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When it comes to home security, video quality is more than just a luxury—it’s a necessity. Clear, detailed footage can make all the difference in identifying potential threats and ensuring your home is well-protected. Ring offers a range of customizable video settings designed to enhance the clarity, usability, and effectiveness of its cameras. Whether you’re a seasoned Ring user or just getting started, understanding these settings can help you get the most out of your system. We’ll explain the key video settings currently available on Ring devices. Each feature plays a critical role in improving your security footage, and we’ll guide you on when and how to use them for the best results. Additionally, we’ll provide step-by-step instructions on how to find and enable each setting. Enable High Dynamic Range (HDR) One of the most significant improvements you can make to the quality of your security video is to enable High Dynamic Range (HDR). If you’ve ever struggled with footage that’s too dark in some areas and too bright in others, HDR could be the solution you’ve been looking for. HDR works by balancing the contrast between the lightest and darkest parts of the image, making it easier to see important details that might otherwise be lost. For example, if your camera is pointed towards a bright street, HDR can help ensure that both the brightly lit area and any shadows are clearly visible. Several Ring devices support HDR, including the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 and the Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro. (You can find a complete list of HDR-supported cameras at the preceding link.) If you own one of these devices, enabling HDR can significantly improve the quality of your recordings, especially in challenging lighting conditions. However, HDR isn’t always necessary. In some cases, such as in evenly lit environments, turning off HDR can save battery life without sacrificing video quality. It’s all about finding the right balance based on your specific setup. How to access and enable HDR: Open the Ring app on your mobile device. Select the device you want to adjust from the Dashboard. Tap on “Device Settings.” Choose “Video Settings.” Toggle the HDR option to “On.” Opt in to Color Night Vision Night vision is a staple of home security cameras, but traditional night vision often leaves much to be desired when it comes to detail. Color Night Vision takes nighttime footage to the next level by capturing images in full color, rather than the usual black and white. This feature is particularly useful in situations where color details matter, such as identifying the color of a car or a person’s clothing. By using ambient light from sources like street lamps, porch lights, or integrated spotlights/floodlights on the device itself, Ring’s Color Night Vision provides more context to what’s happening after dark. Devices like the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro and the Ring Video Doorbell Elite include Color Night Vision, making them ideal for users who want more than just basic night-time surveillance. (You can find a complete list of Color Night Vision-supported cameras at the preceding link.) While it’s important to note that this feature relies on some level of external lighting, the difference in detail can be substantial compared to standard night vision. Color Night Vision helps in situations where color details matter, such as identifying the color of a car or a person’s clothing. Color Night Vision helps in situations where color details matter, such as identifying the color of a car or a person’s clothing. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Color Night Vision helps in situations where color details matter, such as identifying the color of a car or a person’s clothing. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Michael Ansaldo/Foundry How to access and enable Color Night Vision: Open the Ring app on your mobile device. Select your Ring camera from the Dashboard. Tap on “Device Settings.” Go to “Video Settings.” Toggle the “Color Night Vision” option to “On.” TechHive has in-depth reviews of all the best home security cameras and the best video doorbells. Configure Standard Night Vision Michael Brown/Foundry Michael Brown/Foundry Michael Brown/Foundry While Color Night Vision is a compelling upgrade, it’s important not to overlook the tried-and-true standard night vision that most Ring devices still offer. This feature uses infrared light to illuminate the scene in black and white, providing visibility even in complete darkness. One of the main advantages of standard night vision is its consistency. Since it doesn’t rely on external light sources, it can be effective in any dark environment, whether you’re monitoring a dimly lit hallway or an unlit backyard. Additionally, because it’s less power-intensive than Color Night Vision, it’s often the preferred choice for battery-powered devices. Standard night vision is available on almost all Ring cameras, including older and budget-friendly models like the Ring Stick Up Cam and Ring Indoor Cam. How to access and enable standard Night Vision: Standard night vision is the default night vision setting for Ring video doorbells and cameras. To ensure it’s enabled on Ring devices that support Color Night Vision, simply follow the instructions detailed above and toggle the Color Night Vision option to “Off.” Tap Camera Preview for Live View In a potential security incident, every second counts. Ring’s Tap Camera Preview for Live View feature is designed with this in mind, allowing users to jump directly into a live feed with a single tap on the camera preview. This can be particularly handy when you receive a motion alert and want to quickly assess the situation. Most of Ring’s newer models come equipped with this feature, making it easier than ever to keep an eye on your property in real time. It streamlines the user experience, ensuring you’re always just a tap away from seeing what’s happening at your front door or in your backyard. The Tap Camera Preview for Live View feature  allows you to jump directly into a live feed with a single tap on you camera’s preview tile. The Tap Camera Preview for Live View feature  allows you to jump directly into a live feed with a single tap on you camera’s preview tile. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry The Tap Camera Preview for Live View feature  allows you to jump directly into a live feed with a single tap on you camera’s preview tile. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Michael Ansaldo/Foundry How to access and enable Tap Camera Preview for Live View: Open the Ring app on your mobile device. Select your Ring camera from the Dashboard. Tap on “Device Settings.” Go to “Video Settings.” Toggle the “Tap Camera Preview for Live View” option to “On.” Set up Pre-Roll or Advanced Pre-Roll Typically, motion-triggered cameras begin recording the moment movement is detected, but that often means you miss the crucial few seconds leading up to the event. Pre-Roll changes this by capturing a few seconds of footage before the main recording begins. This feature is particularly useful for those times when you want a complete picture of what’s happening around your property. Whether it’s a delivery person approaching your door or an unexpected visitor lurking in the shadows, Pre-Roll ensures you’re not left guessing about the moments leading up to the alert. Michael Brown/Foundry Michael Brown/Foundry Michael Brown/Foundry There are two types of Pre-Roll available on some Ring devices: Pre-Roll and Advanced Pre-Roll. While both provide valuable context by recording footage before motion is detected, they differ in terms of video quality and functionality. The standard Pre-Roll feature captures four seconds of low-definition black-and-white video without sound before the motion event. Notably, it does not work in low light. It’s available on Video Doorbell 3 Plus, Video Doorbell 4, Battery Video Doorbell Pro, Spotlight Cam Pro Battery/Solar, and Stick Up Cam Pro Battery/Solar models. Advanced Pre-Roll expands on that basic functionality by capturing six seconds of pre-motion footage in full color and high resolution and functioning in all lighting environments, making it easier to identify key details even before the main recording starts. It’s only available on Ring’s wired devices. How to access and enable pre-roll: Open the Ring app on your mobile device. Select the device that supports Pre-Roll from the Dashboard. Tap on “Device Settings.” Go to “Video Settings.” Toggle the “Pre-Roll” option to “On.” Use Picture-in-Picture mode Some Ring cameras have a picture-in-picture mode that can display either camera pre-roll or–if the camera supports it as well–Bird’s Eye View in a small window overlaid on the larger one. This smaller window can be repositioned by dragging it with your fingertip. You can also swap the two video streams by tapping on the picture-in-picture window. Michael Brown/Foundry Michael Brown/Foundry Michael Brown/Foundry How to access and enable Picture-in-Picture: Open the Ring app on your mobile device. Select the device that supports picture-in-picture from the Dashboard. Tap Device Settings. Tap Video Settings. Tap Picture in Picture. Toggle picture-in-picture mode on and then select either Bird’s Eye View or Pre-roll (you can’t choose both). Set Recording Length Another critical aspect of Ring’s video settings is the ability to customize the recording length for each motion event. This feature, which requires a Ring Protect subscription, lets you choose how long your Ring camera will continue recording after detecting motion, which can be crucial for capturing all the necessary details. Adjusting the recording length is particularly important for users with battery-powered devices. Longer recordings can provide more context and ensure you don’t miss anything important, but they also drain the battery more quickly. Conversely, shorter recordings help conserve battery life but might cut off before the entire event has unfolded. Wired devices receive a continuous power supply, so recording length won’t impact battery life. When deciding on the optimal recording length, consider the typical activity in the area your camera monitors. For high-traffic areas, shorter clips might suffice, whereas quieter zones might benefit from longer recordings to capture any unexpected activity fully. It’s also important to remember that longer recordings require more storage, whether saved locally or in the cloud. You should regularly review your storage options and adjust recording lengths accordingly to avoid running out of space. Most Ring devices allow for adjustable recording lengths, but the availability and flexibility of this feature can depend on whether you have a Ring Protect subscription. Without a subscription, you may be limited to shorter recording times, while subscribers can customize recordings to last up to several minutes. The Recording Length setting lets you choose how long your Ring camera will continue recording after detecting motion to ensure you capture all the necessary details. The Recording Length setting lets you choose how long your Ring camera will continue recording after detecting motion to ensure you capture all the necessary details. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry The Recording Length setting lets you choose how long your Ring camera will continue recording after detecting motion to ensure you capture all the necessary details. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Michael Ansaldo/Foundry How to access and adjust recording length: Open the Ring app on your mobile device. Select the camera you want to adjust from the Dashboard. Tap on “Device Settings.” Choose “Video Settings” “ Choose “Recording Length” and select the duration of the recording based on your preference. Your home, your security Ring’s video settings offer a powerful toolkit for enhancing home security, but the real power lies in how you use them. Whether you’re monitoring a busy front porch, a secluded backyard, or an entire property, these settings provide the flexibility and control needed to keep your home safe. With a little experimentation and attention to detail, you’ll be able to maximize the effectiveness of your Ring devices and enjoy greater peace of mind knowing your home is well-protected. Read...

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I swear to you that I’m not pirating software, movies, or TV shows. Nor am I downloading anything “adult” while I’m working. But I’m still an unabashed fan of Windows Sandbox, which remains the killer selling point of Windows 11 Pro. get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro You probably don’t even know whether you have a laptop with Windows 11 Home or Pro on it. Both versions look exactly the same, and it’s been years since Microsoft released any new Pro-specific features. It’s not even clear whether Microsoft intends to retain the Pro version of the software, for which Microsoft charges $100 more per copy (unless you can find Windows licenses cheaper elsewhere). Our article on the best features of Windows 10 (and now 11) Pro continues to molder, primarily because nothing ever changes. But Windows Sandbox still justifies the upgrade to Windows 11 Pro, because it’s a big, simple airbag to prevent you from colliding with the bad parts of the web. Sandbox, as the name suggests, creates a sandbox, a walled-off version of Windows within Windows. Even if you introduce malware into Sandbox, it will remain there, sequestered from your system, and not infect your PC. And you can eliminate Sandbox (and everything inside of it) with just a click. Windows Sandbox is an optional feature that, even with Windows 11 Pro, you must manually install. The easiest way to do it is to tap the Windows key, to open the search menu, then search for “Windows features.” You’ll see the Control Panel app to “turn Windows features on and off.” Click it, then scroll down the list of checkboxes until you hit the “Windows Sandbox” checkbox and toggle it on. If you don’t have Windows 11 Pro, you may see features like Sandbox grayed-out. Otherwise, toggle it on. If you don’t have Windows 11 Pro, you may see features like Sandbox grayed-out. Otherwise, toggle it on.PCWorld If you don’t have Windows 11 Pro, you may see features like Sandbox grayed-out. Otherwise, toggle it on.PCWorld PCWorld (If you don’t see the Windows Sandbox checkbox, you may not have Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro. Open the Windows Search menu again, then type “winver.” The small winver (Windows Version) box should report that you have Windows 10 Pro or 11 Pro.) If you’ve enabled Sandbox, Windows may need to download some files and then restart, so make sure you’ve saved your work beforehand. Once Windows reboots, the OS will have enabled Sandbox. Windows is testing out a feature where Sandbox will be considered an app, moving along on its own development cycle. For now, I find it the easiest to simply open Windows Search and search for Sandbox itself. Sandbox is essentially a virtual machine, dedicated to Windows. Launching it will likely take a few seconds or longer. When Sandbox launches, you’ll see a small window with a generic Windows desktop inside of it, like the image at the top of this page. This is important, since it’s essentially a new installation of Windows. You can personalize it, but the strength of Sandbox is that you don’t: It’s just an anonymous version of Windows, without any specific ties to you. So why use Sandbox? Because from here, you can do pretty much anything you can on Windows: surf the web, download apps, and more. If you subscribe to a VPN, you can download the VPN, install it, and gain yet another layer of anonymity. Sandbox is essentially a floating window with Windows inside of it. Here, you can add apps like this VPN for added security. Sandbox is essentially a floating window with Windows inside of it. Here, you can add apps like this VPN for added security.Mark Hachman / IDG Sandbox is essentially a floating window with Windows inside of it. Here, you can add apps like this VPN for added security.Mark Hachman / IDG Mark Hachman / IDG Sandbox isn’t particularly useful for something that’s usually safe and secure, like opening Microsoft 365 and writing an email. If you do have an untrusted attachment within an email, however, you can open Outlook, download the email, and then check it out within Sandbox. Say you receive a suspicious link, too: If it does harbor malware or a rootkit, Sandbox is designed to keep it within its walls, rather than spreading to your actual Windows install. That malware can theoretically attack anything within Sandbox, however, which is another reason for maintaining anonymity within Sandbox. Sandbox isn’t 100 percent secure; nothing is, really. But to attack your “main” version of Windows, a hacker would have to break out of your VPN (assuming you’re running one), break out of a sandboxed browser like Chrome or Edge, then break out of Sandbox itself to attack Windows. Possible, of course, but unlikely. And Windows’ own security mechanisms will work within Sandbox. One risk that you do run, however, is when you move a file from within Sandbox to the primary version of Windows. Sandbox allows you to do this. However, if there’s malware attached to that file, such as a PDF, you do run the risk of infecting your PC. I always think of Sandbox as a infectious disease laboratory, where scientists work with waldos and other mechanisms to interact with diseases inside of a secure environment. to get windows sandbox, you need win11 pro. get it cheap here! Windows 11 Pro You’ll probably find that it takes a bit of time and effort to set up a Sandbox environment with whatever protections you wish to add, so a persistent instance of Sandbox might make sense at times. Closing Sandbox, however, is as easy as closing the Sandbox window. You’ll receive a warning: Closing Sandbox erases everything inside of it, including downloaded files and apps. But if a virus starts playing havoc with your Sandbox, you can also shut it down and it will/should all disappear, too. The only thing I don’t like about Sandbox is that most PCs these days ship with a Windows 11 Home license, which makes a Windows 11 Pro machine so much more valuable. It’s basically worth the price of the upgrade itself! Read...

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Microsoft has released a white paper of sorts outlining what the company is doing to secure user data within Windows Recall, the controversial Windows feature that takes snapshots of your activity for later searching. As of late last night, Microsoft still hasn’t said whether they will release Recall to the Windows Insider channels for further testing as originally planned. In fact, Microsoft’s paper says very little about Recall as a product or when they will push Recall live to the public. Recall was first launched back in May as part of the Windows 11 24H2 update and it uses the local AI capabilities of Copilot+ PCs. The idea is that Recall captures periodic snapshots of your screen, then uses optical character recognition plus AI-driven techniques to translate and understand your activity. If you need to revisit something from earlier but don’t remember what it was or where it was stored, Recall steps in. However, Recall was seen as a privacy risk and was subsequently withdrawn from its intended public launch, with Microsoft saying that Windows Recall would later re-release in October. Microsoft latest post, authored by vice president of OS and enterprise security David Weston, details how the company intends to protect data within Recall. Though journalists previously found that Recall was “on” by default with an opt out, it will now be opt in for everyone. Users will be offered a “clear” choice on whether they want to use Recall, said Weston, and even after Recall is opted into, you can later opt out or even remove it entirely from Windows. What you’ll see as part of the “out of the box experience” with Windows 11 and Windows Recall. What you’ll see as part of the “out of the box experience” with Windows 11 and Windows Recall.Microsoft What you’ll see as part of the “out of the box experience” with Windows 11 and Windows Recall.Microsoft Microsoft The post goes into more detail about how data is stored within Windows, which has become one of the focal points of Recall’s controversy. In May, cybersecurity researcher Kevin Beaumont tweeted that Recall stored snapshots in “plain text,” and he published screenshots of what the database looked like within Windows. Beaumont has since deleted his tweet and removed the image of the database from his blog post outlining his findings. Alex Hagenah then published “TotalRecall,” a tool designed to extract information from the Recall stored files, as reported by Wired. That tool, stored on a GitHub page, still includes screenshots of the Recall database, or at least what was accessible at the time. Microsoft never publicly confirmed Beaumont’s findings, and doesn’t refer to them in its latest post. The company’s representatives also did not return written requests for further comment. Microsoft now says that Recall data is always encrypted and stored within what it calls the Virtualization-based Security Enclave, or VBS Enclave. That VBS Enclave can only be unlocked via Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security, and the only data that ever leaves the VBS Enclave is whatever the user explicitly asks for. (PIN codes are only accepted after the user has added a Windows Hello key.) A technical diagram of how Recall stores data, according to Microsoft. A technical diagram of how Recall stores data, according to Microsoft.Microsoft A technical diagram of how Recall stores data, according to Microsoft.Microsoft Microsoft “Biometric credentials must be enrolled to search Recall content. Using VBS Enclaves with Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security allows data to be briefly decrypted while you use the Recall feature to search,” Microsoft said. “Authorization will time out and require the user to authorize access for future sessions. This restricts attempts by latent malware trying to ‘ride along’ with a user authentication to steal data.” Weston also strove to make it clear that if you use “private browsing,” Recall never captures screenshots. (It’s not clear whether this applies only to Edge or to other browsers as well.) Recall snapshots can be deleted, including by a range of dates. And an icon in the system tray will flash when a screenshots is saved. What we don’t know is whether Recall will store deeply personal data (like passwords) within Recall. “Sensitive content filtering is on by default and helps reduce passwords, national ID numbers, and credit card numbers from being stored in Recall.” (Emphasis mine.) Microsoft said they have designed Recall to be part of a “zero trust” environment, where the VBS Enclave can only be unlocked after it’s deemed secure. But trust will be an issue for consumers, too. It appears that Microsoft is at least offering controls to turn off Recall if users are worried about what the feature will track. Further reading: The various ways Windows 11 collects your personal data and how to opt out Read...

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