Computer Related > Websites Computing Issues
Thread Author: sooty123 Replies: 11

 Websites - sooty123
I was on the octopus energy website and a little box popped up saying that my laptop was over 80% full and uk emissions were high so I should unplug.

How would the website know this?
 Websites - Bromptonaut
What options have you got for blocking pop ups and ads?

As I support this site I've disabled my usual ad-block software for car4play.com.

After a brief exchange with Zero about hobby radio I was fed a whole series of ads for a Ham Radio Store in the West Midlands. They're reputable and I've bought air band aerials from them in the past but it's pretty clear how ads eat cookies.
 Websites - sooty123
It wasn't really an advert, I unplugged my laptop and the box disappeared I then plugged it back in and the box popped back up. Just wondering how it would know what my laptop charging state is?

No pop up or ad blockers.
 Websites - Kevin

medium.com/swlh/detecting-battery-status-in-javascript-732f724b2cc2
 Websites - sooty123
Not being really into computers I'm not sure I followed any of that, websites can access your battery levels through some of script thing?
 Websites - smokie
Ignore the rest of the page Kevin posted, just read the first bit:

"The BatteryManager interface provides ways to get information about the system's battery charge level.
"We can use the Battery Manager to detect
- charging state
- Battery percentage
- Time needed to charge 100%
- The remaining time until the battery is completely discharged."

So yes, some sort of script thing can read the above (and I don't think you can sensibly prevent it but I may be wrong. I think you can stop scripts running but that would not be desirable AFAIK)


 Websites - sooty123
Thanks, never seen that before.
 Websites - No FM2R
>> Thanks, never seen that before.

It's part of how you are identified and tracked. The combination of features they can track/detect allow them to either uniquely or close to uniquely identify you.

Detecting your operating system, browser version, installed plug-ins & versions. screen resolution, fonts, time zone, etc. etc. etc. gives them a unique combination identifying you.

So you may log not one site as Joe, into anther site as Bloggs, into a 3rd as Anon and anonymously via a vpn on a fourth, and they can detect that they are all from the same computer.

So if they buy loads of records from loads of different sites, they can build up a fairly scary record of everything you do, without you actually telling them anything.

Don't forget, even a VPN only stops your ISP tracking you (and potentially sharing that with the State), the website you're going to still knows all it wishes to know about you.
 Websites - The Melting Snowman
>> So you may log not one site as Joe, into anther site as Bloggs, into
>> a 3rd as Anon and anonymously via a vpn on a fourth, and they can
>> detect that they are all from the same computer.


What happens in a typical family household where several people share a computer? Presumably they would be classified as one person?
 Websites - Zero

>> What happens in a typical family household where several people share a computer? Presumably they
>> would be classified as one person?

Entirely depends if you all use the same logon on the pc. Few families do, each person having a sign on on the PC, and in this case each user browser becomes different - a separate identifiable instance in pc code.
 Websites - sooty123
Scary isn't it.
 Websites - car4play
>> Not being really into computers I'm not sure I followed any of that, websites can
>> access your battery levels through some of script thing?


Clearly

developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/BatteryManager/onchargingchange

But only on some browsers, and is a deprecated feature
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