Katherine Albrecht, consumer privacy expert, and VP of startpage.com, shared her contention that Google is using our personal information to create a centralized database that intrudes on users' privacy. She also discussed the strategy and treatments she employed in her battle against breast cancer this last year. Of particular concern about Google, she said, is their plan set to begin on March 1st, in which their privacy policies across their product line (including YouTube and Gmail) will be merged into a single account for users. If you're signed into Google, they may suggest search results based on your interests in Gmail, Google +, and YouTube. For instance, the data they collect from Gmail, in which emails are scanned for keywords, may be used to give you specific results when you open up YouTube, she explained.
They also have a proposal to offer reminders via Android mobile devices based on your personal calendar, live traffic, and route, that you may be running late for an appointment. While some see services such as this as a convenience, Albrecht cited the intrusion on people's privacy. Additionally, the Google Voice service keeps track of who calls one of its users, and enters this information into its database, she noted, adding that government may one day force Google to hand over their data.
Albrecht detailed her recovery from breast cancer over the last year, in which she balanced conventional treatments (chemotherapy/radiation) with natural supplementation. When she was first diagnosed, she tried natural treatments for one month, but her condition didn't improve. While on chemo, she found that Coriolus mushrooms strengthened her immune system, and helped her tolerate the treatment. Among the other supplements she takes are curcumin (turmeric), and milk thistle for the liver. She is skeptical of some alternative cancer treatments, which she said are bolstered by testimonials rather than hard research, such as can be found on the PubMed site.
'Ancient Aliens' Update
First hour guest, producer of Ancient Aliens, and publisher of Legendary Times magazine, Giorgio Tsoukalos, shared updates on his work. There's been very positive feedback on the Ancient Aliens series, he reported, particularly amongst the younger generation, some of whom are being exposed for the first time to the idea that ancient astronauts/ETs arrived on Earth and "essentially jump started our civilization, all around the world." The series will debut its fourth season on February 17th on the History 2 channel.
News segment guests: John Curtis, Craig Smith