Best Android VPN 2023 - CNET

These are the best virtual private networks for protecting your privacy on your Android mobile device.

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Best Cheap VPN for 2023: Privacy on a Budget - CNET

The cheapest VPNs protect your privacy on a tight budget.

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Latest Tech News

Rumor has it, Ubisoft is rebooting Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag.

According to two sources who have opened up to Kotaku, Ubisoft's remake of the 2013 sea-shanty smasher is "still in its earliest stages" but reportedly involves the team based at Ubisoft Singapore.   

In news unlikely to surprise you, not much else is known about the remake, or how much it will innovate on the mechanics and systems of its original iteration, and Ubisoft has declined to comment formally on the speculation. 

If true, it's an interesting decision, not least because Ubisoft is also set to debut another all-new swashbuckling franchise, Skull and Bones. Yes, the pirate adventure was recently delayed once again, but it's nonetheless set to release sometime in 2023-2024 – which may give Ubisoft the litmus test it needs to assess the appetite for the Black Flag reboot. Watch this space, eh? 

As for the Assassin's Creed games that have been confirmed? Assassin's Creed Mirage is finally sending the series back to its roots with classic traversal and poses that look like something straight out of the first Assassin's Creed title. 

At the recent Ubisoft Forward, we sat down with the animation director for Assassin's Creed Mirage, Benjamin Fox, to discuss how Ubisoft Bordeaux returned to the iconic visuals and mobility of the original games while polishing up the rough edges. And "there were a lot of challenges" in animating Assassin's Creed Mirage, according to Fox. 

The best Assassin’s Creed games often offer it all: A hero you can’t help but root for, oodles of intrigue, a beautiful part of the world to explore, and some of the best stealth and RPG combat up for grabs. Here are our picks of the best Assassin’s Creed games: every series entry ranked where – spoilers! – Black Flag does indeed make an appearance...

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How Blood Type Can Increase Your Risk of COVID-19 - CNET

Recent research shows that one particular blood type heightens the risk of infection.

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Latest Tech News

WhatsApp is making it easier to transfer chat logs from your old phone to a new one just by scanning a QR code.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the initial announcement on his Instagram channel where he states this method lets you move your data privately without ever having to leave your devices.” Looking at the video he posted, you first open up the QR code on the older device, then scan said code on the newer phone. Give it about 10 seconds to finish up and you’re done. Other reports state the Chat Transfer tool can be found under the Chats section in the Settings menu.

📱📲 Now you can transfer your full chat history seamlessly, quickly and securely across the same operating systems without ever having to leave the app. Out today 👀 pic.twitter.com/UqNpyw8bCCJune 30, 2023

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Compared to the old method of having to back up your history on either Google Drive or iCloud, this is a lot more straightforward. You’re effectively cutting out the middleman plus you don’t have to worry about hitting storage limits if your WhatsApp account has several gigabytes worth of media saved on it.

As great as this new feature may be, it appears there is a catch. TheVerge claims the QR code chat log transfer “only works between devices running the same operating system, so Android to Android or iOS to iOS.” If you want to move your data from, say, a Samsung Galaxy phone to an iPhone or vice versa, you’ll have to head over to WhatsApp’s Help Center for instructions on how to do so.

We asked Meta to confirm if this is true. We’ll update this story at a later time.

Availability

Meta is currently rolling out the Chat Transfer tool in waves to all its users. Be sure to keep an eye out for the patch once it arrives. No word if there are plans to add a similar feature to the desktop version of WhatsApp.

If any of this sounds familiar to you, that’s because WABetaInfo first revealed the update back in early May when it was only available to beta testers. The publication has since shown off other interesting changes coming to WhatsApp. For instance, a WhatsBeta beta on Android from late May introduces screen-sharing for video calls, which you can activate right after installation and try out with others. There are also plans to introduce multi-account support to the platform giving people a way to swap between profiles on the same smartphone.

While we have you, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best secure smartphones for June 2023.

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How We Test Mattresses - CNET

Go behind the scenes of our mattress testing process and learn what we look for when we test each bed.

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Latest Tech News

The Asus ROG Ally has only been out since earlier this June 2023, and already the modding community has figured out how to install 4TB of M.2 2280 SSD storage.

Normally the Asus ROG Ally comes with 512GB of storage, with a 256 GB version coming soon. And as impressive as fitting that much in a small package is, it’s not nearly enough for many modern PC games, with some requiring 100 GB or more. Some Redditors have taken matters into their own hands and decided to figure out how to fit in even more storage.

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(Image credit: Reddit)

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(Image credit: Reddit)

According to these intrepid modders, and reported by VideoGameZ, the ROG Ally can in fact fit a standard M.2 2280 storage but you need to remove part of the chassis to do so. As you may have guessed, this is an irreversible change that will definitely void your warranty, something important to consider since currently every single one of these portables is covered by it. But if you don’t mind, then know you’ll need to remove antennas and insulate said SSD in a non-conductive foil. 

It seems that, so far, these mods have been successful, particularly with WD 4TB SN850X storage and Crucial P3 Plus 4TB (CT4000P3PSSD8) storage. None of the modders reported overheating or any performance issues in the two weeks since they started altering their ROG Ally systems.

The Asus ROG Ally has so much potential 

One of the most interesting aspects of the Asus ROG Ally is how receptive it seems to be to modding, not only in terms of gaming software modding but also for boosting its all-around performance. If it’s possible to upgrade the handheld to this degree so early in its launch, imagine its modding potential later on down the line when owners truly get a grasp on what they can do with the ROG Ally.

Not to mention that we’ve also seen how much a simple update can improve gaming performance across the board. Ahead of its launch, Asus released a set of firmware and driver updates that increased framerate in many of the best PC games, including Red Dead Redemption 2 and Forza Horizon 5, by up to 20%.

We could end up seeing a ROG Ally, whether officially boosted or warranty-voiding modified, that has specs far superior to what it initially had, which is saying a lot considering what it's packed with already. I’m excited to see what’s possible, considering that it feels like the PC portable has so much untapped potential, as outlined in this Tom’s Guide review.

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OTC Hearing Aids: Which Brand Provides the Best Value? We Do the Math - CNET

We considered price, lifespan and other factors to determine which OTC hearing aids are worth your money.

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This Is How Many Solar Panels You Need to Power Your House - CNET

This formula will tell you how many solar panels are needed to meet 100% of your home's energy demand.

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Latest Tech News

For years Pocket users have been able to get away with not having a Mozilla Firefox account despite the service being on its browser, but they'll soon have to make the switch.

Starting on July 11, 2023, all Pocket users will be prompted to create a Mozilla Firefox account, and it will become mandatory by August 15, 2023. But according to the official blog post, other than changing how you log in, this will not have any effect on your saved items. Also, if you’re a Pocket Premium subscriber, your subscription will not be affected by this move.

(Image credit: Mozilla)

Mozilla stated that this move is to ensure that all users will have Mozilla’s security benefits like two-factor authentication and Mozilla’s privacy policy. And if you log in using your Apple ID or Google login, then not only will you receive these benefits but your account will also be auto-migrated on July 11.

Mozilla’s apps will also be unaffected by the switch, not to mention Pocket will continue to be accessible on other web browsers, including the Pocket browser extension. So, in other words, you’ll have a much more secure browsing experience while maintaining your full breadth of services free of charge.

The full instructions on how to convert your Pocket account to a Mozilla Firefox account are below:

• Beginning July 11, 2023, if you’re already logged in to Pocket, simply log out to be redirected to the Pocket Log In page.
• Enter your email and click Next. If you haven’t already set up your Firefox account, you’ll be prompted with instructions. For Pocket users who log in via Apple ID or Google, please see *below.
• Select Upgrade my account to proceed. (Note: If you select I’m not ready, you will be prompted to transition your account the next time you log in.)
• Log into your Firefox account or create a new one.
• You’ll then be redirected to your Pocket content.

Mozilla previously had been asking users to make the transition, Android Police stated, even setting the mandatory conversion date to June 30, 2022. But now it seems that the company has decided to take things more seriously.

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Latest Tech News

Audio brand Shokz is best known for its bone-conduction headphones but for its new OpenFit wireless earbuds, the company is doing something different: air conduction.

One of the problems with bone-conduction headphones is the audio they output isn’t as good quality as a traditional pair of headphones. The sound reproduction isn’t quite the same. Seemingly because of this discrepancy, Shokz is equipping the OpenFit with DirectPitch, a feature that will gauge both the “distance and angle between” the earbuds and a person’s ear in order to deliver high-quality audio. It's the air being vibrated; not the inner ear. The company claims the tech introduces a sound “that perfectly balances bold highs, clear mids, and [a] surging bass".

Additionally, Shokz is throwing in some of its proprietary tech to improve the output even more. You have the OpenBass algorithm to direct “low-frequency vibrations” into the ear canal for better bass, and Dynamic Range Control for automatically adjusting the equalizer “in real-time”. Each bud will also include a lightweight, “18x11mm customized dynamic driver”.

Notable features

Like with other Shokz products, the OpenFit has an open-ear design so people can still hear the world around them even with the volume cranked up. The company also added a flexible ear hook made out of a “dual-layered liquid silicone” to ensure user comfort. Admittedly, not everyone is a fan of open-ear headphones as audio can leak out. However, it looks like Shokz has a solution. Thanks to DirectPitch, the devices will push the sound pressure towards the ear canal allowing listeners “to hear sounds clearly". This also helps reduce sound leakage and ensures privacy.

Other notable features include AI Noise Cancellation for phone calls, a water resistance rating of IP54 so they can survive splashes of water and dust (just don’t go into the pool with them), as well as a battery life (with the charging case) of up to 28 hours. Shokz states “a quick five-minute charge provides one hour of listening time”.

Available in black and beige, you can purchase the OpenFit earbuds from either Shokz’s website or Amazon for $179.95. It’s unknown if they’ll be available globally. We checked the UK and Australian versions of Amazon, but didn’t find any listings apart from the older OpenRun Pro. We asked Shokz if it plans on releasing the OpenFit model outside the United States. This story will be updated at a later time.

In the meantime, check out TechRadar’s recently updated list of the best bone-conduction headphones for 2023. 

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Apple Rumored to Drop New Beats Studio Pro Headphones in July - CNET

If true, the new headphones could come with spatial audio and noise cancellation.

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Apple Arcade: Every New Game Arriving in July - CNET

Here are the games Apple Arcade is adding this month.

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Latest Tech News

Meta is kicking off a sizable security update as the tech giant begins rolling out new parental tools to Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram.

The goal here is to give parents and legal guardians a lot more control over how their teenage children interact with these apps. Messenger's tools will be housed in the new Parental Supervision hub where users can learn “how much time their teen spends on” the platform, receive notifications whenever someone new is added to the contacts list, as well as dictate who can message them. Parents can restrict incoming messages to “only their [child’s] friends, friends of friends, or no one”. Parents will also be able to control “who can see their [kid’s] stories” and get told whenever someone is reported on the account. Teenagers can change some of the security settings themselves, but if they do that, their guardians will get a notification informing them of any adjustments.

This first batch is currently “available in the US, UK, and Canada… with plans to [roll out] to more countries around the world in the coming months.” Later on, Meta will upgrade Messenger a second time by adding time management tools to Parental Supervision.

(Image credit: Meta)

Increased transparency

Instagram’s own Parental Supervision hub is getting an update similar to Messenger’s as Meta seeks to improve transparency between teenagers and their parents.

Right now, the platform shows parents the accounts their child follows as well as who follows them in return. This tool is being expanded to display any mutual friends those accounts may share with your teenager. Additionally, whenever a minor blocks someone, a notice will appear recommending they add their guardian to help supervise the account.

Outside of the Supervision hub, Meta is testing a new privacy feature for Instagram where people must first send an invite before any messages can be sent. Those invites will be limited to just text – no images, videos, or anything else. It’s unknown if everyone will get to try these out or just a handful of people, but hopefully, it launches globally in an official capacity soon. Speaking of global launches, Instagram’s Quiet Mode, which turns off notifications for a more silent experience, is set to release in other countries sometime “[within] the coming weeks.” 

(Image credit: Meta)

As for Facebook, Meta isn't doing much. The company seems to be content with simply bringing over the Take a Break tool from Instagram. According to the announcement, teens will get a notice telling them to take a breather from the app after 20 minutes have passed. Parents can also set daily reminders if they want to stay on top of things. Be sure to keep an eye out for the patch when it arrives. Updates usually release in waves so you may have to wait a bit. 

While these security upgrades are great, your child may have other apps on their smartphone that you're not aware of. Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the 10 riskiest apps and sites for kids to learn more.

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Best Internet Providers in Fort Worth Texas - CNET

Fort Worth has some of the best options for internet in Texas. Here's what you need to know about price, speeds and availability.

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