data sharing
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A data-sharing agreement between the US and UK is now in effect
The countries say the pact will help combat serious crimes, but privacy advocates have raised concerns.
US and EU aim to revive transatlantic data flows in new privacy deal
President Biden said the preliminary agreement will 'enhance the Privacy Shield framework.'
WhatsApp will gradually stop working if you don't agree to its new privacy policy
With its controversial privacy policy slated to go into effect this weekend, WhatsApp says it won't delete or deactivate the accounts of individuals who don't want to share their information with Facebook.
WhatsApp: Let us share your data with Facebook or else
“As part of the Facebook Companies, WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information (see here) with, the other Facebook Companies,” the updated privacy policy reads.
The EU outlines its plan to compete with big tech
The European Union has outlined the start of its vision to boost its opportunities in our rapidly digitizing future. As part of a push to make the Union ready for the digital age, it has published a white paper and begun consulting about how it can best control its own destiny. After all, the EU may be a bigger market than the US, but it has struggled to produce homegrown alternatives to Facebook, Google and Microsoft.
Ring now requires two-factor sign-ins for its home security devices
Ring is continuing its bid to improve privacy and security after facing criticism. As of today, the Amazon brand will start requiring two-factor authentication for all users when they sign into their Ring accounts. When the feature reaches you this week, you'll always get a six-digit code sent to either your email or (less recommended) SMS in order to complete the login process. This move will seem more than a little familiar when Nest announced a similar requirement just a week earlier, but it's still good news when it promises to raise the baseline security for Ring's smart home devices.
UK patients' data uploaded to Google servers, serious privacy concerns ensue (update)
The National Health Service (NHS) of England has come under fire lately amid plans to share patient data with researchers and private companies, and today's revelation will only pile on the privacy concerns. The Guardian reports that extensive patient information from its HES (hospital episode statistics) data has been uploaded to Google servers. Patients' stats -- including their addresses, hospital records and more -- was uploaded to Google's BigQuery analytics tool by management consulting firm PA Consulting. The fact that sensitive patient data has been uploaded -- to Google servers outside of the European Union, no less -- may be a huge breach in and of itself, but members of Parliament and patient groups are also questioning exactly how much data has been shared. PA Consulting said it produced interactive maps of hospital data, which implies that location info from patients' files was disclosed. And according to The Independent, patient information has been used by marketers to "target ads on social media." Clearly, there are many unanswered questions here, though more details are likely to emerge as the UK's Health and Social Care Information Center (HSCIC) investigates.
j5 Create's device / data sharing peripherals leave us cautiously optimistic
We're dying to find out more about j5 Create's line of attractive and ambitious peripherals, but we're not entirely sure they actually exist. The company's website features six different data and device sharing products -- the JUC100 Wormhole KM Switch offers keyboard and mouse functionality across two devices; the JUA230 DVI Display Adapter connects up to six monitors with three different display modes; and the JUH320 Wormhole Station brings together shared keyboard and mouse access with two USB 3.0 ports and a memory card reader. j5's website promises stylish connectivity, featuring sleek product renderings and a flash presentation that provides, ahem, inspirational insight -- swans, flutes, ballerinas -- but no talk of finished products, price, or availability. Additionally, we haven't found any of these devices for sale online, despite the fact that the brand's parent company, KaiJet, is an established manufacturer of peripherals in Taiwan. So, yes, there's a chance that someone out there is hooked up to a Wormhole Station right now, but we wouldn't bet our diamond-encrusted iPhone on it.
Verizon iPhone 4 will have 3G mobile hotspot (update)
It'll probably be subject to an additional fee as usual, but Verizon and Apple have just revealed that the new CDMA iPhone 4 will act as a mobile WiFi connection for up to five devices. It'll come with an iOS-specific version of the Verizon 3G Mobile Hotspot that folks have been enjoying on their Droids for many moons now. That should allowing for laptops, tablets and the like to get online via iPhone without a pesky cord, and almost certainly make the long-verboten iPhone - iPad tethering connection finally attainable. Joy to the world! Update: Verizon called it an app, but getting hands-on we can see that's not the case at all -- Personal Hotspot is built right into the CDMA iPhone 4's build of iOS 4.2.5. Perhaps we'll see it migrate to other devices as well?
How-to: push Chrome / Firefox links to your Android 2.2 Froyo device (video)
While we absolutely adore our Nexus One -- now that it's got a bellyful of that fabulous frozen yogurt -- one of the most exciting Android additions shown off at Google I/O isn't actually slated for Froyo: the ability to push apps and music over the air from computer to phone. The underlying framework apparently is, though, and thus a bite-sized version of the functionality is already available at Google Code. If you're one of the lucky few running Android 2.2, you can get an extension for Chrome and Firefox web browsers that will let you push URLs, Maps and YouTube video links direct to your device using a Google Account. You can think of it as an early foray into a Continuous Client, perhaps, sharing with yourself before you head to a business meeting. Better yet, share an account with a group of friends and push interesting items to everyone on the go. See how (and see it in action) right after the break.
