PC Matic Blog • Page 68 of 70

Open Letter to Thomas Cook and Oyster Partners

chengrob / February 23, 2005

February 7, 2005; updated February 23, 2005

Today I read that Thomas Cook has begun an online ad campaign that includes advertising on Claria’s GAIN ad network. I wanted to make Oyster Partners and Thomas Cook aware that there may be negative aspects to associating their brands with Claria and its GAIN network. Although Claria claims that its users have opted into the GAIN network, our own research shows that most users do not even know the software is installed on their system. A survey of users commissioned by StaySafeOnline showed similar negative feelings about products such as Claria’s. Other researchers have found that Claria/GAIN uses
misleading installation and disclosure practices.

Open Letter to Thomas Cook and Oyster Partners Read More »

Google and Spyware

chengrob / February 15, 2005

On February 1, 2005, Google announced record revenues of $1.032 billion and profits of $303 million. Just like everyone else in the world, I was blown away. What a great company! The stock market seemed to agree since Google’s stock price hit a record high after their earnings announcement.

But there’s something that has been bothering me and many others in the antispyware community about the search engine juggernaut. And that’s Google’s ties to spyware.

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Clean Out Personal Data

Dave / January 26, 2005

If you’re looking to protect your privacy and prevent casual snoopers from seeing what you have been doing on your PC, we suggest our product PC Pitstop Erase. Want to do it yourself? Here are some things you can do. Before starting your cleanup, remember that saved data on your computer may include usernames, passwords,

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What Your PC Tracks

Dave / January 20, 2005

You should always assume that whenever you use your PC, you are leaving behind a record of what you are doing. That’s the benefit of a computer; it’s supposed to keep track of things so you don’t have to do it yourself. But there are times that you don’t want it to be so good

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Privacy Scams

Dave / January 19, 2005

Privacy Scams As you’ll see from the other articles in this section, there are genuine threats to your privacy on the Internet and your own PC. However, there are also many scammers that try to worry you about things that are usually not threats, often through alarmist ads that look like they are system warnings.

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PC Pitstop Privacy Center

Dave / January 17, 2005

Protecting your personal information and privacy on the Internet can be a major challenge. To use the Internet effectively for shopping, banking, and communication, you will need to give out personal and financial information at times. How do you know when it’s safe to give out information, and how can you protect yourself from that

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And the Winners Are…

chengrob / December 7, 2004

We would like to thank everyone for participating in the January 2005 Top Dawg Challenge. And also special thanks to our sponsor, BFG Technologies. Without further ado, here are the winners:

And the Winners Are… Read More »

Follow the Money

chengrob / September 18, 2004

When Dave and I were at the Spyware Conference in Washington DC, we were approached by Avi Nader, CEO of WhenU. Avi was upset because we were passing our WhenU research to various reporters at the conference. Avi cornered Dave and me and asked, “Why are you picking on us? Why don’t you focus on the guys doing identity theft, and other horrible deeds?” I have had a lot of time to think about this question and my answer. Avi, if you’re listening, here is my response.

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Yahoo – On the Dark Side

chengrob / June 15, 2004

There was a time that Darth Vader was one with the force, but alas, he went to the dark side. And there was a time that Yahoo was the brightest star in the Internet constellation. My browser favorites are chock full of Yahoo sites, including Yahoo Maps and Yahoo Yellow Pages. My home page is My Yahoo, and I save all of my contacts in the Yahoo address book so I can access them from both my PC and my cell phone. There may be better solutions out there, but in almost all cases Yahoo was the first.

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Spyware Legislation?

chengrob / April 15, 2004

Dave and I attended the FTC Spyware Conference on April 19, 2004. With our latest survey information under our arms, we had hoped we could influence future spyware legislation. It was a learning experience and here is some of what we learned.

Spyware Legislation? Read More »

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