Google’s new unified privacy policy takes effect on March 1st, allowing Google to share users’ data among all of its products. This means that your entire Google Web History – everything you’ve searched for on Google, and every site you’ve visited while signed in to a Google account – will be pooled together.
Microsoft has launched a fascinating attack on Google Apps. In this instalment, Microsoft uses the American television series, Moonlighting, which aired during the mid 1980’s, to give us the spoof: Googlighting. Microsoft asks: “What happens when the world’s largest ad sales business tries to sell productivity software on the side?” It’s Microsoft Office versus Google Apps.
Those of you who have been wanting Terminator-vision since the films first came out won’t have long to wait. The New York Times reports that Google is not only working on, but will be releasing “smart glasses” fitted with Android-based augmented reality software by the year’s end.
What’s up with today’s Google doodle? We’re used to sometimes crazy, always creative doodles from the company, celebrating some or other important day or person, but this one seems particularly abstract.
Welcome to the future, kids. Stellenbosch is about to become the first town in Africa to offer fast and free Wi-Fi accross the entire town. The project is a collaboration between the municipality, Mxit and the University of Stellenbosch. It’s even stretching into the suburbs and neighbouring towns. Très cool.
An intelligent billboard set up in London has facial recognition tech built in that lets it scan passersby for gender – if a woman stops to take a look, it plays a 40-second video clip. Dudes only get a link to the advertiser’s website. It’s like they’re trying to send a message or something.
It’s normally the scientists and engineers that go up into space, but NASA has realised that while people are up there, they need to eat. Whilst a little ahead of itself, a study has opened in Hawaii to find a chef for Mars. Do you have what it takes?
The human race is going to have to start believing in science – and quickly – if we want a hope in hell of surviving the environmental crisis we’re facing. This was the sentiment at a recent gathering of the world’s pre-eminent scientific minds in Vancouver. At the meeting, thousands of scientists discussed the problem that their industry is “under seige”, and that the world needs help to believe in science again.
BBC weather forecaster, Alex Deakin, managed to predict what no other weather forecaster has previously forecast on Saturday evening’s BBC World weather report. He meant to say “sunshine”, but he definitely didn’t, and instead conjured up a very strange weather prediction indeed. N5FW.
Late last month we reported how several posh Gauteng private schools were planning to make iPads mandatory learning aids in their classes, and now several rural schools are getting sponsored iPads for their learners, too. We like. We like a lot.
Hello, future! Nevada has become the first state to legalize self-driving cars, which are apparently pretty easy to get hold of in Nevada. Granted, the cars must have two humans inside, and be insured for around $1 million, but let’s focus on the part where people are allowed to have self-driving cars now.
Europe’s highest court, the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union, ruled yesterday that social networking websites cannot be forced to install filters preventing users from illegally sharing music and videos protected by copyright.
Yesterday Apple made the announcement that the new version of their laptop and desktop software would be released “this summer.” As a total Apple slut, this excites me greatly. Despite the silly name, this is looking mint – a marriage between iOS and Mac OSX. Check out all the new features and sneak preview by clicking on “continue reading.”
Cape Town’s new tallest building is set to start taking shape as construction group Murray and Roberts have been awarded the R1,6 billion contract to build the Portside Project. It’s set to stand at 130 metres tall, comprising of 32 floors, and will house 52 000 square metres of office space for 3 000 people.
A bunch of emails have been leaked from the Heartland Institute, the think tank vaguely infamous for being at once massively skeptical of climate change and funded by billionaire global warming deniers, the Koch Brothers. The emails suggest that the Institute has been paying scientists and bloggers to discredit climate change research.
Nobody has any idea where they’re planning on getting funding from – but like a kid with an extended birthday wish list, NASA has unveiled some amazing concepts of future, eco-friendly aircraft, which they’re calling “greener flying machines for the year 2025.” Assuming they’re still here then.
Last week 2oceansVibe correctly doubted the authenticity of footage that claimed a woolly mammoth had been spotted by a government-employed engineer in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug region of Siberia. The video became an internet sensation, making headlines around the world. But now everyone is having a laugh at The Sun, Michael Cohen and Barcroft Media.
Internet giant, Google offered a brief look into their California headquarters yesterday. Photos taken inside the 500 000 square foot complex, along with this message were posted on the search engine’s blog: “You asked for it, you got it: here are behind-the-scenes pictures of the Googleplex.” Have a look at the full gallery – after the jump – to see how your office compares to that of Google.
American and European regulators have approved Google’s purchase of handset maker Motorola Mobility. The deal is worth a reported $12,5 billion and Google is said to be pleased at acquiring 17 000 new patents, and a further 7 500 patent applications as part of the deal.
“We screwed up!” These were the words of Airbus CEO Thomas Enders at the Singapore Airshow this weekend, as the entire European fleet of A380’s is downed to check for cracks in their wings. Aeroplane manufacturer FAIL.
As the death toll from the bout of extremely cold weather in Europe has surpassed the 500 mark, a Swiss man is doing his best to stay warm. He’s installed a wood-burning stove to heat up his car when he needs to drive.
Nice one, Apple. An astute fan has noticed that after the passing of Whitney Houston on Saturday, her albums on iTunes no longer bear the pre-mortum price tag. Whilst a clever business move, it’s a little dickish, Apple. – UPDATE: It has since been reported that Sony, not Apple, is responsible for the hike in prices.
Cool footage. Cool band.
One of the most famous image capturing companies in the world has decided to permanently discontinue one its most famous products: the camera. After filing for bankruptcy protection last month, Kodak new that it needed to make drastic changes to its business model.
The Twittosphere went a little gaga earlier this week over pictures of a supposed line of Louis Vuitton condoms that the luxury French fashion house was planning to unleash on their highbrow clientele.
In the battle for king of the ebook readers, Apple has been fighting pretty hard. iBooks for the iPad is a beautiful piece of software, there’s no denying it. Apple’s only real competition comes from Amazon, with it’s range of Kindle products. These have all been revamped recently – with a new ad to go with it. Full vid after the jump.
The 102 turbine Walney Offshore wind farm located approximately 15 kilometres off Walney Island, Cumbria, in the Irish Sea in the UK, is about to start harvesting the wind. It will provide electricity for 320 000 homes and the project has cost £1 billion.
Scientists have done something they have been working on for over two decades: successfully drilled more than three kilometres through sheer Antarctic ice into a freshwater lake to take a sample. All they really know now is that Lake Vostok has had no contact with atmospheric pollutants for millions of years.
Three Indian politicians, among them a women’s affairs minister, resigned after two of them were caught watching what was thought to be porn on a mobile phone belonging to another minister during a session of state parliament on Tuesday. They’re also members of one of the more morally conservative parties.
See, it turns out that Google doesn’t actually know everything about your online browsing habits. But boy, they’d sure like to! Which is why they’re rolling out two services that records users’ online activities in full, in return for Amazon gift cards or – in the sightly more intense version – hard cash.