Vogel Internet, Information Technology and e-Discovery Blog : Texas Internet, Information Technology, eCommerce & E-Discovery Lawyer & Attorney Peter S. Vogel : Gardere Wynne Sewell Law Firm : Dallas TX

Google demonstrated its new entertainment hub for TV with a browser which includes a joint effort with Sony, Intel and Logitech. As part of the announcement Google explained that “Google TV is a new experience made for television that combines the TV you know and love with the freedom and power of the Internet.” No surprise since it seemed inevitable that the Internet and television would merge a some point and it’s little wonder that Google a first mover!

IT Teams Up with Dairy Farmers

A recent report indicated that manure “from 10,000 cows could provide the power for a small computing center at a bank,” so Google, Microsoft, and HP are building more data centers in more rural areas to capitalize on dairy farmers’ use of cattle waste. “Information technology and manure have a symbiotic relationship,” said Chandrakant D. Patel, the director of H.P.’s sustainable information technology laboratory. How refreshing to see that IT can really be GREEN!

Google’s Woes Continue in the EU About WiFi Data

Things seem to be getting worse in the EU as Spain, France, and the Czech Republic announced plans to investigate collection of WiFi network data which raise the likelihood of EU sanctions. Of course Google takes the position that unsecure WiFi network data is not private and that other companies collect this data in the EU including Skyhook and organizations like the German Fraunhofer Institute. This will be interesting to follow and may have world-wide implications!

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Please join me for a Social Media webcast which will be an update about Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Yelp, Google, and much more on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 from 12:30-1:30pm CDT. You can sign up for the webcast at TexasBarCLE.

Google Update: Wi-Fi snooping earns it a class-action lawsuit

As a follow-up to my recent blog about Google's Street View Cars captured WiFi network information it is no surprise that many people are mad, but for folks who do not have secure WiFi networks….what should they expect? Stay tuned to see how this develops.
 

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To the surprise of many Google confirmed that since 2006 its Street View Cars captured WiFi network information in addition to Street View Photos. Google uses this WiFi network information to improve location-based services like search and maps. Specifically Google confessed that the WiFi information collected was:

WiFi networks broadcast information that identifies the network and how that network operates. That includes SSID data (i.e. the network name) and MAC address (a unique number given to a device like a WiFi router). Networks also send information to other computers that are using the network, called payload data, but Google does not collect or store payload data.

Not surprising that Google claims that its collection and use of the WiFi data was legal, done by other companies including Skyhook and organizations like the German Fraunhofer Institute. Around the world a number of privacy groups have been unhappy about Google Street View Photos and now new privacy concerns issues abound regarding Google’s collection of WiFi network data.

Destruction of Google’s Irish WiFi Data

Even though Google claim it is completely legal on May 14, 2010 the Irish Data Protection Authority asked Google to delete its WiFi network data collected in Ireland. So on May 16th the destruction of this WiFi network data was confirmed by a third party consultant. However one might wonder how the consultant could confirm that all the data was actually destroyed without reviewing Google computer networks, which is probably impossible to do.

Germany and Australia Want Answers

German prosecutors are investigating whether Google violated privacy laws and Google posted a blog that the Data Protection Authority in Hamburg, German requested an audit of Google’s WiFi data.  Also privacy groups in Australia want Google to know more. Clearly Google’s collection and use of private WiFi network information helps us better understand how little privacy we all have.

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I was honored to be asked by the Texas Senate to testify how Social Media impacts Open Government at a hearing on May 11, 2010 and you are welcome to read my Statement concerning Charge #13 for the Senate Affairs Committee:

Study the Public Information (Open Records) Act and the Open Meetings Act to ensure that government continues to operate in a way that is open and transparent. The study should consider how advances in technology and the emergence of various forms of social media (e.g. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter) have affected communications by and within governmental bodies.

The questions from the Texas Senators were very interesting since the first question was whether governments should do anything to regulate Social Media at all or just let things happen. You can listen to the hearing on the Texas Senate website and the testimony and questions begin about Charge #13 at about 2 hours and 3 minutes into the hearing.

Social Media Activity by Texas Senate Affairs Committee

It seemed like a good exercise to see what the Committee members were doing with Social Media so I prepared this chart as part of my Statement:

Ironically enough the Committee Chair Senator Robert Duncan was unaware that he was on Twitter until his staff advised him during the hearing. This only proves that elected officials have to be active with Social Media because it’s part of deal today and also why 430 Members of Congress have YouTube pages. Social Media is the way the world communicates and elected officials are participants.

Should Blogs and Social Media be Public Meetings?

The Texas Senate hearing was very timely since it was on the heels of the April 7, 2010 White House Memo declaring that posting blogs and Social Media are public meetings. This Memo is interesting and perplexing in that few people who post on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc really think that everything about the public consequences. However when government employees post items on Social Media using government computers or during the workday they are not private citizens and there are consequences to what they say. Legislators in the US Congress and in the States need to be mindful about Social Media, however Social Media changes is not static nor can any laws to attempt to regulate Social Media.

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No surprise that Google’s search engine continues to grow at the expense of Yahoo! and Microsoft’s Bing. Hitwise now reports April 2010: Google at 71.4%, Yahoo! down 1% to to 14.96%, Bing down 2% to 9.43%, Ask down 37% to 2.18%, and the remaining 78 search engines accounted for 2.03%. As these search engine wars continue it seems pretty clear where we are headed. However antitrust issues are on the horizon!

EU confirms Google antitrust probe

The EU Commission confirmed that 3 complaints were filed and Google’s blog indicated that:

The complaints filed with the Commission came from U.K. price comparison site Foundem, a French legal search engine called eJustice.fr, and a German search site called Ciao that was recently acquired by Microsoft Corp. Google pointed out in its blog that Foundem is a member of a trade group called iComp, which is largely funded by Microsoft.

Given Bing decline it’s no wonder that Microsoft is pushing the EU to try to reduce Google’s control over the search engine market.

New Look: Google Search Engine Reults

To make Google even more user-friendly Google has evolved and morphed into a new look again. Check out Google’s new search engine results:

However, look closely since Google is now asking if users want Google to access to their location...privacy redflag if ever there be one!  Stay tuned for more Google in the market as Google dominates the search engine market and much more!

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Is HP’s purchase of Palm for $1.2 billion seems too little too late for HP to compete in the smart phone market? As the largest manufacturer of computers in the world it does seem like HP should be in the smart phone market, and yet few people realize that HP already sells the iPaq which isn’t even in the top 20 in the smart phone market and falling rapidly. The iPaq is primarily sold to businesses and relies on the Microsoft operating system. Which is not where the market appears headed. So HP’s purchase of Palm may have saved the brand for a while, but the odds are not great for success against the power of Apple and RIM (iPhone and BlackBerry) to name a few. However, it’s definitely worth watching given HP’s market power. Remember HP acquired Compaq and EDS  and Dell acquired Perot Systems to grow hardware and services markets, and the smart phone is critical.

Apple Purchases Fast Chip Manufacturer

While HP purchased Palm, Apple announced its purchase of Intrinsity “known for making zippy versions of a computer chip often found in mobile devices.” Surely this gives Apple more power for its future while making HP’s seem even later to this dance.

No Surprise – Now a Degree in Video Game Design

George Mason University now offers a video game design. Given the size of this market it’s no wonder that such a degree is now offered. It’s a marvel that video game design degrees are just getting started and surely more schools will offers degrees in this space. No doubt HP and Apple will have a role in the video game future, and between smart phones, iPads, and computers this evolution is interesting to observe.

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