Folks, long time readers may remember, years ago now (decades in computer years) I recommended a ‘safe surfing’ browser add-on. A tech news headline – arrived today – has me regretting that.
“Browser extensions have become a standard part of the most popular browsers and essential part of our lives for surfing the Internet. But not all extensions can be trusted. One such innocent looking browser add-on has been caught collecting browsing history of millions of users and selling them ..” Read more…
[ NOTE: even if you never heard of WoT, reading the article is a good education on the kind of spying the tech companies have been doing. ]
My love affair with technology is officially over.
Today’s quote: “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.
“Yahoo is exploring a smart billboard that would use microphones, cameras and other sensors to bring targeted advertising to outdoor displays.” Read more..
I’m skeptical because I think companies are already doing this. They’re certainly doing it with our computers and game consoles…
Because dummies still think advertising works. LOL.
And it’s one of the few “industries” still making big money.
Today’s quote: “He has all of the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.” ~ Winston Churchill
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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.
Folks, if you put your thinking caps on, and read this article, (as I recommend you do) you just might start wondering if something isn’t really, really wrong.
And maybe think twice before buying that “smart” toaster, or “voice activated” remote control…
“It has come to our attention that the company was actually recording specific information about her and other individuals usage of the device. That would include when it’s on, how long it’s being used for, what settings it’s on, the temperature of the device …” Read more..
Thank you, Dear Reader, for bringing this story to my attention.
“Next time when you find yourself hooked up behind the wheel, make sure your car is actually in your control. Hackers can remotely hijack your car and even control its brakes from 12 miles away. Car hacking is a hot topic. Today many automobiles companies have been offering vehicles with the … ” Read more..
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Today’s quote: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” ~ Winston Churchill
>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<
All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.
“Is Your Smart TV Spying On You? You just need to make sure you don’t hold any private conversations in front of the internet-connected TV. IS SMART TV GETTING TOO SMART? Smart TVs are connected to the Internet, and they are capable of collecting and transmitting our data. Samsung’s Smart TV uses voice recognition technology to enable voice commands, but its privacy policy defined by …” Read more…
“The Nation’s second largest Health insurer company, Anthem, alerted its customers on Wednesday that hackers had stolen the personal information of over 80 Millions of its customers, making it the largest data breach and double the number of payment cards affected by Target data breach occurred in 2013. The stolen personal information includes residential addresses, birthdays, medical …”Read more…
As soon as the story broke, cyber criminals started exploiting the latest Anthem data breach in an attempt to persuade people to sign up for bogus credit protection services and provide personal information about themselves.
“Carmakers are cramming cars full of wireless technology, but failing to protect those features against the possibility that hackers could take control of vehicles or steal personal data, a US study has found.” Read more..
“Security researchers have once again found Google Play Store offering malicious apps that are infecting millions of Android users with adware.” Read more..
Just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it? (Keep in mind, I could post another dozen depressing day’s headlines, but why overwhelm?)
Today’s quote: “Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others…By and large, I have come to see that if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves.” ~ Gordon B. Hinckley
>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<
All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.
“While I am far from a Luddite who fetishizes a life without tech, we need to consider the consequences of this latest batch of apps and tools that remind us to contact significant others, boost our willpower, provide us with moral guidance, and encourage us to be civil. Taken together, we’re observing the emergence of tech that doesn’t just augment our intellect and lives — but is now beginning to automate and outsource our humanity.” Read more..
“The U.K. and U.S. government’s ability to tap into webcams — and directly into your living rooms and offices — shows the biggest and most blatant lack of respect for people’s privacy by Western governments in living memory.” Read more..
Yes.. it is kind of hard to take that all in. It doesn’t paint a pretty picture. But we need to be thinking about this stuff now. (Actually.. yesterday would have been better, but..)
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Today’s bonus video: 15 Inaccuracies Found In Common Science Illustrations
Today’s quote: “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” ~ Albert Einstein
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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.
And please, never forget – one person can make a difference.
Today is the “Day We Fight Back” (against mass surveillance), here are some tips for staying anonymous online; a way to express your concern for online privacy; and a quick test of your “privacy IQ”.
* Please see https://thedaywefightback.org/ and use the form let your Representatives know you’re fed up – that you deserve to have your basic privacy respected.
* http://myprivacyiq.com/ A short 10 question quiz. Do you know how to enhance your online privacy?
“How do you take back control of your own personal privacy online? Is it even possible? One 2013 Pew study reported that 60 percent of Americans have given up on that idea entirely. Ultimately, the only way to stay truly anonymous online is to not go online at all. Since that’s not really an option for most of us, here’s a rundown of whatyou can do to minimize the spying, the targeted advertising, and ID theft as you explore the world online.” Read more..
(Yes, folks. It’s not just about government spying; it’s also about how much big companies like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft have collected about you in order to serve up targeted ads.)
Welcome to the Information Age.
Today’s quote: “There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” ~ Denis Waitley
>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<
All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.
And please, never forget – one person can make a difference.
>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<
All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.
I am a Retired computer & network technician. I used to think the machines were pretty cool. Now I don’t.
They’re anything but.
I regularly posted how-to’s and tricks & tips and general computing advice here starting in 2007. (Use the Search tool to find answers. But be aware, many are rather dated.) Sometimes I answered (your) specific questions in an article if I believed the answer was generally helpful to “everyone”. All the writing you see was my own, typos and all. There always is/was an implied “IMHO” in what you see here.
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BELIEVE while others are doubting. PLAN while others are playing. STUDY while others are sleeping. DECIDE while others are delaying. PREPARE while others are daydreaming. BEGIN while others are procrastinating. WORK while others are wishing. SAVE while others are wasting. LISTEN while others are talking. SMILE while others are frowning. COMMEND while others are criticizing. PERSIST while others are quitting.
I’m skeptical because I think companies are already doing this. They’re certainly doing it with our computers and game consoles…
* Carmakers fail to protect against security attacks
I am a Retired computer & network technician. I used to think the machines were pretty cool. Now I don’t.
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