Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 16th Apr 2012 08:26 UTC
"The principles of openness and universal access that underpinned the creation of the internet three decades ago are under greater threat than ever, according to Google co-founder Sergey Brin. The threat to the freedom of the internet comes, he claims, from a combination of governments increasingly trying to control access and communication by their citizens, the entertainment industry's attempts to crack down on piracy, and the rise of 'restrictive' walled gardens such as Facebook and Apple, which tightly control what software can be released on their platforms." That governments - east and west - are trying to destroy the open web, that we know. As for Facebook and Apple... Well, all I know is that it is completely and utterly impossible to check what information Apple has about you. Unlike Google (more here) and to a lesser degree Facebook, Apple provides zero means to see, export, or delete the information they have on you, associated with your Apple ID or otherwise. In 2012, that's just sinister.
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RE[5]: hypocrisy, thy name is Brin
by JAlexoid on Tue 17th Apr 2012 12:02
in reply to "RE[4]: hypocrisy, thy name is Brin"
Member since:2009-05-19
But if Google nukes your privacy and sells your data to anyone who wants it you don't mind?
If Google sells your data where can I buy it? Please do direct me to the portal where I, as an advertiser, can get phone numbers and emails of my visitors just to thank them for visiting.
(This is my canned response to the crap with words "sells your data")
RE[6]: hypocrisy, thy name is Brin
by MOS6510 on Tue 17th Apr 2012 12:06
in reply to "RE[5]: hypocrisy, thy name is Brin"
Member since:2011-05-12
RE[6]: hypocrisy, thy name is Brin
by maccouch on Tue 17th Apr 2012 16:51
in reply to "RE[5]: hypocrisy, thy name is Brin"
Member since:2012-03-14
for google to sell your data they have to construct a profile from you. that profile, as facebook profile, has your email id tagged with endless descriptions in their neat DB. " residence: Bronx / New york city" / "usually logs in from: ny public college, comcast block 100.121.121.*" / "is 34 years old" / "regularly communicates with users ids: xxx@gmail.com; xxxy@gmail.com " bla bla bla bla.
you get the picture. it's a relational database so that they can segment you and aggregate you with others in the same desired group by the advertiser. Now, this is not bad in itself, but it has the "inconvenient" side-aspect that for that to happen they have to completely categorize you.
You might be comfortable with that. i'm not. someone knowing that much about me makes me uncomfortable. While that may be completely innocent by now, considering the "authoritarian and paranoid drift" of the US government that demands data under dubious pretense and permissive laws, one day it might not be so innocent. And i say US gov because for now they are the crazy guy on the block. tomorrow might be other entity or china gov when you happen to go there on business . Or someone can break in google data base and steal that info from google to their own profits. the bad outcomes are endless.
Anyway you put it, there's slim benefit to you, the user/consumer/citizen of having your life spied and discriminated and categorized like that. IF you are willing to do that for a better recommendation for potato chips or a free email service, then fine for you. I on the other hand, am not.
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/18/13 21:33 UTC
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/16/13 9:29 UTC
The day has finally come: Google has started shipping Google Glass to the lucky few early adopters. Now that it's shipping, Google has also unveiled a lot more about the API and the specifications of the device itself. While the company had already given out substantial details at earlier occasions, there are still a few surprises here.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/15/13 22:44 UTC
Almost exactly three years ago, I wrote about why OSNews was no longer OSNews: the alternative operating system scene had died, and OSNews, too, had to go with the times and move towards reporting on a new wave of operating systems - mobile, and all the repercussions that the explosion of smartphones and tablets have caused. Still, I was wondering something today: why aren't we seeing alternative operating systems on mobile?More Features »
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2011-05-12
So, you believe Apple on its blue eyes, but not Google? That's perfectly fine, of course, but you have to be incredibly naive to think that Apple does not use the data it has on its customers to extract more money from them.
But if Google nukes your privacy and sells your data to anyone who wants it you don't mind?
Recently you liked the idea that Google linked all their databases so they could target you even better with ads, but you don't like it if Apple should use the data they have on you to, well, effectively tempts you to spend money?
It seems both want your money, expect Apple doesn't sell it to companies you have never heard about.
What if it becomes accepted that ads you are presented are targeted and embarrassing ads appear when you want to show someone something? You can't claim it's a random ad, because people wouldn't believe it. Surely all ads are tailor made.
Now from Apple I haven't received any 'offers' and my .mac/.me accounts are spam free (unlike my Gmail account). As I use Apple stuff a lot they should have my all figured out, but it doesn't seem I'm targeted for anything.
So it's strange you favor a proven privacy menace over a company you suspect/hope they do so too.
If one was asked before the rise of Google if it would be a good thing if there was one single company that tracks what you read, watch, see, hear,search, email, where you are, etc..., drives through your street and takes pictures of your house while sniffing your WiFi and they're even on mobile phones with mall ware issues... and sell what they find on you to anyone who pays for it... I'm sure many people wouldn't like this.