More stories

  • in

    Meta uses your Facebook data to train its AI. Here’s how to opt out (sort of)

    <!–> Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg made billions by collecting, sharing, and using your personal data. In turn, Meta uses your data to help create its large language model (LLM) Llama 2.  Yes, your data is the ore from which the metal of Facebook’s forthcoming AI chatbot will be forged. Not […] More

  • in

    The best mobile VPNs of August 2023

    We tested and analyzed the best mobile VPNs for 2023 using the following criteria to help you make an informed decision:Performance: We tested most of the VPNs on this list to ensure robust performance in terms of connection and speed. After all, there’s no point in using a VPN if your connection continually drops or lags, making it intolerable, which is especially important when you’re on mobile.Simultaneous connections: Many VPNs limit how many devices you can connect to a service at the same time. If you have a phone, tablet, and laptop you want to connect to a VPN, you need a service that allows simultaneous connections.Security: There’s no point using a VPN unless their 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 and is an important feature for a mobile VPN to have, as it protects you by preventing a return to a default Wi-Fi connection — in comparison, for example, with your cellular connectivity — 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 and relying on mobile devices. We ensured that our top recommendations perform well when it comes to 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.Trial length & price: Each VPN we recommend has a solid money-back guarantee. Most VPN providers recommended in this list have been subject to in-depth testing and reviews by members of our ZDNET team. We’ve been writing about these VPNs for years, have spoken with their management and their users, and have developed a generally favorable impression.ZDNET tests VPN services from multiple locations, but we can’t test from all locations. Every home, every community, every local ISP, and every nation has a different infrastructure. It’s essential that once you choose, you test for all your likely usage profiles and only then make the decision 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. More

  • in

    AT&T expands Air wireless 5G home internet to 16 cities

    <!–> Westend61/Getty Images After finally getting on board with 5G home internet earlier this month, AT&T announced today that it’s expanding its wireless internet service to 16 cities. At launch earlier this month, AT&T Air was only available to what the company called a “select group of customers identified as eligible to upgrade to the new service.” […] More

  • in

    Opera adds AI chatbot to its iPhone browser

    By integrating AI into its desktop and mobile browsers, Opera joins other companies, most notably Microsoft, which offers the Bing AI through its Edge browser Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET iPhone owners who use Opera will be able to chat with AI the next time they fire up the browser. On Wednesday, Opera the company announced […] More

  • in

    Wi-Fi 6E: The future of wireless connectivity today (with some caveats)

    <!–> Netgear Thanks to COVID-19, according to a Deloitte connectivity survey, “Almost overnight, lines blurred between consumers’ physical and digital worlds, and home became the headquarters for virtual working, learning, fitness, healthcare, shopping, socializing, and entertaining.” To make all that happen, we need more Wi-Fi equipment and high-speed bandwidth than ever. That’s where Wi-Fi 6E […] More

  • in

    Singapore heats up data centers with operating standards for tropical climates

    <!–> Erik Isakson/Getty Images Singapore has released operating standards that it says will optimize energy efficiency in data centers located in tropical climates.  Developed by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the recommended standards offer a roadmap to increase data center operating temperatures to 26 degrees Celsius and above. These standards can potentially yield energy […] More

  • in

    Singapore creates digital blueprint for generative AI and autonomous systems

    <!–> Getty Images/Allan Baxter Singapore has laid out a years-long roadmap it believes will ensure its digital infrastructure is ready to tap emerging technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, and immersive multi-party interactions.  The Digital Connectivity Blueprint maps out key priorities for the country’s infrastructure over the next 10 years and serves […] More