For the Record (MP3)

Google co-founder Sergey Brin on Buzz

podcast@cnet.com (CNET.com) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:42:00 PST

Google co-founder Sergey Brin (shown at a previous event)

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)

Google co-founder Sergey Brin said the team behind Buzz, Google's service that aims to organize your online social life, started out small. But as they tested the system within Google, they "found it so useful for internal communications that we became really motivated to bring this to the world," he said in an interview recorded immediately following Google's announcement Tuesday. (Scroll down to listen to the interview.)

For him, one of the most useful features is the ability "to start typing a thought right off the bat without having to worry about disrupting other people...I can throw something out there and the people who are most interested and most relevant tend to pay attention and reply."

Signal to noise
Brin said that Google's "recommendation systems will tend to surface (posts) to the most relevant people so that I'm no longer acting as a human router of sorts but the back end does that heavy lifting." He added, "Extracting signal from noise is one of our key competencies."

Safety and privacy
In response to a question, he said that the company is concerned about privacy and security because their mobile service "gives you the ability to share where you are." But, he said, it's up to individuals to decide whether to share your location and your posts," adding "people need to be thoughtful with whom they share and with what purpose."

On the other hand, Brin said that "it can really enhance safety and security," suggesting that parents could give a phone to one of their kids "and if something happens to them you can know where they are at the time." In response to a question on whether Google will provide advice on how to use this service safely, he responded, "so far it's clear that the benefits outweigh the cost and as we see people use it more broadly I'm sure we can come up with a set of guidelines."

Disclosure: Google is one of several companies that provide support for ConnectSafely.org, a nonprofit Internet safety organization I help operate.

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The decline of teen blogging (podcast)

podcast@cnet.com (CNET.com) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:09:47 PST

A Pew Internet & American Life Project study finds a decline in blogging among teens and young adults, and very low Twitter use among teens. Pew's Amanda Lenhart explains the findings.

Hillary Clinton on Internet freedom (podcast)

podcast@cnet.com (CNET.com) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:23:27 PST

Hillary Clinton talks about Internet freedom at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

(Credit: Department of State)

In a far reaching policy speech Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton talked about freedom of speech on the Internet.

She addressed the issue of alleged Chinese intrusion into Google servers to spy on human rights activists, as well as freedom of religion and economic issues.

Clinton also addressed issues of hate speech and terrorists who use the Internet for recruitment.

She raised concerns about "the issue of anonymous speech" and worries about terrorists and criminals who "divorce their online actions from their real world identities." However, some human rights activist rely on anonymity to protect them from oppressive regimes.

This 8:53 minute podcast is mostly excerpts from Clinton's speech with some short commentary.

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Kids spend nearly 11 hours a day accessing media (podcast)

podcast@cnet.com (CNET.com) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:59:00 PST

Study director Victoria Rideout

(Credit: CBS/The Early Show (via CBSNews.com)

Larry Magid speaks with Kaiser Family Foundation Vice President Victoria Rideout, who is director of a new study that shows a "dramatic" rise in the amount of time children and teens spend using entertainment media, "especially among minority youth." The study, "Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-year-olds," only focused on recreational use of media, not homework, school-related online research, or reading books for school. The full report on how kids are using media on computers, phones, game consoles TVs, and other devices study can be read here.

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Chocolate company brings high-tech factory to remote cocoa farms

podcast@cnet.com (CNET.com) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:55:00 PST

Louis Rossetto, CEO Tcho

(Credit: Larry Magid)

Tcho, a San Fransisco-based chocolate company, gets its cocoa beans from farmers in Peru, Ghana, and other countries. Although many of the families there have been growing cocoa beans for generations, some have never actually tasted chocolate, much less the products made from their own crops. Aside from not being able to enjoy the fruits of their own labor, they have no way to directly understand the relationship between their growing techniques and the final product.

Tcho has solved the problem by bringing the factory to the farm. Using what co-founder Louis Rossetto calls "appropriate technology," the company sets up "flavor labs" on farms in the developing world using about $8,000 worth of equipment consisting of a Macintosh computer, an off-the-shelf-grinder, a roaster that uses a hair dryer as a heat source, and other equipment that enables farmers and technicians to turn raw beans into chocolate. That way the farmers can get a better sense of what their product will taste like to consumers. That process, according to Rossetto, helps the farmer know which beans to pick and how best to process them.

If Louis Rossetto's name sounds familiar, some may remember him as co-founder of Wired Magazine. Also, Tcho was the subject of a CNET story, slideshow, and video in June 2009.

Larry spoke with Rossetto at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.

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CES: Product lets parents monitor, control child's cell phone (podcast)

podcast@cnet.com (CNET.com) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:50:00 PST

Graphic from Taser's Protector website

(Credit: Taser International)

Taser International has developed software that allows parents to monitor and control what their children can do with their cell phones. The service, called Protector Family Safety Platform, lets parents monitor their child's incoming and outgoing phone calls, texts and media. Parents can block calls or messages, listen in, and even record calls.

Taser International Vice President Steve Tuttle tells Larry Magid how the system works.

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CES: YoGen acts like a yo-yo to generate power for phones (podcast)

podcast@cnet.com (CNET.com) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:20:26 PST

Easy Energy's Allison Morrison discusses a handheld device that generates emergency power for cell phones and iPods.

CES: Sennheiser, Adidas collaborate on sports headphones (podcast)

podcast@cnet.com (CNET.com) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 05:44:00 PST

At CES, Senneiser product manager Eric Palonen discusses new headphones created with runners and other athletes in mind.

CES: No Geek Needed exec says products should be simple to install

podcast@cnet.com (CNET.com) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:19:00 PST

Bruce Fredrickson wants to make things simple. His company, "No Geek Needed," has a router that he says installs in less time than it takes to boil an egg.

CES: Dave Taylor on CES and the most common tech questions

podcast@cnet.com (CNET.com) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:16:00 PST

Most people ask Dave Taylor questions through his website AskDaveTaylor.com, but Larry Magid got to ask him some questions in person at the Showstoppers press event at CES.