Eliana Willis

Charlie Osborne/ZDNETHere at ZDNET, we extensively cover the virtual private network (VPN) market and keep an eye out for any worthwhile deals.  Over at Stack Social, we’ve spotted an interesting promotion for anyone who wants to use VPN software to mask their online activity from prying eyes, including ISPs, marketers, and other groups that may track what websites you visit and what online services you use.  Also: The best VPN servicesThe VPN in question is from AdGuard, a company well-known for its ad and tracker-blocking technologies. Now, you also have the option to try out their standalone VPN, which could provide an additional layer of privacy to protect your browsing.  What I like about this deal is the price. For $35 (90% off), you can sign up for a five-year plan, which gives you access to a VPN for the equivalent of around $0.58 per month. The subscription includes 10 simultaneous device connections, and AdGuard operates a no-logging policy. One- and three-year subscription AdGuard VPN deals are also available for $15 and $25, respectively, and while inexpensive, they are more in line with typical promotions offered by other VPN providers. Also: The best VPN for streamingThe mobile iOS and Android versions of this VPN are easy to set up, with a clean layout and a simple menu bar. You can opt for the default “smart” location just by clicking a button, or you can wander through the server and country list (over 60 locations) to find your preferred location. Its speeds are fine, and I didn’t notice any real difference in my browsing or app usage. There is a caveat, though: I can’t recommend this VPN for purely MacOS usage. During my testing, I found it a challenge to even sign in, and it is extremely slow. In short, the mobile user experience is what you would expect from a decent VPN, but the MacOS app needs a lot of work. (We do have a list of VPNs that are great for Mac, if you need one.) A free option is available, but keep in mind that VPN traffic, connection speed, and server locations are very limited.  More

Score a Microsoft Office license now at a big discount. StackSocial Whether you’re setting up your new laptop or using a machine you’ve had for years, access to Microsoft Office is a necessity for many of us to get things done. Right now, you can buy a lifetime license to the 2019 version of Microsoft Office Professional […] More

Samsung S90C OLED TV 65-inch Jason Hiner/ZDNETWhat’s the deal?The Samsung S90C OLED TV is on sale for $1,497 at Amazon More

The Signia Active Pro IX in their charging case. Signia/ZDNETHearing aids are a vital piece of accessibility technology. According to the FDA, almost 30 million adults in the US experience a degree of hearing loss. Despite that prominent figure, only one-fifth of those people choose to address their hearing loss with hearing devices and aids.Some people may be turned off by hearing aids due to societal stigmas stemming from their historically bulky and unfashionable appearance. Signa hopes to turn the tide with the Signia Active Pro IX and Active IX hearing aids. They are consumer earbuds that double as prescription-grade hearing aids for people who want to enhance their hearing while maintaining a low profile.Also: Apple’s AirPods Pro might be an inexpensive solution to your hearing lossThe Active Pro IX use Signia’s proprietary Integrated Xperience hearing platform to help those with hearing loss remain active participants in everyday conversation. According to Signia, the hearing platform uses Signia’s RealTime Conversation Enhancement solution, which can process up to four focus streams.A focus stream refers to how the hearing aids focus on sounds coming from the front of the wearer. The hearing aids then use augmentation to enhance conversational noises from all directions while reducing extraneous background noises.Also: AirPods Pro reportedly will gain a hearing aid mode with iOS 18 – no hardware update neededSignia’s new hearing aids can process multiple voices within a conversation, helping users stay immersed in all subsets of a conversation, a challenge many hearing aid wearers experience, according to Signia.A Signia study found that the Integrated Xperience platform produced a +12dB signal-to-noise ratio in simulated group conversations. This positive decibel level means that the technology makes the hearing aids’ signal 12 times stronger than the imitated background noise, allowing wearers to distinguish speech over background noise better. More

Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images When you set up a Windows PC for the first time, you’re required to create a user account that allows you to act as the administrator for that computer. Depending on your Windows edition and network setup, you have a choice of up to four separate account types. Also: How […] More

Amazon/ZDNETIt’s Labor Day, and Amazon has a deal on the 4TB Samsung T5 Evo More

Stack Social If you live near a BJ’s Wholesale Club and have been thinking about buying a membership, now is a great time: New members can buy an annual membership for just $20 (reg. $55) through this Stack Social deal — saving you 63%.  BJ’s is similar to Costco and Sam’s Club (both of which […] More

Get a Babbel lifetime language subscription at a big discount right now.  StackSocial Learning a new language can be daunting. But right now, you can buy a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning from Stack Social that lets you choose from 14 languages and access more than 10,000 hours of online language education for just $140 […] More