News Bits: Google Revs Up App Engine

Written by Frank Smith

Tuesday, April 8. 2008 at 11:40 AM EDT Post a comment

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Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) has launched App Engine, a tool that allows developers to run their own applications on Google's infrastructure.

The App Engine bundles up storage, computing power, and database tools into one neat package that, at least for the first 10,000 beta users, is free until they hit a certain level of usage.

Amazon offers a similar package, but allows users to graze at the salsa bar and pile on whatever they want; whereas with Google it's the whole enchilada or nothin'. Users also need to sign up for a Google account to mess around with the development tools.

As Google has come a little late to this party, it can offer reliability and ease of use, but it's not really doing anything more than what it does with Google Docs, which is offering its version of an established industry standard application.

In music retail news, Wal-Mart has ditched DRM, Sony BMG, and Warner. It's like spring cleaning over at Sam Walton's digital music store. Mainly though, Wal-Mart has dumped Windows DRM in lieu of getting its music on iPods. Could someone at Wal-Mart have taken a look at how many iPods its sells as opposed to Zunes?

Sony BMG and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. have been dropped from Wal-Mart's store while licensing issues are cleared up, says Digital Music News.

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