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Infopackets Reader Jim H. writes: " Dear Dennis, I'm trying to download the free eBooks online your website (such as the Windows 8 Guide eBook , the PC Maintenance Handbook , and the Windows 7 Pocket Guide , etc), but I'm having trouble. When I ... click on the orange 'Request Now' button to download the book, it is asking me for my name, a business email address, my company name, etc. Why do I have to enter all this information? How do I download the free eBooks? " My response: The answer to this is two-fold, and I'll try and break it down. Note that I've also ... (view more)

In an effort to compete with Google's much-anticipated "Project Glass" headset, Microsoft is reportedly preparing its own brand of high-tech eyewear. The evidence for this notion comes from a recent patent application, in which Microsoft described a ... new device that includes a head-mounted display capable of presenting wearers with detailed information about an individual's immediate surroundings. As outlined in the patent application, an individual "wearing at least a partially see-through, head mounted display can view any live event while simultaneously receiving information on ... (view more)

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says an Internet firm claiming it collected only shopper opinions about the products they bought was actually collecting personal data. The firm, Compete, is negotiating a court-approved settlement of the charges. ... So far, the punishment the company will face has not been publicly revealed. Compete used online ads to recruit customers into its "Consumer Input Panel", telling them they can give their opinions and win prizes. To participate, however, consumers needed to install special tracking software on their computers to monitor what websites they visited. ... (view more)

A hacking group says it has acquired personal information associated with 12 million Apple user accounts, and that it got those details by hacking into an FBI agent's computer. So far, the group has published data from one million of those Apple ... accounts. The publication comes from LulzSec , a group whose name is a combination of "security" and a slang term for carrying out online activities for the sake of amusement ("Lulz"). Last summer, the same group leaked documents belonging to Sony Pictures. LulzSec claimed it ceased operations after a 50-day campaign. But later it re-emerged ... (view more)

A privacy protection group based in Germany is threatening court action against Facebook. The group says the social networking site's new "App Center" feature doesn't give users enough information about how their personal data will be shared with ... software developers. The complaint comes from the Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (VZBV), which translates as the Federation of German Consumer Organizations. The VZBV is made up of consumer groups based throughout Germany. The VZBV is most concerned with Facebook's App Center, which launched in July, and which covers the various smartphone-style ... (view more)

Apple has warned iPhone users to take care when replying to SMS (Short Message Service) text messages, after a hacker released details about a fundamental security flaw in the iPhone operating system. The flaw could allow pranksters to send bogus ... messages that appear to come from someone else. It could also trick users into following dangerous links or handing personal information to criminals. The revelations come from a "white hat" hacker -- someone who looks for security flaws to pressure companies to improve, rather than to exploit them for personal gain -- who goes by the name " ... (view more)

Imagine waking up one day and finding that the digital contents of your smartphone, laptop, and tablet computer have all been wiped out by hackers. This nightmare recently became reality for Wired.com writer Mat Honan, who later discovered that ... major holes in Apple and Amazon security had allowed the hack to occur. The hackers did a lot of damage. Not only did they wipe the contents of Honan's iPad, MacBook, and iPhone, but they infiltrated his Gmail account (and deleted it) and his Twitter account, where they posted a number of unseemly comments. (Source: venturebeat.com ) Amazon's Swiss ... (view more)

Twitter has released new figures showing government requests for information about its users. It's a report similar to the one produced by Google, though with some notable differences. For the past three years, Google has produced these kinds of ... statistics every six months. The idea is to show changes in government demands for specific user information. Twitter openly acknowledges it has copied Google's idea. It says releasing the figures will force governments to be more accountable about the information they demand. (Source: twitter.com ) Twitter's newly-published data covers all government ... (view more)

According to a new report, Microsoft and Yahoo have been handing over the names, zip codes, and other personal information of their clients to both major U.S. political parties. Worse yet, those targeted have no idea that they are the victims of a ... political ploy. Seeing targeted advertisements is nothing new to those who frequent the Internet. In the milliseconds that it takes for a page to load, advertisers can identify a user visiting a site and display ads based on what they know about a user. For example, someone checking the Euro Cup scores on the ESPN website might see an advertisement ... (view more)

It appears that Microsoft and its users may be experiencing a security problem potentially as dangerous and devastating as the 2010 debacle that hit Playstation owners. Back then, innocent purchasers of PlayStations were hit by one of the most ... stunning security invasions in recent memory. Millions saw their supposedly-secure account information leaked, including credit card data. The problem ran so deep that Sony felt compelled to offer substantial compensation packages. The current problem may prove just as significant, unless Microsoft changes how it stores sensitive customer information. ... (view more)