Technology blog GHacks reports that YouTube is testing a new homepage design and that anyone can force this new design by adding a cookie to their browser. Here’s how to do to so for Chrome and Firefox. More »
Earlier this week, we reported on how Facebook was tracking user data through cookies that persisted even after you logged out. It now appears that Facebook is fixing a bug associated with one of those cookies, so it is tracking less user behaviour — but it hasn’t stopped that tracking altogether, and it isn’t likely to. More »
Browser cookies are one of those technical bits of web browsing that almost everyone has some awareness of. They’re also probably one of the most misunderstood aspects of browsing. Today we’re here to clear up the confusion. More »
Windows only: Portable utility FlashCookiesView displays a list of those hidden Flash cookies that websites use to track where you are going, and allows you to easily delete them. More »
Wired reports that over half of the web’s most popular sites are using Flash to track users who block traditional browser cookies. More »
Web site Privacychoice rolls the opt-out routines for a couple dozen advertising networks into a single javascript button—so you can stop them tracking you without having to mess with cookie settings. Most advertising networks provide a mechanism to opt out of their user tracking systems, which works by them placing a cookie on your computer that tells them not to track you. Privacychoice automates the process of submitting each of the forms, saving you a lot of time if privacy is your goal—though you could simply setup CCleaner to wipe cookies on a schedule to prevent anybody from tracking your behaviour online. Privacychoice is free, works in most browsers.
Privacychoice [via gHacks]Windows only: Free computer cleaning application AtomicCleaner has the standard roster of cleaning tools like temp file deletion and cookie removal, but goes a step further and includes a cleanup option for gamers. The Gamer Cleanup clears out the sometimes monster-sized temporary gaming cache files. AtomicCleaner is a free download for Windows only.
Atomic Cleaner [via gHacks]For jailbroken iPhones: For some reason or another, the mobile Safari browser on some updated iPhones and iPod touch models seems to constantly drop cookies, making iPhone-friendly sites like Google Reader and Remember the Milk a lot less useful. iRemember, a free one-fix app, makes a simple change in the Unix-y guts of your phone to help Safari hold onto its cookies better. Installing the app requires adding a repository to your Installer sources, but the fix seemed to work in a quick test, at least on Google sites. iRemember is a free download for jailbroken iPhones and iPod touches. Fixing Safari Cookie Bug with iRemember! [Just Another iPhone Blog via iPhone Freakz]
