Bigmouthmedia Search Engine News: /google/

Group sues over Google privacy policy changes

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:25:00 GMT

Activist group the Electronic Privacy Information Centre (EPIC) have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission in an effort to prevent Google from updating its privacy policy on 1 March.

By filing suit, EPIC hopes to force the FTC to prevent Google from implementing its new privacy policy, which will give Mountain View the ability to 'combine personal information' across the majority of its services.

"Google's announced changes to business practices will make it possible for advertisers to gain access to personal information which was previously unavailable to them," EPIC said in its filing.

Google entered into a settlement agreement with the FTC in 2011 over similar privacy charges relating to Google Buzz - as a result of the settlement, an independent professional will provide regular reports on Google's privacy practices for the next 20 years.

In response, Google has said EPIC's lawsuit is misinterpreting the facts.

"We take privacy very seriously," a Google representative told CNET. "We're happy to engage in constructive conversation about our updated Privacy Policy, but EPIC is wrong on the facts of the law.

"We're keeping your private information private - we're not changing how personal information is shared outside of Google."

The spokesperson also added Google has "undertaken the most extensive notification effort in Google's history to ensure that users have many opportunities and ample time to learn about our Privacy Policy changes. And we're continuing to offer choice and control over how people use Google services."

EPIC aren't the only ones feeling uncomfortable about the privacy changes - European Union officials asked Google earlier this month to suspend privacy policy changes so they could be analysed, but according to CNET, Google declined saying "delaying the new policy would cause significant confusion."

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Google pays users to give up their privacy

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:36:00 GMT

Google will pay you to give up your online privacy.

In a new project called Screenwise, Google is offering to pay users up to $25 (£15) to share their search history.

People who sign up to be Screenwise panellists will receive a $5 (£3) Amazon voucher for installing the Google Screenwise browser extension. Participants will then earn an additional $5 (£3) for every three months of participation up to one year.

Though, the fine print on the Screenwise landing page states that gift amounts for participating longer than a year will be reviewed.

The search giant hasn't been overly specific about the details that members of the panel will share, but did state: "As a panellist, you'll add a browser extension that will share with Google the sites you visit and how you use them."

The company also said of its goals, "What we learn from you, and others like you, will help us improve Google products and services and make a better online experience for everyone.

In an official statement about the programme, a Google spokesperson stated: "Like many other web and media companies, we do panel research to help better serve our users by learning more about people's media use, on the web and elsewhere.

"This panel is one such small project that started near the beginning of the year. Of course, this is completely optional to join.

"People can choose to participate if it's of interest (or if the gift appeals) and everyone who does participate has complete transparency and control over what Internet use is being included in the panel. People can stay on the panel as long as they'd like, or leave at any time."

For those interested in joining the Screenwise panel, they must be 13 years or older, have a Google Account (or sign up for one) and be willing to use the Google Chrome browser.

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Google introduces Chrome for Android

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:01:00 GMT

Google has introduced two of its most successful products to one another - Chrome and Android - releasing its Chrome Browser App for Android users.

Available in the Android Market for smartphones fitted with Ice Cream Sandwich, the new Chrome app is 'focused on speed and simplicity' and features many of the same features as the desktop version.

"Today, we're introducing Chrome for Android Beta, which brings many of the things you've come to love about Chrome to your Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich phone or tablet," Chrome and Apps Senior Vice President Sundar Pichai wrote on the Google blog.

"Like the desktop version, Chrome for Android Beta is focused on speed and simplicity, but it also features seamless sign in and sync so you can take your personalised web browsing experience with you wherever you go, across devices."

The new mobile Chrome features 'reimagined tabs' designed specifically to fit on a mobile browser, and makes use of gesture-based controls to move across tabs.

"You can flip or swipe between an unlimited number of tabs using intuitive gestures, as if you're holding a deck of cards in the palm of your hands, each one a new window to the web," Pichai said.

Users can also sync their mobile and desktop bookmarks, making it easy to access sites across different devices. Syncing also extends to autocomplete suggestions - for example, a site visited or searched regularly at home will also appear as an autocomplete suggestion on the mobile browser.

This, according to Pichai, allows users to 'bring your personalised Chrome experience with you'.
"When searching, your top search results are loaded in the background as you type so pages appear instantly," he said. "And of course, both search and navigation can all be done quickly from the Chrome omnibox."

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Android Market gets a Bouncer

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:36:00 GMT

Google has released an automated service for the Android Market to help detect malicious apps when they are uploaded.

The new service - code-named Bouncer - "provides automated scanning of Android Market for potentially malicious software without disrupting the user experience of Android Market or requiring developers to go through an application approval process," VP of Engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer wrote in a blog post.

"Once an application is uploaded, the service immediately starts analysing it for known malware, spyware and Trojans.

"It also looks for behaviours that indicate an application might be misbehaving, and compares it against previously analysed apps to detect possible red flags."

Once scanned, if the app has been identified as malicious it will be scanned manually for confirmation. Following that, the app could be blocked or removed from the store altogether. If it's an instance of known malware, the app won't be uploaded to the store at all.

The Android Market has come under fire for not policing apps more closely, with critics arguing users were being made vulnerable to malware on their smartphones. Unlike Apple, which inspects every app before it's made available to users, the Android Market doesn't require pre-approval for its apps.

Prior to the announcement, Google tested 'Bouncer' for a number of months, reporting the program resulted in a 40 per cent decline in the number of malicious app downloads in the second half of 2011.

"While it's not possible to prevent bad people from building malware, the most important measurement is whether those bad applications are being installed from Android Market - and we know that rate is declining significantly," Lockheimer said.

"Our systems are getting better at detecting and eliminating malware every day, and we continue to invite the community to work with us to keep Android safe."

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Major tech companies join forces to stop phishing

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:48:00 GMT

Some of the biggest tech enemies have set aside their differences in the name of stopping phishing.

Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo and eleven other email providers, social media properties, email security companies and financial institutions have announced a broad new alliance to combat email phishing known as Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance - or, DMARC for short.

The goal of DMARC is to create new email standards to help stop spammers from tricking email and web-users into providing sensitive information, like credit card numbers and bank account details.

To date, phishing has been relatively easy to do. Spammers simply simulate data in an email so that it looks like it came from a legitimate sender.

Most phishing messages are caught by users' spam folders, but many people still open emails that look real - leaving their personal and financial information vulnerable to theft.

"One of the worst experiences for a user is being phished," Adam Dawes, a Google product manager and DMARC representative said. "The best way to protect them is to make sure the email never reaches the spam folder at all."

The DMARC system would verify that emails are coming from authentic companies and create a common way for companies to authenticate legitimate communications with customers - ultimately, ensuring that email companies are working behind the scenes to prevent phishing emails from ever making it to inboxes and spam folders.

DMARC efforts officially began 18-months ago with an original alliance between various partners. Today's announcement heralds the expansion of efforts to even more participants, and the alliance plans to submit the DMARC specification to the Internet Engineering Task Force for standardization.

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The growing Android challenge to iPad supremacy

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:13:00 GMT

The latest figures compiled by industry analysts show that the Apple iPad's market dominance continues for the moment - but that's set to be challenged by the growing popularity of Android-based tablets.

Strategy Analytics say that Apple sold twice as many in the last quarter of 2011 as it did in the same period in 2010.

"Global tablet shipments reached an all-time high of 26.8 million units in Q4 2011, surging 150 per cent from 10.7 million in Q4 2010. Demand for tablets among consumer, business and education users remains strong. Apple shipped a robust 15.4 million iPads worldwide and maintained its strong market leadership with 58 per cent share during the fourth quarter of 2011" said Peter King, Director of Strategy Analytics, in a company press release.

However, Androids appear to be on the march, with their share of the global market reaching 39 per cent. A variety of companies are using Google's OS as the basis for their products, such as the Amazon Kindle Fire and Acer's Iconia Tab. Although not a perfect solution, utilising an 'off-the-peg' OS, such as Android, allows companies to reduce development time.

"Dozens of Android models distributed across multiple countries by numerous brands such as Amazon, Samsung, Asus and others have been driving volumes," added Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics.

"Android is so far proving relatively popular with tablet manufacturers despite nagging concerns about fragmentation of Android's operating system, user-interface and app store ecosystem."

According to the report, the combined sales of the Windows 7 tablet and the BlackBerry PlayBook accounted for fewer than one million units.

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Google launches Public Alerts

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:49:00 GMT

Maps just got smarter, as Mountain View announced the launch of Google Public Alerts.

Google Maps users will now be able to see relevant 'Public Alerts' when using the popular tool, getting warning of weather, public safety and earthquake alerts.

"Today marks the launch of a new Google Crisis Response project: Google Public Alerts, a platform designed to bring you relevant emergency alerts when and where you're searching for them," Public alerts engineer Steve Hakusa wrote on the Google blog.

The tool is designed to alert users to things that might be happening in their area - tornado warnings, for example - and provide information about where and when the disaster might occur, as well as how severe the storm is expected to be and where resources can be found to help.

"The Google Crisis Response team works on providing critical emergency information during crises. Our goal is to surface emergency information through the online tools you use everyday, when that information is relevant and useful," Hakusa said.

Users can search directly on Google maps for specific warnings in their area, or alternatively, can go directly to the Public Alerts Page, where users can find a list of current emergency warnings from around the world. Warnings are displayed as hotspots which users can hover over or click to view more information.

"We're learning as we go and we're working hard to continuously improve the range and relevance of the content you see," Hakusa said of the newly-launched service.

"We hope Google Public Alerts provides you with information to make better decisions in times of crisis."

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Google merges privacy settings

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:25:00 GMT

Google has announced changes to its privacy policies that from 1 March will move users to one single, consolidated policy.

"Despite trimming our policies in 2010, we still have more than 70 privacy documents covering all of our different products," Director of Privacy, Product and Engineering Alma Whitten wrote on the Google blog.

"This approach is somewhat complicated. It's also at odds with our efforts to integrate our different products more closely so that we can create a beautifully simple, intuitive user experience across Google."

Most of Google's products and services will be included in the new privacy policy - Google Books, Google Wallet and Google Chrome will all retain their own policies.

As a result, the new policy grants Google explicit rights to combine users' personal information across the majority of Google's products and services.

"Our new privacy policy makes it clear that, if you're signed in, we may combine information you've provided from one service with information from other services. In short, we'll treat you as a single user across all products," Whitten wrote.

For users, the new privacy policy means that when signed in, user data will be shared between services - for example, between Gmail, YouTube, Google+ and Google Maps - resulting in more refined search results and relevant ads.

"We can provide reminders that you're going to be late for a meeting based on your location, your calendar and an understanding of what the traffic is like that day," Whitten said.

Google took a big step towards more integrated user data with the Search plus Your World update, with the new privacy policy changes moving even further toward a more personal, integrated user experience.

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Social networks Focus on the User

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:48:00 GMT

Fed up with being ignored by Google, engineers from Facebook, Twitter and MySpace have joined forces to create a new tool that gleans search results from social networks other than Google+.

'Focus on the User' uses Google's algorithms to "determine what social content should appear in the areas where Google+ results are currently hardcoded."

By using the tool, users can see search results from Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, along with LinkedIn, Tumblr, Flickr, Foursquare, Crunchbase, FriendFeed and several other social networking sites across the web. Instead of automatically being met with Google+ results, users can see the most relevant social media results on any given search.

"When you search for 'cooking' today, Google decides that renowned chef Jamie Oliver is a relevant social result," the website said.

"That makes sense. But rather than linking to Jamie's Twitter profile, which is updated daily, Google links to his Google+ profile, which was updated nearly two months ago."

The bookmarklet - dubbed 'Don't be Evil', after Google's own motto - runs in Chrome, Firefox or Safari and automatically checks for any social profiles associated with a given search term, replacing Google+ profiles.

According to its creators, Focus on the User "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+."

Google's Search plus Your World update has come under fire since its launch, with critics arguing the search giant is acting in its own interests on its quest to become more social.

Dissidents of Search plus Your World have also called foul on Google, arguing Mountain View is not doing what's best for the user and is abusing its power by edging out other social networks from search results.

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Google+ averts identity crisis

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:01:00 GMT

What's in a name? Apparently a lot, when creating a Google+ profile.

Google+ took a controversial stand at its inception and required all users to use their real-world name to avoid pseudonyms and impersonations. When users originally signed up with an identity other than their real name, Google suspended many of those accounts.

While most people go by the name that appears on their driver's license or passport and wouldn't think twice about using their real name on a social network - some people have created images and lucrative brands around an established pseudonym. Take Madonna or Lady Gaga, for instance.

Google+ has heard the cries of identity anguish and announced it will change its policy.

"Over the next week, we'll be adding support for alternate names - be they nicknames, maiden names, or names in another script - alongside your common name," Bradley Horowitz, a co-leader at Google+, wrote in a Google+ post.

"This name will show up on your Google+ profile and in the hovercards which appear over your name. In the next few weeks, we'll be displaying it more broadly as part of your name on other areas of Google+ as well. So if you're Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jane Doe (Smith) you can now communicate your identity the way you want to."

Google+ will, however, have the last say and reserves the right to deny the use of a pseudonym that they feel doesn't represent an individual, like businesses and abstract ideas.

Users can appeal to Google+ if the name they intend to use is flagged by providing information to confirm an established identity. Back-up documentation could include references to an established identity offline in print media, scanned official documentation or proof of a meaningful online following.

Borowitz added: "Today is a small step towards improving the ways in which you can communicate your identity of Google+. We will be listening to feed from the community and will continue to refine all aspects of how we handle names and identity over the coming weeks, months and beyond."

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