Home »

[fabrice]

Google Desktop 3, the latest version of software that helps users find files on personal computers, has a new feature that can track data from multiple PCs. To do that, it copies personal text files to Google servers, which eventually route them back to the PCs. Previous versions merely indexed files, without storing copies at Google.

Google says the update aims to make finding and sharing information even simpler. "Too many people are working across multiple computers now," says Google Vice President Marissa Mayer. "This makes their lives easier."

Consumers crave such portability, says Allen Weiner, an analyst at market-tracker Gartner.

But online privacy advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation worries about Google extending its reach. "We think this is an enormous privacy risk for users who choose to utilize it," says EFF attorney Fred von Lohmann.

How Google Desktop 3 works:

? Computer A (say, a home PC) and computer B (the one at work) both download Google Desktop, which indexes all files on the hard drives and sends text copies of Office documents (Word, Excel) and other files to Google.

? Computer B signs into Google, searches for a file on Computer A and retrieves it. Google says it only keeps the data for 30 days and will delete the files if not accessed.

Consumers already store files on tech companies' servers. Millions post photos on sites such as Kodak Gallery and Shutterfly. Apple's .Mac service and others charge an annual fee for file storage and access.

With those programs, users choose which files they want stored. Google Desktop makes copies of all text files on your PC - unless the preferences settings are tweaked to identify which ones shouldn't be picked up.

"With everything, you trade privacy for a value-add," says Mayer at Google. "You want a driver's license? First, you have to tell the state what color your eyes and hair are. I view this the same way."

Says Weiner: "There will be confusion and concern about this initially, but people will be willing to accept it. " Linking multiple devices will be greatly welcomed, he says.

For Von Lohmann, the reality of what's on your computer - and potentially on Google servers - outweighs convenience. "Unless you go to the trouble of configuring Google Desktop carefully, it will cough up your tax returns, medical and financial records, and any other text files you happen to have."

[karizmua]

It sound convenient, but I have concern with the privacy part. It will only benefit the big companies. I know I save things on my work computer, but I delete them right away because I email them to myself, then save them when I reach home. This newest search tool from my understanding will eradicate all those steps. But I'm not sure I'm willing to give up all that privacy.

[fabrice]

It's like peer to peer and will be up to you to accept or not to share your privacy.

Pour bénéficier pleinement de toutes les nouvelles fonctionnalités de Google Desktop Search, les internautes sont confrontés à un dilemme : abandonner un peu de leur vie privée pour pouvoir accéder à la recherche partagée entre plusieurs ordinateurs. Dans la version 3, encore en beta test, Google Desktop Search permet à un utilisateur d'effectuer depuis son PC portable, par exemple, une recherche sur des fichiers PDF, des documents Word, Excel ou bien encore sur l'historique de son navigateur, tous contenus sur le PC de son domicile

Pour utiliser cette fonction de recherche partagée entre ordinateurs, l'internaute doit autoriser Google à accéder à ces données, qui devront être stockées sur les serveurs du moteur de recherche. C'est à cette condition que l'utilisateur pourra voir toutes ces informations, quelle que soit la machine sur laquelle il se connecte.