Google will discontinue the Meebo toolbar and hopes that users will switch to Google+ and its single sign on. Google acquired Meebo for about $100 million last summer. The Meebo Bar will stop loading on publisher sites on June 6.
Google has accepted a fine from the German data protection authority over its mistaken and unused collection of WiFi data using Google Street View cars. Germany calls it "one of the most serious cases of violation of data protection regulations".
A U.S. district court judge has confirmed, once again, that YouTube operates within the rules of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and is protected by safe harbor. The court said YouTube could only be held liable for material it knew existed.
Yes, THAT Eric Schmidt is worried about privacy: "How would you feel if your neighbor went over and bought a commercial observation drone that they can launch from their backyard. It just flies over your house all day. How would you feel about it?"
Google is the subject of yet another anti-competitiveness complaint, this one from UK Internet company Streetmap. The mapping alternative has had enough of Google giving its Maps preferential treatment, so they have put their lawyers on the case.
Twitter has been recognized by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as an invention. The applicants are listed as Jack Dorsey and Christopher Isaac, alias Biz Stone, and the patent application now approved pretty much describes Twitter.
Twitter turned 7 years old today. The social network now has 200 million active users – up from 140 million active users last year. More than 400 million of the 140-characters tweets are sent every day – up from 340 million last year.
People in the UK, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands now have access to Google Flight Search, its airline flight comparison service. However, there are some big names missing, including some of the more budget airlines.
Accused by the Environmental Investigation Agency of promoting online sales of elephant and whale products, Google says that it moves quickly to remove material advertising ivory and products that contain it, despite what the EIA has claimed.
American Express is working with Twitter on a payment system that will let people spend money with short messages. Tweeting a hashtagged keyword will make your Twitter account contact your American Express card account and make a purchase.
When Google is able to, it notifies users that someone has come knocking for their information – whether it's search query history, Gmail messages, documents, photos, or YouTube videos – giving them time to prepare a legal response.
Twelve plaintiffs have banded together in the UK to file a lawsuit against Google, which could open Google to damage payments – not just for the 12, but for anyone else with an iPhone who used Google via the Safari browser.
Facebook will let its billion users send a message directly to its boss, Mark Zuckerberg, but only if you pay #100 for the privilege. Facebook called the Zuckerberg price point an "extreme" test to "see what works to filter spam."
The hashtag, or '#', is a regular feature on Twitter and is making its way into the daily conversations of people who actually say things like "hashtag: awkward" out loud. No wonder then that it is "word of the year".
Google had been offering users a warning if they searched for terms including "Freedom", and whenever someone in China had made such a move would tell them that their internet connection could be interrupted. Such warnings ceased in early December.
A lot of dissatisfied people looked up the words "returns policy" in association with Apple on Christmas Day. Apple's returns policy was the most popular search among all companies on the holiday, according to market research firm Experian.
Google’s Zeitgeist report is out and provides an overview of what people in the UK concerned themselves with during the past year. Check out the top searches for cities, designers, songs, sports, politics, television, how-to, and more.
The FTC has issued a report on software apps that criticizes their trampling of the privacy of children The report, "Mobile Apps for Kids: Disclosures Still Not Making the Grade", is the second on the subject – and like nearly all sequels, it's bad.
Travelers visiting parts of Australia are being urged not to rely on Apple Maps to guide them. The warning comes from the Victoria Police and follows a couple of incidents where people have got lost and could have died from heat or exposure.
Google has launched a website called "Verteidige dein netz" or Defend your network, to warn people in Germany about proposed changes to German law, specifically the Copyright Act of the Federal Republic of Germany.
