Tag: #Technology

 

Advertisers are notorious for watching what you do and where you go online. That’s valuable and very profitable information. Here’s one way to stop some of the spying.

Think of cookies as the trail you leave behind when online. A first-party cookie is created and stored in your browser when you visit a website. It keeps things like your login info and shopping cart, so you don’t have to fill them in again each time. First-party cookies also preserve options and settings.

That’s useful, but cookies can be invasive, too. Companies use them to track where you go and what you do online. They’ll even do it on a website other than the one you’re visiting. Advertisers love cookies because they help customize the ads you see. If the ads appeal to you, you’re more likely to click them, which yields a higher ROI.

Blocking third-party cookies and tracking is one thing, but how about not being subjected to tracking methods to begin with? That’s where AdChoices and WebChoices come in.

AdChoices is a program from the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), a group of advertising and marketing companies that self-regulate to offer you choices for targeted advertising. Why would they self-regulate? So, no one else steps in to do it, of course.

Try it out next time you see an ad online. Look for the small AdChoices icon. It looks like a blue triangle with a lowercase “i” in the middle.

Click that to get information about the ad, change its settings and block it. Not all advertisers participate in the program, but you’ll know it when you see the symbol.

Within AdChoices is a tool called WebChoices. You can use this tool to opt out of many companies in one step. As with AdChoices, it only works for companies that participate in the program.

Get this: I used it to kick out 144 different tracking cookies!

Here’s how to use WebChoices:

• Go to optout.aboutads.info. WebChoices will scan your browser and computer to determine whether first-party and third-party cookies are enabled, along with a list of companies creating targeted ads for you. You’ll also see which companies you have already opted out of if you’ve used the tool.
• After the status check is complete, click Continue.
• Look at the Customizing Ads on your Browser column to see which companies use targeted ads. If it says Yes, you can opt out of that company by checking the box under the Opt-Out column.
• Or you can select everything by clicking Opt Out of All.
• After making your selection, click Submit Your Choices. (You can skip those steps by clicking Opt Out Of All as a first step.)
• The website will process your selection, and you can click View Updated Results to see how it turned out.

The WebChoices tool works for the browser you’re currently using, so run it for each if you use more than one. If you didn’t catch every company the first time, try rerunning the scan.

If you delete cookies, you may not see the opt-out choices for the company, so run the scan now and then.

Source: komando.com©

If your iPhone is struggling to maintain a charge, it may be time to do something about it — and that doesn’t mean automatically running off to an Apple store to make new purchases. Instead, changing a few of your phone’s settings may be just the thing to get it back up to speed. Tech Expert Daniel Foley, SEO Specialist at UNAGI, says you should make this one change to your iPhone settings to save so much battery.

Turn on Low Power Mode

“When your iPhone’s battery level drops below 20%, it will offer to switch to Low Power Mode,” Foley says. “But if you’re attempting to save as much power as possible, consider turning it on even earlier. Low Power Mode dims your screen, makes it switch off faster, and refreshes background programs less frequently. While in Low Power Mode, for example, you might not be able to receive emails. If you’re using 5G internet, it’ll most likely drop you back to 4G. When your iPhone is in Low Power Mode, you can tell by looking at the battery bar. Low Power Mode is active if it’s yellow.” While you are adjusting settings for the sake of battery power, Foley says there are two more to consider changing.

Turn down your brightness

One of the most significant battery drainers is screen brightness, according to Foley. “Dimming the lights is a simple technique to save energy,” he says. “To launch your Control Center, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen and drag your finger down the brightness meter to reduce it. You can also enable Auto-Brightness, which automatically adjusts the brightness based on the amount of light available. This option can be found by going to Settings, then pressing Accessibility, then Display & Text Size.”

Connect to Wi-Fi or go into Airplane Mode

While Wi-Fi was once thought to be the fastest way to drain your battery, we now know it consumes less energy than a mobile internet connection. “Connect to a Wi-Fi signal to preserve the battery while browsing the internet,” Foley says. “Also, try to stay connected to the same Wi-Fi network for as long as possible; if your iPhone is continuously looking for a new connection, it will drain your battery. Consider turning on Airplane Mode if you’re not accessing the internet at all. This will completely isolate your iPhone from all wireless communications, thereby turning off most apps while reducing battery usage.”

Make these simple changes to your iPhone settings and notice a big difference in your battery power. 

Article by Lisa Cupido for Shefinds©