Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Lenovo Z5 Pro GT vs Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition vs OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition: Price, Features Comparison


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Should You Buy Micromax Infinity N12 When You Can Get Realme 2, ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Under Rs 10,000?


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ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 Gets New Update that Optimizes Power Consumption & Headphones’ Audio Experience


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Realme U1: Does Helio P70, 25MP AI Selfie Camera Battery Make It a Better Pick Over the Competitors?


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Facebook Uses IP Address and Other Info to Deliver Location-Based Ads Even When Location Options are Disabled

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If you've noticed Facebook continuing to deliver location-based ads even with all location services disabled, you're not alone, and that's because Facebook continues to use data like your IP address to determine your location for ad delivery purposes.

Facebook's lack of an option to disable location tracking for ad targeting was highlighted in a Medium post shared today by Aleksandra Korolova, assistant professor of Computer Science at USC.


Korolova noticed that Facebook was continuing to provide location-based ads even after she disabled Location History, turned off the location services option for Facebook on her iOS devices, and removed her city from her profile. She didn't upload photos, tag herself at certain locations, or check in, nor does she allow WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger to access her location.
Nevertheless, Facebook showed me ads targeted at "people who live near Santa Monica" (which is where I live) or "people who live or were recently near Los Angeles" (which is where I work). Moreover, I have noticed that whenever I travel for work or pleasure, Facebook continues to keep track of my location and use it for advertising: a trip to Glacier National Park resulted in an ad for activities in Whitefish, Montana, a trip to Cambridge, MA -- in an ad for a business there, and a visit to Herzeliya, Israel -- in an ad for a business there.
As it turns out, and as Facebook explains on its ads page, it is collecting location data based on "where you connect to the Internet" and "where you use your phone," aka your IP address, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth data. As Korolova points out, Facebook does not explain that turning off all location services will not stop Facebook from "going to great lengths to obtain and use location data for advertising."

Facebook does not make it a secret that it is using IP addresses and other information for ad targeting, but most people are likely not aware that their locations are still being tracked in this way even after disabling location tracking settings.

Facebook, Korolova argues, should do better, because the locations that a person visits and lives in can reveal a lot about them, and that's info that any Facebook advertiser can take advantage of through ads. Facebook should be providing "meaningful" tools over the location information that it's collecting, rather than options to disable location services that don't actually mean anything because location data is still being collected over IP address.

In statements provided to Gizmodo, Facebook confirmed that it's using IP information for location tracking purposes and that there's no way for users to turn off location tracking entirely.

"There is no way for people to opt out of using location for ads entirely," a Facebook spokesperson told Gizmodo. "We use city and zip level location which we collect from IP addresses and other information such as check-ins and current city from your profile to ensure we are providing people with a good service--from ensuring that they see Facebook in the right language to making sure that they are shown nearby events and ads for businesses that are local to them."

If you use Facebook, there is no way to prevent Facebook from tracking location, except perhaps by enabling a VPN at all times. Quitting Facebook and deleting the app entirely is the only way to make sure the site isn't tracking you, and even then, Facebook has "shadow profiles" with data on people who don't even use the social network.


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Charter Spectrum's Apple TV App and Zero Sign-on May Not Arrive Until 2019

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When tvOS 12 was introduced back in June of 2018, Apple announced a new Zero Sign-on feature, a followup to Single sign-on. Zero Sign-on is designed to let you sign into all TV apps automatically when connected to your TV provider's broadband.

At the same time, Apple said the feature would first work with Charter Spectrum, with support expected to be implemented "later this year," aka some point before December 31, 2018. Charter Spectrum is expected to debut a new Apple TV app that will enable the feature and allow Charter Spectrum subscribers to watch cable content on the Apple TV.


It looks like the rollout of the Charter Spectrum app and the Zero sign-on feature is not going to make that deadline, as Apple today updated its Apple TV 4K page to change some of the wording to reflect the delay.

Rather than stating that Charter Spectrum cable subscribers will be able to watch live channels and on-demand programs with Apple TV "later this year," the page now says that the feature is "coming soon."

Prior to today's wording change: "And later this year, Charter Spectrum cable customers can watch live channels and thousands of on-demand programs with Apple TV."

After the wording change: "And coming soon, Charter Spectrum cable customers can watch live channels and thousands of on-demand programs with Apple TV."

That Apple has swapped "coming soon" for "later this year" suggests the Charter Spectrum app and the Zero Sign-on feature will be coming sometime after 2018, perhaps early in 2019.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Caution)

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Catalyst's Waterproof AirPods Case is Now Available From Apple

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The Catalyst Waterproof AirPods Case, designed to protect your AirPods case from liquids, is now available from the Apple online store and Apple retail locations.

Priced at $29.95, the Catalyst Case is made from a soft, durable silicone material that keeps water and dust out and protects the AirPods from drops and bumps.


The silicone material, which comes in black, white, and a special glow in the dark shade, is supple and grippy, making it easier to hold onto your AirPods.

A loop and aluminum carabiner is included at the the bottom of the case, so you can attach your AirPods to a bag or a backpack.


The Catalyst Case is IP67 water resistant, which means it will hold up to water that's 3.3 feet deep for up to an hour. It's also ideal for keeping out other debris and keeping the AirPods safe in snow and rain.


While the Catalyst Waterproof Case is available from Apple for $29.99, you can get it from Amazon.com for $24.99 in a wider selection of colors. Black is exclusive to Apple, however, and the glow in the dark model is also priced at $29.99 on Amazon.
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