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In Google we trust?

The more Google grows, the more it becomes a cause for concern for many people--and not simply its competitors. But should it?

On the one hand, Google has become a privacy bogeyman, dropping off the list of the top 20 companies trusted with customer privacy. Ironically, this has come at the same time that Google has upped its commitment to open data policies, which enable users to control their own data privacy policies. Are users suggesting that they can't trust themselves?

This abandonment of trust in Google also comes in the face of an ever-growing commitment within Google to … Read more

Microsoft expands licensing program for mobile Exchange

Microsoft announced Thursday it expanded its Exchange ActiveSync IP licensing program and posted technical documents to spur development of prototype applications that link to its Exchange Server and Exchange ActiveSync-enabled mobile phones.

The Exchange ActiveSync software is designed to allow mobile phones to receive wireless push e-mail, as well as synchronize calendar, contacts and tasks. It also aims to allow companies to manage wireless devices and enact security policies.

The software giant also posted the protocols on the Microsoft Developer Network and expanded the licensing program to establish greater clarity on the steps and licensing terms that are needed when … Read more

Google slips from list of top companies on privacy

Correction, 12:07 p.m. PST: This story misstated the number of companies on the "most trusted" list. It is a top 20 list. Update 1:19 p.m. PST: The top 20 list of companies was added, along with information about TRUSTe, which co-sponsored the survey.

Easy come, easy go.

Google has stepped off the top 20 list of the most trusted U.S. companies for privacy, according to a report in theSan Francisco Chronicle on Monday.

The Internet search giant was ranked No. 10 last year, but slipped off into the ether this year as the … Read more

How to handle ID fraud's youngest victims

Sometime on October 14, a wide array of furniture and electronics were stolen from a commercial storage facility outside Phoenix. The building was used by the Arizona Early Intervention Program, which helps families of disabled children.

Two weeks ago, the state informed the parents of the nearly 40,000 children in the program that their personal information was potentially at risk for ID fraud. According to the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES), a backup computer hard drive stolen from the facility was password protected. What happened next is where the controversy arises.

The DES and others in the media … Read more

The 404 211: Where Wilson wears a BeenVerified condom all day

Our reservoir of embarrassing stories about Jeff is bottoming out, so we're happy to welcome his old chums from BeenVerified.com to refill the glass. Josh, Ross, and Jay are ushering in a new generation of background checks for employers and job seekers, but today they're not afraid to use their powers for evil to dish the dirt on our fellow co-host. They also help us weigh in on virtual larceny, the problem with young whippersnappers, how to answer a professional call of doodie, and Josh spouts praise for his favorite luxury gadget: the $5,000 toilet.

We spend the first half of the show talking to the guys about their brand-new company, BeenVerified. They're no strangers to starting innovative sites, and this one is no different. In an age where employers are starting to perform pseudo background checks through social networking sites like FaceBook and MySpace, BeenVerified takes it a step forward and offers a background checking service for employers and job seekers alike. After talking to Josh, Ross, and Jay, we're afraid to see how many skeletons in our respective closets, but here's the beauty of the site: users must approve the release of their information to the public before anyone can see it, so if don't want to be exposed, just say no! Of course, seekers will benefit from being an open book in general, so let that freak flag fly. Best of all, you can apply it to other transactions in your personal life, for example, screening Craigslist meetups, online daters, and nannies. Listen to today's knee-slappin' show and check out the animated short below for more about BeenVerified.

Episode 211 Download today's podcast … Read more

You can only have one brand: advertising by blog ambassador

"We do not trust brands anymore. We trust individuals: friendly, familiar authority figures with whom we feel great affinity. These are the people we trust and those from whom we would always welcome honest suggestions and tips, and when they are spontaneous or clearly disclosed even those of commercial nature."

So says Robin Good in his provocative post on the Brand Ambassador, in which he touts highly credible and authoritative bloggers as the advertising channel of the future.

Good envisions "bottom-up advertising with publishers selecting the favorite brands they would want to endorse." And further: "… Read more

Six degrees of Kevin Bacon? Microsoft finds 6.6 in massive data bank

Microsoft has news for those who hold to the "Six degrees of Kevin Bacon" theory. We are linked with everyone else on the planet by 6.6 degrees of separation, not six.

As The Guardian recounts,

Researchers at Microsoft studied records of 30 billion electronic conversations among 180 million people in various countries....This was 'the first time a planetary-scale social network has been available,' they observed. The database covered all the Microsoft Messenger instant-messaging network in June 2006, equivalent to roughly half the world's instant-messaging traffic at that time.

It's a nice corroboration of the &… Read more

Column: Finally, ID fraud protection that works

Jay Foley, co-founder of the Identity Theft Resource Center, told me recently that 57 percent of all identity fraud involves opening new accounts "for short-term gain." The ITRC should know: it has been surveying ID fraud victims for several years and has amassed some impressive real-world statistics.

Foley also said 13 percent of the identity theft victims found out about the attacks only after criminals had established utility or cable service in their names. "So your credit record is more theirs than yours, making it harder to fight them in court," he said.

Clearly the best … Read more

JTT Wii Wheel tries to stick with you

Japan Trust Technology, a Japanese electronics company, has just released a driving wheel for Wii racing games. Unlike other Wii driving accessories in the market, the JTT Wii Wheel has a suction cup that allows it to attach to any flat surfaces such as the table or floor.

This way, the wheel will stay in one place while you frantically maneuver through the racing course. You can also adjust the wheel to whichever angle (up to 120 degrees) you're comfortable with. All you need to do is clip the Wii remote onto the center of the wheel and you … Read more