Category: Google

NSA highly unlikely to read your email

On By Rick McIn ethics, Google, government, internet, product complaints, things getting worseLeave a comment

A former employee of the National Security Agency, Loren Sands-Ramshaw, weighs the benefits / risks of the U.S.A. collecting all your online data:

Many are concerned about the NSA listening to their phone calls and reading their email messages. I believe that most should not be very concerned because most are not sending email to intelligence targets. Email that isn’t related to intelligence is rarely viewed, and it’s even less often viewed if it’s from a US citizen. …

I do believe that the safeguards against unauthorized data retrieval by Agency employees can and should be improved.

I do not believe that their information-gathering powers should be curtailed. Such restriction would not only hinder the Agency’s ability to gather intelligence, but also impede its ability to wage cyberwarfare.*

The NSA is our best hope in this war. In my mind, the Agency’s continued dominance of the Internet is absolutely worth the once-a-year one-in-three-hundred-million chance that your private data will be purposefully viewed by an NSA employee. …

read more …

NSA

Verge – Apple, Google, Microsoft, and others launch campaign for NSA reform

switching from Apple to Google

On By Rick McIn Apple, GoogleLeave a comment

Jeff Jarvis is one of the most important Google pundits.

He used Apple hardware, Google software.

Until now.

Jeff:

… I have transitioned fully from my iPhone, iPad, and Mac and functioned fully for a few months with Android, Chrome, and services from Gmail to Google Calendar to Google Now to Google Reader on my Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Chromebook and now Chromebook Pixel. …

read more – Living the Google life

apple_google

Almost.

He still needs Skype, now owned by Microsoft. And has to switch to Ubuntu to use it.

I’ve still got a few good years left with Apple. Then — like most of their current fans — I’ll be switching over to Google.

There’s no way the locked down Apple platform cam compete against the more open Google platform long term.

Something will make me jump. Perhaps Google Glass. Or an Android device from which I can connect to the internet from anywhere in the wilds of the world.

The main alternative is Microsoft. Pretty cool in 2013.

I’d choke to death on humble pie if ever switching to MS.

NEW – Google Keep – Evernote competitor

On By Rick McIn GoogleLeave a comment

Much as I want to, I still haven’t got into using Evernote regularly.

It’s a brilliant service. But when I ran into my data cap and was billed $40 / year, I balked.

Google’s come out with a simpler, free competitor. I’ll give it a go.

Click PLAY or watch it on Google.

Om Malik has some reservations – Sorry Google; you can Keep it to yourself

prescription Google Glass?

On By Rick McIn GoogleLeave a comment

If the revolutionary new glasses come built in with my prescription, I’m buying. 🙂

Sergey

… Say “take a picture” to take a picture. Record what you see, hands free. Even share what you see, live.

Directions are right in front of you. Speak to send a message, or translate your voice. Get the notifications that matter most. Ask whatever’s on your mind and get answers without having to ask.

All video footage captured through Glass.

Click PLAY or watch how they work on YouTube.

http://youtu.be/v1uyQZNg2vE

Welcome to a world through Glass. See more at google.com/glass/start

sigh … I’m still using Google Tasks

On By Rick McIn GoogleLeave a comment

Of the many different ways I’ve done to-do lists, only two methods have persisted.

A simple text list. And Google Tasks.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I wish this option was just SLIGHTLY more advanced.

Of the cool alternatives, I just decided against Priority Matrix.

switching Hotmail to Outlook

On By Rick McIn Google, product endorsements1 Comment

Hotmail is horrible. Replacement — Outlook.com — is easily one of the top 2 online email clients.

Switching is EASY. It takes only seconds.

TechRadar rating = 4 ★★★★ /5

FOR
Cleaner interface
Active view works well
Can open and edit docs in mail page
Keyboard shortcuts

AGAINST
Skype not integrated
Most new features lifted from Gmail

techradar review

• Five Ways Outlook.com Beats Gmail — and One Way it Doesn’t

• How to move from Hotmail to Outlook.com

• Upgrade from Hotmail to Outlook.com

All your data and settings are moved over.

You can keep your StupidlyStillWith@hotmail.com address. Or switch to FINALLYquitHOTMAIL@outlook.com

first Nexus 7 TV commercial

On By Rick McIn Apple, Google, product endorsementsLeave a comment

The first real competitor to the iPad is here.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Cheap. But WiFi only, so far.

EVERYONE expects Apple to add a smaller iPad to their line up in order to compete.

EVERYONE expects it to be more expensive.

(via Gruber and The Next Web)

Google augmented reality glasses

On By Rick McIn GoogleLeave a comment

A proposal.

… potential uses for Project Glass. A man wanders around the streets of New York City, communicating with friends, seeing maps and information, and snapping pictures. It concludes with him video-chatting with a girlfriend as the sun sets over the city. All of this is seen through the augmented-reality glasses. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

That video has been mocked online. But something similar is inevitable, I’m sure.

use Google docs, not email, to organize a party

On By Rick McIn Google, internetLeave a comment

Every time I show this in one of my workshops or trainings, people just get it. They finally understand how using social technologies can help them work…

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

via Igo Tan on Google+