Hangouts: Unified Messaging from Google

I've installed the app and it immediately populated the contact lists with what are essentially strangers. There doesn't seem to be an easy way to remove them?
 
nadimm said:
Messages will be stored on your Google profile (a bit scary). Google will now know your deepest darkest secrets. Also there'll be an infinite searchable history of your conversations. Think personal integration on Google Now.

Images will be saved to a Google plus album that can be shared later.

Read receipts so you can see which messages your contact had read. No duplicate notifications across platforms. If you're offline you'll be emailed.
Click to expand...

I'm not integrating everything together like this and giving one company control over everything...
all their products are great but it's becoming a bit much now... they were a simple search engine but now they have control over everything in your life.

You have a Google cellphone (Android),
which has a GPS map/tracking system they also own (Google Maps),
Which you communicate on (Google Hangouts)
which has all your search history because they own that too (Google Search Engine),
on a Browser they own (Google Chrome)
with all your e-mail history (Gmail),
which you connect to you entire life via social networks (G+),
that logs your video viewing history (YouTube)

Is it just me or is this Internet beginning to not seem so "anonymous" anymore?
Soon Google will control your TV and drive your vehicle.

Am I the only one concerned about this issue or am I just paranoid here? :erm:
 
Keeper said:
Am I the only one concerned about this issue or am I just paranoid here? :erm:
Click to expand...
Don't worry, it wont be long before they figure out a way to monetize your paranoia too. :D
 
bwana said:
Don't worry, it wont be long before they figure out a way to monetize your paranoia too. :D
Click to expand...

Already have I bet, I'm sure he is getting ads for counselling and therapy on every other search.

Anyway, I really like hangouts, it's a pity none of my friends seem keen to give it a try. People don't like change, they are comfortable having whatsapp, skype and facetime. They don't want one app that does all of that and more. I wouldn't be surprised if Google tries to make hangouts their new social network. If they add in status updates (more like tweets then what BBM has) and integrate it with Maps and some of their other services, I could see it becoming very popular.
 
Guantanamo said:
Already have I bet, I'm sure he is getting ads for counselling and therapy on every other search.

Anyway, I really like hangouts, it's a pity none of my friends seem keen to give it a try. People don't like change, they are comfortable having whatsapp, skype and facetime. They don't want one app that does all of that and more. I wouldn't be surprised if Google tries to make hangouts their new social network. If they add in status updates (more like tweets then what BBM has) and integrate it with Maps and some of their other services, I could see it becoming very popular.
Click to expand...

If this prompts facebook to enable voice/video in their mobile apps I think Hangout's goose is pretty much cooked.
 
Keeper said:
I'm not integrating everything together like this and giving one company control over everything...
all their products are great but it's becoming a bit much now... they were a simple search engine but now they have control over everything in your life.

You have a Google cellphone (Android),
which has a GPS map/tracking system they also own (Google Maps),
Which you communicate on (Google Hangouts)
which has all your search history because they own that too (Google Search Engine),
on a Browser they own (Google Chrome)
with all your e-mail history (Gmail),
which you connect to you entire life via social networks (G+),
that logs your video viewing history (YouTube)

Is it just me or is this Internet beginning to not seem so "anonymous" anymore?
Soon Google will control your TV and drive your vehicle.

Am I the only one concerned about this issue or am I just paranoid here? :erm:
Click to expand...

Well unlike others on the web they have one place where you can go export/delete it all if you don't like it https://www.google.com/dashboard/ :)

and yes you are the paranoid one, but google even cater for people like you.... incognito mode ftw.
 
AlphaJohn said:
and yes you are the paranoid one, but google even cater for people like you.... incognito mode ftw.
Click to expand...

Yep, That helps.... until they dominate the ISP market as well.
They are already positioning themselves for a massive Tripple-Play service with Google TV and their Gigabit fibre services you know...


All i'm saying is although they have great products and a friendly logo, we should be cautious with a single Company owning and controlling everything from your Web, TV, ISP, Phone, Mail, Browser, GPS Maps, Advertising, Search History, Personal Information, Social Media Networks and your Wallet.

jYB2yUE.png
 
Keeper said:
I'm not integrating everything together like this and giving one company control over everything...
all their products are great but it's becoming a bit much now... they were a simple search engine but now they have control over everything in your life.

You have a Google cellphone (Android),
which has a GPS map/tracking system they also own (Google Maps),
Which you communicate on (Google Hangouts)
which has all your search history because they own that too (Google Search Engine),
on a Browser they own (Google Chrome)
with all your e-mail history (Gmail),
which you connect to you entire life via social networks (G+),
that logs your video viewing history (YouTube)

Is it just me or is this Internet beginning to not seem so "anonymous" anymore?
Soon Google will control your TV and drive your vehicle.

Am I the only one concerned about this issue or am I just paranoid here? :erm:
Click to expand...

Not to mention, increasingly closed about their data and tracking.


I'm trying the Chrome app now for Hangouts but it's really annoying me. I can't stack conversations on each other like in Gtalk and they don't want to snap to edges properly or basically do what I want them to in any way.

They are already positioning themselves for a massive Tripple-Play service with Google TV and their Gigabit fibre services you know...
Click to expand...
Google TV is an oddity, it's not really taking off. There's rumours about it being canned actually.
 
And let's not forget Google Glass, the camera you stick on your head that uploads everything to Google's cloud service including your voice recordings.

Pair 1000's of people around you wearing Google Glass embedded with facial recognition tech (they want it for G+) and congratulations, you live in a world where your movements are tracked 24/7 and everything you say or do is logged in a database, free to be used by Governments.
 
Guantanamo said:
Already have I bet, I'm sure he is getting ads for counselling and therapy on every other search.

Anyway, I really like hangouts, it's a pity none of my friends seem keen to give it a try. People don't like change, they are comfortable having whatsapp, skype and facetime. They don't want one app that does all of that and more. I wouldn't be surprised if Google tries to make hangouts their new social network. If they add in status updates (more like tweets then what BBM has) and integrate it with Maps and some of their other services, I could see it becoming very popular.
Click to expand...

Well anyone with an android will have no choice, its a mandatory update to google talk.
 
everyone WANTS to use their products, no one is forced.
If you dont want to, use Apple maps, IE, Paypall etc.
OR just use Google....
 
Keeper said:
Yep, That helps.... until they dominate the ISP market as well.
They are already positioning themselves for a massive Tripple-Play service with Google TV and their Gigabit fibre services you know...
Click to expand...
If Google gives me Gigabit fibre they can have all the info they want.....Hell they can have my medical records if they want.
 
Nduimiso said:
If Google gives me Gigabit fibre they can have all the info they want.....Hell they can have my medical records if they want.
Click to expand...

You are assuming they don't already. At least so far, better yet as far as we know, GOogle is keeping all that data safe, but it is getting to a point that even the non-paranoid should be concerning themselves with all the information they freely hand over to a single entity.

One of the fundamental problems is we have little choice, for the most part they do make many of the best devices, operating systems and software applications, the search engine is hands down the best, there is no competitor when it comes to actually finding what you are looking for.

The limited info apple tracks about its uses could be concerning as well if they where are larger company, financially yes they are more powerful, but they have far less of a reach in part owing to price and lack of successful innovation and some serious security problems, thats not to say droids don't have their fair share as well, but thats more expected from something so large and fragmented. Googles freedom in its OS is both its biggest Pro and Con.

Its been discussed and written about time and time again, the potential for effective global domination with all the information they gather, and while they say its all to improve for us, which in many cases it does if you consider Google now, it would be useless without it, and the history storing makes it even more powerful. Though as much as it can help simplify our daily lives, it can just as easily be used for far more nefarious purposes.

WE talking big corporation here, if the tables were turned and apple went more dominant, free and cost effective for the small medium and high income brackets, its possible if probable that we would be having the same discussion about apple, even microsoft. No matter how you spin the argument, the information they gather openly simplifies our lives, so we not going to stop, its against human nature, but whose to say what happens a month, year, decade from now once we are all well and truly slaves to the all mighty Google, or Apple, or Window, or whatever else comes next and white washes the world with awesome convenience for the low low price of our privacy, lives and every single intimate detail.
 
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