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More evidence has surfaced that Oompa Loompas inside the Google Chocolate Factory are hard at work on something called the GDrive. When perusing a file used by Mountain View's free software suite - Google Pack - blogger Brian Ussery spied a brief description of the long-rumored online storage service. "GDrive provides reliable storage for all of your files, including photos, music and documents," the file reads. "GDrive allows you to access your files from anywhere, anytime, and from any device - be it from your desktop, web browser or cellular phone." In other words, the Oompa Loompas are prepping new tools that mimic what other tools have done for at least a decade. Earlier this week, a Chocolate Factory spokesman declined to comment on the swirling GDrive rumors. But he didn't miss the opportunity to associate an old idea with new buzzwords. "Cloud computing is mainstream," he said. "The applications people use every day, such as email, photo sharing, and word processing, are moving to the web because it's easier to share and access your data from anywhere when it's online, in one place. "We're always listening to our users and looking for ways to update and improve our web applications, including sharing and access options, but we don't have anything to announce right now." Some have decided that the mythical GDrive will destroy the personal computer. But it's more likely the service will simply provide Google lovers with some extra online storage. The real concern is that with GDrive, Google will collect even more personal information from the world's persons. Google insists it would never share your personal information with the outside world. But it will when the right legal papers arrive - if it hasn't already. And judging from a recent story from the International Herald Tribune, the Oompa Loompas have no qualms about taking a peek at what you and I are doing on Google's servers. Dan Clancy - engineering director for Google Book Search - told the Herald Tribune that he has spent time monitoring user search queries. While monitoring search queries recently, he noticed that someone had searched on "concrete fountain molds." Then he noticed that this someone had clicked on a digitalized version of some obscure 1910 tome involving concrete fountain molds. And then noticed that they spent four hours reading 350 pages of said tome. Steve Ballmer once accused Google of reading your email. But even he underestimated Google's blithe attitude towards user privacy. It's one thing for an Oompa Loompa to monitor user searches in his spare time. It's another thing to tell the Herald Tribune.
