TechBytes: Facebook Privacy

May 24, 2010— -- Facebook is responding to the heat over its privacy settings. The social networking site sent a statement to the BBC, saying it may simplify the settings. Users have criticized Facebook for making its privacy settings so complicated that many people can't protect their information. One security vendor says 16 percent of Facebook users have closed their accounts because of privacy concerns.

Security concerns are also an issue for Google. The search engine is adding a secure sockets layer, or SSL. This will keep third parties from intercepting users search terms and results pages. The move comes after the company accidently collected the personal information of users around the world.

Hewlett Packard is adding 54,000 batteries to a recall. The company is now recalling more than 100,000 batteries for its laptops. Twenty-five different kinds of HP laptop computers are affected. The company is concerned that the batteries could overheat and split apart, starting a fire.

Are you concerned about radiation from your cellphone? There's a new answer available for Blackberry users. It's an app from a company called Tawkon, which measures phone radiation and tells you how to avoid it. It takes into account environmental conditions, distance from cellphone towers and even how you're holding the phone.

"The Tawkon app is a smart and applicable app that monitors your phone continuously and tells you what is the level of radiation that your phone is emitting at every moment," Tawkon CEO Gil Friedlander said. "Once you reach a certain pre-defined threshold, what we call a red zone, we will give you a tone or alert on your phone"

The app then gives practical advice, such as where to stand or how to hold the phone.