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Tech deals and apps for Black Friday

Wednesday's CNET Update has mall madness:

This episode of CNET Update is chock-full of tips for conquering Black Friday. Start your research with CNET's Black Friday page and Holiday Gift Guide. You'll also want to load your phone up with helpful apps, like Black Friday Survival Guide, ListBliss and ShopSavvy.

Be sure to also comb through CNET's slideshow of the best Black Friday tech deals. If you spot a deal on a Blu-ray player, it could be smart to grab it.

For those shopping online, do your homework to know if a sale price is really … Read more

Semi-Automatic Gmail Assistant gadget sends rude replies

Sometimes it's hard to say "no." You get an e-mail from a friend who wants you to read, critique, and edit his 500,000-word epic sci-fi fantasy novel. Your boss wants you to forfeit the next 12 weekends to help out with a pet project. This is when you need to have the Semi-Automatic Gmail Assistant (SAGA).

SAGA looks deceptively simple. It's a colorful rectangular box with a chrome button, a place for a key, and a USB hook-up for your computer. Your computer sees it as a standard keyboard.… Read more

E-mail bill raises privacy concerns

Tuesday's CNET Update is checking privacy settings:

There's an update to today's top story. Hours after CNET reported on a bill rewrite that would give warrantless access to American's e-mail, the senator behind the legislation has abandoned his controversial proposal.

Oopsie! Taliban outs mailing list

It's hard running a covert operation.

Just ask anyone at the CIA. People write e-mails not realizing who might one day read them.

I am sure, therefore, that many will have a feeling of "there, but for the grace of a Gmail account go I," when they hear that the Taliban appears to have exposed its whole mailing list.

The way ABC News posts it, an official spokesman of the Taliban, Qari Yousuf Ahmedi, sent out an invitation to a champagne and croquet event with insufficient dexterity.

Actually, it might not have been a champagne and croquet … Read more

5 ways to avoid pulling a Petraeus

The extramarital affair scandal engulfing former CIA director David Petraeus has brought massive public attention to the convoluted U.S. laws governing e-mail privacy. We've got some quick tips for keeping your electronic communiques private.

Before getting into the more technical side of things, there are some simple behavioral changes you can make.

Always log out of your e-mail when you're done using it. This goes for any online service, including social networking sites. Logging out prevents a cached password from keeping you signed in even after the browser has been restarted.

Never use your preferred personal e-mail … Read more

How to add Gmail and Yahoo accounts in Windows 8 Mail

The Windows 8 Mail e-mail app has a nice, clean interface and works with a variety of e-mail accounts, including Gmail and Yahoo! Mail. Here's how to add them to Windows 8 Mail:

Step 1: Make sure you're logged in to Mail with a Microsoft account. If you're using a local account to log in to Windows 8, you'll need to log in to Mail with a Microsoft account before you can add other e-mail accounts.

Step 2: From within Mail, use the Win+I shortcut to quickly get to Mail settings, then click on Accounts.… Read more

Facebook adds job-search tool

Wednesday's CNET Update is working overtime:

Need a job? Log on to Facebook. The social network launched a jobs board with the Social Jobs Partnership app. It pulls in job listings from several services, including BranchOut, Jobvite and Monster. Facebook says half of U.S. employers are using the network during the hiring process.

Also in today's tech news roundup, Pinterest is letting existing profiles be turned into business accounts. Companies will be able to promote their content with the added benefit of verification badges and widgets for sharing.

There's a rise in malware disguised as daily deal e-mails. … Read more

E-mailed malware disguised as group coupon offers on the rise

Be sure to double check that Groupon you received in your e-mail -- spammers are using the popularity of e-mailed advertisements for group discount deals to send more malware.

The rise of malware through fake e-mail advertisements and notifications are on the rise, according to a study released today by security firm Kaspersky Lab.

"They are primarily doing so by sending out malicious e-mails designed to look like official notifications. Kaspersky Lab is seeing more and more malicious spam designed to look like coupon service notifications," the report said.

The firm said it also noted these coupon spam … Read more

Another U.S. general investigated for 'inappropriate' e-mails

Federal authorities are investigating another U.S. general for alleged "inappropriate communications" with a woman related to the scandal that brought down CIA chief Gen. David Petraeus.

The Defense Department Inspector General is reviewing communications between Gen. John Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, and Jill Kelley, who has been linked to the e-mail scandal that led to Petraeus' resignation last week. The department is currently reviewing 20,000 to 30,000 documents -- described mostly as e-mails -- between Allen and Kelley, an acquaintance of Petraeus, a senior Defense Department official said. … Read more

Hootsuite flub reveals users' e-mail addresses to other users

Social media management company Hootsuite has managed a social faux pas by sending e-mails to users that included the names and e-mail addresses of other users.

The personal information was included in thousands of e-mails sent yesterday warning users that the free 60-day Hootsuite Pro trial was about to expire. Many of the e-mails contained the e-mail addresses of other users in the "To" field.

Affected Hootsuite users took to Twitter to voice their displeasure:

Thank you @hootsuite for sending me 1624 emails and sharing my email address in the clear with 971+ people I don't know.… Read more