You would be amazed to find out just how much personal information is collected every time you log on to your computer to use the Internet. Recently, I came across an article from Palaestra Training that talks about some ways that you can cover your online tracks. Below are five of the tips that they provide. To read the full article, click here.

5 Ways to Cover Your Tracks

1. Remove Your Most Recently Used (MRU) List: Yes, it may be difficult to believe, but information can be had from your most recently used list. In order to remove or clear this list, click here.
2. Make Your IP Address Private: Did you know that your IP address is recorded in things such as e-mail headers, discussion boards and mail servers? Your IP address is typically recorded whenever you visit a website and leave a comment and can also tell others what pages you’ve viewed and any transactions that you make (which is pretty scary considering the fact that we use our computers to conduct many personal transactions). That being said, you can actually install software that will hide your IP, such as MMIP or Anonymous IP.
3. Delete Your Cookies! Most people nowadays are at least somewhat familiar with what ‘cookies’ are. Essentially, cookies allow websites or marketing people to create a profile on the type of person that you are based on information that you’ve unknowingly provided them regarding your Internet surfing patterns- all because your movements on the Net are tracked. Deleting your cookies occasionally will help to resolve this problem.
4. Clearing the Cache: A cache is a place on your computer that stores temporary Internet files such as previously visited web pages, images, etc. It allows others to see where you’ve been. Clearing this periodically is always a good idea.
5. Turn off AutoComplete: It may have seemed like a good idea at the time. However, other people can easily see where you’ve been if you’ve got the AutoComplete turned on. Why make it easier for them? Switch it off!

In a recent article published by the LA Times, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is envisioning a future in which people can check their email and flip between their favorite cable television show all from the same electronic device: their television sets. According to the article:

Comcast Corp.’s chief executive, Brian Roberts, was gushing last week about his company’s impending takeover of NBC Universal, saying the deal would give consumers what they want, “which is access to all different types of content on different platforms and different times.”

That’s not the half of it — but it may not be Comcast in the driver’s seat.

If federal regulators have their way, the next big thing on the tech horizon will be a brave new world of Internet-ready, work-with-any-network set-top boxes, offering consumers unprecedented multimedia options through their TVs, not just their computers.

And if this plays out as the Federal Communications Commission envisions, the world as cable companies know it will radically change, making the potential synergies of the Comcast-NBC deal all but obsolete.

“The consumer will be king,” said Colin Crowell, senior counselor to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. “You’ll be able to get your own set-top box that does all the whiz-bang things you want it to do, and you’ll be in control.” [source]

But wait a minute…Can’t we already sort of do this?

For instance, in my boyfriend’s brother’s house, he took the CPU to one of his computers and hooked it up to his main television in the family room- this way he can check his email and/or do computer-related work. If he wants to watch television, all he has to do is press a button on his remote control for the TV to switch it back to cable.  That being said, I am not really sure how the FCC is going to introduce something similar without making the prices extremely competitive.

With all the talk of maybe combining television with Internet access, there is a great deal of speculation that the official merge of the two will result in more people walking away from cable television- especially since many of us can catch our favorite shows on sites such as HULU and YouTube for free and sans commercial interruption (for the most part).

The world is your oyster, and nowhere else is this more true than on the Internet. Now, more than ever, business owners have more options available to them in the way of marketing and branding themselves; and the good news is that you don’t have to spend any money on it (if you don’t want to). That being said, the following are five fantastic ways to be found on the World Wide Web:

5 Ways to Be Found on the WWW:

1. Facebook- At first it was just something that college kids did to keep in touch with each other and post ridiculous pictures from “last night’s party”. However, the “face” of FB has changed over time to now include people’s family member and business associates. Business owners can take advantage of what FB has to offer by the way of RSS feeds that automatically post in your profile as well as the creation of fan groups as well as fan pages, both of which can then be posted on your website or elsewhere.
2. Twitter- I still get made fun of by my boyfriend for using Twitter, but it’s an excellent way to network with other people and make business connections. I’ve, personally, been offered really great advice from reputable people within my own niche via Twitter. Besides this, you can also include a link to your company’s website in your profile as well as work a little magic so that your blog posts automatically get “tweeted”. It’s a great resource.
3. Guest Posts- Guest posting is something that people don’t take nearly enough advantage of. If you are buddies with someone on the Net who has a decent blog following, why not ask if you can guest post? In return, perhaps you could mention their site on your blog or do some sort of a link exchange, etc.  This is a great way to introduce yourself to an audience that you may have not had the opportunity to interact with in the past.
4. Create a Widget- Widgets are those cute little icons that you typically see on a person’s site in the top right corner, bottom right corner- or pretty much wherever they want to stick ‘em. They’re neat looking because they are less bulky than PPC or google ads, and they can provide readers with a quick link to other cool stuff that you’re doing.
5. YouTube or Vimeo- Viral is definitely the way to pick up some steam and get noticed FAST. However, there is one catch. What you say during your video either has to be really great or pretty darn awful or just plain shocking in order to elicit the type of magnanimous response that you were hoping for. So, just keep this in mind..