Google, privacy and future tech

Last week saw Google host their annual Google IO developer conference in California.  Over the past few years they’ve given away some great devices to developers attending, starting back in 2010 with a Google Nexus One, then  Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1’s on 2011, this year they gave away a Nexus 7 (tablet with the next version of Android, Jelly Bean) a Nexus Q (Google’s answer to Sonos) and a Galaxy Nexus (which will be receiving Jelly Bean very soon).

Jelly Bean itself doesn’t excite me too much, it looks to be a rather incremental update.  I do like the look of ‘Google Now’ though –

This is where the privacy issues come in to play.  Google Now only works when it knows all about you.  It knows your searches, it knows your location, it knows what you’ve +1’d.

Myself, I have no problem with this, but I know there will be many saying ‘I don’t want Google knowing all about me!’  The way I see it, that’s almost like saying ‘I don’t want my computer knowing all about me!’  There’s not a person sifting through everything you do.  No-one’s actually reading your e-mails.

If Google, or one of their employees breached your privacy, it would literally cost them billions, they just can’t afford it.  They live off our trust.  They give us much more control over what is kept and what is tracked than someone like Facebook, which interestingly most people are more than happy to give all their information to.

Then, imagine Google Now built into the other big feature of Google IO –

Google Glasses in itself is something I can’t wait for.  Imagine you meet someone you’ve not seen in years, can’t remember their name, but your HUD tells you “This is Anne Other, her last tweet was ‘Can’t wait to see the Arsenal game down the pub tonight’ ”

Then, blend Google Now into this, the possibilities are endless!

Personally, I can’t wait for the future…