Wired reports that Google will offer a do-over to early users of Buzz, the social network service that has earned the company criticism and a class-action lawsuit. [More]
Google Buzz Subject Of Class Action Lawsuit
By 2.18.10
We had a feeling it would come to this. Lawyers in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., have filed a class action lawsuit against Google for, among other allegations, violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act with its recently launched Google Buzz social networking tool. [More]
Google Buzz Opens Doors To Phishing Scams
By 2.16.10
It’s a new day, so there must be a new revelation about another way in which Google Buzz is an affront to the concept of personal privacy, right? But the latest complaint about the Internet giant’s unasked-for answer to Facebook and Twitter goes far beyond making your private contacts public or adding potential personal safety risks to your “followers” list. It looks like the phishers and botnet scammers have already begun taking advantage of the new feature. [More]
Google Says "My Bad," Attempts To Fix Buzz Privacy Problem
By 2.15.10
After unleashing a Pandora’s box of privacy issues with the launch of their new Facebook wannabe “Google Buzz” feature earlier this week, Google now says they are taking the problem seriously. [More]
Google Buzz Contact Sharing Not Just Potentially Embarrassing
By 2.14.10
Google Buzz’s amazing integration of Twitter-like functionality and automatically following everyone you know isn’t just an annoying and potentially embarrassing feature. For some users, it’s a security hazard. [More]
Google Pulls Plug On Several Blogger Pages For DMCA Violations
By 2.11.10
The folks at Google are a busy bunch — in the same day that they made your Gmail contact list a public matter with their Facebook wannabe Google Buzz, they pulled the plug without warning on a handful of popular music blogs in their blogger.com network for alleged violations of that holiest of Internet grails, the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. [More]
Google Buzz Makes Private Contact Info Public
By 2.11.10
While Google was busy plotting the beginnings of SkyNet on one front, they simultaneously launched their full-frontal attack on Facebook with the debut of Google Buzz, their new social networking tool that puts status updates right on your Gmail page. And, just like Facebook, Google Buzz managed to completely overstep the bounds of personal privacy. [More]
Google Creates Experimental Fiber Network, Moves Closer To Becoming Cyberdyne Systems
By 2.10.10
In a move that surely has some folks at Verizon looking for a change of pants, Google announced today that it is planning to build and test a ultra-high-speed broadband network that would deliver data at 1 Gb per second, up to 100x that of current Internet connections. Oh, and they want to offer it on the cheap. [More]
Google Opens Phone Support For Nexus One Customers
By 2.10.10
Hey look, Google has finally decided to take selling smartphones seriously! After initially trying to treat Nexus One owners like Gmail users who’d locked themselves out of their accounts, the company finally admitted it might be good to have actual people on hand for troubleshooting. If you’ve got a Nexus One problem that T-Mobile can’t solve, call 888-486-3987 (888-48NEXUS). The line is open from 7am-10pm ET. [More]
Huge Nexus One ETF Magically Shrinks As FCC Investigates
By 2.9.10
The Washington Post is reporting that the ridiculously huge ETFs for the Nexus One are magically shrinking as the FCC continues to investigate the fees. Google has shaved $200 of the “equipment recovery fee” it charges if a customer breaks their contract with T-Mobile after a 14-day trial period. [More]
Google Doesn't Want To Know How To Make Friends With Black People
By 2.8.10
Yesterday’s Google super bowl ad was a cute story about a guy falling in love with a French lady told through his searches. The trouble is, they showed the autocomplete prompts and, as anyone who has ever used Google knows, the autocomplete suggestions can be, uh, kinda weird. So, of course, some the search suggestions have been edited out. Like one about making friends with black people. [More]
Google Wants To Be Facebook, Facebook Wants To Be Gmail
By 2.8.10
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google has plans to make Gmail “more social,” according to an anonymous source. The idea is to make it easier to post links and share status updates. Meanwhile, Facebook is apparently planning a “Gmail killer.” [More]
Google Not Done Yet With Direct-To-Consumer Phones, According To Motorola
By 1.28.10
Motorola told its investors today that it’s working on building an Android phone for Google to sell directly to consumers alongside the HTC-built Nexus One. There are no other details yet, other than that it should be released in 2010, according to Motorola’s co-CEO Sanjay Jha. [More]
Google Voice Does End Run Around Apple, Launches New Web App
By 1.26.10
Apple made it clear last year that Google Voice is not welcome on the App Store or your iPhone. “Fine,” said Google. “We’ll go through the browser!” Today the search engine revealed a new mobile web interface that uses some fancy HTML5 magic to provide voicemail, calling, and text message functionality. If you don’t already know, you can turn any page in Mobile Safari into an App icon on your home screen (click the “+” icon in Safari), meaning now you can have a legitimate Google Voice “app.” Below is a video tour. Update: There’s a down side to this: Cy writes in to let us know that this fancy new version actually breaks functionality for iPod Touch owners–the old web-based version let Touch owners make calls, but this one doesn’t. [More]
Nexus One @%&#! Censors Voice-To-Text Messages
By 1.26.10
Early adopters of Google’s Nexus One phone can’t catch a break. First, some overpaid. Then customers reported iffy 3G. And at least one had problems getting a dead phone replaced. It’s enough to make you scream obscenities at your phone. Don’t bother. Google has included an odd feature as part of the phone’s voice-to-text function: When it transcribes speech, it automatically censors any curse words you utter. F*&k!
Lack Of Google/HTC Customer Service Is Problematic
By 1.20.10
The Google/HTC Nexus One has been out for two weeks now, but the poor customer service vortex has sucked in many Consumerist readers, devouring their access to a functional phone, as well as their 14-day grace periods for returns. [More]
Google Voice Offering Free Calls To Haiti For Two Weeks
By 1.19.10
If you need an affordable way to reach someone in Haiti for the next two weeks, use Google Voice. The company is making all calls to Haiti temporarily free:
To help those families, we’re offering free calling to Haiti through Google Voice for the next two weeks. To place a call using Google Voice, use the Click2Call button on the website, the Google Voice mobile app, or dial your own Google Voice number and press 2 to place an outbound call.
Apparently, Replacing A Dead Nexus One Is Too Hard For HTC
By 1.16.10
Prashant loves Google’s software products and open policies, and decided to purchase a Nexus One on the very first day they hit the market. He writes that the phone he purchased was dead, and handset manufacturer HTC keeps making promises to send a handset that they never actually send. [More]
