dan tynan on Feb 28 2010 | Filed under: Cringley, Infoworld, Privacy
I knew my story about the Lower Merion School District spying on its students via their Web cams would get a rise out of the Cringeville population, and I wasn’t disappointed. Since I posted the piece, however, there have been a few new developments.
For one, Harriton High assistant principal Lindy Matsko has issued an [...]
dan tynan on Feb 22 2010 | Filed under: Cringley, Infoworld, Life, Privacy, Spy v spy
Sometimes even I am blown away by how mind-numbingly stupid people can be when it comes to technology. I’m not talking about people who can’t find the ‘any’ key. I’m talking about institutional stupidity, the kind you only get when you mix technophobic bureaucrats and geeks with no sense of boundaries.
In case you [...]
dan tynan on Feb 12 2010 | Filed under: Cringley, Google, Infoworld, Microsoft, Privacy, Twit or Tweet, Web 2.0
If you work at Google, your ears are surely burning right now. Google’s introduction of its Buzz social media tool this week was possibly the most disastrous product debut in the company’s 12-year history.
Almost immediately Google Buzz got smacked around hard by the blogosphere and veteran journos for making it easy to access information [...]
dan tynan on Feb 11 2010 | Filed under: (anti) social media, Cringley, Da Web, Google, Infoworld, Privacy, Twit or Tweet, Web 2.0
I wake up each morning with the same mix of hope and dread. I hope Google will buy me for a princely sum and allow me to retire to some sandy beach where they serve mojitos 24/7. And I fear Google will simply invent a better version of me, forcing me to get a [...]
dan tynan on Feb 03 2010 | Filed under: Cringley, Da Web, Infoworld, Julius Baer + Wikileaks, Privacy, censorship, politics
We have interrupted our nonstop coverage of Apple iPad mania to bring you this important word about the freedom of information. And, more specifically, Wikileaks.org.
I’ve written about Wikileaks several times over the last few years, in part because it’s a classic example of why the Internet is such an extraordinary telecommunications tool.
Wikileaks is usually [...]
dan tynan on Jan 24 2010 | Filed under: Cringley, Da Web, Infoworld, National insecurity, Privacy, censorship, politics
Yes, "information imperialists." That’s what the People’s Republic of China is calling us now, thanks to Google and the US State Department. Hey, it’s as good a description as any.
The blowback against Google’s announcement that it was hacked by Chinese cyber agents– and in response would be lifting the restrictions that keep users of [...]
dan tynan on Jan 18 2010 | Filed under: (anti) social media, Cringley, Da Web, Facebook, Google, Infoworld, National insecurity, Privacy, censorship, politics
So far, 2010 has started off with a bang. Google decides to take on Apple in the ultra-smart phone market, while Apple appears on the verge of creating yet another new market for touchscreen tablet PCs. Google says "bite me" to China, after Chinese cyber-attackers target it and three dozen other tech firms. Yahoo [...]
dan tynan on Dec 08 2009 | Filed under: Cringley, Infoworld, National insecurity, Privacy, Spy v spy, politics
Location, location, location. It’s not merely the key to success in retail. It’s also the key to your privacy — or what little is left of it. And that too is rapidly disappearing, thanks to that wondrous gizmo you probably carry with you at all times: the cell phone.
Earlier this week, security researcher and [...]
dan tynan on Nov 06 2009 | Filed under: Cringley, Google, Infoworld, Privacy
What does Google know about you and when did they know it? Those are the questions Google claims it’s trying to answer with the new Google Dashboard unveiled yesterday.
Simply put, the Dashboard gathers up almost every Google service you’ve signed up for and displays the most basic settings for each on a single page. [...]
dan tynan on Sep 21 2009 | Filed under: Cringley, Infoworld, Privacy
A couple weeks back the digital version of the New York Times found itself hip deep in manure when it got tricked into serving up “scareware” ads to unsuspecting readers.
You know the scam. You’re merrily surfing the Web when suddenly a window pops up: “Your computer is infected with malware, but if you send [...]
dan tynan on Aug 31 2009 | Filed under: Cringley, Da Web, Infoworld, Julius Baer + Wikileaks, Privacy, censorship
Google is at the heart of yet another Internet anonymity battle, this one between muckraking journalists and a Caribbean land developer. Will the search giant roll over and crush the little guys?
dan tynan on Aug 24 2009 | Filed under: (anti) social media, 15 minutes, Cringley, Infoworld, Privacy, Web 2.0
Have a supermodel and an angry blogger just killed anonymity dead the Internet? Is Google to blame? And does Cringely hate women? Readers share their thoughts.
dan tynan on May 22 2009 | Filed under: (anti) social media, Cringley, Infoworld, Privacy, politics
The battle between craigslist and state attorneys general over adult ads is getting whackier by the minute. Pull up a seat and grab some popcorn.
dan tynan on May 14 2009 | Filed under: (anti) social media, Cringley, Infoworld, Privacy, Web 2.0
NPR is in hot water after censoring a movie review that named allegedly gay politicians. So why is it OK to call people alleged murderers, but not homosexuals?
dan tynan on May 04 2009 | Filed under: (anti) social media, Cringley, Da Web, Infoworld, Privacy, Twit or Tweet, Web 2.0, politics
Is data privacy silly? Certain Supreme Court justices seem to think so — until it comes to their own data, at least.
dan tynan on Apr 22 2009 | Filed under: Cringley, Da Web, Google, Infoworld, Privacy
Will Google Profiles rescue your reputation, or just make you yet another unwitting pawn in its quest for world data domination?
dan tynan on Mar 25 2009 | Filed under: Cringley, Infoworld, Privacy, politics
Monday’s New York Times has a doozy of a story about Savana Redding, a 19-year-old college student in Arizona whose case is coming before the Supreme Court on April 21. The outcome of that hearing could determine a lot about your privacy rights, or lack thereof.
Six years ago, then-13-year-old Savana was strip searched [...]
dan tynan on Mar 12 2009 | Filed under: Cringley, Identity Theft, Infoworld, Privacy, politics
It’s been a bad week for fans of Norm Coleman, the former Minnesota senator who lost a whisker-thin election to ex-Saturday Night Live comic/Air America radio host/Mad Magazine contributor Al Franken. (Technically, Coleman is still fighting a recount battle, and may still be fighting it six years from now when the seat comes back [...]
dan tynan on Mar 11 2009 | Filed under: Cringley, Google, Infoworld, Privacy, Web 2.0
Are those search ads starting to look a little too personal? Welcome to Google’s new behavioral ad strategy. Better keep your nose clean.
dan tynan on Mar 09 2009 | Filed under: Computerworld, Culture Crash, Privacy, Video, Web 2.0
I admit, I was a bit harsh on ZillionTV in my previous post. I based my report on a limited amount of information – essentially, the press release and the Web site – both of which left a lot of room for interpretation.
Shortly after that item posted I heard from ZillionTV and had a nice [...]
