Tag: TRACKING

All three major browser providers have now publicized their solution to the FTC's Do Not Track problem. Google has waded in with a thoroughly brute-force extension that was probably programmed in a few hours, and Mozilla has a much softer, "meta" HTTP approach up its sleeve. Microsoft seems to be somewhere in the middle, with a built-in solution that may prove to be the best of both worlds. ...

Third-party browser tracking -- and how to give users more control over it -- is a hot topic right now. Microsoft and the FCC have similar plans, one former Google employee recently took the wraps off his take, and now there's another Chrome extension which turns the tracking blocker knob up to eleven. It's called Do Not Track (DNT) ChromeBlock, and it gives you an easy way to shut down around ...

Looking for an inexpensive -- or better yet, free -- way to track your laptop or Android smartphone in the event it gets stolen? Check out Prey, an open source project that offers multi-OS tracking, reporting -- and countermeasures! Just download the Prey client software, install, and register an account -- you'll need one in order to be able to access the service's Web-based control panel. ...

Relevant ads can sometimes be useful -- Google's recent hyper-local announcement is one such case. However, there are plenty of users on the Web who aren't all that keen about the behavior-tracking that ad providers employ in order to serve those ads. And apparently the people behind the ads think the right thing to do is to offer you a way out. The newly-formed Self-Regulatory Program for ...

The Tracktor's website is an incredible tool for those of us who shop on Amazon.com frequently. Over the weekend, Tracktor introduced a new Google Chrome extension, which automatically adds their historical pricing data to Amazon product pages as you browse. Both new and used price history is displayed, and the extension also adds a notification box to the right side of the Amazon page. Set ...

So, maybe I should just say that "Google Alarm makes noises," because Google is always collecting your data. Whether it's Google.com, YouTube, or any site with Google Analytics, chances are you've picked up some Google cookies during your browsing travels. If you want to know when that's happening, Google Alarm is the Firefox or Chrome add-on for you. I shouldn't make it sound like it's ...

Normally this one would fall just outside the Download Squad perimeter, but who doesn't enjoy chuckling at an unlucky criminal? And besides, there's software involved -- which you'll be able to download at some point -- which does kinda make it relevant! See, this particular thief strolled up and nabbed an iPhone out of an unsuspecting woman's hand. Unfortunately for him, the phone was in the ...

Just last month, Google let us know that they were working on "a global browser based plug-in to allow users to opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics." It's now here, and ready for users of Chrome, Firefox 3.5 and 3.6, and Internet Explorer 7 and 8. Head over to the Opt-out Add-on page on tools.google.com, install the add-on, and you'll no longer send data back to Google via the ...

Just a couple of weeks ago, we gave out some beta invitations to Regator 2.0, the new and improved version of a very useful tool for searching and exploring blog content. Well, you must have been amazing beta testers, because Regator is open to the public today. Regator's front page shows you the most-blogged stories of the moment, and you can get deeper analytics once you start searching. My ...

With more than 1.3 million downloads, the Ghostery add-on for Firefox is obviously an extremely popular way to know who's keeping tabs on your Web browsing. All kinds of tracking goes on behind the scenes while you surf. Google, Omniture, comScore, and others are gathering data wherever they can. If you'd like to know what's going on in the background but you surf with Google Chrome, you can ...

Facebook is already the most-visited site in the US, and now it's looking to expand its reach across the entire web. TechCrunch is reporting that Facebook plans to release a new set of features that allow other websites to integrate with Facebook. They're starting with a universal "like" button, so you can give a thumbs up to anything on the web, and have it tied back to your Facebook account. ...

Do you need to know about a new product release the minute it happens? Are you watching Amazon price changes like a hawk? Is your F5 key worn out from overuse? You might want to look into some automatic ways to monitor website changes. I know RSS is the trendy way to keep up with new posts on websites -- I use it all the time -- but some sites don't offer RSS feeds, and some people either don't ...

Nick Felton likes numbers. I mean, he really, really likes numbers. He's the guy that publishes an annual report on his life. So yeah, numbers. He also created a tool that we briefly mentioned awhile back called Daytum. Daytum is a web application that lets you set up any number of various displays tracking virtually anything you want, and presents it in a beautiful way. Daytum is a great tool for ...

Google has announced some major improvements to its Google Analytics traffic tracking package, mostly focusing on improving the way it tracks mobile devices. Adding a new snippet of code to the mobile version of your site will get you traffic analysis from mobile devices, and it works regardless of whether a visitor's mobile browser supports Javascript. Google has also added features for iPhone ...

Adobe announced it's buying Omniture, the web analytics firm it's been using to track usage stats on its products for years. Omniture is one of the largest analytics companies out there, serving a roster of customers including America Online (this blog's parent company), British Telecom, Disney, eBay, and Ford. Adobe's using thick corporate-speak in its press announcements about this acquisition ...