You may know that many companies track your online behavior so as to better target advertising that meshes with your interests and desires. What you might not realize is how pervasive, and sneaky, the practice has become. According to a comprehensive study conducted by the Wall Street Journal, the nation’s 50 top Web sites on average installed 64 pieces of tracking technology onto the computers of visitors, usually with no warning. READ MORE
In an effort to prioritize product efforts, Google will be slowly shutting down Google Labs — home to such experimental projects as Google Body, Swiffy, and Docs and Spreadsheets. READ MORE
Intellectual property scholars, peripherals makers, and geeks everywhere are closely watching Datel’s case against Microsoft. The suit alleges that when Microsoft issued an Xbox 360 firmware update, it effective blocked Datel’s memory cards from working. Datel’s card sales had far outpaced Microsoft’s for the devices, says wired.com’s David Kravets. READ MORE
Instead of looking for terms that show up in web pages, Wolfram Alpha is a search engine that actually does computations to answer queries. For instance, let’s say you want to know the basal metabolic rate of a 35-year-old woman who is 5’5” and weighs 125 pounds. In a snap Wolfram Alpha will tell you she needs anywhere from 1,562 to 2,474 calories a day, depending on her activity level. READ MORE
