Viacom wants to know if anyone with Google or YouTube happened to push some of the content company’s work onto the video sharing site.
Those who have been concerned about privacy and the idea of Viacom perusing YouTube viewing records include a distinct group of insiders, who may have more reason than most to be concerned about uploads of South Park or The Colbert Report.
CNET said Google is digging in against Viacom after a judge ordered Google to hand over private viewing data. Google wants to anonymize it first, but failed to hammer out an agreement with Viacom on doing so with regards to YouTube employees.
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Whether you love the device or hate it, stories about the iPhone are going to be hard to escape for a few weeks. Google and Facebook appear to fall into that first category, and have added to the hubbub by releasing iPhone-specific applications.
iPhones are able to browse the Web, of course, so at first glance, these apps look a little bit redundant. Their existence speaks to the popularity of the iPhone, though, along with corporate desires to please the device’s user base. And the apps do offer a few new tricks.
Posted in Apple, Google, Social Networking |
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To help make more of a dent in the Google-dominated search and ad markets, Yahoo is rolling out an initiative that will open the door wider to its search service, but mainly for developers and ISVs willing to host Yahoo ads on their sites.
“BOSS [Build Your Own Search Service]…is an API to tap into Yahoo’s prized search infrastructure. It allows developers, start-ups, and established consumer Internet companies to leverage the power of Yahoo,” contends a BOSS API Guide newly posted on Yahoo’s developers site.
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Google yesterday launched Lively — its own version of the 3D, Avatar-based virtual world — as an embeddable gadget. But social data barriers remain between Google and Facebook, which is granted separate but equal access to Lively rooms.
A Lively browser plug-in must first be downloaded for either Internet Explorer or Firefox, and Windows XP or Vista is required. Once running, the service asks for a Google ID or Gmail username and password to begin. From there, the user can create his own avatars and Lively Rooms (think of them as more of a series of graphically-enhanced chat windows than a cohesive metaverse.) which can then be embedded in other sites, such as Facebook.
However, due to current disagreements between Google and Facebook regarding privacy and the sharing of social data, a large kink remains apparent in Lively.
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Last month Ask.com added a direct link to its privacy policy via a “Privacy” linkconveniently placed on its homepage.
It was observed that even Google didn’t have the ‘Privacy Link’ and that this move might compel the search giant to do the same to their homepage too.
Well, now according to Official Google Blog, Google has finally introduced the ‘Privacy’ link on their home page.
According to Marissa Mayer at the Google Blog , “Larry and Sergey told me we could only add this to the homepage if we took a word away - keeping the “weight” of the homepage unchanged at 28. Given that the new Privacy link fit best with legal disclaimers on the page, I looked to the copyright line. There, we dropped the word “Google” (realizing it was implied, obviously) and added the new privacy link alongside it.”
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As Google expands its product line for mobile services, the Mountain View-based company announced BlackBerry Pearl users now have the ability to use voice search.
Specifically, users will be able to use Google Maps, getting directions or locations by voice instead of text searching.
Pearl owners can go to m.google.com/maps, press 0 to center the view of the map, press a side key and say a business name or location, and then release the button so the voice recognition software can begin to pull in results.Google designed the software for use when typing is not possible, a user isn’t sure of the exact spelling of a name, or the name is too long.
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All the engineering acumen in the world, or at least in the Googleplex, can’t prevent an old-fashioned burglary of unencrypted employee data held by an outside firm.
A failing company also failed to adequately keep its assets protected from theft. Colt Express Outsourcing Services lost some data to a Memorial Day burglary, and it’s now come to light that the dominant search engine formerly used that company’s services.
Unfortunately for Google, and for CNET employees also affected by the theft, a report at CNET noted employees from both firms were in the same boat. “No credit card numbers were in the stolen data; just names, addresses, SSNs–all the information needed for a thief to open a credit card account under another’s name,” the report said.
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Until now, Google Street View never allowed anyone to see outside America. Thankfully, this year’s Tour de France seems to have provided enough of a reason for other images to be released.
Photos detailing certain parts of France - parts along the bicycle race’s route, to be exact - have become available. They allow for plenty of sightseeing, as everything from the Eiffel Tower to scenic country roads gets covered.
These new images seem to be of considerably higher quality than the usual Street View shots, as well. Granted, this isn’t necessarily a good thing for everybody, but to address privacy concerns, Google’s face-blurring software has been set to work on license plates as well as people’s heads.
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Google recently introduced Google Trends for Websites, which has sparked some controversy around the web.
The tool allows users to view stats for any site they choose, this could mean trouble for companies like Alexa, Compete, and their competitors.
That’s not entirely where the controversy comes in however. Google seems to have no problem showing everyone else’s stats including Yahoo! for example, but when a query for google.com is entered, there is nothing to be seen.
The concept isn’t sitting too well with many site owners. “Google gave us all up without consent or prior permission,” says Michael Gray aka Graywolf.
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Though some US legislators expressed concerns about Google’s growing power in online advertising, one big ad firm welcomed Yahoo’s search ad agreement with Google.
In the US, Microsoft and Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) publicly fretted about the increasing control Google possesses over contextual search advertising. High-ranking Microsoft executive Kevin Johnson complained in France about Google taking over 90 percent of the search ad market.
Another Continental concern expressed no concern about Yahoo turning to Google to possibly deliver $800 million in ad revenue in the first year of their partnership. The Guardian cited Maurice Levy, head of Publicis Group, who expressed a positive view of the deal between the former search ad rivals.
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