Privacy-protecting Facebook Disconnect app is downloaded 152,000 times

(source: dailymail.co.uk)

Facebook's reassurances about its privacy policies don't seem to have calmed people's fears of the internet giant - as users flock to shield their browsing histories from its all-seeing eye.
Facebook openly admits to tracking your use of other websites while you are logged in to the site.
But the site's attempts to reassure people that its use of their web browsing information is innocent don't seem to have had the desired effect.
Facebook Disconnect - a browser extension which prevents Facebook 'seeing' which other sites you visit online - has been downloaded 152,000 times.
The software works in Google's Chrome browser and automatically blocks web traffic between other sites and Facebook, so the social network can no longer 'look at' your browsing history.
'Facebook is notified whenever you visit one of the more than one million sites on the web that use Facebook Connect and has a history of leaking personally identifiable information to third parties,' says the official Facebook Disconnect page. 'Turn off the flow of your data to them!'
Privacy advocates have voiced concerns that the information could be used for 'targeted advertising' in worrying ways.
Unless you take steps yourself, the social network watches most websites you visit while logged in.
Facebook's own 'privacy' pages are largely targeted towards protecting your data from other people - not from the social network itself.

Users seem delighted with Facebook Disconnect, even though it blocks some functions of Facebook such as photo links.
One user commented, 'Keep your data private folks! The tools are there to keep your browser safe, use them.'

 

The extension has been such a hit that its creators have unveiled an upgraded version, entitled Disconnect, which also protects users against tracking from Google and Twitter.
Disconnect also works in Apple's Safari browser and Mozilla's Firefox.
Google in particular has access to a huge amount of information from its users, from the contents of Gmail emails to web browsing history to the videos they watch and upload on YouTube.
'If you’re a typical web user, you’re unintentionally sending your browsing history with your name and other personal information to third parties whenever you’re online,' the company says.
A spokesman for Facebook said: 'If you're logged in to Facebook and visit a website integrated with Facebook, your browser sends us information, including your browser and operating system information, and your Facebook user ID.
'We use this information to help show you a personalized experience on that site. For example, when you go to a website with a Like button, we need to know who you are in order to show you what your Facebook friends have liked on that site.
'Regardless of whether you are logged in or not, we do not use the information we receive when you visit a site integrated with Facebook to track activity around the web.




Star Smile mad

Google+, Google Maps, YouTube Apps Get Update, Search App Leaks Early

(source: Search Engine Watch)

Google has released new iterations of several major apps, including Google+, Google Maps, and YouTube. The Google Search app is also getting a new version in the near future.

Google+ App

While the new version was released for both iOS and Android, much of the focus was on adding support for different iOS devices. The new version of the iOS Google+ app adds support for the iPod Touch and iPad, although no new interface has been introduced for the iPad. Additionally, the app will no longer crash on loading the stream in iOS 5.0 (the version of Apple's mobile OS that's currently in beta testing).
The new version brings in additional controls on both Android and iOS. Most notably, users can choose to decline Huddles without blocking the sender, and mute or hide specific Huddles. Stability and speed have also, as usual, been improved.

Google Maps App

The new version of Google Maps is also the search giant's way of getting Google Places onto the phones of users. The new features are largely oriented toward the local business front. The version released on July 27 includes the option to personalize Place pages (including through uploading images), manage your starred Places and recent history through a new "My Places" tab, and add new Places.

YouTube App

Android users can now manually download the new YouTube app by searching for "YouTube" in the Android Market. The new version includes:

• A new interface for uploading videos that lets you smoothly load longer videos.
• The option to create, edit, and delete playlists; control your subscriptions; and modify the video details of content you've uploaded, all from your Android device.
• The ability to comment on videos from within the app.
• New browsing categories.
• A new home page.
• Improved stability and speed.

The Upcoming Google Search App

Google posted the announcement of this new app on the Google Mobile Blog, but quickly pulled it down. However, we managed to capture the details. Here's what you should expect.

Beyond the new UI, a new organization scheme has been added for suggestions. The app will now group suggestions by type and bring in country-specific suggestions. Users will also have more control over their history, since they can long-press any history suggestion to remove it. The app will also be faster and more stable.
It's clear Google is committed to their app front when it comes to their major properties – especially search, local, media, and social options.

Star Smile mad