Bits & Pieces

Google has just announced it is planning to launch a high speed data network operating at up to 1 gigabit speeds. Wow!

We’re planning to build and test ultra high-speed broadband networks in a small number of trial locations across the United States. We’ll deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today with 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. We plan to offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people.

And they appear to be doing so in conjunction with local governments who are being asked to apply, which is a great way to go, given the foot-dragging by for-profit ISPs in bringing the US truly high speed data.

It appears that Google has decided to stop censoring search results in China. And they acknowledge that they might have to shut down google.cn, and close their offices in China. This is an excellent step which should be supported (and followed) worldwide. This follows an attack on Google that targeted information related to Chinese dissidents. Kudos.

These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered–combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web–have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.

The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences. We want to make clear that this move was driven by our executives in the United States, without the knowledge or involvement of our employees in China who have worked incredibly hard to make Google.cn the success it is today. We are committed to working responsibly to resolve the very difficult issues raised.

Update: The Electronic Frontier Foundation reacts positively to Google’s threatened action.

Our hope is that other tech companies will follow Google’s lead. Too many of them have been willing to comply with Chinese demands that they check their values at the border.

Of course, whatever the reaction from Chinese authorities, this doesn’t mean that Google will vanish from the Chinese Internet. There continue to be many ready means for circumventing China’s censorship schemes, and we hope Google will continue to provide an uncensored Chinese language search engine, from servers outside China if need be.

We recognize that there may be short-term economic and political consequences for the company: but if it stands firm in its commitment to provide Chinese citizens with an uncensored view of the Net, we feel sure there will be opportunities and benefits not just for Chinese citizens, but for Google and companies that follow its lead.

(via Fake Steve Jobs)

Will Google’s new Nexus One Android-based phone cripple iPhone sales. No way, says Robert X. Cringely:

Apple is very happy with its iPhone sales, thanks, and those are unlikely to be hurt much, if at all, by the Nexus One. Not that the Nexus One can’t be a huge success for Google. But here are the points everyone seems to be missing: 1) there is plenty of room in the mobile market for both Apple and Google, and; 2) this product introduction really marks the ultimate decline and fall of so-called “feature phones” and the rise to dominance of smart phones. Within two years there will be no more feature phones, at least not in the U.S.

The real losers today, then, are makers of feature phones and, maybe, Microsoft, which has the most vulnerable smart phone platform in Windows Phone.

(via Newshoggers) Watch in HQ if you have high bandwidth.

The kids might be interested in this. NORAD is again tracking Santa in his world-wide journey. His trip has started already.

Google Wave was announced this year. It is a way to produce content collaboratively. Here is a Wave highlighting the events of the past year. It was produced by Whirled Interactive.

Eric Schmidt is the CEO of Google. Google is evil.

Exhibit A:

If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.

– Eric Schmidt, in answer to the following question asked of him on CNBC: “People are treating Google like their most trusted friend. Should they?”

This sort of argument is the lamest that could be imagined to justify spying and invasion of personal privacy. This position would justify installing surveillance cameras in everyone’s home. This kind of arguement is made by totalitarian regimes every day.

Oh, and if you want to learn a little about the personal life of said Eric Schmidt, feel free to look here and see how he reacted back in 2005 when his private information was widely disseminated. At that link, you can also watch this d-bag make the case that can make him rich: trust Google and quit your nasty behaviors.

This kind of argument is bullshit.

And don’t get me started on Yahoo and their simple instructions to the government regarding how to ask for and get user information from Yahoo.  For a fee.

Apple is hitting its peak and we all know how many problems there are in the future as Google develops more into the phone services space.  Much like gmail taking over the world, google voice is sure to follow.  An article from CNN proves my point when it says:

Apple Inc. said Monday that record sales of Macintosh computers and iPhones lifted its quarterly profit and revenue, which trounced Wall Street’s forecasts.

It’s on. A serious fight is on between Google and Apple. Google allowed the release of its answers to FCC inquiries about the Google Voice app for the iPhone.  Apple has previously said they never rejected the GV app, but are still studying it. Google revealed it’s statement that Apple did in fact reject the app, and that Phil Schiller (Senior VP for Worldwide Marketing) was the Apple employee who told Google the app was rejected.

So now we have a he said-Steve said situation.

Oh, and Apple yesterday reiterated that it had not rejected GV.

I guess it all depends on what the word “rejected” means.

Apple has posted its response to an inquiry by the FCC as to why Apple has not allowed the use of a Google Voice application on the iPhone.   It actually makes for good reading, especially the section on other applications that Apple has rejected.

On an aside, it is very annoying that they won’t approve this application as the application they describe looks great.  I think Apple’s handling of this situation shows a complete misunderstanding of the next generation of phone technology.  If I owned Apple stock, I’d be selling it.

Here is a very interesting post about the nature and reality of Google Street View as a strange new category of photography, including a number of images. Street View is both amazing and sometimes disturbing, as shown in the Street View photo below.

Eagle Point Dr, Sherwood, Pulaski, Arkansas

Courtesy of The Onion:

Apple warns against jailbreaking iPhones to run “unapproved” software. But, increasingly, Apple seems determined to force users like me into jailbreak mode.

How do they manifest this?  The latest, and most blatant, example is Apple’s (i) rejection of Google’s GoogleVoice app for the app store and (ii) pulling prior GoogleVoice apps created by non-Google-related developers.  This is a very big deal. I have complained to Apple directly, and I suggest others do so as well. [Take some time and read the experience of an independent developer who's app was just pulled by Apple.] As I previously posted, I think GoogleVoice is a terrific service. Why should I be blocked from using it via convenient app on what is supposed to be one of the finer mobile devices on the planet? Why should Apple have this kind of arbitrary control over a piece of hardware that I have purchased?

I have personally recommended Apple products to a great many friends. I own several Macs, a couple of AppleTVs, the usual smattering of iPods, and my second iPhone. This incident has caused me to seriously question why I should buy a platform (the iPhone) from a company that cripples its functionality for no discernible reason. Would I buy a Mac that could only run applications approved by Apple? Hell no!

I have also been instrumental in securing support for the iPhone in the company I work for. I did it based on a belief that the iPhone truly is a breakthrough platform that can enhance business opportunities in ways otherwise unavailable. But the cavalier attitude of Apple causes me to question my belief. And if I, as a basic end-user, begin to question my belief in the platform, what do developers who put their blood, sweat and tears into new apps think about their decision? What efforts will they be willing to make in the future? Every app that doesn’t get built weakens the platform.

By the way, of course I understand that AT&T, that steaming pile of shit, is probably responsible for forcing Apple into this position. But with as popular a product as the iPhone, if Apple allows a carrier to force them to cripple a product, shame on Apple.

More here, here, and here.

Wake up Apple.

Update: Apple is fighting in court to establish that jailbreaking an iPhone is not just to be avoided, but is, in fact, illegal. Further Apple claims that jaibroken iPhones could be used to “crash” cell phone towers. This is totally reminiscent of the arguments that the original old AT&T made in the 60s that if users were allowed to buy their own phones and plug them into the vaunted AT&T network, the network could crumble and collapse. I call bullshit.