April 4, 2013
Google has had its fair share of bad publicity when it comes to its privacy policies. Last year it opted to amalgamate all 60 of its privacy policies (for YouTube, Gmail etc) into one universal procedure. Now Google is in hot water with six different European data protection authorities which have voiced their concerns on the new policy.
Who’s complaining?
Data protection authorities from France, Britain, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany have all investigated Google’s privacy policy document and have made requests for changes to be made.
Europe’s data protection laws are almost all stricter than those of the US and CNIL, France’s privacy body, along with its European counterparts have threatened an investigation and the issuing of fines.
What is the issue?
According to the London Evening Standard the issue essentially is that European regulators believe that “the new policy does not allow users to figure out which information is kept, how it is combined by Google services or how long the company retains it”. Whilst they have no problem with the creation of a simpler privacy policy document, they are concerned that users aren’t able to get the full picture.
Reportedly the regulatory bodies have requested a number of changes to be made but have had no response from Google.
Google doesn’t agree. A company spokesperson told The Guardian that: “Our privacy policy respects European law and allows us to create simpler, more effective services. We have engaged fully with the data protection authorities involved throughout this process, and we’ll continue to do so going forward.”
Possible punitive measures
CNIL could fine Google up to £255,000 whereas the UK’s ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) could add a £500, 000 penalty. However, The Guardian reports that both fines combined still amount to less money than Google makes in sales every ten minutes. As such they won’t provide much of an incentive to change a policy document that Google itself finds no fault with.
That being said the regulators could sue to block Google from operating in Europe. A move that would certainly inconvenience most Europeans as Google has about 95% of the search market on the continent.
At present it is not clear who will win the stand-off but what is certain is that the consumers will end up paying the price should Google no longer operate in Europe. It certainly seems that the company could be well served by advice from an international law firm regarding its moves going forward.
July 17, 2012
We all know Google as the only search engine to use. It’s the universal know-it-all. If you don’t know, you simply Google-it. We trust Google’s information and investors trust Google’s shares. Although it seems that the new Google hardware has turned the Wall Street suits into quivering boys because it’s a new and unknown factor in the way of the stereotypical Google.
Google Hardware
Google recently bought over that other mobile phone producer; you know the one that brought out the brick? Motorola. The search engine giant is moving into the mobile community and it’s producing grey hairs along the way with its Google phone hardware. People don’t want Google to change and it’s freaking everyone out. The purchase of Motorola came at a time when the economic strength of foreign exchange and investment is not what it seems and people are not investing and buying on smaller scales. All of this makes Google less predictable for investors and the guys on Wall Street who manage the accounts. Shares in Google have not plummeted but they are down slightly and there are huge concerns as Chief Executive, Larry Page of BGC Partners has come down with an unknown ailment which has caused him to lose his voice. As a large part of this new venture, Larry’s illness adds to investors’ concern about Google’s new ventures into the hardware department. This is an exciting develop for any international law firm and investors to keep an eye on.
Google’s new venture started with the Nexus Q tablet, which Google designed and manufactured. But this had investors concerned due to the level of competition that the search engine is taking on. Google is the king of search hardware, whereas Apple and Samsung are the reigning warriors of digital hardware. Some believe Google should stick to what it knows best, while others want to see a business strategy for Google’s hardware expansion ideas. This all makes sense because investors are right; Google is up against some serious competition and how they choose to outsmart the big hardware boys is going to be interesting to watch. What can Google hardware offer that Apple and Samsung engineers have not already thought of?
February 17, 2012
Google is on a role. Besides being the biggest search engine in the world, the company is well on its way to becoming a conglomerate.
With the acquisition of Motorola and plans to open its first retail store in Dublin, Apple will face new competition from Google on the retail front. A fierce competitor, Apple inc. has 361 stores which have fuelled the sales of iPhones, iPods, and iPad tablets. While it is still unclear exactly what merchandise the Google Store will sell, the company’s office quarters in Dublin are its largest outside of the U.S.
The company recently opened a trial store in London last year that sold laptop computers running its Chrome operating system. Now with plans to expand, Google will have more than 3000 employees in Dublin. Included in Google’s plans to refurbish their existing office quarters in Dublin is 53-square-meters of mezzanine flooring. A focal point of their remodelling plans, Google was quoted as saying that the unit would be “clearly visible from the public street and will create additional interest and animation.” There has also been mention of a staff pool and restaurant. Setting design trends with their mezzanine unit, Google is likely to invest in industrial shelving next.
A Google retail store is a new front for the search engine powerhouse, and whether its products will be as successful as Apple’s remains to be seen. The recent announcement of Amazon’s plans to open its own physical bookstore with print-and-ink products indicates a possible trend amongst online businesses. The Google track record is one not likely to be bet against.
January 31, 2012
Google is currently working in collaboration with the South African Department of Trade and Industry with other partners to offer free business websites to small business owners in South Africa as a means of developing online presence of small companies that cannot afford the services on their own. The first 10 000 applications will receive their own domain for their free website and other businesses that register will receive a free sub domain under the project which has been codenamed, Woza Online. This new service, launched a few weeks ago will finally allow people to create an online place to advertise their services and products to a wealth of potential interested customers that did not know they existed until this venture granted them a free business website.
This new move by Google, Vodacom and the HRC allows companies who are already looking for the least cost routing solution for their connectivity, with lower costs of entry into the online business market. The new free website system will also include tutorials and assistance in the form of training manual and workshops for the new users to make the most of the online exposure. Google also offers its own regular website assistance on their own pages, including basics of development and SEO (search engine optimisation) guides.
Once users have created their free business website online with a Google email account, they can also request a R500 allowance for PPC (pay per click) advertising with Adwords to be able to showcase their company. The website data will all be stored in server colocation systems that will be completely supported by IT professional on a 24/7 basis to ensure that the free website for your business is always up and running. If you are completely new to the online website arena, free workshops are currently being held around the country in order to educate and inform new business start-ups and those who are yet to employ the benefits of the internet for business about the do’s and don’ts about website ownership. Numerous companies have already benefitted from the free business website offer from Google, such as the Mushroom Factory, Township Guitars and Streetwires. This initiative is a fantastic initiative to support growing business in South Africa and around the world this type of endeavour should be praised and implemented.
April 12, 2011
Smartphone technology has developed vastly over the past few years and has left many office equipment gathering dust in the storage room. Language translation technology for smartphones has walked the same path. Language translation software has surpassed our expectations and left us astonished with the results. New Smartphone applications for the translation of foreign languages are no longer uncommon or expensive.
A few years back a few language translation programs and products swept through the market promising to make ordering a meal at a French restaurant safe and navigating a Russian market easier. These expensive products ranged from multi-coloured e-dictionaries to check book size devices which spoke out in robotic, sometimes unclear voices. Thanks to the magic of technology and the marvellous people behind creating all our wondrous new toys, language translation no longer has to be a burden which ways down a suitcase.
Smartphone owners can now download language translation applications with speak recognition technology. You can skip the tedious typing and speak directly to your device in which it responds with the needed translation in a human and completely understandable voice. No more will you get lost in translation when travelling abroad. And when struggling to figure out a word while working with the exchange student is now hassle-free. Although you might still need a legal interpreter to do the more complicated language translations in court, the basics of everyday life will be covered with your Smartphone.
Competition is getting even stiffer in electronic language translation with the giant Google entering the mobile market. iPhone developments have been on the foreground of mobile innovation and now has paired up with Google translations. The translator will work in same way Google’s Web Application does. It can be used for travelling, a mixture of food- and hotel-related words and even some corporate jargon. Still, don’t rely too much on the application for intricate phrases. Legal translations can’t be translated word for word and require a real life professional. The same goes for medical and technical translations. However, language translations have been become easier for everyday tasks and will be breaking the language barrier even more in the future.
Many commuters dream of the day driverless cars hit the mainstream vehicle market, giving them the freedom to perform productive tasks en route to the office, or simply allowing them to relax during their daily drive. Driverless cars are designed to operate without any human intervention, and while some car dealers might dismiss the idea as the stuff of science fiction, it looks like the world could soon be seeing a breakthrough in self-driving vehicle technology.