Google + start auditing the accounts of users

Google Social Network

Google has begun to show audited accounts in their social network, Google +. These accounts have a check mark next to the name and pass the cursor over it the message 'name verified'. For now, they are authenticating the accounts of public figures, celebrities and you have a large following.

Last month, Google indicated its intention to use the famous Google + to attract more users. It has now taken the first step to achieve this: the inclusion of audited accounts similar to Twitter. Thus, Google continues to add features + already present in other social networks, such as games.

For now you can not request verification of the accounts, but that it is the search engine decides which profiles are to be authenticated.

Google +

Explains Wen-Ai Yu (Google worker whose profile is verified), are focusing on checking accounts "public figures, celebrities and people who have been added to a large number of circles", but work to expand the function.

It is difficult to determine the number of contacts necessary to verify a Google account. As have shown in Search Engine Land, has been verified profiles with more than 4,000 followers, while more than 8,000 others have not been.

Theft of 'e-mail' in the company of marketing 'online' Epsilon

The provider of marketing services, Epsilon has been a theft of millions of e-mail addresses, which has forced banks and companies in the U.S. and UK to alert customers of possible attacks 'online'. Several U.S. companies warned earlier this week to its customers who may be the target of attempted fraud on the 'e-mail' after stealing millions of addresses.

Among the companies affected are Hilton HHonours, American Express, BestBuy, Borders, Capital One, Citbank, Disney, The Home Shopping Network, JP Morgan Chase, Marriott Rewards, Ritz Carlton, TiVo, U.S. Bank, Verizon and Visa.
"The information obtained is limited to names and addresses of 'e-mail' from some of our credit card customers," reported this week Citigroup customers, who warned that such information may be used for attacks of 'phishing', which involves the mass sending fake emails to obtain confidential bank details.

Theft e mails

It also warned its customers of this possibility the bank JPMorgan Chase, which reminded his customers never enter their bank details by email and to be cautious with any 'e-mail' to request personal information, especially banking.
Even the British retailer Marks and Spencer has sent a warning to its customers in which they are warned of potential problems with email scams.

This series of warnings to users, there were a few days after the company Epsilon, which manages advertising on many U.S. firms email, informing them that someone had accessed their database on 30 March and was named of consumers and their email addresses.

Stole e mails in Epsilon company

Epsilon said the "unauthorized entry into the email system of Epsilon" has affected only 2% of its customers and this percentage is only a subset of customers that Epsilon provides email services.

From the security company Trend Micro also warned about the risk that the 'spear-phishing (phishing highly selective) involved.
According to Rik Ferguson, Director of Security Research and Communications, EMEA at Trend Micro, one wonders if the 'cyber' have been able to browse through the database and extract only that information which have been considered more valuable.

Google France fined for collecting private data with its Street View program

U.S. Internet giant Google was fined 100,000 euros in France to collect data through its controversial Street View mapping program, said the secretary general of the National Commission for Informatics and Liberties (CNIL), Yann Padova.
As reported by the organization in a statement, the fine was imposed because the company did not respond to requests for CNIL "within the time limit."
The organization asked the finder to cease data collection and gave them a copy of all information obtained in the country. After analyzing the data, they discovered that in addition to technical data, information was collected as "data connection to websites, passwords messaging services, email addresses and exchanges of emails with sensitive information."
The browser has undertaken to cease the collection of data from their cars and remove all information collected by mistake.

Google Street View

In an interview published by Le Parisien, Yann Padova, noted that data collection by Google has made the company has "fueled a geolocation database that is now worth its weight in gold and allows you to dominate the dial."

In addition, Padova added that the fine-record in France for such a penalty, also bearing in mind that Google "did not cooperate frankly" during investigations.

The secretary general of the French body responsible for ensuring freedom in the network described the behavior of the U.S. company as "particularly serious intrusion."
Google vehicles on the streets not only capture pictures but 'aspired' "all the information passing through wireless Internet connections are not protected," which includes "personal emails, links to all sorts of web pages and even information on prescription drugs, "he said.

Private data of Street Views

For its part, the director of data protection technology company, Peter Fleischer, said in a statement sent to Efe that Google collected data "by mistake" from "wireless networks (WiFi) is not protected."
"Since we knew what was happening, we stop our cars in Street View and report immediately to the French authorities. Our aim has always been to destroy the data and we welcome the CNIL has given us permission" to do so.
The secretary general of CNIL admitted that in April 2010, Google acknowledged its error and that once the case is closed, the Internet giant will proceed to the destruction of the data obtained unlawfully.
France is not the only place that has emerged this polemic. Similar processes have emerged open in 37 U.S. states and other countries such as Spain, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand and South Korea.

Microsoft will pay about U.S. $ 1,000 million for its agreement with Nokia

Much has been said of the agreement between Nokia and Microsoft to bring Windows 7 to the phone Phone Finnish company. About the developers, their chances of success or the logic of the union. But the costs are going to have for these two technology giants, which could be much higher than expected.
Microsoft will pay U.S. $ 1,000 million to Nokia about this collaboration and in return receive a commission for every device sold, according to information to which the chain has agreed Bloomberg.

Microsoft pay $ 1,000 millon to Nokia

In particular, the initial outlay is to "promote and develop Windows-based mobile phones." Nokia, which is still the leading seller of 'hardware' of the world, equip their phones with Windows Phone 7 to make the final leap to the segment of smartphones, and Android dominated by IOS. In return, the manufacturer must pay Microsoft a fee for each unit sold to one of their operating systems.
Nokia's success is the triumph of Microsoft and the technology news.

Confirmed the agreement, Microsoft will pay a lot for this contract has led Nokia to choose Windows ahead of Android, a platform of success and cheap that is driving the benefits of other manufacturers like HTC or Samsung, and also allows interface customization, something that could have taken the Finnish company to bring it closer to their old operating systems and for compatibility with applications OVI.

Microsoft and Nokia

However, Redmond has made a bet to rely on the product's success. In establishing such royalties for the use of its mobile operating system, Microsoft assures them of a steady income if Nokia get flood the market with its upcoming smartphones as it has done so far with the low-end phones. The point of return on initial investment has not been elucidated.


Rumors suggest that there will be licensing fees for the exchange of technology. In announcing this new partnership has already clarified some transfers and mergers, such as replacing Bing Ovi Maps Maps to take advantage of the Nokia Navteq, the preferential use of Bing as search engine advertising service or by adCenter.
Although these are the basic terms of the agreement, a spokesman for Nokia has acknowledged that the contract has not yet been signed, while from Microsoft is silent on the subject, says Bloomberg.