In the past Google has taken a lot of flak over the amount of data they collect on their users.  This would be a goldmine in the wrong hands, which makes us curious how much info Google willing releases to law enforcement.  The answer? Apparently Google is pretty tight lipped about what they know about you, unless all the T’s are crossed and the I’s dotted.

According to Google’s legal team if an inquiry is received from the Feds or law enforcement in regards to getting access to your email account, they first make sure the request is a legal and lawful request.  Once that has been determined, they will analyze the scope of the request, making sure they are not asking for too much.  If they are, Google will reply asking them to narrow their scope of investigation or outright refuse the request.  They will do none of this without a valid, signed, search warrant.  And finally if an inquiry is received, Google will notify you of the inquiry so you may seek appropriate legal counsel.

All this is quite refreshing and I hope Google isn’t just fluffing our skirts, but it appears they are looking out for the little guy.  This should put those at ease that were worried about just how much Google really knows about you!

[ source ]

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Friday is an Android app that functions as a search engine for your life. The app allows you to find out where you were, what calls you made, what emails you sent and what song you were listening to on any given day. The app gives you analytics of your entire phone usage. Such an app would have come useful to the guys in The Hangover when trying to locate their lost buddy, since the app tracks GPS location too.

So my big question is, with the iPhone tracking its users by automatically recording location data, should we expect this app to do the same? As well, will the Friday app use your data for marketing purposes? With Friday, every single thing you’ve done on your phone since the first day you bought it can be recalled. Facebook offers a similar service where users are able to download a zip file containing a copy of all the information they put on Facebook, including photos, videos, posts and messages. Facebook keeps track of all this information and uses it to select the appropriate audience for advertisements. Will the Friday app do something similar?

Friday is currently in alpha version, but if interested you can sign up for an invite.

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So it makes sense that our friends in Silicon Valley have been keeping an eye on how we like things done, specifically our fixation with mobile “Googling,” their numbers showed that Google Mobile searches increased 130 percent year-over-year in Q3 2010. What does that mean for Google Mobile? It means that it is getting a bit of a facelift with the addition of Seller Ratings ads, for the convenience of its users, but a more likely story; Google wants to capitalize on an already billion-dollar mobile search market.

The ads themselves have a star rating and links to reviews of the specific seller that is advertising a product or service. The ratings are taken from merchant review sites and Google says that the ads will only show when a seller’s online store has a rating of four stars or more and has at least 30 reviews. This means no getting sent to dead end domains or ad-filled web pages. Either way, there is no denying the convenience of having the power of Google at your mobile fingertips.

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