It was recently revealed that Google managed to collect details of private Wi-Fi data from homes as its cars were driving around the UK, supposedly for Google Street View.

Google has claimed that this was done by complete accident and yet details of network names, MAC addresses and even information of what was being sent and received over the networks were collected.

The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) took Google’s word for it and decided not to investigate.

Yet Simon Davies, the director of Privacy International, claims that Google could be misleading the regulator because it is unbelievable that this could have been done by mistake.

He also claims that it is naive of the ICO to accept Google’s explanation.

Google has responded by saying that it was a genuine mistake and that Privacy International is unfairly targeting Google.

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Google Wi-Fi snoop not an accident

The television maker Panasonic is planning to ship out its massive 152 inch 3D TV this autumn, but consumers won’t be rushing out to get this huge TV to put on their wall, or maybe even to replace a wall, as it is believed that the market is likely to be the advertising sector, especially with a price tag of $500,000.

The full 3D TV has a resolution of 4096 x 2160.

This is getting close to what would be seen in a digital cinema, so it clear to see why the Panasonic TV is so expensive at the moment.

However, with hardly any content around, is this something that is really going take off, other than appearing in a shopping mall or used for replays in a sports stadium?

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The world is about to go World Cup mad when the first game kicks off tomorrow, in fact even some of the more unlikely companies are getting in on the action.

Google is well known for adding little goodies to the search home page, but this time the search giant has tweaked its system in favour of World Cup mania.

To see what they are doing simply enter the search term “World Cup” for web search and the page returns with a fixtures list and countdown to the next match.

At the bottom of the page the ‘Google’ above the search field has become Gooooooooooal! while on the right hand side the sponsored links are dominated by BSkyB, Virgin Media, William Hill and Paddy Power.

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Google tweaks world cup search

Some more iPhone 4 news for you: 3 has announced that it will carry Apple’s new smartphone, along with Vodafone, O2, Orange and T-Mobile.

3 will stock the mobile come the release day, June 24th, with pre-orders starting next Tuesday (June 15th).

So there’ll be no shortage of options when it comes to purchasing the handset.

Whether or not that will lead to competitive pricing on some deals, or all the operators more or less holding the Apple line, we shall have to see.

However, O2 has at least announced details of the upgrade offer it was promising for existing customers.

They will be able to buy themselves out of their current contract and upgrade to the iPhone 4 with a new 18 or 24 month contract, for the cost of £20 for every month remaining on their existing contract. Plus whatever the cost of the iPhone 4 is, of course.

So yes, it will cost you a fair bit to buy your way out (especially if you’ve a while to run on your contract), but the idea is that customers can recycle their old iPhones and recoup some (or perhaps all) of that fee.

For example, O2 Recycle will give you £173 for an iPhone 3G 16GB. Although if a lot of folks start trading their old iPhones in, those prices will naturally drop.

Anyway, you can suss the deal out at a special micro-site O2 has put up. Check out: http://shop.o2.co.uk/new-iphone/earlyupgradeoffer.html

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3 will carry iPhone 4, and O2 announces upgrade offer

Just when things appeared to be going fine between Virgin Media and BSkyB, it looks as if the cable TV provider is not too pleased with the deal struck by the media regulator Ofcom over the wholesale price of the satellite TV provider’s premium sports content.

In fact Virgin Media is appealing against the regulator’s ruling, because Ofcom has failed to cover the prices charged by BSkyB when the sports channels are sold in a bundle with other premium channels, such as the film channels.

It was less than a week ago when Virgin Media sold its TV channels to BSkyB and yet the broadcaster’s attention to details is still dominating the way in which the company gets on with rivals and the authorities.

Excerpt from:
Virgin Media complains about Ofcom Sky Sports ruling