Is there a limit to the information Google can collect?

So far, Google has offered a platform for some of the best and most useful tools online, giving you everything from calendars and email accounts to news portals and document processors. There’s only one dilemma.

In order to take advantage of those Google apps and services, you need to surrender a lot of information. You more than likely give Google your email address, your Google ID, and your Contacts list readily.

Even if you don’t give your own information out, Google can collect data on the fly thorugh click tracking, log files, JavaScripts and Web Beacons. These build up a microscopic lens through which Google can monitor you, and it’s this risk that most users are willing to take.

Let’s not forget that there are a number of third party tools that are easily integrated with those data-collecting Google apps. And those tools are used to conveniently GTD with Google on a daily basis. But are they worth it?

Today, we take a look at Google’s privacy risks and the type of user data major Google apps and services collect. And after learning what Google knows about you, if you’re still a Google fan, we also provide you with a few of the best tools to help you GTD with Google.

Read carefully and judge for yourself whether Google’s convenience is worth the privacy risk or not.

Google Reader tools are like your cup of coffee in the morning: essential to your everyday routine. Yet, Google Reader is one of the Google Web Services that don’t have privacy policies disclosing what user data is collected. Unlike other Google services, you can at least find out what kind of data is collected.

Considering that there is a lack of control when it comes to who can see our activity stream with applications such as Google Reader, beware of what RSS Feeds you subscribe to. The following Google Reader tools have some features that might persuade you.

Google Docs provides you with the online convenience of composing and sharing your documents from anywhere. Yet, after having switched to Google Docs online, there’s only one thing you have to worry about: privacy.

But beware. Google Docs collects data you may not be comfortable with sharing. This includes information like your email address, storage usage, and mouse clicks, and also data on all collaborators, the amount of times you log in, and all your actions while using the app.

Moreover, Google Docs can collect text, images, and previous versions of your documents. In the past year, there were Google docs security issues regarding access to uploaded documents and their content. And, although those bugs have been fixed, it does nothing to put your mind at ease.

Still want to stick with Google Docs? If you can find the right tools that give you a bit of versatility, you may find yourself logging in to the online processor, throwing caution to the wind. Below are a few Google Docs tools that might help, but ensure you read their privacy policies first. Their safety measures may work for you when Google’s don’t.

Google Chrome has a number of things going for it. It’ll let you work offline, with online applications and splits up the browser functionality into multiple parts, making it fast, clean, and powerful. However, it can also be risky when it comes to your privacy.

For instance, depending on your configurations, Chrome can collect information that can put your privacy at risk. The information which Chrome sends to Google includes the URLs or queries you type in the address bar and false addresses typed in the address bar. Google does, indeed, pay attention to your online browsing through usage statistics.

Moreover, Google Chrome's Safe Browsing feature communicates with Google's servers to check suspicious sites against the most recent blacklist of known phishing and malware sites, something that comprises Google's Safe Browsing service. Google performs this blacklist check with a cookie it can track.

The browsing speed Chrome gives you is indispensable, but is it really? Knowing that Chrome reports your usage information would you still consider using handy extensions and tools with it? If so, these Chrome tools that help you GTD should be used with caution.

It can be hard to completely abandon an application that can do a lot for your productivity, especially if it’s Google Calendar. Google Calendar keeps you organized, will let you conveniently share your agenda, and can easily integrate with all your other Google services.

However, Google Calendar still tracks and collects data that involve you—and others that are involved with your events. This includes who is going, who was invited, the date, the time, and the event’s description. It collects your name, the default language you use, your time zone and your usage statistics. Google Calendar does indeed keep you on track, but it also keeps track of you.

Issues with Google Calendar’s privacy don’t stop there. From revealing Gmail usernames to making it easy to publicly share your Calendar data online without knowing it, hearing about Google Calendar glitches are something that’ll stop you in your tracks. We like to think that, as users, we do have some control over how we use Google’s services, but do we really?

If you’re not dissuaded and are still willing to risk using Google Calendar after hearing all that, then here are a few Google Calendar tools you can check out.

Staying in touch with your blog readers is an important aspect of keeping up a blog. So it comes as no surprise that many users are using Google integrated tools to keep up with the blogging demand.

However, Google servers automatically record information about your use of the service: when you use Blogger, the frequency and size of data transfers and any information displayed or clicked on in the Blogger interface.

In addition, if you choose to use Blogger Mobile, Google records your phone number when you send a text message, photos, or SMS to or from Google. Google even says that your phone number may be associated with your Google Account.

You might not be accustomed to thinking about the security risks on a daily basis. It’s more likely that being able to use Google services when you need them is your main concern. If it is, then check out a few of these Blogger tools.

As you may know, Gmail offers a huge storage capacity that makes it one of the most convenient web mail clients out there. However, what you may not know is that this data retention feature can pose a serious privacy issue.

Through Gmail, Google can keep track of your account activity, your contact lists, the contacts you chatted with, and the size and frequency of data that was transferred. Gmail’s huge storage capacity allows Gmail to store, process and maintain all your emails via permanent backups and Google has the key.

What’s worse, the HTTPS protocol for Google is an option. It isn’t automatically set. They do offer an “always use HTTPS” option that you have to set manually, but that doesn’t really present you with the credibility you’re looking for in an email client. Unfortunately, Google has yet to decide if they will officially encrypt the connection for a few of their popular online services, including Gmail.

Moreover, Google admits to having software that not only scans for viruses and spam, but also automatically scans keywords in your emails to better match the ads you see when you open up an email.

Naturally, you may feel uneasy about using Gmail when anyone could intercept your connection or scan your messages. But if the manual option is enough for you, then you’d probably be more interested in customizing your Gmail experience with a few versatile-adding tools. See which Gmail tools convinced others.

When you talk about security, what you’re really talking about is an acceptable risk level. And acceptable risk levels vary with each individual. When you use Gtalk, this can vary for you more than you’d like.

Everything from your usage and contacts list right down to the size of data transfers and what you click on is collected by Google. And if you use Gtalk through your Gmail client, you can bet that Google will keep permanent backups of your chat histories and your contacts information.

If you’re a mobile user using Gtalk to send SMS messages, according to Gtalk’s privacy policy, Google collects data on the phone number, its wireless carrier, the content, the date and the time associated with those messages. It’s the equivalent of having someone listening in on your conversations that are meant to be for your ears only. And nobody wants that.

So while you may not be able to do something about Google’s practices, you can still do something about your own. If you’re still conflicted about using Gtalk, take a good look through this list of tools. Their features can help you decide on whether or not you want to keep using Gtalk.

API programming tools are great for creating an application that works with an existing service. They contain the source code needed to let your application access a certain service properly and plug your site into another.

For instance, companies can have a small applet on their webpage that access GoogleMaps to show customers where they’re located. Or you, yourself, may be using the Google App Engine API to run webapps through your site.

However, what you may find yourself wondering is who is collecting whose usage data--Google, the company, or yourself? If you use a Google API, read the privacy policies first. Information about your website, your internet usage, your site’s visitors, their habits and in some cases possibly some financial information are all potential privacy risks.

Follow the links and read about these tools closely if, despite the complex fine print, you’re still interested in developing and programming with Google.

The data you can collect from using a few SEO tools can give you the information you need to keep up with the competition. As you know, SEO strategies work hand in hand with Google to rank webpages for its search engine users. But how does Google determine you’re site is rank worthy? More importantly, what information do they use to determine that?

For the most part, a search engine like Google uses a PageRank System to determine the popularity of your site by the number of links to it. The more links that go back to your site, the better your site ranks. But Google also uses algorithms to strengthen the relevancy of the resulting webpages.

While the algorithm used to determine this isn’t publicly known, one thing that’s certain is that it monitors users and how they use Google to search. Things like the keywords you used, the amount of time you spend on a single webpage, and the registration length of a domain are taken into account.

Thus, when you use Google Search, you’re contributing to SEO strategies without even knowing it. Having your Google usage monitored can definitely get you paranoid, and even thinking twice about Google’s methods.

But, let’s face it. Google is synonymous with online search. You need the SEO tools that’ll work with it. So if what you know now doesn’t deter you from using Google as your default search engine, then you might be interested in the few SEO tools that are listed below.

Google Maps have made leaps and bounds to the way in which search engines are used. Not only can you search for keywords and websites, you can also see an actual location right from your desktop. And just recently, Google improved their crowdsourcing feature that lets you see live traffic conditions.

However, because the application is, at its core, a search engine, Google Maps brings up major privacy issues. Personal safety and security are both a huge concern. Type in an address and you can probably see the street, the building and even the license plate of cars parked out in front. If you live in an upscale neighbourhood, GoogleMaps just made it easier for someone planning to break into your home.

To Google’s credit, there are high profile landmarks that are off-limits to Google Maps, but everything else is fair game—including your city, your street, and your very own front yard. If you use it on your mobile, Google can receive data such as GPS signals on your actual location.

While its ability to show detailed information about a location is its weakness, it’s also its strength. There is an undeniable convenience in checking out a route online first rather than wasting the gas to check it out in person. Just like a GPS system, Google Maps is an essential time saver for users.

Persuaded more by the convenience rather than the privacy risk? Then what follows are some tools that you might be interested in.

What did you Google today? If you think your answer is harmless, think again. By Googling a keyword, you can supply Google with a ton of data about you and your habits.

With Google searching innovations, privacy is a priority. For instance, Google Books Search is undergoing approval, and is being urged to keep its readers’ usage and search habits private before getting the green light. A good sign for Google users and online readers. But what information does a regular Google search compromise?

A typical Google search will usually document your search engine result pages, country code domains, search queries, IP addresses, the language you use, the number of results, and your clicks. Additional preferences are also recorded, which can include your street address, your city, your state, and your zip code. Note too that Google also collects information on the cookie, browser, date, and time.

Without question, one Google search can make a good target out of you. If you do a single search, complete with keywords and webpage clicks, the bits and pieces of data from your search can draw a picture of you, your company’s strategies, events in your private life, malicious plans you may have, your hobbies. . . . The list is endless.

But, if you still favour Google’s search engine over others, then search with caution. Here are a few Google Search tools to GTD on your own terms with Google.

Like Google Reader, Google Earth is one of Google’s services that don’t have a policy on what type of collected data is disclosed. Since the images for Google Earth are legally purchased, the blurred images are done by the supplier of those images. If you have to use it, use it with caution.