Google sorting out the medical record mess

At least that's how I interpret what they are doing.

It has amazed me for 10+ years that of all the things I *can* do online, aggregated medical history is something that isn't done yet and isn't done in the name of confidentiality. I don't hear confidentialty when TransUnion, Equifax, and someone else collect my financial information, aggregate it, and score it, so why shouldn't my doctor here in Snoqualmie have access to my records of my doctor in Michigan City, my doctors in Chicago, and my hospital visits in Michigan?

If this indeed is what Google is doing, kudos to them for doing it. About time someone did it!

A good article on raising the bar on usability

Read it here. Philip is right - very few people know how usable their products are... or even know what usability really means. Hint, usability does not equal efficiency!

You need to blog

I just ran across the TSA's blog. They've been up and running a couple of weeks. The TSA. You know, that arcane organization that has illogical rules, terrible service, and unmotivated (and underappreciated!) employees? Yes, they have a blog, and apparently they listen to public input.

People expect a public face of you now. Really, they do. If you don't, something is amiss. You're hiding something.

Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google

By now anyone browsing the web (which means you :) ) has heard about Microsoft's big $44B+ unsolicted offer to purchase Yahoo. I'm not real certain whether that's a good deal for Microsoft, but it appears to be a good deal for Yahoo.

I did find Google's response interesting. A shot fired across the bow pointing out Microsoft's past legal transgressions, posted by one of their attornies.

Does Google fear a strong competitor? Or are they genuinely worried about Microsoft's past practices?