I'm not going to soapbox here what is right or wrong and Im not claiming to be an expert on online privacy. What I am doing is giving you some food for thought and maybe some actionable ideas you can implement as you see fit. What I'm writing here are things I do for myself for my own privacy.

BETTER PASSWORDS

I admit for many years using the simplest of passwords.... "dogxyz" or "dog 1234". This was totally out of laziness. With hundreds of websites out there Ive purchased from, joined, or what have you I used basic passwords. Every time a site would get hacked or compromised, I would then have to change all my passwords across the board. It was time consuming. There had to be something easier.

There are many many methods to come up with secure passwords... I'll just mention one of them here.

I like to use a basic random password that only has minor changes in it. These changes are associated with the individual website you're accessing.

For example, start with your "core code". It could be whatever you want. Memorize this core code. It will never change.

Heres an example of a core code... GLD@ss1

Then pick a "variable code" which could be the 1st and 4th characters of the website you are on. If you are on Newegg.com your variable code would be "ne"

Now combine your core code and variable code by putting it together however you would like. My example would be: nGLD@ss1e

My password for a site like washingtonpost.com would then be: wGLD@ss1h

A bit tricky at first but this sort of technique becomes easy to use and memorize. Pick your own codes, length of codes, arrange them in whatever order you want. The passwords appear random to an outsider so if one account were to ever get hacked its going to be difficult to use it elsewhere.

ONLINE ANONYMITY

Online anonymity is possible. If you are concerned and need to make some banking transactions or perform some other incognito tasks you might want to check out this liveCD called Tails which uses Debian and TOR.

https://tails.boum.org/index.en.html

With Tails you can use the internet anonymously, it leaves no trace and uses state-of-the-art cryptographic tools.

An easier solution that I use is to go through a VPN (virtual private network). There are many of them foundonline, but two I could recommend.

VPN Reactor has a free VPN service. Its fairly quick, but it logs out every 30 minutes...

https://www.vpnreactor.com/default.aspx

A better VPN (in my opinion) is CryptoHippie. CryptoHippie has been around for several years now and has established itself as a reputable service. Its servers are under contract in several continents and uses multiple hops for all of your data. It also uses disappearing encryption keys, traffic crowding, erased IP addresses, and more. They have a great tutorial for Ubuntu users also.

For a one week free trial you can sign up on this link I found...

http://www.cryptohippie.com/expatworld.php

The moment you log onto the VPN no one knows who you are, where you are, or what you are saying. You may think its taking things too far by using a VPN but consider this. Lets say you are traveling in the FSU (former soviet union), or in Columbia, or heck even in Italy and need to check your online bank info. With all of the hackers out there, which would you feel more comfortable using... a naked wi-fi connection or one that you could go on with your secure VPN tunnel? You can even use Skype video or instant messaging through a VPN.

CryptoHippie costs money, but I feel its well worth it at $275 a year (or about 75 cents a day). Along with the VPN service they have encrypted email thats easy to set up.

OFFSHORE EMAIL

Lets face it. All of your email is being read now. Everything. From the photo of the mole on your butt, the recipe you sent granny, to the purchase of gold you just made now that gold prices dropped. Its all being recorded and profiles being made on everyone. There is no harm in keeping your Gmail account to talk to granny, but when communicating with a foreign lawyer or broker, or sharing information with a business partner outside of the US, using an e-mail account based outside the US makes a lot of sense these days.

JumpShip is an email provider that has its parent company in Hong Kong, servers in Switzerland, DNS from Canada, TLD in Colombia and security certs in Israel. Talk about reducing risk. If you or your business is ever investigated you will be glad your correspondence is all offshore. Getting a divorce? Buying land overseas? Hey, whatever. Its none of my business and its none of anyone elses business either.

https://www.jumpshipservices.co/jumpmail/

I get absolutely no compensation from the companies listed above. They are services I use and am comfortable recommending.

There are free options to companies like JumpShip such as using the Enigmail add-on in Thunderbird which offers OpenPGP encryption. (Yeah, OK. I will cover how to set this all up in another article.) For now, refer to Enigmails page here:

http://www.enigmail.net/documentation/quickstart.php

That it for now. The coffee has worn itself off! Look for another article later in the week.

Protecting your privacy in todays digital age is important and one that many people just outright fail to put into consideration. My journey with privacy began several years back (Ubuntu 6.10 to be exact)... it was the end of 2006 and I made the decision to switch my operating system to Ubuntu.

There were so many reports of Microsoft spying on users, I had felt it was time to do something.

Ive not been a fan of Google for a while now either. Some headlines from them would include Google getting a Pentagon contract with the NGA, Google developing eavesdropping software (2006), Google selling data to US Intelligence agencies (2008), Google works with NSA on their network (2010), Google working with CIA to fund a startup called "Recorded Future" to monitor websites, blogs, facebook pages and twitter accounts (2010).

But Google & Microsoft are only one part of the concern. Recent news articles have cities, states and countries using drones to monitor people, Facebook tracking and targeting you, and even the IRS saying they dont need warrants to read your emails.

We are only at the cusp of this. Its going to get much worse.

One of the first steps you can do is change the search engine you use. This is super easy to do. Many people I know love using Duck Duck Go because it has a ton of extra search features. I wont go into it here so go to their site and learn more. DDG does not collect or share your personal info. Read their privacy page to learn more on why you should care about this.

https://duckduckgo.com/

One thing I dont like about Google is it creates a profile about you. A sort of bubble. It filters out the bad stuff you dont agree with and promotes stuff it knows you already like (based on your searches, facebook likes, etc). So when you search on Google you really get a filtered view of the world.

My favorite search engine is StartPage. I admit to being hooked on Google searches... almost like a drug. StartPage scrapes Google for its results so they will be similar to that of Google, minus the Google filtering I mentioned above. StartPage DOES NOT record your IP address or track your searches!

https://startpage.com/

When typing in searches, make sure to always use HTTPS to encrypt your info so at least your ISP cant record what you do.

Whichever search engine you consider using, make sure to make it your default search engine right now and start using it. There should be instructions on both pages above on how to add their search engine to your list and make it your default engine.

Next step I would recommend is to block and randomize your web browsing. There are several Firefox add-ons you can consider. Im using three add-ons right now.

The first one is by Mozilla called "Collusion" to see how your "web" of websites sharing data grows rapidly as you view websites...

http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/collusion/

After installing Collusion there should be a little red icon at the bottom right of Firefox which you can click onto and get a graphical view of whos sharing YOUR data with whom. In fact, the image at the top of this article shows about an hour of web browsing on my computer and how sites are sharing all of your data with one another. Scary isnt it?

So the next two add-ons I use which helps prevent tracking is DoNotTrackMe and TrackMeNot....

DoNotTrackMe
http://www.abine.com/dntdetail.php

* DoNotTrackMe attempts to block sites from sharing data with each other. As an example, ive blocked over 4,400 sites from tracking/sharing my data this morning alone.

TrackMeNot
http://cs.nyu.edu/trackmenot/

* TrackMeNot silently throws out fake search queries which help websites from creating profiles about you. In the last half hour TMN has done a Google search on "plant food" a Bing search on "frozen food" and a Yahoo search on "where is waldo".

There are several more browser add-ons and ideas in the link here... http://fixtracking.com/

It goes without saying you should not be using Google Chrome if privacy matters at all to you. Make the switch to Firefox. True, FF is slightly slower on older computers, but the security is worth it.

Stick around for my continued series next week about protecting your privacy and talking about the endgame... were this all might lead. While its not directly Ubuntu related, privacy is important to many people in this world of growing surveillance. I will be getting into it in detail. How to change your SSN, how to register your car in another name, everything both online and offline.

If you have cool web privacy recommendations like those above, please post them. Its our human connection with one another that can be our biggest ally (or worst enemy).

Geary is a modern email client for the Linux desktop. Its a fresh approach to email. Whats with that new compose box in Gmail? No more screwy updates like that.

With Geary you will go "advertisement free" and fit right into YOUR email like a comfortable leather sofa. Its YOUR email after all, not Gmails or Yahoos. Its time to take control over email again.

Geary is incredibly easy to use. You type in your email address and password and your Inbox appears. Geary organizes your email as conversations, not as threaded trees of who-replied-to-whom. It's a snap to blast out a quick reply to a friend and then archive the conversation for later.

In using Geary email app the first thing I notice is no clutter. Im not confused by flashing ads, promotions, google bar, chat box, etc. The icons are clearly defined and preferences kept to a minimum.

Geary is still in early development and you'll notice some limitations, but they are hard workers and trying to do a lot with a little. Thats why they set up a crowdfunding campaign. Developing software, writing code.... its no easy task. If a clean, modern, lightweight, open source & BEAUTIFUL email app is something you are interested in using consider donating to the campaign.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/geary-a-beautiful-modern-open-source-email-client

The newest version of Geary is easy to install. Copy & paste this code into a terminal...

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:yorba/ppa; sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install geary

The newest version of Geary 0.3 was released on March 19, 2013.

Hotot is a desktop client for Twitter (and Identica) and is open source and multi-platform. Run it on Ubuntu linux, Windows, Mac and Chrome. If you are getting tired of having 30+ tabs open in your web browser for various web based apps, something like Hotot might be just the app you're looking for.

We've done a few other Twitter client reviews in the past, but new ones come around which really trump the older ones. For example Hotot is much lighter than Gwibber. Hotot also has a nicer GUI (although thats opinion, but it is very nice). And who doesnt like the fact you can have multiple Twitter accounts stored in Hotot? Ive got my blog account, my personal account & my business account.

While our example above only shows one column, you do have the ability to stretch Hotot and view 2 or 3 columns at once. There are a ton of other features too. Four themes are available including "New Hope", "Classic", "Iron Heart" and "Bare". The default is "New Hope", which you see above. You can also build your own themes.

OK, I wont bore you. lets get right down to it...

• multi platform
• nice GUI
• four themes
• real time updating
• multi columns
• notifications
• image service integration
• threaded conversations
• preview images & videos
• extension support

There is even an indicator applet with all of the basics...


To install the newest version of Hotot on your system, input this command into a terminal...

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:hotot-team; sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install hotot

This should add the repository, update the rep list and install Hotot on your system.

Making a website, researching the apps, writing the articles and posting content all takes time. We try to be a bit different then the other Ubuntu big guys out there. Different apps, different angles, etc. We know its impossible to reach their heights, but we hope we have carved out a nice group of friends here.

We would like to let you know we have added a donation button on the right side in case you are ever inclined to send a donation our way. Think of it as Ubuntu linux friends sharing a beer or having a pizza together. If anything, its good karma!

And please dont forget to check out our sponsors who have provided software, online storage space, clothing, and more which keeps us out of trouble :)

Donations can be sent clicking the bitcoin graphic and copying our bitcoin address and pasting it in your bitcoin wallet or app to send to us. Its pretty easy if you are all set up for sending & receiving bitcoins, if not stay tuned for our article tomorrow.



If you have an Android or iPhone Bitcoin app you can also scan my QR code to send a donation.









We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we'll continue the love for Ubuntu and linux!

There is a new office suite available for linux users.  If you cant get used to Libre Office or Open Office, there is a Chinese developed office suite from Kingsoft. Its worth a look, especially if you are just coming over from Windows.

Ive downloaded several MS Word documents from Microsofts Templates website (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/) and Libre Office just cannot handle most of them. There are some great designs out there too for free. Certificates, brochures, etc. Even the Excel spreadsheets are nice to use with clean looking invoices, balance sheets, and even a finance portfolio. All of which Libre Office doesnt know what to do with. In comes Kingsoft and using those Microsoft templates becomes a joy to use. There are Writer, Spreadsheet and Presentation programs in the suite.

Ive noticed the Office Suite by Kingsoft is quick to load up and responsive. Even if you dont make this your #1 office suite, its nice to have around for that odd document or spreadsheet that LibreOffice and OO cant open. Since Im not a pro at using office products very much, I cant comment too much on usability, although I do see one glaring omission so far. The lack of a Mail Merge feature, which I think is pretty important for any company.

To install Kingsoft Office Suite, first download the .deb file from the terminal.

The file on the companies website is painfully slow and took well over 4 hours to download. The file size is approx 150mb, but the connection speed from USA to China is like a turtle crawl.


wget -c wdl.cache.ijinshan.com/wps/download/Linux/unstable/wps-office_8.1.0.3724~b1p2_i386.deb

wget -c www.iloveubuntu.com/files/wps-office_8.1.0.3724~b1p2_i386.deb

We'll update the link above whenever there is a new version. After you download the DEB file from either site, run this command in the terminal:

sudo dpkg -i wps-office_8.1.0.3724~b1p2_i386.deb

This will install the software, although since it was developed in China, Chinese is the default language. To fix this and put it into English go ahead and run the following code in a terminal window:

cd /opt/kingsoft/wps-office/office6/2052

and this one too...

sudo rm qt.qm wps.qm wpp.qm et.qm

Thats all there is to it and hope it "suites" your needs!

The newest issue of GIMP Magazine has arrived! Its a very nice issue with great photography tips, a very in depth GIMP vs. Photoshop comparison. View it or download it in many different ways...

http://gimpmagazine.org/issue3/

One of the great ways to purchase games for Ubuntu is with the Humble Bundle. This is a "Pay What You Want" setup. YOU name the price for the pack of games. Just got a bonus check? Pay $100. Just got a divorce judgement against you? Pay $10.

The beauty of all of this is the games are DRM free. Meaning it will work great on Linux, Android, Windows, and Mac.

The new Humble Bundle includes six interesting games with Beat Hazard Ultra looking pretty nice. If you pay more than the average you'll unlock two extra games.

These game bundles are simply awesome. Check it out!

http://www.humblebundle.com/

I use GIMP from time to time. I can say I am decent with it. It took me a while to go from being a long time Adobe Photoshop user to a regular GIMP user, but I did make the switch and happy I did. Most of what I do is not as artistic as I would like. Its all basic stuff for website like this.

If you want to be inspired and get some ideas of what artists are doing with this free software, head over to the GIMP Magazine website. Issue #2 is linked below and issue 3 comes out next month already. So amazed at what people are capable of!

it can be viewed a number of ways too. Download as a PDF, view it online with Issuu, buy a printed version, and even watch a 30 minute walk through of every page! AWESOME.

http://gimpmagazine.org/issue2/