Tag Archives: privacy

A Look At The New Features In Firefox 21

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The next installment of Firefox i.e. version 21 is now available. The new version brings something for both end users and developers alike. For users who are conscious about their privacy or wondering why their browser is running so slow, Firefox 21 will be a welcome update. Mozilla has added three different settings to its Do Not Disturb feature, as well as a ‘Health Report’ that collects information on how your browser is performing. The health report can be checked any time, and a third feature will use the data gathered by the report to tell you if your browser’s startup time is getting effected due to its health or not. Developers will be pleased to learn about the new Remote Target profiling feature that allows them to connect devices running either Firefox Mobile or Firefox OS to the desktop browser and view them in a separate Developer Tools window of their own. Read More

Hide Your Real IP Location & Browse Anonymously On Windows With SafeIP

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The internet is a vast and growing community, but without the necessary measures, it can prove to be dangerous territory too, where instances of identity theft, child molestation, pornography, phishing scams and hacking occur on a frequent basis. As adults, it is our duty to keep our children as well as ourselves safe from any such malicious cyber activates. One way is stop using the internet, which isn't an appropriate measure since the medium brings with it loads advantages and benefits for us, and has become an integral part of our professional, educational and social lives. Another way is to use apps like SafeIP to protect your internet identity. The application lets you hide your real IP address and browse the web anonymously. Users can choose the fake IP location according to their liking, and switch between original and fake IP address on the fly. Read More

CryptoPAD Offers A File Encryptor, Text Editor & Cipher In One Package

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A substantial number of people use Notepad or other similar text editors for quickly taking notes in Windows. It all sounds okay to rely on these as far as it’s about saving notes that are not sensitive in nature, but when it comes to storing something a little more confidential and private, plain text editors don’t quite cut it for the job. CryptoPAD is a Windows application that allows you to take and save notes protected with advanced encryption algorithms. Along with a feature-rich text editor, it houses a file encryption tool, a checksum calculator, and a unique Vingenere Cipher, all in a single package. Read More

Easily Identify Fake Facebook Profiles & Photos With FB Checker

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Word around the web is that Facebook has over 85 million fake profiles, and counting. Some of them can be quite benign, like the infamous “girlfriends for hire” society. Others can be of a decidedly sinister motivation. Either way, you sometimes really need to know how much of a person there is in their profile. You could, of course, take a day off to put hundreds of photos through Google Images to ponderously dig out the fake ones. Or, you could use FB Checker in a quick smoke break instead. Read More

Save Notes & Login Credentials In An Encrypted Vault With Datum Locker

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In this digital age, safeguarding your sensitive information isn't something to be neglected, as any breaches can lead to leaking of your account details such as login information for web services, credit card information, bank account details, and so on. If you have documents or other information that you want to securely lock away from prying eyes, Datum Locker may have an answer for you. It’s a free Windows app designed for keeping a record of notes and login details in its integrated folders database called datum. The application is backed by Linearistic Distance Cryptographic (LDC) algorithm engineered by Nulluox – the developer behind Datum Locker – and aids in securely storing your data with a single lock key. This robust method can protect all your details with one password only. Read More

How To Force Google Chrome For Mac To Open In Incognito Mode

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Most Chrome users use the Incognito browsing mode every now and then, while others use it quite often. If you prefer incognito browsing over normal browsing sessions (we’re not judging) but are vexed with the fact that there is no one-click method to launch Chrome in Incognito by default, you can do so with a little script. This particular method is meant to work in OS X only, as Windows users can always directly launch Chrome in Incognito mode from its Jumplist (just as Mac users can do so from the Dock icon’s options). The script is meant to launch Chrome in Incognito mode with one click using a dedicated shortcut created in form of an AppleScript app. Read More

Share Self-Destructing Media Or Text Messages Anywhere With ReadOnce

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There seems to be quite a market for self-destructing messages; popular apps like Snapchat and Facebook’s Poke are proof that people would like to say something and leave behind no trace that they ever said it. Jokes aside, if you’re using a smartphone, it is  likely that there is an app available for sending these self destructing messages. However, there are few options for doing the same from your PC, and the few that do exist support only plain text messages and have an unappealing interface. ReadOnce is a web service that lets you send self destructing messages. These messages can be plain text, images, audio clips, or videos. You can select how long the messages will be visible up to a maximum time limit of 59 seconds. The time can be customized down to the millisecond. The great thing about ReadOnce - apart from the different message formats - is that the message is only deleted from the recipient's side; you still get to keep it for 5 days, and can share it again with anyone. ReadOnce also lets you mask the URL you share using Bit.ly. Read More

Restrict Access To Apps & Photo Albums On iPhone With Protect Photos

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Despite the recent passcode-related bugs discovered in iOS 6, most users are satisfied with the security their iPhone offers by default. Having said that, when you are at home, or in any secure environment, the lock screen protection can get a bit annoying. There are a few ways of changing your device’s level of protection with a single gesture. If you have a jailbroken device, it is also possible to avoid the passcode altogether while keeping selective apps protected. Protect Photos is the latest Cydia tweak that lets you do this but as its name indicates, it focuses mainly on keeping your images private. The app can be used to put password protection on the stock Camera and Photos app and in addition, you can also restrict access of third-party apps to your image library. Read More

New In Firefox 20: Private Window, Improved Download Manager & More

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Firefox 20 is out on the stable channel and it’s packed with good stuff, this time mostly for end-users. The previous few versions have all or mostly focused on something for developers, making the browser more secure, or adding support for new web technologies. We’re not saying any of that isn’t important, but Firefox already commands a huge developer audience in its user base and it needs to up its offering for the ordinary user. This release sees the implementation of side-by-side private and normal browsing sessions, a new download manager, protection against extensions or apps that try to hijack your default search engine, a faster way to stop plugins that are unresponsive, and support for blend mode added for HTML5 canvas. Read More

Create & Share Password-Protected, Self-Destructing Notes With NoteDIP

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There are many services out there like Burn Note or DUE.IM that let you send self-destructing notes to someone for any confidential purpose, or just to make them feel like Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible. Self-destructive notes are quite interesting and easy enough to create; all you just do is create a note, send its link to the recipient via email or any other method, and your part is done; the note gets instantly eradicated once opened and read by the recipient. If you’re looking for a similar technique and want to send sensitive information to someone without leaving any traces, give NoteDIP a try. It’s a handy web app that allows you to create self-destructing notes in a few simple steps. To go one step further, it even sends you a notification when the note is read by the recipient. Read More

Open A Private Tab Within A Normal Browsing Window In Firefox

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Private browsing mode keeps our online activity discrete and protects us from being tracked by online services, search engines, social networks, tracking ads et al. If you’re a Firefox user, you probably know about its Private Browsing feature already. Though there's one annoying issue with this - Firefox can’t run a normal browsing session and a private one simultaneously. Chrome however, does let you have an normal window and an Incognito window side by side. Private Tab is a Firefox add-on that beats out this Chrome feature; it not only allows you to run normal and private browsing sessions at the same time, but also lets you have normal and private browsing tabs open in the same window! If this sounds too good to be true, you should know there is a small a catch: Private Tab will work in Firefox 20 or higher only and if you’re currently using the stable Firefox version, you will have to wait a while. Read More

How To Set Your WhatsApp Status To Invisible On Android

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Let’s face it, I love how WhatsApp shows me who’s actually seen the message I left them and the fact I can tell when they were last online on the world's most popular free instant messaging service. However, I dread the fact that people can tell the same about me when I have to open the app to read a particular message left for me, and in turn register my ‘Last Seen’ time. This is manageable by turning off the WiFi or mobile data connection before you open WhatsApp, but is annoying if you have to practice this frequently. Moving on, we come to the ‘typing’ status, – an ingenious implementation on all messaging services these days to keep you updated on the other person's activity during a conversation – that can be really embarrassing when you’re speechless and your contact can see you’re taking ages for typing what ultimately turn out to be one or two lines. You can turn the internet off, again, or you can install WhatsApp Shadow Beta. Be offline while you read your WhatsApp conversations or send messages without your contacts knowing that you’re typing. We're sure you're going all “OMG what?! How? Show me!", so read on for all the details. Read More

Hide Sensitive Call Logs & SMS From Stock Android Apps With Shady Contacts

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We all have those moments where we know our friends will play around with our phone, and a major concern in such scenarios is them checking out your information you want to keep confidential. If a friend is borrowing your phone for making a call or sending a text, it's nearly inevitable that they will come across your call logs and text messages. If you have an Android phone and don't want that to happen, you can now hide your call logs and messages with a simple and effective tool called Shady Contacts from Droid Mate.  The app does so without arousing suspicion, as it hides call logs and messages from selected contacts. To add to its prowess, it has some very strict security measures, and can itself can be hidden to silently operate in the background as well. Let's take a closer look at its features and how well they function. Read More

Anti Tracks Helps Hide Or Remove Web Activity Traces & Maintain PC

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When you visit a website, history of all your activity including URLs of all the pages that you visit, passwords that you save, and website preferences that you set are recorded by your web browser in several files. Browser cookies are small files that holds information about everything that you do on a particular website. Even though having this information saved is useful as it saves you the trouble of entering all the information again, and helps the website determine the type of content you would be interested in, it can be used by malicious websites to breach your privacy and track your activities. Anti Tracks is an application for Windows that allows you to protect your privacy by allowing you to easily remove history and temporary data saved by web browsers as well as local operations such as searches, opening files etc. Its large collection of tools enables you to easily remove traces of all your activity from all possible locations on your hard drive. Read More

Advanced Mobile Care For Android Gets Cloud Backup, Privacy Advisor & More

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Back in November, IObit debuted their power-packed Android optimization, protection and task management app in the Play Store by the name of Advanced Mobile Care. At the time of its release, the app emerged as one of the few truly multipurpose Android apps supporting several handy system care utilities like real-time virus protection, 1-tap performance boost & system cleanup, multi-mode power saver, app manager, privacy protector and Game Speeder, among others. After barely a couple of months of its release, version 2 of Advanced Mobile Care has been rolled out with even better and more powerful features including multilingual support, Privacy Advisor, Cloud Backup, revamped app manager with support for APK management, a multipurpose 4x1 home screen widget, updated database, and several bug fixes. Read More

Clueful For iOS Identifies Per-App Privacy Risks To Protect Your Data

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Do you know that a considerable percentage of free iPhone apps do not use your device’s battery optimally, and are a leading cause of bad battery life? No matter how strict Apple’s approval procedure is, a lot of shady releases reach iDevices quite regularly due to the sheer size of the App Store. So despite all the rants by Apple fanboys, this is not a problem exclusive to Android, as the whole Path scandal highlighted in 2011. Apple introduced the Privacy feature in iOS 6 to address this issue, and there have also been third-party apps to help users protect their privacy. One such app was Bitdefender’s Clueful, which was released last year to help the iOS community in weeding out apps that breach user privacy without their knowledge. For reasons unknown, Clueful was taken down from the App Store pretty swiftly, but it has just made a comeback in the form of a web app. Now you can add Clueful to your home screen from Safari, and use it to to see if an iOS app is accessing your contacts, uploading personal data to its own servers, or contains advertisements. Read More

How To Download All Your Instagram Photos And Delete Your Account

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After launching their Android app, seeing user signups and activity skyrocket and being acquired by Facebook, Burbn, Inc. – the startup behind Instagram – is getting a lot of bad press for its recently updated terms of service, which include certain, very controversial terms relating to ownership of user photos that has users searching for new services for their photo-sharing needs. Read More

Using The New Facebook Privacy Settings To Manage Your Profile [Guide]

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Facebook has changed things, again. The latest update from Facebook, unlike certain previoys interface changes that were a source of grief, is aimed at making profile, notifications, and updates management easier, and it does not disappoint. Rather than stuffing all additions in the back shelf, Facebook has brought everything to the front this time around and is clearly trying to make the settings as easy to understand as possible. Seeing as previous changes to settings and addition of new features have always sparked considerable confusion and debate regarding their effects on shared content, we decided to write a post discussing what’s new this time around. Read More

Lock Any Window With A Password & Hide It In System Tray

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Folder lockers or file encryptors – folks who are concerned about their privacy are always keen to use such apps. The reason? Security plays a pivotal role in electronic data. Windows users would probably know that the operating system allows you to quickly lock it down using the Win + L hotkey. But what if you temporarily want to share your PC with someone else, without giving them a peak of your current session? This is where WinLock comes in to save the day. This lightweight tool is designed to hide and password protect any focused window. Whether you’re streaming YouTube on your favorite web browser, or watching a movie on VLC, WinLock can lock anything. The application hides the focused window via a hotkey, and the window in question automatically locks and minimizes itself to system tray area. You can lock as many application windows as you like, so you can hide entire sessions. Read past the jump to find out how this amazing tool can take care of your cloak-and-dagger activities. Read More

iOS 6 Privacy Feature: What Is It & How Does It Work?

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There’s a lot of debate around the internet over the practicality and future of the Privacy feature introduced in iOS 6. There’s talk about the feature becoming annoying for users as iOS 6 grows, since installation and consequently the first time use of an app that requires access to Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Photos, Bluetooth Sharing, Facebook, Twitter and of course Location Services, will prompt a dialogue box whether the user wants to allow that app access to one or more of those elements. The current buzz around the blogosphere is that this feature may ultimately backfire, but if you ask me, it’s a move bound to be welcomed by iOS users, as it provides them greater control over their devices. Requiring stringent app approval methods for the App Store is one thing, but it’s about time Apple trusted iOS users to make their own calls over Privacy concerns. For more on the Privacy feature and how it actually works, read on! Read More