Google to include people’s Gmail in search results

SUNDAY AUGUST 12, 2012, 11:05 AM
BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
THE RECORD

SAN FRANCISCO — Google is creating an information bridge between its influential Internet search engine and its widely used Gmail service in its latest attempt to deliver more personal responses more quickly.

The experimental feature unveiled Wednesday will enable Google’s search engine to mine the correspondence stored within a user’s Gmail account for any data tied to a search request. For example, a query containing the word "Amazon" would pull emails with shipping information sent by the online retailer.

Such Gmail results will typically be shown to the right of the main results, though in some instances, the top of the search page will highlight an answer extracted directly from an email. For example, the request "my flight" will show specific airline information imported from Gmail. Something similar could eventually happen when searching for a restaurant reservation or tickets to a concert.

Although Google has a commanding lead in Internet search, it remains worried about the threat posed by social networking services such as Facebook Inc. As social networks have made it easier to share information online, the Web is starting to revolve more around people than the keywords and links that Google’s search engine uses.

Google has been trying to adapt by building more personal services and plugging them into its search engine.



Privacy concerns



Blending email information into general search results could raise privacy worries. Google is trying to mitigate that by showing Gmail results in a collapsed format that users must open to see the details. For now, users must sign up to participate.

Google Inc. ran into trouble over privacy in 2010 when it tapped the personal contact information within Gmail accounts to build a social networking service called Buzz. Google set up Buzz in a way that caused many users to inadvertently expose personal data from Gmail. An uproar culminated in a Federal Trade Commission settlement requiring the company to improve its privacy controls and undergo audits for 20 years.

Google is treading carefully as it hooks Gmail up to its Internet search engine. The new feature initially will be available to 1 million Gmail users who sign up at http://g.co/searchtrial. That’s a small fraction of the more than 425 million Gmail accounts that have been set up since Google launched its free email service eight years ago to compete against the offerings from Yahoo! Inc. and Microsoft Corp.

After getting feedback from the test participants, Google hopes to give all Gmail users the option of plugging their accounts into the main search engine, according to Amit Singhal, a senior vice president for the company.

Singhal said Google is also willing to display information from other email services in its main search results. The gesture could avoid spurring additional complaints about Google abusing its position as the Internet’s search leader to favor its other services. That issue is the focal point of an antitrust investigation by antitrust regulators in the U.S. and Europe.



Increasing searches



Yahoo and Microsoft, the biggest rivals to Gmail, had no comment about Google’s offer.

When it started in 2004, Gmail provided 1 gigabyte of free storage, an amount that was unheard of at the time. Now, many longtime Gmail users have 10 gigabytes of storage. That has turned Gmail into a valuable storehouse of personal information going back several years.

Gmail users already can pluck information contained in old correspondence by conducting a search within Gmail. Google is betting Gmail users will appreciate being able to eliminate a step by including any relevant email information alongside the results of its main search page.

In the process, Google is hoping Web surfers will have even more reasons to use its dominant search engine, which already processes more than 100 billion requests every month.

Luring more queries is crucial to Google because they give the company more opportunities to show the ads that generate most of its revenue, which is expected to exceed $49 billion this year.

Personal information from Google Plus, a social networking service started last year to compete with Facebook, has been featured in Google’s main search results since January.

Ultimately, Google hopes to know enough about each of its users so it can answer their questions with the precision and insight of the artificial intelligence that so far has been the stuff of science fiction.

"The destiny of search is to become that perfect Star Trek computer," Singhal said.

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Google Alerts Users 'Your Computer Appears To Be Infected'

Google has launched an awareness campaign to identify systems compromised with DNSChanger and alert users before the DNS servers are shut down and their PCs can no longer get to websites.

By Charles Ripley, Content Works May 23, 2012 8:06 AM

Google launched a new awareness campaign to alert users whose PCs may be compromised with the “DNSChanger” malware. The DNS servers used by the malware will be shut down soon, and infected computers will no longer be able to communicate with the Web, so Google is doing its part to help users clean up and point their PCs to legitimate DNS servers.

In November of last year the United States FBI—in cooperation with Estonian law enforcement—tracked down and arrested the group behind the DNSChanger malware. With millions of infected systems around the world relying on the malicious DNSChanger DNS servers, the FBI chose to continue hosting them as legitimate DNS servers.

However, the FBI isn’t in the business of acting as an Internet Service Provider or DNS host, so as of July 9 the DNSChanger servers will be shut down. There are an estimated 500,000 systems still using those servers for DNS, and those PCs will no longer be able to reach the Web once the FBI pulls the plug.

Google is virtually synonymous with the Web. To many users--particularly the ones who lack the Internet savvy or technical skills to understand the security issues or determine if their PCs have been compromised with DNSChanger--Google is the Web. That gives Google some measure of civic responsibility, and puts it in a unique position to be able to help users out.

A blog post from Google states, “Starting today we’re undertaking an effort to notify roughly half a million people whose computers or home routers are infected with a well-publicized form of malware known as DNSChanger.”

Google will check to see if a PC is using the rogue DNSChanger servers. Systems suspected of being infected will display a message at the top of the Google search results page that says “Your computer appears to be infected.”

The Google blog post explains, “We believe directly messaging affected users on a trusted site and in their preferred language will produce the best possible results.”

The clock is ticking. In about six weeks a half million users may find that their PCs are unable to connect with Web sites. Hopefully, those 500,000 users will conduct a Google search at some point in the next few weeks, and pay heed to the warning from Google.

If you receive a message from Google, or suspect that your PC might be compromised with DNSChanger, check out the DNS Changer Working Group (DCWG) site. It contains a variety of tools to help remove the malware and clean up your system.

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"Do Not Track" Has It Backwards

Feb 24, 2012 1:31 pm

By Tony Bradley, PCWorld

Google is doing its part for Internet privacy by adding a Do Not Track feature to its Chrome Web browser. The move is admirable, and Do Not Track may be better than nothing, but why should users have to opt out of having their online actions monitored?

The move from Google comes in the wake of allegations that it has been circumventing privacy controls in the Safari Web browser on iOS devices, and in Internet Explorer to track online activity. However, it is not a reaction to that controversy. A Google spokesperson told me: “We've been evaluating our [Do Not Track] options for a long time and have also been closely involved with standards bodies.”

Google is jumping on the "Do Not Track" bandwagon by adding the feature to the Chrome browser.

It also comes on the heels of increased pressure from Washington DC in the form of President Obama’s blueprint for a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights. Susan Wojcicki, Google Senior Vice President for Advertising, praised that initiative. “We’re pleased to join a broad industry agreement to respect the ‘Do Not Track’ header in a consistent and meaningful way that offers users choice and clearly explained browser controls.”

Tracking isn’t a truly black and white issue, though. Wojcicki pointed out in a recent blog post that gathering information about online behavior enables Google to tailor the Web experience. By tracking activity, Google can target relevant content more likely to be of interest to you.

Even if the issue was truly that simple, though, the Do Not Track solution leaves a lot to be desired. The Wall Street Journal points out that the very concept of the Do Not Track feature has holes because it is dependent on companies agreeing to play by those rules--it is a voluntary system. It also points out that the Do Not Track initiative limits the ways data can be collected or used, but it can still be used for certain purposes like “market research”, or “product development.”

Assume for a minute, though, that Do Not Track actually meant what it says, and that every online company agreed to play along. There is still something inherently wrong with a system that automatically assumes you want to be spied on until or unless you figure out where the Do Not Track button is for your browser and make the effort to enable it.

The Internet operates on some sort of reverse moral code that says if you don’t make it implicitly clear that you don’t want something to happen, then--ipso facto--you have given implied consent for that something to occur.

What if other areas of life worked that way? Most people expect others not to randomly walk up and kick them without having to wear a sign that says “Do Not Kick.” They assume that nobody will throw rocks through their windows without the need for a sign that says “Do Not Stone.” They are confident that strangers won’t come up and start screaming in their face without having to display a “Do Not Yell” sign.

Why is it, then, that when we go online it becomes OK for companies to do things they know cross the line simply because they choose to pretend the line doesn’t exist unless you explicitly remind them? It doesn’t make any sense.

All tracking should be specifically opt-in. Companies should state up front what types of information they want to track, and what benefits that tracking will potentially provide for the online experience, and request consent before monitoring online activity and user behavior.

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How To Adjust Your Privacy Settings, Before Google's Big Shift

11:16 am

February 29, 2012

by BILL CHAPPELL

News that Google will place its dozens of services under one privacy policy — a change that also means the company will compile and collate each user's data from all those products — has some of its customers scrambling to restrict their privacy settings before the new policy goes into effect on March 1.

Of course, not everyone who relies on Google for Web search, email or YouTube is concerned about the pending change. Some don't care a whit; others don't know the change is looming (says PC Mag).

But for those who are concerned, the idea that Feb. 29 is their last chance to change these settings seems to have lit the fire of urgency. So, here are some tips on making commonly recommended changes — and ways to find out more about online privacy.


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What FACEBOOK and GOOGLE are Hiding from world.

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Data Privacy Day 2012 to be Widely Celebrated Across the U.S. and Abroad

Calendar of Events Leading Up to January 28th International Awareness Effort Continues to Grow; Google and MasterCard Worldwide Join List of Official Partners

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2012/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), a non-profit public-private partnership focused on cybersecurity awareness and education for all digital citizens, continues to grow momentum for Data Privacy Day 2012 with support from sponsors, partners and likeminded organizations. Coordinated and led by NCSA, Data Privacy Day on January 28, 2012 will promote the importance of data privacy and encourage digital citizens to exercise closer control over how their personal information is collected, shared, and stored online.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120105/DC30562LOGO)
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110504/DC95016LOGO)
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101004/DC76016LOGO)

A myriad of events, trainings, and initiatives leading up to Data Privacy Day will take place throughout the United States,Canada, Council of Europe member countries, and a host of other countries across the globe. An overview of events can be found at http://bit.ly/zrJFkj. NCSA sponsors and partners will participate in some of those activities to help amplify important messages about data privacy. Google is now an official partner along with MasterCard Worldwide Microsoft, Intuit, Comcast, and NQ Mobile (formerly NetQin Mobile). The current list of official sponsors includes Intel and eBay Inc.

"NCSA is very excited to see widespread support for Data Privacy Day 2012 throughout industry, government, businesses, and communities around the world," said Executive Director of the National Cyber Security Alliance, Michael Kaiser. "Everyday our lives become more reliant on the Internet and the goal behind Data Privacy Day is to educate digital citizens on how to protect their personal information online and make them more aware of the impact that technology has in their lives. While we celebrate Data Privacy Day on January 28^th, we want audiences to use safe data privacy practices year-round."

Intuit, a Data Privacy Day partner, is a strong advocate of data privacy protection and awareness. "We are the stewards of our 50 million customers' sensitive financial data and have been earning the trust of our customers for nearly 30 years. We encourage consumers, small businesses and those they serve, to approach Data Privacy Day as an opportunity to assess ways in which they can better protect personal data," said Barb Lawler, Intuit's chief privacy officer.

"We are proud to be supporting Data Privacy Day 2012 and look forward to the great programs in store this year," said Pablo Chavez, a director of public policy at Google. "Our involvement with Data Privacy Day is just the latest in our ongoing efforts to help educate users about how to control their privacy and security on the web."

"As a payments and technology company, MasterCard Worldwide delivers products and solutions that serve consumers, merchants and our business partners around the globe," said JoAnn Stonier, global privacy & data protection officer at MasterCard Worldwide. "As we continue to develop our information practices, we are committed to the responsible and ethical use of data. We are proud to support and participate in Data Privacy Day - an event that raises awareness about online safety and privacy - and convenes an important cross-industry dialogue about data privacy and information management best practices."

Many organizations are supporting Data Privacy Day in various unique ways. NCSA along with several sponsors and partners will host a flagship event on January 26th at the George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC. The event titled: "The Intersection of Privacy & Security," will feature The Honorable Julie Brill, commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Michael Kaiser, executive director of the NCSA; Dan Solove, research professor of Law at George Washington University and others in a panel style discussion about how security protects privacy and ways in which companies can ensure that sensitive information is protected while allowing innovation to flourish. Those interested in attending the event can register at http://dpd12.eventbrite.com/. To RSVP to watch the event via Facebook Live from 9:30-11:45 a.m. ET on January 26th and join the conversation, visit http://on.fb.me/privacyday2012.

The breadth of additional events both across the world and in the U.S. shows a dynamic commitment on the part of other organizations in making Data Privacy Day a success. These activities are showcased on the Data Privacy Day web portal by region at: http://bit.ly/zrJFkj including the following:

• January 24, 2012, San Francisco, CA – Microsoft presents, "The Collection of Online Consumer Data: the Good, the Bad and the Unknown," – an open forum discussion at the Churchill Club. This event will explore the growing tension between economic opportunities to mine the ever-increasing amounts of data available online vs. consumer and regulator desire for strong privacy protections. For information, visit: http://bit.ly/vWaxnm
• January 24, 2012, Chicago, IL – The Online Trust Alliance (OTA) will host a "Privacy & Data Protection Town Hall." The breakfast panel will focus on pressing privacy and data security issues affecting every business and organization and will include Craig Spiezle, OTA executive director and president among other leaders in the business community. For more information, visit: http://privacy-townhall.eventbrite.com/
• January 25th and 30th, Online Webinar – EDUCAUSE is providing several activities and resources to help raise data privacy awareness in higher education, including these free webinars:
  • January 25th, 1–2 p.m. ET — "A Balancing Act: Student Privacy and Student Data in the Electronic Age," webinar withKathleen Styles, chief privacy officer, U.S. Department of Education and Rodney Petersen, senior government relations officer and managing director of the Washington Office, EDUCAUSE. For more information, visit:http://www.educause.edu/policy/dataprivacy
  • January 30, 1–2 p.m. ET — "Protecting Personal Data: What Every Student Needs to Know About Online Reputation Management with Matt Ivester," founder of JuicyCampus and author and Merri Beth Lavagnino, chief privacy officer and compliance coordinator, Indiana University. For more information, visit:http://www.educause.edu/policy/dataprivacy
• February 2, 2012, Miami, FL – Susan McAndrew, deputy director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights, Health Information Privacy, will join a group of invited leaders in healthcare for "The Health Privacy Salon." These leaders will convene to discuss the latest issues in health privacy law. For more information, visit: http://www.privacylawsalon.com/health

On the international front, the Council for Europe and EU Countries are hosting the 5th International Computers, Privacy & Data Protection Conference (CPDP) entitled, "European Data Protection: Coming of Age," in Brussels. CPDP 2012 takes place during a significant phase in the revision of the EU legal framework on data protection and several panels will discuss and review latest legislative proposals. More than 20 panels will be organized on key issues such as geolocalization, e-identity and e-management, enforcement of copyright protection, surveillance in the workplace, accountability and communication of privacy.

Additionally the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) along with Data Protection Officers (DPO's) will raise awareness among EU staff and any other interested persons about their rights and obligations regarding data protection. To mark the effort, a video message from EDPS officials will be circulated to EU staff members and made available on the video page of the website. The video will focus on privacy and data protection as fundamental rights and highlight the everyday processing of personal data and the risks.

NCSA encourages all audiences to visit the Data Privacy Day web portal for updated information on how to get involved, new events, educational resources, tip sheets, and more on the awareness campaign. Full information and resources surrounding Data Privacy Day can be found at http://bit.ly/A8dHCK. In addition to the resources listed, NCSA encourages companies and organizations to get involved in Data Privacy Day and express their support by becoming champions through the website at http://bit.ly/zvfCJX.

About International Data Privacy Day
Data Privacy Day is an annual International celebration designed to promote awareness about privacy and education about best privacy practices. In this networked world, in which we are thoroughly digitized, Data Privacy Day promotes awareness about the many ways personal information is collected, stored, used, and shared, and education about privacy practices that will enable individuals to protect their personal information. It brings together advocates from businesses, governments, academics and not-for-profit organizations to promote collaboration and encourage dialogue on the issue of privacy. The Data Privacy Day is supported by official sponsors Intel and eBay Inc. and partners Microsoft, Intuit, Comcast, NQ Mobile, MasterCard Worldwide and Google.

About The National Cyber Security Alliance
The National Cyber Security Alliance is a non-profit organization. Through collaboration with the government, corporate, non-profit and academic sectors, the mission of the NCSA is to empower a digital citizenry to use the Internet securely and safely protecting themselves and the technology they use and the digital assets we all share. NCSA works to create a culture of cyber security and safety through education and awareness activities. NCSA board members include: ADP, AT&T, Bank of America, Cisco Systems, EMC Corporation, ESET, Facebook, General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Google, Intel, Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services, McAfee, Microsoft, PayPal, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Symantec, Verizon and Visa. Visit http://www.staysafeonline.org for more information and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/staysafeonline.

About STOP. THINK. CONNECT.
The campaign was developed by the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Messaging Convention, a public-private partnership established in 2009 and led by The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) and National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) to develop and support a national cybersecurity awareness campaign. In October 2010 the White House, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Messaging Convention launched the campaign. The Department of Homeland Security provides the Federal Government's leadership for the campaign. Industry, government, non-profits and education institutions participate in STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Learn how to get involved at www.stopthinkconnect.org.

SOURCE National Cyber Security Alliance

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China: Google Earth spots huge, unidentified structures in Gobi desert

Vast, unidentified, structures have been spotted by satellites in the barren Gobi desert, raising questions about what China might be building in a region it uses for its military, space and nuclear programmes.

All of the sites are on the borders of Gansu province and Xinjiang... some less than 100 miles from Jiuquan, the headquarters of China's space programme and the location of its launch pads
Photo: GOOGLE EARTH

By Malcolm Moore, Shanghai and Thomas Harding, Defence correspondent
1:50PM GMT 14 Nov 2011

In two images, available on Google Earth, reflective rectangles up to a mile long can be seen, a tangle of bright white intersecting lines that are clearly visible from space.

Other pictures show enormous concentric circles radiating on the ground, with three jets parked at their centre.

In one picture from 2007, a mass of orange blocks have been carefully arranged in a circle. In a more recent image, however, the blocks, each one the size of a shipping container, appear to have been scattered as far as three miles from the original site.

Another image shows an array of metallic squares littered with what appears to be the debris of exploded vehicles while another shows an intricate grid that is some 18 miles long.

All of the sites are on the borders of Gansu province and Xinjiang, some less than 100 miles from Jiuquan, the headquarters of China's space programme and the location of its launch pads.

The two reflective rectangles lie 70 miles from the nearest main road and there is no sign of any surrounding activity. However, Ding Xin military airbase, where China carries out its secret aircraft testing programme, is relatively nearby, at a distance of some 400 miles.

400 miles in the other direction is Lop Nur, the salt lakes where China tested 45 nuclear bombs between 1967 and 1995.

The purpose of the structures is unknown, but some experts suggested that they might be optical test ranges for Chinese missiles, to simulate the street grids of cities.

Tim Ripley, a defence expert from Jane's Defence Weekly, compared the structures to similar grids in Area 51, the secret United States military test base in Nevada. "The picture of the circle looks very like a missile test range, with target and instrumentation set out to record weapon effects. The Americans have lots of these in Nevada – Area 51!" he said.

Conspiracy theorists believe that Area 51 is home to the remains of an alien spacecraft found at Roswell, and there was no shortage on Monday of similar hypotheses about the Chinese sites.

"It looks like our own Area 51," said one commenter on Baidu, a Chinese website. "Can it be an alien base," asked another. "It looks like solar energy facilities, with a walkway along the side," said a third.

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In a first, NJ Transit partners with Google Wallet for easy fare payments

Published: Wednesday, October 19, 2011, 8:08 PM Updated: Wednesday, October 19, 2011, 8:59 PM

By Mike Frassinelli/The Star-Ledger

David Gard/The Star-LedgerCommuters board an NJ Transit train in this 2009 photo. The agency has partnered with Google Wallet to ease fare payments at New York Penn Station and Newark Liberty Airport Station.

NEWARK — For NJ Transit train riders at New York Penn Station and the Newark Liberty International Airport station and bus riders on select routes, payment is just a tap away.

NJ Transit is the first public transportation agency to partner with Google Wallet, allowing customers to wave their smart phones in front of a sensor to pay — sparing them the hassle of fishing for cash or credit cards.

The free app is available on Sprint’s Nexus S 4G phone.

The "contactless payment" options are available at New York Penn Station ticket vending machines and windows, at the the airport rail station (AirTrain), on bus routes 6, 43, 80, 81, 87 and 120 and on some buses on the 126 line, NJ Transit announced yesterday.

"I’m proud that New Jersey’s public transportation system is the very first public transportation agency to partner with Google Wallet, joining thousands of retailers accepting Wallet across the nation," Gov. Chris Christie said in a statement.

Google Wallet, which stores virtual versions of credit cards on phones, makes use of "near field communication" to allow transmission between the phone and sensor.

Plans down the road are to expand the program to additional Android devices with near field communication capabilities.

"By partnering with Google, we are leading the industry with emerging technologies that will streamline the way customers buy their transportation tickets," NJ Transit executive director Jim Weinstein said.

Despite a mediocre overall score of 5.3 on a scale of 0 to 10 for its latest customer satisfaction survey, NJ Transit received its highest mark for "payment options," getting a 6.7.

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WikiLeaks documents suggest China’s leaders were behind Google hack attack

November 28, 2010 Dean Takahashi

U.S. State Department cables leaked by WikiLeaks suggest that China’s leadership was behind the hacker attack on Google back in January.

WikiLeaks, an organization devoted to revealing secret documents, released a new trove of 250,000 confidential American diplomatic cables over the weekend. Those cables allegedly reveal all sorts of secret views by the Obama administration of all sorts of foreign incidents, including the attack on Google that spurred the company to reconsider whether it could offer its search services in China.

One set of documents, obtained by the New York Times, shows that the U.S. was told by a Chinese source that China’s Politburo was behind the intrusion into Google computer system.

The New York Times said the records revealed a “global computer hacking effort.” The newspaper said, “China’s Politburo directed the intrusion into Google’s computer systems in that country, a Chinese contact told the American Embassy in Beijing in January, one cable reported. The Google hacking was part of a coordinated campaign of computer sabotage carried out by government operatives, private security experts and Internet outlaws recruited by the Chinese government. They have broken into American government computers and those of Western allies, the Dalai Lama and American businesses since 2002, cables said.”

So far, the report doesn’t offer further details, such as just how credible the Chinese source was believed to be and whether there was other corroborating evidence.

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'We Failed Badly,' Google Executive Admits

Hugh Collins
Contributor

(Oct 23) – Google just goofed.

The Internet giant apologized on Friday for accidentally collecting confidential information such as e-mails and passwords in countries including the U.S., Canada and Britain.

Google Street View cars picked up the data through wireless networks while taking photographs in various cities.

"We're acutely aware that we failed badly here," Alan Eustace, senior vice president of engineering and research, said in a blog post. "We want to delete this data as soon as possible."

Google blamed faulty software, which was supposed to record the location of wireless networks. Google could then use the information to provide location-based services such as driving directions on Google Maps.

Due to a stray piece of code, the software ended up gathering information being sent across networks that weren't password-protected.

"While most of the data is fragmentary, in some instances entire e-mails and URLs were captured, as well as passwords," Eustace wrote. "We are mortified by what happened."

Google faces U.S. lawsuits worth millions of dollars related to the gathering of private information, according to Agence-France Presse.

Authorities in Canada have accused the company of accessing confidential medical information, while hundreds of thousands of Germans have asked that their homes be removed from Google Street View.

Italian authorities have ordered Google to clearly mark its Street View cars and publicize their itineraries, according to Reuters.


Sponsored Links In the Czech Republic, the government has simply banned the cars, saying they violate privacy.

In his blog post, Eustace announced that Google is taking measures to tighten privacy controls across the company. These include special training and the appointment of Alma Whitten as director of privacy across engineering and product management. Eustace described Whitten as an "internationally recognized expert in the computer science field of privacy and security."

Consumer Watchdog, a non-profit group that monitors Google's privacy work, reacted with skepticism.

"Maybe some Google executives are beginning to get it: privacy matters. The reality, though, is that the company's entire culture needs to change, " John Simpson, director of the group's Inside Google Project, said in a statement.

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Google and the CIA to invest in the future

July 30th, 2010 7:41 pm PT

Ofer Amrami
Santa Ana Technology Examiner

This week Google and the CIA announced a joint venture with an internet company named "Recorded Future". a company that claims it could foresee the future based on analyzing current data - "Minority Report" anyone?...

Having seen the potential of analyzing the ridiculous amounts of data floating out on the web, I do not think the claim brought forth by Christopher Ahlberg, Recorded Future's CEO, is that far fetched. If you can create a database large enough and an engine strong enough and smart enough to correlate the who, what, where and when of everything that is currently happening on the web, you could, to a certain degree, deduct what is happening next.

Smaller version of this technology is already out there in the form of Google Trends and similar data sharing initiatives for the purpose of composing a criminal's possible path are already in place in many counties around the country. It was just a matter of time before someone out there would take it to the next level.

Anyone who watched "Minority Report" or is worried about freedom of speech and privacy would have to ask these questions: What happens when we act on a forecast that was completely wrong? How do you indict someone for a crime they have not yet committed? Are we, in a sense, giving up our freedoms on the web? At what point would this technology be taken over by marketing companies?

All the legalities are yet to be addressed but the technology itself is interesting and would put to the test the concept of artificial intelligence. Can a computer, with enough data fed to it, come up with a plausible guess of the future? And how scared would I be if it was spot on?


Source: http://www.examiner.com/technology-in-santa-ana/google-and-the-cia-to-invest-the-future

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Is your browser spying on you?

Technology

Is your browser spying on you?

Microsoft claims Google's Chrome web browser is "stealing your privacy." Are they right?
posted on April 5, 2010, at 8:30 AM


Is your browser spying on you? Photo: Wikimedia commons


Best Opinion: TechNet Edge, Huff. Po. Ars Technica

In an apparent offensive move against Google, Microsoft released an online video this week on its TechNet Edge blog, claiming that Google's Chrome web browser "is stealing your privacy." Narrated by Peter LePage, product manager for the Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, the video shows how Chrome "collects every keystroke you make," unlike Internet Explorer 8 (IE8), which "keeps your information private." Is this simply a smear by Microsoft, or do Chrome users have reasons for concern? Following, a concise guide to the web browser privacy issue:

How does Google Chrome track what users type?
By instantly sending whatever they enter into Chrome's combination search box-web address bar to Google. This means that, even if you don't intend to actually search for a certain term or visit a particular website, Google "knows" what you've typed, even if you don't hit the "enter" key. "The information is being sent so that the search provider can help the user choose a query right in their browser," says Emil Protalinski in Ars Technica.

How is Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser different?
According to Microsoft's LePage, Internet Explorer 8 doesn't have this privacy issue because it separates the web address bar and the search box. "By keeping these boxes separate," says LePage, "your privacy is better protected and the addresses of the sites you're visiting aren't automatically shared with Microsoft, or anyone else."

Are Microsoft's claims true?
Yes and no. While anything you type in Chrome's search-web address field is sent to Google, anything typed into Internet Explorer's search box — but not the separate web address bar — is also sent to Google, Bing or whatever search engine you've selected to use in your browser.

Is there any way to prevent this from happening?
Yes. Most web browsers have a "private mode," which blocks all search history or other personal information from being recorded, allowing you to surf the web without leaving a digital track. IE's privacy feature is called "InPrivate," Chrome's is dubbed "Incognito." (Firefox and Opera also have similar privacy modes.)

Source: Ars Technica, Huffington Post.
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Source: http://theweek.com/article/index/201526/Is_your_browser_spying_on_you
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