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Switch to a privacy browser
There's a new battleground in the browser wars: says David Nield at Wired magazine. it's user privacy. Firefox recently made its Enhanced Tracking Protection a default feature, Apple is adding more privacy-focused features into its Safari browser, and people are more aware than ever before of the sort of information they can reveal every time they set digital foot on the Web. If you want to push back against online tracking, there are several options to pick from. When choosing a default browser, for example, you could favour ones that put user privacy high on the list of priorities. You might know DuckDuckGo as the anti-Google search engine, but it's also branched out to make its own mobile browsers for Android and iOS. Not only do they keep you better protected online, they give you plenty of information about what they're blocking. DuckDuckGo starts by enforcing encrypted HTTPS connections when Web sites offer them, and then gives each page visited a grade based on how aggressively it's trying to mine your data. As with DuckDuckGo's mobile apps, the Ghostery browser also tells you exactly which trackers it's blocking, and how many monitoring tools each site has installed. If you find sites well-behaved, you can mark them as trusted with one tap. Get Ghostery for Android or iOS installed, and straight away it gets to work blocking adverts and tracking cookies that attempt to keep tabs on what you're up to online. But for the ultimate in anonymised, tracker-free browsing, you'll really need the Tor Browser (Android, Windows, macOS), which stands for browsing "without tracking, surveillance, or censorship". Part of a bigger project to keep Internet browsing anonymous, the Tor Project actually routes your Web navigation through a complex, encrypted network of relays managed by its community, making it much harder for anyone else to work out where you're going on the Web.
https://www.wired.com/story/privacy-browsers-duckduckgo-ghostery-brave/
Anonymous torrenting
Torrent software sometimes gets a bad name through its association with the illegal downloading of copyrighted content - especially music and movies. But it's also a useful way of getting legal downloads - from audio books to Linux operating systems and no-cost open source software. Even then, you may not always want the world and his dog to know what you're downloading. Privacy focused tool Tribler is a torrent download application that automatically hides your activities behind a Tor-like worldwide network of private encrypted servers and Tribler includes search. Type what you want in the search bar and hit enter - then vary your search keywords until you find something you want. Download by double-clicking on any search result. Single-click to see details such as size and included files. When you click on search results you can also select "Stream". This activates the integrated video and audio player. No need to wait for downloads to complete, with streaming you can use Bittorrent to listen to music right away or watch videos Youtube-style.
https://www.tribler.org
Minecraft in your browser
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Minecraft, its developer Mojang has released a version that can be played free of charge in your browser. Although it harks back to the classic 2009 original and so lacks some of the modern version's sophistication, it should make an enjoyable trip down memory lane for seasoned players as well as providing a great introduction for newbies. With no downloads or installs needed, it's simply possible to launch straight into the game. You'll be prompted for a username right away and can invite multiple friends to play along if you wish. Once in the game, you can use the keyboard to move around the landscape, and a left mouse click will mine or place your first blocks.
https://classic.minecraft.net
Chrome extensions for Android
Use Chrome extensions in your Android browser? Certainly - provided your browser of choice is "Kiwi" or something very much like it. Kiwi is a fast, Chromium-based mobile browser with some impressive features. It blocks attempts to spoil your browsing experience with in-your-face adverts and pesky notifications and it protects against crypto currency hackers hijacking your device. But its main attraction comes with the browser's latest update: the ability to add and use full Chrome extensions - including some that even Chrome doesn't allow. "Browse in peace" says Kiwi: "Our browser is made to browse the Internet, read news, watch videos and listen to music, without annoyances". You can also block slow and invasive trackers to further protect your privacy.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kiwibrowser.browser
Search engine of the month
Escape is a colourful, interactive map-based search engine that helps you find the cheapest flights from your home town or favourite airport to anywhere in the world on specific dates. The routes that pop up on the map are colour-coded depending on the cost, perfect for getting inspiration when you’re not sure when you want to go. As well as filtering by budget or by direct flights, there are also some very handy add-ons. If you like to go with the crowd (or against it) you can also see which are the most popular or unpopular routes on the date you want to travel. You can state your preference for weather conditions or visa requirements for your nationality too. The site scans other flight comparison tools like Skyscanner and Kiwi to pull up the data it presents - hopefully in a more aesthetically-pleasing way.
https://greatescape.co
There's a new battleground in the browser wars: says David Nield at Wired magazine. it's user privacy. Firefox recently made its Enhanced Tracking Protection a default feature, Apple is adding more privacy-focused features into its Safari browser, and people are more aware than ever before of the sort of information they can reveal every time they set digital foot on the Web. If you want to push back against online tracking, there are several options to pick from. When choosing a default browser, for example, you could favour ones that put user privacy high on the list of priorities. You might know DuckDuckGo as the anti-Google search engine, but it's also branched out to make its own mobile browsers for Android and iOS. Not only do they keep you better protected online, they give you plenty of information about what they're blocking. DuckDuckGo starts by enforcing encrypted HTTPS connections when Web sites offer them, and then gives each page visited a grade based on how aggressively it's trying to mine your data. As with DuckDuckGo's mobile apps, the Ghostery browser also tells you exactly which trackers it's blocking, and how many monitoring tools each site has installed. If you find sites well-behaved, you can mark them as trusted with one tap. Get Ghostery for Android or iOS installed, and straight away it gets to work blocking adverts and tracking cookies that attempt to keep tabs on what you're up to online. But for the ultimate in anonymised, tracker-free browsing, you'll really need the Tor Browser (Android, Windows, macOS), which stands for browsing "without tracking, surveillance, or censorship". Part of a bigger project to keep Internet browsing anonymous, the Tor Project actually routes your Web navigation through a complex, encrypted network of relays managed by its community, making it much harder for anyone else to work out where you're going on the Web.
https://www.wired.com/story/privacy-browsers-duckduckgo-ghostery-brave/
Anonymous torrenting
Torrent software sometimes gets a bad name through its association with the illegal downloading of copyrighted content - especially music and movies. But it's also a useful way of getting legal downloads - from audio books to Linux operating systems and no-cost open source software. Even then, you may not always want the world and his dog to know what you're downloading. Privacy focused tool Tribler is a torrent download application that automatically hides your activities behind a Tor-like worldwide network of private encrypted servers and Tribler includes search. Type what you want in the search bar and hit enter - then vary your search keywords until you find something you want. Download by double-clicking on any search result. Single-click to see details such as size and included files. When you click on search results you can also select "Stream". This activates the integrated video and audio player. No need to wait for downloads to complete, with streaming you can use Bittorrent to listen to music right away or watch videos Youtube-style.
https://www.tribler.org
Minecraft in your browser
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Minecraft, its developer Mojang has released a version that can be played free of charge in your browser. Although it harks back to the classic 2009 original and so lacks some of the modern version's sophistication, it should make an enjoyable trip down memory lane for seasoned players as well as providing a great introduction for newbies. With no downloads or installs needed, it's simply possible to launch straight into the game. You'll be prompted for a username right away and can invite multiple friends to play along if you wish. Once in the game, you can use the keyboard to move around the landscape, and a left mouse click will mine or place your first blocks.
https://classic.minecraft.net
Chrome extensions for Android
Use Chrome extensions in your Android browser? Certainly - provided your browser of choice is "Kiwi" or something very much like it. Kiwi is a fast, Chromium-based mobile browser with some impressive features. It blocks attempts to spoil your browsing experience with in-your-face adverts and pesky notifications and it protects against crypto currency hackers hijacking your device. But its main attraction comes with the browser's latest update: the ability to add and use full Chrome extensions - including some that even Chrome doesn't allow. "Browse in peace" says Kiwi: "Our browser is made to browse the Internet, read news, watch videos and listen to music, without annoyances". You can also block slow and invasive trackers to further protect your privacy.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kiwibrowser.browser
Search engine of the month
Escape is a colourful, interactive map-based search engine that helps you find the cheapest flights from your home town or favourite airport to anywhere in the world on specific dates. The routes that pop up on the map are colour-coded depending on the cost, perfect for getting inspiration when you’re not sure when you want to go. As well as filtering by budget or by direct flights, there are also some very handy add-ons. If you like to go with the crowd (or against it) you can also see which are the most popular or unpopular routes on the date you want to travel. You can state your preference for weather conditions or visa requirements for your nationality too. The site scans other flight comparison tools like Skyscanner and Kiwi to pull up the data it presents - hopefully in a more aesthetically-pleasing way.
https://greatescape.co
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