user

Wed
15
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

Google Misleads Safari Users; Fined $22.5 Million

Google has agreed to pay a $22.5 million penalty for misleading users of the Safari browser about its privacy policies. It's the largest penalty ever imposed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for this type of offense. The case involves cookies, ... the small text files which a website places on a user's computer to identify and help track them. In many cases, cookies help advertisers deliver particularly relevant advertisements (Amazon's "Recommended for You" feature is one example). Google Tricks Safari With Bogus Code Since many web users don't like being followed, Apple decided ... (view more)

Fri
10
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

Internet Explorer 10 Defaults to 'Do Not Track'

Microsoft has confirmed its "Do Not Track" feature will be switched on by default in the new Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) web browser. The decision is intended to protect user privacy. However, it has earned a frosty reception from some online ... advertisers. The feature was introduced to prevent users' online activity from being reported to third-party groups, a concern when advertisers began gathering information from multiple websites to compile very detailed pictures about what individuals do online. Since then, browser makers have worked on a variety of measures to combat this ... (view more)

Tue
31
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

New 'Chirp' App: Super Fast File-Sharing Service

A new Apple iOS app that transmits data via "virtual birdsong" is making file sharing between smart devices easier than ever. "Chirp" is the brainchild of Animal Systems, a company started by researchers in the Computer Science Department at the ... University College of London. Essentially, the app emits a two-second noise that sounds as if it were made by a robotic bird. The noise indicates that an instant download is being received from a trusted source. App Uses Sound to Transfer Data To send a chirp, an individual simply activates the app from their smartphone and selects the desired ... (view more)

Wed
18
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

Skype Privacy Bug: Messages Sent to Wrong People

A new bug in Microsoft's Skype video chat program reportedly causes instant messages to be sent to the wrong contact. It's a potentially harmful issue that could leave some of Skype's many users embarrassed, frustrated, and angry. The problem was ... initially reported late last week through Skype's user forum. According to reports, the bug affects Mac, Windows, Linux, and Windows Phone versions of Skype. Skype quickly admitted that instant messages can be sent to the wrong personal contact when the program suffers a crash in the middle of an instant messaging session. Last Instant Message Sent ... (view more)

Wed
11
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

Facebook Expands User Tracking to Boost Revenue

Facebook may begin snooping on smartphone users in order to target them with more relevant advertisements. The strategy could prove a huge money-maker, but may be a step too far for some of the social network's users. The massive social network ... currently makes most of its revenue from advertising. However, it has struggled to cash in when people visit the site using a smartphone. In recent financial filings, Facebook admitted this could become a serious handicap as more and more people choose to access the social media site from their phones instead of their computers. Facebook had already ... (view more)

Mon
09
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

Trojan Horse Found on Apple App Store, Google Play

A security firm has discovered a Trojan horse posing as a smartphone application on both Apple's App Store and Google Play. Both Google and Apple have already removed the app, so it is no longer available for download. The app, called "Find and ... Call," masked as a smartphone organization tool. In reality, however, it was a virus that, after being installed, spread to other devices by means of the device user's contact list. Contact List Uploaded to Remote Server The true nature of "Find and Call" was originally discovered by Kaspersky Lab, a prominent security firm. According to ... (view more)

Fri
06
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

DNS Changer Virus: Internet Access to be Cut July 9

People whose computers are infected with the ' DNS Changer ' virus will lose access to the Internet on Monday, July 9, 2012, unless they take steps to remedy the situation. Right now the Federal Bureau of Investigation is wrapping up an operation ... designed to help such victims maintain their online connections. DNS Changer is named after the domain name system that helps translate website addresses (such as www.infopackets.com ) into a string of numbers known as an IP address, which is the way computers actually identify the machine where a particular website is physically stored. 'DNS Changer ... (view more)

Fri
15
Jun
Dennis Faas's picture

Microsoft, Yahoo Give User Data to Politicians

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)

Mon
04
Jun
Dennis Faas's picture

Iranian Anti-Censorship Software Laced with Malware

Software used by Iranian citizens to access the uncensored Internet anonymously has now been revealed to carry malware. Even worse, it carries a variant of malicious software that tracks everything any user types into an infected computer. The ... dangerous software is named Simurgh, after a mythical creature in Iranian folklore. The software is thought to help Internet users combat harsh government controls and shield users from being located and identified. Software Hides Identity of User From Watchers The software is mostly used by Iranians to hide their identity. Users believe it creates ... (view more)

Fri
18
May
Dennis Faas's picture

Google Knowledge Graph Revolutionizes Search

Google has added to its search results a new feature designed to make the search function act "more human". The feature, called "Knowledge Graph", may make the site behave more like rival Microsoft's Bing. The main aim of Knowledge Graph is to deal ... with the shortcomings of using typical search terms, which frequently denote a range of very different meanings. Google gives the example of a search for 'Taj Mahal.' Someone using this term could be looking for the Indian landmark, a musician, a casino, or a restaurant specializing in Indian food. There's no way to know. At the moment, this search ... (view more)

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