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MIT's Veil service will make private browsing more private
After reports and studies revealed that browsers' private modes aren't that secure, MIT graduate student Frank Wang decided to take things into his own hands. He and his team from MIT CSAIL and Harvard have created a tool called Veil, which you could use on a public computer -- or on a private one on top of using incognito mode and Tor if you have big secrets to keep or if you've just become paranoid after years of hearing about hacks and cyberattacks.
Firefox brings its tracking-resistant private browsing to everyone
Psst: the private browsing mode in your current web browser probably isn't that private. It'll (usually) get rid of your history and cookies, but it won't prevent cross-site trackers from getting a feel for what you're doing. However, you now have an easy way to deal with that -- Mozilla has released a finished version of Firefox with its promised stricter Private Browsing mode. Switch it on and you'll get tracking protection that blocks code from those ads and social services that follow you from site to site. There's also a central control panel on the desktop for managing privacy and security, including the option to turn tracking protection off if it's breaking an important page.
Firefox's anti-tracking private browsing is now in beta
Last month, Mozilla released a pre-beta version of its Firefox browser featuring an overhauled Private Browsing mode, designed to block certain web elements (such as analytic tools) that track your online behavior. This experimental build, however, was mostly intended for developers. But now Mozilla is bringing these anti-tracking, privacy-focused features to more users, as it's making them available through the Firefox Beta browser on the desktop and Android. The company says it also used feedback from pre-beta testers to try a new feature within Private Browsing dubbed Tracking Protection, which will block sites from creating profiles about you across the web based on your data -- other mainstream browser's private modes don't protect that deep, according to Mozilla.
Firefox private browsing test keeps more of your data off-limits
Numerous browsers have a private mode to prevent local users from learning too much about your web habits, but what about preventing the sites themselves from tracking what you're doing? Mozilla thinks it can help. It just released a pre-beta version of Firefox whose updated, experimental Private Browsing mode blocks web elements that could track your behavior, such as analytic tools and social network services. While the measure could break some sites, Mozilla reckons that it's ultimately better to keep you off sites' radars by default. If you do run into problems, there's a central control area where you can tweak your privacy and security settings.
Firefox 20 official with a seamless download manager, private windows (video)
Some Firefox releases have more noticeable changes than others. We'd say that the newly finalized Firefox 20 is firmly in that first camp. The new release gives desktop users a Safari-like download manager that pops out from the toolbar, making it possible to check on a big download without anything so ungainly as a separate window. Also new are more refined approaches to private browsing that can open a new window (on the desktop) or tab (on Android) for those extra-personal, secretive... gift-shopping sessions, according to Mozilla. Whether or not you believe that euphemism, there's no doubt that Android users receive their own specific treat through support for lower-end ARMv6 phones, including relative oldies like the HTC Legend and Samsung Galaxy Q. Hit the source links to stay current with Firefox, no matter how innocuous your intentions might be.
Trigger private browsing in Safari for specific sites
Tony over at Macolyte has posted a good tip on how to enable private browsing in Safari on a particular site. Why would you want this? It's good for when you're viewing financial sites and other sensitive personal data where you don't want to leave a tracking history, for instance. Tony created an AppleScript that will open a new tab for a particular website and set it to Private Browsing mode. That same script can close the tab as well. Be warned though, it sets all open tabs to Private Browsing mode when this happens. (We posted a link to a similar script years ago, but that one also set up a temporary disk image to redirect Safari downloads, in case you inadvertently downloaded something sensitive.) Click through to get Tony's AppleScript. If you've just upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion, check out our look at the new Safari to get some other tips and also find out how to get your RSS button back.
Firefox 5 for Android adds CSS animation, support for Do Not Track browsing
The Firefox team is moving as quick as a...well, you get the idea. Nearly two months after releasing its latest browser to the masses, the folks at Mozilla have unleashed Firefox 5 for Android as a beta for willing souls who happen upon it in the Market. The latest rendition will hook you up with support for CSS animations, improved canvas and JavaScript performance, and lower memory usage. You're also going to find Do Not Track included for the first time, which is a privacy setting that prevents other sites from following you around. Otherwise, for a major release, there isn't a ton of meat -- then again, Mozilla's switched things up a bit by popping out updates on a more frequent basis, making few changes to each one, so anyone feeling a bit underwhelmed should know that the team's already hard at work on Firefox 6. Head down to the source links to download the beta and learn what's new.
Tor to fork Firefox for simplified anonymous browsing, doesn't think you're paranoid
Soon political dissidents, whistle blowers, and those trying to cheat MLB.TV's blackout restrictions will have an easier way to protect their privacy thanks to a dedicated Tor Browser. For those of you unfamiliar with it, Tor is a tool for anonymizing web browsing and communications through encryption and proxy servers. Trouble is, it requires both a browser extension and a standalone app to work -- leaving average users "horribly confused," according to developer Mike Perry. So, the organization has decided to retire the Tor Button and create its own fork of Firefox with private browsing features baked in. As an added benefit, Tor will no longer be at the mercy of Mozilla to fix bugs that affect privacy and security. For now, the group will focus on its downloadable bundle with automatic configuration scripts for simplifying setup, but eventually the paranoid will have a browser they can finally call their own.
