Glass, Barges, and Privacy Fights: Google's Year in Review
Google continued to build on its well-known search, mobile, and Nexus products in 2013, but also took a leap of faith with continued investment in Google Glass, as well as more forward-thinking efforts like Project Loon and Calico
By Chloe Albanesius
https://www.pcmag.com/news/glass-barges-and-privacy-fights-googles-year-in-review
From moonshot projects to regulatory battles, Google dominated the tech headlines in 2013. Mountain View continued to build on its well-known search, mobile, and Nexus products, but also took a leap of faith with continued investment in Google Glass, as well as more forward-thinking efforts like Project Loon and Calico.
But building the future is not without its struggles. The search giant forked over millions in privacy-related settlements, and joined forces with its tech rivals to take on secretive government surveillance programs.
Before we delve into the fights, let's take a look at some of the actual products that emerged from Google in 2013, starting with a bid to bring the power of voice to your PC. In January, Google added speech recognition to the beta version of its Chrome browser, allowing users to speak their commands. We got a more in-depth demo of the technology at Google's I/O developer conference in May, and finally saw it come to fruition in late November. Google's predictive Google Now service, meanwhile, also landed on iPhone and iPad in April.
May's I/O conference also saw the arrival of an overhauled Google Maps that incorporated more personal results (and got a further bump from Google's August acquisition of Waze), as well as a facelift for Google+. That same month, Google also rolled out a tabbed inbox for Gmail, a rather polarizing feature that sparked some debate; to tab or not to tab?
Another move that sparked debate - if not outrage - was Google's decision to shut down Reader. When plans for the shutdown were revealed in March, online petitions cropped up immediately, and users expressed disappointment across the Web. But despite the backlash, Google went ahead with its plan and shut down Reader on July 1, making way for RSS reader replacements from the likes of Feedly, Digg, and AOL.
On the hardware front, Google in February added the pricey Chromebook Pixel ( at Amazon) to its lineup of Web-based PCs. In July, we got a revamped Nexus 7 tablet, as well as the $35 Chromecast dongle, while the Nexus 5($259.00 at Amazon) - equipped with Android KitKat - landed in October.
Futurist or Glasshole?
The Google gadget that got the most press this year, however, was Google Glass, the search giant's futuristic specs. They were first revealed in 2012, but a larger group of Glass Explorers got their hands on the $1,500 glasses this year as Google widened its pool of beta testers (a group that still seemed to lack diversity).
Not surprisingly, this expansion invited concern from lawmakers and trolls alike. Policy makers in the U.S. and the U.K. took steps to ban drivers from using Glass while behind the wheel, and one woman was ticketed for wearing Glass while driving. Congress also penned a note to Google with specific questions about how Glass will work, though Google's response was disappointing to at least one Congressman.
Google insists that Glass is a work in progress, but it took some steps to protect users, from nixing facial recognition to banning porn apps. By August, Google released upgraded Glass hardware, and allowed Explorers to invite friends to try out Glass.
Up next is a final Glass Development Kit (GDK), which will allow developers to unleash new apps for the glasses. Meanwhile, the mysterious "Google Barge" currently floating in the San Francisco Bay (and off the coast of Maine) will be an "interactive space where people can learn about new technology," according to Google, which probably includes Glass.
Privacy Woes and NSA Surveillance
Google's legal team was just as busy as its engineers this year, battling inquiries into the company's search practices, privacy policy, Wi-Fi data snooping, and compliance with government data requests.
Things kicked off in January, when the U.S. Federal Trade Commission found that Google did not unfairly manipulate its search results to highlight its own products and demote competing firms. But it did order Google's Motorola subsidiary to license its standard-essential patents on a fair and reasonable basis, while Google agreed to stop certain practices that unfairly burden its rivals.
The decision was largely viewed as a slap on the wrist for Google, but regulators overseas might not be so lenient. In January, Joaquín Almunia, vice president of the European Commission responsible for Competition Policy, said that Google's business practices appear to be an "abuse of [its] dominant position." After some back and forth, however, the EU has yet to reach a deal or hand down a decision on the issue, so it will likely drag into 2014.
Speaking of dragging on, questions about Google's "new" privacy policy - which went into effect in March 2012 - continued into 2013, with European regulators - particularly those in France - calling for Google to make changes. The policy combined 70 or so Google privacy policies as well as accounts for various Google services - YouTube, Search, Blogger - into one. Regulators took issue with the account consolidation bit, saying it ran afoul of data protection laws. But Google refused to make changes, and by September, France moved to impose sanctions against Google. The Dutch, British, and Spanish have also taken action.
Another privacy snafu that made news several years ago also prompted regulatory action in 2013 - Google's accidental collection of data traveling over unencrypted Wi-Fi networks via its Street View cars. Google reached a $7 million deal with U.S. states in March (and another $17 million over Safari tracking later in the year), and was hit with a $189,000 fine in Germany in April. In September, meanwhile, an appeals court ruled that Google must face charges that it violated wiretap laws with the Street View data collection.
Google had better luck in the courtroom in November when it prevailed in a long-running lawsuit over its book-scanning project. A New York judge tossed the case and ruled that the search giant's effort is fair use.
The search giant is still fighting for the right to reveal more information about how it cooperates with and pushes back on government requests for data. Companies are prohibited from speaking about requests they receive from the secretive FISA court, but in the wake of the leaks from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, Google - and rivals like Facebook and Microsoft - have asked the feds for permission to tell users just how much data officials are requesting. So far, the government has allowed firms to include this information in with other data, and only values of 1,000, and denied tech firm requests to get more specific.
Google continues to invest in "moonshot" projects - those efforts that could change the face of tech (or just fizzle). The search giant's Google Fiber project moved beyond Kansas City this year with plans for Provo, Utah and Austin, Texas. The balloon-based Project Loon, meanwhile, is looking to bring Internet access to far-flung corners of the globe (whether Bill Gates likes it or not).
You'll need a lot of time to read everything that's on the Web, so Google is also working to extend your life (yes, really), and it might also have some robots up its sleeve thanks to its acquisition of Boston Dynamics.
For more from Google in 2013, check out the links below.
Google's Schmidt Urges N. Korea to Loosen Web Restrictions
Google Wants to Kill Your Password
Are Police Monitoring 'Pressure Cooker' Google Searches? Nope
Android Exec Barra Leaving Google for Chinese Smartphone Maker
Google Must Face Wiretapping Charges Over Gmail Scanning
Also check out some of PCMag's 2013 year-end coverage.
The Weirdest Tech Stories of 2013
8 Ideas That Turned to Tech Gold in 2013
Futuristic Tech That Wowed Us in 2013
Ready to Rumble? 2013's Biggest Tech Fights
iOS 7 to iPad Air: Apple's Year in Review
Galaxy S4, Patent Woes, and Curved Displays: Samsung's Year in Review
The Top 10 Tech News Stories of 2013
The Year in Chips: The Old Guard vs. the New Kids
Twerking and Side-Eyeing: 2013's Best Memes
SimCity to Adobe: 2013's Biggest Tech Fails
7 Rumors That Had Techies Buzzing in 2013
Antivirus Bug on Windows 10 Chromium Browsers Squashed With New Fix
Microsoft Edge's Latest Update Gives the Toolbar a Facelift
Report: iCloud Activation and Sign-In Are Down for Some iOS Users
Google Removes Some IAC Chrome Browser Extensions for 'Violating Our Policies'
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About Chloe Albanesius
Before joining PCMag.com, Chloe covered financial IT for Incisive Media in NYC and technology policy for The National Journal's Technology Daily in Washington, DC. She has held internships at NBC's Meet the Press, washingtonpost.com, the Tate Gallery press office in London, Roll Call, and Congressional Quarterly. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from American University in Washington, D.C.
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