Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

Going Geek-dot-com /Caught in the Web:

Make it 37 states and counting in an ongoing investigation into Internet giant Google. The investigation is centered around whether Google illegally gathered private information through people's unsecured wireless networks while the company was collecting data for its Street View feature.
   CT Attorney General RICHARD BLUMENTHAL --who's currently running for the U-S Senate-- sent a third letter to Google yesterday asking whether the company ever tested it's Street View software before putting it to use. He said those tests should have uncovered any glitches responsible for the collection of e-mails, passwords and other personal data. (Pacelli)

Comic Con opens:

About 126-thousand comic book geeks and movie fans will also be descending on San Diego, CA, for the annual Comic Con International convention, which begins today. This is the 41st year for the show, and back in 1970, when it began, there were just 300 people attending.
   Movie companies show first screenings of their flick to the crowds --and ANGELINA JOLIE is expected to debut her movie, "Salt," tonight. There'll be previews and clips from other movies based on comics, like Marvel's "Thor," "Captain America" and "The Avengers," Warner Brothers' "Green Lantern" and Sony's "Green Hornet."
   There's also panels with stars for TV shows as well; Daily Variety says this year, Warner Brothers TV is bringing 14 of its shows, including "The Big Bang Theory," "Chuck," "Fringe," "V," "The Vampire Diaries," "Smallville," "Supernatural," "Human Target" and newcomer "Nikita" to the Con, a record for the company.

Signs you've got a lame comic book super hero (Maiman):

   --The most prominent feature of your costume is the big grease stain
   --By day you're a mild-mannered Radio Shack employee. By night you're a mild-mannered Radio Shack employee at home watching TV
   --Mayor summons you by projecting "Fat-ass" in the sky
   --You're called "The Flash" because of your long arrest record
   --Archnemesis -- guy in upstairs apartment who plays music too loud
   --Can only fight crime until 10:00pm, then mom wants you home
   --Two weaknesses: Kryptonite and Sara Lee's lemon bundt cake
   --Your "heat vision" requires four D-cell batteries
   --On average day, you spend three hours tangled in power lines
   --Only super power: Doing a Mel Gibson impression

The Internet:

New customer satisfaction survey about social networking, and Facebook scored fairly low, considering its massive popularity and its now 500 million users.
   Computerworld reports Facebook pulled in a 64 out of 100, which might not be bad until you note that sites for filing tax forms electronically to the IRS scored better. Facebook competitor MySpace scored a just bit lower rating of 63.
   The highest scoring sites were Wikipedia, with a 77, and YouTube with a 73.
   Among the popular search engines, Google ranked highest with an 80 score, followed by Bing with a 77 and Yahoo! with a 76.

Grace notes:

TWISTED SISTER frontman DEE SNIDER has a new reality show. A&E's "Growing Up Twisted" follows the singer and his family of six, which includes his wife, SUZETTE, their three sons and one daughter. They live on the North Shore of Long Island and the first seven episodes include the Snider's celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary. The series premieres in the fall. (Marino)