election2012

Google has customized results for Obama, but not Romney

Google isn't treating searches related to presidential candidates fairly, a new report charges.

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that it commissioned a study on the way in which search results related to President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are displayed on Google. The study found that when users search for "Obama" or "Romney," Google displays standard results. Other related searches, however, are treated differently.

For example, the Journal tried to search for topics ranging from Iran to Medicare. Those who had already searched for "Obama" found that their results were customized to … Read more

Google launches its latest attempt to inform U.S. voters

Google is aiming to get voters informed before they head to the ballot box next Tuesday.

The company yesterday announced that it has launched its new Voter Information Tool. Users can input their home address into the tool and find out where they need to vote. In addition, they'll be able to see all of the candidates running for a particular office.

Google's tool also includes links to candidates' social-media accounts and voting rules and requirements. It expands somewhat on a similar site it launched four years ago for U.S. voters.

The Voter Information Tool links together … Read more

Re daughter, Obama worries about Facebook, not dating

Facebook has been spending more time touting its privacy controls recently.

But here's the news: they're not good enough for the president.

In an interview with MTV on Friday (hey, we have to get those kids to vote somehow), the president explained that for his daughter Malia, Facebook was not a safe place to hang out.

As Yahoo News reports, the president was asked whether dating, driving, or social networking represented his biggest fear for his 14-year-old daughter.

He replied:

I'd worry about Facebook right now. I know the folks at Facebook -- obviously they've revolutionized, … Read more

How tech is changing the road to the White House (video)

We've come a long way since the iconic 1964 "Daisy Girl" political ad. These days, candidates are turning to complex data sets to help pinpoint potential supporters.

So exactly what kind of information are political parties getting about you? According to a New York Times article, callers will know if you have homes in foreclosure, what kind of beer you drink, or the type of vacations you enjoy.

But technology works both ways.

Keep the facts straight with apps like Super PAC and Ad Hawk. These free apps "listen" to political advertisements on television and … Read more

Romney breathes new life into Amazon's binder reviews

That's the thing about presidential debates.

You stir yourself up into indignation that you hope will come out as righteous. But your blood is boiling to such a degree that, despite weeks of rehearsals, some stray words emerge from your throat like convicts escaping Alcatraz.

Something for which Amazon is most grateful.

For the Republican candidate's suggestion that, while governor of Massachusetts, he was privileged to possess "binders full of women" has stirred people into leaving stirring comments on Amazon's binder pages.… Read more

Campaigns chew on cookies to see if you watch porn

Is he one of us?

That's the question both the Romney and Obama campaigns will be asking as election time rolls near.

Every last vote will count. Every last nuance will matter in determining which candidate will steer America through the next four joyous years.

So how are the campaigns trying to identify those who might be on their side? Why, cookies.

According to the New York Times, many, many voters can look forward to calls from campaign workers who will, for once, be armed with very personal details about their targets' predilections.

The Times boldly declares that these … Read more

Birth of a Twitter handle: Paul Ryan's bicep

Mitt Romney's call to cut funding for PBS during the first presidential debate spawned a few sarcastic Big Bird Twitter personas. Now  the bicep of his running mate, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, is getting its own Twitter following, on the eve of the candidate's debate with Vice President Joe Biden.

@PaulRyansBicep surfaced after Time.com posted images of Paul Ryan working out. Ryan says he is a "fitness guy" and discussed his P90X workout routine with Politico's Mike Allen in this video. So far the bicep has just a … Read more

Google 'completely wrong' and all you get are Romney pics

This election seems to have become dirtier than an evening with Chelsea Handler.

We, the people, have been forced to don rubber gloves and hazmat suits just to surf the Web. We have been sickened by the verbal listeria that has become an intimate ingredient in every piece of election news.

But surely, surely, not even we could have imagined this.

For if you perform a Google search of the words "completely wrong," you get image after image of Mitt Wrongney. I am so sorry, I meant Mitt Romney.

See how we're being affected by what seems … Read more

Amazon looks at book purchases to size up presidential race

Amazon is culling sales data to determine what the election season conversation might be about in each of the 50 U.S. states.

The e-retail giant yesterday launched the Amazon Election Heat Map 2012. The map lists all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, and assigns either a red or blue color to each, depending on the number of conservative- or liberal-minded books purchased by citizens. If a state has purchased more liberal books, it'll be shaded blue. States with more conservative book purchases will be shaded red.

Judging by the current map, the U.S. … Read more