New Facebook privacy concern: your cell phone number

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August 11th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

Facebook has a history of fishy privacy practices, so we're not surprised at its latest grab for user information. If you use a Facebook app on your cell phone, have provided your phone number to it for "increased security," or entered it into your profile under certain sharing settings, your data could be at risk.

Rumors abound that Facebook is now making public contact lists from smartphones that use Facebook Mobile. Although Facebook denies that this is true, a longstanding feature that syncs contacts from your phone to your Facebook account has been discovered by many. This means that Facebook has probably stored every number in your phone on a server somewhere.

You can see the phone numbers of all your contacts, which means that they can probably see your phone number. Regardless of the method Facebook may have used to get your number, here's what you should do:

1. In your phone's Facebook app, tap the Friends icon in the main menu. Then in the upper-right of the screen, click Sync.

2. When you're on Facebook, click on Account at the top-right of the screen. Then click Edit Friends. On the left side of the screen, click on Contacts. You'll see this text on the right: "If you would like to remove your mobile contacts from Facebook, you need to disable the feature on your mobile phone and visit this page." Click to go there, and then click the Remove button.

3. Double-check the privacy settings on your Facebook account to make sure that only the right people are seeing your number. We recommend deleting it completely.

For those worried about protecting their privacy, we recommend identity theft protection. Companies such as Identity Guard, Trusted ID, and LifeLock monitor your credit score and other records and alert you of fraudulent activity. Plus, NextAdvisor offers you a discount!

Privacy matters: Google+ vs. Facebook

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August 5th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

Google+, the web giant's answer to Facebook, debuted in late June. While interest has grown quickly, the service leaves many wondering about the differences between the two. Aside from Circles, Google+'s way of helping you share your party photos with your friends and the pictures of your new kitten with Grandma, Google+ has a different and much more direct take on privacy.

We wrote about ways to manage your privacy on Facebook, but even that lengthy article can't cover everything. Facebook's privacy policy is long (almost 6,000 words!), shifting, and complicated. The privacy controls aren't as visible as we think they should be, and the company has come under fire for adding new "features," such as the ability for other people to tag you in Places, and automatically enabling them with little to no warning to the user.

Luckily, Google+'s privacy policy is shorter and simpler, with no confusing legalese to sift through. A sample quote: "We may share aggregate statistics about Google+ activity with the public, our users, and partners, such as publishers, app developers, or connected sites."

The advertising practices of Facebook and Google+ differ, and it appears Facebook has the upper hand here. Facebook's ads only target the data you enter into your profile. Google, however, records what you do with tracking cookies to create an "anonymous profile" of you, which ads can then target. This data can't be traced back to you at this time, but Google keeps your information, from the emails you send in Gmail to the keywords you search for, and the company might choose to use it differently in the future.

One tip we just learned: Even though Google+ automatically places you in a system that uses its "+1" feature (similar to Facebook's Likes) on other sites, which show up on ads with +1s from your friends, you can shut it off here.

Google+ collects so much data from its users but doesn't put it toward advertising, whereas Facebook does exactly the opposite. The best attribute of Google+ is its plain-language, no-fuss privacy policy. At least you know what you're getting into. The best way to make sure your information is safe? Identity theft protection, like Identity Guard and TrustedID, will monitor your credit report and other personal info for fraud, give you ID theft insurance in case your identity is stolen, and provide you with copies of your credit report.

ZoneAlarm discount, no coupon code necessary!

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July 29th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

If you're taking your PC to school with you, you'll need security software to keep your investment from viruses, malware, and spam. Just in time for back-to-school, one of the Internet security software suites we review, ZoneAlarm, is currently offering an incredible promotion exclusively to NextAdvisor readers: 70% off Internet Security Suite 2012! You don't need a coupon code to take advantage of this deal. Simply follow any link from our site to ZoneAlarm!

Online Backup vs. Cloud Storage

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July 19th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

Several large companies have rolled out cloud storage products recently: Amazon Cloud Drive, Google Apps for Business (of which cloud storage is only a part), Windows Live SkyDrive, and Apple iCloud, which isn't available until fall. On NextAdvisor, we review online backup services, some of which can also be classified as cloud storage. Let's use SugarSync, the most cloud-like of the online backup services we review, as an example. What's the difference? Which is best? Let's find out.

Starting Monthly Price

• Amazon: Free with account
• Google: $5
• Windows: Free with account
• Apple: Free with iOS on iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch
• SugarSync: $4.99

GB of Storage Included

• Amazon: 5GB
• Google: 1GB
• Windows: 25GB, individual files limited to 100MB
• Apple: 5GB
• SugarSync: 30GB

Data Security

• Amazon: SSL encryption; only eight devices allowed to access your music via Cloud Player
• Google: advanced capabilities and expanded limits for other Google products, such as Gmail and Google Calendar; SSL enforcement for secure HTTPS access
• Windows: configured by permissions set by the user; all content is marked as "public" by default
• Apple: might not allow previous data to be uploaded if not purchased with or created using an Apple product; only allows sharing of calendars;
• SugarSync: triple-encrypted; optional passwords for shared storage

Additional Features

• Amazon: Amazon Cloud Player for listening to music files, especially MP3s downloaded from Amazon
• Google: part of Google Apps for Business, so cloud storage limited to Google Docs
• Windows: Word Doc collaboration even if you don't have Microsoft Office; simple sharing to social networks
• Apple: keeps email, contacts, apps, and calendars up-to-date across all your Apple devices; pushes files to all of your Apple devices; no data encryption
• SugarSync: backs up external drives; mobile apps allow you to stream remotely stored music, view documents, and upload photos to SugarSync account

Bottom Line

While each cloud storage service has unique features, none of them backs up your computer automatically; you must manually add new files to store in the cloud. This is the main advantage to SugarSync: You can schedule automatic backups of your computer after you tell SugarSync which folders to back up. Windows and Google allow you to work on your documents in the cloud without saving to your computer first, but because you keep your data not only in the cloud but also on your computer when you use online backup, you'll be able to work on it even when you're not connected to the Internet.

SugarSync starts at $4.99 a month for 30GB of storage space, which works out to $0.17/GB. Only Google has a pricier option, but Google's cloud storage is not the focus of its business apps package. However, the price is worth the other features as well as the ability to have a lot of space; SugarSync starts at 30GB, but the highest anyone else (Windows) goes is 25GB. You can use SugarSync across multiple platforms, unlike iCloud, which only works on Apple devices. SugarSync has better file security, so you know no one can see your data unless you want them to. The mobile app is unique—you must be on your computer connected to the Internet to acces most cloud storage services.

Other online backup options with similar features include SpiderOak and Mozy. If you only need to worry about one computer's data, we suggest looking into Carbonite.

Cloud storage can be helpful for data you can replace if necessary, but if you really need to keep your hard drive's files safe, secure, and accessible, SugarSync is the way to go.

CA Technologies' Internet Security Suite Plus discount with coupon code!

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July 15th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

The coupon madness continues for Internet security software! If you need to protect your PC from spam, malware, and viruses, consider CA Technologies. The company is currently offering a 20% discount on Internet Security Suite Plus. It's really easy: Follow any link from our site to CA Technologies, and enter coupon code MOG35866 at checkout!

BitDefender 2011: 75% off Protection for 3 PCs!

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July 12th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

BitDefender is consistently good Internet security software, especially for gamers, so we're proud to announce an awesome deal for NextAdvisor readers: one year of protection for only $19.95. You save $60, or 75%, off the original price, and you don't even need a coupon code! Just follow any link from NextAdvisor to BitDefender to take advantage of this discount. This is a really incredible deal, and it won't last long. So if you need high-performing antivirus, antimalware, and other Internet security protections with a streamlined, easy-to-use interface, BitDefender is a great choice — and an unbeatable deal.

Get 30% off Weight Watchers, No Coupon Required

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July 12th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

Weight Watchers, one of our favorite online diet programs, is offering an exclusive deal to NextAdvisor readers! Starting today, get 30% off a three-month plan for Weight Watchers online. All you have to do is follow any link from our site to Weight Watchers, and your discount will be applied automatically! What are you waiting for? There's no better time to start living healthy than right now!

NEW Nutrisystem Flex Plan: Take Weekends off from Diet Food!

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July 7th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

Swimsuit season is in full swing, and you might be getting frustrated with adhering to your diet program's strict guidelines. This is why Nutrisystem has introduced a new plan called Flex. Although Nutrisystem is a meal delivery diet, when you try Flex, you only have to eat Nutrisystem meals for five days out of the week. Nutrisystem, which is based on low-GI foods, provides you with a free low-GI cookbook so you can prepare your own healthy meals on those other two days. Also, Flex can now include fresh-frozen Nutrisystem foods in addition to the ready-to-go meals already on offer.

Nutrisystem is offering you an awesome deal right now: 15% off Flex plan with fresh-frozen food OR 20% off basic Flex plan, both with free shipping! You don't need a coupon code. All you need to do is follow any link to Nutrisystem from NextAdvisor.com. Yum!

P.S. Like our blog? Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and give us a +1 on Google+ (top of this page) to help our information reach more consumers!

NextAdvisor reviews ZoneAlarm 2012!

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June 23rd, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

The 2012 onslaught of Internet security software has begun: We're pleased to bring you our review of ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2012. Even though it's not ranked by AV-Comparatives, its improvements from last year's version and addition of several valuable features (e.g., 2GB of online backup space, parental controls through Net Nanny) actually bump it up one more star in our rankings! So if you're looking to keept your computer protected, check out all our reviews of anti-virus, anti-malware, and anti-spam software.

Microsoft takes over Skype

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June 20th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Skype CEO Tony Bates shake hands in May at a San Francisco news conference, predicting what was to come.

Skype is famous for its computer-to-computer calling, but it also provides VoIP. However, Microsoft's takeover of Skype might change a few things within the company.

Over the weekend, the Federal Trade Commission terminated its review of the proposed acquisition early, which means that it is not believed to harm competition or impact consumers in a negative way. Microsoft has already purchased Skype for $8.5 billion, and it's shaking up the infrastructure by firing many of Skype's senior executives. But how will it change the service?

Microsoft is being coy about that aspect. It says it's going to expand Skype and operate it separately within Microsoft, and speculation is that Skype will become a part of Microsoft's digital advertising and business conferencing. Skype is also planning to integrate better with Facebook, which means users will be able to chat with Facebook fans and friends through Skype. Finally, some mobile innovations might be in the works. All this will likely result in a better business VoIP offering from Skype, but we'll be sure to update you when the changes come through.