By Mike Robertson

Verizon to Share Your Information

Verizon has posted changes to its privacy policy stating that it will now share user location data, Web browsing history and demographic information with marketers.

While Verizon insists that it will not provide third parties with any information identifying users on a personal basis, it will give them a wide array of its users' information, including websites they frequent on their Verizon devices, places where their devices have been, and demographic categories such as gender and age range. Verizon will also share user interests with marketers, such as whether they're a sports fan, own a pet or what sort of restaurants they frequent.

The company emphasizes that users can opt out of the data-sharing program by editing the "My Choices" section of the Verizon "My Privacy" page or by calling the company directly. Verizon says that while users will still receive ads on their mobile devices if they opt out of the program, those ads will not be catered to the users' individual tastes.

CameraSim, an Online Camera Simulator

Modern digital cameras make photography so simple that it seems like you just need to press the shutter release to take a good photo. While that might be true for snapshots, there are many situations in which a little knowledge of photography goes a long way to helping you get a better picture. Have you ever wanted to really understand how all the variables--focal length, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and so on--contribute to your photos? CameraSim, a Website that simulates the operation of a digital SLR. You can use it to tweak the settings and see the results instantly.

You can start fiddling with the camera settings right away; there's no registration or anything else getting in the way. What you will see is a scene as it might appear in a camera's viewfinder--a girl at the playground, holding a pinwheel that's spinning in the breeze. When you click the shutter release, you instantly see the effect of your exposure settings. (Click Return to Viewfinder to take another picture.) That's all you need to explore how to vary exposure and other camera settings to capture your photo.

Scareware on Your Android Phone

Scareware has gone mobile: Users of Android devices are starting to see ads warning that they need to upgrade their device's battery. The supposed battery-saver apps that those ads prod you to download, however, could endanger your privacy or siphon money from your wallet – and generally they'll do nothing to improve your gadget's battery life.

The ads are similar to scareware marketing tactics that have appeared on PCs: Such ads pop up on desktops or laptops, warning that your computer is infected and advising you to download a program to fix the problem. In many cases those rogue system utilities and antivirus products are merely disguises for software that spies on you.