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Sunday, September 25, 2011

NY Sen. Schumer accuses OnStar of invading privacy (AP) : Technet

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NY Sen. Schumer accuses OnStar of invading privacy (AP) : Technet

NY Sen. Schumer accuses OnStar of invading privacy (AP)

Posted: 25 Sep 2011 02:54 PM PDT

By MICHAEL GORMLEY, Associated Press Michael Gormley, Associated Press – Sun Sep 25, 5:54 pm ET

ALBANY, N.Y. – The OnStar automobile communication service used by 6 million Americans maintains its two-way connection with a customer even after the service is discontinued, while reserving the right to sell data from that connection.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York says that's a blatant invasion of privacy and is calling on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate. But OnStar says former customers can stop the two-way transmission, and no driving data of customers has been shared or sold.

"OnStar is attempting one of the most brazen invasions of privacy in recent memory," said Schumer, a Democrat. "I urge OnStar to abandon this policy."

But the General Motors Corp. OnStar service says customers are thoroughly informed of the new practice. If a customer says he or she doesn't want to have data collected after service is ended, OnStar disconnects the tracking.

And although OnStar reserves the right to share or sell data on customers' speed, location, use of seat belts and other practices, a spokesman says it hasn't done so and doesn't plan to.

"We apologize for creating any confusion about our terms and conditions," said Joanne Finnor, vice president of subscriber services. "We want to make sure we are as clear with our customers as possible, but it's apparent that we have failed to do this. ... We will continue to be open to their suggestions and concerns."

A week ago, OnStar changed its policy and began continuing the connection for ex-customers unless they asked for it to be discontinued.

Finnor noted keeping the two-communication active for former customers could someday allow for emergency messages to be sent even to ex-customers about severe weather or evacuations. The open line could also allow OnStar to alert drivers about warranty information or recalls, she said.

Schumer said he isn't persuaded. He said customers shouldn't have to "opt out" of the tracking after they end service. He accuses OnStar of actively deceiving customers.

Schumer is announcing the effort Sunday by releasing a letter to the Federal Trade Commission seeking an investigation.

OnStar charges about $199 a year for basic service and $299 a year for service that includes navigation aid.

Algerians ignore latest protest call — for now (AP)

Posted: 25 Sep 2011 04:06 AM PDT

Google Improves iOS App for Google+ (Mashable)

Posted: 24 Sep 2011 09:40 AM PDT

Charlie White Charlie White – Sat Sep 24, 12:40 pm ET

[More from Mashable: Gmail Down For Some Users]

Google is on a roll, not sitting idly by while Facebook has its moment in the media spotlight. After opening its Google+ social network to the public -- gaining an additional 10 million users in its first two days -- now the search giant follows Tuesday's Android update of Google+ with a similar refresh to its iOS version, now available free on the App Store [iTunes link].

[More from Mashable: South Sudan, Welcome to Google Maps]

What's new? Like its Android cousin, the iOS version of the Google+ mobile app now supports Hangouts, letting groups communicate with each other using front-facing cameras on the iPhone 4 and iPod touch. In addition to Hangouts, the app offers better control of its various notifications, and a renamed Messenger (formerly Huddle) that now lets users attach photos to chat threads.

Other niceties include the ability to +1 in comments, improved +mention support, a map view in Profile for places you've lived, and various reliability improvements. Macstories' Federico Viticci had a chance to try out the new features in Hangouts -- take a look at his experience here.

[via Macstories]

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Alibaba.com says may spin off and list HiChina (Reuters)

Posted: 25 Sep 2011 05:47 PM PDT

– Sun Sep 25, 8:47 pm ET

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Alibaba.com may spin off and publicly list its Internet application services provider HiChina, the company said on Monday.

It did not give details of the potential offering size or structure in the statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange.

IFR, a Thomson Reuters publication, reported in June China's largest e-commerce company was planning to spin off HiChina for a listing in the United States to raise about $200 million to $300 million.

HiChina provides internet application services to enterprises, including domain registration, hosting, enterprise e-mail systems, enterprise website creation and management, and consultation in e-commerce applications.

(Reporting by Kelvin Soh; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)

61 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed (Mashable)

Posted: 24 Sep 2011 05:22 AM PDT

Stephanie Buck Stephanie Buck – Sat Sep 24, 8:22 am ET

The Facebook redesign news kicked this week's features roundup into full-throttle. For instance, press "command F" and search "Facebook". Go ahead, try it. The word comes up 31 times on this page alone. Therefore, the theme of this week's roundup is: We-Pretty-Much-Covered-Everything-You-Need-to-Know-About-the-Facebook-Redesign. In other news, we reviewed the Google Wallet and analyzed Netflix's recent business maneuvers. Regardless, this week might very well set a record -- are you ready to get crackin' on Mashable's 62 feature stories from the past week? We thought so.

[More from Mashable: This Week in Politics & Digital: The Public Speaks]

Editorial Picks

GetGlue offers an entertainment-based social media Android app (Appolicious)

Posted: 25 Sep 2011 04:30 PM PDT

America's Biggest Threat Could Prove America's Biggest Source of Jobs (ContributorNetwork)

Posted: 25 Sep 2011 02:46 PM PDT

Report: Apple to unveil iPhone at corporate headquarters (Appolicious)

Posted: 25 Sep 2011 01:44 PM PDT

Will Amazon's Tablet Finally Challenge The iPad? (The Atlantic Wire)

Posted: 25 Sep 2011 01:31 PM PDT

Ted Mann Ted Mann – Sun Sep 25, 4:31 pm ET

Speculation is mounting in advance of Wednesday's Amazon press conference, at which the company is expected to announce a new tablet computing device aimed at competing with Apple's wildly successful iPad. The path of competition with the iPad is well-trod, and it has led, so far, to heartbreak. But tech experts think Amazon – maybe only Amazon – has the ability to compete with Apple, and even to force the inventor of the iPad to drop its prices to compete with a new arrival.

Related: Amazon to Offer iPad Rival by October

Hopes are high. From The New York Times:

The Amazon tablet, analysts believe, will most likely sell for about $250, half the price of the basic iPad. Its screen will be seven inches as opposed to the iPad’s 10 inches. Unlike the current Kindle but like the iPad and iPhone, it will operate by touch. A second tablet, with a bigger screen, is expected next year.

The competition will be asymmetrical. Apple sells movies, music and books in order to sell devices. Amazon sells devices in order to sell books, movies and music. Apple has never faced an opponent with such a vastly different strategy. Apple declined to comment on its strategy against Amazon. Few if any analysts expect Apple to seriously stumble, but that is not to say it will emerge unscathed. The Amazon tablet might be underpowered when set against the iPad, a Corolla to Apple’s Lexus, but that might not matter.

“The No. 1 thing consumers do on tablets is e-mail,” said Sarah Rotman Epps, a Forrester analyst. “The No. 2 thing is look up stuff on the Web. Then playing games and watching video. Amazon will offer all the tablet that many consumers need.” She estimated initial sales of as many as five million devices.

Tech observers are already tallying up the expected features of the still-unseen device. (If we're looking for a sign that Amazon's device is a real threat to Apple – unlike those of Hewlett-Packard, Acer, or others that came before – how about the fact that Amazon device-speculation is keeping pace with rumor-mongering about the new iPhone?)

Related: Amazon Is Changing the Future of Online Shopping

Information Week says it'll be slimmed down, simple, and above all, cheap.

Related: A Guide to the Big Three Cloud Music Services

That's the right place to focus, said the International Business Times, since pricing is the main obstacle in selling tablet computers. And Amazon is the "only viable" competitor in the market against Apple, in part because they're the only ones who can afford to drop the price of their new device in order to compete on volume.

A survey by Citigroup showed the primary inhibiter to tablet purchases among consumers was the price, and most struggling would-be iPad manufacturers, like Motorola and Research in Motion, cannot afford shrink margins to undercut the iPad.

While the cost to manufacture the Amazon tablet is not yet known, Amazon itself is one of the few companies that can even afford to sell a device at a loss to firmly plant its platform. It is expecting $10 billion in revenue in the current quarter.

HP figured that out too late, when its liquidation of the discontinued Touch-Pad triggered a frenzy of actual sales. Amazon is hoping they can hold out long enough at low prices that the market for tablets comes down from Apple's rarified level to find them.

at 10:00 PM

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