Latest News

  • Best VPN for Canada

    Updated Jan. 10, 202411:05 a.m. PT

    screenshot-20231223-094713.png
    Written by Maegan Hoth
    Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission.Reviews ethics statement
    screenshot-20231223-094713.png
    Maegan Hoth Writer
    Mae has always been fascinated with technology. From teaching her parents to send their first email to writing about antivirus software and VPNs. She has always enjoyed learning about the latest cybersecurity and teaching others how to stay safe online.
    Expertise Computer software, VPNs, Antiviruses, PC games, PC help guides
    CNET logoWhy You Can Trust CNET
    1600170018001900200021002200230024002500

    Speed Tests

    11121314151617181920

    Eval. Points

    01020304050607080910

    VPNs Tested

    We intensively test each VPN, making sure it meets our standards for privacy, speed and usability. How we test VPNs

    VPNs for Canada

    If you’re traveling to Canada from the United States, you’ll likely need to use several public Wi-Fi hotspots or networks to access the internet. Unless you have a VPN (Virtual Private Network), networks may monitor your personal data and sell it to third parties. According to a study conducted by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada in 2020, 87% of Canadians expressed concerns about the protection of their online privacy. Note that Canada is a member of the Five Eyes Alliance and shares collected data with other countries.

    Using a VPN in Canada can help protect your online privacy, unblock geo-restricted content from your streaming accounts (such as Hulu or Netflix’s US library), and access local news from your hometown. CNET has extensively tested the top VPN providers over the years to identify the fastest, most reliable, and overall best options. Based on that testing, we’ve identified the best VPNs to use in Canada, which we recommend using when traveling to ensure your data remains secure no matter where you are.

    Reasons to use a VPN in Canada

    We highly recommend using a VPN anywhere you go, but it’s crucial if you’re traveling outside of the US to Canada (or any country). A VPN will protect your information while connecting to Wi-Fi at the airport or a Canadian hotel. Also, while in Canada, you can use a VPN to connect to streaming accounts from the US (Like Netflix, Hulu or Disney Plus), watch the latest sports game that could be facing a blackout in Canada, or securely check bank account information.

    What is the best VPN for Canada right now?

    ExpressVPN is CNET’s best VPN for Canada thanks to its vast privacy protection features, high-end security options and a large network of servers in the US and Canada. NordVPN is a close runner-up, offering lightning-fast speeds, a huge list of Canadian servers and an independently-audited privacy policy. When on a budget, Surfshark is the recommended choice as it is the most affordable option on this list while still providing the necessary features for maintaining privacy while in Canada.

    Other VPNs we tested

    CyberGhost

    CyberGhost is one of the best VPNs for streaming, as it offers specialized servers for streaming different websites in multiple countries (including Canada). It also had specialized servers for torrenting, the best servers with a static IP address and NoSpy servers. Although these were neat features and could be helpful when visiting Canada, CyberGhost has a poor ad-blocker function that would make it easier to fall for malicious ads in Canada, has no obfuscation feature and lacks security options.

    Read our CyberGhost review.

    Proton VPN

    Proton VPN is the only free VPN we recommend thanks to its security and because even the free version would unblock US Netflix in Canada. Although its free version does not have a Canadian server, its premium version does. On its premium server, you can unblock more than just US Netflix, although you may still have issues unblocking many US-based streaming sites. Proton VPN had the most inconsistent speed tests out of all the VPNs we tested.

    Read our Proton VPN review.

    How we test VPNs

    Privacy and server accessibility are crucial aspects when selecting the best VPN for Canada. Whether connected to a familiar network or using public Wi-Fi in the country, your data may be vulnerable to various entities, such as companies or governments collecting personal information. Therefore, it’s essential to use a VPN with robust privacy features. These features can include a kill switch, DNS leak protection, multi-hop connections and comprehensive privacy policies. Additionally, we assessed the number of servers each VPN had in the United States (since you would need to connect to a US server to access geo-restricted content) and Canada (when you only require local news or web search results while maintaining protection).

    We also weighed factors such as budget, streaming capabilities, device connections and security features. For instance finding a mobile VPN with support for multiple device connections helps ensure your VPN will work on whatever phone you travel with.

    Factors to consider in a VPN for Canada

    Finding the best VPN to use while traveling to Canada can be overwhelming. We used these base factors to determine which VPN stood out.

    Privacy:

    Due to antiterrorism laws in Canada, there’s a considerable amount of cyber surveillance in the country. Choosing a VPN with a strong privacy policy (that is independently tested), kill switch and DNS leak protection helps ensure your data will be secure and can’t be shared or stolen.

    Servers:

    VPNs with large server networks are always great, but this list includes factors such as how many servers are in the home country (the US) and Canada, so you can easily access content from the US or have the best connectivity while on a Canadian server.

    Streaming capabilities:

    Some VPNs have stronger geo-unblocking capabilities than others, and we wanted to find the best VPN for streaming.

    Speed:

    Every VPN you connect to will give you a speed drop, so having a super-fast VPN will barely affect your online experience. The top Canadian VPN (NordVPN) will only drop your speed by 10%, but we don’t recommend any VPN that decreases your speed by more than 40%.

    Price

    No matter what VPN you get, you always want to ensure the cost is worth the value you get from your VPN. You don’t always need a cheap VPN to get the best value, especially with VPNs with annual deals that provide a good discount or a 30-day money-back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied.

    Canadian VPN FAQs

    How do I get a Canada IP address?

    Obtaining a Canadian IP address is easy. All you need to do is download a VPN service (ideally one of the top Canadian VPNs) and connect to a server located in Canada. It doesn’t matter whether you’re currently in Canada or outside of it as long as the geo-location appears in Canada. The closer the selected server is to your location, the less it will affect your connection speed. Once you have selected the location, simply establish the connection and you will have a Canadian IP address.

    Are VPNs legal in Canada?

    Yes, all VPN services in Canada are legal. It’s worth mentioning that Canada actively engages in cyber-surveillance and is a member of the Five Eyes Alliance, which includes sharing data with foreign governments. By using a VPN, you can privately access the internet for legitimate purposes and safeguard yourself against potential hackers on unsecured public Wi-Fi and other networks in Canada. That said, using a VPN to conduct unlawful activities in the country is illegal.

    Can I use a free VPN in Canada?

    The only free VPN we recommend using in Canada is Proton VPN. Unlike other free VPNs, Proton VPN gives you unlimited data and decent security features, although, you’ll only be able to access servers in three countries (US, the Netherlands and Japan). You can use other free VPNs in Canada, but most free VPNs make money by accessing and selling your data. Also, free VPNs usually restrict how much data you can use or the number of servers you can connect to.

  • 11 Gadgets From CES 2024 You Can Buy Right Now

    11 Gadgets From CES 2024 You Can Buy Right Now

    Each January, tech companies and members of the press descend on Las Vegas for a festival of demos and concepts. There’s plenty to see at CES 2024, but many of the products unveiled at the show won’t be available in stores until much later — if ever. While flashy tech promos are sure to attract attention during the event, CES has a long history of delayed launches and vaporware. Luckily for us, there’s plenty of useful tech doesn’t that’s ready to hit digital and physical store shelves.

    All of the products below are available to preorder or buy right now. From clicky iPhone keyboards to smart indoor meat smokers, here are the best products of CES 2024 available right now. While you’re here, these are our CES favorites so far, and here are the weirdest gadgets at the show.

    We’ll be keeping tabs on all of the CES announcements and bringing the immediately-available options to you here. And for all of our coverage, from stained-glass window solar panels to 115-inch TV sets, be sure to hit up our full CES 2024 roundup.

  • This Jaw-Dropping, Foldable 137-Incher Is the Best TV You Can’t Afford

    This Jaw-Dropping, Foldable 137-Incher Is the Best TV You Can’t Afford

    In my two decades as CNET’s TV reviewer, I have seen a lot of TVs — but nothing like this. C Seed makes incredibly expensive custom-built televisions for the ultra-wealthy, and the N1 is its latest offering. The 137-inch version I saw at CES 2024 is one of two N1 models in existence.

    The most incredible thing about the N1 is the way it folds into a compact rectangular chunk when not in use. Press a button and the screen divides into parts that slowly butterfly together, then descend into the rectangle, hiding the screen entirely — a process that takes about 2 and a half minutes. The folded N1 looks more like a solid metal bench than a TV.

    c-seed-n1-tv-penthouse-folded

    Unfolded, the N1 has a stunning, bright, seamless picture, and the screen can rotate 180 degrees. The divisions between the different sections of the screen were invisible to my eye. That’s because the company uses a proprietary system it calls Adaptive Gap Calibration. It automatically measures the distance between the edges, uses sensors to detect offsets and calibrates the brightness of adjacent LEDs. I couldn’t detect any seams in the image.

    The TV uses micro-LED technology, the same display tech found on Samsung’s The Wall — another massive, super-expensive TV that happens to be C Seed’s major competitor. C Seed says the gigantic 4K resolution screen can achieve 4,000 nits peak brightness, with HDR and wide color gamut. In my brief viewing time with C Seed’s demo material, the picture quality looked great. As with The Wall, I could discern individual pixels when I was very close to the screen, but from any normal seating distance, the image looked smooth and sharp.

    C Seed makes other huge folding TVs. The company rep told me C Seed has sold around 200 units in the 10 years it has been in business, each one custom-built. Clients typically wait six months between ordering and delivery. The 137-inch indoor N1 costs $200,000, a price that includes installation and setup, and the outdoor version is $240,000. If you’re so inclined, you can order a 165-inch ($300,000) or a 103-inch ($110,000) version instead.

    Normally, this is the part when I say I look forward to reviewing a TV in CNET’s lab — but in this case, that’s not gonna happen.

  • SAG-AFTRA Signs AI Deal Allowing Actors to License Digital Voice Replicas

    SAG-AFTRA Signs AI Deal Allowing Actors to License Digital Voice Replicas

    SAG-AFTRA, the world’s largest labor union representing performers, announced Tuesday at CES 2024 that it has signed an agreement with artificial intelligence voice technology company Replica Studios. The agreement will allow union members to license digital replicas of their voices for use in video games.

    As AI expands into more areas of life, its ability to mimic famous voices has been controversial. In 2023, an artist who goes by the name Ghostwriter released Heart on My Sleeve, a song that uses generative AI to mimic the voices of Drake and The Weeknd, though apparently neither of those stars had anything to do with the track. That song sparked a debate about Grammy eligibility, and Ghostwriter said at the time that he believed artists should financially benefit if AI copies their distinct voices.

    Tuesday’s announcement marks the first time a group such as SAG-AFTRA has attempted to codify consent and compensation for AI replicas of performer voices.

    AI and the Hollywood strike

    AI was a major issue in the union’s 2023 strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which saw actors join already-striking writers on the picket lines in July. The strike ran until November, and was the longest movie and television strike in the union’s 90-year history. As a result, studios are now required to obtain consent from and pay actors for use of their AI-generated likenesses.

    “Artificial intelligence has dominated the headlines, and for most performers, the best protection against the unauthorized digital simulation of their voice, likeness and/or performance is a SAG-AFTRA contract,” union president and actor Fran Drescher said in a statement Tuesday. SAG-AFTRA has over 160,000 members.

    National executive director and chief SAG-AFTRA negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said at CES that the union had been involved with AI issues for almost a decade.

    Replica Studios CEO Shreyas Nivas, who signed the agreement with Crabtree-Ireland at CES, called the agreement “groundbreaking” in a post on LinkedIn.

    “This partnership will allow voice actors to safely explore new opportunities for their digital voice replicas while establishing protections around consent, contracts and compensation,” Nivas wrote. It also includes stated conditions for safe storage of such digital assets.

    A turnaround for studios on AI

    In a podcast that aired in December, SAG-AFTRA general counsel Jeffrey Bennett said that studios had earlier claimed they did not need performers’ consent to replicate their voices with AI.

    “Before we started negotiating these terms, the position of the studios was [that] they did not need consent to create replicas,” Bennett said. “So, if you fast-forward from the position that they took as early as January 2023 to the position we now have with these contract terms and some of the legislation that’s coming, we have flipped that whole narrative on its head. They recognize now they can’t do this without consent.”

    While this agreement is specifically about video games, Crabtree-Ireland said other agreements might be reached for other kinds of vocal performances, such as music and TV commercials.

    The agreement does not cover the controversial use of performer voices to train large language models, Crabtree-Ireland said. That training has come under fire from notable figures such as Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, who, along with other authors, has sued artificial intelligence company OpenAI for allegedly using his published works to train the AI technology that powers generative AI chatbot ChatGPT.

    Crabtree-Ireland also said he saw no reason why the estates of dead performers could not agree to the use of those voices under the new licensing agreement.

    Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.

  • This App Says It Can Translate Your Baby’s Cries Using AI

    This App Says It Can Translate Your Baby’s Cries Using AI

    A new company says its phone app can “translate” your baby’s cries and tell you whether they’re hungry, uncomfortable, tired or in need of a diaper change. Showcasing its tech at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, Cappella says it uses AI and machine learning to decipher an infant’s needs.

    Read more: The most eye-catching tech gadgets at CES 2024

    According to Cappella, its technology is about 95% accurate — that’s versus roughly 30% for humans who try to guess their babies’ needs. Take that figure with a grain of salt, of course: You know your baby best, and you can hit an “I disagree” button on Cappella’s app if you don’t think it’s correct.

    The app costs $10 a month, and Cappella is still working on temperature — whether your baby is crying because they’re too hot or cold — as another data point for analysis.

    Another product that claims to translate your baby’s cries, Qbear+, was shown off at CES last year, and even won an innovation award. The big difference here is that you don’t have to buy a new device: You can just use Cappella’s app on your own phone.

    Capella app

    You can also use Cappella as a more general parenting app, as it can track sleep, feedings and diaper changes. It’s also working on using AI to soothe your baby, too.

    “With our groundbreaking AI-powered baby cry translator, we accurately understand your baby’s needs and use AI-generated sounds to soothe your little one without requiring your constant attention,” Cappella’s site says.

    Cappella is already available in the Apple App Store, and you can join the waitlist for the Android app in the Google Play Store.

    Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.

    AI Is Everywhere at CES 2024. Here’s the Coolest Tech We’ve Seen So Far

    See all photos

  • Foldable TVs, Inside-Out Samsung Phone: Most Captivating CES 2024 Tech We’re Seeing

    Foldable TVs, Inside-Out Samsung Phone: Most Captivating CES 2024 Tech We’re Seeing

    CES 2024 is in full swing in Las Vegas, where the CNET team is on the ground scouring the show floor for the best, and weirdest, cutting-edge tech. Here at the world’s largest technology show, we’re getting our eyes and hands full of everything from futuristic concepts to practical products you can preorder or buy today. As you might expect, AI is everywhere at CES this year, especially in the form of ChatGPT and similar generative AI chatbots.
    We’re also seeing plenty of new car tech, gaming gear and robots — there’s even a robot for your dog.

    Here’s what’s captivating us at CES 2024. We’ll bring you more news on the best tech highlights as we come across them this week in Las Vegas.


    Foldable phones? How about a foldable TV?

    img-0298

    What to do with a TV when it’s not being used? You could make it see-through (more on that below) or, if you happen to have a couple hundred thousand dollars lying around, maybe you opt for a foldable TV like the 137-inch one C Seed showed off at CES 2024.

    The custom-built N1 features a stunning, bright, seamless picture,and its screen can rotate 180 degrees to face different directions. Divisions between the different sections of the screen were invisible. But when when not in use, the N1 folds up into a compact rectangular chunkin about 2 and a half minutes with the touch of a button, forming something that looks more like a metal bench than a large expensive TV.

    Oh, and it costs $200,000 for the 137-incher, but hey, that includes installation and setu.


    Steam Deck has a new challenger

    A gaming handheld made by MSI, with a colorful blue background

    After years of near misses such as the Steam Machine, the Steam Deck was an unexpected success for Valve, and the console is the current standard for mobile PC gaming. While the competing Asus ROG Ally looked cool, using Windows on it was apparently pretty clunky. Now that situation might change with the help of Intel — the company has a lot of experience making Windows machines. MSI’s Claw handheld obviously owes a debt to the Steam Deck, but it has Intel’s new Meteor Lake chips onboard instead of AMD chips. CNET’s Scott Stein says this development means more manufacturers will have the opportunity to design their own Steam Deck-alikes that can also run Windows.

    This phone bends over backward for you

    Samsung's Flex In & Out concept closed

    As phones with screens that fold in half get more consumer attention, Samsung appears to be poised to flip the market again. The electronics giant showcased a concept handset at CES 2024 called the Flex In & Out Flip that can fold in both directions and completely backward, allowing you to use the phone’s 6.7-inch screen even when the device is shut.

    When bent backward, one side is slightly shorter than the other, to avoid covering the camera, while the larger side was big enough to show several icons in the phone’s quick settings menu, media playback controls and the time and battery level. Although the handset is only a concept design right now, CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco points out that it might offer a hint at the future of devices that roll, flex, bend, fold and otherwise contort to adapt tech to our unique needs.


    Get to work with this gaming laptop

    HP Omen Transcend 14 open facing rear right sitting on a black window ledge and a window behind it.

    More and more, we’re asking our laptops to do double duty. In addition to strong gaming performance, we want to be able to use these thinner, lightweight devices for work or school. The HP Omen Transcend 14, which made its debut at CES 2024, is light enough for a daily commute but sports a 14-inch 2.8K OLED display with a 48-120Hz variable refresh rate backed up by an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070.

    The 14-inch laptop weighs only 3.6 pounds (1.6 kilograms) — light for a gaming laptop and has battery life good for up to 11.5 hours with the integrated graphics and an Eco mode. The new 14-inch size starts at $1,500. A 16-inch version will also be available with the option for a 4K 240Hz OLED starting at $1,900.


    This thermometer also checks your heart and lungs

    Two hands holding up the BeamO

    If you ever wanted to hold up a single device to your head for a quick health checkup, the Beamo might be just what the doctor ordered. The BeamO, which looks like a game stick, is a four-in-one thermometer,electrocardiogram, oximeter and stethoscope made by Withings and it wasunveiled this week at CES 2024. Depending on where on your body you “beam it,” the device can give you clues about your health.

    The device, which Withings describes as being “portable and smaller than a smartphone,”combines the simplicity of taking your temperature at home with some ofthe wellness metrics newer-grade wearables and smartwatches carry, likeblood oxygen and heart rate readings, as well as chest sounds when usedas a “digital stethoscope.”

    Following expected clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration this June, you can get one for $250.


    Forget a projector, get a huge TCL instead

    The TCL 115-inch TV on a stand.

    CNET’s projector reviewer Geoff Morrison has been extolling the benefits of projectors for many years, but even he has come around to technologies like OLED and Mini-LED of late. What would he think of the new TCL 115QM891G? This is a 115-inch 4K LCD TV that’s up to five times brighter than most TVs, and with better blacks too, according to TV reviewer David Katzmaier.

    As TV reviewers ourselves we’ve seen large TVs, but in the old days they were stuck at HD. The pixels on Panasonic’s 103-inch 1080p, for instance, were huge and easily noticeable. This is why 4K technology is so great — it means you can install a TV as big as a wall, and not see black lines between the pixels. The TCL also going to be a lot cheaper than that $100,000 Panasonic too, at under $20,000.


    Stained glass gets a new lease on lifelong power

    A crystal made of glass that can capture solar energy.

    Solar panels are great — they produce electricity from one of the most abundant resources we have, and they pay for themselves in quick order — but no one has ever called them pretty. Fear not! Japanese company inQs has worked out a way to make solar cells out of colored glass. The company is exhibiting a number of objects at CES 2024, including a stained glass pane that generates electricity. The devices are small, and one was able to power only a desk fan, but we like how they point to a rethink of how solar panels should look and work.

    Disguising weird-looking things has been a perpetual trend at CES, as with LG’s ArtCool air conditioners. And this year the Samsung Music Frame lets you put art inside a smart speaker.


    Hey, Ida, which is better: Alexa or Siri?

    Volkswagen ID Buzz three-row EV

    AI is already everywhere here at CES 2024 — and adding to the list of products it’ll be appearing in is cars. Volkswagen has announced a deal with ChatGPT that enables users to ask all sorts of questions of their car, in the same way they would of a traditional digital assistant. At the moment, VW’s voice assistant lets users say, “Hey, Ida,” to ask a question about something basic, like requesting tire pressure. But the automaker’s cars are incapable of answering more advanced questions like, “When did the New York Jets last win the Super Bowl?” Under the new deal, if the car’s assistant can’t answer the question, it’ll hand off the query to ChatGPT. (Yes, the Jets did win one. But it was a very, very long time ago.)

    It’s worth noting that competitors like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri have been completing these queries natively for many years, so teaming with ChatGPT is an easier way for VW’s Ida to catch up.


    Must-see-through TV

    img-5181

    TVs are getting bigger every year, which means there’s a bigger slab of black plastic taking up a significant portion of the living room wall when it’s not in use. But what if we could make it disappear, without actually pulling it off the wall?

    LG has apparently done just that with a transparent OLED screen that converts from a “fish tank” to a 77-inch television (pictured above). Unlike Samsung’s competing technology this will apparently be a real product, shipping later in 2024.

    Meanwhile Samsung is showing off the first transparent version of its Micro-LED display tech at CES 2024. While transparent OLED and even LCD-based screens have been around for a while, Samsung says its Micro-LED display technology produces brighter, clearer images and is more transparent than the current tech. But Samsung says its transparent Micro-LED tech isn’t available in the market, so what Katzmaier saw (or didn’t see?) is essentially a concept.


    A 2-minute ice cream maker

    Ice cream maker

    Coming soon to a restaurant near you: freshly made ice cream, ready from start to finish in just 2 minutes.

    We’ve loved trying the vanilla ice cream churned out by the speedy ColdSnap — first in 2021 and then again this year. We’re still a year away from being able to buy one of these innovative ice cream makers for our homes, but the company came to CES this year with the news that its restaurant partners will have hold of the machines much sooner.

    The countertop ice cream maker uses Keurig-like pods to make a bowl of the cold stuff in less than 2 minutes. The finished result has a gelato-like consistency that had us coming back for more every time we passed the ColdSnap booth.


    Robot stain fighter

    bespoke jet bot combo

    Here’s a product sure to clean up — literally. Samsung’s new Bespoke Jet Bot Combo, a smart robot vacuum with a mop, does more than just get rid of dust bunnies and dog hair. It’s designed to roam your rooms scouting for stains on hard flooring and scrub them out so you don’t have to.

    The robot taps AI-powered object recognition to identify stains on hard flooring. Yes, it can tell the difference between the surfaces, presumably making adjustments to its cleaning technique accordingly. You can also tell this likely $1,000-plus household helper where it can and can’t go as it attacks stains as bad as a puppy piddle or a zinfandel spill with a spinning mop that hits 170 rpm. (Pricing details aren’t yet available.)


    Teeth tech

    The Oclean X Ultra Wi-Fi Digital Toothbrush with extra heads and charger

    AI isn’t just helping keep your floors clean, it’s also being used to make sure your teeth are as clean as they can be. The Oclean X Ultra Wi-Fi Digital Toothbrush features an algorithm-controlled motor, five brush modes tailored to specific needs, an interactive touchscreen that shows you areas you missed and, brilliantly/weirdly, an AI voice guide that speaks into your brain via bone conduction to help you improve your technique.

    It also features Wi-Fi connectivity so you can pair it with your home network, and it will store information about your brushing history until you can download it to your app. It also offers 40 days of battery life through wireless charging. It will go sale in the US in the fall for $130.


    What’s old is new

    A person hands their iPhone to another to hold -- the phone is wrapped in the Clicks case-and-keyboard, which is bright yellow with stylish black keys.

    If you consider yourself an old-school smartphone user, you may yearn for the physical keyboards that used to be a mainstay of the phones of yesteryear. The iPhone’s on-screen keyboard ushered out the full physical keyboards that were popular on BlackBerry devices.

    The Clicks keyboard, from Clicks Technology, will transform your iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, adding a keyboard that’s actually integrated into a wraparound case. This $139 wraparound slides onto your device and runs off the phone’s battery, so no charging required.


    It’s all in the wristwatch remote

    cnet-ces-2024-doublepoint-watch-nick-wolny

    Imagine using your wrist to control everything around you. A flick this way, and you can turn off the lights or scroll through the offerings on Netflix. Finnish startup Doublepoint has developed software that can turn an Android watch into a general-purpose controller for any device via a Bluetooth connection.

    The software will come to developers in the first half of this year,but it’s up to developers and app-makers to decide what a small gesture, such as tapping fingers or rotating your wrist, will actually do.

    Steven Musil, Sareena Dayaram, Katie Collins and Ty Pendlebury contributed to this article.

  • Apple Starts Sending Out iPhone ‘Batterygate’ Settlement Payments. What to Know

    Apple Starts Sending Out iPhone ‘Batterygate’ Settlement Payments. What to Know

    iPhone owners who were part of the 2020 class-action lawsuit against the company should finally be receiving their piece of the payout after Apple admitted to slowing down its older phones.

    With so many phones to choose from, people buy their handsets for the features, like cameras or messaging apps, or simply for the brand name. But with so much of our lives oriented around the phones we’re using all day long, the less glamorous aspect of battery life is often front and center. Especially when it’s suddenly at a very low percentage.

    Owners of older iPhones noticed back in 2017 that their phones were running more slowly, and their batteries draining quickly. They were right. That same year, Apple admitted that its iOS software had slowed down the performance of older iPhones, but said there was a reason for it: As the lithium-ion batteries in the older phones aged, they didn’t hold a charge as well, and could unexpectedly shut down. The software slowed performance of those phones to prevent this, the company said.

    As former CNET reporter Shara Tibken wrote, some people have long believed Apple hinders older devices to encourage customers to buy new models, which is something Apple has denied. But that belief only aggravated debate over Apple’s lack of transparency about the phone slowdowns.

    The lawsuit was successful, and in August 2023, a judge cleared the way for payments to proceed. Some iPhone owners are reporting online that they are already seeing the money — here’s what to know.

    How did Apple respond to the lawsuit?

    The company apologized for its lack of transparency, updated its software and offered battery replacements. In 2017, the company said, “We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down,” and said it has never done anything to “intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades.”

    The company has a lengthy page on its site discussing iPhone performance in relation to the battery. It warns that on older phones, iOS “dynamically manages performance peaks to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down so that the iPhone can still be used.”

    How much will class members receive?

    Apple agreed to pay a minimum of $310 million and a maximum of $500 million to settle the lawsuit. The settlement agreement required the company pay owners of certain iPhone models $25 per device, with that amount dependent on the number of claims.

    According to SiliconValley.com, there have been around 3 million claims, meaning class members will receive about $65 per eligible phone.

    However, as MacRumors reported earlier Saturday, several class members received payments of $92.17 per claim, beginning on Jan. 6.

    “Nice thing to wake up to on a Saturday morning — especially after 3.5 years of waiting!” wrote Michael Burkhardt on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a snippet of a deposit statement showing he received six $92.17 payments.

    A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Why did payments take so long?

    As is perhaps appropriate for a lawsuit about slowed-down phones, the payouts were slowed down. Two iPhone owners who objected to some of the terms of the settlement lost their appeal in the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals back in August. The effective date of the settlement is Nov. 6, 2023.

    Who is eligible to receive a payment?

    The iPhones included in the settlement were the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus and SE running iOS 12.2.1 or later, as well as the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus if they were running iOS 11.2 or later before Dec. 21, 2017.

    It’s too late to get in on the settlement if you haven’t already done so; the window for joining the class has closed. The deadline for submitting a claim was Oct. 6, 2020. More details about the settlement are available here.

  • NordVPN Backs Up No-Log Braggadocio With a 2023 Audit by Deloitte

    NordVPN Backs Up No-Log Braggadocio With a 2023 Audit by Deloitte

    NordVPN is one of our favorite virtual private network (VPN) providers on the market, thanks to its ability to maintain blisteringly fast internet speeds and its top-notch privacy features. Like most VPN companies, Nord touts a strict no-logging policy, claiming that it doesn’t track your web activity while you’re using its servers. Although you can — and should — remain skeptical of no-logging assertions, third-party audits back up VPN providers’ claims. In an effort to verify that it doesn’t record users’ online activities, NordVPN underwent an audit by Deloitte.

    NordVPN provides additional transparency with a fourth no-logs audit

    At the end of 2023, professional services firm Deloitte performed an audit of NordVPN’s claims that it doesn’t log its users’ online activities. During its evaluation, Deloitte analyzed Nord’s privacy features, including its base VPN, obfuscation, Onion over VPN (Tor), double VPN and P2P servers (which are meant for use with file-sharing software, like torrent clients). Onion over VPN and a double VPN further encrypt your web traffic for enhanced privacy, making it even harder to determine potentially identifying information like your IP address. Obfuscation tries to trick websites and apps from realizing that you’re using a VPN.

    As Deloitte explains in its full report, it found no evidence of activity like web browsing data or IP addresses being stored. But if you’re like me and watch way too much Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, you’ll know that “no evidence” doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be found. A no-log audit shouldn’t be seen as a guarantee that your data isn’t being stored, but more as a trust signal that offers peace of mind. Deloitte can only comment on what it observed during the audit itself — its Nov. 30 to Dec. 7 2023 analysis uncovered no evidence of logging. Notably, Deloitte audited Nord in 2022 as well, so these regular examinations somewhat compensate for quick observation windows.

    Ultimately, when you use a VPN, you’re trusting that company with your data. NordVPN’s continued commitment to transparency coupled with its privacy features like a double VPN and Onion over VPN are strong trust signals. Moreover, Nord’s Panama jurisdiction lies outside of the Five Eyes and Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing alliances, which is further reassurance, especially for folks with serious privacy concerns like activists or investigative journalists.

    With more VPN providers undergoing third-party audits — our Editors’ Choice ExpressVPN underwent a whopping 12 independent audits in 2022 — it’s refreshing that this trend continues. For the second year in a row (2022 and 2023), NordVPN contracted Deloitte to verify its no-logging claims, so hopefully this trajectory keeps going with an audit in 2024.

    Aside from its excellent privacy features, NordVPN remains one of the fastest VPNs on the planet. If you’re considering signing up, check out how NordVPN and ExpressVPN — two of our favorite virtual private network services — compare in our head-to-head match-up.

  • ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’: Streaming Release Date and How to Watch From Anywhere

    ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’: Streaming Release Date and How to Watch From Anywhere

    Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony, including Lily Gladstone’s historic win, may have piqued your interest in Killers of the Flower Moon, and later this week the drama will start streaming on Apple TV Plus.

    Directed by Martin Scorsese, the 1920s-set film “depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror,” as an Apple TV Plus press release puts it. The movie is based on David Grann’s nonfiction book of the same name and, along with Gladstone, stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons. The movie received seven Golden Globe nominations and can be found on lists of predicted Oscar nominees.

    The nearly three-and-a-half-hour film impressed critics, sitting at a score of 89 on Metacritic. Here’s when it hits Apple’s streamer, plus why you may want to consider using a VPN to watch it.

    When to watch Killers of the Flower Moon on Apple TV Plus

    The movie hits Apple TV Plus on Friday, Jan. 12. It’ll stream in more than 100 countries, according to the service.

    A subscription to Apple TV Plus is currently $10 a month (up from $7 a month after a 2023 price increase). The series Lessons in Chemistry, Ted Lasso and The Morning Show are among the streamer’s offerings. You can also get Apple TV Plus bundled with other services as part of an Apple One subscription.

    How to watch Killers of the Flower Moon with a VPN

    Perhaps you’re traveling abroad and want to stream Apple TV Plus while away from home. With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the movie from anywhere in the world. There are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming, too.

    A VPN is the best way to encrypt your traffic to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you’re traveling, find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. Streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that’s passed our tests and security standards.

    You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are allowed in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you’re using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommend ExpressVPN, but you may opt for another provider from our best list, such as Surfshark or NordVPN.

    Follow the VPN provider’s instructions for installation, and choose a country where Killers of the Flower Moon will be streaming on Apple TV Plus. Before opening the streaming app, make sure you’re connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream Killers of the Flower Moon on more than one device, it’s possible you’ll need to configure each one to ensure you’re signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you’re logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now you’re ready to open Apple TV Plus to stream.

    If you encounter issues with streaming, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Double-check that you’ve followed installation instructions correctly and have picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device and connect to your VPN first. Note that some streaming services have restrictions on VPN access.

  • Walmart Expands Dallas Drone Deliveries to Millions More Texans

    Walmart Expands Dallas Drone Deliveries to Millions More Texans

    Walmart is expanding its drone delivery program from one pocket of the Dallas-Fort Worth area to millions of people in 30 municipalities in the region, CEO Doug McMillon announced Tuesday at CES 2024.

    The retailer will use drone delivery systems operated by startup Zipline and by Alphabet subsidiary Wing, companies that have made hundreds of thousands of deliveries in recent years. They each recently obtained clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly their drones beyond visual line of sight, aka BVLOS — in other words, out of the eyesight of a human operator — which makes large-scale drone delivery operations more practical and economical.

    Delivery drones offer fast service, with Walmart packages arriving between 10 and 30 minutes after an order is placed from stores up to 10 miles away. Walmart touts the technology for people who need missing cooking ingredients, last-second birthday gifts, over-the-counter medications or movie night snacks.

    Drone delivery is a potentially revolutionary technology for when people need relatively small packages swiftly. It’s not economical in rural areas, and finding a place to deliver a package can be tough in dense cities, but expect it to spread across the suburbs as retailers seek a technology that satisfies consumer spending urges while keeping delivery trucks off the road. That can, in principle, ease traffic congestion and lower the carbon footprint of deliveries.

    People like the technology, with regular customers placing an average of two orders per week and the more enthusiastic averaging three orders per week, Walmart said.

    A Zipline drone delivery system lands a package on a brick walkway

    Drone delivery noise has been a concern, but both Wing and Zipline keep their deliveries quiet by keeping drones high in the sky and lowering or dropping packages. Zipline is testing a new drone design with Walmart that can plop a package onto a table or walkway.

    Customers can order over the web by visiting wing.com/Walmart or flyzipline.com/get-delivery. Wing and Zipline have already been Walmart partners in testing drone delivery programs. Zipline has made more than 900,000 deliveries worldwide.