Google once considered issuing currency - Polidicks

[release] Google once considered issuing its own currency, to be called Google Bucks, company Chairman Eric Schmidt said on stage in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress Tuesday. At the end of his keynote speech, Schmidt hit on a wide array of topics in response to audience questions. "We've had various proposals to have our own currency we were going to call Google Bucks," Schmidt said. The idea was to implement a "peer-to-peer money" system. However, Google discovered that the concept is illegal in most areas, he said. Governments are typically wary of the potential for money laundering with such proposals. "Ultimately we decided we didn't want to get into that because of these issues," Schmidt said. He also hinted that Google might be preparing for a battle in China once its acquisition of Motorola is complete. "Google's been willing to take on China pretty well," he said, in response to a question about whether Google expected to continue to ignore theft of Motorola intellectual property in China, as Motorola has been doing. The acquisition hasn't closed yet, Schmidt noted. "We've taken a pretty strong position on IP. We are well aware of the issues and we are considering your question," he said. Google is still waiting for some government approvals of its proposed acquisition of Motorola. Schmidt, who showed off the new Chrome browser that runs on Ice Cream Sandwich devices, said he expects Android smartphones to continue to get cheaper. Ice Cream Sandwich is the newest version of the Android OS. "We have many partners who are working on phones that will be in the $100 to $150 range," he said. Their goal is to reach $70. While Android phones may sell in the U.S. at about $150 with a two-year contract, they are often several hundred dollars without a contract. Schmidt also said he hopes that some companies that are using Android but not adopting any Google products will change their minds. Products like Amazon's Kindle Fire use Android, which is available through an open-source license, but don't include the Android Market or other apps that make money for Google. "We hope that people who decided not to use the Android Market will see they'll be more successful if they do so, but it's their choice," he said. After making prepared remarks that described a future where Internet access becomes a great leveler for even the most disadvantaged and oppressed people, Schmidt sounded only slightly apologetic to one questioner from Iran. The audience member noted that while Gmail is sometimes blocked by the Iranian government, Google itself blocks Android and Chrome from Iran. He asked Schmidt to remove that block. "The answer is no, I'm sorry," Schmidt said. Due to U.S. policy, Google isn't able to allow those products, he said. "We can't violate U.S. law. I'm with you, but in prison there's no bandwidth," he joked.[/release] [url]http://www.itworld.com/networking/254124/google-once-considered-issuing-currency[/url] I would had gotten it if it came out. And I'm sure Apple would had come up with their own currency.

Google seems like a company big enough to start their own damn country! Hell, I'd live there.

That's what bitcoin is attempting. And yeah, problem is it's often illegal.

Prisoners riot cause they want free wifi

[IMG]http://tagn.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/simpsons_i-and-s_money.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Baldr 2.0;34925798]I dislike these sort of things, instead of providing a alternative it's done to confuse the living shit out of you. IE only listing the price in that currency/points/whatever and when you buy something you are pretty much stuck those lost few points/whatever unless you get even more from that currency/points/whatever.[/QUOTE] To be honest, I would personally greatly appreciate this, because if for example steam implemented this currency, they would finally stop fucking me over due by forcing me pay half extra as 1 euro = 1 USD according to them.

[QUOTE=Baldr 2.0;34925835]Doubt that they would keep the prices the same and just charge more per region.[/QUOTE] That would be a ground for a lawsuit, I believe, because it would be clear favoring of some people at cost of others.

[QUOTE=Wiggles;34925809][IMG]http://tagn.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/simpsons_i-and-s_money.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] I was thinking the exact same precise thing.

There was a book called "How to Survive in a Science Fictional Universe" or something like that by Charles Yu, and in it, Google and several other large companies were constructing new universes for people to live in.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;34925849]That would be a ground for a lawsuit, I believe, because it would be clear favoring of some people at cost of others.[/QUOTE] They'd probably charge, say, $10 for 100steambucks, but €10 would also be 100steambucks.

I must be magical, fucking knew it was going to be bitcoins-by-google and it was gonna be called Google Bucks the second I saw the thread title.

[QUOTE=Shibbey;34925721]Google seems like a company big enough to start their own damn country! Hell, I'd live there.[/QUOTE] Googia. They're constantly at war with Yahooistan.

[QUOTE=Katatonic717;34926046]Googia. They're constantly at war with Yahooistan.[/QUOTE] More like in war with Bingapore

Well, i'd let them do it, i trust google to not drive the global economy into the ground.

[QUOTE=BrQ;34926062]More like in war with Bingapore[/QUOTE] bingapore already lost and got nuked

[QUOTE=BrQ;34926062]More like in war with Bingapore[/QUOTE] And Askopia is it's own little island nation with a population grand total of eight people and one cat.

[QUOTE]The idea was to implement a "peer-to-peer money" system. However, Google discovered that the concept is illegal in most areas, he said. [B]Governments are typically wary of the potential for money laundering with such proposals.[/B][/QUOTE] Hahahahaha what Is this shit serious? Nobody gives a damn about money laundering, that's just a canned concern, like disorderly conduct with drunk people. This is the same bullshit with Bitcoin, nobody cares about it being used to purchase drugs, that's just an easy way to pitch legislation against it. Funny money's illegal on a federal level, not in a blanket sense, but there are individual things which exist to kill it from each period it had popped up in sufficient quantity (which is why Bitcoin isn't illegal- it's currently dead in the water). The issue is currency competition and the long-term damage it could have on an economy. Imagine [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currency_War_of_2009%E2%80%932011"]the currency dickfiddling that goes on at an international level[/URL], except now occurring at the domestic level. Shit would be ugly if it ever took off on a big enough scale, and Google's big enough to make it.

This brings up a point about how archaic our monetary system is. Although Google Wallet and whatever the service providers alternative is will be a step in the right direction.

[QUOTE=shian;34925709] I would had gotten it if it came out. And I'm sure Apple would had come up with their own currency.[/QUOTE] If it had gone ahead, Apple would've claimed they came up with the idea first then sued Google for patent infringement.

[QUOTE=UberMensch;34927413]If it had gone ahead, Apple would've claimed they came up with the idea first then sued Google for patent infringement.[/QUOTE] With their own Apple money. And its probably either made of glass or polished silver. OR BOTH

I think something like this or Bitcoin could eventually be developed to provide a more realistic representation of real world resources than the current system that gives bankers that create the money too much power, especially the central banks which print the money

[QUOTE=BrQ;34926062]More like in war with Bingapore[/QUOTE] Well, at least its small but rich.

We're all aware that Google is going to take over the world by now. Starting with the universal Google Dollar.

[QUOTE=DeandreT;34927825]We're all aware that Google is going to take over the world by now. Starting with the universal Google Dollar.[/QUOTE] I'm quite happy with Google taking over the world

Yes because last time a company ran a country it went so well, oh but Google is different.

I will trade you 50 bitcoins for 1 google buck

the currency will be called "Google dosh"

I get laughed at if I drive down to bellingham and try to buy stuff with canadian money.

I love how most of the Google products that don't exist is because they would be illegal. Like that time they figured out they could predict the stock market.

[QUOTE=Shibbey;34925721]Google seems like a company big enough to start their own damn country! Hell, I'd live there.[/QUOTE] In a dictatorship where all of your private information is sold to corporations?