Don't plan to sell your first chip - Bob Colwell, former Intel chief architect
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Google Street View cars are back in the UK
IT'S TIME to watch out again, because those cars with funny big cameras at the top of them are back to catch you unawares for everybody's online amusement.
That’s because the Google Street View cars, after the absence of a few months, are back to fill in any gaps in the mapping coverage across the UK and other parts of the world.
This time though they won’t be carrying the software and hardware responsible for a major international ruckus when it was discovered that they were picking up WiFi payload data.
Google admitted what it had done and acknowledged the big mistake it made. In the process of collecting public broadcast SSID information (the WiFi network name) and MAC addresses, it was collecting samples of payload data from open WiFi networks.
As well as furious privacy organisations getting on its case, Schmidt’s mob quickly grounded the Google Street View fleet cars.
In a blog post Brian McClendon, vice president of engineering at Google Geo said, “The independent security experts Stroz Friedberg have approved a protocol to ensure any WiFi-related software is also removed from the cars before they start driving again.”
Starting in Ireland, Norway, South Africa and Sweden next week, the cars will be wheeling around collecting data for the photos and 3D geometry needed for Street View as well as its 3D building imagery. Google added that cars will be travelling to almost all parts of the UK throughout the coming weeks.
The Google Trike is also going to be about photographing more hard to reach spots like parks and tourist spots, but as it goes slower you’ll be able to throw something at it if you are so inclined. µ
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hmmm, i won't hold my breath. how many people are still on spacebook or myface after the security ructions that seem to only get heard about in IT circles?
anyway, just how are the photo's the cars took inextricably linked to the wifi network location data? do they really need to send the cars round again?
Now, if only they'll cease tracking and data mining, to be sold to advertisers (or gov't entity) for the purpose of precise *targeting* rather than general bombardment.
My expectation is that go_ogle is still in for an even larger backlash when the public reaches a certain level of knowledge about their other methods and practices.