NETWORKING

Virtual private networks (VPNs) protect your privacy online, whether you’re browsing the internet at home or joining a public Wi-Fi network. VPNs can help you protect any device, including the smartphones and tablets we now use daily to access our social media, email, and banking apps. Also: The best VPNs for Android While no service can guarantee absolute anonymity, you should always choose a reputable VPN service with dedicated Android and iOS apps when you need…

Jason Hiner/ZDNET Extension cords are generally a safe solution for running power to electronics that are too far from the nearest wall outlet. But the operative word here is “electronics,” which is not as all-encompassing as some people might think. Also: I changed these 5 TV settings to lower my electric bill. Here’s why they work Appliances (like refrigerators and toaster ovens) are obviously electronic devices, but they’re in a different class from most electronics because…

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET ZDNET’s key takeaways Linux Lite 7.0 is available to download and install for free from the official site. This lightweight Linux distribution comes with everything you need and performs like an absolute champ. The default desktop is a bit bland, but it’s fairly easy to customize. My friend recently wanted to bring an old laptop back to life. Her aging Intel MacBook was no longer supported by Apple, and instead of letting the…

“Using natural language queries, teams can easily clarify the reason behind the alerts that are generated, understand the risk, such as how an attacker could compromise the system, gain step-by-step guidance on how to investigate and respond, and streamline the remediation of issues with syntactically correct code,” Fortinet stated. Fortinet has been adding support for AI-related technology throughout its product portfolio. For example, it recently announced that its FortiGate NGFW now includes real-time inline detection and…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The 2024 Mac Mini is considerably smaller and faster, has two USB-C ports on the front, and upgrades the base RAM from 8GB to 16GB, all while staying at the $599 starting price. While you could pair this compact computer with Apple’s premium — albeit high-priced — accessories, one of the best things about the Mac Mini is that you can pair it with any monitor, mouse, or keyboard you want. The…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The M4 MacBook Pro starts at $1,599 and features improvements in the most subtle places. Upgrades to graphical performance, battery life, and transfer speeds are the most notable. Be prepared to overpay for almost every spec bump. more buying choices I’ve been using the M4 MacBook Pro for about a week now, and it’s the most boringly awesome device I’ve tested this year. Without making my 14-inch M1 MacBook Pro jealous, the…

Amazon Since debuting in 2022, Amazon’s drone delivery program has delivered thousands of household items, tech supplies, and everyday essentials in an hour or less. Now, customers in the West Valley area of Phoenix are eligible for Prime Air. Also: The best drones of 2024: Expert tested In a post this week, Amazon announced the expansion of its drone delivery service to a new service area. If you live near the Tolleson, Arizona delivery site,…

TLS adoption has grown rapidly, with nearly 100% of website connections now delivered over HTTPS. Now, firewalls must do more than simply block threats—they need to provide advanced decryption capabilities to detect hidden dangers, while maintaining performance, all without compromising the speed of business operations. Security shouldn’t come at the cost of performance Many firewalls slow down significantly when advanced security features like Layer 7 inspection and TLS decryption are enabled. Deep packet inspection—essential for…

It depends, but you usually don’t need to empty the dustbin after each use. Many robot vacuums can self-empty at their docking station, so you don’t have to clean the actual robot.  Self-emptying robot vacuums can collect anywhere from 30 to 60 days’ worth of dust and allergens, which makes cleaning a breeze.  Other robot vacuums don’t offer self-emptying features but are more affordable. Depending on how much dust and pet hair is on your…