Are you a part of the Web of Trust (WOT)?

I like the Web of Trust browser plug-in.

Now, whether that admiration really stems from the colorful circles used to indicate a site’s reputation rating or the fact that it helps me steer clear of sites that may put a damper on my web browsing experience could prove to be a rather interesting debate.

However, I like to think that it’s a mixture of both.

For those of you who’ve never heard of it, the Web of Trust plug-in allows you to enjoy a safer and more pleasant internet experience by adding a reputation rating next to site links and search results.

Highly rated sites literally give you the green light with a green circle next to their links, while a yellow circle is displayed for “iffy” sites and red circles strive to stop you from visiting sites with a poor reputation. Websites with no rating are given a gray circle with a blue question mark.

Website reputation ratings are based off the feedback of millions of web users that have shared their personal experience – good or bad – on countless sites they’ve visited.

Such information can come in handy when you’re debating whether or not you want to make a purchase from an unknown vendor or even visit a site that you’re not feeling so sure about.

If you happen to click on a poorly rated site link, you will be presented with a warning message that provides the option to escape, view comments left by other users regarding their experience, or to take a chance and proceed anyway.

Web of Trust plays well with all of the popular browsers – Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, & Opera – and can be downloaded for free from the MyWOT.com website.

If you haven’t done so already, I’d say give the WOT browser plug-in a shot. Feel free to share your thoughts on it in the comments below!

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

Google: We'll Pay You $25 If You Let Us Track Everything You Do

Have you been sitting back, wondering when companies will start paying YOU for your personal data and browsing habits?

The day has finally arrived! And who better to pony up the dough than the one company that likely has the most user data of them all (and recently announced their intent to share it across all of their services)?

Yes, I’m referring to none other than Google.

The search engine giant has started a new project called “Screenwise” that involves panelists who agree to install a browser extension that will share all of the sites you visit – and how you use them – with them.  That, in turn, will help Google improve their products and services to “make a better online experience for everyone.”

So what is Google looking to pay for users who agree to this?  A maximum of $25 per year, depending on how long you keep it installed:

Up to $25 in gift cards. Our panel management partner, Knowledge Networks, will give you a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card code instantly when you sign up and download the Google Screenwise browser extension.¹ Then you’ll get additional $5 Amazon.com Gift Card codes every three months for staying with it.² It's our way of saying "Thank you."

It seems that a lot of people were open to the idea of being paid for their browsing data too.

Even though Google only launched the Screenwise project on Tuesday, they’ve already reached the number of panelists they were hoping for and the option to sign-up for it has been replaced by the following message:

We appreciate and are overwhelmed by your interest at the moment. Please come back later for more details.

Were you one of the users that signed up for Screenwise? What do you think about the Screenwise project? Share your thoughts below!

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

Photo Credit: L_K_M

Firefox 7 Not as Hungry as its Predecessors

If you use Firefox then chances are good that you’ve been prompted by the browser to update to version 7.

While plenty have come to love the popular Mozilla Firefox browser, only some may be aware of how much of a memory hog Firefox can be. Mozilla developers have been hard at work for years trying to curb the browsers hunger and it appears as though they’ve finally done it.

According to Mozilla, Firefox 7 uses up to 50% less memory than its predecessors and offers a “nimble Web browser experience” where users will notice the browser opening new tabs, menu items & buttons a lot faster. Heavy internet users won’t suffer sluggish browser response when keeping lots of tabs open for hours – or even days.

Firefox 7 is said to be a significant update unlike versions 5 and 6. Along with faster speeds, Firefox 7 offers stability & security updates, an improved version of hardware-accelerated Canvas, a major speed boost for Firefox Sync, and more.

If you’d like to download the Firefox browser, head on over to Mozilla’s website to download it!

And yes, I’m running Firefox 7. :)

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