Just when you thought Google can't possibly get any creepier, they come up with something so far out there your jaw just drops open. According to the Register, Google's techies have been playing with the microphones on your computer. They have figured out how to turn them on and listen to the conversation in the room, and/or what you are watching on TV. Why would they want to do this? So they can better "understand" you and what kinds of advertisements to show you. According to the Register, Google says it won't actually listen to conversations--it just wants to track what you watch on TV. Uh huh. And any time they change their minds, they don't have to tell you, either.
You might ask, "How can they do this? How can listen in on the microphone on MY computer?" Well, the next time download Google Desktop, it could have the ability to do this, and it works because you chose to download the software, install it, and let it run on your desktop.
Creepy. Just plain creepy. As I have been saying for years, it is not the government that I worry about--we have safeguards that keep the government reasonably accountable most of the time. But Google is accountable to no one, and we are so enamored of all this "free" software and services that we are giving our privacy away--no government snooping even needed!