Google On A Stick
from the pushing-the-software dept
People have been saying that Google's software products (toolbar, desktop search) are increasingly important to Google's growth strategy -- which explains why the company has been pushing so hard to get people to use both lately. The latest, is that Lexar Media will be including Google's desktop apps on its USB flash drives, so that people will automatically have them. While it certainly doesn't hurt, you have to wonder how many people will suddenly be interested, just because it shows up on their USB drive. Also, it seems like Google's desktop search might not be the type of app you'd want on a USB drive -- since it could lead to odd situations depending on whose computer you plugged the drive into. Some people might not want you seeing their local files when you do a search, just because you're using a keydrive on their machine.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Weird search results
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Re: Weird search results
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lexar smexar...
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by Ben McNelly on Wednesday December 28, @06:50
http://www.j3one.com
I personaly dont use them anymore (toolbar, desktop search) because of privacy concerns.
Yet you could care less about placing your first and last name online (Ben McNelly), along with a link to your website, inwhich anyone could do a "whois" lookup and retreve your actual mailing address and telephone number... (708 1/2 Moffet Ave, Joplin, Missouri 64801 US. (417) 317-8227).
What privacy concerns are you concerned about?
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Re: lexar smexar...
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Haxorz.
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And as for posting my crap for the world to see, I hope you feel proud. Any dweeb can see I am not trying to hide my identity, and many people in the web community know me on a first name basis. If someone wants to mess with you, they will, because you can find out about anything and everyone with a few google searches. If someone wants to stalk me, then its not that hard... what a newb. Do you think I just stumbled onto this whole "web" thing??
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Funny
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Re: Funny
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Re: Funny
Yes, it's true that you can find the same files elsewhere, but Google's desktop search has the results show up in your standard search results -- so you're searching your own hard drive much more often and often when not intended. That's where it can lead to problems.
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Re: Funny
Lastly, Google doesn't take any of your information and use it or forward it to any other companies for that matter. Before you install anything you have to click whether you will let information be sent back to them or not.
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Slow news day?
The offering is the first time consumers will be able to install Google applications from a USB Flash drive directly to their desktop to edit photos, find files and search the web using popular Google applications.
What's wrong with including a few msi/exe installers for their products on a fresh USB stick? How will people find out I look at gay pr0n (which I don't, mind you)? Neither the search daemon nor the database is stored on your USB media, just the installs, if you don't want them taking up space just delete them.
I use GMail and the Toolbar all the time, under thunderbird and firefox respectively.
Use parted and mk'$fs' anytime you like. Poof! No google.
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Re: Slow news day?
Um. Even your quote says this is "the first time" that this is being done, which makes it news. It's not news that you can add installers to a USB stick (I have a few that have that already). What's news is that Google's apps are what's being offered, because it highlights how important these products have become to Google's strategy.
Sorry if that wasn't clear.
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Re: Slow news day?
I've thought that Google's main strategy was using desktop search tools and other programs that tie your main desktop usage into live google services (blog, picasa, desktop search, internet search) to provide "targeted ads" based on the search was their main strategy for quite some time now.
The fact that Lexar now carries installers for google products just highlights that fact.
My point about the blip that links to the article is still valid, it's both sensational and inaccurate, it goes so far as to suggest that "Google's desktop search might not be the type of app you'd want on a USB drive -- since it could lead to odd situations depending on whose computer you plugged the drive into." This is incredibly inaccurate since if you read the article it states *nothing* about your personal search database being stored on your USB thumbdrive, it's just an installer.
Sorry if that wasn't clear.
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Re: Slow news day?
I wasn't saying that it would run on the USB drive either. My point was that people may install it naturally on whatever computer they use it on, and the actual owners of those computers might not appreciate it...
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"Some people might not want you seeing their local
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Why !!
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No Subject Given
End of discussion.
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