Tag: Privacy

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Tim Cook

Tim Cook Speaks Up

Tim Cook Speaks Up:
via BusinessWeek

While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.

Tim Cook, in his own words.

I’ll admit that this wasn’t an easy choice. Privacy remains important to me, and I’d like to hold on to a small amount of it. I’ve made Apple my life’s work, and I will continue to spend virtually all of my waking time focused on being the best CEO I can be. That’s what our employees deserve—and our customers, developers, shareholders, and supplier partners deserve it, too. Part of social progress is understanding that a person is not defined only by one’s sexuality, race, or gender. I’m an engineer, an uncle, a nature lover, a fitness nut, a son of the South, a sports fanatic, and many other things. I hope that people will respect my desire to focus on the things I’m best suited for and the work that brings me joy.

Tim Cook is serious about privacy and so is Apple.

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Notes:

By the way, this is what the Stocks app look like on August 30, 0214. Totally out of context.

AAPL, Tim Cook Proud to be Gay

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“There are no target audience, just targets.”

facebook-censored

From TechCrunch:

Facebook has long been promoting the the idea of free, zero-rated mobile services in emerging countries to drive more Facebook (and wider mobile data) usage. Now, its Internet.org initiative has crafted another way to promote growth: by working with directly with carriers to analyse and fix their networks, with a recent trial in Indonesia — the fourth-biggest country for Facebook usage — speeding up mobile network speeds by up to 70%, the company says.

According to Wikipedia, Indonesia’s population is estimated at 250 millions in 2014; the fourth most populated country in the world.

The Internet.org work is being made public as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg travels in Indonesia and meets with its president-elect and current Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo…….

I don’t think the President Elect of Indonesia understands that Facebook’s number one product is the user. No doubt that Facebook really see the revenue potential from Indonesian users.

Yep, this is one country where hoaxes are treated as facts, hoaxes such as:

Then there’s SoldatenKaffee, a Nazi-themed restaurant which opened for more than two years without a peep from the community and Indonesian government. It took some offended tourists for this Nazi-themed restaurant to close and reopen with different theme.

Of course, voicing an opinion could also land Indonesian in jail.

Then, the police got involved – but not to defend Ms Sihombing. Instead, after residents complained about her in numbers to the police, she was summoned for questioning on Saturday 30 August, and charged under the 2008 Electronic Transactions and Information Law for defamation and “inciting hatred”. Yogyakarta has a conservative reputation, and public manners are valued highly.

If the mobs didn’t kill you, the police will.

Indonesia is for sure an easy target for Facebook business model.

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Tim Cook, Apple and Privacy.

Apple Privacy Message from Tim Cook

Apple CEO, Tim Cook:

A few years ago, users of Internet services began to realize that when an online service is free, you’re not the customer. You’re the product. But at Apple, we believe a great customer experience shouldn’t come at the expense of your privacy.

Our business model is very straightforward: We sell great products. We don’t build a profile based on your email content or web browsing habits to sell to advertisers. We don’t “monetize” the information you store on your iPhone or in iCloud. And we don’t read your email or your messages to get information to market to you. Our software and services are designed to make our devices better. Plain and simple.

It is simple, Apple makes money by selling products instead of selling customer’s information. Apple is selling its products at a premium price, expectation of privacy is implied.

Finally, I want to be absolutely clear that we have never worked with any government agency from any country to create a backdoor in any of our products or services. We have also never allowed access to our servers. And we never will.

Apple Pay

Apple is serious about its commitment to privacy, especially with the impending launch of Apple Pay.

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Limited Gmail intrusions through Google+

From the Official Gmail Blog:

Have you ever started typing an email to someone only to realize halfway through the draft that you haven’t actually exchanged email addresses? If you are nodding your head ‘yes’ and already have a Google+ profile, then you’re in luck, because now it’s easier for people using Gmail and Google+ to connect over email.

Wait, what did he say?

The post continues:

Your email address isn’t visible to a Google+ connection unless you send that person an email, and likewise, that person’s email address isn’t visible to you unless they send you an email.

The problem with this latest move by google is that users are automatically opted in to this feature. It’s time to opt out and hoped that it would send Google a message.

No one is allowed to email me through GooglePlus

By the way, Gmail users should be getting the notifications on their Gmail.

Gmail-GooglePlus-update

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Changes to Google Privacy Policy

Google will be taking its new Terms of Service into effect on November 11, 2013.

We are updating the Google Terms of Service. The new Terms will go live on November 11, 2013 and you can read them here.

Because many of you are allergic to legalese, here’s a plain English summary for your convenience.

We’ve made three changes:

  • First, clarifying how your Profile name and photo might appear in Google products (including in reviews, advertising and other commercial contexts).
  • Second, a reminder to use your mobile devices safely.
  • Third, details on the importance of keeping your password confidential.

To opt-out of the “Shared Endorsement“, Google+ users need to lbe logged in and uncheck the box for “Based upon my activity, Google may show my name and profile photo in shared endorsements that appear in ads.”

Google-Privacy-Opt-out-20131011

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Starbucks Team Up With Google For Wi-Fi Hotspot

It is official, Starbucks team up with Google to provide Wi-Fi hotspot.

The good news is that Google should be able to provide better Wi-Fi hotspot, especially in cities where Google Fiber are available; that’s Kansas City for now, Austin, Texas and Provo, Utah are next.

The other good news is that Google gets to collect more info on the users.

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