I’ve been testing VPNs for a while now and I’ve been using them for even longer—longer than I care to admit here. That entire time I’ve held true to one VPN and one VPN only as my main daily driver, ExpressVPN.  I swore up and down and across the board that it was the very best VPN. No matter how many new services came out or novel features were released by competitors, I never swayed. But it’s finally time, no matter how much it pains me to admit, NordVPN is now the best VPN. It wasn’t just one single thing that changed my mind, but a gradual build-up of useful features, better deals, and a consistent edge on speeds. Reluctantly, I’ve made the switch to NordVPN and I think you should, too. NordVPN has more servers NordVPN has a huge server network including locations all across the U.S.Jared Newman / Foundry Up until recently I never found that ExpressVPN was lacking in servers. I was usually able to find them in whichever country I wanted to and even in particular cities. That is until I was doing testing for an article where I sought out servers in specific cities or regions of the U.S. and ExpressVPN just didn’t have the coverage I needed. However, when I booted up NordVPN, I easily found multitudes of servers in practically every region of the country. Everywhere from McAllen, TX, to Charlotte, NC, had available servers—not just the big cities. Neither service discloses exactly how many servers it has, but according to the latest publicly available data, it isn’t even close. ExpressVPN currently offers around 3,000 active servers in 105 countries while NordVPN offers over 7,000 in 118 countries.  It might not seem like you need to connect to VPN servers in specific parts of a country, but it can actually make a big difference. Connecting to a server in closer physical proximity to your real location can translate to better speeds. Also, as I recently found out, being strategic about the servers you connect to can help save big on hotels and other online shopping. Besides, more is just better. ExpressVPN isn’t as fully featured NordVPN is so stacked with features that ExpressVPN simply can’t match it.Sam Singleton When I switched to NordVPN I was instantly impressed with the vast array of cool and interesting features on hand. There are options for obfuscated servers, P2P-optimized servers, and multi-hop connections. Users can also take advantage of the Meshnet feature to securely and easily connect devices directly in order to share files, play LAN games, or collaborate through work projects. These are all features I wasn’t getting with ExpressVPN. Sure, ExpressVPN has made a big push in the last year to develop and offer additional security features to users, but it still can’t match NordVPN at the moment. Even with the addition of its Password Manager and Identity Defender add-ons, all of which Nord was already offering by the way, ExpressVPN still feels modest in comparison. I will say that I still like ExpressVPN’s interface better, as it’s straightforward and dead-simple to use—NordVPN’s interface isn’t bad, but it can feel a bit cluttered. Alas, the interface wasn’t enough for me to stay. All of the useful and interesting features integrated into NordVPN were a big part of my switch. Now that I’m used to the versatility of Nord, I’m loath to give it up. NordLynx narrowly outshines Lightway NordVPN offers NordLynx which is a retooled version of the industry standard WireGuard protocol.Sam Singleton While the two most common VPN protocols, WireGuard and OpenVPN, are utilized by most VPN services, Nord and ExpressVPN decided to create their own. NordVPN built NordLynx and ExpressVPN built Lightway, both releasing at around the same time in 2020.  Both are based, directly or indirectly, on the original WireGuard protocol and they share much more in common than not, but there are some noticeable differences. The first is speed. NordLynx has shown to have consistently faster average connection speeds than Lightway in my testing. Over the years I’ve done thousands of speed tests with both of these protocols and NordLynx almost always comes out on top. Secondly, NordLynx has been open-source since launch while Lightway was developed and tested in private, only recently being released as open-source. This may not mean too much, but transparency from the outset is to be commended, if nothing else. Look, I trust ExpressVPN. I wouldn’t have been using it for as many years as I was if I didn’t. That being the case, WireGuard is the industry standard for a reason and NordLynx is just WireGuard by a different name. It‘s what most other VPNs choose to use, and besides, if Lightway was so good, you’d likely see more VPN services clamoring to use it or create their own version of it. I trust WireGuard and therefore I trust NordLynx to be my protocol of choice. NordVPN’s speeds can’t be beat As I mentioned above, NordVPN consistently performs at faster connection speeds than ExpressVPN. This includes wins in both download and upload average speeds. In fact, NordVPN has been the fastest VPN for three years running at this point and doesn’t show any signs of relinquishing that title.   This shouldn’t be seen as too much of a slight on ExpressVPN though as it’s actually a close second. But it’s precisely these kinds of minor differences that led me to finally make the switch. The real-world differences might be small here, but working from home means I do a lot of file transfers and online meetings, so the extra speed matters. For what it’s worth though, ExpressVPN just released its Lightway Turbo update so this all may change in the future—such is the fickle nature of VPN connection speeds. Further reading: How to test your VPN speed The deals are better with Nord VPNs, while not the most expensive services, still aren’t exactly cheap. Thankfully, there are great VPN deals to be had throughout the year, and if you time it correctly you can score a long-term subscription for pennies on the dollar.  Both ExpressVPN and NordVPN are some of the most expensive VPN services on the market, so finding deals on either can feel like hitting major pay dirt. That being said, NordVPN generally offers more frequent discounts throughout the year and these deals usually offer bigger savings than ExpressVPN’s deals.  For example, while NordVPN and ExpressVPN charge roughly similar prices for their regular 2-year plans, during Black Friday last year their respective deals told a different story. NordVPN was offering its 2-year plan for 74 percent off while ExpressVPN offered just a 61 percent discount.  Taking advantage of great deals is one of the easiest ways to save yourself money with common online services. Personally, I always look for VPN deals whenever my subscription plan is about to run out. Then I use that savings to pay for my favorite streaming service—it’s one of the reasons I started using a VPN in the first place all those years ago. Finally, switching to NordVPN was just another no-brainer way for me to save even more money in the long-run. Read...

Spring cleaning isn’t just for your home, but your outdoor area, too. And while you can have your robovac clean the floors, you’ll want the new Dreame Z1 Pro to clean up your pool. First unveiled at CES 2025, the Dreame Z1 Pro was recognized by Frost & Sullivan as the world’s first cordless robotic pool cleaner with a poolside-operatable remote controller and also the world’s first robotic pool cleaner with a triple surround fusion perception system. The Dreame Z1 series of robotic pool cleaners could make your life so much easier, saving countless hours of your time. Let’s take a deeper look. Cordlessly clean your pool One of the best things about the Dreame Z1 Pro is its cordless design, which means you won’t need to worry about it getting tangled up, its movement being restricted, or having to keep it plugged in via long extension cables. The Z1 Pro can go about its job, navigating the pool freely, and reaching all the nooks and crannies that need cleaning. The new pool cleaner features PoolSense technology. This allows it to map out your pool, and then analyze the information and use it to adapt its cleaning routine to your pool’s shape. It will intelligently create cleaning patterns that guarantee maximize coverage. The pool cleaner will smartly navigate your pool, noting its surroundings and splitting the area into specific zones. For floor cleaning, the Z1 Pro will take an S-shaped route, while wall cleaning tasks will adopt an N-shaped route. All these details make this pool-cleaning robot a fantastic helper that will successfully tackle even the most complex pools. View Deal on Dreame Z1 Pro Remotely control the robot Dreame Dreame Z1 Pro comes with a handheld remote that uses LiFi technology to maintain a connection with the pool cleaner even while it’s underwater. This will make assigning tasks that much easier, such as sending the Z1 Pro to specific areas for spot cleaning, and for pausing and resuming tasks, or parking the robot poolside. Even better, you can even use the remote to direct the robot to the areas you want cleaned, steering the cleaner manually. The LiFi control system will work regardless of whether you have a freshwater or saltwater pool. This remote is the main difference between the Dreame Z1 Pro and its cheaper sibling, the Dreame Z1. The Z1 may be more appropriate for smaller pools as it covers a smaller area than the Pro (about 200 square feet less). Tackle pool cleaning from all sides The Dreame Z1 Pro won’t just skim the top of the water and pick up leaves and twigs and whatever else the wind blew into the pool. This model will actually sink down to the bottom, perfectly clean the area, and then handle the walls of the pool as well, delivering a thorough and efficient pool cleaning. The pool cleaning robot uses dual brushless motors that deliver an impressive 8,000 GPH suction power, which means its ability to cling to the pool walls or stay tight to the pool floor until the job is done will not be an issue. Furthermore, the suction power ensures that the Z1 Pro will do a thorough job of collecting dirt, grime, algae, gravel, sand, leaves, hair, and even twigs. Your pool will be spotless once the Z1 Pro completes its job. The horizontal waterline cleaning is impressive, and Dreame’s tests revealed it has 50% improved efficiency compared to other robotic pool cleaners that perform this task. Being this thorough doesn’t mean cleaning takes longer: this cord-free pool cleaner can handle 2,160 square feet in about four hours. The exact cleaning time will be affected by variables including the pool’s size and shape, and how long it’s been since it was last cleaned. The robot’s battery will need recharging after the four hours are up. A full recharge takes around six hours. View Deal on Dreame Z1 Pro Smart navigation Much like home floor cleaning robovacs, pool cleaning robots have to be smart. The Z1 Pro will successfully avoid any obstacles on the floor of your pool. Not only can it detect pool drains, for instance, but it can also navigate around them so it doesn’t get stuck. Another thing that’s super smart about the Dreame Z1 Pro is that if it runs out of battery or the filter basket is filled, the Z1 Pro will automatically dock itself at the edge of the pool to allow for easy collection and disposal. Once it’s recharged or you’ve emptied the basket, the robot returns to its job and picks up where it left off. The Dreame Z1 Pro has a companion app you can use to designate specific docking locations around your pool. When the robot is out of the water and waiting for you, it will even send you a notification so you know you have to attend to it. This will make it so much easier for you because you won’t have to constantly monitor your pool to see if the robot needs attention. That same app will also come in handy for customizing your robot’s cleaning jobs. You can fiddle with the settings, choose between multiple suction power settings for waterline and floor cleaning, and adjust cleaning times. Universal pool cleaner The beauty of the Dreame Z1 Pro is that it will work with just about any type of pool, be it above-ground or in-ground. We already established that it doesn’t matter what shape the pool has, but you should also know that it doesn’t matter if it’s made out of concrete or fiberglass, if it has mosaic tiles, or if it’s covered in vinyl. It will handle everything with the same efficiency. Spring cleaning for your pool This spring, it’s time to do something nice for your pool: buy the Dreame Z1 Pro. The pool cleaning robot costs $1,599, but you can get it for $320 off right now at Dreame. That’s a great price for a device that will handle your pool cleaning day in and day out, with you barely lifting a finger. Limited-time deal: Save $320 on Dreame Z1 Pro View Offer Read...

The arrival of spring is for many an annual reminder to deep clean the house. After a long winter allergens and dust can build up inside, impacting your family’s health and wellbeing. Instead of dreading this chore, imagine a world in which a clean home is effortlessly maintained. Enter the Dreame X50 Ultra, the company’s newest robot vacuum—a smart home companion designed to eliminate the stress of cleaning and promote a healthier living environment. Even if you already have a robot vacuum, the Dreame X50 Ultra is worth your attention: we’ve seen this technology advance in leaps and bounds over the years, and the X50 Ultra is a premium cleaning robot with all the bells and whistles. A climbing robot Dreame For the Dreame X50 Ultra, the “leaps and bounds” part is literal: this robot vacuum can climb steps of up to 6cm—well, 4.2cm if it’s a single step and 6cm if there’s a secondary threshold. Unveiled at CES 2025, the Dreame X50 Ultra is the perfect addition for homes with different levels, easily swinging up and navigating small steps and thresholds. It will also come in handy to “jump” over chair legs and other low furniture, or even clothes racks if you use any. While many robot vacuums can clear some obstacles, the X50 Ultra is the first to use the ProLeap system. Not only can this robot vacuum climb steps, but it can also dodge under furniture. Yes, you read that right: it can lower its LiDAR sensors so it can fit under the couch, needing a minimum of 89mm clearance. Since couches and beds are so difficult to move around, a lot of dirt and dust can collect beneath them. This is something you no longer need to worry about with the Dreame X50 Ultra—it simply turns on the lights and uses its cameras instead of the top sensors for navigation of that space. Dreame While LiDAR navigation will deliver a detailed map of your home and furniture placement and help with obstacle avoidance, there are more sensors than we can count on the X50 Ultra. There are even two sensors on the bottom that will intelligently detect height and obstacle clearance for better navigation. Those same sensors will also help identify up to 200 types of objects. View Deal on Dreame X50 Ultra Killer suction power We’ve already established the Dreame X50 Ultra is highly versatile and can handle cleaning up everywhere, including under furniture, but we also need to consider how it will handle the rest of the house. This particular model delivers jaw-dropping 20,000Pa suction power. That’s more than enough to pick up any type of dirt off hard floors and will easily handle all sorts of carpets, too. Whether you have pets or not, you’ve almost certainly dropped plenty of hairs on the floor, too. The X50 Plus features the HyperStream detangling DuoBrush, an innovative design that will prevent hair tangling in its cleaning mechanism. Its 100% anti-entanglement is certified by TÜV SÜD. These two brushes with rubber strips work in opposite directions, throwing hairs and dust upward instead of allowing it to tangle. It means you won’t need to detangle and remove hair from the roller after every cleaning job. This technology is also responsible for the robot’s proficiency at picking up dust from all surfaces, including from between carpet fibers, without making too much noise. Mopping for truly clean floors Vacuuming is a necessary part of keeping your home clean, but truly clean floors also require a good mopping. Thankfully, Dreame X50 Ultra can do just that. Even better, one of the robot’s circular mops will extend to reach the edges and corners better than other robot vacs with mopping functionality. Your entire floor will be squeaky clean. And we know what you’re thinking: what about my carpets? The X50 Ultra won’t make your carpets soggy. It can lift the mopping pads by up to 10.5mm to avoid most low-pile carpets, and you can also use the app to mark the presence of carpet and tell the robot to avoid the area when mopping. Enjoy hands-free cleaning The Dreame X50 Ultra charging station isn’t there simply to power up your robot, it also takes all the hassle out of maintenance–without you needing to lift a finger. This means you can enjoy completely hands-free cleaning. It has a slew of jobs, starting with automatically emptying the dust box straight into a 3.2l dust bag. This bag will take around 100 days to fill on average, but the exact count will depend on how fast dust bunnies gather on your floors, how much your pets shed, and so on. The X50 Ultra charging station is also responsible for filling up the robovac’s water tank, adding cleaning solution, draining the water once the job is complete, washing the mops with hot water, and then hot air drying the mops. It will then run a self-cleaning cycle, scrubbing any leftover dirt from the base. You can separately purchase a water hookup kit for the Dreame X50 Ultra, which allows you to connect the robot to a faucet and a drainage pipe. In this way, you can skip lugging around heavy water tanks when they need changing for truly set-and-forget functionality. View Deal on Dreame X50 Ultra Pet-friendly cleaning Dreame If you have pets at home, you may already know that they have a tendency to stalk robotvacs while they clean. Dreame X50 Ultra has some smart features to keep them safe. With Dynamic spot-cleaning for people and pets, the robot will keep track of where everyone is, avoid stepping on any toes, and revisit those spots later in the cleaning cycle once the area has been vacated. Pet owners can also decide whether or not the robot should avoid pet bowls and litter boxes altogether using the app. You can use the Dreame X50 Ultra to keep an eye on your pets while you are away from home, too. The companion app lets you view real-time video from the robot while it’s cleaning and even lets you talk to your pets. Plus a button in the app will send the X50 Ultra to find and take a photo of your fur baby for ultimate peace of mind. Spring cleaning, spring sale The Dreame X50 Ultra robot vacuum retails for $1,699.99, but you can get it with a massive discount if you act fast. Starting March 25th and through March 31st, you can buy the Dreame X50 Ultra for just $1,359.99 both on Dreame‘s website or Amazon. That’s a fantastic deal on a product that will not only tackle spring cleaning for your floors, but also make daily management of this task a lot easier. Limited-time deal: Save $340 on Dreame X50 Ultra View Offer Read...

Milestone Systems has unveiled XProtect 2025 R1, enhancing cloud integration and vehicle analytics for improved security and urban planning solutions. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Decently affordable for USB 3.2×2 Good 20Gbps performance Maintains decent speed during uber-long writes Cons Not the fastest of the breed Low TBW rating Our Verdict Good 20Gbps performance and handsome looks are Addlink’s formula for the P21 external SSD. It also maintains solid numbers when writing off secondary cache. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Addlink P21 USB 3.2×2 (20Gbps) SSD Retailer Price $138.44 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If you’re looking for better-than-average 20Gbps performance that won’t break the bank, then Addlink’s P21 belongs on your short list. And thanks to modern TLC NAND, the write rate doesn’t sink precipitously when it runs out of secondary cache. Our only qualm, an exceedingly minor one, is a low TBW rating. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best external drives for comparison. What are the Addlink P21’s features? The Addlink P21 is a USB 3.2×2 (20Gbps) external SSD with NVMe internals. The SSD inside uses a Phison P27T controller, which means it’s DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 — it uses your device memory for primary caching duties. The NAND is 162-layer TLC, and of a modern variety according the test results. Though my artistic photos obscure the fact, the P21’s housing is actually midnight blue, not dark gray. It’s an aluminum-shelled enclosure that measures approximately 4.5-inches long, by 1.5-inches wide, by a half-inch thick and weighs 1.9 ounces. For what it’s worth, I find it a cut above average in appearance. One end of the drive sports the Type-C port and status light, while the other is home to a button that unlocks the slide out-tray that houses the electronics and NVMe SSD. That’s a bit unusual with pre-populated drives, and more normally a feature of buy-your-own-drive enclosures. The interior of the P21 revealing the 4TB WD SN850X inside. The P21 is warrantied for five years, but sports a rather low 300TBW rating (terabytes that may be written under warranty). That’s about half the TBW we normally see with TLC SSDs. It’s more in line with QLC SSDs, so I’m not sure of the reasoning. A button on the P21 unlocks a slide-out tray that houses the electronics and NVMe SSD — an uncommon feature in pre-populated drives. How much does the Addlink P21 cost? The P21 retails for $84.44/1TB, $149.44/2TB, and $312.44/4TB flavors according to Addlink PR. But at this writing, it can be found for less on Amazon, with the 2TB and 4TB going for $138.44 and $288.44, respectively. While the quoted prices are decent for 20Gbps 3.2×2 storage, prices in the category have dropped dramatically recently due the advent of USB4. I must admit that I find it a bit puzzling that vendors continue to release USB 3.2×2 SSDs rather than the more compatible USB4. Not that I don’t love a 20Gbps transfer rate, but USB 3.2×2 drops to 10Gbps on most Thunderbolt ports, where USB4 does not. How fast is the Addlink P21? The Addlink P21 isn’t the fastest USB 3.2×2 (20Gbps) SSD I’ve tested, but it’s hardly the slowest either — 7th among 16 drives of its ilk overall. If Addlink had sent me the 2TB version (like the other drives in the charts), it would likely have written the 450GB file more quickly and ranked higher. Bear in mind that all 20Gbps SSDs are pretty fast, and as you can see below, CrystalDiskMark 8 thought very highly of the P21 — reinforcing my theory about the 2TB version possibly ranking higher. As you can see, CrystalDiskMark 8 thought very highly of the P21’s sequential transfer prowess. Longer bars are better. CrystalDiskMark 8 was equally high on the P21’s random 4K transfer abilities. It blew away the other drives in the queued write test. Note that Windows does not use NVMe queues. CrystalDiskMark 8 was equally high on the P21’s random 4K transfer abilities. Longer bars are better. The P21 was very fast in our 48GB transfers, but was sabotaged to some degree by a slow folder read. The Crucial X10 Pro is aces at this kind of stuff. The other drives are the Lexar SL600 and Samsung T9. The P21 was very fast in our 48GB transfers, being slightly sabotaged by a slow folder read. The Crucial X10 Pro is aces at this kind of stuff. Shorter bars are better. The 1TB P21 ran out of secondary cache in about half the time of the 2TB competition, with the write rate dropping to the TLC’s native 650MBps to 850MBps. Most 2TB SSDs have enough secondary cache that the writes will never slow during this 450GB write. The 1TB P21 ran out of secondary cache in about half the time of the 2TB competition, with the write rate dropping to the TLC’s native 650MBps to 850MBps. Shorter bars are better. Note that the P21 never dropped below 600MBps even during multiple consecutive 900GB writes. Of course, this is more a testament to modern TLC which writes natively at the described speeds, than anything Addlink or Phison did. But there’s nothing worse that watching your SSD write below 100MBps as sometimes happened with old TLC and still happens with modern QLC. Again, the P21 might’ve ranked quite a bit higher if I’d tested the 2TB version. I’m going to go out on a limb here and rate it on par with everything USB 3.2×3 I’ve tested — other than the Crucial X10 Pro, which is a beast in real-world transfers. Should you buy the Addlink P21? Despite the low TBW rating, yes — at the right price. The P21 is a good performer, good looking, and won’t break the bank. But competition is fierce and any of the SSDs on the charts will serve you well. Please note that 20Gbps USB ports are hardly universal. If you don’t have one, go 10Gbps for a lot less money, or USB4. How we test Our storage tests currently utilize Windows 11 (22H2) 64-bit running on an X790 (PCIe 5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 modules (64GB of memory total). Intel integrated graphics are used. The 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk taking up 58GB of the 64GB total memory. The 450GB file is transferred from a Samsung 990 Pro 2TB, which also contains the operating system. Each test is performed on a newly formatted and TRIM’d drive so the results are optimal. Note that as any drive fills up, performance will decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, and other factors. The performance numbers shown apply only to the drive we were shipped as well as the capacity tested. SSD performance can vary by capacity due to more or fewer chips to read/write across and the amount of NAND available for secondary caching (writing TLC/QLC as SLC). Vendors also occasionally swap components. If you ever notice a large discrepancy between the performance you experience and that which we report (systems being roughly equal), by all means—let us know. Read...

Philips Hue appears ready to expand its line of home security devices, with clues to the manufacturer’s plans hidden within its own app.  The leak details an unannounced product that would round out Hue’s existing catalog of security cameras, floodlights, and motion and contact sensors: a video doorbell, which would mark a logical next step in terms of brand’s smart security lineup.  As HueBlog.com reports, intel about the purported doorbell was discovered by a reader doing a deep dive into the Philips Hue app. Details about the device remain sketchy, but we can be reasonably sure it’s in the pipeline.  For starters, it appears the doorbell offers both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, with the former designed to aid discovery during setup. Scanning a QR code may also figure in the setup process, Hueblog.com notes.  Another clue about the potential Philips Hue doorbell comes from an LED troubleshooting screen with a caption that reads, “Your doorbell may not be connected to power. Make sure it’s properly wired in,” suggesting that the device will depend on wired power rather than a battery.  The leak doesn’t provide other key details, including the video resolution of the doorbell’s camera, whether it offers motion sensing or AI-powered object recognition, support for motion or privacy zones, or other common video doorbell features.   When might the Philips Hue video doorbell arrive? Good question. In recent years, Hue has saved its biggest product announcements for the fall IFA technology conference in Berlin, so it seems reasonable that the doorbell might make its appearance then.  We’ve reached out to Philips Hue for more details.  Philips Hue first made the leap to home security products back in August 2023, where it unveiled a suite of three security cameras—including a wired camera, a battery-powered cam, and a spotlight—along with a contact sensor.  The Hue cameras all top out at 1080p resolution, and they also offer such features as motion sensing, on-device, AI-powered person, pet, vehicle, and package detection, plus end-to-end encryption.  Controlling the cams is the security center in the Hue app, which lets users view video feeds and recordings, arm or disarm the Hue security system, receive motion alerts, or “take action,” including calling 9-1-1 or triggering “light alarms” intended to spook intruders or alert neighbors to a disturbance.  As with Ring and other home security brands, Philips offers a paid subscription plan for those looking to store recorded videos in the cloud, with the Hue Secure Basic plan giving a single camera 30 days of storage for $3.99 a month or $39.99 a year. The Hue Secure Plus plan will handle all your Hue cameras for $9.99 a month or $99.99/year, while upping the video storage to 60 days. Read...

Microsoft has been ramping up its efforts to signal the end of Windows 10 support and get users switching over to Windows 11 sooner than later. Yet, while the official deadline isn’t until October 14, it seems users are already dealing with some nuisances leading up to that day. A few days ago, the company announced via the Microsoft 365 Message Center that support for OneNote for Windows 10 will also be discontinued on the same day alongside Windows 10: “As we continue to enhance OneNote with a unified and modern experience, we want to remind you that OneNote for Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025. To avoid disruptions, we strongly urge your organization to fully transition to OneNote on Windows (OneNote M365) and uninstall the legacy application as soon as possible. Migrating ensures continued access to the latest features, security updates, and a modernized experience.” What does this mean for you? As explained on this support page, it means no immediate change, but OneNote for Windows 10 will stop receiving updates in the future. Furthermore, OneNote for Windows 10 is no longer searchable or installable in the Microsoft Store. (It’s been replaced by OneNote for Windows, which will be Microsoft’s primary OneNote focus going forward.) Starting June 2025, you’ll start to experience “slower sync performance, impacting real-time collaboration and multi-device access.” And starting July 2025, you’ll start to see “see in-app banners prompting [you] to switch to OneNote (M365), which could impact [your] workflows.” Eventually, you’ll stop getting updates and bug fixes altogether, leading to potential performance issues and reduced functionality. It’s important to note that only OneNote for Windows 10 is affected by end of support. The desktop version for Windows 11, which you get with Microsoft 365, will continue as usual going forward. You can keep using either app for now, but the Windows 10 version will grow increasingly problematic with time, especially without security updates. Microsoft therefore recommends switching to the latest version of OneNote in Microsoft 365 as soon as you can. Or opt for the free web version, which doesn’t require a download. Or switch to alternatives such as SharePoint, Evernote, Google Keep, or Google Docs. Read...

The firewall is one of the most important security features in a computer environment. In the classic sense, a firewall is set up on an appliance, such as a computer that fulfills just a single, narrowly defined task — those found in companies, public authorities, and scientific institutions, for instance. A firewall of this type monitors the connection between two networks, such as the internal LAN and the internet, to prevent against unauthorized access. There are also personal firewalls such as the one that’s preconfigured in Windows, or available as freeware or as a paid software solution. In contrast to a classic firewall, a personal firewall does not protect an entire network, but only the individual computer on which it is installed. It’s the barrier that prevents any harmful elements from accessing the files that you have stored locally. The Windows firewall Microsoft calls the integrated Windows firewall the Windows Defender Firewall. This is the most important thing to know about the Defender Firewall: As the configuration of a firewall is a complex matter and requires a lot of prior knowledge from the user, Microsoft has defined three standard configurations for the Defender firewall. Which of these is activated depends on the selected network profile. If you select the public profile in the Windows Settings under “Network and Internet,” Windows seals off the computer from the outside world. In this case, the computer cannot be found on the network and it is not possible to share files and printers with other users. If you are not connected to a domain, you can choose between two network profiles in Windows, “Public” and “Private.” If you select “Public,” Windows largely closes the doors.Chris Hoffman / IDG However, if you set the private profile, you can share folders, files, and printers with others and use apps for internal communication. Windows also provides a domain profile for professional networks. Windows Firewall in practice The Windows firewall is active immediately after the operating system is installed and analyzes all incoming data packets to determine whether they have been requested by an application. This is called Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI), so the Windows firewall is a Stateful Packet Inspection firewall. However, programs such as Facebook Messenger or remote maintenance tools such as Teamviewer would not work if they were unable to receive unsolicited messages or calls. When they are installed behind a firewall, they therefore open one or more ports via which they receive incoming messages. They also customize other firewall settings. Readjustment by the user is not necessary. Teamviewer and other applications that react to signals from outside set the Windows firewall accordingly during installation. Foundry Verdict on the Defender firewall The Windows firewall protects the computer from malware that has infiltrated another PC and now wants to spread via the network. It is therefore strongly recommended not to deactivate it. However, at least in the default setting, it cannot prevent malware that has managed to infect one computer from trying to spread it to other PCs. Specialized firewall applications can do this better. Firewalls from third-party manufacturers The Comodo firewall can block applications, hide the PC in the network, and list which programs are currently connected to the internet. However, it only comes in a complete package with an antivirus program.Comodo If you travel a lot and use your notebook to connect to other people’s LAN and WLAN networks, you naturally have no control over the router settings. In this case, we recommend using a third-party firewall. The Comodo Firewall, which is sold as part of the Comodo Internet Security package, is widely used. Unfortunately, the package can only be installed as a whole, and the setup also includes the Comodo antivirus program. Once the installation is complete, click on the shield icon labelled “Protection” on the left-hand side and click on “Firewall” in the next window. You can then prohibit or allow applications to connect to the internet, you can block incoming connections via port blocks or have them reported, you can manage your network connections and the active connections to the internet. If you are travelling and in a foreign WLAN, for example, it is advisable to hide the ports and only allow the applications that you actually need. In some cases, you may need to allow several program files to access the internet. You can often find information on this from the manufacturer or in the help forums on the internet. Mobile PCs require a more comprehensive protection function than stationary computers. A more configurable and feature-rich firewall from a third-party manufacturer is recommended for them. Sandbox for isolation Sandboxes are a component of many personal firewalls. Under “Protection,” you can access Comodo’s sandbox function, which is called “Containment” here. A sandbox is used to run individual, selected applications in a closed memory area where it cannot cause any damage to the rest of the PC. In a sandbox, for example, suspicious downloaded EXE files and other programs can be executed without the user having to worry about catching a virus. You must first activate the Windows sandbox via “Programs and Features” in the Control Panel.Foundry Windows Pro also has a sandbox, but you have to activate it first. (It’s not available for Windows Home.) To do this, open the Control Panel and go to “Programs and Features” in the icon view. In the following window, click on “Enable or disable Windows features,” scroll down, and tick the box next to “Windows sandbox.” get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro After confirming with “OK,” Windows installs some files and then reboots. After logging in, you will see a window with a second Windows desktop. To test programs there, you can copy them to the sandbox using the clipboard. You can close the sandbox window like any other window. To open it again, enter Windows Sandbox in the search field of the taskbar and press Enter. Further reading: Be safe! How I set up a ‘Paranoid PC’ with Windows Sandbox to surf the risky web Professional firewall for home use Professional firewalls usually run on appliances, i.e. their own hardware, and therefore cost several thousand dollars. However, there is a cheaper option: The free open-source firewall Ipfire is also available for the Raspberry Pi from version 4b with 1GB RAM and more. The software can shield entire networks from the outside world, is easy to use, and even offers an optional intrusion detection system (IDS) that monitors for changes that are typically caused by malware. With IDS, however, the memory expansion should be 4GB or more. Read...

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