Elliott C. Back: Internet & Technology

At least, if you’re using Chrome. While I’m not the only one to notice this, no action has yet been taken by either The Independent or Google. Here’s the problem, as seen on The Independent home page:

As you can see, they show a yellow toolbar across the top of their site with the text: “The Independent now has a Google Chrome Extension. Get the latest news on the topics you like, direct to your browser.” There is an install button and a grey x to hide the bar. However, this is mimicking the kosher Chrome UX for extensions. For example, when extensions crash, they display a similar bar:

I’m not sure what’s to be done; the marketing is deceptive and shady, tricking people into thinking that Google/Chrome/their browser is encouraging them to install a new/cool/shiny extension for The Independent’s website. The extension itself, which I am not installing ever, seems relatively innocuous.

I was using my GMail today and was surprised to see a little link that read “Last account activity: 1 minute ago at this IP (74.101.6.15). Details.” If you click on Details, it brings up a popup with the latest activity on your account–who accessed your email last, and from where:

Activity on this account: This feature provides information about the last activity on this mail account and any concurrent activity.

GMail now tells you with timestamps (a) what kind of thing (browser, IMAP client, etc) accessed your email (b) when it happened, and (c) what the IP address was. The only thing lacking is a log of what content precisely was downloaded. So finally Google has solved the “is my significant other spying on me” or “do my parents secretly read my email” questions.

Google’s Project 10¹⁰⁰ is about gathering the world’s best ideas and sifting them to produce meaningful agents of change. After thousands of people from hundreds of different countries submitted over 150,000 ideas, dedicated Google staffers aggregated them into 16 different “Big Ideas,” up to 5 of which will be funded. Here’s a little more info about the project:

Thanks to ReadWrite Web for pointing out this video.

If you head on over now to the Project 10¹⁰⁰ voting page, let your voice be heard! Voting will end on October 8th, so you don’t have much time! Proposals include:

• Promote health monitoring and data analysis
• Enhance science and engineering education
• Create real-world issue reporting system
• Create genocide monitoring and alert system
• Help social entrepreneurs drive change
• Make government more transparent
• Provide quality education to African students
• Create real-time natural crisis tracking system
• Build real-time, user-reported news service
• Drive innovation in public transport
• Make educational content available online for free
• Create more efficient landmine removal programs
• Work toward socially conscious tax policies
• Build better banking tools for everyone
• Collect and organize the world’s urban data
• Encourage positive media depictions of engineers and scientists

I’ve voted for Work toward socially conscious tax policies. Let me know what you think in the comments!