"Google said websites such as Facebook "leave users in a data dead end"

Google Inc will begin blocking Facebook and other web services from accessing its users' information, highlighting an intensifying rivalry between the two Internet giants. Google will no longer let other services automatically import its users' email contact data for their own purposes, unless the information flows both ways. It accused Facebook in particular of siphoning up Google contact data, without allowing for the automatic import and export of Facebook users' information.

Facebook, with more than 500 million users, relies on email services such as Google's Gmail to help new users find friends already on the network. When a person joins, they are asked to import their Gmail contact list into the social network service. Facebook then tells the user which email contacts are also on the social network.
In a statement, Google said websites such as Facebook "leave users in a data dead end." Facebook did not immediately provide a comment on Friday.
While Google framed the move as an attempt to protect its users' ability to retain control of their personal data on the Internet, analysts said the move underscored the battle between Google, the world's largest search engine, and Facebook, the dominant Internet social network.
"The fundamental power dynamic on the Web today is this emerging conflict between Facebook and Google," said Gartner analyst Ray Valdes. "Google needs to evolve to become a big player in the social Web and it hasn't been able to do that."
"If people do search within Facebook, if they do email within Facebook, if they do instant messaging within Facebook, all of these will chip away at Google's properties."
 Reciprocity
Google said that while it makes it easy for other Web services to automatically import a user's contact data, Facebook was not reciprocating.
"We have decided to change our approach slightly to reflect the fact that users often aren't aware that once they have imported their contacts into sites like Facebook, they are effectively trapped," Google said in an emailed statement.
"We will no longer allow websites to automate the import of users' Google Contacts (via our API) unless they allow similar export to other sites," Google said.
Some technology blogs were reporting that Facebook still appeared to be allowing users to import their Google Gmail contacts into Facebook as of mid-day Friday.
A Google spokesman told Reuters that the company had begun enforcing the new rules "gradually."
Google also stressed that users will still be able to manually download their contacts to their computers in "an open, machine-readable format" which can then be imported into any Web service.


Google has coveted the wealth of information that Facebook's half-billion users generate and amass. Having access to that data could be especially valuable to Google, whose business model is based on allowing its users to find any information anywhere on the Web.
"Google is trying to use the leverage that it has to get as much access to the Facebook social graph (network of friends and interests) that it can, so it can provide the best search function that it can," said Wedbush Securities analyst Lou Kerner. "The more data Google has access to the better its search results are going to be."
Last month, Facebook announced a deal with Microsoft Corp allowing Facebook information -- such as Web pages that Facebook users have endorsed by clicking on "like" buttons -- to appear within Microsoft search results.
Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt said in September the company would add social "layers" to many of its existing Web products in the coming months, following its less-than-stellar track record of developing stand-alone social networking products like Orkut and the recently shuttered Wave service.
Google also has acquired a slew of small social networking companies in recent months, including Slide and social payment company Jambool.
Gartner's Valdes said access to the explosion of new types of data generated by Web services, such as location-based services, would provide further flashpoints between Google and Facebook."It's one skirmish among many to come," said Valdes

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New Wagon R 2010 from Maruti Suzuki: revamped feature, specs, price, design

New Wagon R 2010 from Maruti Suzuki: Maruti Suzuki has launched its all new Wagon R in India with a totally revamped exterior and redesigned interior with more space and a more powerful engine. The new Wagon R will be launched in 3 versions namely, Lx, Lxi and Vxi. The ex showroom price in Delhi for its Lx model is Rs. 3,28,000, for Lxi model is Rs. 3,57,000 and Vxi model is Rs. 3,81,000.

The new model of Maruti Suzuki Wagon R 2010 boasts of better looks, the company has bid good bye to its boxy look to be replaced by the more rounded shape. The facelift of this new generation Wagon R is a major one this time with the company using all new chassis that delivers a wider look to this car than its predecessors. The car now

gets a new front grille with clear lens head lamps and rounded fog lamps. The front and rear bumper are redesigned with new air dam in the front. The tail lamp is slightly bigger and the ‘Blue Eyed Boy’ as the company names the new Maruti Wagon R also features a blue eyed parking indicator in the head lamp.
At the heart of new Maruti Suzuki Wagon R 2010 is the Bharat Stage IV complaint 998cc KB series engine which is capable of developing maximum power of 67Bhp at 6200 rpm with maximum torque of 90 Nm at 3500 rpm. This is same engine that powers the Maruti A Star. The car is fuel efficient as it gives a mileage of 18.9 km per L of petrol according to Automotive Research Association of India standards. It also comes with a new cable-type transmission and a 3 point suspension. The new car also offers greater ride comfort thanks to its new L-shaped front suspension frame.

The new Maruti Wagon R also ranks very high when it comes to its new and improved safety features. The new model sports an increased frontal impact absorbing area that ensures greater safety for its passengers. There is an added driver’s seat belt indicator and the Wagon R keys this time are integrated with i- CAT, anti-burglar alarm and a 4 door central locking. The Vxi model is equipped with front and rear fog lamps and the ABS model of the Vxi comes with Airbags and ABS as options.

The interiors of the latest Wagon R by Maruti Suzuki new improved boot space and a latest and unique shopping tray fitted right under the front passenger seat. This comes very handy in safely keeping the cell phone, cameras and other valuable things away from prying eyes. The dual color dashboard lends a charming appeal to the interiors coupled with new door rims and latest upholstery. The central console is completely new with dash integrated music system. The steering wheel is also new as the company now introduces the Swift steering in the latest Wagon R 2010. Maruti has also worked on providing better leg room by giving huge leg space this time which is 100mm more than the present model.

The new Maruti Suzuki Wagon R is available in 7 vivacious colors, Superior White, Midnight Black, Silky Silver, Firebrick Red, Breeze Blue, Baker’s Chocolate and Blistering Grey.

Hubble's new instant classic

To celebrate the Hubble Space Telescope’s 20th anniversary, NASA released this composite visible-light portrait of a nearby star-forming region, the Carina nebula. Towers of gas and dust, the home to newborn stars, line the walls of the nebula, which lies about 7,500 light-years from Earth. The image captures the violent activity atop a pillar of gas and dust that stands three light-years tall. Intense ultraviolet radiation and streams of charged particles from hot newborn stars just outside this view are compressing the pillar, triggering the formation of new stars within it. Streamers of hot ionized gas flow off the ridges of the pillars while starlit wisps of gas and dust float around the peaks.

ASMedia to Start USB 3.0 Chip Price War

With Light Peak blitz happening anytime next year, Asustek's wholly-subsidiary ASMedia is going all out to push USB 3.0 to mainstream by offering per chip pricing below $3. This move will compete with NEC's $6. (NEC was making a killing at $9 per unit between 2H 2009 and 1H 2010.) Asustek has already transferred all orders to ASMedia, followed by MSI, Gigabyte and Elitegroup within the year. Backed by all these Taiwanese motherboard manufacturers, ASMedia is expected to hit the 10 million USB 3.0 chip milestone in 2010.
Granted, this still may not be enough since chipset integration by Intel would make USB 3.0 free for everyone, yet the silicon shipment number alone may just create more incentive for peripheral makers to jump onto the SuperSpeed bandwagon. Besides NEC and Asustek, Texas Instrument, VIA and even Intel have planned to start mass shipment of USB 3.0 hosts beginning Q3 2010.

Panasonic & Samsung Roll Out Skype-compliant USB HD Webcams for HDTVs

Webcams have found a new home outside LCD monitors and notebooks. Panasonic and Samsung both have debuted other own USB HD webcam add-on that can be mounted atop of their respective high-end HDTVs. Since nearly all high-def flat panels sport USB interface for media playback, firmware, or WiFi, re-using the same port for adding a HD webcam is the logical path for these companies.

The Panasonic Y-CC10W web camera is designed exclusively for VIERA flat TV series of the same company. Panasonic likely makes sure it won't work on any Windows, Mac or competitors' TVs with custom firmware, which has a copy of the Skype software. The USB 2.0 webcam itself has a 1/4 CMOS sensor with a 56.8 degree coverage; it isn't surprising that there are four microphones to pick up all the different voices from around the living room. A built-in H.264 compressor handles all the video encoding but it can only feed video to the other party at 22fps.

The other Skype HD webcam comes from Samsung and like the aforementioned video camera, the FreeTalk TV is a USB add-on exclusively built for LED 7000 and 8000 series models of HDTVs. These two models both have access to USB 2.0 port that allows H.264 MKV and DivX HD playback and that also accepts external WiFi 802.11n installation. This model does support 30fps streaming at 720p, but oddly, the webcam does only manual focus. For $150, we would have expected something more in line with the current crop of HD webcams for PCs.