Tag Archive for google

admin | February 11, 2012
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Google says its Young privacy policy complies with FTC Colony

Google is rebutting charges that its new privacy policy violates a colony it struck with federal regulators last year.

The Internet search giant stated the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that its policy complies with the settlement, granting to a self-assessment account the companionship handed over in January.

The report, obtained by Politico Friday, says Google has gone to special lengths to tell its users what data it harvests and what it does with it.

Google settled charges finally yr that it violated privacy polices by exposing Gmail users’ personal information when rolling away its now-defunct Google Buzz social networking service. The breach prompted an angry backlash from consumers and privacy advocates who enounce the Spate View, Calif., company discovered personal information without their cognition or consent.

The Electronic Privacy Info Center, a consumer watchdog group, filed a federal causa Wednesday against the FTC in a bid to closure Google from rolling out a young privacy policy that it says violates the FTC settlement. A federal judge has agreed to expedite the case.

Last month, Google got alerting users about the globe that start March 1 it will percentage data it collects from users across its dozens of services. Google says that solely users who are logged into Google will exist affected. Google already shared what it knew nearly its users across near of its services but now it will also include YouTube and Google hunt history.

A Google spokesman refused to comment on the self-assessment report.

“The FTC takes compliance with our consent orders very severely and always looks cautiously at any evidence or allegations that they are being violated,” FTC spokeswoman Claudia Bourne Farrell said in an emailed statement. “Allegations get been created that Google’s late declared changes to its privacy policies and practices violate a Commission order. Wholly orders are discipline to a detailed and vigorous compliance review process, but such investigations are non-public, and we thence cannot comment further.”

Category: Internet Content | Tags: , ,
admin | February 7, 2012
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Google, Microsoft Survival Struggle With Internet Data Privacy

Microsoft, Google and Facebook should do more to protect their users’ privacy online, just these types of safeguards battle with how these technology and Web giants construct their profits, according to one expert.

Privacy should be constructed into online services by default, just it won’t occur so long as companies, such as Microsoft, Google and Facebook, rely on advertising to make money, granting to a prominent privacy activist.

Major technology vendors are providing sophisticated applications in commutation for user data, such as their preferences, online activities and behavior, Christopher Soghoian, a Washington, D.C.-based graduate fellow at the Kernel for Utilized Cyber-Security Research, said in his keynote language at the Kaspersky Lab Security Analyst Top Feb. 3. When the companies receive to decide between making money and protecting user privacy, occupation needs take priority, he told attendees.

“When their line models and your privacy conflict, alone one will survive,” enounced Soghoian.

Browsers are not “cheap” to develop, just companies are handsome them dead in order to construct33333 it easier to collect user data, said Soghoian. Almost popular browsers by default are posed to take cookies that Websites and third-party advertiser networks can utilisation for online tracking. Apple’s Safari accepts cookies from the Website, but really disables third-party cookies by default. Apple conveyed the “responsible route,” enounced Soghoian.

The advertising-based job model relies on Internet users to surrender increasing amounts of information, Soghoian said. If the interface “sucks,” users won’t employment the privacy settings effectively and will build mistakes, resulting in data being exposed. The difficulty is intentional, since companies know that users are less likely to bother with turning on privacy settings if the options are difficult to discover or understand.

Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter whole offering HTTPS on their online services to encrypt connections and prevent malicious attackers from intercepting user data while in transit. It takes six distinct stairs to routine on HTTPS in Microsoft’s Hotmail, and Facebook has been criticized for its confusing array of privacy pages. Ahead Google took the step to enable HTTPS by default for totally Gmail users, the HTTPS alternative was sunk at the underside of the settings pages. It was the “least important” option, enunciated Soghoian.

The interfaces are generally not designed by security-minded developers or developers thinking nearly the best user experience, simply kinda by the people who get an “understanding of human psychology” and not concerned about the user’s best interest, articulated Soghoian. What settings are on or snuff by default is just3 as important equally what the interface is like, he said.

“These companies experience default settings that are not private and not secure, because they know consumers will never modify these defaults,” pronounced Soghoian.

When Google implemented HTTPS, it initially justified the decision to act conk the alternative by default by claiming that encryption potentially slowed down page performance and received extra performance overhead. A hard privacy question over encryption and privacy was simply “left up to the users,” enunciated Soghoian.

The society switched to applying HTTPS by default soon afterward it revealed several Gmail accounts belonging to United States government officials received been breached by Chinese attackers.

Facebook and Twitter yet experience HTTPS turned conk by default, even though Facebook enabled it by default for its Tunisian users afterwards reports emerged of the authorities eavesdropping on its citizens lastly year.

Toolbars are frequently bundled into other software installers. The average Internet user doesn’t want the toolbar just0505050505 are tricked into installing them. When installing Adobe Reader, users are opted in by default to install Google Toolbar, and the Coffee installer has a like alternative for the Yahoo toolbar. Often, users don’t even know how they would up having several toolbars taking up space at the tip of the Web browser.

Category: Internet Content | Tags: , ,
admin | January 25, 2012
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Google Widens Its Tracks

n a move that could build it harder for Google users to rest anonymous, Google Inc. pronounced it would start compounding nearly wholly the information it has on its users.

This could mean, for instance, that when users hunt via Google, the society will exercise their activities on sister sites alike Gmail and YouTube to influence those users’ hunt results. Google hasn’t done that before.

Google’s move4 which was discovered in a privacy policy that will accept event on March 1is a signal of the vehement competition between Google and Facebook Inc. over personal data. Facebook has amassed an unprecedented sum of data about the lives of its more than 800 million members information that is coveted by advertisers.

Google traditionally hasn’t had the same amount of personal data virtually its users, and has held much of its personal data separate. Just as Facebook gears up for its planned initial public offer this spring, Google has amped up the competition.

Last year, Google launched its ain social network, anticipated Google+, and earlier this month Google begun including data from Google+ in members’ hunting results. Google’s latest motility would permit the companionship to include insights from services such equally Gmail and YouTube to hunt results equally well.

This could effectively rewrite the kinship between users and the world’s most-popular hunt engine.

Google has long treated users’ search queries as sacrosanct in part because they could check selfsame personal sensitive info virtually topics such equally wellness and finances.

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admin | January 24, 2012
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Google+ names policy goes Merely far Enough

There are lots of places where you could exist anonymous online. Google+ isn’t one of them. Previous today, Google announced a revision to the G+ names policy that doesn’t modify this, just it does let people to use nicknames and established pseudonyms. If anonymity is your thing, off somewhere else. I don’t want you on Google+. You could2cracking pulpit somewhere else. Equally for those folks whose lives might exist at risk for employing literal names, please be safe somewhere else — Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, Tumblr or WordPress, for example. Those services get proven they could protect your identity.

But, of course, the griping will continue from the Internet rabble determined to hide their identities everywhere. They want more from Google than but nicknames. What are you afraid of? I utilisation my literal refer everywhere, equally I receive constantly done. I see that as being in the identical smell of the open — and transparent — Internet. Exist who you are, not someone else. And if that comment — or other online interaction — requires you to hide your identity, closed the frak up. Vent somewhere else. For everyone else, and this includes people who receive made up choice identities, Google+ welcomes you.

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admin | January 13, 2012
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Does Google’s Hunting Plus add up?

Some will sure see the feature, which launched this week, as a nice fashion to easily detect posts and photos on a given issue from boosters and acquaintances. Simply not everyone is felicitous nigh Hunting Plus.

Yesterday, the Electronic Privacy Information Kernel demanded regulators to investigate whether the young feature violates federal antitrust rules and poses privacy concerns.

At issue, from EPIC’s perspective, is whether the more personalized hunting violates a Google/FTC colony strained finally year. That agreement stemmed from Google’s now-defunct Google Buzz social network and requires Google to construct young features opt-in if they provide additional sharing of certain types of private information.

EPIC says it thinks Google+ users wouldn’t fairly ask their posts, presumably eve the ones posed to exist viewed by the public, to pop up in Google search. Also, as2222 with other social-networking features that receive lifted the ire of privacy advocates, EPIC maintains that people shouldn’t have to hassle with the totally opting-out thing.

So, Google+ users, aside from EPIC’s heads surrounding the legality of Search Plus, how do you feel most the new feature? Is it a peachy tools for furthering your social networking? A privacy hurting in the patootie? Someplace in between? Ballot in our poll, and be certainly to portion your extra thoughts below.

Category: Internet Content | Tags: ,
admin | December 23, 2011
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Google Doodle portrays holidays Forward

As the year 2011 is nearing its end, Google has come away with doodle portraying “Happy Holidays” reflecting the Christmas festivities and the Young Year Eve.

Unlike last year’s doodle, this time the Doodle is kinda gloomy, maybe representing the modality in Google’s berth over the gone-by year’s events. Neither the bright snowfall nor the flashy lights of Christmas, which were evinced in the past Xmas eve Doodles are evinced in this year’s doodle employed by Google.

The neon intention with a snowflake, Santa Claus, bell, snowman, candle and a gift box on a negro background, will take the lector to holiday resorts and places with small attempt laid into making the logo attractive or interactive. Doogle has latterly gone commercial and the link reiterates the value improver to a festive mood.

Another startling disassociation from the tradition was the absence of letters representing Google in the design, which was apparently made in a rush to filling the space before of the Xmas holidays by its Doodle team. The colours utilised are again also dingy to usher in a new year spirit.

With 2012 Doomsday predictions going strong still, no wonder the early signs are getting invariably influenced.

Category: Internet Content | Tags: , ,
admin | December 21, 2011
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Google yanks Android update for Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus

Over the weekend our Dear Leader kindly informed me that it would credibly be a good idea to do a brief brushup of Google’s first OTA Ice Emollient Sandwich update. Usually when Fudo says something would be a good idea, it is more similar a Papal bull, or a fatwa, merely not this time around.

Google has drawn the plug on the Android 4.0.3. OTA update for the Nexus S and, of course, it won’t exist showing up for the Galaxy Nexus either. Eventide users who managed to download the update are forthwith reporting that the installation is refusing to cooperate.

It appears the release is quite buggy and users who receive coped to cause Google’s official ICS release coursing on their Nexus S are reporting some serious battery drain issues. This seems to be a trend in the mobile industry, as both Apple’s iPhone 4S and Nokia’s flagship Lumia 800 faced alike issues.

So where does this leave us? Well, it leaves me without a telephone update and it leaves our readers without two reviews, one of ICS on the old Nexus S, which would be a nice benchmark for users of single-core Android phones, but secondly we are straightaway too stuck with a Galaxy Nexus review sample sans 4.0.3 update, which has likewise been delayed.

Of course, it is relatively slowly to install ICS manually, snuff for a custom ROM or whatnot, merely that’s beside the point. In fact, one of the master reasons people purchase Nexus phones in the first position is because of regular updates away of the box, something that users of other Android phones can hardly tally on.

Google is not expression when the official updates will roll out, again, only we think the issues could be resolved soon.

Category: Technology Content | Tags: , , ,
admin | December 13, 2011
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Google Publishes Street Regard Imagery of Post-Tsunami Japan

The historic 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that striking Japan back in March may receive fallen out of the public news cycle, merely the massive rebuilding efforts continue. Immediately Google has launched a Web site dedicated to preserving the memory of the part and illustrating the price caused by the horrific natural disaster.

The site, prognosticated “Memories for the Future” (in Japanese “Mirai e no kioku”), allows you to compare ahead and subsequently images of the tsunami-affected parts of Japan in Google Street View. Commenting on the launch, Google senior product manager Kei Kawai said, “Back in July, we declared our initiative to digitally archive the areas of Northeastern Japan impressed by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. [Now] we’re making good on that promise…”

The immediate affect on the part not alone changed the lives of many Japanese, but it besides disrupted Japan’s well-oiled technology manufacturing system, a place that sent ripple effects around the world. The young site offers on-the-ground point of exactly how devastating the damage to the region was and how much advance has been made in the effort to convey the region back to its late state.

But Google pronounced there are broader reasons behind the initiative. “In the case of the post-tsunami imagery of Japan, we hope this exceptional digital archiving project will exist useful to researchers and scientists who canvas the effects of natural disasters,” Kawai said. “We likewise think that the imagery is a useful equipment for anyone about the world who wants to meliorate understand the extent of the damage. Regarding the street-level imagery of the struck areas puts the plight of these communities into view and ensures that the memories of the disaster rest relevant and tangible for future generations.”

Category: Internet Content | Tags: , ,
admin | December 12, 2011
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Google Execs To NASA: We’ll Ready Your Hangar, You Domiciliate Our Jets

Google execs Eric Schmidt, Larry Page and Sergey Brin experience offered to wage the full $33 million price of renovating Hangar One, a giant construction at NASA’s Moffett Field in Muckle Regard that once housed Navy blimps.

But equally the San Jose Mercury-News notes, there’s a catch: the trio of billionaires desire to utilization up to two-thirds of the storey space to domiciliate their eight private jets. The floor notes that the triumvirate created the proposal in September; the offering was exposed at a meeting last week of a committee overseeing the renovation of the historic structure. NASA is reportedly mulling the offer over. The offer was really made through a company owned by the three servicemen anticipated H211.

NASA has been in the appendage of removing the building’s outer shell, which is riddled with toxic PCBs, the Merc notes.

Let me merely say: Eight private jets? Is Google creating its ain Tune Force? Actually, this head has got up before: the Young York Times reported in 2008 that H211 received acquired a fighter plane.

Category: General | Tags: ,
admin | December 5, 2011
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Google Search on the iPad vs. your desktop web browser

We know for a fact tablets are selling similar hotcakes, or at the selfsame least iPads and Kindle Fires are. The mold cistron is yet relatively young and software is barely scratching the surface of its potential, or thus we are star to believe.

Google latterly updated its Hunt app for the iPad with a new interface and a number of tweaks that make it faster and easier to use. The new app is more effective at taking advantage of the iPad’s larger screen real-estate, and it honestly appears better than any hunt app for Android tablets that Google has notwithstanding to produce.

The video below was recorded by our boosters at MobileBurn, giving you a quick overview of the app’s young features including voice capability, side by incline tab viewing, and a selfsame77 tablet oriented version of icon search.

With that pronounced and done, am I alone believing browsing the web and multi-tasking on a tablet is too clumsy compared to what you can accomplish utilising a desktop web browser (in half the time)

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