How to Block Facebook Beacon

On November 6th, 2007 Facebook launched a new feature called Beacon which collects data on the behavior of Facebook users on several commercial websites such as eBay, Fandango, Zappos and Overstock.com. When a Facebook user purchases an item at one of these websites, Facebook provides a way for the user to advertise their purchase on their Facebook News Feed. While users can decline sending out the advertising, Facebook does not allow users to opt out of the data collection and behavior monitoring. Even if you opt out, click "no thanks", and log out of Facebook, Beacon will still be surreptitiously collecting your web browsing behavior data and sending it to Facebook.
How to Block Facebook Beacon

Bring Your ABC to the Desktop with ABC Now

Our national broadcaster has added another string to its multimedia bow with the release of desktop gadget ABC Now, which is essentially a media player which lets you get ABC news headlines, radio streams, podcasts and TV highlights on your PC. You can also get weather updates.
Bring Your ABC to the Desktop with ABC Now

The Ask.com Blog: Our Search Top 10's for 2007

"If you want to see how a society thinks, look at what it searches for."
--George Bernard Shaw

Okay, George Bernard Shaw didn't say that. I made it up. BUT, if you want to take a look at what fascinated people this year, our big list of 2007 Most Popular searches is a great place to look.
The Ask.com Blog: Our Search Top 10's for 2007

How to Track Down Anyone Online

When you're trying to find someone online, Google's not the only game in town. In the last two years, a handful of new people search engines have come onto the scene that offer better ways to pinpoint people info by name, handle, location, or place of employment. While there's still no killer, one-stop people search, there are more ways than ever to track down a long-lost friend, stalk an ex, or screen a potential date or employee. The next time you wonder, "What ever happened to so-and-so?" you've got a few power people search tools to turn to.
How to Track Down Anyone Online

7 Myths about the Internet

Apparently the Italians share some misconceptions about Internet usage with their U.S. counterparts. Here’s a video of a speech by Italian TV host and blogger Marco Montemagno describing myths Italians hold about the Internet and identifying Web 2.0 opportunities for businesses.
7 Myths about the Internet

Microsoft exec kicks off new browser security war

Internet Explorer is more secure than Firefox, according to a senior Microsoft executive, who compared how many vulnerabilities were found in the two browsers -- but critics say his study is flawed.
Microsoft exec kicks off new browser security war

How Australians are accidentally breaking their phones

Australia’s largest telecommunications company, Telstra, has released a report on the top five ways Australians are accidentally damaging their mobile phones, in what must be putting a smile on the dial of phone manufacturers who end up selling more phones.
How Australians are accidentally breaking their phones

Australia's population passes 21 million

Australia's population reached a milestone 21 million during the June quarter 2007 fuelled by the highest population growth rate since 1989, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.
Australia's population passes 21 million

Top 8 most Dangerous roads in the World

Photos follow.
Top 8 most Dangerous roads in the World

Australia ratifies Kyoto Protocol

Australia has ratified the Kyoto Protocol.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd signed the instrument of ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in his first act after being sworn in this morning.
Australia ratifies Kyoto Protocol

The Art of Portrait Photography

So you're interested in portrait photography, and you want to know what separates snapshots from art? Here are the things I consider vitally important.
The Art of Portrait Photography

Beacon: The Eye of Facebook

Facebook first took a beating when its Beacon service was ruining Christmas by broadcasting information about gifts Facebook users had just purchased to all of their Facebook friends. But this was just scratching the surface of larger invasion of privacy issues with Beacon.
Beacon: The Eye of Facebook

Most popular Aussie web searches of ’07 from Yahoo!7

Yahoo!7 have announced the annuals rankings of the most popular Australian searches of 2007 were celebrities, scandals, wild weather and home ownership, with Britney Spears topping three of the lists and Apple’s iPod Nano topping the tech section.
Most popular Aussie web searches of ’07 from Yahoo!7

Oxford Place Of The Year: Warming Island

I’ve been blogging about the Place of the Week for nearly two years now, choosing a new location every seven days that I knew little about but had caught my attention or that appeared in the news. In the last year global warming has become much more than another subject debated within academia; in fact its found its way into our language, popular culture, and even our shopping habits. As I thought about this while I tried to pick my first Place of the Year, I kept coming back to the very visible ways the Earth’s landscape has been altered by the phenomena.
Oxford Place Of The Year: Warming Island

14 Foods that Lower Cholesterol

After reviewing my research on healthy foods and cholesterol from this year I came up with the top 14 Foods that Lower Cholesterol.
1. Whole grains and oats - a five-year Insulin Resistance Athersclerosis Study showed that people whose diets contain the most whole grains “had the thinnest carotid artery walls and showed the slowest progression in artery wall thickness.”
14 Foods that Lower Cholesterol

The Coolest 35 Facts You’ve Never Heard

Like...#35. “Stewardesses” is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand.
The Coolest 35 Facts You’ve Never Heard

Print to Any Computer Over the Internet with PrinterAnywhere

Send print jobs to any computer from any computer over the internet--like to your home printer from work--with freeware application PrinterAnywhere. Just install the software and register for a free PrinterAnywhere account (requires a username and email address) to get started. PrinterAnywhere is freeware, Windows only.
Print to Any Computer Over the Internet with PrinterAnywhere

Obsessive- Compulsive’s Guide: Top 12 Organizing Tips

Is your life in disarray? Do you have trouble finding things? Do you constantly forget stuff? If so, don’t worry — you’re like most of the human population.
Obsessive- Compulsive’s Guide: Top 12 Organizing Tips

Buy a Car Without Getting Screwed

Car guy Rob Gruhl gives some great, practical advice on how to find, finance and negotiate buying a new car.
Buy a Car Without Getting Screwed

5 Signs You Are On Autopilot

I was on autopilot for many years. Sure, I was traveling through life with my eyes open and my hands on the wheel. But it seemed as if I was heading toward some pre-determined destination that had been chosen for me by others. Are you on autopilot?
5 Signs You Are On Autopilot