Why Do Not Track (DNT) privacy feature in an email client? Tracking happens in a variety of ways, not just via tracking cookies, but can also through email messages, Mozilla says.

“Sometimes email messages you receive contain external images — images that need to be loaded from the web to display the entire content of the message. This includes pixel tags and clear gifs. When your mail client renders the message, it has to go fetch the images from the web using the same technologies as a web browser”

Email marketing agencies can make use of this technique to track which messages you read, which links in messages you click, so that they can provide more customized messages in the future.

Final thought: At present, DNT in Thunderbird can’t really do anything for you. As it is completely depends on each tracker’s goodwill, either the trackers start supporting the ability or wait for regulatory agencies to apply pressure, however, it is a great initiative from Mozilla [Via -Mozilla blog]

Kaspersky Parental Control is a new application from Kaspersky Lab (currently beta and free) for smartphones and tablets. It provides an easy and convenient way to protect your kids when they’re online using the standard Android browser.

Currently Kaspersky Parental Control offers to two types of control. One is web filtering and other is application control.

Web Filtering: This option blocks sites with inappropriate content, such as pornography, violence and drugs.

Application Control: This option allows you to control which applications can be run on your family’s Android devices.

As today’s children are connecting to each other and strangers daily on Internet using tablets and smartphone, I think parents face much more complex challenge than the one that computer posed to them. You can try Kaspersky Parental Control to protect your kids when they’re online using the standard Android browser.

Kaspersky Parental Control can be downloaded from Android Market (Required Android 2.2 and above).

I had written many articles in previous posts on completely deleting and managing flash cookies, here is another simple way to delete flash cookies from your computer.

Flash cookies aren’t like normal cookies; they persist even if you clean your browser cookies. However, Internet Explorer 9 and Latest Google Chrome can wipe Flash cookies (see how to enable this).

To delete Flash cookies you can go to online Flash Player Setting Manager or use GrekSoft Flash Cookie Remover, which is a lightweight app that allows you to clean Flash cookies that invade your privacy with just a click.

The application has an “Auto Clean” feature that allows you to set the program to clean the cookies after an amount of time (15/30/60 minutes) automatically.

If you’re prefer online Flash Player Setting Manager for removing and managing Flash cookies, go to Adobe Flash Player Setting Manager page and select “Global Storage Setting panel”

Drag the slider bar to the left to prevent websites storing information on your system without your permission and deselect the option ‘Allow Third party Flash content to store data on your computer’.

To delete Flash cookies that has already been in your browser, click the “Website Storage Setting panel” and choose ‘Delete all Sites’.

GrekSoft Flash Cookie Remover can be downloaded from here.

Hybrid update technology is one of the main features of new Avast 7. As it sent new virus definitions in real-time via streaming updates, a full database update (regular update) isn’t required to get full protection from latest threats.

File Reputation system is another important change made to the new Avast free antivirus 7. Avast will check if a file is safe while downloading it from the Internet or before opening the file by checking its database of known files (Until now this technology is only available in paid antivirus programs like Norton, Kaspersky, etc,).

Remote assistance tool is another new feature. It enables users to give another person remote access to your computer. You can use this feature to solve some technical issues related to your computer.

Avast has also improved existing features of the security programs with this update, such as WebRep browser add-on (now supports Safari, and check fake certificates) Sandbox and AutoSandbox, real-time shields (the most important part of the program), and all. [Via]

You can download Avast 7 from here.

Bitdefender says, “Since Bitdefender detects, prevents and removes viruses and other threats, this time we invite you and your better half to discover ALL the viruses your relationship has”.

The first step in the relationship virus removal process is acknowledging your partner about Relationship Scanner. You will get more details about Bitdefender Relationship Scanner from here.

For your information, Bitdefender is the perfect solution for today’s internet connected family. It provides hassle-free security solution for its users and the latest version offers a silent security solution for you with no popup, no configuring and no interruption.

New Features of Avast 7 Free Antivirus (Beta)

FileRep service (file reputation services) is one of the new features of Avast 7 beta. This cloud based file reputation system helps Avast to make intelligent decisions by querying the Avast’s file reputation database.

Streaming updates is another new feature. It keeps Avast to up-to-date against latest threats. This feature give users streaming updates on new malware threats in addition to regular virus database updates.

Sandbox and Autosandbox improvements. This feature provides an extra layer of security for you to run your PC and its applications in a virtual environment. Autosandbox feature prompts users to run suspicious applications in the virtual Sandbox environment.

Browser protection improvements: The improved website reliability and reputation ratings system (Avast WebRep and Fishing Filter) warns users about dangerous web pages before entering a web page.

Remote assistance is another new feature. It helps Avast users to connect and share their computer. This feature can help you to troubleshoot your computer with friends.

Win8 Developer Preview support. Avast 7 beta version will works well with Windows 8 (DP) and may also works well on Windows 8 Consumer Preview (Beta), which is scheduled to be released on Feb 29, 2012.

Other notable new features of Avast 7 beta are new easy to use installer, import/export support, UI facelift and Screensaver facelift.

Avast 7 (beta) can install over your current Avast6.x version on your Computer, however not recommend in a working environment.  Avast 7 (Beta) Antivirus (free), Antivirus (pro) and Internet Security can be downloaded from the Avast beta release page.

Norton Identity Safe (currently beta) works on Windows, iOS, and Android devices and supports all the major browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Safari.

It can securely handle all your login name and passwords for multiple services, as well as your credit card details, and web form information. Each of your login information is protected using a single master password and listed along with a thumbnail, so can easily identify and access each of your account in one click. Moreover, you can also setup specific sites to login automatically.

Norton Identity Safe also has safe search protection. It lets you know if a site is safe or not before you visit it, which is quite useful if you browse through URLs find on email and social networks. In addition, it warns you of and blocks malicious sites.

Note: if you have Norton Internet Security or Norton 360, you already have Norton Identity Safe installed, no need to install it separately.

Norton Identity Safe can be downloaded (19MB) for free from here.