Category: Microsoft

Will Google Come to Microsoft’s Consumer Privacy Party?

July 23, 2007 Bob Caswell 2 Comments

SearchTraffic So the big news today comes in the form of a Microsoft press release explaining a strategic alliance of sorts between Microsoft and Ask. The two companies are “joined together in the commitment to call on the industry to develop global privacy principles for data collection, use and protection related to searching and online advertising. The companies will work with other technology leaders, consumer advocacy organizations and academics to come together and join them in working on the development of these principles, which could include developing and sharing best practices to provide more control for consumers.”

Microsoft, Privacy, Tech News

Is Google Still the Best Option for Search?

July 20, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 6 Comments

Switching from one search engine to another is simple, right?

Well, I thought I’d try a couple new options, but it was difficult. I had to consciously remind myself that I was going to use new (for me) search engines. If I didn’t think about it, Google is always where I ended up.

First on the list, the other two of the big three: Yahoo and Microsoft / MSN / Live (come on, Microsoft, I still don’t know what you want to be called here).

Internet, Microsoft, Tech Reviews, Web 2.0, Yahoo

Google Goes Mobile Even More, Now Wants to Sell You Stuff

July 16, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell No Comments

According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), which cites its favorite source of “people familiar with the matter,” Google is working on a new search service for cellphones that will help consumers search for and buy ringtones, games, and other mobile content. Google has even considered including a “social-networking component” (whatever that means in…

Gadgets, Microsoft, Tech News

Breaking: Microsoft & Yahoo Considering Merger

May 4, 2007August 31, 2008 Bob Caswell 8 Comments

Quoting our favorite source of “people familiar with the situation,” the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) claims that executives at Microsoft and Yahoo are in early-stage discussions about merging the two companies to take on Google. Investors seem to be taking this seriously, as Yahoo shares surged in overseas trading because of this news. The company’s market value is now close to $38 billion up from $32 billion earlier this week. So if you want to quantify this rumor, there you have it: the world thinks its worth $6 billion dollars.

Google, Internet, Microsoft, Tech News, Web 2.0, Yahoo

Q&A with DoubleClick CEO About Google Acquisition & Digital Privacy

May 2, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell No Comments

Googlelogo The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) has an interesting Q&A with DoubleClick CEO David Rosenblatt about the pending acquisition by Google. Rosenblatt tries to reassure consumers and privacy advocates that this merger won’t change how safe their data is. He says things like, “Ad-serving information collected by DoubleClick has always been the property of our clients, not us… so we are very comfortable with our current policy.”

“Current” being the operative word. Companies change policies all the time. It’s nice DoubleClick’s “current policy” protects me, but it’s not difficult to see why privacy advocates would want to see a force external to the company to ensure this going forward. So are his answers reassuring? Judge for yourself, the Q&A follows:

Cyberlaw, Microsoft, Privacy, Tech News

DoubleClick Defending Google Deal But Privacy Groups Want Investigation

April 23, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell No Comments

Googlelogo New York based DoubleClick came out with a public statement today, pledging that the information it collects for and about its customers won’t be shared with Google after the $3.1 billion acquisition: “Google would not be able to match its search data to the data collected by DoubleClick, as DoubleClick does not have the right to use its clients’ data for such purposes.”

But have you read any online company’s privacy section lately?

Microsoft, Privacy, Tech News

Microsoft Selling Software for $3 to Reach the 5 Billion People without PCs

April 19, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell No Comments

Microsoft software will sell for just $3 in some parts of the world in an attempt to reach the five out of six people worldwide still not using computers. The software giant has a goal of bringing computing to a further one billion people by 2015 (doubling the current number of computer users). Bill Gates made the announcement during a speech in Beijing:

Computers, Internet, Microsoft, Tech News

YouTube Filter Will Go Live In Weeks: “Claim Your Content”

April 17, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell No Comments

Google CEO Eric Schmidt had quite a bit to say at the National Association of Broadcasters conference, including some borderline trash talk toward companies like Microsoft and Viacom. But the message that seemed to steal the show was that of YouTube’s filtering system which is almost ready for prime time. Schmidt said the following:

“We are very close to turning it on. We are testing it with two or three partners now … In a few weeks it will be available for all.”

Media, Microsoft, Tech News