Google to stop reading Gmail to sell ads
SAN FRANCISCO -- Google is going to stop reading users' Gmail in search of opportunities to sell ads.
The change announced Friday will end a practice that Google has embraced since the company introduced Gmail in 2004. The practice has raised concerns among privacy watchdogs and creeped out some users.
To help finance the free service, Google has been scanning through what Gmail users were discussing and then showing ads connected to some of the topics. Someone writing about running, for instance, might see ads for Nike or Asics shoes.
Google still plans to show ads within Gmail. But instead of scanning through email content, the company's software will rely on other signals to determine which ads are most likely to appeal to each of its 1.2 billion Gmail users.
The Mountain View, Calif., company said it would stop the ad-driven scanning of Gmail later this year.
Gmail now ranks as the world's largest email service, an indication that most people didn't care about Google's scanning methods. Both Microsoft and Apple have publicly skewered Google for having the audacity to mine users' emails for ad sales, but those attacks didn't undercut Gmail's popularity.
-- The Associated Press
Tesla said to be all ears about music
The electric-car company Tesla is said to be exploring its own music streaming service, a move that would pit the company against market leader Spotify and the aggressive efforts by Apple to conquer the world of on-demand music.
As part of its souped-up dashboard, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based automakeris considering the idea of offering drivers a personalized listening experience and has had talks with major record labels to develop an in-house music platform, according to Recode.
The rush to bring Internet music not only to people's phones but also to their connected homes and cars is lucrative territory with even more potential, experts say. And Tesla's tight control over the look and feel of its cars might lend itself to an improved music experience -- with high-definition audio and an intuitive dashboard -- that's better designed than add-on services.
"One thing to watch will be the degree to which other car manufacturers follow Tesla's lead and start trying to control the in-car experience," said Mark Mulligan, a digital-music market analyst. "There have already been some efforts in this direction, but so far partnerships and integrations have been the norm."
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a spokesperson told Recode, "We believe it's important to have an exceptional in-car experience so our customers can listen to the music they want from whatever source they choose."
-- The Washington Post
Online casino ads draw U.K. criticism
Ads that promise cash and free bets to online gamblers are long shots that rarely pay off, according to a U.K. regulator that said it would crack down on operators that break consumer laws.
The ads, which frequently promise 10 British pounds, or $12.70, when a customer bets a similar amount, often force gamblers to play hundreds of times before they can withdraw the bonus, the Competition and Markets Authority said in a statement Friday following an eight-month probe. The regulator didn't identify any specific companies that may be targeted by enforcement actions.
"We know online gambling is always going to be risky, but firms must also play fair," said Nisha Arora, a senior official at the London-based Competition and Markets Authority consumer enforcement unit. "New customers are being enticed by tempting promotions only to find the dice are loaded against them."
The authority's $5.7 billion online gaming industry is under increasing scrutiny from U.K. regulators seeking to make sure operators aren't taking advantage of consumers. 888 Holdings PLC faces an unrelated probe from the U.K. Gambling Commission over its compliance with rules to prevent problem gambling.
-- Bloomberg News
Dutch bike lock blocks riders' phones
THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- A telecom company in the Netherlands has teamed up with the country's traffic safety authority to develop a bicycle lock that also blocks its mobile network, in a move aimed at protecting young riders who regularly pedal through busy streets while looking at their phones, the developers said last week.
An app opens the lock and simultaneously blocks the KPN cellular network, meaning that the cyclist's phone can only be used to call emergency services. Once the bike is locked using the app, the cellphone will work again.
The app does not stop users listening to music stored on their phone but would prevent them playing streaming content.
The Dutch Traffic Safety Association said that the "Safe Lock" is expected to go on sale by the end of the year for around $110.
The association said that one in five bicycle accidents involving children is caused by smartphone use.
-- The Associated Press
Bitcoin startup Blockchain raises $40M
Blockchain, the London-based bitcoin currency service provider, has raised $40 million in fresh funding, led by German investment firm Lakestar, representing one of the largest investment rounds in the financial technology sector since Britain's vote to leave the European Union.
New investors in the company, which provides technology such as virtual bitcoin wallets and analytical tools for the digital currency's underlying system, include Google's GV. New financing also came from existing investors, including Lightspeed Venture Partners and Sir Richard Branson.
"The pace of innovation in the digital currency space is unmatched," said Tom Hulme, a partner at GV. "We were impressed by Blockchain's consistent market traction and dedication to building secure financial products for an increasing number of users."
Bitcoin is one of several virtual currencies, and the value of one bitcoin skyrocketed more than 300 percent in the past year. A competing currency, Ether, based on the Ethereum "blockchain," or digital ledger, reached a record $402 earlier this month.
Blockchain Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Peter Smith said his company's new funding was raised before bitcoin and Ether's recent run up. "We did it a few months ago," he told Caroline Hyde in an interview on Bloomberg Television last week.
-- Bloomberg News
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