google freaks me out

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Batman

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#138614 10-Jan-2014 14:43

not sure which forum to post this but i'm sure we all know how your lives are no longer yours to live

anyway i got freaked out (but not surprised)

i had gmail open in an IE11 tab. opened a new tab and google searched "6 xxx road, yyy" - a list of things appears inc a maps one

i then pick up wife's iphone, opened google maps, typed "6" and the top option was "6 xxx road, yyy"

whoa

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#964577 10-Jan-2014 14:47

I hope your best mate doesnt live at "6 xxx road, yyy" :)

khull

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#964580 10-Jan-2014 14:48

I didn't like the integration provided by Google so I've now moved to Bing and Apple Maps which are good enough for what I do day to day. All I need now is Gmail to retire (yeah right) and I can cut myself

kiwitrc

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#964588 10-Jan-2014 14:55

khull: I didn't like the integration provided by Google so I've now moved to Bing and Apple Maps which are good enough for what I do day to day. All I need now is Gmail to retire (yeah right) and I can cut myself

I am the opposite, I love the way it integrates stuff for me, esp between Chrome and search items. As far as spying goes the following best describes my attitude to it

michaelmurfy

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#964606 10-Jan-2014 14:59

Google knows everything about me. We've got a relationship.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
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Finch

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#964623 10-Jan-2014 15:09

Slightly off topic but similar.

I do wonder why apps need to have access to certain bits of my phone. For example, Google Maps wants access to my SMS messages. Why does Google maps want to access my texts?

They are spying on us..

Klipspringer

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#964627 10-Jan-2014 15:14

Finch: Slightly off topic but similar.

I do wonder why apps need to have access to certain bits of my phone. For example, Google Maps wants access to my SMS messages. Why does Google maps want to access my texts?

They are spying on us..

If you have ever used google analytics you will be surprised by the amount of detail you can obtain about the people visiting your website.

Very useful to the site owner.

Of course you can switch off all this information, but who does that!

Mark

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#964628 10-Jan-2014 15:15

Finch: Slightly off topic but similar.

I do wonder why apps need to have access to certain bits of my phone. For example, Google Maps wants access to my SMS messages. Why does Google maps want to access my texts?

They are spying on us..

yup they sure are collating all sorts of data on you via your phone .. and you agreed to it when you accepted the terms and conditions popup when you first got your phone :-)

Me, I like it, very handy to look up an address at home then when I'm out travelling to that address it's all queued up on my phone .. even tells me what the traffic is like.

Though I have been wondering why it keeps giving me directions to a massage parlour run by midgets ....

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nathan

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#964631 10-Jan-2014 15:17

LOL just about spit my coffee all over my Surface about the midgets

kiwitrc

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#964639 10-Jan-2014 15:30

nathan: LOL just about spit my coffee all over my Surface about the midgets

Poll

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#964644 10-Jan-2014 15:32

The reason Google maps wants it is so you can share a location via text message. I've texted my father a location before so he could find a place.

stevenz

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#964647 10-Jan-2014 15:34

If the product is free, then YOU are the product.

If you think that's creepy, you should enable all the Google Now stuff!
(I turned it all off as it eats the battery and is of negligible use to me).

@KnightNZ

toyonut

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#964741 10-Jan-2014 16:48

Meh, Every OS does it now to a greater or lesser extent. Windows phone and IOS do it too. No doubt now that Windows 8+ has an app store, there will be data being mined about purchases there too to match more purchases and enable in app functionality instead of just crash and usage stats like before. Even Linux favorite Ubuntu is funneling data off to provide amazon search integration in the menu. You can opt out though. Just using the internet from any device builds up a picture of who you are, what you do and what you are doing online.
If you want to get paranoid, start using only $39 non smart phones, don't send text messages from them as some carriers store those on their servers. Run a custom xyz-obscure linux distro with a full firewall and either a browser with incognito on by default or a terminal based text mode only browser that would not know what to do with a cookie if it was served one.
We live in a connected world now, everyone wants to market directly to you personally. You should feel a bit flattered that they want to fill up servers with your details, wants, needs, likes and dislikes.

Try Vultr using this link and get us both some credit:

http://www.vultr.com/?ref=7033587-3B

DarthKermit

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#964742 10-Jan-2014 16:50

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I don't have any accounts with Google (either Gmail or Google+).

I use Google web search, image search, maps (and occasionally news), but not as a registered user. They can track my IP address all they like.

^^^
Those are the only four Google products that I use. I either choose not to use or don't know what the other products are for.

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

blakamin

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#964774 10-Jan-2014 16:57

DarthKermit: Maybe I'm paranoid,

Yup!

Batman

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#964800 10-Jan-2014 17:45

kiwitrc: I hope your best mate doesnt live at "6 xxx road, yyy" :)

Neh i was trying to audition a $2000 and a $3000 headphone in singapore. Turns out half the clan is diarrheaorating so might have to do that in auckland or melbourne

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