking Google Wallet’ and ‘Galaxy Nexus’ are appearing in nearly 20% of all Verizon conversations online.

Do you think Verizon is making a bad decision?

Motorola has resurrected the RAZR as a Droid-branded smartphone. That’s right, the razor-thin flip phone that sold more than 130 million units in its four-year run in the mid-2000s is back.

Motorola released the Droid Razr on Friday, 11/11/11, at 11:11 a.m. Amazon offered a Friday-only deal on the new Razr through its AmazonWireless site giving you the Razr for $111.11 with a Verizon contract.

How did buzz on the resurrected RAZR compare to the original? We used Social Radar to analyze conversations online back to 2007 to find out.

Motorola RAZR buzz

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Current RAZR sentiment

Within the last 30 days, conversations around RAZR have been 88% positive. The word ‘Android’ is appearing in 47% of all RAZR conversations and is 92% positive.

Current RAZR content distribution

Within the last 30 days, 40% of RAZR mentions came via Twitter, 48% via blogs, and 8% via forums.

Are you happy to see the RAZR attempting to make a comeback? Will you buy a Droid RAZR?

Tuesday Google unveiled video and screengrabs of the new Gmail look, which will be rolling out soon. Users have the option to click on the “switch to the new look” link to check out the changes now. News of the updated Gmail interface first hit the Web on October 20. The new Gmail interface is all about ease of use, with improved search, intuitive navigation and more streamlined conversations. You can also change the display density, and try out new themes.

We used Social Radar to analyze conversations around Google and Gmail online.

Gmail conversation topics

Overall conversations around Gmail are currently 83% positive. The word ‘design’ is appearing in 15% of all Gmail conversations and is 90% positive.

Google and Gmail buzz

Conversations around both Google and Gmail spiked to their highest point this month on October 20, the day news about new Gmail leaked.

Overall buzz around Gmail is up 944% and buzz around Google is up 150% this month.

Google sentiment

Conversations around Google are currently 80% positive.

Google released a new iPad and iPhone app for Gmail today. Have you tried the new Gmail? What are your thoughts?

Facebook has once again redesigned the news feed and officially launched a ticker in the right-hand side of the screen displaying real-time updates. The news feed reflects the addition of the recently launched smart friend lists, the subscribe button and the relocated privacy controls on the site.

The updates precede the upcoming “major profile redesign” Facebook is expected to roll out at its f8 developer conference tomorrow.

As with most Facebook updates, many users complained. MySpace even became a trending topic on Twitter last night, comparing the new Facebook changes to the fledgling overly complicated MySpace design.

We used Social Radar to analyze conversations online.

Facebook buzz

Facebook mentions — which are typically already high compared to other topics — increased 300% overnight.

Facebook sentiment August 18 – September 19

Facebook sentiment September 20-21

Negative chatter increased 9% following the changes. The word ‘MySpace’ appears in nearly 2% of all Facebook conversations. The word ‘Facebook’ appears in nearly 60% of all MySpace conversations.

#NewFacebook sentiment

The hashtag #NewFacebook was also trending overnight and today. Nearly 80% of all mentions were negative.

Facebook vs. Twitter vs. Google+

Not to be outdone, Google+ announced several new features, such as turning Hangouts into a bona fide broadcast platform. The search giant even added search to the service, and alerted users to the new changes with a giant blue arrow on the Google.com homepage.

Twitter, which typically generates the most mentions online among the big three, fell behind to Facebook following all of the current buzz.

Will tomorrow’s f8 conference, which speculates potential partnerships with Spotify and others, increase positive buzz for Facebook?

Google announced today that it acquired Zagat. Google says Zagat’s 30 point rating system will become the new cornerstone of Google’s local-focused services.

Zagat buzz

Zagat mentions shot up 546% today following Google’s announcement.

Zagat vs. Yelp

Yelp has consistently generated considerably more buzz than Zagat, but should Yelp be concerned?

 

Google announced today that it would acquire Motorola Mobility, the cellphone business that was split from Motorola, for $12.5 billion. The acquisition, by far Google’s largest ever, turns Google (which makes the Android mobile operating system), into a full-fledged cellphone manufacturer, in direct competition with Apple

With the acquisition, Google gains a portfolio of 17,000 patents and another 7,000 patents pending globally. The word “patent” was mentioned 24 times on Google’s conference call this morning to discuss the deal. Google CEO Larry Page and other executives talked about how Motorola Mobility’s portfolio of patents will help protect google and its Android phone software from “anti-competitive threats” from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.

We used Social Radar to analyze conversations online.

Google and Motorola buzz

Nearly 79% of conversations around Google and Motorola today have been positive.

Where does this acquisition leave other Android phone makers?

Facebook today unveiled Facebook Messenger, an Android and iPhone app dedicated to sending messages and texts through the world’s largest social network. The mobile app is a direct result of Facebook’s acquisition of group messaging app Beluga in March. Facebook Messenger is the first mobile app developed and released outside of the official Facebook app.

We used Social Radar to analyze conversations around the new app against conversations around Google+.

Facebook Messenger vs. Google+ buzz

Google+ chatter has subsided substantially since its launch earlier this summer.

Facebook vs. Google

Facebook has consistently generated more chatter than Google over the past six months.

Which company do you think is best positioned to win the battle?

Rupert Murdoch called today the most humbling moment of his career during testimony before Parliament about the ongoing News International phone hacking scandal. The social media world exploded after Murdoch was hit in the face with a pie, which delayed the hearing about 10 minutes.

We used Social Radar to analyze conversations online.

Rupert Murdoch buzz

Rupert Murdoch mentions are well above the previous highest point in November 2009 when Murdoch made news for claiming News Corp would block Google indexing.

Rupert Murdoch sentiment

Conversations around Rupert Murdoch are currently an average of 55% negative.

Rebekah Brooks sentiment

Interestingly, conversations around former News International Chief Rebekah Brooks are an average of only 45% negative. Brooks resigned from her position because of the scandal, but has not admitted guilt.

Not many words appear more often in the Social Radar database than ‘Obama.’ ‘Facebook,’ ‘Google’ and ‘Twitter’ regularly challenge ‘Obama’ for the most mentioned word online. But as of today, the word ‘debt’ has officially surpassed ‘Obama’ mentions.

Debt mentions

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told the Senate today that they will remain in session “continuously” every day until Congress passes legislation that prevents a default in raising the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt ceiling.

If something is not passed before the August 2 deadline for action, the federal government would, in effect, go dark. Reid warned, “Literally every function of government could cease. Social security checks, payments to our veterans.”