Google's New Privacy Policy

Page 1 & Choice 1: Google Offers You Full Disclosure. Do you

1. Simply Click "Ok, got it" either to avoid the annoying privacy disclosure from showing up each time you log in to a father-Google service or because you simply don't care
2. Read the pretty pithy headline "One Policy, one Google experience" (Kind of like, "one ring to bind them all?) and then, Click "Ok, got it" 
3. Read the pretty pity headline,  the first paragraph and then after thanking Google for "Getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that’s a lot shorter and easier to read"  and marveling at Google's "desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google" then, Click "Ok, got it" 
4. Read the pretty pity headline,  read the first paragraph which ends in an almost-call to-action " This stuff matters, so please read our updated Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service when you have a few minutes"  and then decide if it was really important Google wouldn't call it "stuff" (which is the commonly accepted name of things you discard when you move) ,   and Google certainly  wouldn't (slyly)  suggest you read it "when you have a few minutes." You think for a moment and then you decide: If it were really important Father Google would have said something simple and straightforward like "your privacy matters and is important in ways you might not understand so please take a moment to see how Google is tracking you (and helping others track you) and if you don't like what we're doing we'll show you can adjust your settings so we track and invade your privacy alot less (but we won't stop completely, because it's the cost of our excellent services!) " Since Google didn't say that, you  Click "Ok, got it"  (even though you know you don't and you hope it doesn't matter latter). 
5. Read the pretty pity headline,  read the first paragraph with it's almost-call to-action, and then decide to read the additional sub-headlines, where you learn what you get for just going along with Google.  The could-turn-out-to-be Faustian bargin says by allowing Google to invade your privacy you get: 

   Easy to work across Google

   Our new policy reflects our desire to create a simple product experience that does what you need, when you want it to. Whether you’re reading an email that reminds you to schedule a family get-together or finding a favorite video that you want to share, we want to ensure you can move across Gmail, Calendar, Search, YouTube, or whatever your life calls for with ease.

   Tailored for you

   
   

   If you’re signed into Google, we can do things like suggest search queries — or tailor your search results — based on the interests you’ve expressed in Google+, Gmail, and YouTube. We’ll better understand which version of Pink or Jaguar you’re searching for and get you those results faster

   Easy to share and collaborate

   
   

   When you post or create a document online, you often want others to see and contribute. By remembering the contact information of the people you want to share with, we make it easy for you to share in any Google product or service with minimal clicks and errors.

   
   

   
   

    And then you decide, that Google is offering you quite alot of wonderful things in exchange for invading your privacy so you click "Ok, got it"  (but even as you click "ok, got it" you can't but wonder if "Ok, got it" is legally binding if you Google somehow screws you latter)
6. You read the pretty pity headlines and recognize it's all just marketing speak designed to lull into a sense of comfort.  You recognize Google's had it's arm twisted and is being forced to offer you a choice that you might not get latter so you decide "No, it's no ok, I don't got it' and you click on 'Read Policies Now'

Page 2 & Choice 2: Google Offers You Full Disclosure. Do you...

1. Notice the page you've just arrived on, looks strangely like the page you just read except this one now says "Policies and Principles" at the top, so you decide there's nothing new for me to see here so you simply close the window and get back to what you were doing.
2. Notice the page you've arrive on, looks similar except the third pictures, the "easy to share" picture, now has a picture of what appears to be a lock and there's three extra paragraphs you can only find if you were adventurous enough to scroll down to read them:

   Protecting your privacy hasn’t changed

   Our goal is to provide you with as much transparency and choice as possible, through products like Google Dashboard and Ads Preferences Manager alongside other tools. Ourprivacy principles remain unchanged. And we’ll never sell your personal information or share it without your permission (other than rare circumstances like valid legal requests).

   Understand how Google uses your data

   If you want to learn more about your data on Google and across the web, including tips and advice for staying safe online, check out Good to Know.

   Got questions? We’ve got answers

   Visit our FAQ to read more about the changes. (We figured our users might have a question or twenty-two.)

   Notice of change

   March 1, 2012 is when the new Privacy Policy and Google Terms of Service will come into effect. If you choose to keep using Google once the change occurs, you will be doing so under the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
   
   
   
3. you read the extra writing and then say thank goodness (or googleness) that Google is giving you "as much transparency and choice as possible" and that Google will "never sell your personal information or share it without your permission (other than rare circumstances," that Google can always  help you " learn more about your data on Google and across the web, including tips and advice for staying safe online, check out Good to Know." Your about to click on additional links but since the link is called "Good to know"  (which means, it's important but we already know, as in the dismissive reponse to the saftey first tips: thank's that's good to know) and since the FAQ link is titled the name of the pointless childhood game '21 questions' ("FAQ to read more about the changes. (We figured our users might have a question or twenty-two") you decide there's nothing worth seeing here  'so you leave the page and get back to what you were doing.
4.  You read the exta paragraphs and decide to click on some link on the FAQ links, where you read:   

   What if I don’t want to use Google under the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service? 

   If you continue to use Google services after March 1, you’ll be doing so under the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. If you’d prefer to close your Google Account, you can follow the instructions in our help center. We remain committed to data liberation, so if you want to take your information elsewhere you can"  
    You think, wow! data liberation..now that sounds exciting! so you click through to 

While dataliberation.org sounds like a militant privacy roots group, you learn it's really not. So why the militant logo:  "What's with the logo? It grew out of the fact that we see ourselves fighting for the freedom of the users.  So basically, it's another joke.  Har har har. :-)"  And despite the serious, but joke of a name and logo the joke may still be on you even if you do decide to reject google's new privacy policy: "Are you done?  Are all of Google's products liberated? No.  While users can get data out of our products one way or another, we're about two thirds of the way throughand we continue to work to make it easier to get data in and out of our products."  As you click on this link you learn that dataliberation.org  teaches you not only how to escape from google it will also teach how to "Escaping to Gmail"  and thus liberate your data from other companies so google can get it!  You also learn At this point you begin back to get a headache so you go about your business....

Or, alternatively, you read through Google's new policies thoroughly and discover some new controls that offer a modicum of privacy...or if you still don't get it watch some of the videos below (the first is the google take on it's new privacy policy...if your going to just watch one video don't watch the google video it's a non-critical perspective [i.e., it's an info-advert from google])...and yes I'm writing this using google's blogger..

Google Explaining Ad Preferences:

Ads on the web

Make the ads you see on the web more interesting

Many websites, such as news sites and blogs, partner with us to show ads to their visitors. To see ads that are more related to you and your interests, edit the categories below, which are based on sites you have recently visited. Learn more


Your interests are associated with an advertising cookie that's stored in your browser. If you don't want us to store your interests, you can opt out below. Your ads preferences only apply in this browser on this computer. They are reset if you delete your browser's cookies.

Watch a video: Ads Preferences on Google Display Network explained

Your categories and demographics

No interest or demographic categories are associated with your ads preferences so far. You can add or editinterests and demographics at any time.

Your cookie

Google stores the following information in a cookie to associate your ads preferences with the browser you're using:

id=225bccd1790100f1||t=1329741208|et=730|cs=002213fd48ef310b6c128faf53

Visit the Advertising and Privacy page of our Privacy Center to learn more.




Google is a participating member of the Network Advertising Initiative and follows the industry privacy standards for online advertising. You can opt out of this cookie, as well as other companies' cookies used for interest-based ads, by visiting the aboutads.info choices page. If you want to persist your opt-out of interest-based ads from all NAI member companies, you can install the Keep My Opt-Outs plugin.


Google may use your Google account information, such as items you +1'd on Google websites and across the web, to personalize content and ads on non-Google websites. If you'd like to control how you see +1 recommendations from people you know, and how your +1 recommendations are shown to others, please visit the +1 button settings page.

Google Explaining It's Privacy principles'

At Google, we are keenly aware of the trust you place in us and our responsibility to protect your privacy. As part of this responsibility, we let you know what information we collect when you use our products and services, why we collect it and how we use it to improve your experience.

We have five privacy principles that describe how we approach privacy and user information across all of our products:

1. Use information to provide our users with valuable products and services.
2. Develop products that reflect strong privacy standards and practices.
3. Make the collection of personal information transparent.
4. Give users meaningful choices to protect their privacy.
5. Be a responsible steward of the information we hold.

Google's Privacy Tools:

Privacy tools

One of our goals at Google is to give users meaningful choices to protect your privacy. Here are some of our most popular tools that help you control your information:

• Google Dashboard

  
  
  Find the answer to the question, “What does Google know about me?” by visiting the Google Dashboard, which shows you information stored in your Google Account. From one central location, you can easily change your privacy settings for services such as Blogger, Calendar, Docs, Gmail, Picasa, and Profiles.

• Ads Preferences Manager

  
  
  View and edit the information Google uses to show you ads on Google search and Gmail, and interest-based ads on websites in Google’s ad network. Add or edit information to affect how ads are selected for you, or opt out of seeing customized ads altogether.

• Data Liberation Front

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  We think you should be able to control the information you store online. Learn how you can move your data in and out of Google products.

• Keep My Opt-Outs

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Install this Chrome extension for a one-step, persistent opt-out of ad personalization performed by companies adopting the industry privacy standards for online advertising.

• Encrypted search

  
  
  
  
  
  
  Encrypt the search traffic between your computer and Google, helping to protect your search terms and your search results pages from being intercepted by a third party. Try a more secure and private search experience.

• Incognito mode in Google Chrome

  
  
  
  
  
  
  When you want to browse the Internet in stealth mode, Google Chrome offers Incognito browsing. Pages you open and files you download while in Incognito mode aren’t recorded in Chrome’s browsing or download history, useful if you’re planning a surprise birthday present or party!

• Street View Blurring and Takedowns

  
  
  
  
  
  
  We automatically blur identifiable faces and license plates in Street View to protect individual privacy. We also provide easily accessible tools so you can request further blurring of any image that features yourself, your family, your car or your home. You can also request the removal of images that feature inappropriate content.

• Unlisted and Private Videos on YouTube

  
  
  YouTube was created for people to share ideas with the entire world. But sometimes you might just rather share it with a small group of friends or keep it to yourself. You can do that by choosing either unlisted or private when you upload your video.

• Web History Controls

  
  
  If you’re signed in to a Google Account and have turned on Web History when you search, it helps you see your previous search terms and which results you’ve clicked on. We provide you control by letting you delete individual entries, pause collection, or opt-out of the service altogether.

• Off the Record Gmail Chats

  
  
  Don’t want Gmail chat conversations to be stored in your account? Choose to chat “off the record”. You and your Gmail friends can see when a chat is taken off the record, and you’ll be instantly notified if your friend decides to chat on the record again.

• Google Analytics Opt-out

  
  
  Google Analytics generates statistics about visitors to websites, such as the number of page views or times of peak traffic. If you don’t want your anonymous browser data to be collected by Google Analytics when you visit sites that use Google Analytics, you can install an opt-out in your web browser.

• Search Personalization Opt-out

  
  
  Sometimes we personalize search results based on your previous activity in order to better help you find what you’re looking for, even if you’re not signed into a Google Account. But if you’d rather we didn’t do this, you can disable the feature altogether.

• Control Your Location in Google Latitude

  
  
  Google Latitude makes it easy to share your location with your family and friends in real time. You can adjust your privacy settings in Latitude so that you share as much or as little about your location as you want, with whom you want.

Top 20 Technology Driven Trends for 2012

By Daniel Burrus

No matter what industry you’re in, your company can’t survive without technology. And these days, even non-technical employees know that technology goes way beyond desktop computers and networks. From smart phones and tablet computers to mobile apps and cloud-based technology, there’s a plethora of technological advancements to not only keep track of, but also to profit from.Therefore, as a CIO, it’s up to you to anticipate the future technology trends that are shaping your business and then develop innovative ways to implement them in your organization.
Now that 2012 is well underway, be ready for the following 20 technology-driven trends to continue to create both disruption and opportunity in the business world. But rather than just react to them, be "pre-active" to future known events and plan how you’ll profit from them now. That’s the only way you’ll gain competitive advantage and become viewed as both a strategy creator and enabler within your company.
So here are the Top 20 tech trends I think you should be aware of this year:
1) Rapid growth of Big Data, a term used to describe the technologies and techniques used to capture and utilize the exponentially increasing streams of data with the goal of bringing enterprise-wide visibility and insights to make rapid critical decisions, will usher in high speed analytics (HSA). Using advanced cloud services, HSA will increasingly be used as a complement to existing information management systems and programs to tame the massive data explosion. This new level of data integration and analytics will require many new skills and cross-functional buy-in in order to break down the many data and organizational silos that still exist. The rapid increase in data makes this a fast growing hard trend that cannot be ignored.
2) Cloud computing and advanced cloud services will be increasingly embraced by business of all sizes, as this represents a major shift in how organizations obtain and maintain software, hardware, and computing capacity. As consumers, we first experienced public clouds (think about when you first used Google or Apple’s MobileMe and now iCloud). Then we saw more private clouds and hybrid clouds from businesses such as Flextronics, Siemens, Accenture, and many others, all using the cloud to cut costs in human resources and sales management functions. This was only the beginning, as cloud services enable the rapid transformation all business processes.
3) On Demand Services will increasingly be offered to companies needing to rapidly deploy new services. Hardware as a service (HaaS) joins Software as a Service (SaaS), creating what some have called “IT as a service” (ITaaS). All will grow rapidly with many new players in a multitude of business process categories. These services will help companies cut costs as they provide access to powerful software programs and the latest technology without having the expense of a large IT staff and time-consuming, expensive upgrades. As a result, IT will be increasingly freed to focus on enabling business process transformation, which will allow organizations to maximize their return on technology investments.  
4) Virtualization of storage, desktops, applications, and networking will see continued acceptance and growth by both large and small businesses as virtualization security improves. We will continue to see the virtualization of processing power, allowing mobile devices to access supercomputer capabilities and apply it to processes such as purchasing and logistics, to name a few.
5) Consumerization of IT increases as the source for innovation and technology continues to be driven by the consumer thanks to rapid advances in processing power, storage, and bandwidth. Smart companies have recognized that this is a hard tend that will continue and have stopped fighting consumerization. Instead, they are turning this trend into a competitive advantage by consumerizing their applications, such as recommending safe and secure third party hardware and apps. Encouraging employees to share productivity enhancing consumer technology will become a wise strategy.
6) Gameification of training and education will fuel a fast moving hard trend using advanced simulations and skill-based learning systems that are self-diagnostic, interactive, game-like, and competitive -- all focused on giving the user an immersive experience thanks to a photo-realistic 3D interface. Some will develop software using these gaming techniques to work on existing hardware systems such as the Xbox and PlayStation. A social component of gameification that includes sharing will drive success.
7) Social business takes on a new level of urgency as organizations shift from an Information Age “informing” model to a Communication Age “communicating and engaging” model. Social software for business will reach a new level of adoption with applications to enhance relationships, collaboration, networking, social validation, and more. Social search will increasingly be used by marketers and researchers, not to mention Wall Street, to tap into millions of daily tweets and Facebook conversations, providing real-time analysis of many key consumer metrics.
8) Smartphones and tablets will become our primary personal computers, and the mobile Web will become a must-have capability. This means an enterprise mobility strategy will become mandatory for all size organizations as we see mobile data, mobile media, mobile sales, mobile marketing, mobile commerce, mobile finance, mobile payments, mobile health, and many more explode. The vast majority of mobile phones sold globally will have a browser, making the smart phone our primary computer that is with us 24/7 and signaling a profound shift in global computing. This new level of mobility will allow any size business to transform how they market, sell, communicate, collaborate, educate, train, and innovate using mobility.
9) Tablet computers with enterprise level Web apps will be used to transform sales and service support and then move to purchasing, logistics, just-in-time training, and much more.
10) Intelligent electronic agents using natural language voice commands take off with Apple’s Siri, rapidly followed by Android, Microsoft, and others all offering what will become a mobile electronic concierge on your smart devices including your phone, tablet, and television. Soon retailers will have a Siri-like sales assistant, and maintenance workers will have a Siri-like assistant. The possibilities are endless. 
11) Digital identity management will become increasingly important to both organizations and individuals as new software allows users to better manage their multiple identities across business and personal networks. Next generation biometrics will play a key role in both identity management and security.
12) Visual communications takes video conferencing to a new level with programs like SKYPE, Apple's FaceTime, and others giving us video communication on phones, tablets, and home televisions. Visual communications will be integrated with current video conferencing systems, fueling this as a main relationship-building tool for businesses of all sizes.
13) Enhanced location awareness will accelerate the number of business-to-consumer apps for smart phones and tablets that will take geo-social marketing and sales to a new level of creative application, driving rapid growth.
14) Geo-spatial visualization combines geographic information systems (GIS) with location-aware data, radio frequency identification (RFID), and other location-aware sensors (including the current location of users from the use of their mobile devices) to create new insights and competitive advantage. Early applications include logistics and supply chain to name a few.
15) Smart TV using apps will get a major boost in the marketplace, fueling a major shift in home viewing. Ever wonder how you could have over 500 cable or satellite channels and nothing to watch? You didn’t have apps on your TV allowing you to personalize the experience. This is the beginning of a major shift that will take place in living rooms globally. Look for Apple to introduce the iTV, basically a living room sized iPad.
16) Multiple app stores for all smart phone, tablet, and television operating systems (Android, Blackberry, Windows, and others) will take off, creating an abundant distribution and sales ecosystem for all. This will cement the revolution versus evolution that apps software represents. We will see business app stores for the enterprise starting this year.
17) 3D displays for smartphones and tablets will be the breakthrough that will drive wide-scale consumer acceptance of 3D computing. 3D computing for the enterprise will grow rapidly for military, medicine, fashion, architecture, and entertainment applications.
18) eBooks, eNewspapers, and eMagazines pass the tipping point due to the abundance of smartphones with readable displays, tablets that provide a full color experience, and publishers providing apps that give a better than paper experience by including cut, copy, paste, print, and multimedia capabilities. In addition, eBook readers will have high quality with a low enough price to bring in the masses. 
9) Interactive multimedia eTextbooks will finally take off thanks to Apple’s iBook Author and other competing tools, freeing new publishers to create compelling and engaging content, and freeing students from a static, expensive, and literally heavy experience. 
20) Wireless machine-to-machine applications such as two-way meter reading, surveillance, vending machine, and point-of-sale solutions take off thanks to faster wireless data networks.
Are these the only technology-driven trends for 2012 to be aware of? Of course not. As any CIO knows, technology is always evolving, resulting in new trends emerging and new products appearing every day. That’s why one of your key functions is to stay ahead of the trends by anticipating them, adapting them to your unique environment before the competition does, and ultimately enabling your organization to profit from them. The more you’re able to do that, the sooner you’ll be able to take your organization to the next level of success.
Daniel Burrus is considered one of the world’s leading technology forecasters and business strategists, and is the founder and CEO of Burrus Research, a research and consulting firm that monitors global advancements in technology driven trends to help clients better understand how technological, social and business forces are converging to create enormous, untapped opportunities. He is the author of six books, including the national bestseller "Flash Foresight: How To See the Invisible and Do the Impossible" as well as the highly acclaimed Technotrends. Be sure to check out Volume 2 of Daniel's "Know What's Next Magazine," an annual publication on strategies for transforming your business and future.

Source:http://www.cioupdate.com/technology-trends/the-top-20-technology-driven-trends-for-2012.html

HUD Google Glasses are real and they are coming soon

Seth Weintraub

February 6, 2012 at 11:37 am


Terminator glasses

We detailed the first information about the Google [x] Glasses project in December.

They are in late prototype stages of wearable glasses that look similar to thick-rimmed glasses that “normal people” wear. However, these provide a display with a heads up computer interface. There are a few buttons on the arms of the glasses, but otherwise, they could be mistaken for normal glasses. Additionally, we are not sure of the technology being employed here, but it is likely a transparent LCD or AMOLED display such as the one demonstrated below:

In addition, we have heard that this device is not an “Android peripheral” as the NYT stated. According to our source, it communicates directly with the Cloud over IP. Although, the “Google Goggles” could use a phone’s Internet connection, through Wi-Fi or a low power Bluetooth 4.0.

The use-case is augmented reality that would tie into Google’s location services. A user can walk around with information popping up and into display -Terminator-style- based on preferences, location and Google’s information.

Therefore, these things likely connect to the Internet and have GPS. They also likely run a version of Android.

Since then, we have learned much more regarding Google’s glasses…

Our tipster has now seen a prototype and said it looks something like Oakley Thumps (below). These glasses, we heard, have a front-facing camera used to gather information and could aid in augmented reality apps. It will also take pictures. The spied prototype has a flash —perhaps for help at night, or maybe it is just a way to take better photos. The camera is extremely small and likely only a few megapixels.



(Oakleys)

The heads up display (HUD) is only for one eye and on the side. It is not transparent nor does it have dual 3D configurations, as previously speculated.

One really cool bit: The navigation system currently used is a head tilting-to scroll and click. We are told it is very quick to learn and once the user is adept at navigation, it becomes second nature and almost indistinguishable to outside users.
(As an aside, I built a head mouse as a Masters Thesis project a few years back that used head tilts to navigate and control menus. I am ready to collect royalties!)

I/O on the glasses will also include voice input and output, and we are told the CPU/RAM/storage hardware is near the equivalent of a generation-old Android smartphone. As a guess, we would speculate something like 1GHz ARM A8, 256MB RAM and 8GB of storage? In any case, it will also function as a smartphone.

Perhaps most interesting is that Google is currently deciding on how it wants to release these glasses, even though the product is still a very long way from being finished. It is currently a secret with only a few geeky types knowing about it, and Google is apparently unsure if it will have mass-market appeal. Therefore, the company is considering making this a pilot program, somewhat like the Cr-48 Chromebooks last year.

Yes, Google might actually release this product as beta-pilot program to people outside of Google—and soon.

FYI Motorola’s got something cool in this area brewing as well (thanks commenter!).

Source:http://9to5google.com/2012/02/06/hud-google-glasses-are-real-and-they-are-coming-soon/