There is an easy way which I discovered recently. Make sure you install without an internet connection, then creating a local account is the default instead of a hidden option.

I tried that but you need a valid authentication ID and session ID plus all those X-Device attributes otherwise it returns an error from the JBoss app server.

It doesn't transmit the currently watched filename, it dumps the folder contents asynchronously when accessing the Smart functions. And not all the time, it's possibly newly added files.
I am the blogger who found this, let me know if you would like verification.

That's what I do and I'm not about to change, no matter how irritating it is. This law actually actually reduces the level of privacy by making the most private settings unusable.

I like your imagery but SCO certainly did plenty to provoke IBM. Like revoking IBM's AIX license for example.

Disabling third party cookies breaks all of this. I always see "Sign up to see what your friends like" even when actually logged into Facebook in another tab.

I've yet to find a downside to this either.

You are correct about the rates being better. I haven't used SkypeOut since they started charging a 'call setup fee' whereas my VOIP provider still charges per second with no minimum charge.

STUN helps clients behind a NAT discover how to talk to each other through UDP ports, eg when operating peer to peer. When you talk about the IP address of the PBX are you sure you aren't referring to a SIP Proxy?

I'm no expert but I've been having endless fun recently messing with Asterisk and it refused to talk to my SIP provider unless I gave it their proxy server's address.

Not sure why you got downmodded but it's worth remembering that the Bing Toolbar was in the news recently as being responsible for sending detailed tracking data back to Microsoft. (google for Bing Sting).

I personally wouldn't let Bing or any other toolbar anywhere near my browser.

Now that I'm home I can back up my claim about Ask spying on you before you've even installed it!

Pic

I came across a great illustration of why you need a good firewall that can be used to control outbound traffic the other day. I was installing CPUID and the installer tried to contact Ask.com before it had even asked me whether I wanted the Ask toolbar installed or not.

Windows firewall would have just let that through but I was using the Sphinx Software firewall app that configures Windows Firewall so that you can use it to stop unauthorised outbound traffic.

Think yourselves lucky that it's only a PIN, our kids' school implemented a Fingerprinting system.

Link

I'm afraid all of this is wrong. The option to block third party cookies was renamed
HOWTO

As for the anti-phishing filter, Firefox downloads an offline blacklist from Google whereas Internet Explorer checks sites online. Whilst doing this, IE sends 'Standard computer information' (read unique ID) as well as the address of the site to Microsoft. So pretty much the opposite of what you said unfortunatley.

Only for very high volume sites, the rest are tracked in real time.

SmartScreen Filter is designed to help warn you about unsafe websites that are impersonating trusted websites (phishing) or contain threats to your computer. If you opt in to SmartScreen Filter, it first checks the address of the website you are visiting against a list of high traffic website addresses stored on your computer that are believed by Microsoft to be legitimate. Addresses that are not on the local list and the addresses of files you are downloading will be sent to Microsoft and checked against a frequently updated list of websites and downloads that have been reported to Microsoft as unsafe or suspicious. You may also choose to use SmartScreen Filter manually to verify individual sites with Microsoft. When you use SmartScreen Filter to check websites automatically or manually, the address of the website you are visiting will be sent to Microsoft, together with standard computer information and the SmartScreen Filter version number. To help protect your privacy, the information sent to Microsoft is encrypted.

Emphasis mine.
Source here

There is a big difference. IE8 checks URLs against Microsoft's phishing database as you visit them, telling Microsoft which sites you visit in the process.
Firefox periodically downloads a file of known phishing sites and searches it locally.

Source