Microsoft’s “see everything, remember everything, everywhere, all the time” Windows Recall feature has been controversial since the moment it was announced. While the utility for users is obvious, it’s also easy to see why people aren’t keen to let either their local PC or Microsoft remember everything they do with a visual record. Microsoft seems to have capitulated, at least for business users. According to a new blog post (spotted by PCMag), Windows Recall will be disabled by default on all enterprise machines. If you want to use it, not only will you need local hardware that meets Copilot+ specs, you’ll need permission from your IT administrator to turn it on. “Recall will be disabled by default, and IT will enable this feature through new policies before it can be made available to employees for opting in,” says Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s VP of Windows + Devices. They’d still really like you to use it, though. The post goes on to claim that Recall will ship with “meaningful security enhancements, including additional layers of data encryption and Windows Hello protection, making it one of the most secure experiences we have ever built.” This cautious approach to implementing Recall for its enterprise customers is more stringent than the same feature that’s now enabled on consumer Copilot+ machines, but even there, you can turn it off and remove it completely. That’s after a heavily delayed launch that was originally planned for this summer, delayed into October, and finally postponed until “before December” for Windows Insiders. Considering how we’ve already seen Recall creating massive privacy and security issues, caution seems warranted. Shipping it in a disabled form might make Recall more or less non-existent for enterprise users, which is certainly not what Microsoft was hoping for. Read...

As soon as VR headsets started going mainstream, people were wondering if you could use them to replace conventional monitors for an immersive Windows experience. And yes, you can — there are already several ways to do that right now. But starting in December, Meta’s Quest 3 and Quest 3S headsets will get official support to stream Windows 11, direct from Microsoft. The capability was announced in a post-Ignite news roundup and shown off in a short video, below: Microsoft’s mockup of the integration between Windows and Quest headsets is impressive. The demo user puts on the headset and almost instantly has access to three virtual monitors floating in space via augmented reality, all wireless and apparently seamless. Alternatively, you can put everything on one giant screen right in front of you. Both use a familiar VR control panel that floats beneath the virtual displays. The whole thing is reminiscent of Apple’s Vision Pro “yes, you can use this thing for work” videos. Again, this core capability is not new. Accessing PC content via a standalone VR headset like the Quest is a pretty common thing, though it obviously requires a little more work than on a headset that directly connects to your PC, such as the Valve Index. But at the moment, you still need a bit of third-party software running between them. (Virtual Desktop is a popular option.) Microsoft baking this capability right into Windows indicates a step closer between the platforms, and it’s a somewhat surprising move from a company that seemed to be stepping back from VR and AR with the close of its HoloLens development. This isn’t just a gimmick, either. Microsoft’s news post says you’ll be able to use the feature with a Windows 365 Cloud PC. So, with a little help from a wireless keyboard and mouse, a Quest headset could essentially be your only PC… if your primary desktop lives in the cloud. Even as someone who’s very bullish on VR for entertainment, I still can’t see myself working for eight hours with a headset on. (If the headset battery could even last eight hours. It can’t.) But combine this apparently instant and seamless connection with less bulky hardware, like, say, video glasses from Xreal or RayNeo, and suddenly you have an option for a massively powerful augmented reality setup that can easily travel in a space smaller than a laptop, as seen in the Spacetop design. Assuming that you have a high-speed, always-on connection to a remote machine, of course… and now we’re talking about a lot of different hardware, software, and infrastructure working seamlessly together. Okay, maybe it’s a little farther away than I thought. You’ll be able to try out this native AR workstation feature on Windows 11 with a Quest 3 or Quest 3S headset starting next month, when it goes into “public preview.” Read...

You’re on the web, minding your business—and then out of nowhere, you lose control of your screen. Pop-up windows flash warnings that your PC has been compromised or you’re being spied upon. However, if you take the remedy suggested, like downloading so-called antivirus software, you’ve actually fallen for a type of scam known as scareware. To combat this old form of malware, Microsoft will soon upgrade Edge with a new form of protection. Announced during the Microsoft Ignite conference, the company will use machine learning to identify scareware within Edge tabs and warn users of the danger. The browser will contain the perceived scam attempt unless you give the green light—so if you know the site is safe, you’re still able to proceed. An example of scareware (left), and then Microsoft Edge’s coming ability to quarantine such scam sites (right). Scareware protection will first become available to organizations, who must guard regularly against threats to their users and networks—especially if an employee is tricked into granting remote access to their machine. But with Microsoft saying this feature will make online browsing safer “inside and outside of work,” consumers should expect to eventually get this protection, too. That timeline may be fairly extended, though, as Microsoft also says its scareware blocker will enter public preview in “coming months.” If 2024 was a year of massive data leaks and security issues, 2025 may be on track to patch the damage. In addition Microsoft boosting Edge’s defenses, other huge tech companies such as Google are also giving their products a shot in the arm. Just earlier this week, the possibility of disposable email addresses in Gmail surfaced, which would supercharge the privacy of billions of email users. Read...

Over 10 years have passed since Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl was first announced — and the time for its release has finally come. Today, we’ll get to play it on both PC and Xbox Series X/S. However, before you get started, there are some things you’ll likely want to know to make sure everything goes smoothly. Here’s what you should keep in mind about the release, downloads, and more. Release time for Stalker 2 The official launch of Stalker 2 will take place today at 11am EST. From then on, you’ll be able to download the game if you’ve bought it. (If you pre-ordered it or if you have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you can already download part of the game as a preload.) You can avoid long waiting times by pre-installing the game — as long as there aren’t any issues similar to the preload for yesterday’s Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 release. Simply start the Xbox app on your PC or console and search for Stalker 2 to start the pre-installation process. The game is included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from day one. Incidentally, Stalker 2 will also be released on Steam at the same time, but there is no option to preload it there. Download size for Stalker 2 The official download size of Stalker 2 on Xbox Series X/S is a whopping ~147GB. However, some users who have already installed the 140GB preload have reported a day-one patch that took up another 139GB. After release, there will also be another patch that’s 39GB in size. All in all, you will have to download a lot of data before you can even get started. Let’s hope the game is at least well-optimized by then. Pre-order bonuses for Stalker 2 Anyone who pre-orders the game before its official release time will receive exclusive pre-order bonuses. These include a “Veteran” rifle, a “Tourist” suit, and a “Stalker” backpack. Players will also receive additional stories and music tracks for the campfire. In addition to the Standard Edition for $59.99, there’s also the Deluxe Edition for $79.99 (which includes a bonus side quest, a digital artbook, a soundtrack, plus special suits and unique weapons) and the Ultimate Edition for $109.99 (which includes all of the stuff from the Deluxe Edition plus more special suits and unique weapons as well as two story expansions and all future DLC). Read...

At a GlanceExpert`s Rating Pros Strong privacy practices Affordable long-term plans Lots of power user options for customization Free version available Cons Speeds were inConsistent in our tests Not the easiest VPN for beginners Free version has strict data limits Our Verdict Hide.me comes with a wide variety of features that can be tweaked, making it a great option for those looking to customize their VPN experience. It’s also compatible with streaming services and recently passed a new independent audit. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Retailer Price Hide Me $59.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Hide.me Retailer Price Hide Me $59.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Hide.me from Malaysia-based eVenture Ltd. continues to hang with today’s most popular services, even if it doesn’t have the same name recognition. Since my last review of its service, Hide.me has passed a new independent security audit and updated its interface to be more user-friendly. It has also added a few additional features such as a new protocol and server sorting options. So with these new advances let’s take another look and see where it stands in the current VPN market. Hide.me VPN in brief: P2P allowed: Yes Simultaneous device connections: 10  Business location: Malaysia Number of servers: 2,000+ Number of country locations: 91 Cost: $11.95 per month, $53.88 for 1-year, or $61.83 for 27 months What are Hide.me’s features and services? Hide.me’s homescreen is completely customizable. Sam Singleton Since my last review of Hide.me, it hasn’t significantly changed up its interface. That’s to be expected, however, as it went through a serious facelift a few years ago.  When you open up the application you’re confronted with a dashboard that shows some relevant information such as a Quick connect button that will connect to the last used server, information on your IP address, account information, a list of streaming optimized servers, and a list of your Favorite Locations.  Furthermore, all of these widgets are movable and interchangeable as well, meaning you can customize the look to only display the info you need. For those who prefer to navigate their VPN connections with a map, Hide.me has you covered there as well. Sam Singleton On the left sidebar you have additional tabs for Locations, Map, Features, Socials, and Settings, as well as Your Account, and Support. The Locations tab displays a searchable list of all available Hide.me server locations, with especially fast 10G servers tagged with an icon next to the server name. Along the top you can filter through all servers, those optimized for streaming, or multihop servers as well. The latest addition is an option to let you filter by physical distance from your home IP address location.  For those who are spatially inclined, the Map tab displays the physical location of all of these servers on a world map instead. With a generous feature set, support for a vast array of protocols, and the option to use custom DNS, Hide.me is a power user’s dream. Hide.me comes with a ton of great customizable feature options. Sam Singleton The Features tab is where Hide.me really shines—there’s a lot here. There are the usual options to launch on system startup, connect automatically, and so on. It also introduced a feature called Bolt “Fast Proxy,” which optimizes internet speed performance over an OpenVPN TCP connection. Theoretically, this can lead to speed increases, particularly in Windows. There is also an option to set up split tunneling and its own complementary proprietary firewall feature called “Stealth Guard.” This can be used to limit either your entire internet or just certain apps unless a Hide.me VPN connection is present–thus eliminating IP address leaks should your connection ever falter.  Here you’ll also find a port-forwarding feature as well as an ad- and tracker-blocker called “SmartGuard.” Port forwarding allows incoming data on your connection to get around your local firewall, potentially speeding up your connection. It can also expose you to extra security risks too, so be careful when using it.  There is also a separate kill switch feature available under the settings menu. Like I said, this service has a lot of features. Add to that the vast array of protocols available and the option to use custom DNS and it quickly becomes apparent that Hide.me is a power user’s dream. With all of that being said, due to the sheer amount of available features and the maze of menus you need to work through to tweak all of them, this service probably isn’t for beginners—or the faint of heart.  In the beginning, I personally found navigating the app a bit disorienting. Some things are listed under “Features” that should be settings and some are under “Settings” that should be features. It’s a minor gripe though, and figuring out the menu system is only a matter of spending some time in the application itself. Hide.me is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS, as well as some consoles and smart TVs. There are also browser add-ons for Chrome and Firefox that come with support for the SOCKS proxy.  How much does Hide.me cost? Hide.me offers a total of three different plan options for its premium service; a monthly plan, a 1-year plan, and a 2-year plan. The monthly plan costs $11.95 per month, which is a bit steep. Sure, the VPN gives you a lot of configurable options, but similarly priced services such as NordVPN or Surfshark offer all of the same things plus additional security features. The 1-year plan is a better deal at $53.88, or $4.49 per month, but it still remains a bit pricier than competitors. The 2-year plan is where Hide.me really becomes affordable. For a total of $61.83, or $2.29 per month, you’ll get access to the premium service for 24 months plus an additional three free months. That ends up becoming cheaper than most other VPNs for the same time period. Finally, it’s worth noting that Hide.me has a handy free version that provides all of the great security features of its premium counterpart for absolutely no cost. The only downside is that you’re limited to 10GB per month and it only provides access to eight of its servers. Due to these limitations, I don’t recommend using the free version to stream, but it is a great way to browse securely or just to try out the service to see how you like it. When signing up for Hide.me you do have to provide personal billing information and it accepts payments via credit card, PayPal, Google Pay, and various cryptocurrencies. How is Hide.me’s performance? In order to test Hide.me’s speeds I rated connection speeds across its servers in six different countries all around the world for multiple days and then compared them to my baseline internet speeds. Across all locations tested, the speeds averaged just over 45 percent of the base download speed and 68 percent of the base upload speed. That’s okay, but short of our list of the fastest VPNs. It is an improvement over the last time I tested its speeds, though. Within these aggregates were some truly incredible speeds. I just found they weren’t consistent. It was quite common for each location to show some great relative speeds one day and then fall off completely the following day. I also found that the drop in speed was quite significant the further the Hide.me server was from my physical location. This is, of course, not uncommon as distance tends to affect latency, but it was so drastic in some instances it caught me a bit by surprise. Hide.me’s server list displays which connections are high-speed 10Gbps so you can choose the fastest locations. Sam Singleton Hide.me does indicate which servers have faster, 10Gbps connection speeds next to the locations on the server list. However, I frankly didn’t notice a major difference in my testing while using these servers.  Also, testing with different protocols didn’t show one to be much faster than the others–however, I did find that WireGuard had a slight edge over the others, as is to be expected. Please note, however, that online speeds can vary wildly in pure Mbps tests from day to day and even hour to hour. It’s best to take any and all speed tests with a grain of salt. Your experience with Hide.me may differ from those in the tests for this review. Despite all of this, however, I never really ran into a problem due to connection speeds. Therefore, I’m confident that Hide.me has enough speed to take care of just about anything you need to do over a VPN connection. In regards to streaming, Hide.me performed admirably. Under the server list there is a tab for streaming-optimized servers. Every optimized streaming server I connected to was able to access streaming sites such as Netflix and Amazon Prime without any problems. I was even able to access streaming sites with some non-optimized servers as well. Given these results, Hide.me should serve you well for streaming and getting around region blocks. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Hide.me free version. Of all the eight servers offered with the free VPN, I found that every single one was blocked by Netflix. Given that the free plan only gives you 10GB of data per month—or about three hours of HD video—I can’t recommend Hide.me’s free version for those looking to stream. Something like Proton VPN would be a better free VPN choice for streaming. How is Hide.me’s security and privacy? There are a good selection of protocols offered by Hide.me, but I usually recommend WireGuard. Sam Singleton The VPN comes with industry standard AES 256-bit encryption. It also offers a whole range of protocols including IKEv2, OpenVPN, SoftEtherVPN, WireGuard, and SSTP—that’s more than most other services. Furthermore, it even offers advanced configuration options for many of these protocols to add to the customization. And in my testing I found that there were no IP address leaks when using Hide.me across any of its servers and protocols.  Hide.me is owned by eVenture Ltd., an IT security company based out of Malaysia. Privacy conscious users will be glad to know that Malaysia has no data retention laws and is not a member country of any surveillance alliances such as Five, Nine, or 14 Eyes. Hide.me has a very thorough privacy policy on its website. It states that it does not track your activity when you’re connected to the VPN. It doesn’t keep connection logs or store IP addresses.  The company does, however, keep troubleshooting logs that include a randomly generated username and an internally assigned IP address for each user. The troubleshooting logs are erased every few hours, according to the privacy policy. Additionally, it logs monthly data traffic amounts for quality assurance purposes. The company did originally pass an independent security audit of its “no-log” policy by Defense Code Ltd., in 2015. In my last review I criticized the service for not undergoing a new audit since that time. Hide.me was obviously paying attention, though, as it completed not one, but two new audits in the last year. The first was a MASA, or Mobile Application Security Assessment, in December of 2023 and then another full “no-log” audit of its service by Securitum in June of this year. The fact that it was one of the first VPN services to undergo an independent audit back in the day gave it old-school privacy cred. Now, with the latest audit, the company continues to prove that it takes user privacy seriously. Hide.me also publishes annual Transparency reports detailing data requests the company has received in a given year. Is Hide.me worth it? Hide.me is a really intriguing VPN service. On the one hand, it offers a fantastic tool set for power users to tweak and configure to their heart’s content. On the other, it can’t quite nail down some basic things you want from a VPN such as consistent speeds across servers and a user-friendly interface. It has a great privacy track record though, and the service was able to unblock all streaming sites that I tested. Overall, it’s a well-rounded service that ticks almost every box you could want from a top VPN. I can easily recommend it for experienced power users, but beginners might want to try the free version first before committing to the premium service. Editor’s note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, this review is subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the service. Any changes to text or our final review verdict will be noted at the top of this article. Read...

LG just revealed its fastest OLED gaming monitor yet. The UltraGear GX7 — specifically, model 27GX790A — is equipped with a 480Hz panel, allowing it to display visual content at up to 480FPS without any dropped frames. That is, of course, assuming it’s used in conjunction with a PC that’s capable of delivering such frame rates. The new UltraGear GX7 is a gamer’s dream, with 27-inch diagonal size, a resolution of 2560×1440, and a response time of 0.03ms. It’s fully compatible with Nvidia’s G-Sync and AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro technologies, and it’s VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certified. Connectivity isn’t the greatest, but it isn’t bad. You’ll find that it has one DisplayPort 2.1 port, two HDMI 2.1 ports, a USB 3.0 port, and a headphone port. The monitor also comes with a stand that can be raised, lowered, rotated to 30 degrees, and tilted to 15 degrees. The UltraGear 27GX790A is available for pre-order at a price of $999.99, which is reasonably in line with other 27-inch 1440p OLED monitors with 480Hz of refresh. It’s not yet known when pre-orders will ship. Read...

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 is a massive 43-inch 4K monitor for gamers, and it usually goes for about $1,000. But it’s the season for sales, and right now you can get it for just $500 at Best Buy. So, have you picked up your jaw off the floor yet? Good, because we need to talk about this monitor. Again, it’s a massive 43-incher of a display with a sharply crisp 4K resolution and smart TV functionality, allowing you to quickly access streaming content directly on the monitor. But the winningness of the Neo G7 comes from its gamer-loving specs, featuring a 144Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals, a 1ms response time for minimal lag, HDR 10+ for stunning contrast, anti-glare and flicker-free technology for reduced eye strain, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. Connectivity-wise, it comes with a DisplayPort 1.4 port, two HDMI 2.1 ports, and two USB-A 3.0 ports. And though it’s huge, it’s VESA-compatible with 200x200mm mounts, so pop it up on a monitor arm if you so wish. It also has a headphone port. Take advantage of this deal and get this Samsung 4K gaming monitor for just $500 while you still can. It’s doubtful we’ll see such a stunning discount again anytime soon. A 43-inch 4K gaming monitor for only $500? Yes, please!Buy now at Best Buy Read...

Hard drives can work for many years under ideal conditions. However, various factors such as manufacturing quality, careful handling, protection from high temperatures, moisture, and power peaks can influence their service life. We’ll show you the proper steps to take to maximize the life of your hard drive. Further reading: 3 reasons you should still buy a hard drive Fall damage and static electricity A fall, for example, can severely damage the hard drive. The impact can cause the read/write head to hit the rotating platters and scratch or damage them. Internal components can also shift and the read head or drive motor can be damaged. That’s why it’s important to handle external hard drives carefully and make sure that you do not drop your laptop to protect internal hard drives. When buying online, if possible, make sure you use a reliable shipping service provider that handles electronic devices properly. You should also protect your hard drive from static electricity, as such discharges can damage sensitive electronic components. Ideally, wear a grounded antistatic wrist strap when repairing and disassembling the hard drive to prevent static charges. Also avoid placing the hard drive on synthetic materials or clothing that can generate static electricity. If possible, use an anti-static mat and hold the hard drive by the edges to minimize the risk. Store unused or external hard drives in anti-static bags to protect them from static electricity. The read/write head of a magnetic hard drive is a moving part. In the worst case scenario, it can destroy the entire hard drive if it becomes defective or is dropped. IDG Ejecting the hard drive Before disconnecting an external hard drive, you should always eject it safely via the Windows operating system. This prevents data loss and ensures that the read/write head is properly parked to avoid crashes. Abrupt ejection can cause voltage fluctuations and electrical spikes that can damage the electronics of the hard drive. Safe ejection allows the operating system to safely disconnect the hard drive and stabilize other moving parts such as the spindle motor. Seagate 8TB BarraCuda Pro SATA 6Gb/s 256MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Hard Drive (ST8000DM0004) Another important point that is often neglected: High-quality power supply units (PSUs) from renowned manufacturers offer stable performance and furthermore have integrated protective functions such as overvoltage, undervoltage, short-circuit, and overvoltage protection. These functions prevent voltage fluctuations that could damage the electronics of your hard drive. A high-quality power supply is made of robust materials and undergoes rigorous testing to minimize the risk of failure. Overheating Unfortunately, overheating significantly shortens the life of a hard drive. The operating temperature of the hard drive should be below 55 degrees Celsius, even during heavy use. Make sure that your computer is well ventilated. You’ll want to regularly remove dust and dirt from the ventilation slots. You should also avoid overloading your housing with too many components and monitor the temperature of the hard drive. If the hard drive runs too hot, move it to a cooler location or improve your computer’s cooling system. A hard drive – here from WD – offers a lot of storage for relatively little money. However, it is also more vulnerable than a flash memory IDG High humidity and temperatures Both high humidity and high temperatures can affect the service life of a hard drive. It is best to keep the humidity between 40 and 50 percent. If you live in a region with high humidity, invest in a dehumidifier. Alternatively, you can place silica gel packets in the computer case to absorb excess moisture. You can also use sealed and weatherproof cases for external hard drives and store them in dry places. Reliable surge protection protects sensitive electronics in your computer from power surges. Even if your home has a surge protector on the main fuse box, it is advisable to use a local surge protector at the socket. Choose a surge protector with a high Joule rating, fast response times and advanced features such as indicator lights and resettable circuit breakers. Check the indicator lights regularly to make sure the surge protector is working properly. Read...

Whether you’re at home or away, a video doorbell is a lovely gadget that can help you check on who’s outside your door at any time. And right now, the Blink Video Doorbell is on sale for just $30 on Amazon — that’s 50 percent off its original price — so it’s the perfect time to grab one. This is the newest model of Blink’s video doorbell, able to capture 1080p video that clearly shows who’s outside your door. It also has two-way audio so you can chat with your visitors, whether it’s to tell your relatives to come back later or give instructions to the delivery person. The Blink Video Doorbell sends you phone notifications when motion is detected, including at night, and even in low-light conditions. It has an infrared night mode that let’s you see what’s going on in the dark, and it also works with Alexa, allowing you to pull up video footage on your Fire tablet or other Alexa-compatible screen. Installing this video doorbell is extremely easy, with a choice between hooking it up to pre-existing doorbell wiring or using 2 AA batteries that can last up to two years on optimal settings. Snatch the Blink Video Doorbell for just $30 on Amazon in this early Black Friday deal and rest easy during the upcoming holidays! Save 50% on this video doorbell and secure your front doorBuy now on Amazon Read...

Red Hat partners with Microsoft to launch RHEL AI on Azure, aiming to enhance AI deployment for businesses and support their evolving needs. Read...