Take Google Chrome, for six years the browser of choice for your correspondent. It’s clean, fast and simple, yet increasingly it tries to second guess how I want to browse the web.

Now, fair’s fair, I may not have a typical browsing history: I spend one week a month in the UK offices of PC Pro, and the rest of the month in our French outpost.

Yet, it’s hard to see what business that is of Google. Or why it should decide to interfere and start presenting a host of content and features in French and refuse to switch back to English with the vigour of an agricultural blockade.

After a recent upgrade, Chrome on a main desktop PC in the office switched from driving on the left to driving on the right without a shrug in the way of explanation. It turned the URL search bar from useful feature to irritating deviation.

Chrome on a main desktop PC in the office switched from driving on the left to driving on the right without a shrug in the way of explanation

Instead of using the generic google.com as a default search engine, it switched to Google.fr, meaning all search results were skewed heavily towards sites from France and in French. Fine if you’re looking for information on the Cathar uprising or the perfect tarte tatin recipe, but France hasn’t made the greatest contributions to technology and the web.

After poking around in the browser’s help screen, there are options for forcing the browser bar search to revert to English results by default, but why would Google overide my original settings, when it knows, what with me being signed into Gmail, that by choice I use English?

If that’s as bewildering as a French supermarket’s opening hours, it gets worse. Chrome, apparently with no hint of irony, points out that the page delivering the results is in French and asks if I’d like to translate them into English. Genius.

Google knows I speak English. It’s there in Chrome’s language settings and over the years it’s developed a pretty good understanding of my browsing habits – how else would it know exactly which adverts to show me? — yet it insists on trying to push me into French options based on where I am browsing from. If Google knows where I buy my pants or go on holiday then it ought to know that I habitually surf UK websites.

Still, at least I speak French. Back in the UK for a week’s shift in PC Pro Towers, I performed a search at my parents’ home while signed into Gmail, and shortly after signing out realised that my parents’ edition of Chrome had now switched to French — and mother finds it hard enough to cope with technology without Google sabotaging her computer with foreign languages.

Google is by no means the only offender here, with an increasing number of companies defaulting from .com to the local suffix and language without obvious recourse  – but in a world that’s more mobile and more travelled than ever before, do we really need our technology telling us where we are?

We may have griped about the problems we had upgrading our iPhones to iOS 5, but at least those old handsets are being upgraded to Apple’s latest OS. A new piece of research published in the US suggests the majority of Android handset owners are being left behind by the ever-evolving Google operating system.

The research, by Michael DeGusta from TheUnderstatement.com, tracked every Android handset released in the US before July 2010, and then recorded how many of them had been updated to the latest version of the OS. The results were startling.

Only three of the 18 handsets had been updated to the latest version of Android.   Ten of the 18 were at least two major versions behind, and 11 of them had stopped getting any support updates less than a year after their release.

By the end of an 18-24 month mobile phone contract, the vast majority of Android handset owners will be left with a phone that has none of the latest features, and which poses a potential security risk

Amazingly, seven out of the 18 handsets had never run the latest version Android, having shipped with an outdated version of the OS and never caught up.

By the end of an 18-24 month mobile phone contract, the vast majority of Android handset owners will be left with a phone that has none of the latest features, and which poses a potential security risk because crucial OS patches are not being applied.

Compare and contrast that to Apple, which included the two-and-a-half-year-old iPhone 3GS in this month’s iOS update, and Microsoft, which has today confirmed that it’s delivered the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update to “100% of eligible phones around the world, regardless of carrier”.

Apple, of course, updates handsets directly, while Microsoft tests updates with handset manufacturers and carriers, before pushing them out itself via Microsoft Update. Android updates, on the other hand, pass from Google to the phone manufacturer to the mobile network – and those extra links in the chain appear to be the problem.

As DeGusta states: “There’s no incentive for smartphone manufacturers to update the OS because manufacturers don’t make any money after the hardware sale, they want you to buy another phone as soon as possible.”

“Apple’s way of getting you to buy a new phone is to make you really happy with your current one, whereas apparently Android phone makers think they can get you to buy a new phone by making you really unhappy with your current one.”

Android owners can, of course, root their phone to upgrade to the latest version of the OS themselves. But should Android owners really have to turn into low-grade hackers and risk invalidating their warranty just to get their hands on the latest software and features? No wonder Google bought Motorola…

The peak shopping period is upon us and, for most online shops, the effectiveness of their Google AdWords campaigns can make the difference between a fruitful festive season and a bleak new year.

It’s at just such a critical moment that Google is rolling out changes to its AdWords algorithms having successfully tested them on its users in Spain, Portugal and Latin America. The algorithms are used to determine where in the sponsored rankings your ad will appear so a change can mean a dip in your position and consequent loss of traffic which, as business hots up, can cost a lot of money. The knee-jerk reaction is then to increase the bid price which, of course, reduces profitability – again costing money.

To be successful in online marketing, you have to look beyond this immediate response and understand what Google is trying to achieve here. Google has always ranked ads according to two criteria: the “Quality Score” of what you’re offering and the price you’re prepared to pay. The Quality Score is, itself, made up of three factors – the historical performance of the ad (primarily, what percentage of searchers clicked it); the relevance of the ad text to the search term; and, finally, the quality of the landing page.

The changes Google is introducing have the effect of increasing the importance of the landing page in the Quality Score. Google’s explanation is that too many searchers are being sent to pages that aren’t entirely relevant to their search. They get frustrated and leave the site, which is bad news for both the advertiser and Google.

Your Adwords Control Panel will tell you what your Quality Score is and specifically how your landing page rates. If you’re finding that your ad is appearing lower than it previously was, now is the time to check whether your Quality Score has dropped and, if it does, go through Google’s landing page guidelines.

Those of you on the beta channel of Google Chrome may have noticed the new-look homescreen on version 15 of the browser. Gone is the single page containing your most-visited websites, apps and bookmarks. In its place comes a tabbed-based homepage that allows you to flick between the various options.

One thing is immediately obvious from this revamped design: Google is designing for touchscreens. Look at those large finger-friendly icons for the bookmarks — which aren’t entirely dissimilar to the bookmarks in the early betas of Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8.

(Chrome 15’s bookmarks)

(Internet Explorer 10’s bookmarks)

And what about those full-length page turners on either side of the screen? They’re distinctly overkill for mouse and keyboard operation.

Is Google planning to scoop Windows 8 with a touchscreen version of the Chromebook? I wouldn’t bet against it.

Google’s motto may be “don’t be evil” — but when it comes to confronting Apple, it seems “see no evil” is the rule.

For while Apple has been unleashing a patent war against manufacturers of Android devices such as HTC and Samsung, Google has – publicly at least – turned a blind eye, appearing less keen to rock the boat than the captain of the QE2.

Apple has hardly qualified for the George Cross either, picking its fights with licensees rather than Google itself, even though many of the disputed patents appear to relate directly to Android.

Now it seems Google is actively urging its partners to do its dirty work. HTC has this morning launched a new lawsuit against Apple – using nine patents quietly slipped to the handset maker by none other than Google. Those patents include four acquired during the recent takeover of Motorola, according to Bloomberg. Google won’t reveal how much HTC paid for them, but I suspect the loose change in my pocket would have covered it.

Is this the most cowardly “battle” in legal history? Apple has a problem with Android, but won’t tackle its maker head-on; while Google relies on its mates to tackle the playground bully instead of standing up for itself.

This is one of those rare cases where I hope both sides lose.

Apple’s already tried, and failed, to have the Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned, and new documents reveal that Apple’s now gone through the Dutch courts to get the rest of Samsung’s Galaxy family pulled from the shelves.

The problem? Patents. Apple already has one that seemingly prohibits competitors from producing rectangular computers, and its latest IP claim is just as vague, concerning the mere act of scrolling through pictures on touchscreens. It’s so vague, in fact, that Apple has been accused of manipulating images to make Samsung’s devices appear more like Cupertino’s kit than they really are.

It’s telling that Apple isn’t going after other Android-toting manufacturers with the same vigour; HTC and the rest appear to have been left comparatively untouched by Apple’s lawyers. Instead, it’s trying to take down Samsung – arguably its biggest potential competitor across the smartphone and tablet space, and certainly the one that poses the biggest threat in terms of quality and sales figures, thanks to products such as the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 10.1.

It’s a clear statement of intent from a company that’s obviously worried about the competition. It’s also, potentially, a sign that Apple thinks this is the most effective way to compete: dragging Samsung through the courts rather than duking it out in a market where it’s still the clear leader.

On the other hand, you could argue Apple has done nothing wrong. Arguably, the problem isn’t with Apple’s cynical and paranoid actions – it’s with granted patents that look more like satire than genuine legal documents.

The patents issue is complex. Some companies own thousands – Google’s new toy Motorola, for instance – and most big tech companies routinely infringe each other’s IP . In some cases, one company will pay a fee to licence the technology of a patent holder, with HTC confirming that it pays Microsoft $5 for every phone it produces. It’s thought this situation will only get worse, too, as companies seek to gain advantages in an increasingly competitive area. Even so Apple’s approach is, to put it mildly, unusual.

It also seems anti-competitive if Apple’s actions result in a monopolistic market that harms customers and rival companies. It’s one thing to push for this sort of legislation in the smartphone market, which is divided up between iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7 and BlackBerry OS. It’s quite another to try and force rivals out of the tablet market, where the iPad is much more dominant.

Apple’s justification is flimsy, and it’s not as if it’s the first time Apple has let its guard slip with regards to Android. Who remembers Steve Jobs’ attack on Android during an Apple investor call, or his alleged rebuttals over email during the location tracking scandal earlier this year?

It’s a shame. Apple used to be famed for the quality of its products, its innovation and its liberal approach – now, it seems, only the high standard of its various computers and iDevices remains.

The results proved shocking but, when it comes down to it, that software is pretty easy to deal with – it’s just a matter of uninstalling everything and, if you’re really particular, running an app like CCleaner to get your Registry back to its fighting weight.

Not so with smartphones. On Friday, I eased the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro from its box, turned it on, and was greeted with a message urging me to set up McAfee WaveSecure before I’d even set up the phone with my Google account.

Delving into the app drawer revealed more unwanted software, with a host of apps neatly summarising Android’s perennial fragmentation issues: alongside the official Market, the Xperia Mini Pro comes loaded with four different app stores. There’s also other McAfee apps installed as well as a Popcap Games trial and a selection of media management tools.

It’s not restricted to Sony Ericsson handsets, either. HTC’s often held up as the paragon of Android quality — alongside Samsung — but my own Desire HD is riddled with stuff that I simply don’t want: 3Mobile-TV, 3Musik and Planet3 were all installed alongside third-party apps such as Amazon MP3, Bebo, Bejeweled Deluxe and a demo of EA’s Sims 3.

Who’s responsible? Networks, largely, which receive clean handsets and then load them up with rubbish after signing deals with numerous partners. And it’s not like you can just get rid of this software, either — most of it’s there to stay, with hard-coded blocks in place to ensure you don’t uninstall any of the tat you don’t want.

There are ways around it, with rooting a possibility if you’d like an untarnished Android experience. Personally, I use a superb app called LauncherPro to kill two birds with one stone: it replaces HTC Sense with its own customisable home screen, and it also allows you to hide apps in your app drawer — the next-best option if I can’t uninstall.

Vodafone’s actions prove that smartphone bloatware can go very wrong, but other companies don’t seem to be learning lessons. Instead, this greed continues, and comes at the expense of Android’s reputation and, more importantly, the tarnished experience that users will have with their new phones — after all, this sort of thing doesn’t happen on iOS.

Google+ has been gaining headlines this week over how quickly people have signed up for the social-networking strand of Google’s online empire.

Figures from web-traffic researcher ComScore suggest the service had reached 25 million users in just a month since launch – not bad for a project that remains in beta.

However, the thrust of the stories on the subject has been that Google+ is gaining traction far faster than social rivals Facebook and Twitter. According to the figures, it took Facebook nearly three years to attract 25m visitors, Twitter took more than 30 months and MySpace needed 20 months to reach the 25m mark.

It all sounds like Google+ is some sort of revolution, but it’s not. When Facebook started up, it was one spotty student, a computer and a few pictures of classmates. Likewise, Twitter started from small beginnings, with organic growth turning it into a mainstream application.

When Facebook started up, it was one spotty student, a computer and a few pictures of classmates

Google+ on the other hand, well, it’s from Google. It has unrivalled access to pretty much every desktop in the world through its search tools, its every move is documented through the media, and it already has a huge customer base for its other services.

Gmail alone boasts 200 million users, while Apps claims tens of millions of business users – all of which are already hardwired into the Google ecosystem.

Because of that, comparing growth rates for Google+ and its predecessors is worthless. It’s like making a fuss about the fact a new burger from McDonalds is selling faster than a revolutionary recipe from the late-night snack man selling quarter pounders outside Embankment tube station.

While MySpace, Facebook and Twitter were built from the ground up, Google has turned up at the party with a load of mates, heaps of beer and a louder music system than everyone else in the house. No wonder it’s making a noise.

In fact, if I was Google, rather than feeling smug about the number of people I’d signed up, I’d be wondering why, despite having a personal relationship with hundreds of millions of users, only 25m have stopped by to say hello.

Temptation must be a terrible thing when you’re the boss of a small technology company. Caught on the hop by Apple as it reinvents and reinvigorates a previously stagnant tablet market, the lure of the quick buck must be hard to resist.

I’m not sure any company can beat Apple’s marketing nous, build quality or lawyers, though, so any smaller firm wishing to make inroads has to approach the market from a different angle – by undercutting the fruit-themed firm and heading down the rutted and well-trodden value route.

That brings us to the bottom of today’s burgeoning tablet market. Far away from the Dell Streak, HP TouchPad and BlackBerry Playbook, you’ll find a multitude of familiar – and surprising – names trying to make ground with a constant stream of cheap, nasty and generic tablets.

It’s a counter-productive strategy that’s harmful for all involved, from company to consumer.

Take Binatone’s newly-announced HomeSurf 705. It’s an updated version of a previous model but, to use it, you can only assume that preceding tablet was made out of stone. Our time with the device has already revealed that the screen is slow, imprecise and grainier than a tropical beach. The screen’s embedded in a plastic casing that boasts all the luxury of a Styrofoam cup, with accompanying components that leave the OS sluggish and frustrating in the extreme.

It feels cheap because, well, it is. At only £99 inc VAT it’s a quarter of the price of even the cheapest iPad 2 but, after struggling with so many bargain tablets, it’s occurred to me that these disappointing bits of kit are a false economy. How many hopeful Android fans or unsure first-time buyers will take the plunge, and how quickly will the sheen wear off when basic tasks prove infuriating?  Or when the borrow a friend’s iPad and realise what they’ve been missing?

That’s not the only caveat attached to these devices, either. Like Creative’s ZiiO tablets, Binatone’s HomeSurf can’t access the Android market – the former is furnished with Creative’s own store, the latter with the dubious-looking Giga Store.

Updates can be delayed or, even worse, not released at all. Binatone confirmed that the 705, which launches with the already outmoded Android 2.1, will never be updated – if you want a newer version of Android, you’ll have to shell out for Binatone’s next tablet. Even Apple, with its reputation for squeezing every last penny out of its customers, will let you load the latest version of iOS onto an original iPad or iPhone 3GS.

It’s easy to understand why firms are rushing kit like this to market. Android’s popularity is surging. And, when it comes to hardware, a healthy proportion of potential customers, when scouring tablets in shops, surely won’t have the knowledge to tell good from bad – a factor that might guarantee an initial sale but, given time, will only foster poor impressions of Android and the tablet’s manufacturer.

Tablets need to nail several vital areas if they’re going to succeed: a good screen, a responsive UI, a healthy app store. A budget tablet that gets these right makes sense but, as of yet, none of these cheap devices have come anywhere close. Customers will soon realise this and, when a refreshed version of their cheap tablet appears, they won’t be queuing up to buy – instead, they’ll be saving cash for an iPad, PlayBook or TouchPad.

Binatone is a name usually associated with landline phones but, with that market dwindling, the firm has decided Android is the way forward.

Of three new Android products shown off at a launch event, the most intriguing is its iHomePhone 2 – an Android device that, as the name suggests, replaces your landline handset. It’s an unusual idea, but one Binatone is confident can work, with the £99 inc VAT gadget ambitiously aimed at both techies and novices.

The glossy handset sits in a circular cradle and certainly looks the part but we soon found problems. The 2.8in resistive screen is grainy, pallid and comes with its own stylus, and the inclusion of Android 2.1 means it’s already behind the curve.

It’s clear the hardware isn’t up to task. Even an empty notification bar took too long to judder towards the bottom of the screen and when we pressed the “Home” button, the desktop took several seconds to load – a lifetime on a phone.

Still, Binatone is excited about the product, enthusing that it’s more of a “living room ” device than a mere phone. To that end, the firm’s PR demonstrated Android’s stock eBook-reader app and FM Radio software, although both of these came with two obvious caveats: we don’t know anyone who’ll want to squint at a 2.8in screen and, with no Wi-Fi syncing, the handset will have to be docked to play audio through the speakers.

There’s no access to Android’s Market either – instead, the iHomePhone uses Giga Store. Binatone claims thousands of apps are available but, the ubiquitous Angry Birds aside, we couldn’t see much we recognised.

HomeSurf 705

Binatone also announced a tablet device. The HomeSurf 705 is a 7in Android tablet and, like the iHomePhone, it comes with an eye-catching price of just £99 inc VAT.

It also shares many of the same faults: no access to the Android Market, with the Giga Store making another appearance, and a reliance on Android 2.1, with no plans for the device to be upgraded in its lifetime.

Binatone wasn’t able to confirm the HomeSurf’s internals but our hands-on time didn’t exactly fill us with enthusiasm. While basic navigation, simpler apps and web surfing were all reasonably responsive, anything requiring more processing power seemed beyond its modest abilities. Whether it’s any better than the Storage Options Scroll is a question that must wait for our full review.

Still, at least the basics are present and correct: an 800 x 480 native resolution across the screen, 2GB of internal memory, and a microSD card slot. We’re not hopeful but, at £99 inc VAT, it could at least prove to be a tempting bargain.

ReadMe Mobile

Binatone’s third new product is the ReadMe Mobile eBook reader. Again, it’s running Android 2.1 and again it comes with several quirks: its 7in, 800 x 480 TFT panel is not touch-enabled and it’s horizontally orientated by default – although it’s possible to switch to portrait mode once its weak processor has stirred into life.

However, doing so renders its Qwerty keyboard somewhat obsolete – a feature Binatone claims many of its customers have wanted for a long time. Beside the keyboard sits a touchpoint, similar to the BlackBerry Bold, and four cursor keys. They’re used for navigating the interface, but working our way through proved tortuous and the buttons themselves felt weak.

With a TFT rather than E Ink screen, there’s the issue of battery life, too: Binatone’s spokesperson answered the question “will it let you read Lord of the Rings” with an enthusiastic “absolutely not!”, and confirmed an estimated lifespan of two and a half hours.

Combine this with the £129 inc VAT price and, well, we’re not sure why you’d buy this over the tablet, which includes the same Android eBook app. Still, we’ll reserve final judgement until our review.

In the mean time, do you want an Android home phone, a £99 tablet, or an eBook reader running Google’s OS? Let us know in the comments.