gctcbe.com

Specifically, the ICO said in a statement that it believes safeguards such as blurring faces and license plates on
cars is enough to allay fears about breaching privacy.

“Although it is possible that in certain limited circumstances an image may allow the identification of an individual, it is clear that Google (is) keen to capture images of streets and not individuals,” the agency said in a statement.

Google Street View has been given approval to drive on the other side of the street on the other side of the pond.

Google maintains its position that the photos are not an invasion of privacy. The company even provides people with an option to flag photos for removal that they deem inappropriate.

Despite the privacy concerns, Google has managed to expand the Street View service throughout the world. And it was used to track the Tour de France earlier this month. The BBC reported that Google’s Street View cars have been spotted throughout the U.K. snapping pictures, but the company hasn’t said yet when it will add the photos to its mapping service in that country.

But the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), an independent agency in the U.K. that is charged with helping protect personal information, said it is “satisfied” that Google has enough safeguards in the tool to prevent it from harming anyone’s privacy, the BBC reported Thursday.

A husband and wife in Pittsburgh are suing Google for showing an image of their house, which is accessed only by a private road.

Privacy groups in the U.K. have criticized the tool, saying it could violate privacy and data protection laws. These privacy advocates have been worried that people or other identifying markers, such as vehicle license plates, could be used to identify and track individuals in the Google pictures.

The company’s controversial photo-mapping tool has gotten the green light from the U.K.’s privacy watchdog group. Street View uses special vehicles with panoramic cameras to snap pictures of streets. It then uses the digital images as part of its online mapping service, so that people can see what locations look like.

Google first launched Street View in mid-2007 in the U.S. It immediately faced criticism from privacy advocates in the U.S. and abroad.

The Atom N270 processor got buried last week under the mobile Internet device PR juggernaut. But it may prove to be more popular initially than the high-profile Atom Z5XX series for MIDs.

So, the way it shakes out is: the Atom Z5XX series for MIDs; the N270 (and upcoming processors) for Netbooks; the Celeron for low-cost notebooks. Note: the Atom Z5XX series includes a single-chip with integrated graphics called the Intel System Controller Hub.

Intel Atom, Celeron segmentation

(Credit:
Intel)

As previously reported, the Atom Z500, Z510, Z520, Z530, and Z540 series of processors will go into handheld-size mobile Internet devices (MIDs) such as the Lenovo IdeaPad U8. Intel promoted the Z5XX series heavily at IDF because the chipmaker needs to jump-start a new category of personal computers that fit in your pocket. Whether consumers actually need these devices is a question that will be answered later this year.

(Credit:
Intel)

Intel Atom N270 processor platform

The Atom N270 is quite different in this respect: It has a ready-made market. The N270 will go into an existing market segment–Netbooks–and will replace the popular Celeron in many cases, making this Atom potentially a high-volume chip. For example, currently, the Eee PC and Intel Classmate (technically Netbooks) use the Celeron. Versions of both these compact notebooks are slated to use the Atom. Based on Intel’s description of the market, this category of Netbooks will use the N270 (see graphic).

Though the die (the actual processor inside the chip package) is the same for both the Atom Z5XX series and N270, the packaging and chipsets are different (see graphic). The N270 will use the 945GSE and 82801 (ICH7M) core logic. A version of this chipset (with 950 integrated graphics) is used in low-cost notebooks and desktops today. The Celeron has traditionally used the lower-end 915 chipset.

(Credit:
QinetiQ)

(Credit:
TSA)

The SPO threat detection system made by QinetiQ measures waves “naturally emitted by the human body,” exposing “cold” objects such as metal, plastic, or ceramics concealed under clothing. A red light on the system’s display alerts the operator if you’re packing, so there’s no need to rely on interpreting images on a screen. It also means no one is ogling your naked body, which was one of the objections when similar technology was deployed at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport last October.

The Transportation Security Administration has purchased a dozen cameras that use millimeter wave technology and sophisticated algorithms to screen crowds of rapidly moving travelers for weapons from up to 20 meters away.

This imaging technology is safe; the “passive” millimeter wave system generates no emissions itself, but creates an image from reflected body energy, according to the company. Still, if you’re nostalgic for the vintage, step-through experience, you can always try this personal fold-up portable metal detector by CI Tech.

The new tool will pull up everything the desktop version does, although I found performance to be a tad slower–even over Wi-Fi. Outline, one of my favorite Powerset features that gives you quick links to each section in a Wikipedia article, has also made its way into the pocket version. While not as convenient as the desktop version which sits beside the actual Wikipedia article, it’s a great way to skip down to a lower section of an article, which is normally an activity that makes you look like a complete idiot while you continuously drag your finger up and down the screen of your phone. There’s also a much needed search function, something the iPhone’s version of
Safari is lacking from its desktop sibling.

Semantic search tool Powerset has put out a new
iPhone app this week. Those looking to search on the go can now use the service’s plain English searching capabilities to scour the entirety of Wikipedia and Freebase (coverage). The app comes after months of Powerset staff fumbling while trying to use their own product on the popular mobile device.

Powerset iPhone Web App Demo from officialpowerset on Vimeo

I expect the company to come out with its own native app that will save past searches and let you store local content depending on how popular this version becomes. I’ve embedded some screens below. Also embedded after the break is a demo video of it in action.

The simplified view lets you sort by attachment, as well as see items like photos and links with thumbnail previews.

Cerda says that long before ads make their way to the service, he wants to make sure his company gets it just right. And even when ads do arrive, he’s not going to use the service to spam people with offers.

In a phone interview on Tuesday, Cc:Betty CEO and co-founder Michael Cerda told me the next big step for the service is to make it easier for its users to go through the motions of cc-ing Cc:Betty. Right now you have to do it manually every time you send an e-mail–a move that arguably gives users far more control over which conversations they choose to organize and aggregate, but can be a pain for heavy users.

Cerda also told me that he’s looking forward to Google’s Wave product since it’s putting conversation management in the spotlight. “The Wave is a monster initiative,” he said, “but I see us as being a simple, relevant, and invaluable version of what some of that wants to deliver. With the right mashup integration, there’s a tremendous opportunity.”

Cc:Betty continues to be a free service, although Cerda says that it will eventually get advertising. “We have instincts around (making money). How can we leverage the fact that Betty has a persistent view of all the data that is coming in and out. How do we not screw up the user experience?” he said. “When Gmail came out, and they put ads in it, people kind of freaked out at first, and all the ads aren’t that great. There’s an opportunity because of all the widespread range of all the data sources. It’s not just about text, so we can present things that are potentially valuable for users.”

The service has taken a similarly simplified approach to viewing both links and e-mail attachments by presenting them as thumbnails. This lets you very quickly parse through attached content without visiting your mail client. And using the aforementioned filters, you can choose to only see things like images, videos, or links from an entire conversation thread.

(Credit:
Cc:Betty)

Starting Wednesday, e-mail helper Cc:Betty has a new look. It now puts cc’d e-mail conversations in a threaded view, so you can look at past correspondence and catch up quickly. You’re also able to sort out messages in each of those threads by person, attachment, and included links using filters that remain on the side of the screen.

“Betty is this trusted persona,” Cerda says, “so the last thing we want to do is violate that trust.”

To alleviate that, Cerda says some automation tools are in the works, such as browser and e-mail client add-ons that should give users the ability to make the cc-ing a part of the usual routine, or to choose which bits they want the service to keep track of.

Remember Brightkite, the social network meets microblogging tool we wrote about last week? The creators have been nice enough to grace us with 100 invites to give away to Webware readers. Just fill in the Wufoo form after the break and we’ll get one your way as soon as we can. Invites will be sent out once all 100 spots have been taken.

Update: All gone. Sending them out to folks now–check your spam boxes.

(Credit: Larry Augustin)
I managed to fracture some bone in my hand and sprain my right thumb while performing a 360 backside-air at the Open Source Goat Rodeo.

Blog, Interrupted…no typing for a few days.

Broken man

Maybe next year, you can watch me tumble down the mountain.

So what’s so great about the SNES?

Let’s face it — when you think about the greatest consoles of all time, you generally remember the times you were forced to leave your SNES running for fear of losing your progress because you could only save at the end of levels or the moments when innovation was truly king in the industry. Call me old-fashioned, but the Playstation simply wasn’t the groundbreaking device that the SNES was. Suffice it to say, the Playstation was great in its own right, but it was a product of its time — a moment in video game history where innovation was losing ground to copycats and graphics meant more than anything else.

Perhaps even more than the games or the hardware, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System did everything you would expect from a follow-up to a wildly popular video game console. In essence, the NES was the building block of American gaming in the ’80s and the SNES was first console to be drastically different (and better) than its predecessor.

And after playing through some of the classics from well over ten years ago, today’s gaming just doesn’t compare. In fact, I would gladly give up the beauty of Gears of War for just 15 minutes of Donkey Kong Country. Who else is with me?

Why not the NES?

(Credit: Wikipedia)

Why not the Playstation?

Over the past few months, I decided to go back in time and relive the days of old. Instead of wasting my day doing things that just weren’t productive, I decided to get all of my old consoles out (NES, Genesis, SNES, 3DO, 32X, Sega CD, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, Playstation 1 and 2 and the Nintendo 64) to finally make the decision on which console is truly the best of all-time (so far).

And while the decision was a difficult one — it’s tough to beat Duck Hunt and Super Mario Bros. — it seemed almost too simple to declare the SNES the greatest console of all-time.

Say hello to the world's best console

To be quite honest, the only reason I’m even mentioning the Playstation in this discussion is because I know that at least a handful of Sony fanboys will cry foul if I didn’t. But the sad truth is, Sony’s Playstation is not the greatest console of all time and if I were to rank it, I don’t even think it would make the top three.

And although the NES was a groundbreaking platform that reignited the world’s passion for video games, sold over 60 million units and had an outstanding library of games that was led by Super Mario Bros. and Contra (Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start) to just name a few, it couldn’t quite stack up to the SNES’ ability to bring third-part development, games and overall quality to the industry.

Why not the Genesis?

When it comes to gaming, most people will claim (and rightfully so) that Nintendo has been a trailblazer in the industry. Without the company having the courage to bring video games back to the states in the ’80s, the chances of us enjoying this multi-billion dollar industry would be slim.

The Genesis is one of those platforms that most people look back on fondly, but for some reason, it always takes a backseat to the SNES. Let’s face it — the Genesis was a great console that, with the help of Sonic, created the industry’s best console war to date. Who can forget the old slogan “Genesis does what Nintendon’t” or its backward compatibility with Sega’s Master System?

But perhaps most importantly, think of the world the SNES spawned. Instead of releasing a veiled copy of the NES to get in on the fight with Sega earlier, Nintendo created a follow-up that was worthy of the ‘Super’ moniker and gave developers the license they needed to create the legendary titles that we still play today.

But in the end, the Genesis was rife with peripheral inconsistencies (do I really need the 32X add-on?) and couldn’t stack up to the SNES in sheer library size and enjoyment. And although I enjoyed my games on the Genesis and sports games never looked so good to that point, it couldn’t quite meet the challenge presented by Nintendo.

Beyond that, the SNES was popular well into the 32-bit era of gaming and stood its ground against the Playstation even though the latter was released almost five years later. And although it didn’t quite sell nearly as many units as the NES, games like Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Donkey Kong Country, Street Fighter II, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and even Mortal Kombat made it a must-buy for gamers all over the world.

Update: Wednesday, April 23, 11:22 am PT:

Shares of Yahoo were down 2.38 percent, or 68 cents, to $27.86 a share in early morning trading. They gained back some ground a bit later to trade at $28.27, down 0.95 percent.

A number of analysts, such as Benjamin Schachter of UBS Securities, assert that Yahoo’s share price will trade based on the prospect of a Microsoft buyout versus its performance for the quarter or its forecast guidance.

Adding a drag on its stock performance were comments Wednesday from Microsoft’s chief executive, Steve Ballmer, who said the software giant is unlikely to raise its buyout bid for the Internet pioneer and is “prepared to move forward alone without Yahoo,” according to a Dow Jones report.

Analysts with the Stanford Group, meanwhile, are increasingly becoming convinced that Microsoft will “go hostile” in trying to acquire Yahoo. Nearly three weeks ago, Ballmer sent a letter to Yahoo with an ultimatum to make a deal, or to face a proxy fight for control of its board and direct solicitation to its shareholders. Yahoo’s deadline to conclude a deal is Saturday.

“With Yahoo likely to continue to drag its feet on any deal with Microsoft, the risk of a long regulatory approval process before the deal can close, and little chance of a higher offer coming from either Microsoft or another bidder, we are revising our rating on Yahoo to ‘Neutral’ from ‘Outperform,’ ” Heath Terry, a Credit Suisse Securities analyst, said in a research note.

Several analysts weighed in with their view that Microsoft has little incentive to raise its initial buyout bid, which was valued at $31 a share on February 1.

“We don’t believe that anything in last night’s report changes the outlook for the deal and we continue to believe that Microsoft will increase its bid or perhaps make it an all-cash deal valued in the $32 to $35 range,” Schachter said in his research note.

Yahoo shares headed a bit south when markets opened Wednesday, as analysts posted lackluster reviews on its first-quarter results and, in at least one case, lowered recommendations.

Yahoo, during its earnings conference call with analysts Tuesday, displayed a “greater willingness” in its comments to negotiate on price, Citigroup Global Markets analyst Mark Mahaney said in his research note.

Here’s a Bloomberg News video link that captures Ballmer’s presentation Wednesday, in which he discusses the possibility of Microsoft walking away from its Yahoo offer.

Martin Taylor–Then: platform strategist (and Ballmer’s chief of staff). Fired by Microsoft allegedly for a company policy violation. Now: operating principal, Vista Equity Partners.

“Hey! Ho! Time for Ballmer to go,” a Wired.com headline proclaimed on April 29.

When Chairman Bill Gates hangs up his day-to-day hat on June 30, it will be an all-Ballmer, all-the-time show. And there’s no heir apparent inside the company to Steve B. Given this void, Microsoft needs Ballmer to stay at the top, at least for the foreseeable future, for continuity and leadership reasons, if nothing else.

Indicative of how quickly things change, that list looks
obsolete today. Some of Gates’ potential heirs-apparent have left (or been
forced out of) the company; several others have been pushed into less visible
jobs at Microsoft. The Softie who many thought would be a shoe-in successor to Gates–Eric Rudder–has retreated from a visible position running Microsoft’s Server and Tools business, to working in a research incubator while plotting his next move.

Kevin Turner: The former Walmart CIO currently runs field sales and marketing, product support, customer support, branding, advertising, public relations, marketing research, corporate operations, and internal IT at Microsoft. In short, he’s one of Microsoft’s chief ambassadors to the outside customer world, as well as the uber-boss of nearly 40,000 of Microsoft’s 80,000 or so employees.

Steven Sinofsky–Then: senior vice president, Office. Now: senior vice president of Windows and Windows Live Engineering.

Here’s a snapshot of the Business 2.0 Baby Bill Class of 2003 and what each of these execs is doing today:

Are any of these individuals next in line to succeed Ballmer? Many Microsoft watchers are doubtful that Ballmer and the board will go inside to find the next Microsoft leader. I tend to agree. Next time Microsoft needs a CEO–which could be at any time the 52-year-old Ballmer decides he’s finally had enough–the company might look outside, rather than inside, for fresh top management blood. (For the record, Ballmer has said he plans to stick around at Microsoft for close to a decade or longer–at least until his youngest son is in college.)

Wired’s story attempts to make a case for CEO Steve Ballmer taking the hits for Vista’s less-than-stellar market reception, as well as the so-far-unconsummated Yahoo-Microsoft merger. “Other CEOs have gotten canned for lesser crimes,” Wired concludes.

Satya Nadella: Sixteen-year Microsoft veteran Nadella has trod a long and winding road inside Microsoft. Nadella currently is corporate vice president in charge of Microsoft’s engineering team for Web search, advertising, and commerce–aka, the Windows Live Search, Microsoft adCenter, and subscriptions/points/billing platforms. What will Nadella’s role be if MicroHoo comes to pass? Unclear.

J Allard–Then: corporate vice president,
Xbox Platform. Now:
corporate vice president, Design and Development, Entertainment
and Devices Division.

What about Ozzie? My gut is Ozzie wants to retreat even further behind the scenes than he is already. The last thing he wants is an OzzieSoft with him anointed as the “next Bill Gates.”

Up until now, Microsoft has been a company where science mattered more
than sales. Specifically, Gates valued technology more than marketing and built Microsoft to reflect his priorities. Gates’ tech vision was evident through the people Microsoft hired and promoted, the projects that got funding, and the amount of commitment the company put behind various initiatives.

The balance of power is set to change drastically, come this summer. And while Ballmer is no technical slouch, he admits that “one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made over time is not wanting to nurture innovations where I either didn’t get the business model or we didn’t have it.”

Even though some shareholders (including some of Microsoft’s own employees) believe a change in leadership is what’s needed to keep the company relevant in the next five-plus years, it doesn’t seem as though Ballmer or the bulk of his inner circle”–aka the “Senior Leadership Team”–is going anywhere. Sometimes, no move just might be the best move.

Craig Mundie: Chief Research and Strategy Officer Mundie is seen as the No. 2 technology guy at Microsoft. But according to recent rumors, Mundie is none too happy about living in Chief Software Architect Ozzie’s shadow and is looking for a way to climb his way up the corporate ladder. Mundie’s been way more visible than Ozzie lately on the speaking circuit and is championing Microsoft’s move to multicore, among other strategic hot spots.

Chris Jones–Then: corporate vice president, Windows Client Group. Now: corporate vice president of Windows Live Experience Program Management.

My rejoinder: “Hell, no. There are no Softies ready for a promo.”

Five years ago, back in 2003, Business 2.0 magazine compiled a list of the 10 most promising rising stars at Microsoft, a group the publication dubbed “The Baby Bills.”

Not everyone at Microsoft is quite as shy and retiring, however. Here are some of the young (and not so young) Turks bucking to influence Microsoft’s near-term, post-Gates directions:

From the original “Baby Bills” short list, Allard, Jones, and Sinofsky remain
among the core group of influencers at Microsoft (and of these, Allard’s current role is rather sketchy, as Rick Thompson, not Allard, is the
Zune king at the company).

In my new book on Microsoft’s future, entitled Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft Plans to Stay Relevant in the Post-Gates Era, I make a similar argument.

There’s just one problem, as Wired notes in an aside. No one’s ready to step up within the company and fill Ballmer’s big shoes.

Along with the three Microsoft presidents–Kevin Johnson, head of Platforms & Services; Jeff Raikes (who will be replaced this fall by Stephen Elop–the head of Business Systems); and Robbie Bach, head of Entertainment & Devices–along with Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie, there are a handful of Microsoft managers whose strategies and thinking will help Microsoft make–or miss–a transition into its next phase as more of a software and service provider.

Steven Sinofsky: Steven Sinofsky runs engineering for two key teams at Microsoft: Windows Client and Windows Live. He was moved into this role in 2006 for a reason–Microsoft’s top brass were tired of being hurt and embarrassed by Microsoft’s ongoing failure to release products on a timely basis. So far, Sinofsky’s been able to maintain radio silence on most of the projects (Windows 7,
IE 8, etc.) he’s spearheading.

Tami Reller–Then: corporate vice president, marketing and strategy,
Business Solutions. Passed over for job running Microsoft Business Solutions unit. Now: chief financial officer, Platforms & Services Division.

J Allard: The closest thing that Microsoft has at the executive level to a hip exec able to appeal to the all-important 16-to-34-year-old mountain-bikeriding, gaming-savvy geek demographic. Allard is a 15-year Microsoft veteran. But what’s Allard’s job these days? In spite of his lofty-sounding title of corporate vice president, Design and Development, Entertainment and Devices Division, no one really seems to know what Allard is up to these days. Plus, Allard is much more of a “Bill guy” than a “Steve guy.”

Eric Rudder–Then: senior vice president, Servers and Tools. Now:
Allegedly working on a secret distributed operating-system project
under Chief Research Officer Craig Mundie.

In the brave, new post-Gatesian world, who’s poised to lead the company? Who is on the fast track at Microsoft these days? Who are the up-and-coming superstars likely to take charge during Microsoft’s next 10-plus years? I’ve asked various Microsoft watchers, partners, customers, and employees these questions, and the fact that few could come up with any immediate suggestions says volumes.

Yusuf Mehdi–Then: corporate vice president, MSN Personal
Services and Business Division; and later, chief advertising strategist. Edged out of advertising management as a result of the aQuantive purchase and subsequent Microsoft realignment. Now: senior vice president of Strategic Partnerships.