Google: We Saved You From a Draconian Future

Wasn't Apples commercial 26 years ago?

I think Google pulled the Nexus One out because both Verizon and Sprint came out with their own versions of it, which are basically a Nexus One with a different case and a better camera. stupid to think a company would not allow Google to sell their phone, that would only cause the carriers to make less profit.

Google = BB.

Finally..... A company that makes sense, even though they dominate other usages ie: search engines, phones( second to RIM ), and working on a OS.

They are doing well, and i saw down with apple's expensive crap. Or i should say, good (overpriced) crap.

It's always good to have a healthy competition. Even so, if google repeats history, we'll be watching closely.

Dalvik is fine. If you have having trouble, chances are that poor java code is the problem.

Microsoft, you guys aren't even mentioned here, you missed the train.

I for one would like to thank Google for saving us from an Apple dominated market. I cringe at the thought of what an Apple dominated market would be like after seeing what they have been trying to do without dominating the market.

Grow up. Android is a wonderful OS. I've seen no issues with it beyond poor programming from developers. That is a result of an open platform, and to be honest, I have no complaints about that.

I personally think Android is better than the iPhone OS.

Stop blaming Dalvik for your poor coding abilities.

Exactly!

Smochina

bitter a little are we? you can still get android phone even though Google search has pulled out of China you know ;p

I generally like Google, but:

1) They complied with China's draconian laws til recently. I'm not sure they would have stopped their censorship and pulled out of China if it weren't for the mail accounts breach.

2) The brand new wifi data fiasco. Sure people who don't secure their wifi are at their own fault if they get probed, but this doesn't make what Google did right.

3) Eric Schmidt saying "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place, but if you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines — including Google — do retain this information for some time…" did spark some debate regarding privacy concerns.

Just something to think about before rushing to praise them...

Remind me again...What is an Android?

i vote google declares itself a country

My next phone will be Android.

"I generally like Google, but:"

While your concerns are well voiced there's another side of the coin as well, as I'll try to illustrate.

1) Correct. They did leave however, which is more than we could have said for any other company before them.

2) Correct. They did fess up to it and apologize however, as well as ask for an outside review regarding the handling and deletion of said data. I can't think of another company that would have handled the situation quite so gracefully.

3) Again, correct. The man put his foot in his mouth to be certain and his assumption is absolutely asinine as far as privacy concerns goes. The fact that information posted on the web, be it in user profiles, social networking groups or online searches is retained for quite some time shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. The thing that separates Google from the pack isn't the fact that they're collecting, and retaining, user-posted information however - it's the fact that they openly admit it. Everyone else does as well, they're just not as forthcoming about it.

I'm certainly not trying to portray Google as the savior of mankind though, I'm merely saying that while you're correct that these situations could have been handled better in the grand scheme of things I've yet to see another company do any better under similar situations.

As far as the article is concerned I'd like to point out the same fallacy I did last time.

"It's speculated that carriers pulled out of their agreements to offer the Nexus One because of a common fear that Google is gaining too much power."

That's ludicrous, there's absolutely no incentive for big business to worry about the long-term impact of power players when there's money to be made right here and now.

At the very least such concerns would be an absolute first and if there had been any truth to carriers having a shred of a conscience or soul we wouldn't be bitching about exclusive deals, jailbreaking and exorbitant pricing of voice and data plans.

If carriers are genuinely less than enthusiastic about Android it's probably because the platform is too open, as in not allowing them to safely and easily lock out features they'd like to charge a premium for.

... google with android don't give choice per say... the just control over every aspect...

well said, google!

I really don't understand people's hatred of Google, as a company they have been innovative, and changed the way we use our computers, other companies are always having to play catch up with them and that is great for us the customer...

Google started off as a search engine, and it was by far the best search engine around and other companies had to up their game to keep up, they added FREE apps for us to use, such as google maps, online document editing, Microsoft is now having to put a free version of office on the web for us to use, just because of google.

I am not saying Google are the saviours of the world, or that everything they do is utterly wonderful, they get things wrong as everyone does, but at least they are open about it, admit their mistakes and most importantly admit what they are doing unlike others, Apple, Microsoft and FB

They may be dominating the market in certain areas right now, but they do it by being better than everyone else, not by restrictions, not by breaching your civil liberties. They care for their employees, hell how many other companies would allow their employees time (paid in full as well) to create pages in Klingon, and other bizarre languages just for fun?

I am not saying Google are the best thing ever, but they offer great products (Mostly completely free of charge)have a concious, treat their employees well. Yes they have become huge, but frankly that is just because they do what they do BETTER than everyone else

How, exactly, have Google changed the way you use your computer? What innovation have they brought to the table? Oh, a search algorithm and tons and tons and tons of advertising (which I remove with Glimmer and Safari AdBlock). The best thing they brought to my computer was/is Google Earth. No mean achievement though hardly earth-shattering.

Schmidt was asked in an interview on CNBC whether Google's users should treat the search engine as a "trusted friend." Schmidt's reply was, in part, "Judgment matters.[...] If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place, but if you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines — including Google — do retain this information for some time… it's important, for example, that we are all subject in the United States to the Patriot Act and it is possible that all that information could be made available to the authorities."

You can now (recently) turn on SSL encrypted Google searching and kill your web browsing history they store but I still wouldn't trust them as a data collection agency.

In Europe they are currently being investigated for illegal breaches of data gathering. Google is just a capitalist organisation whose sole purpose is to make money just like any other company you care to mention.

Being just about the most "all-seeing" company in existence, Google is, in a sense, more Big Brother than Big Brother. They are 1984.

"Being just about the most "all-seeing" company in existence, Google is, in a sense, more Big Brother than Big Brother. They are 1984."

Orwellian references are all well and good but the actual Big Brother didn't have much to do with the collection of information as much as it did with controlling it. And by extent, people.

You can't honestly claim we're seeing much of that from Google.

Padmé to Bail Organa: So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause.

Be Careful what you wished for.

Building blocks. Information is Power and the line Google draws in the sand is prone to shifting. It is an ironically dark and cynical sense of humour which calls an OS "Android": Page, Schmidt and Brin are smart enough to know all consumers are dumb Electric Sheep.

Android is an open-source OS that gives you the ability to write any kind of software you want for it. The iPhone is a totalitarian control-freak, designed to enrich Steve Jobs while giving him complete control over your life. Google hasn't always been privacy's best friend, but I'd take them over Apple and M$ any day.

The iPhone is a product, like any other, which a consumer has the freedom to purchase or not. Steve Jobs has a right to design whatever product he wishes. But no product I know of which is made by Apple controls anyone's life. If people can't make life decisions outside of technological commodities I feel very sorry for them. There are far more disturbingly insidious controlling factors in your life than Apple, MS, Google, etc. But in terms of which of those three companies hold more data on me I'd definitely put Google at the top.

Google know all about your:
Gender,
Age,
Sexuality,
Sex partners,
Sexual proclivities,
Car,
Computer,
Phone,
Grandma,
Children,
Politics,
Refrigerator,
Music,
TV viewing,
Films,
Friends,
Enemies,
the list is endless...

As I don't buy from iTunes or use an iPhone what Apple knows about me could probably be written on the back of a stamp. Tesco and Amazon almost certainly know far more about me than Apple.

http://marketshare.hitslink.com/op [...] px?qprid=8

Iphone represents only .53% of the browsing market. Hardly big brother if you ask me. Apple is a just another scary insect compared to the rest of the computing world; step on it and call it a day.

"Building blocks. Information is Power and the line Google draws in the sand is prone to shifting."

As I've said before skepticism is a good trait, if prone to evolve into paranoia.

Multitudes of big businesses as well as the governments of several nations are out to get Google. The fact that they have been unable to come up with anything particularly incriminating so far, considering the amount of money spent trying, is enough for me to take the wait-and-see approach.

Google is worth watching due to the power they sit on but it's hardly time to cry wolf at this point.

Then again I suppose I might be giving you too much credit, considering that you don't believe Apple exercises more control over its users than Google.

Even though I am astonished by Apple's draconian grip on its customer and disgusted with the fact that not a single review site mentiones, that you can't copy your own (non DRM!!!) files from your own device, I don't quite get why the world needs to be saved by Google from Apple.

Apple is like what, one fourth of the smartphone market?

fook apple, it ruined some of my friends, all day play stupid games on iphone and facebook stuff, its like they are connected to the net, who said you have to have a cable inserted in you like in matrix to do that? all you need is something like the damn iphone...

i hope apple blows a nuke in their offices.