by ben patterson | Feb 10, 2012 | how-tos, privacy, social networks
Don’t want a certain Facebook friend to see you’re online? Sure, you could switch the entire Facebook chat sidebar into “offline” mode, but then you’d be invisible to all your friends. The trick, as All Facebook reports, is a new... 
by ben patterson | Feb 3, 2012 | how-tos, privacy, social networks
Don’t like getting tagged in someone else’s Facebook photo? Had it up to here with the ticker? Want to change the privacy settings for all your old posts in one fell swoop? Read on for 10 tips that’ll make life on Facebook easier—and more private.... 
by ben patterson | Feb 2, 2012 | how-tos, privacy, web browsers
Yes, Google is watching you—or at least, it’s watching a “cookie” on your browser that collects anonymous data on the sites you’re visiting, all in the hopes of serving up targeted ads that you’re more likely to click. Now, one way to... 
by ben patterson | Jan 30, 2012 | how-tos, privacy
Don’t like the idea of Google serving up advertisements based on your browsing history, your recent searches, or the message threads in your Gmail inbox? If so, good news: there’s an easy way to tell Google—and other online ad networks, for that matter—to... 
by ben patterson | Jan 17, 2012 | apps, how-tos, privacy, social networks
You know those updates in your Facebook news feed about which Washington Post stories your friends are reading, what songs they’re listening to on Spotify, and the shows they’re streaming on Hulu? Well, they’re courtesy of Facebook’s new... 
by ben patterson | Jan 3, 2012 | desktops, laptops, phones, privacy, security
A new year means a new start—for both you and your gadgets. Get off on the right foot in 2012 with these five essential tech tips, from backing up your hard drive (you are backing up your hard drive, aren’t you?) to taking charge of your pile of passwords. 1.... 
by ben patterson | Dec 16, 2011 | how-tos, privacy, social networks
No, Facebook’s new Timeline feature—which turns your old Facebook wall into a visual, easy-to-browse overview of your entire life, complete with all your previous Facebook posts and photos—isn’t an optional extra. Once it’s activated on your account... 
by ben patterson | Dec 15, 2011 | how-tos, privacy, social networks
Yep, there’s another change coming to Facebook, and it’s a big one. Starting Thursday, Facebook will begin turning on the new “Timeline” feature, which takes all your Facebook posts, photos, and miscellaneous “life events” and... ![The Carrier IQ privacy brouhaha: what you need to know [updated]](https://heresthethingblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Android-phone.jpg)
by ben patterson | Dec 1, 2011 | news, phones, privacy
Is your smartphone secretly keeping tracking of everything you do, from dialing and texting to surfing and searching, and then reporting it all back to the mothership? That’s what security experts are asking after allegations that Carrier IQ, a company that... 
by ben patterson | Nov 29, 2011 | how-tos, phones, privacy
California Mom writes: I need to spy on my teen’s texts without her knowing. I’m willing to pay a reasonable fee, but obviously, free is better. (And, note to all, if you want to judge about the sacrosanctity of teenage texts, find another taker.)...