Information Technology

Jack Wallen/ZDNETSecurity and privacy have been hot topics for a long time (and that’s not going to change any time soon). One means of achieving privacy on the internet is to either change or obfuscate your IP address, so evildoers and/or third parties aren’t able to track you or keep a history of your browsing traffic.Also: This Linksys Wi-Fi 7 mesh router makes reliable wireless throughout your home so very easyChanging your IP address might sound like a task that requires a computer science degree — but it’s not. It’s easier than you think. I want to show you how you can accomplish this without a struggle.Before we get started, some explanation is in orderDifferent IP addressesOne of the first things to understand is the difference between an internal and external IP address. On your home network, you have one external IP address (which is assigned to the modem/router your service provider gave you). This IP address is what you see if you open a browser and go to What Is My IP Address.  More

weerapatkiatdumrong/Getty Images They may be hot targets of cybercriminals, but small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are prioritizing other enterprise applications for adoption over security tools.  Cybersecurity tools rank low in adoption among the various categories of applications whose costs are partly subsidized for SMBs in Singapore, said Andy Choi, deputy director of SME Go Digital […] More

Google Chrome users waiting for Google to kill third-party cookies now have to wait even longer. In a Tuesday news update, the company revealed that its plan to start blocking third-party cookies by default won’t kick off until early next year, at the earliest. Even then, the process will depend on whether Google can reach […] More

Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images If you open your devices with a fingerprint or face scan, you’re probably OK with tech companies having some of your biological data. Now, the rise of neurotech wearables is putting your brainwaves on the table, too.  On Wednesday, the governor of Colorado signed a bill expanding the state’s existing privacy law […] More

Tinder/ZDNETSharing details of an upcoming date with a trusted friend or family member is always a good idea. Now, dating app Tinder plans to roll out a new feature designed to make this sharing process easier and quicker.A new “Share My Date” option in the Tinder app will offer a single link through which you can include the location, date, and time of your date, and even add a photo of the other person.Also: These 4 tech gadgets simplify puppy parentingYou’ll be able to choose who should receive your date info and set up an unlimited number of date shares as far as 30 days in advance. You can also edit your date details in case plans change at the last minute.Online dating can be fun and adventurous, but since you’re essentially meeting a stranger, you may want to take certain safety precautions, including telling a trusted person when and where you’re going and with whom. Before my wife and I got married and she was online dating, she would always share details of an upcoming date with a close friend. More

Lance Whitney/ZDNETMove over Microsoft and Google, you’re not the only ones amping up AI in your search engines. On Wednesday, privacy-minded Brave announced a new feature called “Answer with AI” designed to summarize the results when you ask a question or run a search. Although Brave unveiled an AI-based summary option last year, the company touts the new feature as a “significant step forward.”Like other AI-enabled search engines, Brave’s Answer with AI compiles information from different sources into a single summarized answer for you to digest more easily. However, with its reputation for protecting your privacy, Brave boasts a few benefits unique to its AI search.Also: The best secure browsers to protect your privacy onlineIn response to your question, Brave AI will provide answers, with sources cited, along with traditional search results. The answers generated are based on Brave’s independent search engine, which — Brave asserts — is different from the largest real-time answer engines that rely — directly or indirectly. — on the Google or Bing search engines. Brave’s Answer with AI is freely accessible through the Brave search engine on any desktop or mobile browser. Beyond English, the feature supports a variety of other languages. More

Lance Whitney/ZDNETGoogle today uses Play Protect to scan your Android device for malicious or suspicious apps, but nasty and clever apps can still sneak past and infect your device with malware or spyware. Now, a new option possibly coming to Android 15 or a future version of the OS will try to quarantine potentially hostile apps.Spotted and tested by Android Authority writer Mishaal Rahman, the app quarantining feature first popped up in Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 in November 2023. This suggests that Google started testing the feature in an Android 14 beta with potential plans to roll it out in Android 15 or beyond.Unfortunately, Google has pulled the developer page for “Quarantined Apps,” according to Rahman. While the setting that would support app quarantining at the OS level still exists, there’s not even a command line option to quarantine an app. Furthermore, neither the Google Play Store nor Google Play Services apps request any type of permissions for app quarantining.Also: The top six Android 15 features I’m most excited aboutAs such, Rahman speculates that the feature may not appear in Android 15, but a future release instead. Regardless of the timing, here’s how the feature would work, based on Rahman’s early testing.Quarantining an app would be similar to suspending it, which is how Google’s Digital Wellbeing tool prevents you from using an app as a way to avoid distractions. A quarantined app would still be visible on the home screen launcher and in the Settings screen on your Android device, but certain aspects or features would be disabled. More

Bellwether’s tools use AI and ML to analyze aerial imagery of disaster scenes. Bellwether The National Guard will soon start taking advantage of AI to help it more quickly respond to disasters. The new AI tools will be able to evaluate aerial images of disasters in just a few seconds, identify any critical infrastructure being […] More