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News
Many VPNs are vulnerable to hackers and hijackers, study claims
Newly discovered flaws in VPN tunneling protocols call into question whether VPN hosts are as secure as expected.
Feature
Could your VPN get around the TikTok ban? What you need to know
As the U.S. government follows through with the TikTok ban, a VPN could be the answer for users who still want to access their favorite app.
News
Microsoft follows Google with price bump, forced AI 365 bundles
Microsoft 365 is getting a $3-per-month price increase for Copilot AI tools. Existing subscribers can opt out by jumping through hoops, but only for a limited time.
News
AT&T kills 5G internet service in New York over forced low-income plans
AT&T has shuttered its 5G broadband offerings in "protest" over a New York law that mandates affordable plans for low-income residents.
News
Google's password manager is finally adding a "delete all data" button
It'll be much faster than deleting saved passwords and passkeys one at a time.
Feature
How healthy is your PC? Check with these 8 free apps
PC maintenance is crucial for a long-lasting system, but it doesn't have to be difficult. Use these apps to stay on top of things.
News
Interest in Chinese surges on Duolingo ahead of looming TikTok ban
The potential ban on TikTok in the US is driving American users to an alternative Chinese social media app.
News
Confirmed BitLocker bug prevents changing settings on Windows 11
If you're on an affected system, you'll get an error message when trying to adjust BitLocker settings.
News
Now you can instruct ChatGPT to do things in the future
The Tasks beta feature is currently being rolled out to the AI assistant's paid users.
News
Update to Chrome 132 closes several security vulnerabilities
With the new major version Chrome 132, Google is eliminating a number of browser vulnerabilities. Google Lens gets more functions on the desktop.
News
Google couldn't sell AI for Workspace, so it upped the price and bundled it
What's that? You don't want to pay $20 for Gemini? Well then Google will just put it in anyway and raise the price. Hooray?
News
Microsoft's big Patch Tuesday fixes over twice as many security flaws as usual
Over 150 security vulnerabilities have been addressed across Windows, Office, Edge, and more. Several are actively being exploited in the wild.
Feature
Should you buy Microsoft Office 2024 or subscribe to Microsoft 365?
Is a one-off purchase of Microsoft Office 2024 better than a subscription to Microsoft 365? We explain the differences and tell you which is more worthwhile for you.
News
Photoshop is now a team effort with Adobe's Live Co-Editing
Adobe has brought collaboration to Photoshop as part of its Live Co-Editing, allowing a team of designers to jointly work together on a Photoshop project.
News
Google Drive now synchronizes files faster and uses less data to do it
The new "differential uploads" feature is available to all Google Workspace users and those with personal Google accounts.
News
Pastor charged with fraud after shilling crypto to congregation
The pastor of a Washington state church allegedly stole $5.9 million from his parishoners and others, and could serve 20 years if convicted.
News
VLC celebrates 6 billion downloads with new AI subtitles feature
The world-renowned video player app will use open-source AI models that can run locally on the device.
News
Firefox 134 brings improved video playback, security fixes, and more
The newest version of Firefox now plays H.265 videos with hardware support, fixes security flaws, and makes a few other improvements.
News
The "white flash" bug with Chrome and Edge's dark theme is nearly fixed
With their next updates, you'll no longer have to deal with screen flashes when opening new Chrome and Edge windows while using their dark themes.
News
Don't wait 'til October to switch to Windows 11, security expert warns
Support for Windows 10 continues to October, but one expert says you should switch to Windows 11 sooner than later. Here's why.
News
Microsoft disguises Bing as Google to fool inattentive searchers
If you can't beat Google, trick your users into thinking that they're using Google. That seems to be Microsoft's sneaky new approach to Bing search.
Feature
The future of VPNs: Decentralized and post-quantum security
There are some exciting advancements coming to VPNs in the near future that will address growing privacy and security threats while giving users even better control over their services.
News
Best VPN for Florida: Pornhub workarounds
Pornhub will begin blocking access to residents of Florida on January 1, following new age-verification laws—but a VPN can be a good workaround. These are the best VPNs to continue viewing the site while protecting your privacy.
Feature
The best PC hardware and software of 2024/2025
The best of the best, as chosen by the PCWorld editors.
Feature
What will 2025 bring for Linux PCs?
What's next for Linux in all its facets in the coming year? We'll tell you!
Updated
The best free software for your PC
These are the best free programs that any PC needs: solid security tools, productivity software, and more.
Feature
AI impersonators will wreck online security in 2025. Here’s what to watch out for
We all have to be much more vigilant about what’s real and what’s not.
Feature
The Zero Trust era is coming: What that means for VPNs and your data
Zero Trust architecture is revolutionizing network security to better protect your data, but a good VPN will never go out of style.
Feature
The best PC games of 2024 (that don’t need a graphics card)
Want some great new games to play on an old laptop, or a new Steam Deck? Check out this roundup.
Deal
Need a last-minute gift card? 20 compelling options for tech and beyond
From Amazon to DoorDash to Fortnite, we found some amazing online gift card ideas for the last-minute shoppers.
Opinion
I'm switching to a long-lasting laptop. Here's why I want Intel inside
The new Arm-based PCs are very capable but the reality of using one right now is that you're going to encounter compatibility problems.
News
Elon Musk hints at 'X Mail,' a potential Gmail competitor
Elon Musk has apparently confirmed plans for X Mail, a simple and straightforward email service.
News
Microsoft 365 is getting a 'massive' redesign early next year
A new icon and a new name are just the tip of the iceberg. Here's what we know about what's coming.
News
Meta slapped with €251 million fine for mishandling 2018 data breach
Meta must pay millions in fines after being investigated for the 2018 data breach that affected over 50 million Facebook accounts.
News
The US military is tracking Santa's sleigh flight. Here's how to watch it
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is once again following Santa's deliveries this year. You can follow it live on the internet.
News
Windows Outlook app is having login troubles, throws up an error code
Users are running into an error message when trying to log in to Outlook. Microsoft has confirmed the problem.
Opinion
Installing Windows 11 on old PCs is incredibly risky. Here’s why
Running Windows 11 on older, incompatible hardware isn’t just limiting—it’s downright problematic.
News
Firefox's Do Not Track feature is going away because websites ignore it
Too many websites ignored Firefox's DNT feature, which could actually lead to privacy concerns.
News
Ho ho ho! ChatGPT rolls out a Santa voice for Christmas season
You can also share video and your mobile screen with the chatbot.
Feature
I'm a Windows guy. This little-known feature makes Macs more tolerable
Windows users may find multitasking on macOS more tolerable with Stage Manager enabled.
News
Google's 'Deep Research' AI can write a college-level paper in minutes
Google's "Deep Research" is an AI research service that can scan dozens of websites in minutes and write a comprehensive paper on the subject of your choice using Google Gemini.
News
FCC threatens to block spammy VOIP services
The Federal Communications Commission is putting more than 2,000 American VOIP providers on notice for failing to comply with spam mitigation systems.
News
Microsoft fixes zero-day security flaw in latest Windows update
Microsoft resolved 71 security vulnerabilities in December's Patch Tuesday update, including one that's already being exploited in the wild.
Feature
The FBI says you should use encrypted messaging. But do you need to?
After Chinese hackers infiltrated eight US telecommunications companies, the US government now recommends the use of encrypted messaging.
News
Vivaldi's sync outage stretches into a fifth day
Browser maker Vivaldi's online sync services are down, preventing a version of Vivaldi on a phone or PC from "knowing" what you've read or interacted with on another device.
News
Global internet traffic grew significantly in 2024, and that's not all
According to Cloudflare's 2024 Year in Review, the world's web habits continue to shift in expected and unexpected ways.
Updated
OpenAI releases Sora, its AI-powered video generator tool
It's currently available to ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Pro subscribers. As of yet, there are no plans to bring Sora access to free users.
News
Microsoft Edge is faster and more responsive on Windows 11 now
The new WebUI 2.0 framework brings big performance boosts in Edge, especially for older PCs.
News
Excel world champion solves 'Warcraft' spreadsheet to win crown
Michael Jarman has won the Super Bowl for nerds: the 2024 Microsoft Excel World Championship, managing a simulated World of Warcraft clan in a series of quests via spreadsheet.
Feature