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iFan charger - Wind powered battery charger for iPhone

If you have a I-phone and you like to have eco-friendly green gadgets then the latest iFan charger will be a great device for charging your iPhone and you will love it.There are many green cool gadgets available in market but most of them are powered by solar energy or water powered like Water powered Clock ,but I-Fan is something different because it uses wind energy to generate power.So you dont have to wait for sun light,you just need to keep it in some place where wind is available ,maybe just below your fan.
A wind turbine is attached to this latest gadget that helps to generate electricity for your I-phone from wind. The whole gadget comes with a rubber iPhone case along with a fan which is the modified version of the PC fan which acts like a dynamo. I-fan takes around 6 hours to fully charge your I-phone
Currently I-fan is in developing phase and its a concept.It will be in market very soon.Would you like to buy it ?

Twenty Questions with Mark D. Sikes

Mark D. Sikes is an interior designer, retail consultant, stylist, blogger, and trend setter whose popularity soared when his lovely West Hollywood home was the cover story of the December/January 2012 House Beautiful magazine.

From the HouseBeautiful Article of 2012

There wasn't a blogger in the blogosphere that didn't blog about the house that Sikes shares with his partner Michael Griffin and their fawn French Bulldog, Princess Lily. Together, with help from Her Royal Highness Lily, Sikes and Griffin have turned both the 1920's home and their garden into a show stopping example of the classic but comfortable, easy California Style. It's been featured in House Beautiful, (above), on the popular interior design e-magazine Lonny, and a host of interior design blogs, plus more publications to come.

Mark started his own blog, Chic People, Stylish Spaces, Glamorous Things in 2011, and his detailed and beautiful posts range from the hottest trends in clothing for men and women, to glamorous and inspirational homes of his favorite designers. Connecting with his love for layers, and classic, timeless design, Mark has been an inspiration to me and I was elated when he agreed without hesitation to sit down with Color Outside the Lines readers to answer 20 questions. So settle in, this is a long, but beautiful one you are sure to enjoy!

From the HouseBeautiful Article of 2012

COTL: How and when did you discover that you had a talent for interior design?
MDS: I used to do visual merchandising and marketing for a few well-known retail brands. Merchandising products in a store, what you put on tables, in walls, how everything relates, the range of color, solids mixed with prints ... I think you get the point, it's just like decorating a room. I never thought of it as a talent, it's just something I really enjoy.

From the HouseBeautiful Article of 2012

COTL: Your style has been described as classic, effortlessly chic, and sophisticated but comfortable. Do you think of it that way?
MDS: Ha, ha, well I do think about chic things a lot, however, not sure my style is effortlessly chic - but I'll take it! I think my style is timeless and easy. I believe that everything should look and feel just as great as it does today in 20 years. That's why I love white shirts, chinoiserie Gracie wallpaper, jeans, blue and white porcelain, trench coats, and Galerie des Lampes swing arm lights - all are classic, timeless, and yes, chic!

Sikes' Instagram Photo

You can see a pair of these gorgeous Galerie des Lampes swing arm floor lamps, finished in Lampes signature patinated antique unlacquered brass in Mark's living room from a photo he shared on his very popular Instagram account. If you don't follow him, I highly suggest you do! His posts are always a visual treat!

From Lonny Magazine

COTL: How do you start your design projects? 

MDS: With a contract, then a floor plan, then a mood board for every room. Showing a client is much better than trying to explain it. 

Sikes' Instagram Photo

COTL: Do you have any design rules? 

MDS: Keep it pretty! 

From the HouseBeautiful article, Sikes' "pretty" dining room, with its walls covered in hand painted, Gracie chinoiserie wall paper. 

COTL: What inspires you today? Where do you get inspiration for your designs? 

MDS: Everywhere - books, on-line, magazines, travel, pinterest, instagram. I'm very studied and curious; I look a lot to the past - I feel inspired most of the time. 

Sikes' Instagram Photo

Like his popular and beautiful Instagram page, if you're looking for inspiration ala Sikes, you'll benefit greatly from following his Pinterest page, too!

From Lonny Magazine

COTL: Your home has been published in several reputable, nationally syndicated publications. Has this publicity improved your business? 

MDS: Yes - it's made my name and work recognizable, but what really makes a successful business is putting the client and their needs always first, providing value, quality and beauty. 

Sikes Instagram Photo

COTL: Can you describe the Mark Sikes signature "look", and what two must haves Color Outside the Lines readers should add to their own homes to achieve that look. 

MDS: That's a tough question. I think the "look" I'm known for is indoor/outdoor California living - neural interiors, comfortable furnishings, natural fiber rugs, black accents, eclectic and graphic art, wicker pieces, blue and white porcelain. I'm known for loving blue, too! 

From Lonny Magazine

Above, a library on the second floor of Sikes' home serves as storage to his vast collection of shelter and style magazines. 

COTL: You have quite the collection of magazines. How many, roughly, would you say you have? 

MDS: Thousands. I have about 25 publications that go back at least 15, some 20 years. They have moved everywhere with me. 

COTL: In all that collecting and perusing, what would you say has been the one room you would say is your all-time favorite?

MDS:  Just one? Bill Blass' Sutton Place living room, or Oscar de la Renta's Punta Cana living room, I also love Stephen Sills living room in Bedford. 

Bill Blass' Sutton Place Living Room

Oscar de la Renta's Punta Cana Living Room 

Stephen Sills Bedford Living Room

COTL: Who are your design icons? 

MDS: Bill Blass, Billy Baldwin, Oscar de la Renta, Givenchy, Renzo Mongiardino ... the list is long. Today I love Atelier AM, Studio Peregalli, Stephen Sills ... that list is long too. 

From the HouseBeautiful Article of 2012

COTL: Your blog is a constant inspiration, not only to those interested in interior design, but also in fashion. What piece in your own closet gets the most wear? 

MDS: A monogrammed blue oxford shirt, my favorite old gray sweatshirt a close second. 

From MDS Interiors Site

COTL: Looking at pictures of your home, we all know that you have an affinity for blue and white Chinese porcelains both inside and out. What other things do you collect most passionately? 

MDS:  Boxes, I love to stack them, abstract art and paintings, I love to lean them, hurricanes, books, Hermes ashtrays, dinnerware, and of course magazines. 

A smidge of the vast collection of blue and white porcelain. 

Photo from Lonny Magazine

Boxes, stacked on the living room coffee table. 

Photo from Lonny Magazine

Abstract art in the chic guest room with matte black walls.

Photo from Lonny Magazine

Silver Base Hurricanes atop the 2.5" thick marble counters of Sikes' kitchen island.

Photo from Lonny Magazine

Books under a gilded rococo table with white marble top. 

Photo from Sikes' Instagram Page

Beautiful Hermes ashtrays. 

Photo from Lonny Magazine

COTL: Who would you most like to collaborate on a project with? 

MDS: Hillary Clinton's White House. 

Photo from Portfolio

COTL: In interior design, and fashion, there is a time to splurge and a time to save. What would you suggest a client splurge on when it comes to interiors, and likewise, where should they save?

MDS: Splurge on fabrics, lighting and hand-painted wall papers. Save with natural fiber rugs, paint, slipcovers, and matchstick blinds. 

Sikes' Instagram Photo

COTL: What's next for Mark D. Sikes? 

MDS: A book, an on-line shop, several projects getting published, remodeling my house as I answer these questions, blog expansion, a real store, a fabric line, more happy clients and a lot more magazines to collect! 

Photo from Portfolio

I hope you enjoyed 20 Questions with Mark D. Sikes. For more information on Mark, his projects, and his life, make sure to check him out here: 

MARK D. SIKES BLOG

MARK D. SIKES INTERIOR DESIGN HOMEPAGE

MARK D. SIKES PINTEREST PAGE

MARK D. SIKES INSTAGRAM PAGE

PS4 will ship without many core features, requires 300MB day-one patch

Sony has promised a number of outstanding features for its new game console, but today we learned of a substantial catch for early adopters. While features like Remote Play, game broadcast, and play-as-you-download are still slated for the PS4′s launch, they will not ship on the first production run. Instead, you’ll need to download a 300MB patch on launch day to gain access to a laundry list of promised PS4 features.

Earlier today, Sony announced that software update 1.50 will be released alongside the initial launch of the PS4. It’ll weigh in at a hefty 300MB, and will enable a number of vital aspects of the new console. Specifically, this update will include Vita Remote Play, second screen functionality with tablets, gameplay recording, game broadcast, play-as-you-download support, multi-account functionality, party chat, face recognition, voice commands, a background music player, online multiplayer, and the ability to play Blu-ray and DVD movies. If you can’t pull down the patch immediately, none of those core features will work at all on your shiny new $399 chunk of plastic and silicon.

If you recall, the Wii U had a similar patch requirement on day-one. Unfortunately, Nintendo’s servers didn’t have nearly enough throughput, so it took a number of hours to get the Wii U up and running. In fact, the lengthy patching process even caused some consoles to fail before a single game was played. Sony’s track record with patches and download speeds is far from spotless, so don’t be surprised if the initial patching experience causes a few problems.

So, if Sony already knows the console needs an update, why can’t it patch the PS4′s firmware before launch? Unfortunately, that isn’t feasible with current production techniques. Since we’re only a few weeks out from the PS4 launch, most of the units are likely already off the assembly line, and being prepared for worldwide shipment. Clearly, the engineers were working on the PS4 until the last possible moment, and that means a number of features got left on the cutting room floor. In previous generations, leaving this many features unfinished would likely call for a delay. Now, it’s simply standard operating procedure to ship a broken product with a day-one patch.

Keep in mind, the Xbox One will also receive a day-one update, so many of the same issues may befall that platform as well. While it’s not clear what Redmond intends on patching, Marc Whitten claims that the download will only take 15-20 minutes. Hopefully, the network infrastructure will actually be able to handle the load of hundreds of thousands of customers updating at once. If not, we can expect a record amount of bellyaching across the entire internet.

Now read: PS4 co

World’s most powerful MRI can lift a tank like Magneto, or see deep into your brain

If you’ve ever wondered how much energy it takes to perform a full body scan, consider this: a new MRI designed to probe the deep structure of the brain uses a magnet more powerful than the ones inside theLarge Hadron Collider. This magnet could pick up a 60-metric-ton tank. It could create a field strong enough to affect the weak diamagnetism of blood, even levitating small animals. Or, if used properly, it could align a good portion of the protons in your body, turning your atomic structure into the most powerful musical instrument of all time. In an MRI, applying the magnetic field puts tension on the atomic strings, and sudden removal of the field plucks them — the hydrogen-rich water molecules in your body snap back to their lowest energy state, and in the process give off radio waves that can be collected to show how those molecules were arranged.

A regular MRI brain scan. Booooooring.

So the resolution of an MRI is directly related to, among other things, field strength. Most medical imaging machines produce fields between 0.5 and three teslas in strength — that’s enough to align a good portion of the hydrogen nuclei (protons) in the body, enough to see large scale structures like tumors or loss of brain mass. However, for research purposes it’s often necessary to dramatically increase the strength of the magnetic field, aligning nuclei even more densely and thus creating more data points per cubic centimeter. Newer research MRI machines can produce fields of around nine teslas, but this upcoming machine, called INUMAC, can reach strengths of almost 12. It creates this field using coils made of more than 200 kilometers of superconducting cable.

INUMAC stands for Imaging of Neuro disease Using high-field MR And Contrastophores — even with all those skipped words and a price tag in excess of $250 million, they still couldn’t come up with a meaningful acronym. It is at least descriptive, however: INUMAC will use a high-powered magnetic resonance field to image neurological disease. To add to this field, it’s necessary to start looking at the brain on a much more detailed level than ever before. Where normal hospital scanners can see down to resolution of about a cubic millimeter (roughly 10,000 neurons per pixel), INUMAC will be able to see roughly ten times more acutely, with a resolution of 0.1 mm, or 1000 neurons. The brain also functions at an incredible pace, and the standard MRI “time resolution” of one second can lead to smudged images, almost like leaving the shutter open too long on a camera. INUMAC will be able to capture information across just one tenth of a second, which will dramatically reduce noise in its measurements.

Powerful electromagnets use coils of superconducting cable to carry huge currents and create enormous magnetic fields.

There’s no telling what researchers might learn from watching the progression of neurological disease on this scale. There is still much to discover about how Alzheimer’s disease eats away at the tissue of the brain — and a higher resolution scanner could detect the onset of disease much earlier than currently possible. Functional imaging, which follows brain activity by watching neuron excitation, could be taken to a whole new level of detail and reveal structural complexities we currently cannot see. (See: Easy cloaking with superconductors and magnetic tape.)

In fact, INUMAC’s field is so strong it could even allow new forms of imaging. As mentioned, modern MRI machines look for the RF signals of realigning hydrogen nuclei, but a sufficiently powerful magnet could look with other elements like sodium or potassium. This could potentially reveal a whole new array of evidence about the brain, new tissues that incorporate few freely aligning hydrogen atoms and are thus underrepresented on “1H-MRI” scans. INUMAC’s super-magnet must be kept at a chilly -271 degrees Celsius or else lose its superconductivity, though, and the liquid helium required to do this makes an economy model impossible to imagine. Until we learn to make cheap, readily availablesuperconductors that operate at or near room temperature, there’s no way to get this kind of functionality to the masses.

The team hopes to have INUMAC producing working research images by 2015.

By Design | Impossibly Light, Totally Sleek Handmade Bikes Built by a Tokyo Shipwright

Deniz Saylan

Sueshiro Sano, a ninth-generation shipwright, makes lightweight, bespoke wooden bicycles in his Tokyo workshop. His bikes, which take three months to assemble and can cost up to $20,000, use Honduras mahogany and are custom built for a 100-percent tailored fit. They’re also impossibly light — a result of Sano’s well-honed boat-building methods — and have become objects of worship, and in some cases, derision, for hipsters and bike experts everywhere. Case in point: at a handmade-bike convention in Denver earlier this year, several incredulous participants accused Sano of using carbon fiber in his designs. (He doesn’t.) But Sano, who built his first boat at 13 and subscribes to the Japanese principle of monozukuri (“making things”), shrugs off such accusations. “For me, it’s about pride,” he says. 011-81-3-5569-6567.

The PS4 is so powerful that Killzone Shadow Fall was originally 290GB

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The PS3 and Xbox 360 ended this generation neck-and-neck in terms of sales. This is because, in the end, both systems provided a similar gaming experience. Aside from the argument of exclusives, the only major advantage the PS3 really had over the Xbox 360 was the vast storage capacity of Blu-ray discs. This generation, Microsoft caved in, and the Xbox One has adopted Blu-ray. However, Guerrilla Games — developer of the upcoming Killzone Shadow Fall — claims that the original build of the game was 290GB in size because the PS4 is powerful enough to output textures that high-res, whereas “competing systems” are not.

The statement comes directly from Guerrilla Games technical director Michiel van der Leeuw. He posited that the ludicrous original 290GB size of Killzone Shadow Fall is mainly because the game doesn’t have any assets that have been made for consoles with a lower spec. He did mention cross-generation games as a main reason for this, as the upcoming Killzone is PS4-only, rather than releasing on both the PS3 and PS4 like the upcoming Assassin’s Creed IV or NBA 2K14. He also noted that Shadow Fall’s larger, open areas contribute to that ridiculous 290GB size, as the surface area of the zones are about five-to-10 times larger than those in Killzone 3.

Guerrilla Games was able to compress Shadow Fall down to 40GB in order to fit onto the Blu-ray, but interestingly, Killzone 3 back on the PS3 reached 41.5GB in size. This was because not only had Guerrilla included copies of high quality videos in various languages on the disc, but because the developers duplicated each level’s textures in order to make the content stream from the Blu-ray faster.

Van der Leeuw notes that, originally, the Killzone Shadow Fall disc image was 180GB, and that was before all of the level data was added in, which is when the data reached 290GB. Guerrilla Games was the first developer to hit this snag of image size, so Sony made special libraries for the developer to use. Regardless of those special libraries, though, a 40GB game is a very large file to download if you opt for digital distribution. In this day and age, in large part thanks to Steam and smartphones, users have accepted digital distribution as a more convenient way to purchase a piece of media.

Though our internet speeds are relatively fast nowadays, downloading a 40GB file will still take quite a while, but Sony will allow you to play while you download. The startup file that’ll get you going will be 7.5GB in size, and you can play the first piece of the game while the next piece downloads in the background.

If the impressive original image size is astounding, what’s perhaps equally impressive is that the game doesn’t feature any splash screens. All of the usual junk — the epilepsy warning, the Dolby logo — was negotiated to be put in the credits. Furthermore, after an initial 30-second load time, Killzone Shadow Fall does not experience any more in-game loading.

Killzone Shadow Fall will launch with the PS4 on November 15 of this year.

Now read: Xbox One graphics output in 900p, worse than PS4′s 1080p

Samsung's profit up 26 percent on memory chip, smartphone sales

Shipments for high-end smartphones were flat quarter-over-quarter for the company

Samsung Electronics' net profit in the third quarter was up 25.6 percent year-over-year on record revenue driven by sales of its memory chips and smartphone products.

The South Korean electronics giant reported Friday a net profit of 8.24 trillion won ($7.8 billion), up from 6.56 trillion won in the same period a year ago.

[ For quick, smart takes on the news you'll be talking about, check out InfoWorld TechBrief -- subscribe today. | Find out what topics and issues affect tech's biggest names and news makers in the IDGE Insider CEO interview series. | Read Bill Snyder's Tech's Bottom Line blog for what the key business trends mean to you. ]

Revenue reached 59.08 trillion won, a year-over-year increase of 13 percent, and meeting the company's forecast.

Samsung is currently the world's largest smartphone vendor. But during the quarter ended Sept. 30, the company saw "intensifying market competition" in the mobile devices space, it said. Shipments of its high-end smartphones remained flat quarter-over-quarter, despite the release of the company's Galaxy Note 3 phablet in late September.

The company, however, saw shipments of its "mass market" handsets in the mid- and low-end segments increase quarter-over-quarter. "Overall, total smartphone shipments increased in the mid-10 percent range" from the previous three-month period, the company said.

Samsung's tablet business, however, is growing at a faster clip. Sales for the devices increased in the "mid-20 percent range" from the previous quarter, partly on demand for the Galaxy Tab 3 products.

The company expects both smartphones and tablets sales will pick up in this year's fourth quarter due to the holiday season and more of its "mass market" phones reaching the market.

Samsung's semiconductor business also reported big gains in its earnings, with revenue growing 12 percent quarter-over-quarter. Sales of the company's memory chips have been high from demand brought on by smartphones and tablets, servers, and game consoles.

But the company saw a 1 percent quarter-over-quarter decrease in sales in its panel business. Weakening demand for TV display panels in Europe and China led to a decline in shipments and price. TV panel sales, however, will rebound in the fourth quarter due to the holiday season, Samsung said.

Trading in your iPad? Do it now

A new iPad is probably coming soon, and companies that buy used electronic devices say they're experiencing a surge of customers trading in their old tablets.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

With a new iPad likely around the corner, iPad trade-ins are on the rise -- and selling prices are falling fast.

Companies like Gazelle and NextWorth, which buy used electronic devices, say they're experiencing a surge of customers trading in their old iPads. The spike began Tuesday, when Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) announced it has an upcoming event Oct. 22. Apple is widely expected to be giving its tablet its first big redesign in more than a year and a half.

At Gazelle, iPad trade-ins have soared to their highest level this year. IPads now make up 20% of items traded in on Gazelle's website, up from 11% a week ago.

"Previous generations all look the same," said Anthony Scarsella, Gazelle's chief gadget officer. The new iPad could have more processing power, a better camera and even use Apple's latest Touch ID fingerprint sensor.

Related story: Macs down, PCs up

Meanwhile, NextWorth saw its weekly iPad trade-ins more than triple this week.

But consumers looking for a good deal had better act fast, lest they be affected by the basic forces of economics. The surge in supply of trade-in iPads means trade-in prices are dropping.

Data provided by NextWorth show that iPad prices drop after Apple unveils a new tablet - and even more when a new iPad hits store shelves. Last year, trade-in values for the iPad dropped 4% when Apple unveiled its latest-generation iPad in October. The trade-in price fell by another 10% when the tablet hit store shelves in November.

 

Apple stores to get a shot of high-style

If you're trading in: Let's say you've got a mid-range iPad 2 (black, 32 GB with WiFi) in good condition -- but not flawless. Last year, that could have fetched $300. How about now?

CNNMoney looked at the prevailing prices online Wednesday:

• Amazon: If you're willing to wait around for a buyer, you post your iPad for sale on Amazon and easily sell it for $350. Amazon also has a trade-in program, offering $189.
• Apple: Probably the worst deal out there, because of how restrictive it is. The Apple Reuse and Recycling Program offers $136 -- but only in the form of an Apple Store gift card.
• Gazelle: $190. It's also more forgiving on nicks and scratches.
• NextWorth: $180. It's also accommodating on the tablet's condition.
• Best Buy: This one's a bit tricky, because "good" is the best listed condition. But if it's "fair," you only get $130.
• GameStop: After an in-store inspection, you can choose between $161 in cash or a $202 in store credit.
• RadioShack: $150 if you include the power adapter.
• eBay: You're the seller so it's totally up to you. But it can easily go for $265 -- whenever a buyer eventually finds you.

Must-know privacy tips for Google, Facebook and other online services

Recent headlines about shadowy government agencies, high-profile hack attacks, and your face in Google ads drive home a crucial point: Your online privacy is best protected when you keep an iron grip on the information you're handing out. If your info is on a server somewhere, it's not truly yours.

 

So many core aspects of our lives have shifted to the cloud, mostly to our great benefit: Gmail and Outlook.com maintain our email archives. Dropbox and SkyDrive make your files available anywhere, anytime. Windows 8.1 searches include Bing results by default. Google Now dishes out the information you need before you even know you need it.

But every gain in convenience comes with a loss of control, and that loss of control all too often comes bundled with privacy or security woes.

You can take some simple precautions to minimize the amount of personal information that you have online. But before we get started, remember that this data checkup is about what you're comfortable with. You could follow all the tips in this post, tighten up on just a few of the practices mentioned below, or go even farther down the rabbit hole than the suggestions offered here. Digital privacy is not a zero-sum or a one-size-fits-all proposition. If nothing else, this article can help you make better decisions about the information you share with the services you love.

Giving Google the cold shoulder

When it comes to minimizing your digital footprint, we have to start with Google. Just imagine the dossier the company has on you: search history, sites you visit, Google Play purchases, location data from Android and Chrome and Maps, your Google Drive documents...it looks like a lot when it's all spelled out like that, doesn't it?

To its credit, Google takes data security seriously, receiving fairly good marks in the Electronic Frontier Foundation's annual "Who has your back?" survey. But Google also makes heavy in-house use of your data, a point that touched a nerve with announcements of the company's plans to use your real name and face in online advertising (not to mention Microsoft's "Scroogled" campaign).

Divorcing Google isn't a realistic option for most people, though, given its superior services and sheer ubiquity. Switching to Microsoft's services still leaves your information in the cloud. So what can you do if you want to reduce the amount of data you're sharing with either online monolith?

Firefox's private browsing mode kills cookies dead.

To start, you can keep Google from collecting and sharing your data as much as possible. Using your browser's private/incognito mode will erase tracking cookies, including Google's, when you close it. You can also tell Google to stop trailing you in your account's Web History page (at the expense of Google Now features) and take a minute to tweak your general Google privacy settings.

Another solution is to replace what Google services you can with more private alternatives. Do you use Google Docs but don't really need its online capabilities? Try the open-source Libre Office suite. If you need only basic image-editing capabilities, skip Picasa and stick to Paint.net. What about Google Drive's on-the-go docs? We'll talk more about cloud storage later.

And if you can cut the Google cord completely, there's always the nuclear option. (Here's how to shutter your Microsoft account for good measure.)

Facebook

Google may have a wide reach, but when it comes to mapping your social connections, no company knows more than Facebook. And just like Google, Facebook is practically impossible to shut out of your life. You need it to sign in to your favorite services, play games, chat, and keep in touch with pals.

Tweaking your Facebook profile's privacy settings can keep other people's eyes at bay—but Facebook itself has a reputation for questionable user data decisions. How to give Zuck the cold shoulder without divorcing Facebook completely?

You don't want to be among the first Graph Search results for "Males in New York that like Drugs and Marijuana" or anything similar. Mind those Likes, and those privacy preferences.

Easy: Stop hitting that "Like" button so much and consider removing past thumbs-ups. Don't add extra information to your profile such as life events, places you've lived, and so on. (Here's a video on deleting life events.)

Finally, decide whether you want to continue sharing your photo library online. Is anybody really looking at them, or are they just fodder for Facebook's face-detection algorithms?

Facebook also tracks you as you travel from site to site, using the Like buttons embedded on each. Make sure you're signed out of Facebook to prevent that from happening, or use your browser's private mode.

You can delete your Facebook account if you're able (and willing) to cut the socialite cord completely.

Cloud storage

If you slap your files in a cloud-storage locker for anytime, anywhere access, you probably don't want to give up that convenience. You can, however, seize control of your cloud documents by encrypting them, which helps protect against the data breaches (such as two that happened to Dropbox and Apple) and government information requests faced by many cloud providers.

Note that while many services (such as Dropbox) encrypt your data on their servers,they control the encryption keys in most cases. That means you are not in control of when or for whom that encrypted data is unlocked, but it also makes using the service easier—just enter your login information and go!

A truly "zero-knowledge" cloud provider such as SpiderOak or Wuala, on the other hand, never has access to your encryption key, meaning that only you can unlock your data. (Don't lose the key!) Alternatively, you could manually encrypt files bound for SkyDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, SugarSync, or any other cloud service, using a tool like TrueCrypt or the cloud-focused BoxCryptor.

Western Digital's My Cloud connected storage drive lets you build your own private cloud.

Or, if you want anytime, anywhere access to your files but don't want to entrust your stuff to anyone else, you could use a Net-connected storage drive like Western Digital's My Cloud to create your own personal cloud-storage solution.

All the rest

We've taken care of your major online accounts, but what about all those random accounts you have connected to your social networks? Go through the settings of your Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts to see the list of apps and services connected to them. Then simply remove access permissions for the ones you no longer use.

Speaking of apps and services, part of good data hygiene is regularly deleting accounts you've left by the wayside. Go ahead: Close that MySpace profile and kill your Klout score if you're not using them.

The tip of the iceberg

Now that you have at least some of your data under control, you could look at numerous other things, as well.

We briefly touched on restricting who can track your browsing while online. For a real eye-opener, try using Abine's DoNotTrackMe add-on for a week and see how many tracking cookies the add-on blocks. You could also use a stand-alone email program configured using the POP3 protocol to save your email locally and wipe your messages from your provider's servers. (Here's the info you need to do just that with Outlook.com, Gmail, and Mozilla's Thunderbird client.)

For an even more comprehensive look at the topic, check out Macworld's seven-part series on protecting your online privacy—but note that some of the tips apply only to Apple's ecosystem.

Going off-grid online is borderline impossible these days, but taking just a short time to tidy up your online footprint can pay big dividends for your security and your privacy. And remember: It's up to you just how far down the rabbit hole you go. Happy deleting!