Make "I'm taking back my privacy!" a News Years Resolution

Suppliers of the best-known anti-tracking tools — Ghostery, Adblock Plus and TrackerBlock — all reported big jumps in usage in the second half of 2011. Ghostery, for instance, is being downloaded by 140,000 new users each month, with total downloads doubling to 4.5 million in the past 12 months, says Scott Meyer, CEO of parent company Evidon. 

Meanwhile, the goal of newcomer Abine, supplier of Do Not Track Plus, is to make anti-tracking as common as anti-virus for personal computing devices, says CEO Bill Kerrigan, who formerly headed anti-virus giant McAfee's global consumer business.

Abine projects the number of Internet users in North America using anti-tracking tools and services will be 28.1 million by the end of 2012, up from 17.2 million today. "We want to drive the next level of adoption," Kerrigan says. "No one is suggesting don't use Facebook or Google. At the same time, we are suggesting there is a better way for consumers to experience those type of products without necessarily being tracked at every step they take in their digital life." (more)

Cell Phone Spyware's New Market - from cheating spouse to the kids!

The latest smart phone technology allows worried parents to keep tabs on their children and, unlike previous apps, it remains completely hidden. 

The technology, which has been criticized as an invasion of privacy, is just the latest weapon for "helicopter" parents keeping a short leash on their children, to ensure they are not sexting or hanging out with the wrong crowd.

As one program's website warns: "Are your kids involved with texting dangers? What are they secretly texting about? Are they visiting porn sites on the phone? You have the right to know."

The latest programs to hit the market, Spyera Software and Mobile Spy, offer stealth GPS tracking and the abilities to read text messages, read emails and view photos.

Spyera even promises to turn the phone into a "remote bugging device" so parents can listen to conversations wherever the phone is left. (more)

Security Tip: Verizon will soon begin spying on your web habits, here's how to opt out...

If you're a Verizon wireless customer, your online identity is about to take another privacy hit.  
The company just revealed that its new service agreement will include language that allows the monitoring of your web habits, including websites you visit and even the location data of when and where you use your wireless browser...

Simply head to Verizon's privacy center, sign into your account using your phone number and password, and review the new policy. On this page there are two places where you can specify that your information not be used for marketing or any other purposes. Simply check these boxes and save your changes. This simple step will prevent your wireless carrier from tracking your location and web habits, and while it might not help advertisers present the best deals on items or services that interest you, your online identity will remain as secure as possible. (more)

Weird Book Promotion Offers Up Spying Devices as Prizes

via The Mirror...

UK - "To celebrate the book release of Private London by James Patterson, we have the ultimate gadget package up for grabs.

Our prize includes a state-of-the-art Nokia mobile handset worth £595, which records all messages and calls with a device which can be listened to from another phone, a Sony digital radio which has a surveillance camera and sound recorder, a keyboard with bugging device, a voice recorder disguised as a USB stick and a mains adapter with a bugging device that can listen to the surrounding sound in room - which can be listened to live from anywhere in the world. This is the ultimate spy package for any budding investigator, and has all the gadgets they need to mimic their spy idols such as Dan Carter in Private London.

Our winner will also get a copy of Private London which follows Dan Carter, the head of the London office of Private, the world's largest and most technologically advanced investigation agency." (more)

Why is this newsworthy?

It points out that electronic eavesdropping laws and attitudes in the rest of the world are not quite the same as in the United States. We advise our clients of this, and once in while a very good example comes along which emphasizes the point.

What Will Anna Chapman Do Next?

Move over, TechCrunch and watch your back, Wired. The voracious self-promotion empire that is Russian spy babe Anna Chapman now claims another conquest. Russia’s sweetheart and America’s favorite deportee is taking over the reins as editor for a small venture capital newspaper.

Yes, hard as it may be to believe, a Putin ally from the intelligences services has found success in Russian business, politics and, now, media. Chapman will take over as editor of the Russian-language Venture Business News, a publication covering the world of venture capital. We’ll also be treated to Anna’s musings on matters economic in a weekly column, Field News. (more)

Anna's interesting time-line, July 2010 until now...

• U.S. sleeper spy who never awoke, was arrested and deported.

• Posed in lingerie for photo shoot.

• Attended a Russian space launch.

• Had a sing-along with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

• Nicknamed Agent "90-60-90" by the Russian press, referring to her alleged measurements.

• Attended a political youth rally.

• Attended a meeting of the commission on economic modernization and technological development of the Russian economy.

• Launched a weekly television show called "Mysteries of the World with Anna Chapman."

• Trademarked her name to pimp eight lines of merchandise, including vodka, clothing and watches.

• Assist the Russian space agency in designing a stylish new uniform for its personnel.

• Will run for Parliament in her native Russia. (No word on how this is working out.)

• And now, editor of a newspaper.

So, what have you done since last July?

"The world’s #1 private investigation team, EVER!"

Hey, that's how What's Your Problem? is billed. It's an amusing independent film about a private investigations firm, but I'll let the folks at Grey Sky Films speak for themselves...

"The world’s #1 private investigation team, EVER! This was a short comedy film that we wrote, produced, directed, and edited ourselves in 2006 and released in January 2007. The film features current Grey Sky Films team member Matt Horutz who also co-wrote and co-produced the film as well. What’s Your Problem? was accepted into a few film festivals and now can be seen on DVD. If you ask us very nicely we will send you a copy – get in touch!"

Did you get that!

A free DVD.

Wow, better than Netflix!

Why do I mention this? The free DVD, of course, but many of my Scrapbook reader friends are in business for themselves (like real PI's), and they are always looking for marketing tips. Here's a tip. Video. People don't have time to read your message right off the bat. But they will watch something to see if it catches their interest.

Grey Sky Films create quality videos, at surprisingly low cost. How do I know? They did mine! And no, I didn't get a discount or any other favor. I am just a satisfied customer spouting off. Use anybody you like, but do it. Market with video. It's fun. It works.

Here's the guy who helped me ...and can get you the free DVD. Dan Hollis is a real gentleman and is a deep well of movie / entertainment trivia knowledge. Send him your trivia questions, you'll see. He is also the answer man for your video marketing questions. The rest of the gang? Well, they are just as much fun as they look.