When people think about AI, they often think about models that run in the cloud like ChatGPT or Google Gemini. But there’s an incredibly simple way of running local AI on your PC that Microsoft just implemented. Microsoft announced Microsoft Foundry Local this past week at its Build conference. It’s basically a command line tool that runs LLMs locally on your machine. Although it’s initially targeted at developers, it’s one of the easiest ways of trying out local AI simply because it does everything for you. And it does something else, too: it optimizes your PC. get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro One of the coolest features about Windows that you don’t use is what’s known as “winget,” which is like DoorDash for applications. Instead of navigating to a website or the Microsoft Store, finding the download link, and telling Windows where everything should go, you simply open a command line and “winget” what you want. Windows and Microsoft just does everything else for you, automatically. You don’t need to log in at a third-party website, either. Foundry AI Local works in the same way. All you need to do is basically cut and paste two commands from this article, and you’ll be up and running in no time. Here’s how to do it, with a helping hand from Microsoft. Microsoft does not say that you need a dedicated GPU or NPU, but it does help. Essentially, you’ll need Windows 10 or 11, at least 8GB of RAM and 3GB of storage (16GB RAM recommended alongside 15GB of disk space). A Copilot+ PC is optional, but you’ll benefit from a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, an Nvidia RTX 2000 series, an AMD Radeon 6000 series GPU or newer. A couple of commands in a command-line terminal and you’re ready to go.Mark Hachman / Foundry To use Foundry Local, first you’ll want to… 1.) Open a command-line terminal. Just type the Windows key and start typing “terminal”. You should see the Windows Terminal app pop up in list of suggested apps, although it may also appear as Windows PowerShell. It doesn’t really matter. 2.) At the prompt, type: winget install Microsoft.FoundryLocal You’ll have to wait a minute or two while the necessary files download. But Microsoft will handle everything for you. 3.) Microsoft suggests running the Phi-3.5-mini model, which is a good choice: it’s small, pretty quick to download, and will probably give you a fast response. To download and run it, type: foundry model run phi-3.5-mini That’s all you need to do. You’ll then see the Terminal app basically tell you to enter a prompt such as “Is the sky blue on Mars?” or something else. 4.) You don’t have to stick with just the Phi-3.5-mini model, either. You can type foundry model list and get a list of available models. Just swap “phi-3.5-mini” with one of the available models and you’re good to go. (Use the model name from the left-hand column, but don’t sweat it — it seemed to know what I wanted.) A partial list of the available AI models for installing locally. Again, what’s nice about Foundry Local AI is that it’s local to your PC — although the Phi-mini model insisted that it was communicating with Microsoft to process the information. (To double-check, I put my PC into airplane mode.) It’s also quick and efficient, in part because Foundry AI Local downloads the best model for your PC. If you have an available NPU or GPU, it picks the right version. Foundry AI Local is designed for developers, so you can branch out and convert other models to something that you can run on your PC or even hypothetically tap into “agents” to perform tasks. The example videos I viewed suggested using things like extracting text using a Text Extractor widget, which is being built into the Windows Snipping Tool. You may has well use that instead. I’ve argued before that hardware makers and chipmakers need to invest in local AI app development. Intel’s AI Playground does just that and it’s simple and easy to use. But Intel has restricted it to a subset of its own processor lineup, and at the end of the day, it’s optimized just for Intel processors. Intel’s AI Playground is geared to making art as well as LLM chatbots.Mark Hachman / Foundry Microsoft Foundry AI Local is open to everyone, but it’s also just an LLM chatbot for now. That’s handy, and Microsoft has really just begun work on it. Could we see art added to it? The ability to upload and train the model on your own documents? Who knows. I’m not here to tell you that Foundry AI Local is better than ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot running in the cloud. It’s not. Foundry AI Local is a local text-based application that can’t do anything more than a bunch of available cloud-based services already can. But it is so very quick and easy to run, and Microsoft is quietly building it into Windows. That might bear fruit in the future. Read...

Late last week, Mozilla noted in an announcement blog post that the address bar in Firefox has been upgraded with new improvements over past versions. It’s a lot smarter now and designed to give you more control over how you search and browse. Firstly, you can now switch search engines directly in the address bar, thanks to a new button that lets you switch between Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, as well as certain marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, plus information resources like Wikipedia. Secondly, when you perform a search in the address bar, Firefox no longer wipes out your search query. Previously, the search query was replaced by the search engine’s query URL. But now, your search query remains, making it easier to repeat or tweak further searches. Thirdly, you can now use special keywords like @bookmarks, @tabs, @history, and @wikipedia to perform specific types of searches right from the address bar. For example, @bookmarks dog will search only your bookmarks for dog-related content, whereas @wikipedia charlie will search only Wikipedia for that term. Fourthly, the address bar now also lets you perform actions, turning it into a productivity aid that lets you quickly do what you need to do without navigating through numerous menus. For example, you can type clear history to clear your browsing history, or take a screenshot to snap a screengrab of the current tab. It’s the latest update in a line of updates that have seriously leveled up Firefox, including ones from last month that brought tab grouping functionality as well as native profile switching. Further reading: Real reasons to switch from Chrome to Firefox Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Long battery life (almost 24 hours in our test) Beautiful OLED screen Great webcam Cons Lunar Lake’s multithreaded performance isn’t ideal for some workloads Glossy screen can be difficult to read in harsh lighting conditions A little expensive Our Verdict The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition is a sleek 14-inch Lunar Lake laptop with a beautiful display and extreme battery life. It’s a nice machine, and it would be easy to recommend more widely if it was less expensive. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition is a 14-inch 2-in-1 convertible laptop with an Intel Lunar Lake processor. It combines a touchscreen and 360-degree hinge along with 32GB of RAM, a beautiful OLED screen, and the long battery life Intel’s Lunar Lake hardware is known for. Unlike some other Yoga-branded laptops I’ve reviewed in the last year, this model is a 2-in-1 convertible PC with the 360-degree hinge the Yoga name was once known for. This machine has the same CPU as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10, and I reviewed them both at the same time. The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 is the consumer alternative to the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 with the same CPU on the inside but a different design and a more entertainment-focused display choice. The battery life is long, the screen looks beautiful, and the machine looks and feels sleek. Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1: Specs The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition is an upgrade to the previous-generation Lenovo Yoga 9i (Gen 9). This time around, the machine has a Lunar Lake CPU — specifically, the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V. That means it gets much longer battery life and can run Copilot+ PC AI features that Intel’s older NPU just wasn’t powerful enough to run. It also has a more powerful integrated GPU that is surprisingly good for integrated graphics—plus a generous allotment of 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. Model: Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 258V Memory: 32 GB LPDDR5x RAM Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc 140V NPU: Intel AI Boost (up to 47 TOPS) Display: 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED display with variable refresh rate up to 120Hz and HDR Storage: 1 TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD Webcam: 5MP 1440p webcam Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C), 1x USB Type-C (USB 20Gbps), 1x USB Type-A (USB 10Gbps), 1x combo audio jack Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics: Fingerprint reader, IR camera for facial recognition Battery capacity: 75 Watt-hours Dimensions: 12.44 x 8.66 x 0.63 inches Weight: 2.91 pounds MSRP: $1,749 as tested This is a wonderful laptop for people looking for a sleek, portable 2-in-1 with a vivid display and long battery life. Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1: Design and build quality IDG / Chris Hoffman The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1’s design feels similar to other Lenovo Yoga machines I’ve used in the past year or so. This Yoga laptop uses “Cosmic Blue,” in contrast to Lenovo’s ThinkPad line, which opts for a business look with more shades of gray. Combined with the rounded edges and glossy high-resolution OLED screen, it’s a sleek experience. The blue is rather dark, though. In real life, it looks a lot closer to black than you might expect while catching light in an intriguing way. The top and bottom are made of aluminum, and the build quality is solid — this is a proven Yoga design, and it’s not Lenovo’s first time putting out a machine in a chassis like this one. It looks very similar to the Lenovo Yoga 9i (Gen 9), for example. The hinge works well. The hinge also has what Lenovo calls a “rotating soundbar” built into it. There’s no flex that shouldn’t be there, no undesired movement of the display as you type, or anything else you wouldn’t want to see on a machine like this. The design just works like it should. At 2.91 pounds, it’s a standard weight for a laptop like this one — not too heavy and not unusually light. The built-in software is a little more cluttered than I’d like: it’s got McAfee antivirus popping up and asking you to subscribe out of the box, for example. Consumer laptops tend to have more bundled offers than business laptops, but it feels a little much for a $1,749 laptop. Still, that doesn’t matter at all when you can quickly uninstall it. Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1: Keyboard, trackpad, pen IDG / Chris Hoffman The keyboard feels fine to type on. Lenovo says it has “soft-landing” switches, which the company describes as having a “snappy” feel, along with 1.5mm of key travel. It’s not mushy, and the switches feel good to type on for a lightweight portable laptop. Once again, I have a criticism to make about a Yoga keyboard’s layout. Lenovo has put the fingerprint reader at the bottom right corner of the laptop. Personally, my fingers naturally gravitate towards the bottom-right corner of the keyboard, anticipating the presence of the right arrow key there, which disrupts my muscle memory! And, on the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1, Lenovo put the fingerprint reader to the left of the arrow keys. So that appears to be a touch reserved for Yoga laptops alone. Sure, you’ll get used to it — and if you like this machine and plan on spending a lot of time with it, perhaps that won’t be an issue for you. The trackpad feels nice and smooth, and it’s plenty large. When you click down, there’s a fine click that isn’t mushy. I would like to see laptops like this one include haptic trackpads — that’s just my preference — but this is a good mechanical trackpad. Lenovo also includes a Yoga Pen, which magnetically attaches to the top of the laptop, on the lid right below the camera bump. It’s an active pen that charges via USB-C. You can use it to draw on the laptop’s display, and it works well if you’re looking for that kind of pen experience on a consumer laptop with a 360-degree hinge. Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1: Display and speakers IDG / Chris Hoffman The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 has an excellent 14-inch OLED display with a touchscreen. It’s designed to wow — with a 2880×1800 resolution, HDR support, and the vivid colors OLED displays are known for. The screen is glossy, unlike the matte one on the business-focused ThinkPad X1 2-in-1. This machine is more interested in providing the most beautiful screen possible for media consumption, while the ThinkPad’s anti-glare display is more optimized for readability in various lighting conditions. It’s always a trade-off when selecting a laptop. To be clear, the screen glare is not unusual — this is just what happens in harsh lighting conditions when a laptop has a glossy OLED display. IDG / Chris Hoffman The Lenovo Yoga 2-in-1’s display tops out at a refresh rate of 120Hz, but it has a variable refresh rate, which probably helps Lenovo squeeze more battery life from this system. In fact, the most impressive thing about the display is probably that Lenovo has managed to squeeze long battery life out of this system, despite a display that feels like it should be power-hungry. Intel Lunar Lake is necessary, but the variable refresh rate on the display and the larger battery built into the laptop are probably the things that complete the puzzle. Lenovo makes a big deal of the rotating soundbar, saying it “allows the device to project audio independent of the device’s orientation.” The soundbar has two tweeters that rotate with the screen, and the laptop has two woofers on the bottom. The speaker setup sounds quite good. Listening to Steely Dan’s Aja on Spotify—a classic audiophile test track for speakers—the sound was clear and detailed. Swapping over to Daft Punk’s Get Lucky for a more electronic sound with more bass, the audio sounded punchy and fun — but obviously without the kind of bass you’d get from a good pair of headphones or external speakers. Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1: Webcam, microphone, biometrics The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 has a 5 MP webcam with a 1440p resolution. That sounds great on paper. It looks high-quality, too, with a clear picture. In fact, it’s one of the better webcams I’ve seen on a laptop — even compared to the webcams on some business laptops I’ve reviewed. The quality is more than good enough for video meetings and calls. Lenovo has also included a physical privacy shutter, so you can block the laptop by sliding a switch right above the webcam. These are always good to see. The microphone picks up clean, clear audio and has good noise cancellation in a room with desktop PC fans whirring. To my ears, it may be one of the better microphone setups I’ve tried in a laptop recently. Given that the Yoga line primarily caters to consumers, the webcam and microphone performance is impressive. The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 has a fingerprint reader at the bottom-right corner of the keyboard and an IR camera built into the camera bar above the display. You can sign in with Windows Hello using either your fingerprint or face. Both work well. Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1: Connectivity IDG / Chris Hoffman The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 doesn’t have the largest selection of ports, but I’ve seen worse. On the left side, you’ll find a USB Type-C port (USB 20Gbps) and a USB Type-A port (USB 10Gbps.) On the right side, you’ll find two Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB 40Gbps) and a combo audio jack. This laptop charges via USB-C, so you’ll plug the charger into one of those USB Type-C ports. Anyone looking for an HDMI out port, a microSD card reader, or a second USB Type-A port will need to look elsewhere. (For example, the business-focused ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 has a built-in HDMI out port.) But this isn’t too bad for this type of portable laptop, especially if you’re prepared to use a dongle if you ever need more ports. I’m just happy to see Lenovo included a headphone jack on this machine! I’ve reviewed a similarly named Lunar Lake-powered Yoga laptop without a headphone jack, the Yoga Slim 9i. Thanks to Intel’s Lunar Lake, this machine also comes with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 as standard. It’s imperative that these features become standard for new laptops. Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1: Performance The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 delivers snappy desktop performance thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 7 258V CPU. Lunar Lake works well for day-to-day productivity applications and delivers extremely long battery life — plus surprisingly good graphics performance for integrated graphics hardware. As always, though, we ran the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 through our standard benchmarks to see how it performs. IDG / Chris Hoffman First, we run PCMark 10 to get an idea of overall system performance. With an overall PCMark 10 score of 7,719, the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 seems to squeeze every bit of performance it can out of Lunar Lake’s hardware. We like to test laptops in their default state without tweaking them much — like a normal PC user would experience them — and I imagine recent changes to Windows 11 that put laptops into a higher-performance state automatically when they’re plugged in helped this machine in the benchmarks. IDG / Chris Hoffman Next, we run Cinebench R20. This test is a heavily multithreaded benchmark that focuses on overall CPU performance. It’s a quick benchmark, so cooling under extended workloads isn’t a factor. But, since it’s heavily multithreaded, CPUs with more cores have a huge advantage. With a multithreaded Cinebench R20 score of 4,306, Intel’s Lunar Lake hardware shows its biggest weakness here. With fewer CPU cores, it’s not just substantially slower at multithreaded CPU workloads than AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 series hardware, which also has an NPU and can run Copilot+ PC AI features. It’s also substantially slower than Intel’s own previous-generation Meteor Lake chips. Lunar Lake does provide longer battery life than its competitors, but it comes at a cost. This isn’t representative of real-world productivity application usage, which is good — but it will be an issue for multithreaded CPU-heavy workloads. IDG / Chris Hoffman We also run an encode with Handbrake. This test is another heavily multithreaded benchmark, but it runs over an extended period. It demands the laptop’s cooling kick in, and many laptops will throttle and slow down under load. The Lenovo Yoga 9i completed the encode process in an average of 1,414 minutes, which is about 23 and a half minutes. Again, multithreaded CPU performance is a weakness here. IDG / Chris Hoffman Next, we run a graphical benchmark. This isn’t a gaming laptop, but it’s still good to check how the GPU performs. We run 3DMark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU performance. With a 3DMark Time Spy score of 4,716, Lunar Lake delivers great graphics performance for integrated graphics — second only to laptops with discrete Nvidia or AMD graphics hardware. Overall, this machine delivers solid performance. This laptop showcases Lunar Lake at its peak performance. It also struggles with Lunar Lake’s lower-than-ideal multithreaded performance, as Intel included fewer cores on Lunar Lake than on the last-generation Meteor Lake hardware. That’s only a concern if you have workloads that need sustained multithreaded performance, but it’s an important thing to consider on a $1,749 laptop. Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1: Battery life The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 combined a substantial 75 watt-hour battery with long-lasting Lunar Lake hardware, so we’d hope it would have long battery life. And it does — it’s very impressive. IDG / Chris Hoffman To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat on Windows 11 with airplane mode enabled until the laptop suspends itself. We set the screen to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmarks, and it’s worth noting that the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1’s OLED display has a bit of an advantage, as OLED screens use less power to display the black bars around the video. This is a best-case scenario for any laptop since local video playback is so efficient, and real battery life in day-to-day use is always going to be less than this. The Lenovo Yoga 9i lasted for 1414 minutes before suspending itself — that’s 23 and a half hours. The OLED display almost certainly uses more power, but the choice of a variable refresh rate for the display and the larger battery help this machine achieve extremely long battery life. Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1: Conclusion The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition is a sleek machine with a beautiful display and long battery life. The 2-in-1 experience is great. It’s as nice as it looks in the photos. The downsides are evident: the glossy screen may not be ideal in certain situations, the low multithreaded CPU performance may disrupt some people’s workflows, and the fingerprint reader located to the right of the arrow keys may not be to everyone’s liking. But the main concern is the price — at $1,749, this is a little on the premium-priced side for a consumer laptop. Still, it is a 2-in-1, and a high-quality one at that. This is a wonderful laptop for people looking for a sleek, portable 2-in-1 with a vivid display and long battery life. If those are your priorities — and the price seems reasonable to you — this machine is great. Read...

I don’t know how your tech drawers look, but mine are filled with wires I’ll likely never use again because technology has advanced quite a bit. Thankfully, USB-C seems to be here to stay since there is no wrong way to plug these things in. It’s not just smartphones, tablets, and laptops that use these, however, but also a long list of gadgets. We’ve scoured the market for hidden gems: gadgets that will make you think “Wow, I didn’t know I needed that, but it will make my life so much easier!” So, let’s dive in and see what cool devices you’ll be able to use your type-C cables and ports with. Wowstick 1F+ mini electric screwdriver Wowstick If you often have to fiddle around with your computer or other gadgets, this Wowstick mini electric screwdriver may be just what you need. This pen-shaped screwdriver features three LED lights so it’s easier to see what you’re working on and rotates 200 times per minute so you can finish the job faster. The screwdriver has a stylish base so you can hold it on your desk, and a whole collection of 56 aluminum alloy bits. The screwdriver can be charged via USB-C and it can last for hours. This super fun electric screwdriver usually goes for $41. Anker Nano Power Bank Anker One thing you need to have in you bag/pocket/backpack is a power bank because you never really know when your phone will fail you and cry for a recharge. Well, the Anker Nano power bank is tiny enough to fit just about anywhere. It comes with a foldable USB-C connector and a port on the side so you can charge two devices at once if you need to. The 5,000mAh capacity is just about enough for a full phone recharge, so it will be great in a pinch. It’s also only $30, but we’ve seen it as low as $16. Endoscope camera with light Ennovor Although it’s not something you’ll use every day, this Ennover endoscope camera can definitely come in handy. You just plug it in your phone, install and app, and see everything your camera does. Our team swears by it, using it for finding whatever they dropped behind the desk, while working on the car, or looking for pipe leaks. Since it has an IP67 rating, you can even plop it in your aquarium. The camera comes with a 16.4ft semi-rigid cable and several accessories, including a hook, magnet, and a mirror. You can get this one for $23 right now. Blukar flashlight Blukar I don’t care who you are—you need a flashlight. The smaller, the better, because you get to shove it into any pocket. This model from Blukar comes with a built-in 1800mAh battery that you’ll recharge with one of those many type-C cables you have in that tech drawer we were talking about. It can work for up to 16 hours on a single charge, which is pretty decent. There are four different lightning modes to cycle through, including one that will help you signal for help. Plus, one of these is only $10, so no excuse to pass on this one. Heat It insect bite healer Anyone plagued by mosquitoes in the summer will be particularly pleased with this ingenious gadget. This tiny device, which can be easily connected to your smartphone via USB-C, can significantly reduce the itching of bites and stings with targeted heat. You simply charge the small Heat It bite healer via the app and then hold it on the bite. The heat then does the rest, breaking down the proteins in the mosquito bite that cause the area to swell, itch, and hurt. A true must-have for summer, and it costs only $20. A tiny air pump Also perfect for summer is this small air pump from Cycplus, which fits in any bag while on the go. Not only can it inflate a bicycle tire in two minutes at the touch of a button, but it’s also USB-charged. According to the manufacturer, it’s suitable for mountain bikes, road bikes, motorcycles, and even cars! In addition to being an air pump, this practical gadget can also be used as a flashlight or power bank for on-the-go use — all things that come in very handy on a bike ride. And at just $57, it’s highly recommended if you need quick help with a flat tire. Samsung flash drive Samsung The vast majority of flash drives have a USB-A connector, but this one from Samsung has a Type-C connector. With transfer speeds of up to 400MB/s, you’ll move files around in no time. The beauty of this thumb drive is that you can even pop it in your smartphone to record 4K vids directly on it. The Samsung Type-C flash drive comes in multiple storage options, starting at 64GB and up to 512GB and they start at $14. The 256GB version, for instance, is $27 at the time of writing. Editor’s note: This article was originally published on May 16, but was updated to include two additional devices. Read...

NordVPN and Proton VPN are two of the very best VPNs on the market. So, to help you decide which is the best online privacy tool for you, I’m putting them head-to-head. In comparing the two services, I’ll look at the most important aspects of a great VPN including speed, cost, privacy and security, and streaming.  While NordVPN is faster and packs in more features, Proton VPN optimizes privacy and comes with a larger server network. It’s a close call, but for most people I’d recommend NordVPN. It’s our pick for best VPN overall thanks to its unmatched feature set, lightning-fast speeds, and exceptional streaming support. Both Nord and Proton are top-notch services, but be sure to check out our picks for the best VPNs for even more great options. NordVPNProton VPNServer network7,000+ servers, 118 country locations11,000+, 117 country locationsSimultaneous connections1010Average speeds75% of base download, 81% of base upload65% of base download, 72% of base uploadProtocolsWireGuard (NordLynx), NordWhisper, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsecWireGuard, Stealth, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsecAvailable platformsWindows, MacOS, Android, iOS, iPadOS, Fire TV, Apple TV, Linux, browsers, routersWindows, MacOS, Android, iOS, iPadOS, Fire TV, Apple TV, Linux, browsers, routersBusiness locationPanamaSwitzerlandCost$13.99 per month, $71.88 for the first year, or $107.73 for the first two years$9.99 per month, $59.88 for the first year, or $107.76 for the first two years Speed: NordVPN In my testing, NordVPN and Proton VPN scored highly in both download and upload speeds. NordVPN has the fastest speeds of any VPN I’ve ever tested while Proton VPN ranks sixth overall. The latest round of testing showed that NordVPN resulted in an average of 75 percent of the base download speeds and an outstanding 81 percent of the base upload speeds. Proton VPN came in a little slower at 65 percent of the base download speed and 72 percent of the base upload speeds.  While NordVPN is the clear winner, the margins are actually quite close, despite how they might seem. Whichever you choose you can expect to smoothly handle bandwidth-heavy tasks, such as gaming and 4K streaming. It’s worth mentioning, however, that Proton VPN’s free version is the runaway leader in terms of speeds among all free VPNs. The speeds on all free servers were the same as Proton’s premium servers. Cost: Proton VPN NordVPN offers four subscription tiers: Basic, Plus, Complete, and Prime. To make an equal comparison for services provided I’ll focus on just NordVPN’s Plus plan which runs $13.99 monthly, $71.88 for the first year, or $105.36 for the first two years. ProtonVPN on the other hand offers three tiers: Free, Plus, and Unlimited. For the purposes of this comparison, I’ll focus on ProtonVPN’s Plus plan which is the most similar to NordVPN’s Plus plan. Proton’s Plus tier is offered for $9.99 per month, or you can opt for a one-year subscription at $59.88, or the two-year plan for $71.76. Best VPN Overall NordVPN Read our review Best Prices Today: $3.39 at NordVPN (Monthly) In both the short term and long term Proton VPN is the cheaper option for similar, but not identical, feature sets. NordVPN does offer a few extra features that Proton does not in this mid-tier including MeshNet file sharing and a secure link-checker tool. But all in all, Proton VPN is the better value and comes in cheaper for pretty much identical features. Another plus in this category for Proton VPN is its free tier. For absolutely no cost you get a one-device connection limit and access to five servers located all across the world. There are no ads and no speed or data restrictions either. It is not only a perfect way to try out Proton VPN, but may be a good option as your daily VPN as well. Privacy and security: Tie NordVPN and Proton VPN both offer stellar security tools. Beyond just allowing you to browse the web privately, both of these services have expanded to offer a full suite of security add-ons to provide a safer online experience. In terms of total features offered, NordVPN barely edges out Proton VPN. Both VPNs offer multihop connections, split tunneling, ad- and tracker-blocking, Onion over VPN, a kill switch, and stealth protocols. But NordVPN adds to this with its Meshnet file sharing feature and a robust Threat Protection tool with malware and virus protection, plus a dark web monitoring service. That being said, one could argue that Proton VPN offers slightly better privacy. This is in part due to its commendable transparency across all apps which are all open source and Proton’s Secure Core feature that routes traffic through privacy-friendly countries for enhanced anonymity. best free VPN ProtonVPN Read our review Best Prices Today: $9.99 at Proton VPN Both services have strict no-logs policies that have undergone multiple independent audits and both are located in privacy-friendly locations—NordVPN is based in Panama, while Proton VPN is based in Switzerland. While users can enjoy more comprehensive security features with NordVPN, they will likely find that Proton VPN offers slightly better privacy. Therefore, I’m calling it a tie between the two for privacy and security. Streaming: NordVPN Proton VPN is a fine service for unblocking streaming content, but it simply can’t match NordVPN—in fact, nothing can. We chose NordVPN as the best VPN for streaming for a reason. No other service can match its unblocking capabilities across all servers or work as consistently with as many streaming sites. It’s worth noting that both VPNs do offer stealth protocols, Nord’s NordWhisper and Proton’s Stealth protocols, that are built to more successfully evade detection by third parties. This may help if you find that a streaming service is actively blocking your VPN connection. Additionally, both services offer wide device support not only for your computers and smartphones, but also for smart TVs and streaming devices as well. Still, while streaming compatibility can be a fickle thing, NordVPN has never let me down in all of the years of use and testing when unblocking all of the major sites such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, or ESPN—that’s more than I can say for any other VPN. The streaming win goes to NordVPN. Bottom line Ultimately, if you want speed, guaranteed streaming unblocking, and comprehensive security then go with NordVPN. The service has been well established as an industry leader for more than a decade now and will give you reliable, high-quality privacy protections  If you want a service that is more affordable, with absolute transparency then Proton VPN is more than worthwhile. Proton VPN also has the advantage of offering a free tier which makes it the perfect entry point to try out a VPN without spending any of your hard-earned cash. These two VPNs are neck-and-neck and either would be an excellent choice no matter what you want to do online. I gave both NordVPN and Proton VPN 4.5 out of 5 stars in their respective reviews and both earned Editors’ Choice awards thanks to their impressive offerings and value. All things considered though, NordVPN is my pick for the best VPN overall and whenever someone asks me for a VPN recommendation it’s the one I turn to first. Related content What is a VPN & how does it work? Are free VPNs any good? Which VPN protocol should you use? It makes a big difference ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN: Clash of the heavyweight titans Read...

TL;DR: Get Microsoft Office 2024 Home for Mac or PC as a one-time purchase for $129.97 (reg. $149.99)—no subscription required. If you’re over paying monthly just to use Word or update a spreadsheet, Microsoft Office 2024 Home might be exactly what you need. For a one-time payment of $129.97 (reg. $149.99), you’ll get permanent access to the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote on one Mac or PC—no recurring charges, no surprise renewals, and no drama. This isn’t some stripped-down version. Office 2024 comes packed with new AI features, improved collaboration tools, and a sleeker, more intuitive interface. Whether you’re writing an essay, budgeting your life in Excel, building a presentation, or taking notes during a Zoom call, this suite can support you in big ways. What makes it different from Microsoft 365? For starters, you actually own this. You can work offline, your apps won’t disappear if you miss a payment, and you’re not tied into yet another digital subscription. It’s a one-and-done deal that gives you the tools you need to stay productive at home, school, or the home office without babysitting your billing settings. You also get access to features that make working and learning easier. Think AI-powered smart suggestions, new data tools in Excel that practically analyze things for you, and real-time collaboration in Word and PowerPoint when you do want to be online. Amp up your digital productivity with Microsoft Office 2024 Home for Mac or PC for $129.97 (reg. $149.99). Microsoft Office 2024 Home for Mac or PC: One-Time PurchaseSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the road was designed with safety features in mind, and mostly straight. Read...

Family life, leading with kindness and Ardern’s handling of one crisis after another will be front and centre of a new documentary about her five years at the helm of New Zealand. Read...

According to The Verge, Mozilla is officially shutting down Pocket, the web bookmarking service that was once known as Read It Later. The tool was integrated into Firefox back in 2015, then acquired by Mozilla in 2017 but continued to operate as an independent subsidiary. Pocket will stop working on July 8th, 2025. If you use Pocket, you’ll be able to export your data up until October 8th, 2025. After that point, Mozilla will permanently delete all user data. In July, Mozilla will also start cancelling paid Pocket subscription and issuing prorated refunds to anyone who prepaid for an annual plan. As of this writing, the Pocket extension and app have both been removed and made unavailable, but anyone who has previously installed either will be able to redownload until the October deadline. According to Mozilla, they’re discontinuing Pocket because “the way people save and consume content on the web has evolved” and they plan to focus their efforts more fully on Firefox. “This shift allows us to shape the next era of the internet—with tools like vertical tabs, smart search and more AI-powered features on the way. We’ll continue to build a browser that works harder for you: more personal, more powerful and still proudly independent.” In addition to Pocket, Mozilla is also shuttering its Fakespot fake reviews detector, which the company acquired in 2023. The Fakespot-powered Review Checker feature in Firefox will stop working on June 10th, 2025. Read...

As of yesterday, Microsoft has begun rolling out a new update to Windows 11 Insiders on the Dev and Canary Channels. This update brings new AI features to Notepad, Paint, and the Snipping Tool. Notepad now has the ability to write text from scratch using generative AI, which is meant to aid you by quickly producing drafts based on your prompts and instructions. To use AI text generation, simply right-click anywhere in the document and select Write. Type in your instructions, then either click Keep Text or Discard on the results. You’ll need a Microsoft account and AI credits to use Write in Notepad. Meanwhile, Paint now has a new AI-generated sticker feature as well as an AI-assisted smart selection tool for isolating and editing elements in an image, and Snipping Tool has a new AI-powered “perfect screenshot” feature for capturing your screen without the need to crop or resize afterwards. Paint’s new AI features only work on Copilot+ PCs while Snipping Tool’s features work on all computers. All of this builds on Microsoft’s strategy to bring more AI experiences to Notepad, Paint, and other Windows apps. Read...