The controversy over Facebook’s transmission of user ID info through a page’s URL is another sign that the social network’s handling of privacy has become such a hot-button issue that virtually any behavior, no matter how small or accidental, will be used as ammunition against it. Read More »
Mathew's Posts
The controversy over Google’s collection of personal data via its Street View program continues to grow, but the company seems to be reluctant to acknowledge the full importance of the lapse, saying no harm was done. Meanwhile, the company faces a class-action lawsuit over the practice. Read More »
While newspapers like the New York Times are putting up paywalls, The Guardian in Britain is not only giving its content away to readers but to developers, too, through its open API. Developer Chris Thorpe says the idea is to turn the paper into a platform. Read More »
Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales says despite reports to the contrary, he is not stepping down or reducing his role with the user-generated encyclopedia. However, he has given up some editing privileges after a disagreement over the removal of images that Wikipedia critics say depict child pornography. Read More »
The e-book industry is dominated by Amazon and Apple, but the game will change later when Google launches its online e-book service, Google Editions. The company will allow users to download books in multiple ways, opening another front in the ongoing war of Open vs. Closed. Read More »
The major stock markets’ massive plunge on Thursday rattled investors, obliterating almost a trillion dollars in value at one point. But did it get the attention of the Silicon Valley bulls waiting for their favorite startups to IPO? Or will they dismiss it as a glitch? Read More »
BookRenter.com, a textbook rental service for students, has landed a big fish for its board: the startup said today that Netflix co-founder and former CEO Mark Randolph has joined as a director. BookRenter called the addition of Randolph an endorsement of its Netflix-style service for textbooks. Read More »
Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle announced that the non-profit has launched a new service to provide more than a million books in a specially designed format that can be read by visually impaired readers. The new service is part of the Archive’s Open Library project. Read More »
Canadian legislators plan to introduce restrictive new copyright legislation, possibly as soon as next month, according to copyright expert Michael Geist. It would come three years after another proposed copyright bill was withdrawn in the face of criticism that it was too restrictive. Read More »
Google is rolling out a new look for its search pages. The biggest difference is a new left-hand navigation menu that appears by default, with colorful icons for different categories. The menu also displays only the sub-categories and related search tools that Google believes are relevant. Read More »
Silicon Valley venture firm Sequoia Capital has bought a stake in Klarna AB, a European payments provider, and Sequoia partner Michael Moritz has joined the company’s board. The amount has not been disclosed, but Sequoia will become the single largest shareholder of the Swedish company. Read More »
Two Congressmen have proposed a sweeping bill to govern online privacy that would require companies to provide clear notices of what information is being collected by either their site or service or a third-party ad network, and would allow users to opt out from such services. Read More »
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