#see this is why you should be using firefox and duckduckgo | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bluescreening · 5 years ago

Text

Internet Safety

Yeah, I know, you’ve all sat through the talks at school telling you never to tell strangers your credit card details or whatever. But it has come to my attention that there are a worrying number of people who don’t know the actual practical things you can do to stay safe and secure while on the web. These tips cover invasions of privacy from anybody including big companies and hackers. It’s probably worthwhile to give ‘em a go.

Personal Safety

Password Safety - Use a different password for every website. I’m not kidding. If you think you’ll struggle to remember that many, you have two options. Firstly, you can use a password manager such as OnePassword, which is probably the safest option. If you’re like me and can’t quite bring yourself to trust one (there’s no reason not to, it just doesn’t sit right with me) you can use variations on a password for unimportant sites, and then come up with secure ones for sites you share more personal info with.

Have I Been Pwned? - This is a website which tells you if your email has been involved in a data breach. Don’t worry if you have been pwned - you have different passwords for everything, remember! Just be aware of what data has been leaked, and change a password or two if necessary. Sign up for their email notifications to stay on top of recent breaches.

ProtonVPN - A VPN, if you don’t know, stands for virtual private network. Picture all the different connections between devices in a network, linked through WiFi or cables, as highways. VPNs section off a lane for your own private use, so nobody can see what you’re sending or receiving. It’s unlikely that anyone will be looking on your home network, but on public WiFi networks it’s important to prevent anyone seeing anything they shouldn’t - it’s not hard to packet sniff! You can also use them to bypass school and workplace website blocking, and access sites blocked in your country. Obviously ProtonVPN isn’t the only one, but I’d recommend em as they encrypt everything and have some pretty beefy systems in place to prevent tracking. It’s available on all devices for free.

ProtonMail - Yes, yes, more ProtonStuff, but this is a really good one. I’ll get onto why Google tracking you is a bad thing later, but if you want to break out of Google’s ecosystem, ProtonMail is a good alternative to GMail. It encrypts all your emails, which means nobody intercepting the email will know what it says. That means it’s great for private matters that you want to keep secret or avoid Google telling people about, like banking and stuff. It’s also a bit more customisable than GMail.

Social Media Checkup - Do you know exactly how much someone can find out about you, just by looking at your social media? Facebook is a special offender for that one (I don’t even have an account there anymore - and dear lord was deleting it a struggle) but Insta, Snapchat, Twitter and yes, even Tumblr, might provide a creep more info than you bargained for. Think about how much you want to make public, or how much the app has on you at all. There are plenty of tutorials on how to adjust your settings.

HTTPS Everywhere - A very handy extension that forces websites to encrypt all your data as you send it back and forth.

Avoiding Tracking

Why? - I know it might seem weird that a large company, or even the government, might want to keep track of little old you. Sure, they can target you with relevant ads, but whatever, you use an ad-blocker anyway. That is, until you realise that behind the scenes, on almost every website you visit, data-brokers are collecting info on you and what you do online, and building a profile of you. It’s not anonymous. And it can be used for anything from determining your creditworthiness and insurance premiums to detailed surveillance. Yeah. With all the protests going on lately, it would make sense to keep these people from learning about you for your own safety and your future.

DuckDuckGo - Start by using this search engine instead of Google, and installing the Privacy Essentials extension. It’s a good search engine, for one thing. For another, it prevents tracking and lets you know whose schemes you’ve foiled, you meddling kid. It gives each site you visit a privacy rating, and lets you know how much it’s increased that by. For example, Tumblr usually receives a D, but DuckDuckGo has blocked some trackers and improved it to a B. It has also informed me that trackers have been found and dealt with on over 50% of the websites I visit. Google is unsurprisingly the main culprit.

Alternative Browsers - There are lots of things you can use instead of Chrome, and many of them work really well! I recommend Firefox, since it’s almost exactly like Chrome but open-source, and it also protects you from trackers and has lots of fun extensions. There are some other good PC ones too like Opera and Vivaldi, but I haven’t used them before so I wouldn’t know how good they are. DuckDuckGo has its own mobile browser which is currently my main one.

Adblockers - You can’t get targeted ads if you don’t get ads! You can choose who to show ads for too, so if you want to support a certain site you can whitelist them. Try UBlock Origin, or Adblock Plus. Install ‘em as extensions for whatever browser you’re using.

Privacy Checkup - Go through your Google account with a fine-toothed comb and check what is being tracked about you. Pause your YouTube history, your Maps history, your Google Assistant history. Clear what you can. Check Amazon too. Also, never ever use Cortana or Siri or Alexa or anything like that. Ever. No matter how cool having a robot assistant is.

And that should be that! I’ll try to keep updating this post with new tips as I find them, but this is everything I do for the minute to ensure I’m protected online.

UPDATE #1 (9/8/20): I started using Vivaldi and goddammit is it brilliant!!! Extreme customisation, it's chromium-based so you have all your fancy Chrome extensions and it has a lovely mobile app too. My current browser setup on both desktop and mobile is Vivaldi with Firefox as a backup, both with DuckDuckGo and adblockers.

#crystallised infodumps #privacy #online safety #online shopping #amazon #google #firefox #tracking #data #internet surveillance #data breach #e safety #internet safety #safety #tips #life hacks #hacking

101 notes · View notes

safebrowser-knowledge-blog · 5 years ago

Text

Incognito Mode Won’t Keep Your Browsing Private.

The huge tech mammoths, web-based publicizing organizations, and information intermediaries utilize a huge amount of stunts to follow you around the web. These incorporate things like treats, area, and gadget logging, fingerprinting, and even offer fastens, the remainder of which makes it exceptionally simple for organizations like Facebook and Google to perceive what you do on the web, even on outsider sites.

Obviously, the present clients aren't ignorant concerning quite a bit of this following. What's more, the vast majority who know about it will take (fairly unsurprising) strides to do what they think will conceal their online movement from tech organizations.

One of the most widely recognized methods individuals think can help shroud their action is the utilization of an "undercover" mode in a program. This opens a protected perusing window where outsider threats are blocked and perusing history is delayed.

Apologies, no

The issue within disguise modes is they give a misguided sensation that all is well and good.

Notwithstanding what a great many people expect, undercover modes are basically worked to square hints of your online movement being left on your PC — not the web. Because you are utilizing in disguise mode, that doesn't mean your ISP and locales like Google, Facebook, and Amazon can't follow your action.

This is particularly valid in case you're signed in to any of these destinations in your program, regardless of if it's previously or after you're in an in secret window — the organizations can even now observe all that you do. Furthermore, it's the equivalent for some other site you have to sign in to. So recall that in case you're signed in to a site, regardless of on the off chance that you are utilizing in secret mode, or even a VPN, the site's proprietors can see precisely what you are doing.

For the individuals who perceive the points of confinement of in disguise mode, they'll by and large at that point use program expansions to help square more data being sent back to tech organizations. These normally include content, treat, and promotion blockers. The issue with this is numerous sites depend on those equivalent innovations to work right — once more, this is particularly valid for sites you have to sign into, similar to banks, web-based life locales, and shopping destinations.

For the most part, the destinations that require contents and treats to work will show you a warning disclosing to you that you have to whitelist them in the event that you need to utilize the site appropriately. Whitelisting them gives you back the website's usefulness, however, then you lose the security insurances you were looking for in any case, on the grounds that those locales will by and by place following threats on your PC to pursue your online strides. So what is a protection cognizant individual expected to do?

Program compartmentalization

Program compartmentalization is a protection strategy that is, at last, picking up standard consideration. The method sees clients utilizing two or even three programs on a similar PC. Be that as it may, rather than exchanging between programs aimlessly, clients of program compartmentalization devote one program to one sort of web action and another program to another kind of web movement.

Here are the means by which it works:

Clients will utilize one program for any sites they have to sign in to. This program is the one on which they'll get to their internet based life, banks, and shopping destinations.

The huge catch here is that clients will never utilize this program to look through the web or arbitrarily peruse the web. This program is utilized for bookmarked locales you have to sign in to. We should consider this your "accounts" program.

Clients will at that point utilize a second program for all their web looking and arbitrary perusing. On this program, a client will never sign into any site — ever. They will never utilize this program to by and by recognizing themselves in any capacity, period. We'll consider this your "ordinary" program.

By separating your web action between two programs, you'll acquire the most extreme security and secrecy conceivable without yielding accommodation or the convenience of the sites you have to sign in to. That is on the grounds that most of your web users will be done in your "regular program," which, by never signing into any site, will make it very hard for information firms to distinguish you and track your exercises — particularly in the event that you fit your "ordinary" program out with some in-your-face protection expansions. You can go full scale with your security settings on your "ordinary program": Block all treats, contents, and trackers, and consistently use in it in disguise mode. That is on the grounds that you won't sign into any destinations that require treats or contents to be empowered to work.

An expression of caution: This methodology won't totally ensure your protection. Your ISP and different organizations may, in any case, have the option to see which destinations you are visiting. To totally cloud your traffic, you'll have to likewise utilize a VPN.

For sites that do require those advancements to work, similar to online life destinations and banking locales, you'll utilize your "accounts" program.

Why program compartmentalization works

The explanation program compartmentalization works are on the grounds that internet browsers are, generally, walled gardens. They don't share treats between them, nor other recognizable things like program history or bookmarks. Therefore, when Google or Facebook places a treat tracker on your "accounts" program when you sign in to their locales so they can follow you around the web, this treat they've put on your PC is just open through that program, no other program on your PC.

Setting up your 'accounts' program

While designing your program compartmentalization arrangement on your PC, you'll need to choose which program you'll use as your "accounts" program, and which one you'll use for your "regular" program. Since your "regular" program will be the one you utilize frequently to peruse the web, I suggest you utilize a protection centered program that supports a huge amount of augmentations and additional items, like Firefox or Brave.

For your "accounts" program, regardless I prescribe you utilize a protection centered program, yet one that doesn't require a ton of additional items or expansions. Keep in mind, you're going to need to have your "accounts" program set up to acknowledge a few treats and contents so you can sign in to the sites you need.

That is the reason I prescribe utilizing Apple's Safari on Mac or PC as your "accounts" program. It has fair security assurances worked in, yet ones that won't break sites you have to sign in to. In the event that you aren't a Safari fan, other great "accounts" program alternatives incorporate Microsoft's Edge, Firefox, and Brave. With respect to Chrome: It's made by Google, whose sole point is to know it all you do on the web, so it's likely best to avoid Chrome in the event that you esteem your protection.

When you've picked your "accounts" program, bookmark each site you utilize that you sign in to Google, Facebook, your financial balances, Netflix, carrier accounts, utility records, Amazon, dating locales, and so on. Bookmark them (the toolbar is best for simple access) and access those destinations just by tapping on your bookmarks.

Keep in mind: Do not do the web look in this program. That is the thing that your "regular" is for. By not looking in this program nor utilizing it to peruse the web, you'll enormously restrict the online action the sites you do need to sign in to can see. In any case, just in the event that you overlook this and do unintentionally play out a pursuit, ensure you change the default web index in your "accounts" program to DuckDuckGo, the protection centered internet searcher that doesn't follow you.

After you've done this, congrats, your "accounts" program is currently set up.

Setting up your 'regular' program

The following stage is to set up your "ordinary" program. Keep in mind, this is the program you will use to look and peruse the web, so it's the one you'll be utilizing more often than not. There are a lot of extraordinary programs to use as your "ordinary" program, however, I suggest Firefox on the grounds that it offers such huge numbers of implicit security and security assurances, and significantly increasingly through augmentations. This makes it one of the most secure programs you can utilize whenever set up appropriately. Other suitable choices incorporate programs like Brave and the Tor program.

In your "regular" Firefox program, set your substance blocking settings to "severe." Screenshot by means of Firefox

When you've downloaded Firefox, you will need to do the accompanying:

Don't bookmark any locales you have to sign in to, and never sign in to those destinations on this program. Recall that you have your "accounts" program for that.

Go into Firefox's inclinations (Firefox > Preferences) and in the General tab click "Make Default" to make Firefox your default program. By doing this, you can guarantee any connections you click on in an email will open your "regular" program as a matter of course.

Still, in Firefox's inclinations, click on "Protection and Security." Under "Content Blocking" pick "exacting." This will square known trackers and all outsider treats.

Under "History," check the case named, "Consistently use private perusing mode." This is Firefox's variant of in secret mode. Empowering this will guarantee your web history is rarely spared (and accordingly can never be gotten to by a site you visit).

Next, you'll need to download three augmentations. The first is uBlock Origin. This expansion will hinder the most meddling include trackers and malware.

Presently, introduce the HTTPS Everywhere augmentation. This expansion is made by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and it powers your program to ask for and utilize the encoded variant of sites, which means it's harder for your ISP to follow what you do on those locales.

At last, download the Cookie AutoDelete augmentation. This will naturally erase any treats, first-gathering or outsider, that were downloaded during your last perusing session. This guarantees each time you start a perusing session, no treats from the last session remain, which makes it practically outlandish for destinations to follow you between perusing sessions.

#Technology IT

1 note · View note

dailytechnoreview · 3 years ago

Text

5 Disadvantages of Free VPN

Understanding the disadvantages of using a VPN and appreciating what it can and can’t do is a crucial part of keeping yourself safe online. In this guide, we introduce the 5 most important Disadvantages of Free VPN.

Using a high-quality VPN service is a reliable way to secure your privacy and maximize your freedom online.

A good VPN hides your IP address, encrypts your web browsing activity, and lets you unblock websites that are censored in your location.

But a VPN won’t solve all of your problems. It’s important to understand the limitations and Disadvantages of Free VPN to keep yourself safe online.

Despite the clear benefits, a VPN isn’t a universal solution for all internet privacy issues. Thinking that it is could put you at risk.

In this guide, we explore the five main Disadvantages of Free VPN.

1. A VPN Will Not Make You Completely Anonymous

Even the best VPNs can’t guarantee your anonymity online. Your browsing behavior can still reveal you’re true identity in ways that your VPN service cannot control. So this is one of the Disadvantages of Free VPN.

If you’re logged into a Google or Facebook account, a VPN won’t be able to stop those companies from monitoring your activity.

There’s also a collection of techniques that advertisers use to track you across the internet. These include:

Web trackers and cookies: Websites use trackers and cookies to tailor their service to your specific needs. They store details about you, such as your name and geographic location, and can be used to identify you despite a VPN connection.

Browser fingerprinting: Most browsers reveal small pieces of information unique to you and your session. Authorities and advertisers can collate this information to build a ‘fingerprint’ that identifies your online presence, even when you’re using a VPN. Learn more about browser fingerprinting in our best private browsers guide.

To maximize your anonymity, you should pair your VPN with a genuinely private browser like Mozilla Firefox.

Consider also using an anonymous search engine like DuckDuckGo, and think carefully about your behavioral patterns online.

2. Your Privacy Depends On Your VPN Service

One of the key reasons to use a VPN is to stop unwanted individuals from observing what you do online.

Just as you wouldn’t let a stranger watch you from the window of your house, you don’t want strangers spying on you online.

However, by protecting yourself with a VPN, you’re still handing your browsing activity over to someone else: your VPN service.

All your traffic is routed through the VPN provider’s servers. If it wanted to, it could see who you are and what you’re doing online. That’s why it’s crucial to look at the VPN’s logging policy before you start using it.

Your privacy is entirely dependent on how trustworthy the VPN service is.

You need a VPN that will not log any personally identifiable information about you or your activities. Ideally, its logging policy will have been independently verified by a third-party audit. So, If you use Free VPN then it will reveal your identity, So this is one of the Disadvantages of Free VPN.

Without a no-logs policy, a VPN is a threat to your privacy and is probably unsafe to use. Learn more about logging policies, and see a list of genuine zero-logs VPNs, in our guide to VPN logs.

3. It’s Illegal to Use a VPN in Some Countries

VPN apps are legal in most countries around the world, but there are still a small number of places where using a VPN is either illegal or restricted.

The countries that ban or regulate VPN use are:

Belarus

China

Iran

Iraq

North Korea

Oman

Russia

Turkey

Turkmenistan

United Arab Emirates

You could therefore be breaking the law by simply using a VPN, and you may be prosecuted if caught. So this is one of the Disadvantages of Free VPN.

In China, for instance, anyone found using a VPN service, that has not been explicitly approved by the government, can be fined up to 15,000 yuan (equal to around $2,300).

To learn more about global censorship, see where in the world VPNs are legal or illegal.

NOTE: Using a VPN to perform illegal activities is still illegal, regardless of where you are in the world.

4. Good VPN Services Cost Money

The unfortunate truth is that a high-performing, safe VPN will cost money.

It doesn’t have to break the bank, though. The average price of our most-recommended VPNs is just under $4 a month, with the cheapest option priced at $1.11/month.

For a full price comparison, take a look at our analysis of how much VPNs cost.

While the best VPNs don’t necessarily cost the most money, you’re unlikely to find a service that’ll do everything you want for free.

The overwhelming majority of free VPNs are either poor quality or genuinely dangerous to use So, this is one of the Disadvantages of Free VPNs. When it comes to your privacy and security, it’s just not worth taking the risk.

That said, we have found a handful of trustworthy free VPN apps. These services are very good, considering you’re not paying a cent. However, their performance is limited. For example, most of them cap how much data you can use each month.

5. Using a VPN Slows Down Your Connection Speeds

Using a VPN service almost always slows down your connection speed. This is because, once you turn the VPN on, your connection starts to take a longer route to the internet, via your chosen VPN server.

With good-quality VPNs, the speed loss is minimal, to the extent that you won’t even notice it. For instance, Hotspot Shield delivers a speed loss of just 0.41%. So this is one of the Disadvantages of Free VPN.

However, poor-quality VPNs can slow download speeds and increase latency to an unusable degree. This can be a major issue if your internet connection is already quite slow or if you’re doing something speed-sensitive, such as streaming, gaming, or torrenting.

EXPERT TIP: Very occasionally, a VPN will improve the speeds of certain activities by helping you to overcome ISP bandwidth throttling.

0 notes

pinkrangerv · 3 years ago

Text

How To Safely Use The Internet, PT 1

Okay, this is going to be a multi-part post, because I am seeing some of y'all doing some quite frankly HORRIFYING shit online, and I would like you not to get doxxed by the next great callout scheme or turned into a serial killer's new prey.

This post is going to focus on how to safety up your computer and phone. Let's get started.

Here is where you start with your Windows computer. Here is one for Apple. Here's a primer for Linux. Pick your operating system and set your privacy to 'paranoid'. Why? Because big corporations, various world governments, and really annoying salespeople want to take your data and annoy the crap out of you with it. Don't let them. Unless you personally tell someone information, they don't need to have it.

Facebook is...disturbing, politically, but I understand why you use it. Here is a primer on how to keep Facebook out of your life; along with this, switch your username to a fake name (more on this in a minute), or your first and MIDDLE name instead of your last.

Now, you're going to need to get private browsers and email access. For email, you'll need two. The first will be a professional email. Use your real name, address, and other information for it, and use Gmail--it will look suspicious to do anything else. For the username, pick '(last digits of the year)(first and last name)'. Nice and professional, no problems.

DO NOT GIVE THIS EMAIL TO ANYONE BUT YOUR EMPLOYERS OR JOB SITES, or it will get FILLED with spam (I say from bitter experience). Use it STRICTLY for people you know in real life. Do not give it to ANYONE in fandom, online, or anyone you have not met in person or have verifiable proof of not being an axe murderer of.

Now, your NEXT email, and indeed an entire profile, is going to be what you use for online PERSONAL use. Start with a name, one you can use across your accounts. Fandom references are good--mine, PinkRangerV The Amazing, is from a Power Rangers season where the Pink Ranger, Vida, was my personal heroine--or you can use a meaningful name to you. Whatever you want, it's your username. Just DON'T use your real name, or anything like it. (If you're trans, yes, your real name counts even if you still are legally your deadname. Use your real name for things like church or close friends.)

Now come up with an address. Fandom references are good. 568 Lothlorien Way is a good address. Use this map to pick a large city near you--keep it at least half an hour away, a big city (if you're in California, for example, try Sacramento or Los Angeles), and pick a random zip code and county to add to it. For sensibility reasons, it should probably be within the same state, but that's as close as you need to go.

With this, set up a secondary Gmail for personal, online use. Now we're going to get things set up so you can use your fake identity for some actual stuff.

Start by downloading Firefox. Firefox is the browser you're going to use for everything, because it won't collect or sell your information. Once it's set up, install DuckDuckGo so you won't have to deal with Google deliberately blocking your searches, and set it as your primary search engine (go to your toolbar, click the three lines, go into 'settings', and then 'Search'--it's got a button to set up the default browser right there).

Now close out the settings--we're going to add on some adblockers and antiviruses. Start with UBlock (adblocker), then add Facebook Container (stops FB from spying on you), PrivacyBadger (keeps people from tracking you). Since you use Tumblr, you'll also need Tumblr Savior (you can block posts with specific tags, and unfollow people with no tags), and XKit so the damn site actually works. Savior and XKit will also help reduce popup ads and autoplay videos.

Now, go onto your social media and re-set up your sites with your fake identity. After that, you're done! Sit back and try any of these sites to reward yourself.

Pt. 2 next up.

#Internet safety lessons #Pt 1

1 note · View note

pushfox757 · 4 years ago

Text

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone X

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone 8

Can You Browse The Dark Web On Iphone

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone 7

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone 11

The DuckDuckGo (DDG) browser comes from DuckDuckGo Inc., one of the foremost names in online privacy. It is a full-fledged web browser on Android and iOS, offering all the features you expect in a modern mobile browser, such as tabs, bookmarks, and even a dark mode. Berry Dark Browser works really well so that users can get the dark mode no matter which web page is opened. You can download it on the iPhone as well as iPad, and you should have iOS 11.0 or later version. Berry Dark Browser has pretty cool gesture support that allows you enable to disable dark theme. Here are our top picks for the best web browsers for the iPhone. The equipped interface, dark and adorned with larger icons than are typically present in mobile browsers, is also a nice touch. UC Browser (iPhone Only) The name UC Browser may sound familiar, and it’s another browser that features a well-implemented dark mode. But unlike Firefox, both the theme and all web pages are.

What are the best browsers for iPhone? Well, the built-in Safari is excellent when it comes to browsing the web, but we find its functionalities too essential. After we’ve experimented with different browsers on the iPhone, we discovered that using the default browser sucks.

Do you want a slow and a hanging browser? Then sit back with the default and old Safari browser on your iPhone, or read this piece twice and pick the best alternative browser for iPhone that appears to be the most reliable. Hence, you are free to install all the listed browser apps to get the best browsing experience.

All the listed apps below have been tested and confirmed as the best alternative browser app for the iPhone. So it’s now left for you to pick the one that is more convenient for you.

Best Browsers for iPhone

In this article, I picked out some third-party browsers that are compatible with the iPhone, intending to get the most suitable browser for the iPhone and put them to experiment. After experimenting with all the browsers against some standards, I narrowed the number down to five to save reading stress.

1. Google Chrome

When it comes to browsers, both on mobiles and PCs, Google Chrome is the most dependable.

Google Chrome for iOS is uniquely created to send Safari packing. The Google Chrome browser is made to provide an excellent way to connect to the World Wide Web, but the iOS version offers a significantly better way.

The availability of approximately all features of Google Chrome on regular devices is incredible. The data saver mode is perfect, and the easy tab management makes it a favorite of many. What’s more, you can quickly sign in to the browser and sync with your desktop browser to save all browsing history. It is not necessary, though, and it’s if you want. However, failure to sign in may deny you some of the features. Google Chrome also makes it effortless to browse without being tracked with the support of the “Incognito mode” similar to the “Private Tab” on Safari. However, this browser uses up your CPU and can’t be set as the default browser.

2. Firefox

This article will be insignificant without the mention of Mozilla Firefox. Mozilla, the inventor of Firefox, overwhelmed everyone with their super-fast Mozilla Firefox for Android. However, this appears to be a mirror with Firefox Focus. It is an uncomplicated security-focused browser for iPhone, which ensure you browse smoothly without any issue. There are no tabs, history, or menus. All that was advertised about the browser was the security perspective, which it does well. The browser helps to obstruct trackers and social tracking data. If this is not your thing, and you want a Mozilla product, the regular Firefox browser is still available on the App Store, but I feel this is also worth trying out.

3. Opera Touch

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone X

Opera Touch made it to the list of the best browsers for iPhone. Opera is the most immeasurable software company that won’t just stop building extraordinary browsers for every operating system. Opera has finally released the long-awaited bang into the iOS market by releasing another chart-topping browser, by the name, Opera Touch.

Opera Touch has the most suitable UI for internet surfers who would like to browse on the go. While Opera Touch can brag about some basic features, it isn’t a browser that I recommend as a favorite. The adblocker has been the number one winning feature in all Opera browsers, and Opera Touch seems to maintain the quality. In addition to it, Opera also built in a cryptocurrency wallet directly into the browser, which makes it look like a step too far.

4. Dolphin

Dolphin is a feature-rich browser accessible on both Android and iOS devices. With easier-to-manage tabs and more effective gesture assistance than the default iPhone browser (Safari). Dolphin is one of the most reliable browsers for the iPhone. Dolphin carries built-in gestures but won’t care if you can draw some other gestures by yourself. Also, gesture identification is very accurate.

The dolphin browser encourages sharing in various ways, including a native sharing method termed Dolphin Connect. Hence, Dolphin has an integrated night mode, which many other browsers don’t have. The night mode will save you from eye damage.

Lastly, Dolphin has a massive list of features, and it may be difficult for new users, especially those who are not techy. It also has a built-in translator, password manager, and many more features you would not see in Safari. These make it one of the best browsers for the iPhone.

Knowing how to write an address can sometimes get confusing. Stop second-guessing and check out these rules for the correct address format. Find the address of any place in the US or the world. Click a point to find what address is closest to that point. Enter the name of a famous place or landmark to find its address. The My Address tool works on a computer or a mobile phone. Whether you are exploring a new area or having a road trip, the what is my current address tool will come in handy if you are ever lost. You can share your address, or your gps coordinates with anyone you like for meetup purposes. Postal address lookup by name.

5. Microsoft Edge

Have you used Windows PC with the Microsoft Edge browser? If yes, then you can consider taking a look at Microsoft Edge for iPhone. Sincerely, Microsoft Edge and the Google Chrome browser have a similar design. The tabbed browsing feature mirrors that of Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge also features a setting that enables you to browse in private.

Though, when it comes to syncing with a Windows 10 PC, Microsoft Edge wins Google Chrome. Microsoft Edge links to and empowers your iPhone to share webpages, bookmarks, and other settings with your Windows 10 PC.

It also features a primary password manager, translator, and many more features unavailable in Safari. Microsoft teams competitors. These make it one of the best browsers for the iPhone.

READ MORE: Personal Assistant Apps For iPhone

Other download links:

What's New:

Safari 14.0 introduces new features, even faster performance, and improved security.

New tab bar design shows more tabs on screen and displays favicons by default

Customizable start page allows you to set a background image and add new sections

Privacy Report shows cross-site trackers that are being blocked by Intelligent Tracking Prevention

Removes support for Adobe Flash for improved security

Longer battery life and faster performance.

With a blazing-fast JavaScript engine and energy-saving technologies, Safari is a faster, more enjoyable way to explore the web.

Browse longer. Watch more.

Safari is engineered specifically for Mac, so it takes advantage of the powerful technologies built into every one. And Safari now offers native support for Netflix. So compared with Chrome and Firefox, you can browse for up to two hours longer and watch Netflix videos up to three hours longer.

Faster than Chrome and Firefox.

Browsing with Safari is blazing fast thanks to advanced JavaScript engine optimizations that make websites and web applications feel snappier.

Defending your online privacy and security.

Privacy and security aren’t just something you should hope for — they’re something you should expect. That’s why features to help protect your privacy and keep your Mac secure are built into Safari. For example, it’s the only browser to offer DuckDuckGo — a search engine that doesn’t track you — as a built-in option.

Surf seamlessly across all your devices.

Not only does Safari come on every Mac, it comes on every iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, too. And thanks to iCloud, your passwords, bookmarks, history, tabs, and Reading List are always up to date no matter which device you're using.

Discover something great. Then share it just as easily.

Safari makes it simple to find and enjoy the best of the web. And we've made it easy to share what you find with others.

Spotlight suggestions.

With Spotlight built into every Mac, you’re never far from the information you want. As you type in the Smart Search field, Spotlight suggestions display results from sources like Wikipedia, news sites, Maps, iTunes, movie listings, and more.

Share menu.

Share anything you come across on the web without leaving Safari. Just click the Share button, then choose how you want to send it off. Use Mail, Messages, or AirDrop. Tweet or post to Facebook. And even add comments and locations. A single sign-on sets up sharing to Facebook and Twitter, so you only need to log in once.

Shared Links.

Shared Links is the best way to see what’s up on the web. When you’re in the mood to read something new, quirky, or cool, open Shared Links in the Safari Sidebar, where you can view links from people you follow on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can scroll seamlessly from one story to the next, no clicking required.

What's New:

General

New Features

Added Desktop-class Browsing to Safari for iPad. Safari for iPad displays the same desktop websites as Safari for macOS, and provides the same capabilities. In addition it has more keyboard shortcuts, a download manager with background downloads, and support for top productivity websites.

Added opt-in dark mode support for websites in Safari for iOS.

Added support for aborting Fetch requests.

Authentication and Passwords

New Features

Updated Safari to prompt the user to change weak passwords when signing into a website. Requesting a password change uses the well-known URL for changing passwords, enabling websites to specify the page to open for updating a password.

Added support for FIDO2-compliant USB security keys with the Web Authentication standard in Safari on macOS.

Added support for Sign in With Apple to Safari and to WKWebView.

Security and Privacy

New Features

Added a permission API on iOS for DeviceMotionEvent and DeviceOrientationEvent.

Changed the behavior for third party iframes to prevent them automatically navigating the page.

Updated Intelligent Tracking Prevention to prevent cross-site tracking through referrer and through link decoration.

Improved the privacy of local WebRTC data connections with mDNS ICE candidates.

Increased the security for WebKit sandboxes on iOS and macOS.

Layout and Rendering

New Features

Added support for one-finger accelerated scrolling to all frames and overflow:scrollelements eliminating the need to set-webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch.

Changed the default behavior on iPad for wide web pages with responsive meta-tags that require horizontal scrolling. Pages are scaled to prevent horizontal scrolling and any text is resized to preserve legibility.

Added support for CSS conic gradients.

Performance

New Features

Reduced the initial rendering time for webpages on iOS.

Added automatic support for Fast Tap to desktop websites on iPad.

Reduced load time up to 50% for webpages on watchOS.

Reduced the amount of memory used by JavaScript, including for non-web clients.

Improved the MotionMark graphics performance benchmark score by 10%.

Web API

Mac Os Yosemite Iso Download

New Features

Added support for the __Secure- and __Host- cookie prefixes in beta 3.

Improved iPad hardware keyboard support for websites including focus navigation and scrolling with the arrow keys.

Added support for the Pointer Events API enabling consistent access to mouse, trackpad, touch, and Apple Pencil events.

Added support for the Visual Viewport API for adjusting web content to avoid overlays, such as the onscreen keyboard.

Added support for programmatic paste with user consent to Safari for iOS.

Updated editing callouts to avoid in-page controls.

Added intelligent whitespace to editable WebViews and editable areas of webpages.

Payment Request API

New Features

Added support for Apple Pay on the Web to WKWebView. Note that using script injection APIs, such as WKUserScript or evaluateJavaScript(_:completionHandler:)disables Apple Pay for that view.

Media

New Features

Added support for the decodingInfo() method of the Media Capabilities API for checking supported codecs, efficiently supported codecs, and optional codec features including alpha.

Added the ability to Safari for macOS to share your screen with others using only web technologies. Plug-ins are no longer required.

Updated Safari for iPad to support Media Source Extensions.

Added support for the navigator.mediaDevices property of the Media Capture and Streams API to SFSafariViewController.

Resolved Issues

Transparency in video with an alpha channel now works correctly for all supported video formats.

Safari App Extension API

New Features

Added an API for page navigation notifications.

Added support for associated Safari App Extensions receiving blocked content notifications from Content Blocker Safari Extensions.

Web Inspector and Tools

New Features

Download Safari For Mac Yosemite

Added Safari WebDriver to iOS.

Added importing and exporting of recorded timeline data.

Added the CPU Usage Timeline for analyzing and improving the power efficiency of websites.

Added the Audit tab for running tests against web content including a built-in accessibility audit, importing and exporting results, and creating custom audits.

Added the Changes sidebar in the Elements tab to track CSS changes in the Styles sidebar.

Added the Device Settings menu to override developer-related Safari settings when Web Inspector is connected to an iOS device.

Added a Security tab to the resources view of the Network tab to review certificates and TLS settings.

Increased the performance of Web Inspector for large sites.

Removed Features

Yosemite For Mac

Removed support for WebSQL.

Removed support for Legacy Safari Extensions.

Disabled -webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch on iPad. All frames and scrollable overflow areas now use accelerated one-finger scrolling without changing stacking.

Disabled frame flattening on iOS. Frames now render in the same way as a desktop browser.

AuthenticationServices Framework

Safari Download For Mac Yosemite

New Features

Added ASAuthorizationController to implement Sign In with Apple and to use a system-provided sign-in account picker for accounts stored in iCloud Keychain.

Added ASWebAuthenticationSession to the SDK for macOS.

Added support for using web browsers other than Safari to ASWebAuthenticationSession on macOS. For more information, see ASWebAuthenticationSessionWebBrowserSessionManager.

Software similar to Safari Browser for Mac 4

Yosemite Download Free

121 votes

Opera GX is a special version of the Opera browser built specifically to complement gaming. The browser includes unique features to help you get the most out of both gaming and browsing.

Freeware

Windows/macOS

28 votes

Bringing together all kinds of awesomeness to make browsing better for you.

Freeware

macOS

30 votes

Chrome combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier.

Freeware

macOS

0 notes

greateagledreamer · 4 years ago

Text

Free Browser For Mac Os X

Mac Internet Browsers

Tor Browser For Mac Os X Free Download

Free Browsers For Mac Os X

Browser For Mac 10.5.8

We built Safari to be the best browser for your Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Built-in privacy features keep your browsing your business. You can stream and search smarter with handy tools that help you save, find, and share your favorite sites. Apple Pay in Safari lets you shop safely and simply. Safari for Mac is faster and more energy efficient than other browsers. And thanks to iCloud, Safari works seamlessly with all your devices.

UC Browser for Mac OS X: Best alternatives Our editors hand-picked the best Mac alternatives to UC Browser, go ahead and check them out, rate them, or add new ones you find fitting. Feel free to add any alternative to UC Browser for Mac that you know of. Suggest Alternatives. The Safari browser comes pre-installed with macOS and it’s a browser many people love.

Defending your online privacy and security.

Intelligent Tracking Prevention.

Remember when you looked at that green mountain bike online? And then saw annoying green mountain bike ads everywhere you browsed? Safari uses machine learning to identify advertisers and others who track your online behavior, and removes the cross‑site tracking data they leave behind. So your browsing stays your business. And Safari keeps embedded content such as Like buttons, Share buttons, and comment widgets from tracking you without your permission. We know you’ll like that.

Sandboxing. Built-in protection for websites.

Sandboxing provides a safeguard against malicious code and malware by restricting what websites can do. And because Safari runs web pages in separate processes, any harmful code you come across in one page is confined to a single browser tab, so it can’t crash the whole browser or access your data.

Fingerprinting defense.

When you’re online, the characteristics of your device can be used by advertisers to create a “fingerprint” to follow you. Safari thwarts this by only sharing a simplified system profile, making it more difficult for data companies to identify and track you.

Protection from harmful sites.

Safari helps protect you against fraudulent websites and those that harbor malware — before you visit them. If a website looks suspicious, Safari prevents it from loading and warns you.

Private Browsing.

When you use Private Browsing, Safari doesn’t remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information. You can also use DuckDuckGo, a built-in search engine that doesn’t track you, to make your web searches private, too.

More secure and convenient passwords.

Safari works hard to make sure your passwords are robust and unique by automatically creating and storing strong passwords for you. Once stored, your passwords will autofill in websites across all your Apple devices and in apps on iOS and iPadOS devices. In Safari preferences, passwords that have been used more than once are flagged so you can easily update them. And one-time security codes sent over SMS are autofilled right in the password field as soon as they appear in Messages. Security has never been so user friendly.

Mac Internet Browsers

Surf seamlessly across all your devices.

Not only does Safari come on every Mac, it comes on all your iOS and iPadOS devices. And thanks to iCloud, your passwords, bookmarks, history, tabs, and Reading List are always up to date no matter which device you’re using.

iCloud Keychain securely stores your user names, passwords, and credit card numbers and keeps them up to date on your trusted devices. So you can easily sign in to your favorite websites — as well as in apps on iOS and iPadOS — and quickly make online purchases. And everything is protected with robust 256-bit AES encryption.

With Bookmarks in Safari, your favorite sites are always close at hand. Bookmark a web page on your Mac, and it automatically appears on all your iCloud-connected devices.

With Tab view, the last websites you had open on your Mac are available in Safari on your iOS and iPadOS devices — and vice versa. So you can go from one device to another without having to search for the web pages you were reading.

Save web pages you want to read later simply by adding them to your Reading List. Then view them on any of your iCloud-connected devices — even if you’re not connected to the internet.

The fastest way to browse on a Mac. And faster than any Windows browser, too.

With a blazing-fast JavaScript engine, Safari is the world’s fastest desktop browser, outperforming both Mac and PC browsers in benchmark after benchmark on the same Mac.1

JavaScript performance on advanced web applications1

Safari vs. Windows 10 browsers

Search more. Stream more.

Tor Browser For Mac Os X Free Download

Safari is optimized specifically for Mac, so it’s more efficient than other browsers on macOS. And Safari plays HTML5 video — the format used by your favorite streaming services — whenever it’s available. So you can explore the web for up to three hours longer and stream video for up to four hours longer than on any other browser.2

browsing compared to Chrome and Firefox

streaming videos compared to Chrome and Firefox

The best browsing experience.

Features in Safari help you surf smarter and easily manage and share what you find.

Pay easily and securely with Apple Pay. Apple Pay is the easiest and most secure way to pay when shopping in Safari. Look for Apple Pay on your favorite shopping sites, then complete your purchase with Face ID or Touch ID on your iPhone or iPad. You can also use Touch ID on your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, or double-click the side button on your Apple Watch. Your credit card details are never shared when you use Apple Pay, and your transactions are protected with industry-leading security.

Free Browsers For Mac Os X

Learn more about Apple Pay

Browser For Mac 10.5.8

Updated start page. Easily and quickly access your favorites and frequently visited sites. And Siri suggestions surface bookmarks, links from your reading list, iCloud Tabs, links you receive in Messages, and more.

Desktop-class browsing on iPad. Safari now shows you a website’s desktop version that’s scaled for the large iPad display and automatically optimized for touch input. Faster and more fluid scrolling makes browsing feel better than ever. And a new download manager means you can easily download and share files right in Safari.

Stop auto-play videos. Safari prevents unexpected and unwanted videos with audio from automatically playing while you browse. Just click the play button if you want to view them. Have a favorite site where you always want videos to play? Use per‑site settings in Safari to enable media auto-play.

Turn on website icons in tabs in Preferences to easily see what you have open. Pin your favorite sites and they’ll reappear in tabs every time you open Safari. You can also mute the audio on any tab right from the Smart Search field — perfect for stopping the music without having to hunt for where it’s coming from or, if you prefer, silencing all the audio from your browser at once.

Personalize your browsing experience in Safari with settings for individual websites, like page zoom level, location services, and content blockers. So each website appears just how you like it.

Automatically use Reader for every web article that supports it, so you can read without ads, navigation, and other distractions. Customize your view by selecting your font size and style, and choose Sepia and Night themes.

Play video from a web page to your TV with Apple TV — without showing everything else on your desktop. Just click the AirPlay icon that appears on compatible web videos and you can watch your video on the big screen.

Float a video window from Safari over your desktop or a full-screen app on your Mac or iPad. Play the video in any corner of the desktop and resize it to see more or less of what’s behind it. So you can watch videos while you browse photos. Or catch up on your favorite show while you catch up on email.

With Spotlight built into every Mac, you’re never far from the information you want. As you type in the Smart Search field, you’ll see Safari suggestions from sources like Wikipedia, news sites, Maps, movie listings, flight status, weather, stocks, and sports.3

Share anything you come across on the web without leaving Safari. Just click the Share button, then choose how you want to send it off. Use Mail, Messages, or AirDrop or add it to a note.

Developers

Deep WebKit integration between Mac hardware and macOS allows Safari to deliver the fastest performance and the longest battery life of any browser on the platform, while supporting modern web standards for rich experiences in the browser. WebKit in macOS Catalina includes optimizations and support for additional web standards that enable even richer browsing experiences.

Extensions

Safari Extensions are a great way to customize your browsing experience on macOS. Find and add your favorite extensions from the Mac App Store.

0 notes

jacksonhenry297 · 5 years ago

Text

Try These Best Ad-Blockers On Your Android Device

It doesn’t matter which smart device we use; there are ads and pop-ups everywhere that annoys us and spoils the fun and experience of browsing. Everyone hates to see those frustrating Ads in between browning anything on the internet. Especially, the pop-ups are so annoying, like when you are reading some article, or browsing any video, and those pop-up banners show up on your screen. This is the most irritating thing ever that spoils our Funtime. Just like you, we also hate ads. And that is why we recommend you to use the Ad-blocker softwares on your devices. It becomes important to install these softwares on your device if you are tired of the Ads that keep on interrupting you while browsing. These Ad-Blockers will not only block Ads and pop-ups, but they will also protect your device from the intrusive stuff.

If you are searching for the best Ads and pop-ups blockers, then you have come to the right place. Because here, in the following article, we’re going to tell you about some of the best Ad-blocker software that you can use while browning any site to avoid Ads and pop-ups.

The Best Ad-Blockers For Android to Try in 2020

There is a great variety of softwares available that is specially designed for the purpose of blocking Ads and pop-ups while browsing anything on the internet. You can select any of them and install them on any of your Android devices. These Ad-blockers will provide you with the best experience of browsing and will safeguard your device from getting infected. Not only this, but these blockers also help to speed up the loading of the web pages and keep the trackers away from snatching away your data. However, it is necessary to choose the best Ad Blocker that can provide you with complete protection. For that purpose, we have prepared a list of the best Ad Blockers that you can use to avoid those irritating ads and pop-up banners. Check out the list that we have mentioned below for you:

Brave Browser

Brave is a full-featured private browsing software that provides you with some amazing capabilities for browsing any site. It is best of all the browsing softwares that provides you with its best experience of browsing and has a built-in Adblocker. It has a unique system that enables you to perform some useful actions. The Brave browser comes with some default settings that provide more protection to your device’s privacy than Chrome. This browser app is somehow similar to Chrome as it is designed from the same code as Chrome. Chrome is the most common browser that is used by a lot of people. And if you have used Chrome, then it will provide you with the same experience like you might be having with Chrome. Its inbuilt Ad Blocker feature enables you to browse any site without any Ads and pop-ups. You can download this free Ad Blocker application from the Google Play Store.

DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo is another private browsing software that primarily functions as a web browser. It is truly one of the best Ad Blocker applications among all others. It has some unique inbuilt features that enable you to browse any site without any Ads and Pop-ups. Apart from that, it completely takes care of the privacy of your device and keeps it protected from all the trackers and malware. It also provides you with the privacy grades for all the sites that you browse. DuckDuckGo provides protection to your search activity from the security breach by encrypting all your search activity. It is completely free to use this browser application and can be run on all Android devices. Download this browser application now from the Google Play Store.

Firefox Focus

If you have used the browser of Firefox, then it’s the time to have some good stuff on your device. Being a Mozilla product, Firefox Focus is a browser application on which anyone can rely. It’s the most trustworthy and stable browser app that provides you with its several useful features. Like the above-mentioned browsers, it also lets you browse any web page without any Ads and pop-up banners. This amazing Adblocker application has a clean and simple user-interface. It is easy to use and set up on any of the Android devices. This application will provide you with everything that might need in any AdBlocking browser. And the best feature of this application is its multi-language support that enables its users to browse any site in the language that they prefer. This is one of the best products that anyone should give a try. Users can download it from the Play Store without any charges.

Cake Browser

It is a lightweight and powerful browser application that offers a bit different search experience to its users as compared to all the other browsers. Its simple but attractive user-interface has made people switch to this browser from the usual. Its works are simple. You have to type the topic on which you want to conduct your search, and it will make the search results appear on your screen divided into categories like images, videos, web news, or shopping. You can select the category by swiping your finger to the option. Cake browser seems a small and simple browser, but it is everything that you need in a browser. On the other hand, it also takes care of the security and protection of your device and data. It is the most secure option that you can choose. This is a free application that you can install on any of your Android devices from the Play Store.

AdBlock

AdBlock browser is one of the most popular ad blockers in the market. It is also one of the trustworthy browsers that anyone can have on their device. This application is compatible with all the browsers, including Chrome, Safari, Opera, Firefox, and all others. It automatically blocks all the incoming Ads and pop-ups while you browse any site. AdBlock app stands above all the Adblocker applications, and right now, it is in the leading position. It is a completely safe option that anyone can use on their device. There are several other features covered under this application that helps you to maintain the privacy and security of your data and your device. AdBlock is a free application that users can install from the Google Play Store.

Jackson Henry. I’m a writer living in USA. I am a fan of technology, arts, and reading. I’m also interested in writing and education. You can read my blog with a click on the button above.

Source-These Best Ad-Blockers

#Ad-Blockers

0 notes

peoplemagrpg · 5 years ago

Text

I ditched Google for DuckDuckGo. Here's why you should too

What was the last thing you searched for online? For me, it was ‘$120 in pounds’. Before that, I wanted to know the capital of Albania (Tirana), the Twitter handle of Liberal Democrat deputy leader Ed Davey (he’s @EdwardJDavey) and dates of bank holidays in the UK for 2019 (it’s a late Easter next year, folks). Thrilling, I’m sure you’ll agree. But something makes these searches, in internet terms, a bit unusual. Shock, horror, I didn’t use Google. I used DuckDuckGo. And, after two years in the wilderness, I’m pretty sure I’m sold on a post-Google future.

It all started with a realisation: most the things I search for are easy to find. Did I really need the all-seeing, all-knowing algorithms of Google to assist me? Probably not. So I made a simple change: I opened up Firefox on my Android phone and switched Google search for DuckDuckGo. As a result, I’ve had a fairly tedious but important revelation: I search for really obvious stuff. Google’s own data backs this up. Its annual round-up of the most searched-for terms is basically a list of names and events: World Cup, Avicii, Mac Miller, Stan Lee, Black Panther, Megan Markle. The list goes on. And I don’t need to buy into Google’s leviathan network of privacy-invading trackers to find out what Black Panther is and when I can go and see it at my local cinema.

While I continue to use Google at work (more out of necessity as my employer runs on G-Suite), on my phone I’m all about DuckDuckGo. I had, based on zero evidence, convinced myself that finding things on the internet was hard and, inevitably, involved a fair amount of tracking. After two years of not being tracked and targeted I have slowly come to realise that this is nonsense.

DuckDuckGo works in broadly the same way as any other search engine, Google included. It combines data from hundreds of sources including Wolfram Alpha, Wikipedia and Bing, with its own web crawler, to surface the most relevant results. Google does exactly the same, albeit on a somewhat larger scale. The key difference: DuckDuckGo does not store IP addresses or user information.

Billed as the search engine that doesn’t track you, DuckDuckGo processes around 1.5 billion searches every month. Google, for contrast, processes around 3.5 billion searches per day. It’s hardly a fair fight, but DuckDuckGo is growing. Back in 2012, it averaged just 45 million searches per month. While Google still operates in a different universe, the actual difference in the results you see when you search isn’t so far apart. In fact, in many respects, DuckDuckGo is better. Its search results aren’t littered with Google products and services – boxes and carousels to try and persuade people to spend more time in Google’s family of apps.

Search for, say, ‘Iron Man 2’ and Google will first tell you it can be purchased from Google Play or YouTube from £9.99. It will then suggest you play a trailer for the film on, where else, YouTube. The film is also “liked” by 92 per cent of Google users and people searching for this also search for, you guessed it, Iron Man and Iron Man 3. The same search on DuckDuckGo pulls in a snippet from Wikipedia and quick links to find out more on IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon or iTunes. For the most part, the top of Google’s page of results directs you towards more Google products and services.

Go further still and search for ‘Iron Man 2 cast’ and Google displays a carousel of names and pictures right at the top of the page. As a result, 50 per cent of all Google searches now end without a click. Great for Google, bad for the list of websites below that also contain this information and that you will never visit. Do the same search on DuckDuckGo and the top result is IMDb. It might sound small but issues like this are fundamental to how the internet works – and who makes the most money from it. Google’s prioritisation of its results, and a perceived bias towards its own products and services, has landed the company in hot water with the European Commission slapping it with multi-billion pound fines and launching investigation after investigation into alleged anti-competitive behaviour. What’s good for Google, the commission argues, isn’t necessarily good for consumers or competitors.

Then there’s privacy. Search for something on DuckDuckGo and, for the most part, you just get a list of links or a simple snippet with exactly the information you were looking for. And it does all this without storing or tracking my search history. Nor is what I search for collected and shared with advertisers, allowing them to micro-target me with a myriad of things I’m never likely to buy. The ads I do see in DuckDuckGo, which the company explains makes it more than enough money to operate, are more general. My search for bank holidays in the UK returned an advert for a package holiday company.

A quick office survey revealed similar search banality: recent Googles included ‘capitalist’, ‘toxoplasmosis’ and ‘hyde park police’. For the most part, what we’re looking for online is simple: it’s definitions, companies, names and places. Where DuckDuckGo has struggled is when I look for something incredibly specific. So, for example, search for ‘film Leonardo Dicaprio goats scene’ in DuckDuckGo and it doesn’t work out you’re looking for Blood Diamond. Google does. While Google, with its vastly greater tranche of search data, is able to second-guess what I’m after, DuckDuckGo requires a bit more hand-holding. That doesn’t mean I can’t find what I’m looking for, but it does mean I have to modify my search term a couple of times to narrow things down.

But such moments are rare and fleeting. Yes, Google has more bells and whistles. But such bells and whistles are, once you stop seeing them, easily forgotten. A realisation that most of your online searches are really bloody obvious is somewhat liberating. You don’t need to be tracked and targeted to work out the name of that hideous earworm that’s been stuck in your head all day (in my case it was Vanessa Carlton’s A Thousand Miles, I don’t know why). DuckDuckGo helps you find it in the same way Google does: you tap in a random line of lyrics, it finds them on a site with song lyrics on it and voila, the earworm is dead.

It’s not a fair fight, but it is one, oddly, where the small guy can compete. It might seem ludicrous – DuckDuckGo has 78 employees and Google 114,096 – but often the outcome is the same. For the majority of your searches David, it turns out, is just as good as Goliath.

#techlife #nathaniel moore #peoplemagrpg

0 notes

fromtheground39-blog · 6 years ago

Text

10 Years of Gaming PCs - 2009 - 2014 (Part 1)

let's open with the most important thing to take away from this video simply switching on incognito mode or private browsing - is not enough to keep your data safe online. Also, just because you aren't doing anything illegal doesn't mean that no one is after your personal information and that there's no benefit to staying private thing is guys these days pretty much everyone and their dog is out to get your browsing data and that's not tinfoil hat Paranoid delusional stuff. The main reason is that companies and other organizations like political parties, want your eyeballs glued to their message and the data that they get from your behavior online helps by giving them an advantage when they serve up those juicy ads everywhere that you frequent. The good news is that staying private online is actually less difficult than you might think and pretty much anyone can do it. So, let's go through some easy strategies, starting with one of our favorites using a VPN like private Internet access. For those of you new to VPN or virtual private networks, they take in your data encrypt. It then send it through their network of servers before forwarding it to the destination country of choice. When the VPN sends your data out into the world towards the intended destination, it decrypt the data and makes it look like the data originated from that exit point rather than your computer, so whether you're torrenting or looking up content that might generate embarrassing ads in your Browser the next time someone sits down at your computer. We consider a VPN an essential part of staying safe online with that said, while a VPN does secure your data in some ways making it so, your ISP can't tell what you're doing and allowing you to circumvent. Most firewall blocks when your information leaves the VPN network, it's all still there and can be used to track you. So a VPN is just one of the tools in our belt. Now, let's talk about the onion router or tor, as some of you know, it we've actually covered tor before, but summary version goes a little something like this. The Onion Router isn't a physical router like you'd, think of plugging in in your home. Rather, it's an internet networking protocol, that's integrated into the Tor web browser and it's designed to anonymize the data relayed across it. So it keeps your online activity anonymous by encasing your traffic in multiple layers of encryption, then sending it through a number of nodes that peel back those layers one at a time. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, for snoops to see your webmail search, history and other online activity now tor is also imperfect and leaves us vulnerable until our traffic reaches its network. That'S why we're using our PI a VPN to mask that initial jump now thing is using a VPN, can actually lead to issues if you are specifically being hunted by some government agency, because your traffic will have a predictable exit point. But for most people, whose goal is to thwart more casual surveillance and advertisers, this vulnerability isn't that important, now incognito mode which, by the way, isn't useless, plus a VPN and tor, is pretty good and probably enough for most people. But since we're going for the ultimate private set up, we're going to take things a step further with our secret weapon, the hey there, it is super secure, password. The linux-based tails is the operating system equivalent of your weird uncle after too many drinks. It'S designed to forget everything it ever heard or saw. The entire OS is built around the Tor protocol and runs all Internet traffic through the Tor network, not just your browser traffic. One of the other key benefits of tails is that the OS essentially runs off of your computer's RAM. So once you turn off the system poof any data that was lingering on it is gone and there's nothing to your identity to the last browsing session. Another advantage of this solution is that you can take it with you and launch it on nearly any computer with a USB port. So then, now we are ready to browse the web anonymously. Almost the first thing, you'll, probably notice about the tor browser, is how similar it looks to firefox and that's not by accident. It'S because it is Firefox just set up to use the Tor protocol and that's nice, because it makes configuring all these little tweaks pretty familiar and straightforward. So in no particular order, regardless of our browser choice, we want to make sure that JavaScript can't run. We want to install the privacy badger extension to stop trackers and provide ad blocking, and we want to set our default search engine to DuckDuckGo, for what I hope would be fairly obvious reasons. So then, now we are fully ready to both browse the web and stick it to the man. At the same time, let's do a few tests here to see what that looks like so. We'Ve got two machines for our side-by-side test: a completely vanilla one running Windows and using Google, and then our tails Linux, one with the https://www.debate.org/routerhost/ tor browser. Now. Something to note is that we're not actually using a VPN on either of these machines, because here we're trying to get a representation of the worst case scenario, and here P ia actually doesn't recommend using their VPN from within tails. Although they do have a free proxy included with your account, which they do say, could be a good idea depending on what it is you're trying to achieve. So, let's go ahead and search for Expedia. Ok, first hit is expedia.com this one Expedia dot CA. So immediately. Our location has been anonymized and also Expedia blocked us from even accessing their site. That'S cute did we know that was gonna happen. Expedia blocks tour. Let'S try a different provider. We can't tell if you're a human, I'm human Xperia t3. It'S like pretty sure. I'M a bot hey, taking it sweet time, three freakin CAPTCHAs, no we're good all right. Let'S find a friggin flight here, New York departing tomorrow. Okay, let's do a quick search matter. Ch now we haven't actually been researching flights and hotels, so there may not be much benefit in terms of pricing to anonymizing any of this, but there's only one way to find out all right, so we're looking at 699 dollars, Canadian round trip and 347 pounds. Let'S do a quick conversion. There 556, I just saved a hundred and forty five dollars. This is the same damn flight and it's over a hundred dollars. Cheaper includes taxes and fees, including taxes and fees, yep, yep, yep, apples to apples. You have ear to ear. First Expedia hates Canadians now, let's click to read more do another fun little test. Let'S go to what is my IP comm, that is, in fact our IP and over here my public IP is some nonsense. I'Ve never seen or heard of before, and I'm apparently based in Bessel bsch, where the devil is that Switzerland. Now, let's do another fun little test, let's go on a popular shopping website like say newegg.com. Now, let's shop for let's say video cards, maybe a rock phantom Radeon, seven, what's a site with really really obnoxious ads. What'S that one that, based in Australia, that's like super obnoxious, tweaked out tweaked out thanks, Luke, alright, and let's have a look at what kind of ads are lurking for us on the page ho ho? What do we have here, Vancouver to London Vancouver to New Delhi? Vancouver to Lima and Vancouver to San Salvador shockingly, they didn't manage to come up with any graphics cards ads which was sort of what I was going for here. But I think we've made our point as for this. Well, it looks like they're not getting any ad revenue from us, which, of course, we feel pretty badly about as an ad-supported enterprise ourselves. But at the very least, we are not being tracked across the internet, which is the only reason that we enabled the ad blocking on this particular one. In the first place, you can of course, anonymize your browsing significantly without blocking ads altogether, just saying so for fun. We'Re gonna disable, both privacy, badger and you block origin and reload this page. So there's our ads, but as you can see, they are completely irrelevant. So we've got some scarlet audio interfaces in whatever language. This is an ad for the stream deck excel. That'S an English at least an ad for Corsairs hydroxy Rees liquid cooling. So there you go so that was a pretty compelling demonstration of the benefits of private browsing, but it has some clear disadvantages as well. Now this machine on the right is actually faster than the one on the left, but you guys might have noticed that browsing from within tales using the tor browser was slow as hell. That'S because the more hops you go through the more latency you're, adding to the connection, also some of the creature comforts that we've gotten used to on the modern web. Things like shopping carts that remember all the things that you added to them or websites that remember that you logged into them, so you don't have to enter your password every time that stuff ain't gonna work over here also something to bear in mind guys is That no matter what you do, it is going to be imperfect. This was fairly basic guide and privacy. Browsing is a rabbit, hole and a half. Furthermore, even on a properly set up machine, while you're browsing and searching and almost all of your internet usage might be basically invisible. Nothing is bulletproof because the weakest point in the entire chain exists between the keyboard and the chair. You and I are human and we are nothing if not creatures have had it, and if someone is trying to find you, your habits are likely to end up being the thing that gives you away with. All of that said, though, for the vast majority of use cases following either of the methods that we laid out here, should obscure your data footprint enough to make it nearly useless for advertisers and other parties. Speaking of advertisers. This video is brought to you by PI, a private intern. Private Internet access supports a variety of VPN protocols and types of encryption and authentication allowing you to dial in the level of privacy that you need. They'Ve got apps for Windows, Mac, OS Android, Linux and Google. Chrome and you can connect up to five devices at once, using a single account. Their apps include DNS leak, protection and ipv6 leak protection, as well as their internet kill switch feature which blocks all traffic if the VPN becomes disconnected unexpectedly so check it out today. At LM GGG, /, p ia, we're gonna have that links down below. So thanks for watching guys, if this video sucked, you know what to do, but if it was awesome hit like get subscribed or maybe consider checking out where to buy the stuff we featured at the video description link below also down there is our merch store. It has a cool shirts like this one join our community forum. It looks like that or like that, if you're in the tor browser well

youtube

0 notes

element-effect-blog · 6 years ago

Text

31 Value Proposition Examples You Wish You Had

With the average human attention span shorter than that of a goldfish, inbound marketing is a lot like speed dating.

When prospects get in front of you (or in this case, arrive on your website), you have to tell them everything you offer quickly while you have their attention, or else the bell will ring and they'll be off to the next option before you get the chance.

The most effective way of doing this is through a skillfully written value proposition.

What is a Value Proposition?

A truly great value proposition is a statement that paints a clear picture of what your brand has to offer for prospects. According to an infographic from QuickSprout, it tells your audience:

How your product or service solves/improves problems

What benefits customers can expect

Why customers should buy from you over your competitors

It introduces you to prospective buyers and helps you make a strong first impression. That's why it is so important to have a powerful one.

With that in mind, here are 31 value proposition examples that (as Derek Zoolander would say) are really, really, ridiculously effective.

Learn how to start differentiating your brand from the competition by telling a remarkable story that resonates with your audience.

1. Stripe

In this value proposition example, Stripe makes it clear that its web and mobile payment products are specifically made for developers and tech-savvy businesses.

Its APIs and tools are comprehensive, state-of-the-art, and trustworthy for businesses that demand nothing less. This statement is also aided cleverly by the image of two cell phones, each highlighting a different, well-known Stripe customer.

2. MailChimp

Three little words. That's all that MailChimp needs to tell you what its brand is all about. It's simple, direct, and bold. Use its service and you will send better email -- no ifs or buts.

3. Lyft

Unlike others on our list, Lyft skillfully targets two different personas at the same time with two distinct value propositions. Both clear and concise, one speaks to who want to get rides and the other to those who want to give them.

While many companies would shy away from this, Lyft's approach is highly effective yet subtle with the help of tasteful design.

Like MailChimp, the company is able to communicate its value in as few words as possible. This is especially important when your product or service's goal is to simplify the lives of its users.

4. Dollar Shave Club

5. Mizzen and Main

In this example, the cotton dress shirt company clearly knows its buyer persona -- people that want dress shirts that look like a nice, formal dress shirt, but are built for functionality. My only qualm with this value prop is that it's hidden on the eCommerce website's "About Us" page. I'd love to see it given more prominent real estate on the homepage.

6. Pagely

In this value proposition, Pagely addresses two of the biggest pain points of businesses with a WordPress website (scalability and security), while also enlisting social proof to give the company credibility right off the bat. Though one of our longer value propositions, Pagely's simplicity and clarity helps prevent it from being overwhelming.

7. Bitly

Known for its link shortening, Bitly is all about removing clutter and being concise, so it's only natural that the company's value proposition reflect these traits as well.

In these simple statements, Bitly summarizes its three major services in a way that is not only easy to remember, but also cannot be misinterpreted.

8. Unbounce

In this value proposition, Unbounce is very clear about what it offers while also addressing a common marketer pain point of needing to defer to or call in their "IT guys."

With this statement, marketers know that they'll be able to create and manage their landing pages easily without having to call in reinforcements. Ain't that convenient?

9. Apple MacBook

Apple has great value propositions for every product, but one that is particularly impressive is its statement for the MacBook. In this witty example, Apple emphasizes how lightweight its product is (its biggest differentiator), while also speaking to how advanced its technology is.

That Apple...always "light years ahead" (even in marketing.)

10. Vimeo

If you're familiar with it, you know Vimeo positions itself as a higher-quality, more sophisticated YouTube, and their value proposition makes this very clear. When you choose its platform over YouTube, you're making a commitment to posting something "worth watching," not just another cat video (no offense, cat videos).

11. FreshBooks

In their value proposition, Freshbooks does a great job of telling you exactly what they do and who it is for, calling out their personas directly.

By boldly addressing them as "non-accountants," FreshBooks not only commands attention but always highlights a common marketer pain point of not being able to understand accounting software.

12. DuckDuckGo

Though a bit hidden, DuckDuckGo has one of the most effective value propositions on our list because it actually tells you what it doesn't do -- it doesn't track or share your personal information.

Unlike bigger search engines, DuckDuckGo makes privacy a top priority and as its key differentiator, it wants you to know that as soon as you arrive on their site.

13. Mint

Having a good grasp on money and personal finances is key to reaching many long-term goals and planning for the future (i.e. buying a house, retiring, etc.).

As the statement suggests, though these landmarks may seem distant (like horizons) or even far-fetched, they will not only be more attainable than you think but also accomplished sooner with the help of Mint.

The vague messaging could also be seen as one of urgency; encouraging people to get their finances in order now as some "horizons" can arrive sooner than we expect.

14. Weebly

With so many players in the market today, Weebly positions itself as the "easiest" option to make a website, blog, or online store today. Need a web presence now and considering Squarespace, Wix, or Webs? Weebly's value proposition sets out to make sure its prospects know there's no faster or easier way to get started than with its platform.

15. Tortuga Backpacks

While many people may associate backpacks with school kids, Tortuga makes it clear in its value proposition that that is not its market. Making "travel backpacks for International, Urban Travel," the brand is going after hardcore travelers who are annoyed at the thought of checking bags and inspired by that of backpacking. Its imagery and messaging resonate perfectly with this audience.

16. Opera

Opera may be the least popular browser out of the Big 5, but it certainly makes it hard to argue against it with this value proposition. Simple and direct, if you're looking for a Firefox or Chrome alternative, Opera is fast, secure, and easy-to-use. Why not give it a try?

17. TheLadders

The Ladders is a career site specializing in high income ($100k+) job placement. it's value proposition, "Move up in your career" is a clever play on both what they do (upping your salary and helping you advance in your career) as well as the desire of the visitor to do these things. It takes great skill to capture both functional and emotional value in a one short sentence, but The Ladders does that flawlessly here.

18. Pinterest

Now, this value proposition is no longer in use, but it is nevertheless a worthy mention. From its old homepage, Pinterest tells you exactly who it is and what it does in one simple phrase.

The entertainment value of this site across multiple platforms (desktop or mobile) is shown through a very simple image, and a bright red call-to-action button (someone clearly did their conversion research) jumps out from the page, begging you to become a user.

19. Salesforce

Salesforce's value proposition has gone through many iterations over the years. In it's most recent version, it takes a very unique approach, highlighting one of its clients/case studies. In six small words, not only does the statement tell you what it does, but it introduces you to someone who can vouch for it. It invites you to hear someone else's story. I approve, Salesforce!

20. Square

Sometimes people just don't have cash on them and as a consumer, I think it's safe to say that nothing is more frustrating than trying to make a purchase then finding out they don't accept credit cards. It's annoying to the buyer and often leads to the business owner missing out on a sale.

Square's product eliminates both of these grievances and its value proposition speaks directly to that. With it's product and service (you can receive the square reader for free, but to use it, the company takes 2.75% of each transaction), you can start selling more right away. It's that simple.

21. Evernote

In just two words, Evernote tells you the exact benefit of its product and shows it in action with three situations in its hero video. People have a lot to remember these days, Evernote knows that and wants to help, but you can't imagine yourself using it, maybe one of these everyday people will put it into perspective.

I think it's safe to say that HubSpot knows a thing or two about inbound marketing. The company wrote the book on optimizing your website for inbound marketing and is hoping to do the same for inbound sales.

It makes that clear with its latest homepage design that has not one, but three different value propositions -- one of each of its main products.

While this could have easily been overwhelming (especially with individual buttons), HubSpot handled it in a way that is subtle, easy-to-navigate, and also gives people the opportunity to "choose their own journey."

23. Skype

In its value proposition, Skype leaves no mystery as to what it does (helps you share, message, and call), how it does it (on phone, tablet, and desktop), and who it does it for (the whole world.) Paired with emotional images of loved one connecting over a video chat, this statement checks all of the boxes.

24. Spotify

In another oldie, no longer in use, this value proposition eloquently tells you what Spotify's product is all about. It wants to bring music into your life and it does that by being available on-the-go in your smartphone or on a desktop (as seen in the hero image.) On its current homepage, Spotify opts for a carousel of sales-focused propositions, which may be more effective for closing premium users, but in terms of messaging alone, this one takes the cake in my book.

25. Plated

Plated is a direct-to-door service that mails you yummy recipes and fresh, pre-portioned ingredients so that you can try new foods and hone your cooking stills without all the busy work. In this value proposition example, Plated touches upon its service while also speaking to the users desire to expand their culinary horizons. Well done, Plated!

26. Invision

Invision is dedicated to streamlining the design process by making it easier for people to share, view, and collaborate on design mockups and prototypes. The result? Better design, done faster, and done as a team, as explained in its value proposition.

27. Optimizely

In this relatively new value proposition, Optimizely takes a conversational approach. Instead of making a self-declaration like most SaaS companies, it gives a friendly invitation to work together towards a common goal. It doesn't try to sell you; rather, it makes a human-to-human connection and offers guidance.

28. DeskBeers

It's always five o'clock somewhere, right? Deskbeers will send a box of craft beers directly to your office -- no collecting money from the group or running to the store, just a cool brew sent right to you.

29. Awesome Screenshot

Awesome Screenshot is one of my favorite chrome tools (especially for example heavy articles like this), so, I can safely say the company couldn't have summarized its value better in one statement than it does here. With its capping and annotation tools, Awesome Screenshot will help you communicate more easily and effectively with images. I can vouch for that!

30. Direct Energy Solar

Solar energy is becoming more and more common, but to say people are reluctant to make the switch would be an understatement. Direct Energy Solar recognizes that and strives to ease your qualms with a value proposition that says it will save you money, be customized your home, and leave your family happy.

31. Updatey

Last, but not least, Updatey has crafted a value proposition that feels cohesive to not only its product (as seen in the image featured), but to its overall branding -- simple and beautiful.

Brand consistency aside, this value proposition also suggests that the product will take something as complicated as project management and make it just as simple.

This content was originally published here.

0 notes

fabiofernandes · 6 years ago

Text

A Libertarian Guide to Internet Privacy

One thing that is always on my mind as a libertarian is Privacy. Our ancestors valued privacy much more than we do today, because privacy in the past was physical, visible and consequently tangible. Having your privacy violated in the past meant someone going through your things, following you around or simply constantly controlling and asking what you’re doing. Your physical freedom was at stake.

The idea we have today of privacy is much broader, less invasive, but not one bit less important and meaningful than it was before. The fact is we are now even more monitored, controlled, followed and spied than ever before, sometime by harmless things such online ads, but every now and then, by malicious people who are trying to fool, take advantage or steal from us, and that is when we finally notice how vulnerable we are online. Total Internet privacy is impossible, and anyone who claims to have it is lying. But anyone can increase their Internet privacy by adjusting their online behavior, because the power to be more private and decide what we share online is in our hands.

First, it is important to say that, not everyone needs the same level of Internet privacy. The way I use my internet connection may differ from yours, and where I usually connect can also change how likely I am to treats. You don’t have to use Tor all the time (which will slow your Internet) or communicate only through Signal encrypted messenger (which is useless unless your contacts are using it too). While such technologies provide a higher level of privacy, they may not be necessary for you and the kind of personal threat you are exposed to. In other words, you probably don’t need to take the same privacy precautions as a Turkish dissident, a Venezuelan protester or an NSA whistleblower.

Internet privacy is important for everyone!

If you have a smartphone, which almost everybody in the world does nowadays, even your grandmother, then privacy issues directly impact you. Without Internet privacy someone can steal your credit card or even your identity, potentially causing problems for your credit score or at the very least inconveniencing you while a replacement card is shipped. Internet privacy keeps hackers and criminals from infiltrating your online accounts and spying on your activity while using public WiFi.

On the other hand, as both citizens and users of the Internet, we all have a stake in the quality of our society. Privacy is a fundamental human right and a prerequisite for democracy. For authoritarian governments and profit-seeking companies alike, invasions of privacy are a useful means of control. If you value your freedom, then Internet privacy should matter to you.

Here are a few tips to keep improve your privacy:

1. Limit the information you share publicly

A lot of sensitive information about you is publicly available on the Internet. Some of it is a matter of public record, like court records, addresses, and voter registration. But much of it we put on the Internet voluntarily, usually via social media: photos (often location tagged), family members’ names, work history, and a variety of clues about our daily lives. In the end, without even knowing, we are putting ourselves voluntarily in danger.

Hackers can use these clues for social engineering and to answer security questions. Photos of you on social media can even be used to create deepfake videos of you. Almost all online services and Internet-connected devices have privacy settings you can update to restrict the amount of information collected and/or posted publicly online.

2. Limit the information you share privately

Online service providers can be vulnerable to data breaches, which can instantly compromise your privacy, sometimes in embarrassing ways. Even large services like Google or Facebook are not immune to data breaches. You can mitigate the privacy threat of data breaches by limiting the information you share with these services. For instance, you can use Google Chrome or Google Maps without logging into your account, or simply switching to a more privacy-friendly browser like Firefox.

If the services themselves (and their third-party partners) are overly risky for the type of life you live on, then you can switch to privacy-focused services that do not collect user data (and therefore cannot share it with third parties). I for example use ProtonMail, an e-mail account that i anonymous (not linked to your real life identity), and only collect as little user information as possible. Unlike other email service providers (like Gmail) the ProtonMail service also have no ability to read your inbox due to end-to-end encryption. When you use the free version of Gmail for example, the Google servers scan all your emails and accounts in order to offer you better suited advertising online. The same thing happens while using Facebook Messenger.

3. Strengthen your account security

Your password is your first line of defense. Make sure you use strong, unique passwords. A password manager can help you generate and store them so that you don’t have to write them down.

Your second line of defense is two-factor authentication (2FA). This is a way to secure your account with a second piece of information, usually something you have with you on your person, like a code created on an authenticator app or fob.

Avoid using public computers to access your accounts because these can be compromised by keyloggers. And if you absolutely must use a public computer, be sure to log out of your accounts.

4. Protect your devices

Most threat models should include the possibility of your device getting stolen or lost. So it’s important to also have strong passwords protecting your devices. There are apps that allow you to wipe, locate, and potentially identify the thief if your device is stolen.

Another important part of protecting your device is maintaining its software. You can help prevent attackers from installing malware on your device by keeping your apps and operating systems up to date. Software updates often include security patches for recently discovered vulnerabilities. You can also use anti-virus software.

If your device somehow is compromised with spyware, a low-tech privacy solution, ironically popularized by Mark Zuckerberg, is to cover your webcam with a piece of opaque tape

5. Practice email safety

Email is one of the easiest ways for hackers to get into your computer. So it’s important to be alert for phishing attacks, in which the attacker tries to trick you into clicking on a link, downloading an attachment, or giving up sensitive information (such as entering your username and password into a spoofed webpage).

6. Use encryption as much as possible

Encryption is the process of converting readable information into an unreadable string of characters. Without encryption, anyone monitoring the Internet could see the information being transmitted, from credit cards to chat messages. The vast majority of online services use some form of encryption to protect the data travelling to and from their servers. But only a few tech companies encrypt your information in such a way that even the company cannot decrypt it. This kind of encryption is called end-to-end encryption(E2EE). Whenever possible you should use services that offer E2EE because your privacy is protected by default.

Often, there is an E2EE alternative to less private services. For example, ProtonMail is a private alternative to Gmail. Instead of Google Drive, which can access your files, you could use Tresorit. DuckDuckGo is a private alternative to Google Search, and Brave is one example of an Internet browser that doesn’t track your browsing activity. For notes, Standard Notes is one E2EE option.

For instant messaging, you have a number of options. WhatsApp is one of the most popular chat apps, and it features E2EE. But Facebook (which owns WhatsApp) can see who you communicate with and when, and there may even be ways for Facebook to gain access to your messages if it wanted to. Facebook Messenger is not E2EE by default. WeChat offers no E2EE. For better chat security and privacy, I recommend using Wire or Signal.

For web services that are not E2EE, you should at least ensure that your Internet connection is encrypted from your device to the company’s servers. You can check that this is the case by making sure the URL of the website begins with “https”. There’s a browser plugin called HTTPS Everywhere to help you do this automatically.

7. Use a virtual private network (VPN)

A VPN encrypts your Internet connection from your device to the server owned by your VPN service provider. Using a VPN can help keep your web traffic safe from anyone monitoring the network at the local level: hackers, your Internet service provider, and surveillance agencies. A VPN will also mask your true location and IP address, allowing you to browse more privately and access geo-restricted content.

A VPN will not, however, protect your web traffic against the VPN provider. That’s why it’s important to choose a VPN service you trust that does not keep logs of your activity.

8. Use Tor

Lastly, if your lifestyle requires a very high level of Internet privacy (maybe you’re a spy), you should connect to the Internet through Tor. Tor is a technology maintained by the nonprofit Tor Project, which allows you to use the Internet anonymously. It works by bouncing your connection through multiple layers of encryption, both protecting your data and concealing its origin. Tor also allows you to access blocked websites (such as those offering E2EE services) via the dark web. However, the downside of Tor is that it is generally significantly slower compared to using a VPN.

Lastly, I want to say that just because you want privacy, it does not mean you have something to hide. Privacy, as mentioned before, is not only good for building stronger democracies but a fundamental right of the individual in our society. Creating a more private Internet is possible, but it will require a major shift in our culture and from the Internet’s current ad-based business model.

Hope you can use some of the tips here to improve you internet security against hackers and criminals and to regain your privacy. Mostly of the information was gathered in my favorite email provider ProtonMail. If you don’t have an account, go check them out, it’s free.

As always, be kind.

- F.

#Privacy #Liberal #Liberalism #Liberty #VPN #Email #Privacy Online #Internet

0 notes