Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Instagram and Facebook Team up to Anger Users

You may or may not use Instagram in conjunction with your Facebook account. I don’t, but the last couple of days, Instagram created a fire storm among users (FYI: Instagram was purchased recently by Facebook for an outrageous sum).

Instagram instituted a new Terms of Service agreement that said they had the right to use or sell your photos for advertisement purposes with out your prior consent and without compensation. Outrageous, to put it mildly.  Just before sending out this blog, Instagram and Facebook apologized and said they will remove the language that sparked the furor. I still don’t trust them. That is why I never used the service.

But wait, there’s more. Only last week, Instagram disabled a feature that allowed its users to post their photos directly into Twitter. Instagram said it wanted its members to use its own online services. Twitter quickly struck back, announcing new digital image "filters" for its own photo-posting features. The filters, which are similar to those on Instagram, allow people to make over smartphone snapshots in black and white or in movie-style looks.

So my advice is stay away from Instagram. It will do you no good. I’ve included a list of alternative apps that will do the same thing.

Besides the Instagram furor, there are some other interesting stories here and some great ‘How To’s” included in this edition, so have at - JRC

How to download your Instagram photos and delete your account

On 17 December Instagram unleashed brand-new terms of service that has rubbed many of its loyal users the wrong way. Instagram can sell your photos to third parties for ads without telling you.

Instagram apologizes to users: We won't sell your photos

Facebook breaks its silence, pledging to "remove" language that sparked a revolt among Instagram users concerned their photos would be sold for advertising or marketing purposes.

The Six Best Instagram Alternatives

Even though Instagram has apologized and supposedly reversed their policy, I would not trust them. After all, they are owned by the champion of privacy, Facebook. If you're worried, here are some alternatives.

Google Music Launches Its iTunes Match-Like Scan-And-Match Feature In The U.S.

Unlike Apple and Amazon, which charges about $25 per year for their respective services, Google offers this service for free.

Google puts Dead Sea Scrolls sacred text online

Since the sacred text of the Dead Sea Scrolls was discovered in the 1940s few besides religious scholars were allowed to closely examine the centuries old text. Google now gives the world up close and personal access to the scrolls,

How to Clean Up Your Online Presence and Make a Great First Impression

It's time to take your online reputation into your own hands instead of leaving it to Google. Here's how.

How To Download Your Twitter Archive

Twitter has begun allowing members to download an archive of all their tweets, so they can look back on their entire history on the microblogging network for the first time.

Digital Photography Super Guide:How to Organize Your Photos

So you've shot some great photos with your DSLR, point-and-shoot, or even phone camera. How can you store, organize, and share them? Here's how.

Mailvelope Offers Free, Easy-to-Use PGP Encryption for Gmail, Outlook, and Other Webmail Services

It's no secret that email is grossly insecure. If you want a little privacy in your inbox, the easiest way to do it is to encrypt your messages, and Mailvelope offers free, OpenPGP encryption for most popular webmail services that's easy to configure and a breeze to use.

The Best Startpage to Make Your Browsing Easier

FVD Speed Dial offers you simple and convenient access to all your favourite websites. It has a cool design, in fact the best of all SpeedDials I've used. It will surely impress you because of its user friendly interface. You can create custom background templates within the browser window and change the look of your browser completely

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