Let’s say, as a thought experiment, that you’re a malware developer. You can choose to target specific groups of people to distribute your nefarious payloads. You might just go for a scattershot approach, but that’s less effective. You might aim for the technologically unsophisticated, or older people who aren’t as engaged. Or you can go for the lowest-hanging fruit: kids playing video games. That seems to be the choice for the latest batch of spyware, which is hiding in mods for the indefatigable Minecraft, now getting a predictable boost from a smash-hit kid’s movie. According to Check Point Research (via Bleeping Computer), a “multistage campaign” is going after Minecraft players looking for game mods on GitHub. The “Stargazers Ghost” network, allegedly a for-hire operation based in a Russian-speaking country, targets login information for the Minecraft game account, other third-party launchers, social media, and text app info. A second-stage program will try to steal more personal info in browser caches and other apps, with an emphasis on logins, passwords, and of course, cryptocurrency. The malware campaign has been spread across more than 500 GitHub repositories according to the report, and it’s a sneaky one, hiding in Minecraft Java installers to bypass many antivirus scans. Hiding this stuff on GitHub (which, like Minecraft itself, is owned by Microsoft) is particularly nefarious. While it’s mostly used for collaborative software development, downloads for software meant for end-users is now frequently hosted on GitHub itself. The technical interface and jargon might make it seem a little more trustworthy than a sketchy download site to an uncritical eye, or indeed, a child. GitHub does police its repositories for malware and other threats. But a centralized, company-based security team can often be overwhelmed by attackers based on numbers alone, to say nothing of a sophisticated campaign from a team of dedicated developers. To protect yourself or your kids when looking for Minecraft mods, Bleeping Computer recommends checking out GitHub page thoroughly, and testing mods on a “burner” account. Alternatively, I might suggest locking down a kid’s computer and telling them they have to stick to the official mods available in the “Bedrock Edition” of the game. Read...

DuckDuckGo has now extended the fraud protection in its privacy-centric browser to shield users from even more scams — without subjecting your browsing to additional tracking. Yay! In addition to blocking phishing sites, malware, and known online scams, the DuckDuck Go browser’s protection will now also work against fake online stores, fake crypto exchanges, and “scareware” sites that claim your PC is infected or blocked by the FBI, for example. The tool works by simply alerting the user if they click on a web page that could be potentially harmful. The website address is checked against a localized list of known threats from Netcraft that is updated every 20 minutes. Private people will appreciate how DDG handles the technical side of this. Unlike browsers that use Google Safe Browsing — such as Chrome, Safari, and Firefox — DuckDuckGo does all the checking without sharing data with a third party. The new feature is enabled by default without requiring an account. Further reading: I switched from Google to DuckDuckGo’s private search: 5 big takeaways Read...

In a country as vast as Australia, it’s critical to ensure that the benefits of access to reliable home internet aren’t just available to city dwellers. Read...

One of the best things about laptops nowadays is that they’re slim and thin, but this can also be their main downside because ports have been sacrificed on the altar of ultra-portability. Thankfully, a dock like this Ugreen Revodok Pro 313 can solve the problem just fine and it will only cost you $70 right now, instead of its usual $90. We actually really loved testing out this Ugreen dock, finding it has a great performance and a great price point. Our expert also appreciated its optimized build, although he didn’t really like how short the built-in cord is. Still, this is a device that got a 4.5-star rating from us and our Editors’ Choice award. If you’re wondering just how versatile the gadget is, you should know this is a 13-in-1 docking station that supports three displays. Yep, you read that right — you can connect up to three displays to your laptop, effectively turning it into a multitasker’s dream setup. It’s not just display ports and HDMIs either, because there are loads of USB-A ports too, an audio jack, as well as SD and TF card readers, which can obviously come in handy if you take tons of photos with a camera or if you want to access the videos your dashcam captured, for instance. Oh, and if you want to drop Wi-Fi and use an internet cable instead, there’s an Ethernet port available. So snag this one for $70 at Amazon while this deal is still available. Get a 22% discount on this 13-in-1 Ugreen docking stationBuy now at Amazon Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Intuitive web-based interface Robust security options Lots of business-ready capabilities Cons Business features won’t be needed by some users Requires annual commitment to get best value Our Verdict pdfFiller is an impressive PDF editor and document management solution with plenty to offer individuals and businesses. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today pdfFiller is a browser-based document management tool aimed at both individual and enterprise users. The end-to-end PDF solution allows you to do everything from editing to securing to sharing and storing your PDF files from its simple web interface. The app is designed like a desktop editor with a toolbar above the document pane and thumbnails down the left side that make it easy to manage multipage documents. Working with PDFs is impressively straightforward. Adding elements like text boxes, shapes, sticky notes, and even the date is as simple as clicking the appropriate icon and dragging that item to the page. Other tasks such as adding images and signatures require a few more steps, but typically employ a wizard to streamline the execution. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best PDF editors for comparison. Editing and annotation To open a PDF, you can drag-and-drop the file directly onto pdfFiller’s home page. Alternately, you can upload files from your hard drive or from Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, a URL, or pdfFiller’s own online document library. You can also import a PDF from email by sending the file yourself or requesting it from a third party. You can simply drag elements like text boxes, shapes, and the date to your PDF. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry The editor enables you to work with PDFs much as you would with a Word document, allowing you to add, delete, and copy/paste text, change font style, size, and color; and so on. It also offers a standard set of markup tools. You can highlight, erase, or redact text; add sticky notes and comments; and scribble marginalia. A new “AI Replace” tool leverages ChatGPT to search across the PDF and automatically replace your target words or phrases while retaining original fonts, layout, and formatting. This makes batch updates — like changing company names, dates, or terms across a multi-page PDF — fast, accurate, and formatting-safe. Form hosting PDFs are often used to distribute contracts, questionnaires, and other types of forms. pdfFiller allows you to create, host, and edit these as easily as Word-style documents. You can also collect payments through PDF forms by linking a payment gateway. Document library One of pdfFiller’s most impressive features is its document library. If you can’t create the document you need from scratch, you can likely find it in this trove of government, legal, and business forms, any of which can be downloaded and customized to your needs. You can also save any document you create as a template for reuse. You can create PDFs from a library of government forms in pdfFiller’s document library. MIchael Ansaldo/Foundry One of pdfFiller’s most impressive features is its document library. Sharing Once your PDF is edited, you can securely share it with teammates through a link. You can also send it via email, text, fax, or USPS, or have it notarized directly from your pdfFiller account. Encryption and security pdfFiller offers robust encryption and security features for users that frequently handle sensitive data. Documents can be locked in an encrypted folder and require two-factor authentication for access. The editor offers dedicated HIPAA compliance settings to ensure patient healthcare information is protected according to standards outlined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It also helps keep track of your account activity with an Audit Trail feature that shows which forms you’ve opened and shared, what time you logged into and out of your pdfFiller account, and other user activity. How much is pdfFiller? The Basic plan is best suited to individuals. It provides standard PDF editing and annotation features, cloud storage for PDF files, and customer support within a day for $20 month-to-month or $8 a month with an annual commitment. The Plus plan adds the ability to create reusable templates; merge, rearrange, or add pages; and add basic fillable fields, plus support within an hour for $30 month-to-month or $12 a month with an annual commitment. The Premium plan includes all the features of the Basic and Plus plans and adds e-signature workflows, access to the U.S. Legal Forms Library, and other business-ready features, plus instant chat support. There’s a 30-day free trial period, which should plenty of time to determine which plan is right for you. Is pdfFiller worth it? pdfFiller is an incredibly versatile PDF editor with an uncommonly deep set of features. Not all of them will suit everyone, but fortunately, pdfFiller offers three subscription tiers that logically tailor features to different users. It’s a particularly good option for businesses, but anyone can benefit from pdfFiller’s comprehensive skill set. Editor’s note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, this review is subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the service. Any changes to text or our final review verdict will be noted at the top of this article. Read...

Proton VPN has quickly established itself as one of the best VPNs on the market thanks to its outstanding privacy practices, solid speeds, and top-tier feature set. The service offers a veritable treasure-trove of extra security features, especially if you opt for one of the higher-tier plans. Not all of these features are configured to work automatically though. But with a little bit of know-how you can have the VPN optimized in no time. Below I’ll show you the top five settings that I think everyone should change in Proton VPN to get the most from their subscription. Turn on the kill switch Proton VPN’s kill switch is a must-use feature that will keep your privacy intact in the event of an accidental disconnection.Sam Singleton This is something that I recommend for all VPN users. Turn on your kill switch and leave it engaged at all times. A kill switch will automatically disable your internet access should the VPN connection drop unexpectedly. This prevents your personal data from being exposed in the event that your VPN accidentally fails. It’s an easy, fail-safe way to ensure your privacy continues to remain intact the entire time you’re using a VPN. Proton VPN offers two versions of its killswitch feature: a Standard version that temporarily disconnects the internet when a VPN connection is lost, and an Advanced version that will only ever allow internet access when connected to the VPN. I personally use and recommend the Standard version as there are times when I want to surf the web or play games without the need for a VPN connection, but with the added security of the fail-safe auto-disconnect.  Either way, to turn on the kill switch feature in Proton VPN, just click on the “Kill switch” icon along the right side of the main screen. Toggle it on and select your preferred version. Activate Netshield Turn on Proton VPN’s NetShield to block ads, malware, and trackers while using the service. Sam Singleton Netshield is Proton VPN’s malware and ad- and tracker-blocker feature. It is offered with Proton’s Plus and Unlimited plans, but not the free version. While paying for separate antivirus or ad-blocker programs might provide more comprehensive coverage, if you’re just looking for the basics then Netshield has you covered for no additional cost. It’s also extremely easy to set up. To turn on Netshield simply click on the Netshield icon on the right side of the homescreen and toggle the feature on. Then choose whether you would like to block only malware or ads, malware, and trackers. I recommend blocking everything as ads and trackers are not only annoying, but may be secretly compromising your privacy or collecting and selling your data to third parties.  Set WireGuard to be your automatic protocol WireGuard is almost always the best protocol option for most people. Sam Singleton VPN protocols play a crucial role in the speed and security of your connection. They can be thought of as both the traffic laws and road map that guides your traffic through a VPN. Nearly every VPN provider offers up a handful of protocol options to choose from, but you’ll almost always want to stick with WireGuard. Not only does it provide the best combination of high speeds and strong security, but it’s also open source, meaning it’s constantly being vetted and checked for vulnerabilities. As such, I recommend that everyone choose WireGuard as their default protocol at all times. To change your protocol options in Proton VPN, open up the Settings menu from the homescreen, then click on Protocol. From here, simply select the WireGuard option as your default. You’ll likely notice that there are both WireGuard UDP and WireGuard TCP options available. UDP is a good choice when speeds matter, such as with streaming and gaming, but TCP is going to be better when reliability is paramount, such as with file transfers. Take some time to configure split tunneling Setting up split tunneling can pay huge dividends in optimizing speed and privacy for each app.Sam Singleton Split tunneling is one of the most underutilized features among VPN users and those who aren’t taking advantage of it are losing out. It allows you to pick and choose which apps or websites you wish to run through the encrypted VPN tunnel and which you wish to keep outside of it. Proton VPN comes with a really versatile split tunneling feature that is also easy to set up. From the homescreen, click on “Split tunneling” and then toggle it on to enable the feature. There are two versions of split tunneling here, Standard and Inverse. Standard will allow you to pick and choose which apps or IP addresses to exclude from the VPN connection—keeping them routed through your home IP instead. Inverse will automatically exclude everything and you will then choose which apps or IP addresses to run through the VPN connection instead. It’s worth taking some time here to optimize your VPN connection. Personally, I run my browser and work applications through the VPN, but keep my online videogames excluded. This way, I can protect my web surfing, get around streaming blocks, and keep my work data secure while simultaneously keeping my gaming latency as low as possible. Enable VPN Accelerator The VPN Accelerator feature with Proton is a handy way to increase connection speeds, especially over long distances. Sam Singleton Proton VPN comes with a unique and helpful feature called the VPN Accelerator. Through a series of design optimizations such as CPU load redistribution, a TCP flow control algorithm for reduced latency, and the use of bare-metal servers, it claims to increase connection speeds by up to 400 percent. While my tests unfortunately did not show speed increases that great, they did moderately improve with the feature turned on.  The feature is designed to work best at longer distances and when I connected to European servers from the U.S. I did notice significantly reduced latency compared to when the feature was turned off. Proton VPN has turned on VPN Accelerator by default, but just to be sure, you can check by going to the Settings menu from the homescreen and clicking on “VPN Accelerator.” Make sure it is toggled on and you should be good to go. There are practically no downsides to enabling VPN Accelerator—I’ve only read rumors that it may cause instability issues, but I’ve never personally experienced them nor seen any credible evidence to support these claims.  The feature works with all protocols and is available for all platforms. Related Content Proton VPN review NordVPN vs. Proton VPN: Which VPN is better in 2025? 9 things you realize when you first start using a VPN 5 VPN features you need to start using today Which VPN protocol should you use? It makes a big difference Read...

ChatGPT is rapidly changing the world. The process is already happening, and it’s only going to accelerate as the technology improves, as more people gain access to it, and as more learn how to use it. What’s shocking is just how many tasks ChatGPT is already capable of managing for you. While the naysayers may still look down their noses at the potential of AI assistants, I’ve been using it to handle all kinds of menial tasks for me. Here are my favorite examples. Further reading: This tiny ChatGPT feature helps me tackle my days more productively Write your emails for you Dave Parrack / Foundry We’ve all been faced with the tricky task of writing an email—whether personal or professional—but not knowing quite how to word it. ChatGPT can do the heavy lifting for you, penning the (hopefully) perfect email based on whatever information you feed it. Let’s assume the email you need to write is of a professional nature, and wording it poorly could negatively affect your career. By directing ChatGPT to write the email with a particular structure, content, and tone of voice, you can give yourself a huge head start. A winning tip for this is to never accept ChatGPT’s first attempt. Always read through it and look for areas of improvement, then request tweaks to ensure you get the best possible email. You can (and should) also rewrite the email in your own voice. Learn more about how ChatGPT coached my colleague to write better emails. Generate itineraries and schedules Dave Parrack / Foundry If you’re going on a trip but you’re the type of person who hates planning trips, then you should utilize ChatGPT’s ability to generate trip itineraries. The results can be customized to the nth degree depending on how much detail and instruction you’re willing to provide. As someone who likes to get away at least once a year but also wants to make the most of every trip, leaning on ChatGPT for an itinerary is essential for me. I’ll provide the location and the kinds of things I want to see and do, then let it handle the rest. Instead of spending days researching everything myself, ChatGPT does 80 percent of it for me. As with all of these tasks, you don’t need to accept ChatGPT’s first effort. Use different prompts to force the AI chatbot to shape the itinerary closer to what you want. You’d be surprised at how many cool ideas you’ll encounter this way—simply nix the ones you don’t like. Break down difficult concepts Dave Parrack / Foundry One of the best tasks to assign to ChatGPT is the explanation of difficult concepts. Ask ChatGPT to explain any concept you can think of and it will deliver more often than not. You can tailor the level of explanation you need, and even have it include visual elements. Let’s say, for example, that a higher-up at work regularly lectures everyone about the importance of networking. But maybe they never go into detail about what they mean, just constantly pushing the why without explaining the what. Well, just ask ChatGPT to explain networking! Okay, most of us know what “networking” is and the concept isn’t very hard to grasp. But you can do this with anything. Ask ChatGPT to explain augmented reality, multi-threaded processing, blockchain, large language models, what have you. It will provide you with a clear and simple breakdown, maybe even with analogies and images. Analyze and make tough decisions Dave Parrack / Foundry We all face tough decisions every so often. The next time you find yourself wrestling with a particularly tough one—and you just can’t decide one way or the other—try asking ChatGPT for guidance and advice. It may sound strange to trust any kind of decision to artificial intelligence, let alone an important one that has you stumped, but doing so actually makes a lot of sense. While human judgment can be clouded by emotions, AI can set that aside and prioritize logic. It should go without saying: you don’t have to accept ChatGPT’s answers. Use the AI to weigh the pros and cons, to help you understand what’s most important to you, and to suggest a direction. Who knows? If you find yourself not liking the answer given, that in itself might clarify what you actually want—and the right answer for you. This is the kind of stuff ChatGPT can do to improve your life. Plan complex projects and strategies Dave Parrack / Foundry Most jobs come with some level of project planning and management. Even I, as a freelance writer, need to plan tasks to get projects completed on time. And that’s where ChatGPT can prove invaluable, breaking projects up into smaller, more manageable parts. ChatGPT needs to know the nature of the project, the end goal, any constraints you may have, and what you have done so far. With that information, it can then break the project up with a step-by-step plan, and break it down further into phases (if required). If ChatGPT doesn’t initially split your project up in a way that suits you, try again. Change up the prompts and make the AI chatbot tune in to exactly what you’re looking for. It takes a bit of back and forth, but it can shorten your planning time from hours to mere minutes. Compile research notes Dave Parrack / Foundry If you need to research a given topic of interest, ChatGPT can save you the hassle of compiling that research. For example, ahead of a trip to Croatia, I wanted to know more about the Croatian War of Independence, so I asked ChatGPT to provide me with a brief summary of the conflict with bullet points to help me understand how it happened. After absorbing all that information, I asked ChatGPT to add a timeline of the major events, further helping me to understand how the conflict played out. ChatGPT then offered to provide me with battle maps and/or summaries, plus profiles of the main players. You can go even deeper with ChatGPT’s Deep Research feature, which is now available to free users, up to 5 Deep Research tasks per month. With Deep Research, ChatGPT conducts multi-step research to generate comprehensive reports (with citations!) based on large amounts of information across the internet. A Deep Research task can take up to 30 minutes to complete, but it’ll save you hours or even days. Summarize articles, meetings, and more Dave Parrack / Foundry There are only so many hours in the day, yet so many new articles published on the web day in and day out. When you come across extra-long reads, it can be helpful to run them through ChatGPT for a quick summary. Then, if the summary is lacking in any way, you can go back and plow through the article proper. As an example, I ran one of my own PCWorld articles (where I compared Bluesky and Threads as alternatives to X) through ChatGPT, which provided a brief summary of my points and broke down the best X alternative based on my reasons given. Interestingly, it also pulled elements from other articles. (Hmph.) If you don’t want that, you can tell ChatGPT to limit its summary to the contents of the link. This is a great trick to use for other long-form, text-heavy content that you just don’t have the time to crunch through. Think transcripts for interviews, lectures, videos, and Zoom meetings. The only caveat is to never share private details with ChatGPT, like company-specific data that’s protected by NDAs and the like. Create Q&A flashcards for learning Dave Parrack / Foundry Flashcards can be extremely useful for drilling a lot of information into your brain, such as when studying for an exam, onboarding in a new role, prepping for an interview, etc. And with ChatGPT, you no longer have to painstakingly create those flashcards yourself. All you have to do is tell the AI the details of what you’re studying. You can specify the format (such as Q&A or multiple choice), as well as various other elements. You can also choose to keep things broad or target specific sub-topics or concepts you want to focus on. You can even upload your own notes for ChatGPT to reference. You can also use Google’s NotebookLM app in a similar way. Provide interview practice Dave Parrack / Foundry Whether you’re a first-time jobseeker or have plenty of experience under your belt, it’s always a good idea to practice for your interviews when making career moves. Years ago, you might’ve had to ask a friend or family member to act as your mock interviewer. These days, ChatGPT can do it for you—and do it more effectively. Inform ChatGPT of the job title, industry, and level of position you’re interviewing for, what kind of interview it’ll be (e.g., screener, technical assessment, group/panel, one-on-one with CEO), and anything else you want it to take into consideration. ChatGPT will then conduct a mock interview with you, providing feedback along the way. When I tried this out myself, I was shocked by how capable ChatGPT can be at pretending to be a human in this context. And the feedback it provides for each answer you give is invaluable for knocking off your rough edges and improving your chances of success when you’re interviewed by a real hiring manager. Further reading: No, don’t threaten ChatGPT for better results. Try this instead Read...

Have you seen the news? Microsoft has signaled that future Xbox consoles will run Windows, which points to one big possible future: gaming PCs may soon be taking the living room by storm. It sounds like the next Xbox will run Steam games, too. Meanwhile, at CES 2025, Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais told PCWorld that going beyond handhelds to living room PCs was one of Valve’s long-term goals. Remember when Steam Machines launched back in 2015? A decade later, it seems we may be looking at their return—except in a new, more interesting way. Thanks to the Steam Deck, Linux-based gaming PCs may be a bigger threat to Microsoft this time around. In short, the next great console war will likely go down between Microsoft and Valve. Both companies have signaled their intentions, with Xbox-themed Windows PCs battling SteamOS-running Linux systems for living room dominance. Which one will come out on top? Xbox is smartly merging with Windows Next-generation Xbox consoles look like they will be running Windows! And they won’t be locked to a single store—it sounds like the next Xbox will also run Steam and other PC gaming platforms. That’s not a big surprise as Microsoft already announced an Xbox-branded Windows handheld PC named the Asus ROG Xbox Ally. Microsoft hides that it runs Windows, which makes sense because Windows has so far been a mess on gaming handhelds. When I reviewed the Lenovo Legion Go S, I found that Windows made the entire experience more frustrating compared to a Steam Deck, and SteamOS delivers better performance on the same hardware. But Microsoft isn’t just shrugging its shoulders and letting PC manufacturers slap the Xbox name on gaming PCs. Instead, the company appears to be merging Xbox and Windows in a smart way, at least according to press announcements. For example, Microsoft says existing Xbox games will run on that next-generation console, and Windows is transforming to run better on gaming-focused devices. SteamOS is way, way, way better now Valve initially launched Steam Machines back in 2015, a line of gaming PCs designed to offer a console-style living room experience. While Valve didn’t make its own hardware for those PCs—aside from the now-discontinued Steam Controller—the company did partner with PC makers like Alienware, who made their own hardware that ran Valve’s Linux-based SteamOS. The initial line of Steam Machines—released just a few years after Microsoft freaked Valve out with the launch of Windows 8 and its iPad-style app platform locked to Microsoft’s own app store—didn’t take the world by storm. Those Steam Machines ran games that were ported to Linux… and the results weren’t pretty. Since then, however, Valve’s Proton software compatibility layer has provided a way for the Steam Deck and other SteamOS-based machines to run Windows games directly on Linux, sometimes with better performance than they have when running on Windows itself. The software is now much more ready. And Valve is already making moves to certify SteamOS for other manufacturers’ devices. Lenovo’s Legion Go S is the first non-Valve SteamOS device in the modern era. Valve doesn’t have to make its own Steam Machines—all Valve has to do is give the stamp of approval to PC makers who want to deliver their own experiences. Except this time, Valve’s SteamOS is ready. Valve’s Steam Deck is already a living room gaming console Valve already has a solid living room console. It’s called the Steam Deck! Paired with a dock—like Valve’s own Steam Deck docking station or a third-party dock like this one—the Steam Deck can easily connect to and run on your living room TV. Pair a controller of your choice (or even a mouse and a keyboard) and you’ll be using your “handheld” gaming console docked to your living room TV, just like you would with a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 console. While the Steam Deck doesn’t have the power to run the latest PC games at high graphics settings, there are solutions. Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming platform works on the Steam Deck, giving you a powerful way to play demanding games with high graphical detail in your living room right on your TV, just like you can on the go. Valve’s Steam Deck also supports Remote Play, so you can stream games wirelessly from your own PC right to your living room TV. It’s a quick-and-easy-to-set-up living room gaming experience. Valve probably won’t release its own Steam Box any time soon… Near the start of 2025, we heard rumors of Valve working on its own Steam Machine-style living room console, and those rumors took the web by storm. Valve appeared to be working on support for AMD RDNA4 hardware. But, as Valve developer Pierre-Loup Griffais explained, that’s nothing new. Valve always does this kind of work, and it’s no sign that a proper SteamOS console is imminent. There’s at least one case of what appears to be a “Valve Steam Box” in the wild, but that machine is a prototype from the 2017 era. Definitely not a recent device to hang our hopes on! Given the rumors circulating online, it’s much more likely that Valve will release its own “Deckard” VR headset—and I hope they do. The VR gaming industry needs the help. …but Valve doesn’t need to release its own SteamOS console iBuyPower’s SBX Steam Machine from 2015. iBuyPower Valve doesn’t need to release its own hardware. If Microsoft is building to a Windows-based future for Xbox consoles, many users will want a proper SteamOS-based interface for their consoles. But why run Steam on a combination Xbox-plus-Windows-PC when you can run it on SteamOS and have the slick experience you get on a Steam Deck? Heck, if the future of living room gaming involves PCs, why would Valve let Microsoft run away with that without any competition? The Steam Deck needed to exist—and needed to be a Valve-created product—because it wasn’t just about the software. There was no great handheld gaming PC that delivered what Valve delivered. When it comes to the living room, things are different. Gaming PC companies can deliver excellent console-style experiences in everything from a “mini PC” form factor to a traditionally large gaming PC. The hardware is already ready, so Valve doesn’t have to be the one making the perfect living room PC. SteamOS is more mature than ever, too—and PC makers may be eager to get into the living room and start competing against Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo. It’s about time PCs took over living rooms This is PCWorld, so I’ll just say it: I’m happy the PC is taking over the living room. While the simplicity of console gaming is great, I’ve long hoped for a more open gaming experience in the living room. I want multiple stores, I want consoles that can run homebrew games from outside stores, I want support for mods, and I want all the other cool stuff you can traditionally get from PC gaming but not console gaming. Whether Valve decides to put SteamOS up against Microsoft’s new Xbox-Windows combo operating system, I’m just excited to see the living room move in a more open, PC-oriented direction. But I do hope SteamOS goes toe to toe with Microsoft in the living room. If nothing else, competition is better for everyone. Valve’s SteamOS efforts have already made Microsoft take Windows PC gaming much more seriously, and that’s good for all PC gamers. Read...

Taking a laptop with you when you travel means you have the convenience of your work or entertainment with you wherever you go. But there’s no doubt that having such an expensive and important device with you can also be a logistical and security challenge. So, here are some tips to help keep you and your laptop safe. 1. Use a VPN and antivirus software Using public Wi-Fi is a necessity for most people travelling with a laptop, unless you have an LTE connection, that is. Unfortunately connecting to public Wi-Fi can compromise your laptop security. These networks are often unsecure, without password protection or encryption, and many have been compromised with malware that malicious actors can use to steal information or passwords. Information breaches via public Wi-Fi happen more often than you might think. A Forbes Advisor survey of 2,000 working Americans that used public Wi-Fi found that four out of every 10 had their information breached while on public Wi-Fi. The survey also found that the most common places that breaches occurred were cafés, airports, and hotels. That’s why you should always use a virtual private network (VPN) and have an antivirus program running when on public Wi-Fi. A VPN acts as an intermediary that encrypts the data you send between your device and the public router, making it a lot harder for cybercriminals to steal your data. If you have to download any files, a good antivirus program can detect and stop malware before it can damage your PC. Pexels: Kevin Paster 2. Have tracker software loaded Tracking software can often be your best bet for getting your laptop back if it goes missing on a trip. Find My Device is one utility that you can use to track a lost laptop. If you have Windows 10 or 11 and a Microsoft account, you have access to this feature and can turn it on in your Microsoft settings. As well as basic tracking of your lost device, it lets you lock your laptop and reset the passwords on it remotely to prevent others from accessing your personal data. The catch is, your Microsoft account has to be an administrator account; you need to have location settings enabled; and the laptop has to be connected to the internet for these features to work. Some savvy travelers prefer to use more sophisticated tracking software than Find My Device. One example is Absolute’s Home and Office software. It gets integrated into the laptop’s BIOS once installed, so even if your laptop’s operating system is changed or the storage drive is replaced, you can still track it down. Chris Hoffman / IDG 3. Label it for easier recovery It may seem like an obvious nugget of advice but having a label on your laptop that specifies your name, phone number, and either your residential or work address can be the one thing that gets you your laptop back when it’s found. The people who found it need to know who it belongs to. Add a sticker on your laptop’s underside as a discrete identification tag. You can buy writable and printable adhesive tags on Amazon for just a few dollars. Otherwise, slip a note into your laptop bag as a less intrusive identification method. You should also record your laptop’s make and model and serial number before you go, in the event it is found, and you need to make a report about it. Also jot down any other distinguishing features that will help you describe your laptop’s appearance, like its color, or any stickers on the chassis. Pexels: Brett Sayles 4. Apply common sense protection strategies The number one protection strategy you can apply is to always keep your laptop in your line of sight wherever you go. But if you do need to travel light and leave it in your hotel when you go out, be sure to store it in your room security safe or have the hotel staff store it in a secure place if you don’t have a safe in your room. Travel insurance is also a must when traveling with a laptop. The right kind of insurance will cover you for the complete cost of the device in the event it’s lost or stolen. If your laptop has a Kensington lock port, you should use a Kensington lock to prevent grab and run theft. Otherwise, buy a cable lock before you go that will work with your laptop’s ports. When it comes to physical protection against damage, ensure your laptop bag is either a hard case or has sufficient padding to protect it in the event it is dropped. Buying a bag made from waterproof material is also a sensible idea. As a rule, you don’t want to leave your laptop in the overhead compartment of an airplane where it can be squashed or battered by other luggage. Instead, keep it with you in your seat. If your laptop bag is deemed to be checkpoint friendly, that can prevent you having to remove it from your bag every time you go through airport security. Pexels: Markus Winkler 5. Bring your own safe laptop accessories Always bring a universal travel adapter and a wall charger to use with your laptop when you travel. The universal travel adapter should have the correct plug shapes for the country or countries you are visiting, if you intend on travelling overseas. The adapter should also support a voltage range of between 100 to 240V. Make sure you have surge protection too, either built into your adapter or as a standalone accessory, because you can never rely on unfamiliar electrical outlets. Unexpected power surges can and will fry your laptop’s circuitry. The reason you want to bring a wall charger and always plug it into a wall socket is so you can avoid using public USB chargers, which are used by hackers for Juice Jacking. This is another cyber-theft tactic used by cybercriminals, whereby they load malware onto public USB ports to infect and maliciously access user devices. If you do ever have to use a public USB port, be sure to use charge-only cables with data blocking functionality. These cables deliver power but prevent any data (and therefore any malicious files) from being downloaded to your computer. Pexels: ready made Related content Best laptops: Our experts pick the top 11 models 23 travel gadgets you need for your next trip How to find lost gadgets (and avoid losing them) Read...

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