Information Technology

Maria Diaz/ZDNETWhen we brought our first Amazon Alexa device into our home almost 10 years ago, we were rightly concerned about having a device listening to everything that went on in our family room.We eventually grew more comfortable and knowledgeable about Alexa’s listening limitations. Today, we have an Alexa in practically every room of the house. And yes, that includes the bathrooms. Also: 5 ways to make your Echo Show less annoyingBut Alexa has not been without its weird behaviors. Alexa has decided to pop into a conversation when nothing resembling a wake word has been spoken. My wife has told me several times that if it wasn’t for the usefulness of Alexa (particularly in managing lists and time), she’d want the devices out of the house. I tend to agree.However, it is possible to reduce Alexa’s intrusion on your privacy. In this article, I detail five things you can do to reduce — but not eliminate — Alexa’s necessary intrusions on your privacy. More

Many providers recommended in this list have been subject to in-depth testing and reviews by members of our ZDNET team. We’ve been reviewing VPNs for years, and have spoken with their management and their users, and developed a generally favorable impression if we’ve included them on this list.ZDNET does test VPN services from multiple locations, but we can’t test from all locations. Every home, community, local ISP, and nation has a different infrastructure. Once you choose a VPN, it’s essential that you test for all your likely usage profiles and only then decide whether to keep the service or request a money-back guaranteed refund.These VPNs also have solid money-back guarantees, and we would not have recommended them otherwise. We analyzed the best VPNs for streaming TV and movies below using the following criteria that were most important in helping you make an informed decision:Performance: Our top VPNs must have a minimum level of performance, especially while streaming. After all, there’s no point in using a VPN while streaming if your connection continually drops or lags, making it intolerable.Simultaneous connections: Many VPNs limit how many devices you can connect to a service at the same time. If you have a phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and possibly even a smart TV you want to connect to a VPN, you’d need a service that allows at least five simultaneous connections.Security: There’s no point using a VPN unless its security protocols and encryption levels are up to scratch. We also ensured that the development team behind each recommended VPN cares about making security improvements over time and patching reported bugs.Kill switch: A kill switch prevents you from having an unprotected connection. It is an essential feature for a VPN, as it prevents a return to a default Wi-Fi connection should your internet connection unexpectedly drop.Geoblocks and streaming: We know that VPNs can be key to accessing local content and services while you’re away from home. We ensured that our top recommendations perform well regarding these factors and are unlikely to slow down your connection while you are streaming. Countries & servers: In how many different countries does the VPN have servers? This can include physical and virtual servers, and whether or not there are enough — at least 50 or so — to provide variety for customers.Trial length & price: Each VPN we recommend has a solid money-back guarantee. For a more extensive breakdown, check out our comprehensive VPN testing methodology page. More

zf L/Getty Images Even as they face growing pressure to adopt generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI), IT decision-makers are concerned scurrying to adopt the technology may have a long-term adverse impact on their company’s overall infrastructure.  As it is, 69% of IT decision-makers said their current network infrastructure did not have the capacity to leverage […] More

da-kuk/Getty Images I’ve been using Bitwarden password manager<!–> for years and it has never failed me. The tool does a great job of housing my login credentials and it’s user-friendly, open-source, and available for nearly every operating system. I was originally drawn to Bitwarden because of its open-source nature, but I also quickly realized the […] More

You may work with a minimal budget when shopping for a new gaming PC. And fortunately, the HP Victus features an entry-level price point while still providing great components. It’s built with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and an AMD Radeon RX 6400 graphics card. And just because it has an older GPU, that doesn’t mean you can’t still play all of the latest triple-A and indie games. And while the regular retail price sits comfortably under $1000, you can routinely find it on sale for $500 or less, depending on the configuration and retailer.The HP Victus can support up to 32GB of RAM and any storage you want, which means that you can save a good bit of cash by buying the prebuilt configuration and upgrading piecemeal as time goes on. And speaking of upgrades, this model features a second RAM slot and three storage drive bays, making upgrading a relatively fast and easy process. One drawback of this PC is the 350-watt power rating, so if you want to add a second storage drive or a more powerful GPU, you’ll need to drop in a more powerful PSU as well. Customers who purchased this gaming PC on HP’s website call out the company’s reliable customer service for troubleshooting any issues you may have during setup or your warranty period, as well as the fact that the Victus 15L is an excellent option for kids and teens looking to buy their first gaming PC.HP Victus specs: CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600G | GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6400 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB SSD  More

These foam tips are a cost-effective replacement that will help keep your earbuds in place. Jack Wallen/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysFoam earbud tips are readily available on Amazon More

Nina Raemont/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeaways For $99, the new Nothing Ear (a) earbuds More

The Amazon Echo Hub is a new smart home controller that offers a new experience for enthusiasts, especially those interested in the Alexa ecosystem. Unlike an Echo Show, the Echo Hub lets you customize your widgets and everything displayed on your device, letting you easily control your smart lights, Ring security system, smart plugs, and more. Review: Echo HubAlso, unlike the Echo Show, the Echo Hub doesn’t have a spatial audio speaker, though Alexa does respond when you ask questions. During setup, the Echo Hub plays music and audio over a preferred speaker in the Alexa app. Testing the Echo Hub for the past few weeks has proven an excellent start for a smart home panel in the Alexa ecosystem, though it does have some navigation lag and some bugs that can be worked out with software updates.Echo Hub features: Smart home control panel | 8-inch touchscreen | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Matter, Thread | Wall-mounted | Price: $180 More