Google Archive

You get ‘em Europe: EU converges to raise speculation on Google’s privacy regulations

– February 3, 2012Posted in: Google, Internet Trends, News

Something is happening here—as Google “took over” in a sense, other tech industry giants are stepping in and saying: wait, no… You can’t just take over the entire Internet for your profit’s sake; since when does obtaining information make us subject to some sort of privacy waiver that says Google can use our information? Consider Microsoft’s “Putting people first” campaign.

This morning Reuters reported that a group of European Union regulators wrote Google, stating: “Given the wide range of services you offer, and the popularity of these services, changes in your privacy policy may affect citizens in most of or all of the EU member states [.] [...] We wish to check the possible consequences for the protection of personal data of these citizens in a coordinated way [.] [...] In light of the above, we can for a pause in the interests of insuring there can be no misunderstanding about Google’s commitments to information rights of their users and EU citizens, until we have completed our analysis.”

The letter from the EU demonstrates the slight monopolization that Google is trying to slyly pull with their “wide range of privacy settings.”And if 27 countries are coming together to point out issues, well, that says something.

Meanwhile, Google is acting “surprised” in light of the situation. Pablo Chavez wrote on his blog that, “[Google] is explaining [their] privacy commitments to users of those products in 85% fewer words,” and “[they] want to make users’ experience seamless and easy by allowing more sharing of information among products when users are signed into their Google Accounts.”

Will America step up as well, or is Google and the US synonymously attached at the hip? Or is there even much to be concerned about regarding Google’s new privacy changes?

(via The Verge & The Next Web; photo via Smart Grids)

Tags: eu, European Union, European Union writes Google in spite of privacy regulations, Google, Google privacy policy, Google privacy settings

Google’s Bouncer Scans Apps for Malware

khoward

– February 2, 2012Posted in: Apps, Google, News, Tech

Famous (or infamous) for its lack of a pre-approval process, the Android Market now features a little more protection for customers. ‘Bouncer’ is a new Google service that scans apps for suspicious behaviors and known malware. Existing apps as well as new apps will be analyzed by the scanner through this behind-the-scenes screening without affecting Android users.

In the months that Google has been testing Bouncer, the company has seen a “40 percent decline in the number of downloads of potentially malicious apps.” It could also be used to help Google flag fraud-related apps. As positive as a completely open app store approach sounds, it’s hard to argue that protecting customers from these kinds of malicious apps isn’t a good thing. You can read Google’s full Bouncer announcement in the Google Mobile Blog.

(Via CNET, Image via Engadget)

Tags: Android, App Market, Google, Malware, Screening, security

Microsoft calls out Google over concerns through campaign

kduffy

– February 1, 2012Posted in: Google, News, Tech

So we’ve referenced the continuous evolving of what used to seem like a “futuristic” world in the movie Minority Report, how we are becoming way more in sync than we ever have before with the two worlds of personal and public—but not in the traditional means of the two: as times progresses and technology advances, we are becoming our stuff—“stuff” we like to do is always trailing along with us on the Internet, resonating in Google’s database for marketers to have a field day— and most of us barely even know it yet.

And what happens when a huge, almost vitally necessary company that our world pretty much depends on for information, takes over our lives in a sense?

Well, two things: we could passively undergo what seems like a marketing/ Google takeover, or companies can rebel, and make aware that these changes are not OK; tapping into our every Internet move is not a legitimate way to force more advertising upon us (it has been averaged that people see up to 5,000 different advertisements in a day, probably even more depending on your demographic).

“To be clear, there’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting to improve the quality of an advertising product. But, that effort needs to be balanced with continuing to meet the needs and interests of users. Every business finds its own balance and attracts users who share those priorities. Google’s new changes have upset that balance, with users’ priorities being de-prioritized. That’s why people are concerned and looking for alternatives,” Google writes in the ad campaign.

Which is right. Where do we draw the line? Why are our lives always subject to an advertisement?

As more campaigns like this appear, and we approach the March 1 deadline of when Google will start this takeover, we shall see if the giant can win its right to track our web browsing habits.

(sources: The Verge & Marketing Land; photo via Microsoft’s ad campaign)

Tags: Google, Google privacy control, Google's latest privacy changes, Privacy, privacy control

Google+ Opens to Teens, Launches New Safety Center

khoward

– January 26, 2012Posted in: Google, Internet Trends, News

Today Google lightened up on its network’s age of admission, allowing fans 13 and older to join Google+. Previously only open to adults, Google’s social network today welcome teens, citing the poor social network options currently available to 13-17-year-olds.

The network’s co-leader and Google vice president of product Bradley Horowitz, indicated that popular online tools like Facebook and Twitter can result in over-sharing of content only relevant to a small group of friends. With its “circles,” Google+ gives these teens (as well as other Google+ users) more options and privacy with their posts and information.

Along with bringing teens into the G+ fold, Google has added a Google+ Safety Center, aimed at helping teens and parents with smart and safe ways to use the online social network. Even with Google+ gaining some interest thanks to Search Plus Your World, it’s hard to imagine Google’s network taking over its main rival Facebook in the very near future – but bringing in the teens should definitely add to its numbers.

(Story via CNET, Image via Google)

Tags: Google, Privacy, security, social network, teens

Google’s privacy changes leave G+ users with no choice

kduffy

– January 25, 2012Posted in: Google, Internet Trends, News, Tech

At first we liked the idea of Google Plus – it was intended to be ad-free, circles allowed for privacy control, no weird Facebook ticker fire-hosing in the background. But Google really played us, after they quietly announced that people’s Google+ profile content would be integrated into every search engine result—across all of their sites, including YouTube. Not only that, but the information will deliver aggregated data to advertisers, exactly where Google racks up the revenue.

Of course, there are ways to avoid the tracking: log out of your Gmail/Google+ account before browsing, or use a different search engine altogether—but we don’t want to have to have to go to that amount of trouble; we want the old Google back—we’re talking about the Google who started out as a white screen with the word “Google” and a text box that opened a portal to the entire Internet.

Executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy said, “[t]here is no way anyone expected this [.] [...] There is no way a user can comprehend the implication of Google collecting across platforms for information about your health, political opinions, and financial concerns.”

People are frightened of this new policy. CEO of Common Sense Media said in a press statement that, “[e]ven if the company believes that tracking users across all platforms improves their services, consumers should still have the option to opt out, especially the kids and teens who are avid users of YouTube, Gmail, and Google search.”

Google’s new search policy will go into effect on March 1, and there is no opting-out. We’re starting to think MC Hammer’s WIREDoo wasn’t such a bad idea after all…

(via The Washington Post & Gizmodo; photo via SPUTzNIK!)

Tags: Gmail, Google, Google antitrust, Google's new privacy measures, search engine, search results, YouTube

The Other Social Sites Respond to Google’s “Search Plus Your World”

khoward

– January 23, 2012Posted in: Apps, Facebook, Google, Internet Trends, Twitter

When Google released its new social-integrated search, Google users, as well as other social networks, expressed outrage that the new system seemed to promote Google+ links over more relevant social content. The Google+ saturated version of the Google search seems to give an unfair ranking advantage to Google’s own social network, raising antitrust concerns.

And with good reason – Search Engine Land’s Danny Sullivan has pointed out several instances where Search Plus Your World sacrifices relevance to promote Google+ Pages – like linking Mark Zuckerberg’s unused Google+ account as relevant to a search for “Facebook.” But what may be more troubling is that Search Plus Your World means individuals and business that want priority in a Google search are forced to make Google+ a priority.

Arguments have followed about the complications of including relevant content from other social networks like Twitter and Facebook – but a new bookmarklet shows that better integration is not really that difficult. Built by engineers from Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, “Don’t Be Evil” uses Google’s own relevance measure to better complete Google’s social search.

According to the project’s website, this bookmarklet “looks at the three places where Google only shows Google+ results and then automatically googles Google to see if Google finds a result more relevant than Google+” – whether that result comes from Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook. It also makes the links suggested by Google’s auto-complete less Google+ exclusive.

“Don’t Be Evil” does seem to present a good case for a truly social (and less Google+ dominated) search – and it will be interesting to see how Google responds to the modified version of its search. To install the bookmarklet yourself, check out the website Focus on the User.

(Via Business Insider, Image via Focus on the User)

Tags: Don't Be Evil, FaceBook, Google, MySpace, Search Plus Your World, Social Search, Twitter

iPhone shockingly dominates AT&T holiday smartphone sales

kduffy

– January 2, 2012Posted in: Apple, Google, News, Tech

If you were wondering who dominated the AT&T holiday shopping market for smartphones this year, it was Apple. Between the period of December 1^st- December 27^th, AT&T sold nearly 981,000 iPhones (66% of total sales), compared to the 128,000 Android devices (8.5%) that were activated. There were even more flip phone sales than Android—as they seem to have got them beat by just a smidge, contributing to 8.6% of total phones sold. BlackBerry’s accounted for 5%, as well as QMD.

Since Verizon accommodated the iPhone, much of AT&T’s phone sales were lost, but this recent report leads us to believe that their sales are doing just fine—981,000 iPhones is a lot of iPhones!

But on a global scale, Android seems to still have iOS beat. MSNBC reported a victorious statistic: Android’s 47% share has iOS beat; Apple makes up 29% of the global market, followed by BlackBerry’s 16.6%. In terms of growth, Apple succeeded due to their end-of-the-year 4S release, rising from 9.8% to 11.2%.

So what does this mean for 2012?

According to Forbes, it will be good for some, bad for others. While Android took the lead this year, their main concern in 2012 deals with Oracle patent wars that could jeopardize either their system code or cost them a giant fee. Microsoft will also be thrown into the mix with the latest Windows Phone and BlackBerry, but Ewan Spence thinks, “Microsoft [will] make no impact on the mobile market, and they withdraw the grand unifying experiemtn of Metro UI on Xbox, Widnows 8, and Windows Phone. [...] [and with] [RIM’s] delay to handsets with the new version of the OS, it’s hard to see what else they could do to damage themselves in the market[.]”

Many factors could switch up the numbers, so nothing is set in stone for 2012—just the annual anticipation for the next big phone announcement.

(via Redmond Pie & Forbes)

Tags: 2012 smartphone predictions, Android, AT&T, BlackBerry, iphone, iPhone dominates holiday market share, Microsoft, RIM, Smartphones, Windows

The New Shared Chrome Experience

khoward

– December 13, 2011Posted in: Google, Internet Trends, News

Armed with an impressive app and extension store and bold security claims, Chrome needs little added incentive for its 200 million users – but they will find their Chrome life easier with the 16.0.912.63 update released today. Along with security fixes, Chrome 16 features multi-user support that, along with the previously available Sync capability, makes it even easier to enjoy a personalized Chrome experience on any computer.

The Multi-User Support allows separate users to use their own Chrome profiles on the same computer on the browser level. This allows users to switch between profiles without signing in and out of the operating system. Google itself warns that synced data is not secured since anyone can switch profiles and see information – but Multi-User Support is a more convenient way to share a personalized Chrome experience on a single computer – with those you trust.

(Story and Image via CNET)

Tags: browser, Google, Google Chrome, multi-user, update