GooglePhone launched

Google has launched it's new phone. Initital reports present it as very closely linked to current Google apps - Google docs, Gmail, Google maps etc. It is also tied to one carrier (T-Mobile). Hardware is by HTC who also make a range of high end phones.

There is a slide out keyboard and some touch-screen features. It doesn't sync to a PC though - you have to do everything through Google apps.

US release only so far - priced at $199. Range of pics here:infosync world

Initital pundit reaction: very unliekly to secure any major market share.

Google Chrome

The Google Chrome browser has now been live for a few weeks. We downloaded it on the day it became available. In summary:

• It's very plain - probably a good thing.
• It appears to be very nippy compared to IE7 and Firefox.
• The new tab option brings up thumbnails of the sites you visit most. Which is nice.
• If you agree, it will send details of all your web behaviour back to Google.

So with Google Mail, Google docs, This blogger, the desktop search/toolbar combo and now Chrome, there isn't much that Google won't know about you. Which is either ok or a nightmare depending on your point of view.

We'd always recommend not letting Google or any other provider harvest information about you, your data or your on-line habits.

New internet scam appears

Scammers are now targeting people by phone and pretending to be pursuing copyright infringers. This looks like a response to activity by UK Law firm DAvenport Lyons pursuing people who have illegaly downloaded a pinball game.
The scam involves a phone call and demands for money - presumably the crooks think that most internet users have probably illegally downloaded music or other files from web.

ISPs have confrimed that if you are going to be approached about copyright infringment, it will be by letter.