Facebooks VR-Mantra is called “Defy Distance”. The social network ultimately wants to connect people with virtual reality. But the role of the medium can also be interpreted quite differently.

Our regular readers will know, that VR is getting really big these days. Virtual reality is not exactly a social medium. If you wear VR glasses, you interrupt the communication channel in both directions: Outsiders can only participate in the VR user’s experience to a limited extent, while the VR user in turn almost completely hides the environment.

This does not happen incidentally, but is a condition of virtual reality: physical reality is replaced instead of superimposed, unlike augmented reality. This, of course, inhibits the success of the medium. After all, humans are social creatures. Sit down with your partner in the evening, put on your VR glasses and say goodbye to the shared space? Difficult.

Even with asymmetric VR games, Second Screen or passing on VR glasses, virtual reality only becomes a social experience to a limited extent.

In Virtual Reality one is usually (still) alone.

Now VR technology is likely to become increasingly permeable in the future, for example by means of new displays or advanced video viewing mode, in which the recordings of the tracking cameras integrated in the housing are streamed into the VR glasses. There are apps where you can experience a female orgasm right in front of you. Playing tricks on a VR user who plays Beat Saber on the street: That still works quite well at the moment. With Oculus Quest 2, on the other hand, such an evildoer could quickly catch one.

But more permeable VR glasses don’t solve the problem: they allow VR users to switch more easily and quickly between digital and physical reality and thus participate in the environment. But the other way round is blocked to outsiders. The schism of reality brought about by virtual reality thus remains.

Of course, one could now demand that everyone wear VR glasses, so that the virtual becomes a shared space. But that won’t happen so quickly. Even Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg now knows that.

Understanding isolation as a strength of the medium

The good news: All this is not so bad, even if the antisocial character of Virtual Reality could prevent it from appealing to a lot of people for a long time. Instead of trying to make virtual reality social, it might be better to focus on isolating people. Like Oculus Chief Technology Officer John Carmack.

“I’m the troublemaker because I stand up for the power of isolation,” Carmack said quite heretically at last year’s Oculus Connect, calling Virtual Reality “headphones for the eyes. Carmack is right. Because there are undoubtedly experiences you’d rather do alone and actions you’d better solo.

Better alone than in pairs

I am thinking of things that require a direct, undistracted and concentrated reference and engagement with an object: for example virtual exorcism, gardening or a journey to the realm of the dead. Would these activities necessarily be better if someone were still present?

And why should it be bad to voluntarily go into isolation for an hour from time to time? Virtual Reality is the ideal medium to get away from the noise and stress of everyday life and to collect oneself. Just like reading, which has long since been accepted by society, even when people deliberately ignore their environment. What is the difference? Probably just the fact that people wearing VR glasses seem strange. But even that could change one day in the distant future.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior wants to crack down on “Darknet markets” and define a new criminal offence. But vague formulations could also place operators of gate relays or VPNs under general suspicion and deter normal users. Now the “Reporters Without Borders” association is also speaking out against the draft law. The number of VPNs is still increasing!

Drugs, weapons, child pornography – in Darknet there are all that. As early as January, North Rhine-Westphalia therefore submitted a bill to the Bundesrat calling for “the introduction of independent criminal liability for the operation of Internet-based trading platforms for illegal goods and services”. In mid-March, after some discussion, the Bundesrat passed a bill on this basis. The draft contains 24 pages explaining why it should be easier for investigating authorities to take criminal action against operators of illegal trading platforms in Darknet. A simpler summary in natural language can be found here.

People will continue to use VPN software anyway, it is widely used for watching netflix and other providers outside the US, read on at macsecurity.net.

Meanwhile also the renowned association Reporters without borders expressed itself on its web page against the bill. With the draft threatens anonymization services the out. In its press release the arguments of the interior ministry specified in the bill are not called legally durable in the bill.

Darknet law: that’s what the draft says

• TOR Browser is very popular with users who want to protect themselves from tracking on the Internet. According to the draft, there should be a new criminal offence under §126 a, which concerns the offer of services to enable criminal offences.
• Specifically, it is intended to deal with Internet-based services that operate “in networks that are limited in terms of access and reachability”.
• This is the official German translation for Darknet marketplaces dealing in narcotics, child pornography or weapons. A list of these offences can be found in the draft under sentence .
• The operators of Darknet marketplaces could thus also be punished if they offer services abroad but make illegal crimes possible domestically.
• There is a risk of imprisonment for up to three years.

Criticism of the Darknet bill

The bill also states that the Darknet is not only home to criminals. The Federal Council, however, justifies its proposal with the argument that the current legal situation does not offer sufficient criminal sanctions against operators of Darknet marketplaces. One could prosecute these so far only over aiding and abetting, which is difficult to prove however usually. The decision over the draft lies now with the German Bundestag and not only with politicians the opinions go far apart. Prof. Dr. Matthias Bäcker, Professor of Public Law and Information Law at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, is heavily critical of the bill.

Like other critics, the expert criticises the preventive use of criminal law. What is to be understood by “facilitating and promoting criminal offences” is not clear, but rather that criminal liability is brought forward, because the provision of Internet services is punishable under the planned regulation regardless of whether an unlawful main offence exists at all. If peas are counted, the operation of a Tor relay or VPN service could be interpreted as “enabling”. Normal users who, for example, use the Tor browser in order not to be tracked by tracking services while surfing could feel criminalized. And, of course, the general question arises as to whether the new law is necessary at all, because trafficking in drugs, weapons and child pornography is prohibited either way, whether inside or outside Darknet.

Bitcoin, please! The crypto currency now also attracts asset managers. At the weekend the cyber currency continued its rally and reached a new one-year high.

The dead live longer. In December 2018, the Bitcoin was still trading at around 3,000 dollars. But since April the crypto currency has only known one direction upwards: The exchange rate has more than doubled within two months. Yesterday, Sunday, the price on the Bitstamp trading platform shot up to 9,387 dollars. This is the highest level for 13 months. In the meantime the price has come back a little. Currently, the crypto lead currency still costs 9,167 dollars.

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“The $10,000 mark is now within striking distance,” writes Bitcoin expert Timo Emden of Emden Research. The increased prices are likely to lead short-term speculators to make an investment in Bitcoin. Emden warns, however, of the threat of setbacks. “Investors should prepare for both directions, the danger of a crash remains present.” Profit taking currently seems tempting.

“Facebook Coins” cast their shadows

According to Bitcoin expert Timo Emden from Emden Research, Bitcoin is currently the biggest beneficiary of the imminent Facebook coin. The leading social network will soon announce its plans for its own payment system with its own crypto currency, American media report. Most recently, the Wall Street Journal had reported on an investment by various companies such as Mastercard, Visa, Paypal and Uber in the project under the name “Libra”.

Also in supermarkets and many shops the digital coins are accepted increasingly as means of payment. At the organic supermarket chain Whole Foods or at Starbucks in the USA you can pay with Bitcoins.

Many readers keep asking us whether it makes sense to pay for the VPN service anonymously. The idea behind this is that the anonymity should be improved. We think, however, that there are no sufficient reasons for the assumption. In the following we explain what speaks for and also against it.

An anonymous payment of VPN services speaks for itself:

In countries where the use of a VPN service could attract the attention of the government or where it is even prohibited by law, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain or China, the surveillance of payment service providers can lead to the authorities’ cross-hairs for citizens living there. This concerns however purely inhabitants of these states also your credit cards or bank connections within these countries have! A foreigner normally makes his payments through foreign banks and these should remain secret.

An anonymous payment of a VPN service speaks against it:

The own internet provider can, if he does this specifically, find out in any case that the user connects via a VPN provider. The technical data relates to the destination of the VPN connections and thus theoretically also indicates the VPN provider. It is therefore impossible to keep these VPN connections secret in every case. It follows from this that it therefore makes no significant difference whether credit card companies also learn this through payments made.

If the VPN services are used correctly, it is still technically impossible to record or monitor the activities of the users.

What are secure payment methods?

This question is not easy to answer. In view of the fact that payments are made via PayPal, credit cards or bank transfers, the sender and recipient data are made known to the providers. Secret services as well as government surveillance can register this and trace every purchase.

Money recovery or conflict resolution

On the other hand, non-anonymous payment services are particularly protected from being able to retrieve the money sent in the event of irregularities or money-back guarantees. As PayPal’s buyer protection and the associated conflit solution option clearly show. With anonymous payment services, these possibilities are actually completely omitted. Anyone who has once paid a Bitcoin payment or with an anonymous prepaid card cannot object to these payments and can only hope for a voluntary repayment by the recipient of the payments.

We don’t want to present PayPal as the best payment service provider, because we don’t like the company policy of data storage and monitoring by US authorities. However, this is of course an advantage that must also be mentioned.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin is a way to achieve anonymity in payments, but there are a few things to keep in mind, because all payments made by every Bitcoin user are completely transparent and open to everyone! It is therefore very easy to find out how many Bitcoins the user of a Bitcoin address has and which payments he makes when and to whom. Anonymity is therefore only achieved if payments are always made with different IP addresses and one-time Bitcoin addresses and if you actively disguise yourself. Of course, this is associated with increased effort.

PaySafeCard

The PaySafe Card, popular in Germany, has been more and more regulated in recent years, today anonymous payments are only possible to a limited extent and at the same time it has become almost impossible to pay VPN service providers. The company was simply advised by the government to discontinue connections to VPN services, so there are only a few exceptions still offering PaySafe payments.

Starbucks Card

Another interesting possibility is to use the Starbucks Card as a PrePaid payment method, you can buy it in any Starbucks branch and load it with up to 100 USD. Some VPN services also accept them for payment.

Cash

With some providers, it is possible to pay for the services with cash. In any case, this is of course the most anonymous form of payment. These providers provide postal addresses to which the banknotes are sent in an envelope with the access code of the service. This of course takes a few days and of course you have to trust the provider. We have tested them with Perfect-Privacy and sent an amount of money to their money receiving address. It took 7 days until the money was received. But it was very anonymous, because it could not be reproduced digitally.

Bank transfer

When transferring money via your own account, you save the provider a lot of fees incurred by many payment service providers. Of course your own account details will also be known, reclaims are normally not possible through the bank. But for persons which have no other payment possibilities, this is quite interesting.

However, it is important never to agree to bank collection agreements (as with SpyOff VPN) because bank details are stored directly with the providers and they can debit any amount directly from their own account and without further consent. This carries the risk of irregularities and long disputes. We and serious payment providers reject this completely!

Serious VPN providers use external payment service providers and do not store user payment data.

VPn services usually use external payment service providers who handle payments for a small fee, which the VPN provider pays. The advantage for the VPN providers is that they can offer a larger number of payment methods without having to agree individual agreements with each payment provider directly. The advantage for the user is that the personal data that may be associated with the payment does not go directly to the VPN provider. This is also an advantage for the providers, who want to guarantee a high anonymity and privacy of the users, as they are not obliged to pay attention to the personal data of the users themselves. What you don’t have, you can’t pass on to the authorities.

In the context of online marketing, tracking refers to tracking the movement of users on the Internet, which is why the term web tracking or user tracking is often used. Tracking is an important prerequisite for success control in online marketing, e.g. to check the performance of advertising campaigns or the usability of a website.

What is the significance of tracking?

With the help of tracking you can find out, for example, which websites or backlinks a visitor came to your site from. Especially for online shops, user tracking is of enormous importance. This allows orders and buyer behaviour to be recorded and products with the highest and lowest sales to be identified. You can also see which product groups are preferred by which age group or which pages are preferred by men or women.

Tracking in online shops is also important with regard to affiliate marketing. Because only with the help of tracking can each referred visitor and his actions (order, newsletter registrations, etc.) be assigned to the respective affiliate, the advertising partner, who in turn receives a commission.

Tracking enables you to collect the following information:

• from which location a user accesses the site
• which pages are clicked most frequently
• how long do the visitors spend on a page
• the user registers for a newsletter
• on which page the visitors get off again

From this, in turn, measures can be derived to improve the website or to adapt advertising campaigns in order, for example, to achieve the following goals:

• Make websites more customer friendly
• Reduce visitor abandonment
• better align product page or service page with the target group
• better adapt advertising measures to the personal interests of the user

How does tracking work?

There are numerous free and paid tools available for tracking. Depending on the scope, the user tracking tools provide a lot of relevant information about your visitors and their behaviour on your website. There are different ways to track the paths of a user or to read typical characteristics of this user, e.g. via JavaScript, cookies and HTTP headers. The data can be transmitted in real time or after recording.

Most tools use a first-party cookie for tracking. First party means that the information is only read between the website owner and the user. When someone visits a page, they automatically receive a number that is stored in the background on the computer in the form of a cookie. If he visits the page again, he is recognized by the cookie.

However, tracking is not only possible via a single website, but also via several pages that cooperate with each other. This is possible, for example, through cookie synchronization or the insertion of advertising banners. Access to the cookies is then also possible via the banner.

Tracking methods depending on the analysis goal

Which tracking method is used depends on what is to be investigated. If, for example, it is a question of improving the usability of a page, then methods such as eye tracking or mouse tracking make sense. With mouse tracking, the user’s mouse movements are tracked. For example, you can see how far a user scrolls, how long he stays on certain areas of a single page and what he enters with the keyboard. For example, you can see if many users are trying to click on elements that are not clickable. Eye tracking tracks the user’s eye movements on a website, making it possible, for example, to measure which areas of a page are not “visible” or which are particularly relevant.

When it comes to evaluating a marketing campaign, event tracking makes sense. This allows you to measure or record specific events that are important for the campaign, e.g. how often users clicked on a particular link or filled out a particular form and submitted it.

Cross-device tracking makes it possible to analyze user behavior across different devices. This allows you to see more accurately which stations your users are going through before conversion.

Alternatives to Cookie Tracking

In addition to mouse tracking and eye tracking, there are many other alternatives to cookie tracking. Cookie tracking is problematic, for example, when using apps and browsers on mobile devices. The alternative methods for cookie tracking include app-specific solutions on the one hand and solutions for web browsers on the other.

Browser-based are e.g:

Fingerprint tracking: Instead of a cookie, the user is recognized by certain software and hardware features. These are provided by the browser itself – when a page is loaded, data is automatically transferred to the user’s system. Fingerprinting works even if cookies are deleted or suppressed, because the information is stored on the server and not on the user’s computer.

Common IDs: This procedure only works for web content that requires registration and can then only be accessed via login. Registration gives the user a unique identification number. This is used, for example, for Google services (mail, drive, etc.). Of course, the user can only be tracked here as long as he or she is logged on to a website that uses Common IDs.

App-based tracking:

Advertising IDs are required in order to use tracking not only to use the information within an app, but also beyond other apps. This technology works on both Android and iOS devices.

Among the most widely used free tracking tools are Google Analytics and Piwik. Paid tools include Site Catalyst, Etracker and Stuffed Tracker. Usually there are different program sizes with the chargeable variants, which cost accordingly differently much. To collect the data, website owners must include the tracking code of the respective tool in the source code. However, the integration of the tracking code involves certain data protection procedures that must be clearly communicated on the website.

Tracking – Privacy Policy

Tracking tools enable very detailed recording of user behavior. A website operator must therefore inform users about the scope, purpose and type of data collection. Users must also be clearly informed of their right to object.

Further reading

http://websitetooltest.com/proranktracker/
https://www.gigatrak.com/software/tool-tracking-system/
https://technologyadvice.com/blog/information-technology/6-asset-tracking-software-tools/

The terms cloud and cloud computing are used very often, but what is actually behind it? In this article we present the different terms in an understandable way. The term cloud has established itself as a short form of cloud computing. Briefly summarized: The term cloud refers to the interaction of several servers. The servers take over tasks such as data storage or complicated program sequences.

The cloud user doesn’t realize how many servers are behind the cloud. Even if one server fails, this has no effect on the entire system. This independence from the individual servers is therefore referred to as the cloud because the user does not need to have an overview of the individual units (cloudy/unclear for the user). The cloud is the big whole of these computing units.

Cloud therefore does not mean that your data is transmitted exclusively via “clouds” or satellites. Everything essentially takes place on earth and your “normal” Internet connection via radio towers, routers, cables and data centres is used.

Important basics

We are primarily concerned with offers that provide storage space in the cloud. However, this is only one use case. In addition, running your own software in the cloud, for example, is also a possibility. The different models: Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service and Software as a Service are explained in more detail in the Cloud A-Z below.

Thanks to cloud services, we can access much larger storage volumes. We can access our data in the cloud from anywhere in the world. We can run more complex software than ever before. And we can network our devices better.

All of this, of course, entails dangers. With the right credentials, others can access our cloud, whether they’re intelligence agencies, other government agencies, or companies with immense market power. Therefore, on this page we present you with offers that promise a secure cloud.

Another disadvantage of the cloud should not be forgotten: no cloud without the Internet. Even if we have access to the Internet from more and more places nowadays, you should always keep in mind that your data is stored on another storage medium, which you can often only access via the Internet.

The Cloud A-Z

Around the cloud there are many other terms that appear again and again in connection with cloud and cloud computing. The explanation of these terms can be found in Cloud A-Z. The source of most of this info is digitalnibbles.com.

Business Cloud: This website uses the term to refer to offerings aimed at businesses. Click here to learn more.

Cloud computing: see above, means the interaction of several servers that take over tasks as a whole and can, for example, provide storage space.

Community cloud: means the cloud as a (local) joint project. A group of users gets together and shares the costs for the project. For example, a community cloud of several universities or colleges is conceivable.

Hybrid Cloud: A combination of the private cloud and the public cloud, depending on individual needs.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): In contrast to PaaS and SaaS, IaaS takes place at the lowest level, the hardware assembly. This cloud service provides you with servers that you divide into your own virtual computer clusters, i.e. computer networks. You are responsible for the selection of any software.

Multi Cloud: Based on the idea of the hybrid cloud, several cloud offerings are linked and bundled here.

NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA): The US institute has developed a definition of the cloud. More details can be found in the next section on this page.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): PaaS operates between IaaS and SaaS on the 2nd level. You have access to a fully configured software environment in which, for example, you can also run your own software.

Private Cloud: Your own computer structure or cloud. This can be an internal company cloud or the small cloud server in your living room (see instructions).

Public Cloud: IT infrastructures or a cloud that is accessible to everyone. On our site we also refer to providers as so-called cloud hosters (examples).

Software as a Service (SaaS): also known as Software on Demand. You can use selected software that runs on the servers in the cloud. You have only limited influence on the software yourself. Even some web applications, such as an online office offering, can be described as SaaS.

Virtual private cloud: A public cloud is accessed via a local (virtual) environment. The security is usually provided by a VPN.
Definition of Cloud Computing

So luckily, there is even a definition of cloud computing, compiled by the US institute NIST. This definition has not only coined our Cloud A-Z with terms like Multi Cloud & Co., but also includes some criteria.

5 characteristics are mentioned that are cloud specific:

1. On-demand self-service: The user can access cloud capacities at any time without any human intervention.
2. Access with known technologies (“Broad network access”): Users can access the cloud via their Internet connection and corresponding clients. This means, for example, that devices such as your own computer, but also smartphones and tablets can be used to access the cloud.
3. Pooling of resources (“resource pooling”): The server capacities are bundled and present themselves to the user as one cloud/cloud without the user being able to identify individual servers.
4. Resource adaptation (“rapid elasticity”): The resources available to the individual user can be adapted – possibly even automatically. This gives the user the impression of unlimited storage space.
5. Monitoring the service (“measured service”): This does not mean monitoring the data itself. Within the cloud, the individual servers are automatically monitored and optimized.

If you yourself apply these criteria to a cloud service you know, you will see what a cloud can be and how far the term cloud is.

We hope we have given you an understandable explanation of the cloud and cloud computing on this page. Are you interested in storage space in a cloud? Then you can set up your own cloud here, view good cloud hosters or learn more about the cloud for your business.

If you run a web server privately or want to rent one from a provider as part of a web hosting package, the question arises right at the start: Linux or Windows? The two operating systems have dominated the web hosting market for years and compete with each other for the supremacy – whereby Linux as a server veteran is still the nose ahead. The decision for one of the two systems is nevertheless a difficult one, above all because the differences in application possibilities and functional scope are only minimal. If Linux and Windows are compared, at least some different advantages of both operating systems can be found, largely due to compatibility with the applications to be used.

Comparison of Linux and Windows as Hosting Operating Systems

In the field of web hosting Linux is often regarded as the best operating system for web servers. The system is available since 1992 as free software for everyone and can be adapted by its simple modular structure with the appropriate knowledge to the own conceptions. Costs are only incurred if you use distributions with a cost-obligatory support offer. With its reliability, stability and efficiency, Linux has proven itself even in the most demanding web and mail server environments.

If you intend to use PHP, Perl, Python, Ruby or MySQL, Linux is an excellent choice. If you are looking for ready-to-use home page solutions, applications such as blogs, content management systems, or discussion forums, Linux hosting offers a variety of open source applications, while Windows hosting software is usually available for a fee. If you are looking for a VPS, then linux is the best choice.

• Since 1993, Microsoft has also been sending the Windows Server, an operating system for server use, into the race. It is a pay-as-you-go software, but it also includes support and updates for the advertised period.
• A big advantage, which Windows hosting had so far compared to a Linux variant, is the support of the powerful framework ASP.NET, whose newest version is also compatible with Linux.
• Applications such as SharePoint or Exchange, however, remain exclusive and help to simplify communication and joint work on projects considerably.
• Although there are open source applications for Linux for this as well, they are less popular in the corporate environment.

Advantages and disadvantages of Linux as a web server operating system

Compared to Windows, the basic Linux philosophy is to keep the structure of the operating system as simple as possible. All components, even devices and processes are one file and adjustments to the system core can be made at any time. Many simple tools help with the configuration and administration of the system – by default via the command line, but if required also via GUIs, which are available for almost all applications. However, the great freedom is also linked to a high degree of personal responsibility, which can quickly overwhelm an inexperienced user.

Advantages and disadvantages of Windows as a web server operating system

The fact that Windows, unlike Linux, is characterized by a very complex structure is mainly due to the fact that Microsoft has always aimed primarily at simple operation for its operating system. All programs are available in the form of intuitive, graphical user interfaces, so administration via the command line, which is basically possible, is not necessary. The user usually has sole control over all hardware resources, receives regular feedback from the system, and can install software independently. However, this also holds a certain potential for errors if, for example, system settings are changed or downloaded applications that endanger security are installed.

Linux and Windows in direct comparison

The preceding sections show the small but subtle differences between Windows and Linux as server systems. Apart from technical and administrative criteria, it should also be mentioned that personal experience often plays a decisive role in determining whether a user can cope with the operating system or not. The same applies, of course, to the user’s expectations of the software. While experienced system administrators rightly appreciate the freedoms of Linux, these are often not relevant at all for the simple website operator who wants to choose an operating system. On the other hand, command line advocates do not see Windows administration via GUI as a superfluous feature that consumes resources and offers a point of attack for malware for no reason.

The crucial question: Linux or Windows?

When you assemble your server modules, you can’t avoid choosing an operating system – but many users do so for the wrong reasons: For example, it is often assumed that the server system and the platform used on one’s own computer must be identical. The own operating system plays no role at all, because administrators can remotely control the server using management tools such as Plesk, which are compatible with both Linux and Windows. If the costs are decisive, it is reasonable to assume that Linux, which in principle is available as open source software, is always the less expensive server solution. In practice, however, this sometimes proves to be a fallacy: depending on the distribution, costs are incurred for the usually expensive support or for specialists with the necessary know-how. A small disadvantage, however, is the complicated Windows license model.

Ultimately, no winner can be chosen in the duel between Linux and Windows servers, because different web projects can be realized with both operating systems. While Windows offers more complex functions for communication and work structuring, Linux has some advantages if you want to use web applications such as a content management system.