
All Newslinks - Page: 10
| RadioNZ - 5 hours ago (RadioNZ) A working cellphone can be the difference between life and death during a natural disaster. Read...Newslink ©2025 to RadioNZ |  |
|  | | PC World - 5 hours ago (PC World)If you’re like me and you consistently forget to turn off your lights, only to remember them when you’re cozy in bed, then you might benefit from upgrading to smart bulbs. Smart bulbs are a great first step for any home because they’re inexpensive yet so practical.
Right now, you can get this 4-pack of Philips Hue 60W smart LED bulbs for just $37 on Amazon, which is 26 percent off its usual $50. At a little over $9 per bulb, you might be balking — but you’d be surprised how useful these can be. Once you try, you’ll never go back.
These soft white LED bulbs only use 10W each but offer equivalent brightness to 60W incandescents. They’re dimmable, too, so they’re versatile for any space in your home, whether that’s your living room, dining table, or your bedroom.
What makes these bulbs “smart”? The fact that you can control them with your phone via Bluetooth by pairing them in the Hue app. You can also integrate them with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit for voice control. Very handy when you’re in bed or on the couch!
If you get a Philips Hue Bridge (sold separately), you can go even further with automations that can turn them off at night and turn them on before you come home. Those automations are also great for keeping your home looking occupied when you’re away on trips.
Smarten up your home for cheap right now! Get this 4-pack of Philips Hue smart LED bulbs for $37 on Amazon before this deal expires.
At just $9 each, these convenient smart LED bulbs are so worth itBuy now at Amazon Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | Stuff.co.nz - 5 hours ago (Stuff.co.nz) The two-vehicle crash on Wednesday evening involved a vehicle and a motorbike. Read...Newslink ©2025 to Stuff.co.nz |  |
|  | | Aardvark - 5 hours ago (Aardvark)Trump and Musk. Are they the superheroes that the USA really needs or are
they just a couple of snake-oil merchants duping a gullible public? Read...Newslink ©2025 to Aardvark |  |
|  | | Good Returns - 5 hours ago (Good Returns) As potential new homeowners struggle with saving a decent deposit a mortgage adviser can put before a bank in a loan application, Squirrel Mortgages has taken a swipe at how much profit banks are making from savings accounts. Read...Newslink ©2025 to Good Returns |  |
|  | | RadioNZ - 5 hours ago (RadioNZ) The English Teachers Association has walked away from work on the draft secondary school English curriculum. Read...Newslink ©2025 to RadioNZ |  |
|  | | PC World - 5 hours ago (PC World)According to a new report from Reuters (spotted by Thurrott), OpenAI could finalize the design of its first 3nm AI chip in the coming months, with the goal of starting mass production at TSMC in 2026.
The chip is being developed by a team of 40 OpenAI employees in collaboration with Broadcom. The project is being led by Richard Ho, OpenAI’s new head of hardware, who previously worked on solutions for Google’s infrastructure and cloud services.
According to Reuters, OpenAI’s chip will be able to both train and run AI models, but initially it’ll be used mainly for inference (running AI models) and to a limited extent within the company’s infrastructure.
Demand for Nvidia’s AI chips remains extremely high right now, with companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta, and Google investing billions in AI data centers. But developing AI chips that can compete with Nvidia’s own will be a challenge.
According to Reuters, OpenAI may need to invest $500 million to develop the first version of its 3nm chip, and the cost could potentially double as software and peripherals are developed. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 5 hours ago (PC World)Microsoft will release the last update for Windows 10 with the Patchday on October 14, 2025, after which this version of Windows will no longer receive any updates. What does this mean for users?
Windows 10 is not immediately insecure or no longer usable
First of all, there is no need to panic about this date. Windows 10 will theoretically continue to run indefinitely, as Microsoft is not discontinuing the functionality of the operating system, there will “only” be no more updates from November. This means that you can continue to use Windows 10 in principle, but no more security gaps will be closed, for example.
Chris Hoffman / IDG
Of course, given that cyber attacks on companies and private individuals continue to increase, this can be a problem for Windows 10 users in the long term. This is because newly discovered security gaps in the operating system can give attackers access to the computer, its data, and the network. PCs connected to the internet in particular are then fundamentally less protected. However, the security functions of the operating system remain active, including malware protection.
As a precaution, you can disconnect your PC from the internet completely, but this reduces the usefulness of the computer, especially in a private environment. In principle, there is nothing to be said against Windows 11, especially as Microsoft still allows you to update for free.
Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 11
Ralf Liebhold/Shutterstock.com
These are the real dangers for Windows 10 without support
New security vulnerabilities are regularly discovered in the various versions of Windows — even years later. From October 2025, Microsoft will no longer close these in Windows 10, so the likelihood of malware gaining access to a PC increases with each passing day. As most PCs are connected to the internet via a router with a firewall, there is often no danger to be expected via this route. However, there are numerous websites that are contaminated with malware.
MacPaw Moonlock Lab
There are also emails that you receive or programs that you download. These can contain malware that spreads on your PC if the malware scanner does not recognize it. If you actively use your PC with the internet, especially in sensitive areas such as online banking, you should always update the operating system or switch to Linux, for example. In this case, using Windows 10 is too high a risk.
As soon as Windows 10 is no longer supported, the developers of third-party software will also stop releasing updates for Windows 10 at some point. Microsoft’s own Office 365 subscription loses compatibility with Windows 10 in October, for example. This will also make these programs less secure and in some cases no longer usable. This will not happen immediately, but it is an inevitable development. It therefore also makes sense to update your software for reasons of compatibility and security.
Cyber criminals will focus heavily on Windows 10
According to Statcounter, Windows 10 still has a large market share of over 60 percent compared to just over 30 percent for Windows 11. The security company ESET estimates that 32 milion PCs are still running Windows 10 in Germany alone. This means that cyber criminals will increasingly focus on Windows 10 security vulnerabilities after the end of support because it will be worth it. As soon as these gaps are publicly known, tools and programs will appear that exploit them. From this moment on, users of the outdated operating system risk losing their data.
Windows 10 blue screen
Mashka/Shutterstock.com
At the end of support for Windows 7 in 2020, the operating system only had a market share of 20 percent. It is therefore to be expected that many criminals are already working on attacks on Windows 10, if only because of the enormous spread of the operating system.
If malware has infiltrated a PC in the home network, all data is at risk, including that on internal network storage such as NAS devices.“It’s five to twelve to avoid a security fiasco in 2025. We strongly advise all users not to wait until October, but to switch to Windows 11 immediately or choose an alternative operating system if their device cannot be updated to the latest Windows operating system. Otherwise, users expose themselves to considerable security risks and make themselves vulnerable to dangerous cyber attacks and data loss,” explains IT security expert Thorsten Urbanski from ESET.
Can you continue to use Windows 10 safely?
Of course, it is not advisable to panic and immediately disconnect your PC from the internet or network in October. If you want to continue using Windows 10, you can book the Extended Security Updates program from Microsoft. This costs around $60 for the first year until October 2026. In this case, you will continue to receive updates from Microsoft. This extension runs a total of three times until October 2028, after which updates will also stop.
An alternative that you can already use now is the 0Patch security solution. This is a company that provides security updates for Windows 10 until 2030. However, the company’s cloud-based software does not update the Windows 10 system files, but activates the patches in the computer’s RAM. This means they have to be reloaded every time the computer is started. The software is even free to use. If you want more comprehensive protection, you can book the paid version for a little more than $25 per year (25 euros).
Thomas Joos
There are many tips on the internet about using the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 operating system. This basically corresponds to Windows 10 Enterprise with all functions and will receive updates until 2032, but its use as an office PC is not permitted under licence law. Technically, however, you can safely use the operating system after purchase until 2032. There are also enough solutions for protection against malware that you can use in parallel, some of which are completely free of charge.
For most people, updating to Windows 11 is the easiest option
Of course, not all hardware supports Windows 11, but where installation is not a problem, you should carry out the free update. The operation of Windows 11 is still very similar to that of Windows 10 and you will continue to receive security updates and new functions. Before updating, check that all the applications and tools you use are compatible with Windows 11.
Get Windows 11 pro for cheap
Windows 11 Pro
In general, it is also very useful to make a complete backup of the operating system on an external hard drive and create a rescue disc beforehand. This can be done free of charge in Windows 10 and Windows 11 with on-board tools.
The data snooping of Windows 11 can be deactivated with on-board resources and free tools, for example with ShutUp10 . Run “tpm.msc” to check whether your PC has a TPM module. This is necessary for the update. If the tool does not display the TPM, check the BIOS to see if it is switched off. If your PC’s hardware has problems with Windows 11, it may be time to buy a new PC. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 5 hours ago (PC World)You know about captcha tests, right? The anti-bot checks that can be found all over the internet, usually when you log into accounts or post comments? The picture puzzles and mysterious symbol sequences that are supposed to weed out the bots from humans?
Turns out, those captcha tests have been pretty useful for a while now. Modern bots have long been able to outsmart many captcha tests, and it’s getting worse thanks to the proliferation of AI.
So, why are there still so many captchas on the web? Apparently, they serve a different purpose now. Instead of identifying and blocking bots, they’re being used to collect user data, according to a YouTube channel named Chuppl (spotted by Techspot).
The deceptive nature of captchas
According to experts, newer captchas collect a lot of data about the users who solve them. In addition to your browser, captchas also know your IP address and even the VPN service you’re using. Anyone surfing with a VPN runs the risk of being blocked sooner than even some bots.
This is a problem because you probably didn’t even know that interacting with a captcha transmits data. You’re simply led to believe that you’re just being tested to prove you aren’t a bot. How deceptive.
Google’s reCAPTCHA under fire
According to a video posted by YouTube channel Chuppl, Google’s reCAPTCHA is especially problematic. Allegedly, reCAPTCHA v2 and v3 aren’t designed to fend off bots at all — instead, their main objective is to collect data from anyone who tries to solve them.
Not only does reCAPTCHA collect your browser and IP address, it also stores info relating to your browser history, cookies, and more. All of that data is collected and sold to other companies.
By checking off an innocuous captcha box, you’re passing on sensitive data without the ability to reject its collection. Experts estimate the value of the data collected in this way at around $898 billion, which points to just how lucrative the captcha data business can be.
Data protectionists are calling for captchas to be abolished. Not only do they no longer fulfill their stated purpose, they also harm the user experience on websites and provide a gateway for hackers.
Further reading: How does a captcha know I’m not a robot? Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 5 hours ago (PC World)Old Faithful is going off again. Acer’s Nitro V is consistently one of the best-selling gaming laptops out there, because it offers some solid specs that can often be found well below the $1,000 mark. Today you can get it with a 13th-gen Core i7 processor, an RTX 4060 graphics card, and 16GB of RAM for just $639.99 on eBay.
That’s a pretty fantastic price for a mid-range gaming laptop, even if it is a refurbished model. (It comes with a two-year warranty from Allstate.) Other highlights include a 512GB SSD, a 15.6-inch screen with a zippy 144Hz refresh rate, and a backlit keyboard. Those specs should be more than enough to play the latest games, though graphically intense titles (like the recent Indiana Jones and the Great Circle) might need some lower graphics settings.
I’ll also point out that these laptops are pretty simple to upgrade. The ANV15 version has two M.2 SSD slots and two SO-DIMM RAM slots, all accessible to the user. So with a screwdriver and some budget parts, you could get this thing up to 1.5 TB of storage and 32GB of RAM in just a few minutes. You can read the full review here, though please note that that configuration has lower specs.
The Nitro V makes a pretty decent media or school machine on a budget too, thanks to a generous selection ports. On the left side you get USB-C, double USB-A, plus full-sized Ethernet and HDMI. On the right is a single USB-A port and headphone jack. It’s a bit of a pluggable at 4.66 pounds (2.11 kilograms), and don’t expect that 57 watt-hour battery to last long with those high-powered parts.
Acer’s official store on eBay is selling the laptop for $800 refurbished, but eBay’s 20 percent off coupon (PREZ20) brings it down to $639.99. That coupon is good until February 17th. But if you’re not quite ready to buy, don’t worry, this laptop goes on sale at similar prices constantly.
Get an Acer RTX 4060 gaming laptop for $640View Deal Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  |  |
|
 |
 | Top Stories |

RUGBY
All Black Caleb Clarke continues to ponder his future with New Zealand Rugby More...
|

BUSINESS
To achieve real growth, the NZ government needs to relax the rules around housing More...
|

|

 | Today's News |

 | News Search |
|
 |