[gugomat]

Android OS is just an instrument for BlackBerry to get back it's users back and maybe recruit some newbies. Anyway, there are a lot of advantage in OS10.

Posted via CB10

[anon(9607753)]

Interesting all this paranoia about Google. Try logging into your Google account and checking out all the privacy settings that can be configured. Not to slag BlackBerry in any way, but are we even able to tap into our BlackBerry ID and view what user data by default is being shared with BlackBerry?

Posted via CB10

[Prem WatsApp]

People know when you take their picture with a smartphone it may be going public. Many expect that. Your definition of privacy is not universal.

Don't fully agree. It's probably more of a point of peer pressure and "not offending" the other person in most cases when there is only little to no consent on the side of the person being photographed...

:-D

�   There's a Crack in the Berry right now...   �

[TgeekB]

Don't fully agree. It's probably more of a point of peer pressure and "not offending" the other person in most cases when there is only little to no consent on the side of the person being photographed...

:-D

�   There's a Crack in the Berry right now...   �

If by "don't fully agree" you mean some people don't mind and some do, I can go for that. It's very generational. My daughters grew up with social apps and understand we are all connected. I think we need to, in order to have a good debate, understand what everyone means by privacy. I guarantee all will not agree. We cannot shut ourselves out from everyone completely. Sure there are some things best left away from the whole world but we are more connected as humans than most people think.

[Emaderton3]

Google has a reputation? Bad, Yes.
Read/watch the news rather than Google play news services...

Only in the last two days UK, France, and Australia have announced that they are going after Google for not paying more than 1% taxes on the billions of dollars they made in each of those countries last year out of advertising based on your free data.

Apple behaves the same way. Today on ABC news in Australia, they mentioned that, out of 8 Billion AUD worth of product Apple sold last year in Australia, they paid less than 1% tax.

And you want to trust these companies with what is in your head (not much worth guarding obviously according to you), what you think, what your political views are, when and what you eat, drink, what your blood pressure is?

The necessary privacy laws are in place. They are just not enforced on Google, Apple, and the like.

Your MD is not allowed to share your pulse and blood pressure.
He or she would lose their license if they did.
But you are OK with Google, Apple or some app developer doing so...

None of these actions would pass professional engineer ethics requirements in Ontario.

Actually, Google has several revenue streams besides advertising based on user data but I am sure it is a large component.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/01/22/tech...cle/index.html



Posted via CB10

[sorinv]

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35420579

Google is now one step closer.
This is the reason why the relationship between users and Google is so asymmetrical and Google is far more powerful than your Power company, or your bank, or even your government.
The more data you feed it, the more powerful it becomes.

[TgeekB]

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35420579

Google is now one step closer.
This is the reason why the relationship between users and Google is so asymmetrical and Google is far more powerful than your Power company, or your bank, or even your government.
The more data you feed it, the more powerful it becomes.

I don't understand. We should stop science? It talks about how it could help doctors make the best treatment plans for patients. Why does everything always have to be evil?

[crackbrry fan]

I found these statements are ..... disturbing. Independent bodies ? ... have powers to fine and imprison ? .... what year is it now ? Is it Berlin, 1938 ?? ... is this real life ? Or is this just fantasy ? ...

What should disturb you clearly isn't so I highly doubt those statements mean much. Oversight is needed and to be implemented. Funny you should bring up Berlin.

Posted via CB10

[MrScotian]

Every smartphone photo or video that I take or have ever taken has been uploaded to Google Photo. With the EXIF data, Google knows practically every place I have ever traveled to, and a photo of every person I have ever been close to for the past 13 or so years. In return for opening myself up to that, I have storage of these images and videos in perpetuity and can share them simply by creating an album and sending a link.

I'm happy to store my most precious media with Google in exchange for free cloud storage, some curation, and easy browsing on any device like a tablet.

That has got to be the worst reason that I have ever read. A hyperlink for all of the privacy you give up. Wow.

[MrScotian]

There are at least two kinds of hubris, here. The first is the notion that Google or any other multi-billion dollar company cares enough about what you are doing to spy on you. The second is that there are a lot of other options for robust mobile ecosystems as if it doesn't take billions of dollars per year to develop and maintain them.

Google made billions off of spying on you, me and everyone else that has used Google search. So yes, they do care about getting as much as they can from every user possible. Without that, they have no business at all.

[sorinv]

I don't understand. We should stop science? It talks about how it could help doctors make the best treatment plans for patients. Why does everything always have to be evil?

No, we shouldn't stop science but we should also not allow Google to bully its way into getting ALL our data if we do not want to.
There should be an option to opt out of data collection if you pay for the service.
What some people here and Google are suggesting: "take it or don't benefit from the service" is bullying and not acceptable.
Google is doing it to make money first and foremost, not out of charity and to help doctors or promote science.
Sure, those are some of the undeniable benefits, but like any scientific discovery (this one isn't quite that) there are both positive and negative outcomes. The latter need to be diminished.
We've tried to ban nuclear weapons even though nuclear energy is so beneficial in many other ways...

[TgeekB]

How is it bullying? You don't have to use it and there are other services available.

[tre10]

How is it bullying? You don't have to use it and there are other services available.

I think what he means is Google doesn't offer a paid alternative and because they dominate they aren't any alternatives as good at being convenient.

I will say however that is a simply case of if you don't give up something you can't get anything. Google now can't remind me what I need to get from the store when I get there unless I let it track my location. That kind of thing comes with the territory. That's the price I pay for convenience. I could just write it down but I like most people can't be bothered with that.

[early2bed]

That has got to be the worst reason that I have ever read. A hyperlink for all of the privacy you give up. Wow.

It's great. Google Photo allows you to quickly select whatever photo(s) or video(s) you want from your collection and its will create an album with a hyperlink that you can send to whoever you want without worrying about eating up their cellular bandwidth if they would rather wait until they have wifi or running up against email size limits.

And, no I don't mind Google being able to theoretically watch them. In the days of real photographs and Super 8 videos, the photo lab technicians from who knows where would definitely be going through each of your images to check for quality. I'm fairly sure nobody at Google is routinely going through my photos and videos.

[sorinv]

How is it bullying? You don't have to use it and there are other services available.

There you go: your data or the cave? "You are either with us or against us".
It's not black or white. There should be other options where you can have your cake and eat it, too, if you pay for it.

[TgeekB]

There you go: your data or the cave? "You are either with us or against us".
It's not black or white. There should be other options where you can have you cake and eat it, too, if you pay for it.

I have no problem with other options, but that is up to the company. Why do you need Google so much? I left them a while ago (not for privacy reasons) and am getting by just fine. There are other options outside of Google.

[Tre Lawrence]

I have no problem with other options, but that is up to the company. Why do you need Google so much? I left them a while ago (not for privacy reasons) and am getting by just fine. There are other options outside of Google.

Exactly.

[sorinv]

It's great. Google Photo allows you to quickly select whatever photo(s) or video(s) you want from your collection and its will create an album with a hyperlink that you can send to whoever you want without worrying about eating up their cellular bandwidth if they would rather wait until they have wifi or running up against email size limits.
.

I can do all of that without Google or the cloud and the phone (at least a BB10 one) does not have to download an attachment until you tell it so and when you are on wifi...

Your example and my answer just show that there are alternatives, which Google could implement if they wanted to, but those alternatives are being slowly eradicated by the power that Google has to bully its way into vacuuming everyone in the world of all their data.

Once that happens, and we are not that far off from that moment, you will be useless to Google. They really do not have to collect much more data from you before they can predict everything you are going to do and can steer you in their desired direction...

[Emaderton3]

I can do all of that without Google or the cloud and the phone (at least a BB10 one) does not have to download an attachment until you tell it so and when you are on wifi...

Your example and my answer just show that there are alternatives, which Google could implement if they wanted to, but those alternatives are being slowly eradicated by the power that Google has to bully its way into vacuuming everyone in the world of all their data.

Once that happens, and we are not that far off from that moment, you will be useless to Google. They really do not have to collect much more data from you before they can predict everything you are going to do and can steer you in their desired direction...

You don't have to let them drive. Where will they take you?

Posted via CB10

[sorinv]

Obviously I don't let them drive. I don't use Google or android and don't Google search. But I can see where things are heading and the alternatives of being on the Internet and not be datamined by Google are getting scarcer all the time.
As for where Google is going, ask them, I don't data mine Sergei to know what's in his head, but if he and others in Google's board and management came up with a slogan like : "do no evil", it's not a good sign.

[Troy Tiscareno]

And, no I don't mind Google being able to theoretically watch them. In the days of real photographs and Super 8 videos, the photo lab technicians from who knows where would definitely be going through each of your images to check for quality. I'm fairly sure nobody at Google is routinely going through my photos and videos.

I know of at least two people who used to work for photo developers who have (or at least, had) a collection of photos (and who knows what else) that they made of other people's pictures. In one case, someone I know personally has seen some of these pictures, and in the other, it's not hard to believe at all. These photo developers had no way to log or audit anyone's access to people's film, so there was really no accountability. At least Google logs all internal access to this kind of stuff and has fired people for unauthorized access.

But as you state, for the most part, real people aren't looking at your photos. Instead, computers scan and categorize so that no human has to. Computer time is much more efficient than human time, and much better at maintaining privacy.

[Emaderton3]

Obviously I don't let them drive. I don't use Google or android and don't Google search. But I can see where things are heading and the alternatives of being on the Internet and not be datamined by Google are getting scarcer all the time.
As for where Google is going, ask them, I don't data mine Sergei to know what's in his head, but if he and others in Google's board and management came up with a slogan like : "do no evil", it's not a good sign.

Because of the immediacy and connectivity that the Web provides, I would imagine that it is very easy to data mine at a large scale. However, at some level, the same thing occurs, albeit at different scales, by your bank, mortgage holder, health insurance company, car dealer, grocery store club, etc. What is your stance then on these services?

Posted via CB10

[TgeekB]

I remember hearing, when I was a wee little lad, that TV would destroy our society. Also, certain books. And let's not forget marijuana! Somehow, we have survived. I believe we will find a way to survive the "evils" of Google also.

[sorinv]

Because of the immediacy and connectivity that the Web provides, I would imagine that it is very easy to data mine at a large scale. However, at some level, the same thing occurs, albeit at different scales, by your bank, mortgage holder, health insurance company, car dealer, grocery store club, etc. What is your stance then on these services?

Posted via CB10

None of those know what the others collect and their business model is not to monetize the data you give them in order to validate your transactions.
The health insurance company and the doctor would be breaking the law if they released your health data to others without your consent.

Google knows everything those banks, stores, insurance companies etc. collect from you and they can aggregate that data with your searches, Google account if you have one, and all the data on your phone if you have android.

That type of data collection from your store, public transport company, etc. can be easily avoided by paying in cash or with anonymous cards if there is a WILL from the governmnet to do so and safeguard the privacy of its citizens.

For example, in Japan and in Sydney, they use anonymous electronic cards for public transport. You can deposit cash on a card at any grocery store or at a public kiosk without having to identify yourself.


Data collection is against Canadian law, but it becomes legal once you click on the agree button.

There is a reason why privacy laws exist. A company should not provide you with only the option to grant it permission to break that law.

[sorinv]

I remember hearing, when I was a wee little lad, that TV would destroy our society. Also, certain books. And let's not forget marijuana! Somehow, we have survived. I believe we will find a way to survive the "evils" of Google also.

Yep, we survived by trying to avoid monopolies, and putting breaks at proper times and locations.
Same applies here. Nothing dramatic or as black and white as some are trying to paint it here.