Who is Tracking you on Facebook ?

How To See All The Companies That Are Tracking You On Facebook — And Block Them

Jim Edwards / Daniel Goodman / BI

Facebook is a great utility if you want to stay in touch with friends and family, share photos, and see what other people are up to in their lives.

It's free to use, of course, but that doesn't mean it comes without a price. If you're using Facebook, you're giving the company a ton of information about yourself which it is selling to advertisers in one form or another.

And most people forget that when they download or sign up for an app or website using their Facebook login, that they're giving those companies a direct look into their Facebook profiles and some of their personal data. That can often include your email address and phone number, but frequently also your current location.

If you're worried about your privacy, you can do two things: Opt out of ad tracking and — and this is sometimes rather alarming if you haven't done it in a while — look up the list of app companies that are logged in to your Facebook account.

We'll deal with the ads first, as that is easiest.

You can comfort yourself a little bit with the knowledge that the ads being targeted at you are coming anonymously and in bulk, at everyone who is in some way similar to you. They aren'tliterally being targeted at you personally, even if it feels that way. If you really don't like them, you can opt-out of most of them by following the instructions here and here.

If you want to go even further, by limiting the ad cookies that advertisers use to track Facebook users across the rest of the web, follow these instructions here and read this backgrounder here.

Now for the apps. That requires a bit more digging.

Here is the summary of where you need to go in Facebook's settings to see which apps are plugged in to your account: Settings > Apps > Apps you use > Show All Apps > Edit/delete. A more detailed set of instructions follows:

First go to the settings button on your Facebook page.

Facebook

Scroll down and click "Settings."

Facebook

Inside the settings menu, click on Apps.

Facebook

This looks like a list of apps that are signed into your account. But pay close attention to the "show all" option at the bottom of the list ...

Facebook

Voila! The list of apps tracking me is so long I have to make this super zoomed-out view to see them all:

Facebook

On each app, there is an Edit function and a delete "x" mark. Let's look at what QuizUp, the hot new trivia mobile game app, knows about me.

Settings

QuizUp knows my email, birthday, and current location. Because it's a mobile app on my phone, it also knows my phone number. But that's not all ...

Facebook

Click this little "?" symbol on "basic info" and it turns out that QuizUp is getting a bunch more info about me, too, including a list of all my friends and my profile picture!

Facebook

You can control this information by clicking on the "x" symbol to delete the app's access to your Facebook account. That might mean the app won't work, however.

Review each app to either edit its permissions or delete its access to you on Facebook entirely. It's a bit time-consuming — but otherwise you're just giving these people free data.

That's it! You're done.

Going Contract Free: Finding a Phone and Plan that Fits You!

Just a few years ago, buying a cellphone without a contract was both unfashionable and largely unfeasible. No-contract options were available but getting your hands on the latest phones and the best data plans usually required a two-year contract.

But no-contract plans have been on the rise, especially since March, when T-Mobile abolished annual service contracts from its lineup. Now, the no-contract options are so plentiful and varied that you might want to consider one, especially if your current phone is outside the contract period.

There are two big questions to think about before making the switch. Can I save money? And, will I receive the same level of service? The answer to both can be yes, though it depends on your particular circumstances and on doing your research before making any move.

Making It Pay

In traditional two-year plans, carriers often use a practice called subsidizing. Knowing that you will be locked in, they lower the phone’s price to entice you to agree to a contract. They may, for example, offer an iPhone for $200 instead of the $600 or more that the device costs at full price. The carriers then earn a profit over time from whatever talk, text and data plan you have chosen. And if you decide to leave the plan early they can recoup at least some of the subsidy by collecting an early-termination fee.

But the no-contract universe is different. Typically, you pay full price for the phone, buying it outright and without a credit check, and the monthly bill for the service plan is usually less than those available with two-year contracts. That means there is a financial incentive to extend the life of your phone when you have a no-contract plan.

The Service

When it comes to service, many of the no-contract options are tailored to feel like conventional plans, with unlimited texts, for example. And some providers offer pay-as-you-go plans, where users pay for service in advance — like a certain amount of minutes — and buy refills as needed.

Because the options are so numerous, pay attention to the details. When considering a no-contract plan, study network coverage areas, data speeds, pricing and customer service reliability. If the carrier’s network does not cover the area where you live, work and travel, then strike that choice and move on. Many no-contract plans provide smaller coverage areas than standard contract plans on the same network.

Also, if you are going to spend a lot on the phone itself, research its network compatibility. Many new phones are compatible on multiple carriers, giving you more flexibility with providers. The underlying technology of a device that runs on AT&T’s network will most likely work on T-Mobile’s network, but not Sprint’s or Verizon’s.

The Major Carriers

T-Mobile was the first major carrier to do away with standard contracts, and the other carriers have started to offer no-contract plans of their own, either directly or through brands or subsidiaries. But perhaps the best way to see how a no-contract plan works is to compare a T-Mobile plan with a standard contract plan from another major carrier, like AT&T.

Say you want a plan with a new iPhone. On T-Mobile, the 16-gigabyte version of the new iPhone 5C is available on T-Mobile for $22 a month for 24 months, with nothing down — a total of $528.AT&T offers the same phone for $100 with a two-year contract.

T-Mobile users must then also pay for a monthly talk and data plan. T-Mobile’s monthly plans start at $50 for unlimited talk, unlimited text and 500 megabytes of high-speed data. Meanwhile, AT&T, with its subsidized phone, offers a contract plan for $70 with unlimited talk and text and 300 megabytes of data.

In this comparison, the extra $428 spent on the phone at T-Mobile is more than offset by savings of $480 over two years on the plan ($20 a month for 24 months). But you can start to pocket real savings after two years, when the phone is paid off.

Among the other options offered by the major carriers is Aio Wireless, a subsidiary of AT&T that opened in May and aims to simplify by offering just three plans. Each comes with unlimited talk, text and data. Unlike the plans from T-Mobile and others, though, the pricing includes taxes and fees.

The cheapest Aio plan is for basic phones, at $40 a month, with 250 megabytes of high-speed data, and smartphone plans start at $55, with two gigabytes of high-speed data. The purchase price of some phones can be spread over 12 months and the company uses AT&T’s network, though the coverage area is smaller than it is for AT&T’s contract plans.

Sprint offers no-contract offerings with its As You Go plans and through brands like Virgin Mobileand Boost Mobile. On Virgin, a $35-a-month plan, Beyond Talk, will get you 300 minutes of talk, unlimited text and data with a high-speed cap of 2.5 gigabytes. And although Virgin and Boost use Sprint’s network, the coverage areas are smaller than for Sprint’s contract customers.

Verizon, too, offers no-contract options. The Samsung Intensity III, a basic phone with a slide-out keyboard, was recently $65, and a plan with unlimited talk, text and basic data is $50 a month.

Other Options

Republic Wireless, a newer option, offers unlimited talk, text and data, all for $19 a month. But there is a catch: you are encouraged to use a Wi-Fi connection when available, even for phone calls. It’s a hybrid approach; when Wi-Fi is not available, your phone connects to Sprint’s network. The other catch is that there’s now only one phone offered, a $99 Motorola Defy XT, a smartphone customized to connect to Wi-Fi hot spots and to hand off calls to cellular when moving off.

Ting, like Republic, also offers service on Sprint’s network. New and refurbished phones are available; a refurbished LG Optimus S was recently $68, or you can activate used Sprint phones.Ting bills monthly for what you use, based on separate price tiers for talk, text and data. For example, if you use 500 minutes of talk, 100 text messages and 500 megabytes of data the total is $31 plus taxes and fees.

Other sources of no-contract plans include Cricket Wireless, which has a basic plan for $35 that includes unlimited talk, text and data on basic phones, and MetroPCS, which has a $40 smartphone plan (taxes and fees are included) with unlimited talk, text and 500 megabytes of high-speed data.

More basic no-contract options, called pay-as-you-go plans, are available at retailers like Walmart, Target and Best Buy. With these options, you buy a phone and then add services as needed. Many of the phones have basic features, with an emphasis on cost savings. Walmart offers basic phones through providers like TracFone, Net10 and Straight Talk. The Net10 Samsung S275G, a flip phone with a camera, is $19.88. A prepaid card with 300 minutes of talk and Web — or 600 text messages — is $29.88 for a 60-day period of service.

Breaking free from the shackles of the dreaded two-year contract has never been easier. Still, the fine print is required reading.  By:  Thomas J Fitzgerald

7 Email Etiquette Rules Every Professional Should Know

View g

.

Mike Nudelman / Business Insider

It's easy to see why email is the preferred form of communication in today's workplace.

Smartphones allow us to send and receive messages from anywhere. It's convenient, and you aren't afraid that you might be interrupting someone by texting or calling them on the phone.

But it's this convenience that leads people to  making embarrassing mistakes that may be detrimental in a professional interaction. For example, you could easily miss a spelling error while typing out an email on your phone or come off as too casual or unprofessional in tone or content.

Career coach Barbara Pachter outlines modern email etiquette rules in her latest book "The Essentials Of Business Etiquette." We pulled out the most important ones you need to know:

1. Include a clear, direct subject line.

Examples of a good subject line include " Meeting date changed," "Quick question about your presentation," or "Suggestions for the proposal."

"People often decide whether to open an email based on the subject line," says Pachter. "Choose one that lets readers know you are addressing their concerns or business issues."

2. Use a professional email address.

If you work for a company, you should use your company email address. But if you use a personal email account — whether you are self-employed or just like using it occasionally for work-related correspondences — you should be careful when choosing that address, says Pachter.

You should always have an email address that conveys your name so that the recipient knows exactly who's sending the email. Never use email addresses (perhaps remnants of your grade-school days) that are not  appropriate for use in the workplace, such as "diva@..." or "babygirl@..."

3. Think twice before hitting "reply all."

No one wants to read emails from 20 people when it has nothing to do with them. They could just ignore the emails, but many people get notifications of new messages on their smartphones or distracting pop-up messages on their computer screens. Refrain from hitting "reply all" unless you really think everyone on the list needs to receive the email, says Pachter.

4. Use exclamation points sparingly.

If you choose to use an exclamation point, use only one to convey excitement,  says Pachter.

"People sometimes get carried away  and put a number of exclamation points at the end of their sentences. The result can appear too emotional or immature," she writes. " Excla mation points should be used sparingly in writing." 

5. Be cautious with humor.

Humor can easily get lost in translation without the right tone or facial expressions. In a professional exchange, it's better to leave humor out of emails unless you know the recipient well. Also, something that you think is funny might not be funny to someone else.

Pachter says: "Something perceived as funny when spoken may come across very differently when written. When in doubt, leave it out."

6. Know that people from different cultures speak and write differently.

Miscommunication can easily occur due to cultural differences , especially in the writing form when we can't see each other's body language. Tailor your message depending on the receiver's cultural background or how well you know them.

A good rule to keep in mind, says  Pachter, is that high-context cultures (J apanese, Arab, or Chinese) want to get to know you before doing business with you. Therefore, it may be common for business associates from these countries to be more personal in their writings. On the other hand, people from  low-context cultures (German, American, or Scandinavian) prefer to get to the point very quickly.

7. Reply to your emails — even if the email wasn't intended for you.

It's difficult to reply to every email message ever sent to you, but you should try to, says Pachter. This includes when the email was accidentally sent to you,  especially if the sender is expecting a reply. A reply isn't necessary, but serves as good email etiquette, especially if this person works in the same company or industry as you.

Here's an example reply: " I know you’re very busy, but I don’t think you meant to send this email to me. And I wanted to let you know so you can send it to the correct person."

Aside from these email tips, always make sure to proof your messages so that there aren't any jarring mistakes that make you seem unprofessional.  Pachter advises to always add the email address last so that the email doesn't accidentally send before you're ready.

New Smartwatch: Computer Wrist Watches!

Will Samsung's New Galaxy Gear Smartwatch Be the One to Make Computer Wrist Watches Cool? 
By: Editor, Computer Wrist Watches

Tech companies all are looking for The Next Big Thing and they seem to think they’ve found it in the smartwatch. The big question, however, is whether consumers will share their enthusiasm for computer wrist watches. As two new smartwatches are unveiled on Wednesday, 9/4/13, everyone is asking which new device will make the wearable gadget cool?

Will it be Samsung’s new Galaxy Gear smartwatch, which JK Shin, the company’s co-chief executive unveiled in Berlin? The watch, which comes in five colors, responds to voice commands, has a camera that shoots video as well as photographs and lets you accept phone calls by speaking into the watch.

The cost reportedly will start at $299 for the watch, which will go on sale in October. The Gear will connect with the Galaxy Note III and 2014 edition of the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, both of which will debut in the next few weeks.

Qualcomm, best known for making chips, also  announced a new computer wrist watch on Wednesday, though news of it was largely drowned out by Samsung’s announcement. Qualcomm unveiled its new watch, Toq,  in San Diego. The touch-screen watch, which will go on sale later this year, will run on Android 4.0.3 and above and has a battery that lasts for days, according to the company.

A host of other high-profile smartwatches, including the Pebble, Martian and Cookoo, have already hit the market, and rumors continue to swirl that Apple and other companies also plan shortly to join the fray with computer wrist watches of their own.

Consumer demand for smartwatches currently is limited, with only 268,000 of the devices expected to ship in 2013, but demand is expected to rise sharply next year, according to a new report by IHS, a technology research firm.

IHS expects 2.6 million units to ship in 2014. The number is expected to reach 39 million units by 2018.

BEWARE: Malicious Software

Malicious Software Poses as Video from a Facebook Friend

By: VINDU GOEL 

 GO TO: NYTimes Article

What to do when your Android Phone is stolen!

First, don't panic. Second, follow these steps to ensure your data is safe and no one gets your private personal information. Who knows, you may even get your phone back. By: Max Eddy  GO TO: Steps to Follow when your Android Phone is stolen     (Note:  Skip the Ad to go to the article)

5 Most Dangerous Email Scams

B E W A R E



Scams are really nothing new. For as longs as people have been interacting with each other, there have been unscrupulous individuals attempting to dupe others out of what is rightfully theirs. However, with the advent and subsequent worldwide proliferation of the internet, the sheer volume of scams has increased a thousandfold.

Perhaps it has something to do with the relative safety and anonymity that internet scam artists enjoy, or their ability to reach millions of potential victims through the use of automated programs and malware. Whatever the case, if you communicate with people over the internet, you’re at risk of being scammed. And when it comes to the prefered method, many online con artists stick with the tried and true path of the email scam. So, for your protection, here are five of the most dangerous email scams that you may have seen pop up in your inbox at one time or another (or might even be sitting there right now).

1. The UPS Package Scam

Who wouldn’t want to get a nice, unexpected delivery? The UPS package scam plays on our love of gifts by sending an email claiming to be from the UPS Packet Service. The email states that UPS attempted to deliver a package to your home, but could not because of an address error. It then suggests that you open the attachment that came with the email so that you can get everything sorted out.

Most people don’t think twice about following these legitimate-looking instructions, but they really should. For one thing, how does UPS have your email address, but not you street address? If anything, UPS would probably be more likely to contact the sender, rather than the recipient of a failed delivery. Sure enough, if you click the attachment you’ll have a special virus downloaded into your computer which will then comb through your files and steal any personal information it can get to. Delete the email without opening it, and if you think that you might actually have a package waiting for you, call your local UPS store to verify.

2. 419 Scams

Also known as Nigerian Prince scams, are emails that seem to be a genuine plea for help from someone in need (usually a deposed monarch). The email usually explains that a large sum of money needs to be moved into an offshore account not associated with the original sender. It suggests that if you would be willing to help, you would be entitled to a large percentage of that money. However, in order to get the money moving, you’ll need to make a small, initial investment. You may also be asked to supply the email writer with personal information and bank account data.

Of course, if you fall for scam and send any of these things, you’ll just receive more emails informing you that the process has hit certain complications, and more money is needed for charges, fines, or bribes. You may also receive official looking documents regarding the transfer, but one thing that you will never get is money. The Nigerian scam is one of the oldest email scams around, but even today it is still going strong. It is also one of the few cyber security scams that has actually resulted in loss of life; from 1992-1995, 15 people were murdered after responding to Nigerian 419 scams that eventually led them to visit the country in question at the behest of the email writers. Others have been held for ransom. Never respond to any sort of email that promises huge monetary returns for small fees.

3. Phishing Scams

Phishing scams show up in your email as simple reminders to update your personal information with your bank or Paypal account. If you click the link they provide, they will take you to a very official looking web page in which you will be asked to provide some personal informations (such as a bank username and password) so that you can verify that everything is up to date. If you go ahead and provide that information, the scammers will be able to use it to access your real accounts and help themselves to whatever you have inside.

Ignore any emails that suggest you provide personal information. Legitimate companies almost never contact you asking for sensitive data, so be very wary when you get an email like this. Again, if you want to investigate further, contact the bank and ask them if they have recently sent you an emails regarding your personal data.

4. Threat Scams

This one is more likely to get your heart racing than a simple “please send money” scam. The email claims to be from a contract killer who has been hired to murder you. However, the killer would rather not kill you if he doesn’t have to, and will accept payment instead. The email may even include details about your life, thus giving it the appearance of credibility. However, the ‘details’ will be ones that are easily found online, and the ‘killer’ will just end up being another scam artists attempting to prey on your fear. If you receive one of these, you can simply ignore it, and you’ll be just fine; a real contract killer isn’t going to risk his reputation and his freedom by contacting his target and giving away his plans. However, if you’re really spooked, you can contact the FBI and have them look into the matter.

5. Charity Scams

While some other scams play upon your greed, fear, or simple gullibility, charity scams play upon some of humanity’s better qualities, namely our empathy and generosity. The emails make reference to some recent disaster, and ask that you donate a small amount to a charity to help those who were affected by the tragedy. Ironically, the email itself may warn you to beware of online fraud, and it will contain an attachment to a very official looking web page where you can make an online donation.

Of course, the email, the website, and certainly the poor people in need are all just part of the scam. Ignore any emails that come to you and ask you for donations. If you would like to donate to a worthy cause, visit the webpage of whichever charity you prefer, or call them on the telephone. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to help, but if you’re not careful when dealing with email scams, the only people you’ll end up helping are criminals.

A good piece of advice is this: Keep your computer’s virus protection up to date, and if you don’t know the person who is sending you the email, then don’t even open it. The evolution of cybercrime is constantly producing new scams and reinventing the old ones, but you can remain safe if you’re careful not to take anything you see in your inbox at face value.
By: Robert Cordray