Friday, December 17, 2010

by Linda Natali

With full parking lots, crowded malls and tempting holiday displays, trying to get all the gift items on your list for friends and family can be a daunting feat. Add a couple of crying ankle-biters to the sleigh ride to the mall and everyone could end up getting a lump of coal in their stocking. But fear not, a few tips can help you keep the holiday magic flowing (or at least your sanity) in the midst of all the shopping hustle and bustle.…Keep reading

Computer Tips From A Computer Guy

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Computer Tips From A Computer Guy

Block Facebook Connect from Tracking Your Data in Chrome

Posted: 17 Dec 2010 03:50 AM PST

For the truly anti-social, social networking sites are the bane of existence. Sure, about 1 out of 10 people worldwide have a Facebook account, but those who remain friendless probably do not want to be reminded of their status as social outcasts.

Of course, there are other legitimate reasons for even the staunchest of Facebook supporters not to allow Facebook Connect to appear on pages they visit throughout the Web. Facebook uses these icons as a way to track the sites their members visit, thus showing even more targeted, often dubious, advertisements.

Chrome users can download a browser extension aptly named Facebook Disconnect to end the Facebook Connect Web of espionage.

Click Install from the Facebook Disconnect download page to install the extension.

Click Install again when the confirm window pops up. The warning that appears is because Facebook Disconnect inserts a java script into pages you visit to block the Facebook Connect service.

Now, sites with Facebook Connect windows should no longer display, regardless of which site you visit. When and if they do display, the Java script should render them useless in tracking your whereabouts.

In our test, it was touch-and-go whether or not the Facebook icons still appeared on a page. For example, they were still alive and well on Huffington Post, but disappeared from individual blogs, like Urban Spoon. This is a good idea, but apparently it needs a bit of tweaking before it truly serves the anti-social masses.

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Block Facebook Connect from Tracking Your Data in Chrome