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ZDNET's key takeaways
- These physical gadgets can give you more privacy.
- They can help reduce tracking and data scraping.
- One even guards against power surges.
There are a myriad of software options for protecting all of your electronic and internet-connected devices. But with it being somewhat of an open secret that our devices are spying on us to serve up personalized ads and content recommendations, VPNs and antivirus programs can only go so far. Thankfully, there are a few physical options.
Also: How to turn off HDMI-CEC on your TV
How to protect your devices
I've found three useful gadgets that can help protect your devices, whether it's blocking tracking software for a more anonymous online experience or shielding your devices from electrical damage during power outages and storms.
This tiny device is designed to block data signals that tracking algorithms and cookies look for while using HDMI-connected devices like game consoles and DVD or Blu-ray players. It does not have the physical pin required to send data signals to your TV, making it impossible for tracking cookies and algorithms to scrape data from your games, movies, and shows.
It also helps block HDMI-CEC signals that allow multiple devices to be controlled with a single remote, which can cause issues with more complicated home theater setups.
Also: I changed 13 settings on my TV to dramatically improve its performance - here's how
And with gold-plated connections, you'll still get crisp video and audio output, so you can continue to enjoy your favorite media without having to worry about getting bombarded with relentless advertisements and suggestions for shows and movies you won't ever watch.
Power outages during extreme weather or issues with the electrical grid can put all of your electronics at risk for damage. The Proxicast coaxial lightning arrester connects to any coaxial input on your TV, cable box, antenna, and other playback devices to automatically detect surges and safely divert energy to grounded wires.
Also: Is your Roku TV tracking you? Short answer: Yes, but there's a way to stop it
With bi-directional protection, you'll also keep connected devices safe if your TV short circuits.
If you travel a lot, you know that charging your devices in public places can put your data and your electronics at risk. Bad actors can easily install malicious software into fake outlets and USB ports to scrape your personal data.
Also: Your TV's USB port has hidden superpowers: 4 benefits you're not taking advantage of
The OffGrid USB data blocker works the same way as the BlueRigger HDMI connector: without the physical pin for sending data signals, connected devices can receive power but cannot communicate with one another. With both USB-C and USB Type-A options, you can protect everything from tablets and laptops to smartphones and handheld game consoles while on-the-go and at home.
You might've heard about ACR by now. It stands for "automatic content recognition," and it's a specialized algorithm that devices like TVs, computers, and smartphones use to analyze images on your screen and compare them to a central database in order to identify what you are viewing and make content suggestions or serve personalized ads. You can disable ACR tracking via your device's network settings to help reduce the number of ads you'll see on your home screen and allow you to curate your own streaming experience.
It depends. If you use a VPN on your TV, smartphone, tablet, or laptop, you do not necessarily have to disable ACR settings since a VPN automatically blocks all tracking data. But if you want to be extra secure, you may want to consider doing it anyway to create redundancy just in case your VPN goes down or glitches.
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