Ways to Check Who Is Tracking You Online

 How much do you love online content? So much you pay for everything you can? Or do you, like the overwhelming majority of internet users, accept advertising and tracking as a way of life?

1. Panopticlick

Panopticlick is one of the first sites to check out. Panopticlick analyzes your current browser setup, including add-ons and extensions, to measure just how many trackers are tracing your browser session.

This Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) research project takes it one step further by detailing unique configuration features that make your browser more noticeable amongst tracking data.

How to Use Panopticlick

Head to the Panopticlick site and hit the giant orange “Test Me” button. Wait for the analysis to complete. Remember, you will experience different levels of tracking, depending on your list of add-ons and extensions. 

Note that your browser may refresh several times while this test is running. Don’t panic—just wait for it to complete.

2. Am I Unique?

Am I Unique? is a tracker analyzer with a focus on the unique fingerprint your browser broadcasts. Browsers are relatively unique and are frequently used to identify you online.

Am I Unique takes a fingerprint of your system and adds it to its own database, adding a four-month cookie to your system in the process. You can then head back to the site in a few weeks and examine the changes to your browser fingerprint and if you have become more or less unique.

How to Use Am I Unique?

Head to the Am I Unique site and hit the View My Browser Fingerprint button. Wait for the analysis to complete, then check your results.

If you want to periodically analyze your fingerprint evolution, head to the “My timeline” tab in the left-hand menu column. Download the add-on for your browser (there is support for Chrome and Firefox) and check it periodically for changes.

3. Disconnect

Disconnect features in many tracker-blocking lists and for a good reason. The browser extension blocks over 2,000 individual trackers from following you around the internet. Not only that, but by blocking such a vast amount of trackers, websites actually load faster—up 27 percent faster, according to Disconnect.

The best Disconnect feature, however, is the option to allow some trackers and not others. If you’re a discerning internet user, you whitelist the sites that give you great content for free. MakeUseOf, for instance.

How to Use Disconnect

Using Disconnect is extremely easy. First, head to the Disconnect site and hit the “Get Disconnect” button. Disconnect is currently available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera (download links below). Once you install Disconnect, head to a website, and open the extension. The drop-down panel shows you the entire range of trackers currently jotting down your browser session.

Unlike Panopticlick and Am I Unique, Disconnect lets you visualize the trackers, too. Again, this depends on your other browser settings, but you should see some trackers directly connecting to the site. Some might be harmless or relate to your work or business, so be mindful of precisely what you’re turning off. Disconnect is just one of the many privacy and tracking tools available for Google Chrome.

4. Thunderbeam—Lightbeam for Chrome

Lightbeam is a visual aid to online trackers, displaying the extremely tangled web of trackers between individual sites you visit. Lightbeam was previously a Firefox-only privacy tool. Unfortunately, the Firefox version is no longer available, but there is now an open-source version available for Chrome.

How to Use Lightbeam

Head to the Lightbeam extension page and add it to your browser. Open the extension by clicking the Lightbeam icon in the top-right corner of the browser.

You arrive at an empty graph. You can quickly populate the graph by heading to some of your favorite sites. Each site will populate the graph with its associated trackers. As you visit more sites, the links between them grow, quickly creating a spaghetti monster of tangled lines. It perfectly illustrates which trackers are following you.

The only downside is that the new version is lacking the website logos from the old version. You can hover over each circle to reveal the site, but the website favicons made it simple to see which sites are tracking you.

5. Trackography

Trackography is your third visual tracker-guide, this time with a more interactive take. Trackography, developed by the Tactical Technology Collective, is an open-source project aiming to “lift the veil on the global tracking industry” by visualizing the vast array of trackers following you around the internet.

You can use Trackography to check:

• Which companies are tracking you.
• The countries hosting the servers of those tracking companies.
• Countries hosting the servers of the website you’re viewing.
• The countries hosting the network infrastructure required to access those media servers and tracking companies.
• Further information on how tracking companies handle your data with regards to their privacy policies.

Overall, Trackography is a great visual resource if you want to understand more about the flow of data tracking around the globe, and where you fit into it.

How to Use Trackography

Head to the Trackography site. Select your host nation. Next, select a media website you want to connect to. Connection lines will immediately spread from your host nation, illustrating the path your data takes, as well as the multiple locations you had no idea your data was traveling through.

Blocking the Trackers

Several exceptional tools stop trackers following you around the internet (as well as cleaning up your online presence):

• uBlock Origin: Block trackers, malicious advertising servers, malware, and more.
• HTTPS Everywhere: Enable HTTPS to protect your data in transit.
• NoScript: Block background scripts.
• Privacy Badger: Block trackers and unwanted cookies.
• PixelBlock: Block tracking pixels in Gmail.
• Google Activity Controls: control what Google remembers about your searches.
• deseat.me: Delete your old online accounts in a single click.
• Tor Browser: Uses built-in script blocking and onion routing protocol to protect your privacy.
• DuckDuckGo: Search the internet without trackers taking note.

This list isn’t exhaustive, but it will set you on the right path to avoiding trackers where possible.

Online Tracking Is Endless

The 2018 Facebook revelations pushed online tracking and data collection further into the public eye than before. For many, it was the first realization that everything they do, say, watch, and read online is likely recorded—and out of their control.

Fix Windows 10 Running Slow After Update

Microsoft rolls out Windows Updates to fix known issues with systems, enhance the security of systems after analyzing existing security issues, and changing the built of Windows 10 systems through featured updates. However, many users have reported issues where their system slows down after updating Windows.

Windows 10 Running Slow After Update

Cause

While the causes could be many, slowing down of the system has usually been observed after security updates and Feature updates.

Whenever the system slows down due to any reason, our first approach should be to open the Task Manager and check the disk utilization. If any specific process is causing high disk utilization, we would have to troubleshoot it accordingly.

The generic troubleshooting for slowing down of the system after a Windows Update is as follows:

1] Roll back the security update

2] Roll back the features update to previous build

3] Boot into Safe Mode and then perform a Clean boot

4] Update the drivers

5] SFC scan

Solution 1] Roll back the security update

In case the security update slowed down the system (which is common) you could consider rolling it better till a better version of the update is launched at your own risk. Here’s the procedure to roll back a Windows Update:

1] Click on the Start button and then the gear-like symbol to open the Settings menu.

2] Select Updates and Security >> Windows Update >> View update history.

 

3] Click on Uninstall updates and it would populate the list of recent Windows Updates.

 

4] Right-click on the latest security update and select Uninstall update.

5] Restart the system and check if it makes the situation any better.

Solution 2] Roll back the features update to previous build

1] While keeping the SHIFT key pressed, click on the

.

2] Once the system reboots in the recovery mode, go to Troubleshoot >> Advanced Options.

3] Select Go back to previous version of Windows.

Solution 3] Boot into Safe Mode and then perform a Clean boot

1] Boot into the system in Safe Mode and explained here.

2] Check if the issue persists in Safe Mode. If not, either the issue is with a program or a driver.

3] Now boot the system in clean boot mode and try to isolate the possibility of any program slowing down the system.

Solution 4] Update the drivers

In case your system work worked fine in Safe Mode, there’s a possibility that some driver might have been messed up with by the Window update. Here’s the procedure to update drivers in Window 10, however, it is very difficult to update all drivers one by one. Hence, we could use a third-party software to help with the same. We could also use the Automatic update option on Intel’s download center.

Solution 5] SFC scan

It is quite possible (and happens a lot with feature updates), that the system files are messed up with and go corrupt or missing. Rolling back to the previous build might be helpful in this case, but if not, we could we could perform an SFC scan to retrieve the files. Here’s the procedure to perform and SFC scan.

 

Hope it helps!

South Korea becomes the first country to launch 5G network(meanwhile Samsung to launch S7 and S7+ support with 5G Support)

South Korea: South Korea has launched the world’s first nationwide 5G mobile networks two days early, its top mobile carriers said on Thursday, in a late-night scramble to be the first providers of the super-fast wireless technology.

Three top telecom providers — SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus – began their 5G services at 11 pm local time Wednesday, despite previously announcing the launch date would be April 5.

Hyper-wired South Korea has a long reputation for technical prowess, and Seoul had made the 5G rollout a priority as it seeks to stimulate stuttering economic growth.

According to the London-based Global System for Mobile Communications, “The technology is crucial for the future development of devices such as self-driving vehicles and is expected to bring about $565 billion in global economic benefits by 2034”.

BY ALEX PERRY3 HOURS, 56 MINUTES

If you've been yearning for a 5G-compatible tablet, Samsung's new Galaxy Tab might do the trick when it launches later this month.

Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ at Wednesday's Galaxy Unpacked event. The followup to 2019's Tab S6 has bigger displays on both models and the same S Pen features as the Note20 phones that were also announced at Unpacked. Depending on your mobile carrier, you can also connect it to 5G networks, which is maybe the standout feature here. Samsung is calling it the first tablet that supports 5G in the United States, and it's out on Aug. 21.

The keyboard is sold separately.

Image: brenda stolyar / mashable

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked 2020

Both models of the Tab S7 move up from the 10.5-inch display on the S6, with an 11-inch display on the S7 and a 12.4-inch AMOLED display on the S7+. You also get 120Hz refresh rates on both, so browsing the web, watching high frame rate videos, or playing video games will hopefully look smoother. More importantly, that brings it in line with the refresh rate on the iPad Pro, perhaps the closest competitor to the Galaxy Tab S7.

Naturally, you can still use an S Pen for art or a separately sold keyboard for productivity on the Tab S7. One nice bonus Samsung is touting is the "Auto Hotspot" feature, which can automatically WiFi tether your nearby Galaxy devices to the S7 when it's connected to 5G.

We still don't know how either Galaxy Tab S7 model matches up with the iPad Pro, but Samsung can at least say its tablet is cheaper than Apple's. The regular S7 will be $649.99 and the S7+ will be $849.99 when they launch. The cheapest current iPad Pro starts at $799.99 and the more expensive 12.9-inch model is $999.99, for reference. The color options for both the S7 and S7+ are Mystic Black, Mystic Silver and Mystic Bronze.

If Samsung can give users anything close to the level of performance you find in an iPad Pro with decent 5G support, the Galaxy Tab S7 could be something to watch out for.

Best Sites To Get What You Want: 'MUST KNOW' FOR GEEKS!

I've seen many people wondering that "I can't find the latest WhatsApp Beta apk", "I can't find mod of this application", "How can I root my phone?", "Which is the best website to download games?", "How can I edit my PDF, how can I merge it?" etc.

So these are the best sites(not by any rank - but from my personal experience) to get your stuff and save your time.

"ALL THE MENTIONED WEBSITES ARE FREE🤘"

1. Docs

Merge, split, compress, convert, rotate, unlock and watermark PDFs:

• ILovePDF

2. Media

Convert YouTube Video to Audio:

• YTMP3 Converter

Free background music:

• NoCopyrightSounds (YouTube Channel)

3. Games

Download the latest PC games"

• Ocean of Games

4. Softwares

Download any kind of software:

• Get Into PC

5. Movies

Hollywood movie with the best quality and minimum size(just for the information):

• YIFY

[TORRENTING IS LEGAL BUT DOWNLOADING ILLEGAL/COPYRIGHT CONTENT OR PIRACY IS ILLEGAL]

6. About Android 

Download the latest APKs:

• Apkpure

Any doubt regarding Android (like rooting, mod etc.):

• XDA-Developers

Download premium apps of PlayStore for free:

• ACMarket

7. EVERYTHING YOU NEED

1337x.to

[TORRENTING IS LEGAL BUT DOWNLOADING ILLEGAL/COPYRIGHT CONTENT OR PIRACY IS ILLEGAL]

How to Protect Yourself From Joker Malware Threat

Joker malware is yet another threat to your privacy and sensitive information. It recently attacked mobile Android devices across the globe, which lead to the removal of several apps from the Google Play Store.

That said, Joker malware is anything but a joke. If you want to keep your device secure, you’ll need to know what Joker malware is, and how it works.

What Is JokerThis means that when the app gets placed on the Play Store, there’s no sign of malware. It’s only when users actually download the app that the malware bares its teeth.

How to Protect Yourself From Joker Malware

Google recently removed 11 apps from the Play Store that contain Joker malware. If you have any of the following apps, uninstall them immediately:

• Compress Image (com.imagecompress.android)
• Contact Message (com.contact.withme.texts)
• Friend SMS (com.hmvoice.friendsms)
• Relaxation Message (com.relax.relaxation.androidsms)
• Cheery Message – listed two times (com.cheery.message.sendsms)
• Loving Message (com.peason.lovinglovemessage)
• File Recovery (com.file.recovefiles)
• App Locker (com.LPlocker.lockapps)
• Remind Alarm (com.remindme.alram)
• Memory Game (com.training.memorygame)

While most of these malicious apps function as alternative messaging apps, others include an image compressor, reminder alarm, a wallpaper app, and more. If any of these apps sound familiar to you, check your mobile and credit card bills. Any sketchy-looking transactions or subscriptions could be a sign of Joker malware. Malware?

This deceptive malware is called “Joker” for a reason—the malware hides behind the mask of a seemingly authentic app and preys on unknowing users. You might also see Joker malware called Bread, which are both the same thing.

Google first encountered this threat in 2017, and it’s still an ongoing issue. The persistent hackers behind Joker malware constantly find ways to manipulate the Google Play Store’s security flaws, allowing the camouflaged malware to go undetected.

Joker’s authors have several methods to get their infected app past the security protocols in the Play Store. In fact, they even make a malware-free version of the app, upload it to the Google Play Store, and then later install the malware on your device by cloaking it as an “app update.”

When you install an app infected with Joker malware, it signs you up for a paid subscription without your permission. To make matters worse, Joker malware can also get hold of your contacts, SMS messages, and your device information. It’s difficult to get your money back after falling victim to this scam, so it’s important to prevent infection before it even happens.

How Does Joker Malware Work?

Apps infected with Joker malware don’t blatantly ask for your private information. The malware is much sneakier than that, making it even harder to realise when you’ve become a victim.

The first type of Joker malware mainly relied on SMS fraud. By sending an SMS message to a premium number from your phone, Joker malware would sign you up for subscriptions or make payments without your knowledge. Since these premium services and subscription plans are often partnered with mobile carriers, you’d typically see these unwanted charges on your cellphone bill.

In early 2019, Google tightened restrictions on apps that asked to access your Call Log or SMS. Thanks to this policy change, many Joker-infected apps were caught, and later removed from the Play Store. The implementation of Google Play Protect has also helped keep Android devices safe.

Despite Google’s efforts, Joker malware persists. Research by Check Point has found a new kind of Joker malware that’s just as deceitful as the last. Instead of engaging in SMS fraud, it now uses an old trick that’s typically found in Windows malware.

After landing on your device, Joker malware downloads a an executable DEX file from a command-and-control server. This code is used to secretly sign you up to premium subscriptions. It then proceeds to prevent subscription confirmation notifications from popping up on your phone.

To do this, Joker malware takes advantage of Notification Listener, an Android feature that gives apps access to your device’s notifications. The malware hijacks the Notification Listener, allowing it to interfere with your push notifications.

The most recent version of Joker malware manages to get past Google’s security using a clever technique. According to Check Point, “the new variant now hides the malicious DEX file inside the application as Base64 encoded strings, ready to be decoded and loaded.”

Since Joker-infected apps look legitimate from the outside, you’ll need to take some extra precautions when downloading apps. The above photo is an example of an app infected by Joker malware—looks pretty legit, right? That’s just how much these infected apps can blend in with all the rest.

You should also keep in mind that many Joker-infected apps have fake user reviews on the Play Store. These positive reviews build trust, and also entice you to download the app.

Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to spot fake reviews once you know what to look for. If you see any duplicate reviews under an app, the reviews are likely fake. The same goes for generic reviews that make no mention of the app’s name.

Besides knowing how to identify an unsafe app on the Play Store, you can also protect yourself by installing a reliable security app on your device. You might not think you need an antivirus app on your Android, but it can definitely come in handy when trying to combat Joker malware.

Lastly, you should only install apps that you really trust. Do some extra research on any apps that you want to download. If you see any sign of a scam, avoid it at all costs.

What’s the Future of Joker Malware?

Although Google managed to take down over 1,700 Joker-infected apps in January 2020, and later removed the 11 apps listed above, that doesn’t mean we’re completely safe. Joker malware is still out there, and will likely stay there for a while. It’s constantly adapting to the Play Store’s security policies, which means it’ll continue to evolve as time goes on.

Does this mean that some apps on the Play Store are currently hiding Joker malware? Unfortunately, some apps have probably made it past security protocols. This only means you need to exercise some extra caution when downloading apps.

Just because there are dangerous apps out there doesn’t mean you have to stop installing APKs from third-party sites. Stay secure, and download from one of these best sites for safe Android APKs.

If you really want a smaller phone, try the tiny Jelly 2

Can you get by with a three-inch screen?

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The Jelly 2, is a truly tiny phone — the world’s smallest 4G phone with Android 10, apparently. Jelly 2 is the successor to Unihertz’s first phone, the original Jelly from 2017. Which is obviously very small, but the 20 percent-ish increase in size makes a big difference. You can now see five whole tweets on screen at once, for example, as long as they only contain a few words each. The keyboard is just about workable for quick searches, chat replies, and so on.

The Jelly 2 doesn’t exactly have tiny bezels, but the screen makes much more efficient use of the phone’s physical real estate, so the device is only slightly larger overall than the original. While the panel isn’t the most vibrant I’ve ever seen, it’s sharp enough — and let’s face it, you’re not buying this thing to edit photos or watch movies on. Unihertz’s four-inch Atom XL does feel a lot better suited for general smartphone use, if you’re not willing to go quite this small. 

Performance from the MediaTek Helio P60 processor is not what I would call blazing, but more than adequate for the kind of actions I’ve been expecting the Jelly 2 to perform. With a screen this small, it’s not even really worth trying to execute hardcore multitasking. And most games wouldn’t really be playable on a screen like this even with unlimited horsepower.

As for the battery life, it’s seemed reasonable in my testing. There’s a 2,000mAh battery inside, which is small by Android phone standards — but then most Android phones don’t have to power three-inch screens, and this is more than double the capacity of the original Jelly. For the expected use case of “keep it mostly in your pocket and use it only when you really need to” rather than the typical phone scenario of endless doomscrolling and 4K video recording, I think the Jelly 2 will be fine.

Speaking of the camera, there’s a 16-megapixel sensor on the back and an 8-megapixel sensor for selfies. The primary camera isn’t great, unsurprisingly, but it does the job as long as you’re only going to be viewing the photos on the tiny screen. Most actual cameras have bigger screens than the Jelly 2, though, so you should probably take one of those along too if you’re planning on visiting somewhere dark or pretty.

Some other notes on the hardware. This phone is 16.5mm thick, which sounds excessive but given the small footprint actually makes it feel reassuringly chunky, like a pebble. The rear-mounted fingerprint sensor is by far the worst I’ve ever used and might as well not exist. You get 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There’s a headphone jack, so you could just use this as a compact MP3 player if you wanted.

If the idea of an Android phone roughly the size of a small potato is at all appealing to you, the Jelly 2 is about as good an example as I can imagine anyone actually making. With Kickstarter pricing starting at $129, it wouldn’t have to be your only phone, either. I can’t say I have much need for the Jelly 2 myself, but I continue to appreciate Unihertz’s devotion to making ultra-niche devices. I’m sure the Jelly 2 is exactly what a very small number of people have been waiting for.