Filed under: Management, Industry, Law, Consumer experience, Google (GOOG), Marketing and advertising

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) has been a target for a number of internet privacy groups who feel that it keeps personal data on users for too long. Google argues that having the data helps deliver better search results. Plus, the company decided to cave into pressure and agreed to keep data on individuals no longer than 18 months.

Now, Google want to be out in front of the drive for Internet privacy. It is an unlikely about face, but it is one nonetheless. According to the Financial Times, Google is “calling for new international laws to be set up to protect personal information online.” It wants a body like the UN to draw up the rules.

Google’s position is clearly one that it would rather not be forced to take, but it is making the best out of a bad situation. Clearly, the more data a search engine has, the better the results. This allows for better text ad targeting and better profits. Now that Google has purchased DoubleClick the use of data collected from users is even more important to get good results for display ads.

But, Google has to protect its image and so instead of just going along, it will lead the parade.

The company may figure that if it take a central position in drafting new rules so that it can at least slant them a bit to its advantage. It is not being helpful for nothing.

Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.

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Filed under: Videos and Screenshots

Wow, a lot has changed in Home since we last reported on the beta’s progress. There’s not much for us to say except “watch the video, it’s the bee’s knees” and all that cutting-edge jargon kids today use, but we’ll blab about it anyway. You start off in your room with a nice oceanic view, sit in your chairs, stare at pictures, then head out into the big open square. The square, as far as we can recall, has always been an indoor arena with trees, but this area (which may or may not be a new addition, just new to non-beta-ers) is very nice. Sort of like a shopping arcade you’d find in a Florida resort. You get to check out the games available (chess, pool, arcade games, bowling, etc), then see the movie theater briefly. That’s really the nuts and bolts of it, so give it a watch and get pumped to find Home on your XMB in the coming months.

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Filed under: Cell Phones, iPhone

Last week we speculated on the announcements that might be made during an Apple press conference that was scheduled for last night in the U.K. Now we have the details courtesy of Engadget. Apple announced last night that the iPhone will launch in the U.K. on November 9 and will cost £269, or roughly $535. That’s a pretty hefty premium over the new $399 price here in the U.S. Apple again went the exclusive carrier route, this time partnering with O2, a mobile communications provider with about 36 million subscribers throughout Europe.

Three iPhone plans were announced that will set O2 subscribers back either £35, £45, or £55 depending on how many minutes and SMS messages they want. All require 18-month contracts and all include unlimited data with an odd limit of 1,400 page views per day. Unlike earlier speculation, this Euro iPhone will not include 3G compatibility for high-speed wireless data communication, instead using the slower EDGE technology also found in the U.S. version.

Sensing the impending disappointment over the EDGE announcement, Apple head honcho Steve Jobs blamed battery life, saying: “The 3G chipsets are real power hogs. Handset battery life cuts power to 2-3 hours.” OK, but unfortunately O2 only provides EDGE in 30 percent of its coverage area, meaning many U.K. iPhoners won’t even be able to use the phone. And, since EDGE technology is older and slower than 3G, it would actually be a rather expensive downgrade for O2’s network were the company to implement EDGE on a more widespread basis.

So, limey Apple fans are finally just over two months away from getting their hands on the iPhone goods, albeit with some shortcomings on the data front and at a somewhat hefty premium. Of course, with the release of free unlocks for the devices, adventurous Brits are likely already using their iPhones — perhaps to find directions to the nearest curry house?

From Engadget

Related Links:

• Is Europe Getting a Better iPhone Next Week?
• How to Unlock Your iPhone for Free
• Mike Tyson Loves His iPhone

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Did you know Google AdSense allows for 9 billion different layout/size/color combinations of its ad units? Do you know which one is the best for your site, or for that matter, which ad network will make you the most money at any point during the day?

PubMatic, a new service that just launched in “Alpha Mode”, will help you answer those questions by dynamically optimizing the ad space on your site.

Currently they work with Google AdSense, Yahoo! Publisher Network, ValueClick, and Komli — and they are planning on adding additional ad networks in the future.

As part of the Alpha launch, they are looking to recruit 100 innnovative publishers. If they can replicate their early results, this could be boon to publishers everywhere who continually struggle to find and optimize their ad inventory across multiple networks.

This article provided by sitepoint.com.

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Gee, aren’t floors great? All flat and clean and smooth, they do a faultless job of preventing us from plunging headlong into the voids beneath them — a particularly useful trick in multi-story buildings.

It’s interesting to reflect that, although the wonders of electricity have been available for over 100 years, no one has ever sought to improve the humble floor by making it totally dependent on electric power to operate.

Floors that disappeared or collapsed whenever the power was cut — even if that was only occasionally — would be inconvenient, to say the least! While electricity has often been used to improve the usability of our floors by heating, cooling or lighting them better, no floor would ever cease its basic operations without the presence of electricity.

With this in mind, isn’t it remarkable that large, successful, multinational corporations can build the foundations of their online headquarters on a technology — in this case, JavaScript — that may or may not be available to their users. Disabling JavaScript completely disables the fundamental operations of these sites just as surely as would removing the floor from the company’s real-world lobby.

So, without further ado, I’m pleased to announce that the inaugural Electric Floor Award goes to … *drumroll please*… (disable JavaScript before clicking on it) … Visa.com!

When you arrive at Visa’s global gateway without JavaScript turned on, you’ll be greeted by what’s probably the most extensive use of white space you’ll ever see …

… and nothing else.

While simplicity and elegance are to be applauded, this is probably taking things a little too far.

If you were to somehow make it past this first redirection page, you’d be deposited at the landing page shown at the right.

Things immediately appear more encouraging. The page certainly seems to be rendering fine without JavaScript … that is, unless you want to access any of Visa’s Consumer & Business Sites. If you do, you’ll be asked to select your country from a dropdown, and this dropdown will be empty if you have JavaScript disabled.

Okay, I’m making light of the situation, but this is a serious issue. We’re not talking about complex operations that necessarily require scripting. This isn’t:

• a multi-site mashup
• advanced functionality, such as a 3D animation, multimedia, or an interactive map
• a partial page refresh with sooper groovy Ajax

We’re talking about boring, fundamental operations like page rendering and navigation — operations that have worked flawlessly since Tim Berners-Lee first imagined them two decades ago. And at Visa, they’re failing completely.

There are simply no good reasons not to make basic pages like these work without JavaScript, and the Electric Floor Awards are designed to highlight some of the high-profile offenders. If Google can make GMail work without JavaScript, there should be no excuse for infinitely simple sites to fail.

Congratulations to Visa.com on taking out the first award!

I’ve got my eye on another half-dozen sites that qualify for the award, but if you’re aware of other worthy nominees, we’d be interested to hear about them.

And if you’re thinking ‘Come on, how many nutcases are there REALLY out there cruising around without JavaScript?‘ perhaps an equally relevant question would be ‘How many Sony Ericsson’s are there out there?”.

This article provided by sitepoint.com.

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HE’S GOT A SKETCH!

Okay, so. The story basically is: a kid absent-mindedly draws a clumsy sketch that, when examined, resembles a gun. The kid is then, naturally, suspended because this drawing, beyond shadow of doubt, represents a threat

I’m not going to go into the politics of this one. I just think it’s completely hilarious that the kid got suspended for this:

People. Were afraid. Of that.

I had no idea intimidating other was so easy! Of course! I don’t need weapons! Paper and pencil will be my weapons! And I will rule the world! Watch out people…

I have a bow and arrow!

I have a sword!

Look out…it’s a wild cougar!!

Now watch as I rule the world with my….Killer ROBOT!

And now I am just as dangerous as any doodling 13-year old! Muahahahaha!! Behold and tremble at my mad MS PAINT SKILLS!

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Filed under: Gaming

Sure, you love your Nintendo DS. It’s light, it fits in your pocket, and you can play it wherever you go, whenever you want… right? Well, wouldn’t it be a little cooler if it were super-huge and you had to push two full-size kitchen tables together just to put it down somewhere? Okay, maybe we’re exaggerating a little bit, but still, this mod from some DS enthusiasts is a huge — literally and figuratively. Using two tablet PCs and some type of interface which allows the game system to be controlled by / displayed on the larger screens, these DS fans have created the ultimate antithesis to the original system — for no apparent reason other than the fact that they could. Check the video after the break to see the madness in action.

[Thanks, J]

Continue reading Modders create inexplicable, gigantic Nintendo DS

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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For those who are rich enough to pick up this 61″ Theater Spa, you will be able to just sit back and relax while watching your favorite movie, letting both the actors on screen and the soothing jets of water massage the day’s stress away. This humongous Theater Spa is not meant for a solitary experience, as you can also chill out with three other people in it. Various hi-tech options include a 12″ rising waterfall with fiber optic light decor, a vibrating pillow, and a subwoofer - and these are just the tip of the iceberg. No word on pricing but it is anybody’s guess that this monstrous Theater Spa is going to be anything but cheap.

Permalink | Comment | Uberbargain | Uberphones

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Filed under: Dessert, Dairy, Recipes, On the Blogs, America, Comfort Food

I have always been a fan of cottage cheese. It is a staple in my family, purchased along side the eggs, milk and Trader Joe’s Honey Whole Wheat bread for all the years when I was growing up. These days there’s always a tub of it to be found in my fridge, as it is the perfect protein addition to breakfast, lunch or dinner (applesauce and cottage cheese is heaven in a bowl). However, it has never occurred to me to alter its curdy state and use it as the primary ingredient in ice cream. Thankfully, there are many creative thinkers in this world and Jessica at Su Good Eats is one of them. She has pureed cottage cheese and used it to make ice cream. The results look pretty darn good and when you couple that with my love of cottage cheese, I think that this is one I’m going to have to try out.

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