Saturday August 13, 2005

Google SMS

Posted by Rob (#1) on August 13, 2005 00:28 CEST

Google isn't satisfied with feeding propaganda or looking down your blouse with satellites, no, they insist on knowing what you're looking for on the streets as well. Enter the wonderful world of . Actually, texting "pizza.rotterdam" wouldn't be a very bad idea at this hour, but unfortunately the service is US/UK only.

No premium MT billing though, the service is free of charge safe for regular network costs charged by operators. Not sure whether that increases my trust, to be honest. If they don't make an obvious profit from premium SMS, what else could they use this for other than data-mining?

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Walken 2008

Anglosphere

Posted by Rob (#1) on August 13, 2005 12:14 CEST

"It's time to get America back on track", with Christopher Walken for President! (Via EU Rota)

I am for human knowledge and expansion of human life. If stem cells are one way to do that, I need to be a good friend of stem cells.

He'd better mean adult stem cells and not embryonic ones. Beware conservatives, this is another Arnold Schwarzenegger and certainly no Ronald Reagan.

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"Google Earth helps terrorists"

European Union

Posted by Rob (#1) on August 13, 2005 12:37 CEST

I'm no fan of Google, or at least I'm not a fan of their editorial staff when it comes to the selection of "News" sources. But to say that Google Earth helps terrorists, that's a bit over the top if you ask me. If you can, also read Arjan's excellent Dutch writeup.

Both politicians and police are concerned that certain locations in the Netherlands, such as the port of Rotterdam, the royal palace in the Hague and Amsterdam Airport, already potential terrorist targets, could be made more vulnerable to terrorists thanks to the detailed images created from satellites and aircrafts within the last three years available via Google Earth.

Technically it's fair point: a free flow of information benefits everyone, including the bad guys.
But when actual possesion of blueprints and weapons is not a terrorist threat in the Netherlands, I don't think government should waste time on matters like these.

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Tags: Google, Google Earth
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