
Search results for 'Technology' - Page: 7
| ITBrief - 29 Jul (ITBrief) Rapid7 launches Active Patching, an automated feature in Exposure Command, to speed up vulnerability fixes and reduce risks using Automox technology. Read...Newslink ©2025 to ITBrief |  |
|  | | PC World - 29 Jul (PC World)Want to upgrade your home PC or laptop setup? Maybe think outside the box, beyond the specs of your machine. Maybe what you need is a leveled-up monitor! You’d be surprised what a difference it can make going from 1080p to 4K. And right now, you can make that leap for not much money at all—this 32-inch Samsung ViewFinity UJ59 is only $250 right now on Amazon thanks to a 26% discount.
Samsung’s monitor is perfect for everyday browsing, streaming, and work. The 32-inch size is bigger than your typical 21-inch and 27-inch options, and the impressive 3840×2160 (4K) resolution is a huge step up from the more conventional 1080p you’re used to. It also has built-in upscaling technology that can automatically convert lower-resolution media up to 4K on the fly. The 60Hz refresh rate keeps this from being a full-blown gaming monitor, but it’s fine for light and casual fare.
Some minor downsides include: VA panel (less color accurate and vibrant than an IPS panel), lack of USB-C (though it does have dual HDMI and a DisplayPort), no VESA mount (so no mounting to a monitor arm), and a stand that doesn’t offer many points of adjustment.
Still, a 4K monitor by Samsung for this cheap is a pretty great deal if you’ve been on an old 1080p for a while. This price won’t last forever, though, so grab this 4K Samsung display for $250 while you can!
Snag this 32-inch 4K Samsung monitor for only $250Buy now at Amazon Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 29 Jul (PC World)In 1924, an innocuous American house might’ve hidden a speakeasy, slinging illegal booze to thirsty patrons during Prohibition. In 2020, you might’ve found the same house hiding dozens of Bitcoin miners. But in 2024, an American house hid a data center run by hackers operating it remotely from North Korea—and the US resident who took the job to keep it ticking is going to prison.
After a federal investigation and arrest, Christina Chapman will serve 8.5 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and paying back hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution, if possible. Chapman was certainly not unaware of the illicit nature of her activities—”I can go to federal prison for falsifying federal documents,” one of her chat logs correctly notes—but she is arguably, at least partially, a victim herself.
50-year-old Chapman was searching for a remote job that would allow her to take care of her mother who was battling cancer, according to a letter sent to the judge, when she found the opportunity that would result in her arrest. That job was essentially to be a facilitator for yet more remote workers, in reality North Korean agents posing as Americans in hundreds of US companies, stealing both funds and secrets.
Through a combination of identity theft and remote access tools like VPNs and proxies, these agents posed as remote workers while operating out of a coordinated operations center in the isolated and heavily sanctioned hermit country. The FBI estimates that the fraud netted $17 million USD by the time it unraveled.
United States Department of Justice
Ars Technica reports that Chapman’s job was to be the “warm body” on American soil. In addition to receiving and forwarding paychecks, she would take possession of company-issued laptops, sometimes operating them manually out of her home, sometimes sending them to yet more middlemen in China to be passed on to North Korea. When the FBI finally arrested her, there were more than 90 laptops in her home, open and running on racks, operating as an ad hoc data center.
Prosecutors said the hackers, employed under false identities, worked for “a top-5 national television network and media company, a premier Silicon Valley technology company, an aerospace and defense manufacturer, an iconic American car manufacturer, a high-end retail chain, and one of the most recognizable media and entertainment companies in the world.” Many were Fortune 500 companies, like Nike. North Korea has a long history of sophisticated hacking, including massive malware operations and directed attacks at other countries and Western corporations. The most visible to ordinary people is probably the infamous hack of Sony Pictures in 2014, apparently carried out in retaliation for the comedy movie The Interview, which depicts a fictional version of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. But more recent attacks have focused on lucrative ransomware and deep intelligence operations. The rise of generative “AI” tools has fueled a sophisticated campaign of applying for and receiving jobs posing as remote workers from other countries. There’s a growing list of people who have discovered that their new coworker wasn’t who they pretended to be. Chapman was effusive in her letter to the federal judge before sentencing, thanking the FBI for their work even though it resulted in a lengthy prison stay. “I had been trying to get away from the guys that I was working with for awhile and I wasn’t really sure how to do it… While this wasn’t the ideal way to get away from them, it did indeed get me away from them and I am thankful.” Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | BBCWorld - 29 Jul (BBCWorld)An arctic vault holds digital back-ups of some of humanity`s great works of art, history and technology. Read...Newslink ©2025 to BBCWorld |  |
|  | | PC World - 26 Jul (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
Pros
Outstanding industrial design
Lots of ingress options—provided you have an iPhone
Seamless integration with Apple Home and Home Keys
Comes with two NFC fobs
Cons
Initial setup required multiple re-installs to resolve
Only supports 10 PIN codes
No backup power feature
iOS only
Our Verdict
A bold design gives this Apple Home-centric smart lock a sophisticated look, but there’s very limited support for non-iPhone users, and installation can be a one-time challenge.
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Spend enough time in this business and you’ll begin to feel like you’ve seen everything. After reviewing more than 80 smart locks to date, I was sure that there were no more design or functionality stones left to overturn in this segment of the smart home market. And then along comes Avia.
A European brand newly available in the U.S., Avia is an altogether different concept in smart locks no matter which way you look at it. So, let’s start with its design. While the Avia Smart Deadbolt+ is a standard smart lock that replaces both exterior and interior escutcheons, you won’t notice it from the outside, at least from a distance.
Externally, the lock—which is available in black and satin nickel—looks a lot like a traditional, non-smart device (or for that matter, a Level Lock+ smart lock): Its circular escutcheon is just barely larger than the borehole it fits into, and there’s a keyhole in its center. Look closely, however, and you’ll find 10 physical number buttons arranged along the top of lock, arranged in two rows of five. You need to pay extra to get an exterior PIN pad for a Level Lock.
The PIN pad on the Avia Smart Deadbolt+ makes it one of the most unique smart locks on the market. Christopher Null/Foundry
A plastic-covered sensor hides beneath the lock, nearly invisible to the casual observer. Press one of the buttons on the keypad and the numerals light up in color (in the hue of your choice), along with the Avia logo, which appears on both sides of the device, providing a postmodern vibe to an otherwise classic-looking lock.
The Avia Smart Deadbolt+ boasts outstanding design and smooth operation, provided you’re an iPhone user.
While the exterior effect is striking, the interior escutcheon is far more traditional (and very much unlike a Level Lock). It’s a squat rectangle in two-tone silver and black with a simple thumb turn, powered by four AA batteries under a plastic panel. Note that there is no external port for emergency power. Avia says fresh cells will last for up to 18 months. The manufacturer also says its lock meets the highest level of ANSI and BHMA testing but that it is still awaiting formal certifications.
Installation and setup
The lock goes together somewhat unusually, thanks to the inclusion of a second mounting frame that fits on the inside of the door. This is an additional plastic frame upon which a smaller metal frame sits, both of which are sandwiched together with the exterior escutcheon via two small bolts. (The need for this second frame isn’t explained in the lock’s documentation.)
The exterior escutcheon has two electrical connectors: One connects to the interior motor unit, as expected, but the other attaches to a port on one of the frames. This all might be more intuitive if Avia included a printed instruction manual; unfortunately, your only educational option is to follow one of Avia’s online videos or go step-by-step with the Avia app.
I found getting everything seated properly to be a bit more complicated than the typical lock I’ve reviewed, thanks to the extra mounting frame and that second cable; but for the most part, it was a straightforward installation—or so I thought (more on that later).
You’ll need an iPhone to set up the Avia Smart Deadbolt+, but non-iPhone users will be able to open the door if you give them one of the included NFC keyfobs.Christopher Null/Foundry
The Avia Smart Deadbolt+ supports Matter over Thread, but it currently works with iOS exclusively, being designed entirely around Apple HomeKit and Apple’s Home Key technology. If you don’t already have an iOS home hub (e.g., an Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini), Avia says you can use the lock directly over Bluetooth. But there’s really no point in purchasing this lock if you don’t also have one of those three devices, as you’ll miss out on many of the lock’s features—along with any kind of remote accessibility.
Setup is very much in line with standard HomeKit configurations, and while you can set the lock up directly in iOS Home, you’re well advised to use Avia’s app to get started, beginning with scanning the QR code printed on the inside of the battery cover. I had to run through the scan-and-wait process a couple of times before it completed successfully; otherwise, the process was straightforward.
Using the Avia Smart Deadbolt+
Once configured, Avia’s lock offers a robust collection of access methods, including the previously mentioned numeric keypad and a bevy of “smart” ways to open the door. The lock is compatible with Apple Home Key, so once it’s installed and configured, you can just tap your iPhone or Apple Watch on the lock to open it—you don’t need to open the app on your phone.
The PIN pad and the Avia logo both light up in your choice from millions of colors.Christopher Null/Foundry
Users without an iPhone can use one of the two included NFC fobs to do the same trick; these are easily enrolled within the Avia app. You can even unlock the door with a Siri voice command—after you authenticate yourself on your iPhone.
One restriction of note: While you can share Home Key access with as many users as you’d like, the Avia Smart Deadbolt+ supports only 10 PIN codes and six key fobs (two of these are included with the lock). PIN and fob access must be configured through the Avia app directly. PINs can be restricted based on a schedule (recurring or otherwise), but fobs have 24/7 access. Home Key access must be granted through the iOS Home app. There is no facility for one-time access codes.
The lock has just a few other features, including auto-locking (delayed by up to 4 minutes) and the PIN pad lighting effects I mentioned earlier. These are configured via a color wheel in the app. You can also select a two-digit code to lock the door from the outside, a step made necessary by the absence of a “lock” button on the exterior escutcheon. A robust logging system (see the screenshot above) keeps track of every lock and unlock operation.
The understated design of the Avia Smart Deadbolt+’s exterior escutcheon is surpassed only by that of the Level Lock+Avia Smart
The Avia Smart Deadbolt+ is a nifty device, except for one rather big and bizarre anomaly I encountered right after I finished setting it up; namely, the lock wouldn’t open unless I had the physical key in its cylinder, and I could only remove the key from the lock when it was in the locked position. Any attempt to unlock the lock without the key resulted in a jam, no matter how I tried to open it, including physically turning the interior thumb turn. I asked Avia about this and the company suggested the lock had either been installed with the spindle the wrong way or with the deadbolt not retracted, but upon disassembly, everything looked as though it was installed correctly.
Nevertheless, after several more reassemblies and resets of the lock, carefully following Avia’s emailed instructions, I did finally get it working properly. All told it was a frustrating situation, but perhaps just a fluke since it was eventually resolved.
Should you buy the Avia Smart Deadbolt+?
Apart from than that significant setup hiccup, the Avia Smart Deadbolt+ works well, and its design is outstanding. The lock operates smoothly and reasonably quietly, the keypad is responsive, and every one of its means of electronic access worked flawlessly and nearly instantly in my testing.
The robust Home Key support is really a game-changer, since you don’t need to open an app or even have your phone with you—as long as you’re wearing your Apple Watch. Needing to open an app or tap in a code to get into the house becomes tedious over time.
At $299, however, the lock is very high-priced, especially given its limitations. For that kind of outlay, I’d expect flawless operation right out of the box, more robust user support, and a USB-C port for emergency power. All that said, it’s still $30 cheaper than the Level Lock+ that is its closest competitor.
This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart locks. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 26 Jul (PC World)According to a report by Enders Analysis, Amazon streaming devices such as the Fire TV Stick are increasingly being used for piracy. Research shows that more than half of all people in the UK who have used illegal streaming services this year have done so using an Amazon product.
This is piracy on an “industrial scale,” with Amazon being accused of enabling the consumption of pirated content through inaction and weak security measures. A complete overhaul of Fire TV Sticks is necessary to prevent illegal use, according to Enders Analysis.
How are Fire TV Sticks used illegally?
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is meant to provide quick plug-and-play access to streaming services such as Prime Video and Netflix, with users merely needing to plug the device in a TV’s HDMI port to get it working. With simple modifications, however, the device can also be used to access illegal live streams from paid TV providers and sports networks.
To make matters worse, these modified Fire TV Sticks can apparently be purchased for quite cheap on the black market. Last year, for example, several men were caught and sentenced to prison for selling such modified streaming devices, as reported by The Independent.
Despite TV networks and streaming services losing billions in revenue every year due to this and similar practices, some still think that companies like Amazon aren’t treating the issue seriously enough.
How does Amazon feel about it?
In a statement, Amazon told The Independent that it was “vigilant in [their] efforts to combat piracy” and had already “made changes to Fire Sticks to deter people from streaming illegal content.”
“Pirated content violates our policies regarding intellectual property rights, and compromises the security and privacy of our customers,” said the Amazon spokesperson.
Nevertheless, cases of piracy still seem to be occurring and some studies show that more and more users are consuming illegal streaming content, particularly in Europe.
Google, Microsoft, Meta also under fire
Amazon isn’t the only company to be criticized, with other major technology companies—including Google, Microsoft and Meta—also named in the report. They’re accused of contributing to the problem, primarily through inaction. How exactly content providers should tackle the growing piracy problem remains unclear, however.
Above all, perhaps the real issue is that legitimate users of streaming services are faced with a fragmented market and rising prices, which seems to be making piracy more attractive again. That said, just because piracy is convenient and inexpensive doesn’t mean it’s okay. Would-be pirates should remember that copyright infringement is a crime.
Further reading: The best streaming devices to get this year Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 26 Jul (PC World)Welcome to The Full Nerd newsletter—your weekly dose of hardcore PC hardware talk from the enthusiasts at PCWorld. Missed the latest topics on our YouTube show or flaming controversies across the web? You’re in the right spot.
Want this newsletter to come directly to your inbox? Sign up on our website!
Is hardware boring now? I asked myself this question after our crew’s discussion on Tuesday about the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE. Adam gave us the performance lowdown on the card (which still hasn’t reached U.S. shores but seems likely to), summarizing his findings from his testing. In his own words, “This literally does just slot right [into the Radeon 9000 stack]. Everything from the pricing to the performance, it’s like, okay, cool.”
“Okay, cool.” I found myself saying the same thing about the next expected version of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 too, when it resurfaced in the news again. This “A” variant will shift from an Ampere chip to one from Team Green’s newer Ada Lovelace architecture, making this rehash of an older budget GPU a little more modern.
Am I glad to see the Radeon 9000 series lineup fill out? Is it good that the RTX 3050 isn’t completely stuck in 2022? Yes, of course.
But also this week, I blurted out a very different phrase about the latest flagship Ryzen Threadripper Pro chip, the 9995WX. It’s such a beast that an overclocker finessed it to run at 5GHz on all 96 cores, at a ludicrous power draw of 948 watts. I can’t repeat what I initially said for politeness’s sake, but dang is a workable alternative.
AMD
Very likely I’m experiencing summer doldrums, given how slow news is at this time of year. Other tech journalists and hardware enthusiasts might be, too. Adam’s tone when discussing the 9070 GRE sounded subdued to me—even Brad’s as well, and he’s the best (realistic and grounded) hype man I know. The Tom’s Hardware headline for the RTX 3050 news used the phrase “RTX 3050 refuses to die.” And our YouTube comments have sounded more reserved (and even pessimistic) than usual, across all topics.
Still, I worry a bit we’re not in a temporary slump—that we’re instead experiencing a shift in what to expect from hardware launches. In talks I’ve had with various folks in tech or adjacent to tech, the idea that performance far exceeds need has come up more than once.
That’s great for us as consumers, but a potential bummer for those of us who avidly follow technology’s twists and turns. As long-time TFN fans know, I’m a big champion of the budget and mid-range. I crave incredible performance at every price. I love revolutionary yet affordable products I can point to as highlights of the year—and not just during our annual wrap-up show in December, but in future episodes of our Hardware Hall of Fame.
I want to feel excitement again. Not only from arguing with my coworkers about the merits of individual parts, or even what deserves the status of all-time notable hardware, but when I mention their existence to people who need them.
In this episode of The Full Nerd…
Willis Lai / Foundry
In this episode of The Full Nerd, Adam Patrick Murray, Brad Chacos, Alaina Yee, and Will Smith talk about the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE’s place among graphics cards, and the changes we’d like to see to ATX. (Brad tackles this second topic head-on with a list of four concrete updates he wants.)
The funny part: The guys all think I was ranting about ATX and its decrepit nature in last week’s newsletter. You and I both know I dove deep into broody feelings. I still got what I wanted though, which was hearing people’s thoughts on what should come next!
Less funny: Brad’s horrifying personal story about cockroaches during the pre-show.
As for other noteworthy news, we had a couple of big announcements! First: Adam and Will are starting a limited-run podcast about Linux—they’ll be chronicling the experience of making the switch from Windows.
Also: We’ve got a Hardware Hall of Fame episode coming up! Check back in two weeks for our return to fighting over what we think deserves GOAT status. And as with past years, we want to hear your nominees for the Hardware Hall of Fame, too. Share them with us on our Discord server, give me a shout on Bluesky, or send them to us at thefullnerd@pcworld.com!
I’m not even trying to hide one of my nominees for this year’s HOF episode.Thiago Trevisan/IDG
Missed our live show? Subscribe now to The Full Nerd YouTube channel, and activate notifications. We also answer viewer questions in real-time!
And if you need more hardware talk during the rest of the week, come join our Discord community—it’s full of cool, laid-back nerds.
This week’s fresh nerd news
One news blurb caught my eye and made me think of Gordon immediately—and so I’m honoring him this week by using a benchmark he came up with. Did I do it as well as him? No. But you know what, you can never properly replicate an original. Also making me happy are some really cool “books” available for sale.
These look so cool!Bolt Industries (via Tom’s Hardware)
You probably shouldn’t juice the heck out of your RTX laptop GPU: I agree with my colleague Michael Crider that most people should not use shunt mods for their laptop GPUs. You all, though? I know you understand the risks. Mod responsibly, folks.
Would you willingly let Microsoft monitor you? We all hate sluggish performance, especially in Windows. But I’m not sure I’m willing to let Microsoft gather telemetry data on my usage to help them squash performance issues, even if it’s in developer and beta builds.
Why use your MacBook Pro trackpad as a scale? Why not? Another to be filed under “YOLO.” (No shade to this person; they chose something far more productive to do than me, the reviewer who benchmarks games on integrated graphics—though in my defense, how can you criticize where the floor is if you don’t know its location?)
This business is selling stolen personal data for $50: Its founder presents this reselling of details as legitimate, even going as far as to claim that “doing good is in our DNA.” But putting lipstick on a pig doesn’t change what animal it is.
I want these PCB reference books made from actual PCBs: I write for a living, but I’m a big visual and tactile learner. So a physical “book” that teaches the basics of DC circuits, LEDs, transistors, and oscillators with PC boards that light up? Heck yeah. $37 isn’t even that expensive. (I’ve paid more for plain ol’ regular novels for English literature classes. College textbooks are such a racket.)
Humans triumph over AI in coding championship—for now: Some times, it’s more important that you prove a thing is possible. (Even with the eventuality that a thing man created will be the reason for man’s downfall.) What lets me sleep at night is knowing humans will integrate data better than AI for a while yet.
AMD Threadripper Pro 9000 CPU prices, plus the 2016-era Intel 6950X for historical pricing context.Alaina Yee / PCWorld
$11,700 for a 96-core, 192-thread CPU? Not too bad: You know that Threadripper Pro 9995WX I talked about above? I’ve been side-eyeing the headlines that poke at its price. The MSRP did rise compared to the 7995WX, yes. And it is almost $12K, yes. But if we map out these prices in a chart (aka the benchmark pioneered by one Gordon Mah Ung), HEDT fans are still coming out ahead. ‘Entry-level’ Threadripper buyers even win this generation—the 9955WX has a lower price tag than its predecessor.
Not sure if a Steam game is on Xbox Game Pass? This add-on will tell you: Unless you truly love a game (or its developers), you don’t need to buy it if you already have it available as a rental. This Chrome extension makes cross-checking easier. And while you’re at it, if you want to know if a Steam game is truly discounted, check out Is There Any Deal too.
U.S. and state warring over internet prices is a loss for all: I’m bummed about this one. Not everyone can afford standard internet prices, much less deal with the cost-raising shenanigans of major internet service providers. The fact that anyone in government is against affordable internet is a real shame.
What’s the cost of American-made? AMD says 5-20% for its Ryzen chips: AMD CEO Lisa Su also went on to comment to Bloomberg that the additional cost for fabrication at TSMC’s Arizona location is “worth it,” due to the diversification of chip supply. This latter info isn’t wholly new, as it was one of the driving motivators when the CHIPS act passed under the Biden administration—but now we have a clearer picture for what to expect from these efforts.
If you love a website, click on its articles: We’re all pressed for time. But I will tell you, those of us in publishing have concerns about AI-generated search result summaries. Less traffic ultimately means less reporting—which means everyone ends up with fewer sources for quality information.
Yooooo, Lego is launching a Nintendo Game Boy tribute: $60 bucks. That’s it. I don’t think any of my nostalgia purchases so far have been this reasonably priced.
Your body can be fingerprinted and tracked using Wi-Fi signals: Remember how in an earlier newsletter, I got cranky about Comcast trying to use Wi-Fi signals to monitor movement around your modem? Well, this drives home the point a little further for why you don’t want a big corp quietly offering such a “service.”
Catch you all next week, when both Adam and Brad are off—so Will and I are going to get up to (moderate) no good on The Full Nerd.
Don’t worry, it’s not like my boss reads this newsletter regularly. (eyeballs emoji -Brad)
Alaina
This newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and executive editor of hardware at PCWorld. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 25 Jul (PC World)Windows runs well, most of the time. But if the system suddenly starts acting up, important data disappears or programs no longer start properly, the cause is often not the technology itself, but the user. To be more precise: small oversights that can have annoying consequences.
Many problems are homemade and thus, can easily be avoided. Anyone who forgets a backup, misplaces the Bitlocker key or blindly relies on Windows Defender sometimes risks more than they think. The good news is that most problems can be easily avoided. You just need to know where the typical pitfalls lurk.
In this guide, we show you the five most common Windows errors and how you can avoid them with a few simple steps so that your system runs reliably, securely and stress-free.
1. Not creating a backup: The classic with consequences
Handier than most smartphones: backup hard drives such as the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD (1 TB) enable quick and easy backups.SanDisk
It always happens when you least need it: The hard drive gives up the ghost, a virus encrypts important data, or a careless click deletes half your working life. If you don’t have a backup, you’re quickly left out in the digital rain and annoyed by your own carelessness.
Here’s how to back up your data quickly and easily:
Use an external hard drive: Set up a regular backup to an external drive using the Windows “File History” or “Backup and Restore” function. Check out our roundup of the best external drives to see which models we recommend.
Supplement cloud backup: Services such as Onedrive, Google Drive or Dropbox offer additional protection, especially for documents and photos. Take a look at our list of the best cloud backup services to see even more great options
Automation helps: Set up automatic backups (daily or weekly) so that you don’t have to think about it.
Tip: Occasionally test your backup—an unusable backup is almost more annoying than having no backup at all. We present the best software for secure backups in this article.
2. Not backing up the BitLocker key: The digital door key
BitLocker is like a digital safe: the hard drive is encrypted, making unauthorized access impossible. This is practical and convenient, as long as you don’t lose the key. Because without the so-called “recovery key”, all encrypted data remains just that: encrypted and inaccessible forever.
How to use Bitlocker correctly:
Back up the key: When you activate BitLocker (usually automatically with Windows Pro or Business), a recovery key is generated.
Select secure storage: Save the key in your Microsoft account, print it out or make a secure note of it—but never just locally on the same PC.
How to find your key in your Microsoft account: Log in to https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey, where your saved keys are listed.
Tip: Do a quick check: Is your hard drive encrypted? Enter “Manage Bitlocker” in the Windows search and check the status: better now than after a total failure.
3. Ignoring Windows updates: Opening the door to security vulnerabilities
When Windows reports new updates, many users reflexively click on “Remind me later” and sometimes postpone important updates until it becomes dangerous. This is because Windows updates are often essential: they plug security holes, improve performance and add new functions. We therefore advise you to install updates as soon as possible.
This will keep your system up to date:
Keep updates active: Go to“Settings > Windows Update” and make sure that automatic updates are activated.
Do not postpone restarting: Schedule a restart on a regular basis. Many updates only take effect after a full restart—not just putting your computer to sleep.
Check optional updates: Under “Advanced options” you will also see driver and quality updates, it may be worth taking a look here.
Tip: Set fixed and convenient update times, for example in the evening or at lunchtime. Then restarts won’t disrupt your work and will become part of your digital routine.
4. Disabling Windows Defender—and not installing another antivirus
Many people think: “I don’t need a virus scanner, I’ll just watch out for myself.” However, this is a risky philosophy, as digital attacks often take place silently in the background these days, via email attachments, websites or manipulated adverts. If you deactivate Windows Defender (and don’t install a replacement), you’re basically travelling through the virtual world without a seatbelt.
How to protect your PC effectively:
Keep Windows Defender active: The integrated protection is now amazingly powerful—and is completely sufficient for many users.
No parallel virus scanners: Several antivirus programs often interfere with each other. Opt for a single digital bodyguard and leave it active at all times.
Optional: Use alternatives if you want more protection (e.g. banking protection, VPN, parental controls). Programs such as Bitdefender, Kaspersky or ESET are a good addition – but please don’t use them in parallel with Defender. We present the best antivirus programs here.
Tip: Check the status regularly: Open the Windows security area (“Windows security” in the search) and take a look at virus and threat protection.
5. Always working with the admin account: Full rights for malware
Windows distinguishes between normal user accounts and administrators. Anyone who surfs, installs programs, or reads emails with an admin account is always taking a certain risk: namely that malware can operate with the same rights. The digital front door is then wide open for malware which can delete data, change system files, or install treacherous backdoors.
Here’s how to play it safe:
Set up a second user account: Create a standard user account outside of the admin account. This will make your everyday work safer.
Only act as admin when required: If programs need admin rights, Windows automatically asks for the admin password and you can retain control over software rights.
This is how it works: Under “Settings > Accounts > Other users”, you can add a new user account and manage the permissions of accounts.
Tip: Even if it may be a little unfamiliar at first, the security level-up is worth it. If the worst comes to the worst, malware with a standard account has fewer rights and can cause less damage.
Conclusion: Small mistakes with a big impact are often easily avoidable
Many classic Windows mishaps are not caused by technical failures, but by mistakes. No backup, no updates, or missing security measures: All of this can be avoided with just a few clicks. If you have your system under control, you’ll not only save yourself nerves, but often also a lot of time, trouble, and even money.
Our advice: Take your time to go through the five points above. Set up a backup, check your security options, and create a user account with fewer rights. It only takes a few minutes, but can save your digital life in an emergency. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 25 Jul (PC World)TL;DR: The Sterling Stock Picker helps you gain confidence in the stock market — and it’s just $55.19 with promo code SAVE20 for lifetime access.
If you’ve ever stared at the stock market like it’s a confusing, fast-moving alien language, you’re not alone. But what if you could tap into a tool that demystifies the market, offers stock picks tailored to your goals, and even helps you build a portfolio?
Sterling Stock Picker is the AI-powered investing assistant that helps you make smarter choices without spending your weekends buried in spreadsheets.
Whether you’re new to investing or have a portfolio that needs some fine-tuning, Sterling Stock Picker walks you through the process with a surprisingly human touch—thanks to Finley, your personal AI investing coach. Ask questions. Get custom recommendations. Understand your risk level. And build a portfolio that actually aligns with your financial goals.
The platform’s North Star technology gives you clear insights on whether to buy, sell, hold, or walk away, while dynamic financial data helps you stay ahead of trends in real time. It even breaks down complicated investing lingo so you’re not left Googling terms mid-decision.
Unlike other platforms, this deal is a one-time payment that grants you access to everything—forever.
Enter coupon code SAVE20 at checkout to get a lifetime of the Sterling Stock Picker for just $55.19 for a limited time.
Sterling Stock Picker: Lifetime SubscriptionSee Deal
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