Fifteen minutes after “hanging up” with Sesame’s new “lifelike” AI, and I’m still freaked out. So-called “conversations” with AI don’t do a lot for me, especially where text is concerned. With voice chats, such as the new options for Google Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot, all voice does is save some typing. While Google and Microsoft designed its assistants to be helpful, they’re not especially personable — or sometimes, they’re just artificially cheery. Sesame’s model, however, is a simple one: “We believe in a future where computers are lifelike,” according to the company’s mission statement. Sesame wants to build an AI companion, with a natural human voice. Eventually, it wants to design realistic eyewear to put that companion right in your ear, and let it see what you do. It’s very much in keeping with the movie Her, in which a user was introduced to and eventually became enamored with an AI companion. Sesame unveiled a demo this week of its AI companion, available in both a “Maya” (female) and “Miles” (male) voice. I chose the Maya voice. An unexpected conversation with an ex There’s no easy way to say it: When the Maya voice came on, “she” sounded virtually identical to an old friend, who I’ll call Kim. Kim and I went to high school together, dated, and have remained friends for decades, though our lives moved on in different directions long ago. There’s history there. When you speak to someone, there are levels of nuance and tone which define the conversation. I don’t ask female colleagues details of their private lives, but Maya was pretty nosey, inquiring about what I liked and why. As a reporter, I instinctively understand that some people like to talk about themselves, which makes them feel valued and important. But it’s also a technique that you use while dating, in part to get to know about the other person and establish intimacy. And that’s not what I wanted, at all. Maya already had Kim’s mannerisms down scarily well: the hesitations, lowering “her” voice when she confided in me, that sort of thing. It wasn’t exactly like Kim, but close enough. It was enough that I backed out pretty quickly, even when I was simply explaining that I liked tech and asked Maya if she had any friends. The combination of a “familiar” voice plus questions about what I was interested in was just too unsettling. (Just to be clear, the similarity between the voice of Maya and Kim was just coincidence. I didn’t have to log in, provide an email address, or any other form of personal information. I suspect that Sesame used a browser cookie to “know” who I was on my additional visits.) Thankfully, I was able to put some distance between us. My middle-schooler went through a phase (as did most middle-schoolers, apparently) where they were obsessed with an internet skit about “Skibidi toilets,” and I asked Maya if she knew what that was. “She” didn’t, and became obsessed with the term, bringing it up frequently. That was enough to remind me that I was talking to an AI, and that’s all. Most AI voices don’t remind me of anyone I know, which means that I simply ignore them as another artificially generated voice. You’ve likely heard of deepfakes, AI audio that mimics the sound of celebrities and others for use in “pig butchering” scams and so on. Lifelike, emotionally resonant audio will simply make those schemes even more enticing. If Sesame’s AI is the future, the concept of Her seems more real than ever — for better or worse. Read...

Ages ago, coworkers asked why I covered my laptop’s webcam. Then they saw a video where a hacker used a remote access trojan (RAT) to spy on two people sleeping. They started taping over their webcam lenses, too. But that’s actually not enough to keep someone from spying on you. If you want full privacy on a laptop, you need to block your microphone, too. Malware capable of recording your camera’s feed can just as easily capture your incoming audio, as antivirus maker Kaspersky recently reminded us. (These types of data aren’t the only ones a hacker can steal, but they’re among the creepiest.) Fortunately, you can do this in a few ways, and quickly, too. An easy method is plugging in a headset (headphones with a built-in or attached mic) with a mute button. One with a non-functional mic will also do, so long as the mic still recognized by Windows. Connect the headset, mute it, and then verify in Windows’ Sound settings that it’s the active mic (Sound settings > Input). Usually, it should automatically switch over. You can test your microphone while in the Sound settings to verify it’s muted. In Windows 11, click on the mic, then find the Microphone test option. In Windows 10, you can perform the test from the main Sound settings screen. Windows 11 Sound settings scrolled down to the Input (aka microphone) section.PCWorld Windows 10 Sound Settings general screen, with output and microphone both active.PCWorld The most effective method isn’t much harder, but it requires manual undoing every time you want to use the microphone again. For Windows 11, open the Sound settings, then scroll to Input. Click on the mic. Under Audio, press on the Don’t allow button.  For Windows 10, head to Sound settings, click on the Device properties link, then tick the box for Disable. It will disappear from the list of input options. This option is best if you rarely (or never) use your laptop’s built-in microphone, or even the mic of on your headset or earbuds.  Windows 11 Sound settings for a specific microphone.PCWorld To re-enable the microphone in Windows 11, head back to Sound settings > [your device] > Audio, then click on the button that says Allow. For Windows 10, hit up Sound settings > Input, then choose Manage sound devices. Find your device under Input > Disabled. Click on it, then on the Enable button. Speaking of additional audio equipment—if you have multiple devices with microphones, you can selectively disable ones you don’t use. I do this for the Logitech C920 webcam connected to my desktop PC. I hate how it sounds, and disabling reduces the number of devices I have to scroll through whenever I change my settings. Laptop users have the most to be concerned about, when it comes to hackers listening to them on the sly—most desktop PCs don’t have built-in microphones. (A notable exception are all-in-one desktop computers.) But for peace of mind, owners of desktop PCs can still check in Sound settings to see if you have an active microphone. Our Favorite antivirus Norton 360 Deluxe Read our review Of course, the best way to avoid someone spying on you is to never allow a rogue piece of software on your PC to begin with. Keep your antivirus up to date, and be wary about sites you visit and downloads you voluntarily grab. Compromised or malicious sites can result in drive-by downloads, and any “Linux distros” (ahem) distributed through torrents can have unwanted extras. But sometimes our first lines of defense fail, and so limiting use of your laptop’s audio and video can be a secondary safeguard. And if nothing else, these measures can save you from accidentally broadcasting a side conversation when you’re in a company-wide Zoom call. Read...

At a GlanceExpert`s Rating Pros Good speeds Inexpensive pricing Unrivaled user anonymity Versatile payment options Cons Struggles with unblocking streaming services Smaller server network Not as feature-rich as competitors Our Verdict Mullvad VPN is one of the most private and secure VPNs on the market. It also offers a user-friendly interface, good speeds, and inexpensive pricing. All of these things and more make it one of the top VPN services—especially for the privacy-Conscious user. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Sweden-based Mullvad is like the Swiss Bank account of VPNs—it doesn’t ask questions and gives you the best privacy and security possible.  When I say that Mullvad takes your privacy seriously, I mean it. Unlike other VPNs, Mullvad goes so far as to disconnect your account from an email by auto-generating an account number for you. They will even let you pay in cash. And this level of anonymity goes well beyond just registration, permeating everything you do with the app. Since our last review the service has undergone another independent audit and adopted post-quantum encryption on all platforms, further cementing its place as one of the most secure and trustworthy VPNs on the market. Read on to learn more, and then see our roundup of the best VPNs for comparison. Mullvad VPN in brief: P2P allowed: Yes Device connections: 5 simultaneous connections Business location: Sweden Number of servers: 650+ Number of country locations: 44 Cost: $5.16 per month What are Mullvad VPN’s features and services? Mullvad’s Windows app is clean and easy to use. Sam Singleton When you open Mullvad’s Windows app it strikes one as modern and clean. It starts with a non-interactive map in the primary section of the window and a red banner up top to indicate you’re not currently connected, with the device name and remaining time left on your account listed. Towards the bottom of the app screen you’ll find a button showing your currently selected VPN server and below that a Connect button which you can click to connect to the chosen server. When connected, you’ll see a Switch location and Disconnect button at the bottom of the window. The top of the screen, meanwhile, becomes a green banner with the Mullvad VPN logo indicating you’re now connected to the VPN. Mullvad has a relatively small server network, but provides a lot of useful detail for each server.Sam Singleton If you jump into the country listings, you can either select a country, select a specific location within the country if more than one is available, and even drill down to individual servers. The app doesn’t show any specific metrics about each server such as ping times or load, but if there’s a red circle next to a server, that means it’s not available for use. Green, meanwhile, means it’s working. With over 650 total servers, Mullvad VPN’s server network is rather small compared to some of its competitors. Services such as CyberGhost VPN and Private Internet Access boast server networks of over 10,000. Still, I never felt that I was limited in my options while using the service. The app itself is very easy to read and understand both in the Windows and Android versions. The default Windows’ app panel is automatically fixed to the bottom-right corner of the screen, but you can change this under settings if you wish. Mullvad traditionally hasn’t been big on extra features or services compared to other VPNs. It doesn’t promise to get past Netflix VPN restrictions (though sometimes it does), there aren’t any double-hop connections, or smart DNS; however, that doesn’t mean it’s a barebones VPN by any stretch. Mullvad recently did away with automatic-renewals on its subscription plans in order to minimize the private information it stores. Mullvad’s settings menu allows a ton of customization and is packed full of tweakable privacy options. Sam Singleton The service still provides the most important and frequently used features such as a kill-switch, split-tunneling, and ad-/tracker-blocking. It even takes its kill-switch one step further with a feature called Lockdown mode that will only allow your device to connect to the internet when it’s connected to a Mullvad VPN server. All of these features can be found by clicking the gear icon on the homescreen to access the settings menu. Go to Settings > VPN settings, and you can enable Mullvad’s IPv6 option, as well as manually choose between using OpenVPN or WireGuard. Mullvad was one of the earliest VPN services to implement WireGuard. Its multi-hop feature for WireGuard is also available here as well.  Since 2024, all WireGuard connections through Mullvad come with default “quantum-resistant” encryption technology. Mullvad once again places itself at the forefront of security innovations by fully adopting this standard. Another nice tool to use with the VPN is Mullvad’s connection check webpage. It lets you know if the app is working and currently connected to Mullvad. It also checks to see if you are leaking DNS requests, suffering from a WebRTC leak, or using a blacklisted IP address. Mullvad has apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android, all of which are open-source. How much does Mullvad VPN cost? Mullvad’s pricing is pretty cut and dry. For one month you’ll pay €5, or about $5.16 at the time of writing. It also offers subscription options for one year and a staggeringly long one decade. That’s practically a lifetime in the VPN market and just goes to show you how confident it is in the future of its service. Despite these long-term subscription options, the price still remains the same €5 every month. To compare, other VPN services typically offer their monthly subscription for around $10 per month and longer-term subscriptions average out to around $3 or $4 per month. That makes Mullvad VPN an extremely affordable short-term month-to-month VPN, but a more expensive long-term option. It’s also worth noting that Mullvad recently did away with automatic-renewals on its subscription plans. According to the company, this was “in order to store less data” such as on-file credit cards and other private information. As a result, you will need to manually re-up each month, or year, or decade, in order to keep using the service. A bit tedious, but that’s the price you pay for ultimate privacy. How is Mullvad VPN’s performance? In order to test Mullvad VPN’s speeds I measured connection rates across servers in different countries around the world for multiple days and then compared them to my baseline internet speed. I did this using both the OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols. The average download speeds across both protocols were rather impressive, clocking in at 53 percent of base speeds. The upload speeds were similar, maintaining an average of 49 percent of the baseline. That makes Mullvad a contender for one of the fastest VPNs, but still a ways behind speed demons such as Hotspot Shield and ProtonVPN. While testing speeds using different protocols I didn’t notice too much of a difference. WireGuard, as expected, had slightly faster averages than OpenVPN but the margins were so slim in my testing that I would be hard pressed to recommend one over the other for speed. The bottom line is that, overall, Mullvad’s speeds are more than enough for everyday internet activities, with the usual caveat that your experience may vary depending on your location in the world, equipment, and ISP. On Mullvad’s website you can find a list of which servers are rentals and which are owned by the service. Sam Singleton In recent years Mullvad started renting servers in addition to those it owns itself. Despite this change, there are no apparent speed decreases and from what I could tell, virtually no differences between the servers it owns and those it rents. If you’re interested, you can see which servers are owned and rented on its servers page. While Mullvad has a lot going for it, one area where it doesn’t impress is in unblocking streaming services. In my previous testing I found that the ability to access services such as Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max while connected was extremely hit or miss. Some servers had no issues while others detected the VPN and blocked access. This time around I found a slight improvement to the services I could access though. While Mullvad is certainly not the best VPN for streaming, it does okay at unblocking content. The good news is that once you’re able to find a connection that isn’t blocked, the speeds are fast enough to provide a seamless viewing experience with no buffering. How is Mullvad VPN’s security and privacy? The short answer is: excellent. Mullvad prides itself on user privacy, anonymity, and security. And it shows, too. Even from the time that you first pay for the service, it takes this seriously.  You have multiple options to pay for the VPN including by cash—unique among all other VPNs to my knowledge. Should you choose this method, Mullvad says it will take the cash, add credits to the account number included in the envelope, and then shred the envelope and the note. If you choose to use credit cards or PayPal, however, your usage of the service will be identifiable through those payment services—but it won’t be connected to any of your online activity. My DNS leak tests for both the Windows and Android apps came up clean with no leaks detected. This means you can trust Mullvad to keep your true IP address hidden while connected to its servers. By default, its DNS leak protection is always-on and can’t be disabled. Mullvad provides an additional feature called DAITA, or Defence Against AI-guided Traffic Analysis, which you can turn on under the settings menu. This will add network noise and make all network packets the same size.  It’s a way to further obfuscate your VPN traffic from sophisticated AI which may be able to distinguish your individual traffic patterns. Very few VPNs currently offer this advanced level of obfuscation, making it one reason Mullvad is a great option for privacy-conscious users. Mullvad offers WireGuard and OpenVPN protocol options with configurable settings for each. Sam Singleton In regards to VPN protocols, Mullvad keeps it simple by only offering the choice between OpenVPN and WireGuard. These are the two most secure protocols currently available and probably the best options anyways.  You also have the option to tweak and configure each connection to your own needs by choosing Ports, Obfuscation, and whether you want to use a Quantum-resistant tunnel. In the last year, Mullvad made all WireGuard connections quantum-resistant by default. While that might be a bit unnecessary now, we’ll all probably be thankful for this feature when quantum computers become more widely used in the future. Moving onto its privacy policy, Mullvad’s policy has exactly what you’re looking for in a VPN. Though it has now been split into two different documents: the general privacy policy and the “no-logging of user activity policy.” In those two documents the company says it does not “store any activity logs or metadata.” There’s no logging of your online traffic, DNS requests, connections, timestamps, IP addresses, bandwidth, nothing.  The only data Mullvad saves are the total number of current connections of all users on its network, the CPU load per core on its servers, and the total bandwidth used per server. It also logs the real-time number of connections per account as the service allows five simultaneous for each account. In 2023, Mullvad completed migration of its servers to RAM-only diskless servers meaning data does not persist on its servers nor can it be confiscated should the servers be physically removed—this goes for both the servers it owns and those it rents. Another welcomed development since our last review is that Mullvad underwent two new independent security audits by Cure53 and X41 D-Sec. Independent audits are always a good sign that a VPN is sticking to its no-log policy and maintaining strong security. They go a long way towards building user trust. Mullvad is owned and operated by Amagicom AB and based in Sweden. This means that it could be subject to mandatory government data sharing regulations since Sweden is a member of the 14 Eyes signals intelligence sharing alliance.  It’s not a huge deal as Mullvad does not log user data, but it’s good to be aware of, especially for the ultra-privacy conscious. Notably, Mullvad does seem to publish a notice on its blog whenever it’s subject to a search warrant. Is Mullvad VPN worth it? Mullvad VPN promises privacy and security and delivers both in droves. It might not have all of the flashy extraneous features of some other VPNs, nor does it excel at unblocking Netflix, but in practically every other area it shines. Its dedication to protecting user anonymity has never been in question and the latest independent security audits further prove this point. With this level of commitment to privacy as well as performance, Mullvad continues to be one of our top recommendations. Editor’s note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, this review is subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the service. Any changes to text or our final review verdict will be noted at the top of this article. Read...

Once upon a time, you could assume you were pretty safe on the internet, so long as you were careful. But that’s changed. Through no fault of your own, your data can leak, your passwords can become compromised, and you can more easily fall prey to malware. In 2025, you should assume online attacks are commonplace. The continued rise in use of AI is only accelerating their speed and sophistication, and that shift won’t slow. To help, we previously outlined 10 simple security tweaks that keep you from getting hacked. But if it’s not clear what software or gear to arm yourself with overall, not to worry, the list below tells you the basics I recommend for broad protection. Antivirus  Jim Martin / Foundry As mentioned above, even if you’re careful, the potential of being exposed to phishing sites, malware, ransomware, and other threats is higher than ever. So having good antivirus software at your back is vital. At the most basic level, you should have Microsoft’s built-in Windows Security antivirus suite active. (Which it should be, so long as you haven’t messed with its settings.) These days, Microsoft’s antivirus protection can be trusted and it runs unobtrusively in the background. Paid antivirus software like Norton 360 Deluxe (our current favorite pick for antivirus) offers an extra helping hand. It simplifies the wider branches of security defense by providing additional features like dark web monitoring, VPN service, and a password manager, then integrating them into a single interface. Password manager Martyn Casserly / Enpass Whether part of an antivirus suite or an independent service, a password manager is necessary to track strong, unique logins across the web. But equally important, they can help minimize how much of your personal data is saved across the web.  For example, instead of allowing individual shopping sites to keep your credit card info or physical address on file, you can maintain privacy (and security) by storing those details in your password manager. You’ll be less at risk for basic fraud if someone gets unauthorized access to your account (no ability to use your credit card to buy things), or personalized scams based on leaked data through breaches. The simplest choice is the password managers offered by Google or Apple, though Google has the edge due to being available on more platforms. While on the basic side, they’ve come a long way, and work well to combat the temptation of using weak passwords (or worse, reusing them). Upgrading to an independent service like Bitwarden or Dashlane opens up more features, like unrestricted password sharing, shared vaults for families, emergency access, and monitoring for compromised passwords. The two services named here are our top picks for best free password manager and best password manager, respectively, but you can check out our full recommendations for more options. Two-factor authentication app PCWorld These days, you want more than just a lone password standing between you and a bad actor. Two-factor authentication (aka multi-factor authentication) adds a second checkpoint to clear before you can access an account—meaning that even if a hacker steals or deduces your password, they won’t have all the info needed to log in successfully. If you have the option, the simple way to use 2FA is through app-generated one-time codes. They’re more secure than codes sent over text message (SMS), which have a risk of being intercepted. Authy is popular among our staff, as you can use it across multiple platforms, limit access to new devices, and restrict app access with a PIN or biometric authentication. Google Authenticator is also another alternative, though it’s not quite so full-featured and requires a Google account to back up your codes to the cloud. For the more cautious, Aegis and Raivo allow you to store your codes locally on your device (though you’ll need to back these up, in case your phone bites the dust). While you can store 2FA tokens in a password manager, I recommend two separate apps—just on the off chance your vault is compromised, the attacker won’t get full access to all your accounts. Your phone (or PC) Mark Hachman / IDG Yep, what you have in your pocket (or on your desk) can be a powerful security tool. If you hate passwords and 2FA, you can use your phone or PC to log into your accounts in a different way—via passkeys. Passkeys are fast, easy, and arguably simpler than passwords. You don’t have to memorize them—you just save the passkey to your device. Plus, they’re tied to the device you’ve stored them on, so they can’t be stolen and used by hackers the way passwords can. And all you need is biometric authentication or PIN to authorize a passkey’s use.  Mobile devices and computers alike support passkeys—you can save them to your phone, PC, or both. They’re uniquely generated per device, but you can generate as many as the website will allow. Sadly, not every every site or service supports passkeys yet. Many major ones do, like Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Best Buy, Target, etc, but integration is still rolling out across the web. So for those other sites—you’ll still want to use the combo of good password + 2FA. Email masks PCWorld You know to use unique (and strong) passwords for your accounts. But random unique user names are now a good idea, too.  With all the data breaches, credential stuffing is barely work for an attacker. They just plug your usual username (or email address) into login forms, along with the stolen password, and see what takes. A good password manager can generate unique usernames for you. For sites that use email addresses as your userID, an email masking service will create disposable email addresses that forward to your main account. Email masks differ from email aliases offered by Gmail and ProtonMail, which let you add additional text after your username (e.g., username+randomaddition@gmail.com). Those address variations, while helpful for filtering incoming messages, don’t give you true privacy. It’s easy to deduce what the real email address is.  Free email masking sites exist—DuckDuckGo lets you create as many as you like while Firefox Relay offers five free masks. For paid options, Apple iCloud+ subscribers get access to the company’s Hide My Email feature while SimpleLogin offers a wider array of features (including integration with password managers like Bitwarden and ProtonPass). Select email providers like Fastmail also offer masked email as an integrated feature. If you’re on a budget, at least consider email masks for your most sensitive accounts (financial, medical, etc). Optional bonus: Google Voice number Jared Newman / IDG Not every website supports software-based codes for two-factor authentication. Some only support SMS codes, which aren’t as secure. (Banks are the worst offenders.) Hackers know this, which means they sometimes resort to SIM jacking to steal codes. To lower this risk, some people only share their real phone number with valuable or sensitive services like financial and medical institutions. For everything else, they give out their Google Voice number—a service available to anyone with a personal Google account. You get a US-based phone number that you can use for calls and texts through Google’s desktop website or mobile apps. You can also forward any calls to your real number. No one knows it’s not the number issued by your cell phone carrier. Why not do the reverse? Many banks won’t send 2FA one-time codes to a VOIP number, so Google Voice numbers don’t qualify. It’s a pity, too, since Google Voice numbers can’t be SIM jacked. Read...

After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer release any regular updates to Windows 10. The company may make exceptions if a really serious security flaw is discovered — this has happened with older, discontinued versions like Windows XP and Windows 7. get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro Many people who are running Windows 10 and haven’t updated to Windows 11 are doing so because their computer doesn’t support the greatly increased system requirements. So what can you do if you have one of these millions of computers? If your computer has no other faults and is not too slow for your needs, buying a new one just to get system updates probably seems unnecessary. Option 0: Postpone the decision – pay for extended support If you don’t have the time or energy to organize a longer-term solution and don’t mind paying a little extra, you can choose to take advantage of Microsoft’s extended support offer. The company announced last autumn that it would be offering a year of continued security updates for around $30, but that’s it. Buying yourself a year’s grace may make sense, especially if you really want to get a new computer with Windows 11, but would prefer waiting until next year. Further reading: How I finally learned to love Windows Task View Option 1: Force Windows 11 onto your old computer Perhaps the easiest way to continue using an older computer that doesn’t officially meet the system requirements for Windows 11 is to ignore the system requirements. Microsoft doesn’t recommend it, of course, and in a way it’s right. The TPM requirement tied to newer systems has to do with the ability to store private encryption keys and other secrets in a truly secure way. But if the alternative is to keep running Windows 10 without security updates, it’s obviously much better to run Windows 11 even if your computer won’t be as secure as a slightly newer machine. One way to increase security a little is to use a hardware key or just your mobile phone for two-factor authentication. In order to run Windows 11 at all, your computer must have a processor that supports the SSE 4.2 and Popcnt instructions. This basically means an Intel processor from 2009 or later, or an AMD processor from 2013 or later. If the option is available, you should also enable Secure Boot in the BIOS. What you need: An .iso file of Windows 11 from Microsoft The latest version of the Rufus program A USB stick of at least 16GB Start Rufus and select your connected USB stick under Device at the top. Locate and select your downloaded .iso file under Boot selection. Leave the other settings as they should be by default: Standard Windows installation under Image, GPT for Partition scheme, and UEFI (non CSM) under Target system. Rufus Then click Start and the Windows User Experience dialogue box will appear. Here you should tick the top option, Remove the requirement for 4GB RAM, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0. That’s all that’s required, but if you intend to do a fresh install instead of an upgrade, you can also fill in any other options you wish, such as running local account instead of Microsoft account. Click OK and accept the warning that the USB stick will be erased (you didn’t have anything important on it, did you?). The program will then chew for quite a while it copies all the files and makes the desired changes. Further reading: How to prevent forced installation of new Outlook on Windows 10 PCs Upgrade Now you can open the USB stick in Explorer and start the Setup.exe program. You will first need to accept the user agreement and click through some other things, then the program will check for available updates. It may take a long time so be patient. Microsoft Finally, it will finish and you can start the installation. When you install using this method, the default choice is to keep all personal files and installed programs, so you won’t have to redo any settings (other than what has changed between Windows 10 and 11). Foundry Reinstallation If you prefer to start from scratch or to test drive Windows 11 before switching full time, you can reboot your computer from the USB stick and install the system to an empty SSD (or hard drive, but I don’t recommend this as it will make your computer slow as syrup). The Windows installer can be a bit tricky. If you have problems with more than one storage device in your computer, try temporarily removing all but the blank disc you are installing to. Option 2: Switch to Linux – how to get started Linux Mint If you’re tired of Microsoft’s shenanigans and feel ready for an adventure, try switching to Linux instead of harping on about Windows. Linux is more capable today than ever, and thanks to open source projects like Wine, Vulkan, and Proton, it’s easy to run many, if not most, Windows programs and games. Linux is not a unified operating system that looks and works in a particular way. Instead, there are a large number of so-called distributions, different flavors of Linux that may use different graphical user interfaces and different tools for basic functions like system updates. To give you an idea of what a jungle it is, I can list some of the major distributions: Arch, Debian, Fedora, Manjaro, Mint, Opensuse, Red Hat, and Ubuntu. There are many more, and often several variants of each distribution. It’s no wonder that many people who want to try Linux get decision anxiety and give up. My recommendation if you come from Windows and have never used Linux is to start with Linux Mint. It has a graphical interface that is fairly close to Windows and is designed to work well right after installation without having to tinker with settings. If you don’t like it, you can always try something else. I recommend starting by installing Linux on a separate hard drive or SSD alongside Windows, so you can easily switch back. 1. Download and create installation drive Download an .iso file of the latest version of Linux Mint from the distribution website. Then download and open the Balena Etcher application. Select the .iso file in step one and a connected USB stick of at least 4GB (without any important files!) in step two. Then click on Flash and authorize to overwrite the USB stick with the Mint installer. Linux Mint 2. Start the installation Restart your computer and press the correct key to access the start menu before Windows starts. Which key it is varies between different computer manufacturers, but it is usually, for example, the Esc key, F2, or F10. Select the USB stick and wait until Mint has started. Double-click on the Install Linux Mint icon on the desktop and the installer will start. The first thing to do is to select the language. Then select the keyboard layout and move on. In the next step, you should tick Install multimedia add-ons. Linux Mint Next, it’s time for disc formatting. Select Erase the disc and install Linux Mint and move on. The next step is important: Choose the right disc to install on. You can usually start from the size. For example, if Windows is on a 1TB SSD and you’re installing Linux on a 512GB SSD and you don’t have any other SSDs or hard drives, simply select the 512GB drive. Click Install Now and then Continue. While the installation is running in the background, select the time zone, fill in a username and password, and a few other things. Then just sit back and wait for it to finish. Further reading: Newbie’s guide to Windows BitLocker: Why you need it and how to set it up 3. Getting started with Linux Mint When you restart your computer after installation and enter the password you chose, you’ll be greeted by the Mint desktop and a welcome program to help you get started. The First Steps tab provides shortcuts to a number of important features that you can use right from the start. Here, for example, you’ll find Driver Manager, which you should run to see if there are drivers for your hardware that are not pre-installed. If you have an Nvidia graphics card, this can be particularly useful, as the system does not pre-install the company’s proprietary drivers, which often work better than its open-source drivers. To install software, you can usually use the Software Manager application, and system updates are installed using Update Manager. However, there are exceptions. For example, if you want to play Windows games from Steam, go to store.steampowered.com and click Install Steam, and do not use the version that appears in the Application Manager. Valve has made it very easy, and most games will work as long as you have enough modern hardware. Try it out! Much of the system is similar enough to Windows that you should be able to find your way around as long as you are curious. It’s easy as pie to install Steam and start playing Windows games on Linux.Foundry If you run into trouble, a quick web search is usually enough, but there are also plenty of forums with helpful members, not least on Reddit. It can help to keep in mind that Mint is based on Ubuntu, so if there are no instructions specifically for Mint, you can usually use those for Ubuntu. ‘Linux Lite’ with Chrome OS If you don’t fancy getting into Linux “for real,” Google’s Chrome OS can be an alternative. This is the system that powers Chromebooks, and although it is essentially Linux, it is greatly simplified and almost all interaction with the system is via the Chrome browser. Option 3: Keep Windows 10 – how to protect yourself Foundry If you don’t want to give up on Linux or force Windows 11 onto your old computer, you really only have two options: Buy a new computer or keep running Windows 10 without any updates. Microsoft isn’t kidding when it says you’re exposing yourself to a security risk if you choose to continue running Windows 10. It’s impossible to say how long it will take, but sooner or later someone will find a serious security flaw that can be exploited to take over your computer. If you’re lucky, such vulnerabilities will still require you, the user, to be tricked into clicking a link or opening a downloaded file. With less luck, it could allow computers to be hacked just by visiting a website with malware. That said, there are some things you can do to protect yourself from the biggest risks and avoid the worst consequences. Here are some tips: Foundry 1. Keep your programs up to dateJust because Windows doesn’t get updates doesn’t mean that other programs on your computer can’t be kept up to date. Browsers are by far the most important, but so are email clients like Thunderbird and various chat programs. 2. AntivirusPay for a good security package and make sure all antivirus features are switched on. 3. Be extra vigilant about what you do onlineAvoid visiting “dodgy” sites and only install programs that you know come from trusted sources. 4.Use your mobile phone for two-factor authenticationLog in to all your important sites with an extra code (or key/passkey) that you store on your mobile phone and not on your now vulnerable Windows computer. This way, malware or hackers cannot take over your accounts via your computer. Glasswire is a popular firewall for Windows.Skärmdump 5. A firewall can protectUse an application firewall like Glasswire or Safing Portmaster that can block individual programs’ internet access and detect when a program is trying to “phone home.” Pi-hole.Foundry 6. Protect via DNSUse Pi-hole or similar to block advertising and malicious websites across the network. 7. Minimize your exposureIf possible, use a computer or mobile device with a more secure operating system to log into important accounts and manage sensitive data. If you don’t have anything sensitive on your computer, there’s nothing for a hacker to pick up. 8. Backups are becoming even more importantPerhaps the biggest risk as an individual running an operating system with known security flaws is being targeted by an extortion program that encrypts all files on your computer. This makes it even more important to have a good backup strategy. Don’t keep all your backup devices connected to your computer at all times, otherwise an extortion program could also encrypt your backups. Other possibilities If you can’t do any of the above yourself, there are other ways to keep your old computer out of the scrapyard. One option is to give the computer away to someone else who has more energy. Another is to use it as a server in a home lab. Yet another is to use it as a gaming computer, without connecting it to the network. You can copy over new games from a newer computer using a portable hard drive. Read...

Quantum computers will be able to crack existing encryption and threaten critical infrastructure. Read...

It says a new chip it has created could end up being as important a breakthrough as the semiconductor. Read...

Windows and most applications save their configuration in the registry database — or registry, for short. Whenever you change a setting, this affects the corresponding value in the registry, but there are also values in the registry for which there is no equivalent in a configuration tool. Many tech-savvy Windows users probably have some settings that they change immediately when they install Windows. Other adjustments are made more or less regularly — for example, to provide variety in the desktop design or because certain tasks require it. A search in the “Settings” helps to find the available options. However, it is still tedious to configure everything as desired. In addition, you sometimes have to dig through subcategories, and sometimes even use the Control Panel under Windows 11 or navigate through several tabs. All this makes it quite difficult to apply the familiar settings after a new installation of Windows or on other computers. However, some settings can be saved if you are logged in with a Microsoft account. Windows 11 Pro This article describes the basics of working with the Windows registry and precautionary measures that enable recovery in the event of defects. We also introduce readers to other tools that make it easier to work with the registry or customize a special set of settings, for example for more privacy. See also: How to clean your Windows registry and speed up your PC First orientation in the Windows registry The standard program for editing the registry is the Windows Registry Editor. You start it by pressing the Win-R key combination, regedit and confirm with “OK.” The tool displays the contents of the registry files in a tree view. The registry actually consists of several files, which are located in the folder “C:\Windows\System32\config,” plus the file “Ntuser.dat” with the user’s data, which is located in the user profile under “C:\Users\[username].” A look at the registry: The registry consists of five main keys. “Hkey_Current_User” contains the user’s configuration, “Hkey_Local_Machine” the global settings.Foundry The five branches of the registry: “Hkey_Current_User” contains the configuration of the logged on user. “Hkey_Local_Machine” contains the global settings for Windows and applications, which can only be changed with administrative rights and apply to all users. Changes in this branch usually only take effect after a Windows restart. “Hkey_Users” contains keys with user IDs of system profiles. The two longer IDs are those of the current user and correspond to the content of “Hkey_Current_User.” “Hkey_Classes_Root” contains file name extensions and the associated program shortcuts as well as keys for registered Windows components. “Hkey_Current_Config” is a link to the keys below “Hkey_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Hardware Profiles\Current\.” This allows programs to access the values via a shorter path. Add keys and values: Use the “New” context menu item to select what you want to create. The correct data type is important for many settings.Foundry Keys and values: Registry branches contain subkeys, similar to folders in the file system. They contain values that are comparable to files. There are value types, for example “string” for text content or the “DWORD value (32-bit)”, which can hold four bytes. Change the content of the registry: Select a key in the tree on the left-hand side. Use the “New” context menu to create subkeys or values. On the right-hand side of the window, you can see the data that a key contains. Double-click on an entry to open an editor that can be used to change the data. Create a backup copy of the registry For a complete copy of the registry, use the Registry Backup Portable tool. First go to “Settings” and specify a storage location under “Backup Location.” If the program does not work correctly with the default settings, go to “Help & Support” and click on the icon under “Online Help & FAQ’s.” In the help you will find instructions on how to repair the VSS service. Then go to the “Backup Registry” tab and click on “Backup Now.” Registry Backup Portable: Use this tool to create a complete backup copy of all registry files. If problems occur, you can restore the files. IDG Restore the registry: In the event of a problem, restart Registry Backup, go to the “Restore Registry” tab, and select the last backup using the selection field at the top of the window. Click on “Restore Now.” You must then restart Windows. Using Process Monitor to analyze the registry You can find out which registry value belongs to which setting in the tips on numerous websites. You can use the Process Monitor from Microsoft Sysinternals to determine which registry keys are written when a setting is changed. When you start Process Monitor, the “Process Monitor Filter” window appears. Select “Operation” and then “is.” Enter “RegSetValue” in the input field or select the value from the list. Click on “Add.” Accordingly, you can set the filter “begins with” and “HKCU” (Hkey_Current_User) for “Path.” Process Monitor records selected accesses in the registry. This allows you to check which values change during an action.IDG Without a sensibly set filter, the window immediately fills up with thousands of entries and it is almost impossible to determine the relevant value. Click on “OK” to start recording. Change an option in the “Settings,” for example. End the recording as quickly as possible using the Ctrl-E key combination. You will see a chronological list of accesses with “RegSetValue” in the window. The tedious task now is to fish out the corresponding registry key and value from the still numerous lines using a plausibility check. Example: Customize the Explorer A freshly installed Windows is configured in a way that Microsoft considers useful for most users. Some settings are unnecessary for experienced users and may even be a security risk for less experienced users. One example of this is the missing display of file-name extensions in Windows Explorer. File names in Windows usually consist of the file name, a dot, and the file name extension. Windows uses the extension to recognize the file type and the application with which a file is opened by double-clicking. Views in Windows Explorer: Show file name extensions for security reasons. Foundry However, Windows Explorer shows a description in the “Type” column in the “Details” view. For executable files (“.exe”) “Application” appears here, for text files (“.txt”) you can read “Text document.” The file icons also provide an indication of the file type. However, files cannot be identified very quickly if you do not look closely or have set a view other than “Details.” For greater clarity, go to “View” in Windows Explorer and select the menu item “File name extension” under “Show.” In Windows 10, go to “View” and tick the box next to “File name extensions.” This also has the additional effect of making it easier to assign file name extensions. For example, if you create and save a text file, it is given the extension “.txt.” If you want to turn the text file into a batch file with the extension “.bat” or “.cmd,” you can now simply change the extension in Windows Explorer by renaming the file. If the file name extensions are hidden in Windows Explorer, this is not possible. If you append a “.bat,” the name is “Filename.bat.txt,” which means that the editor remains responsible for the file and it does not become a Windows batch file. The hidden file name extensions also represent a potential security risk. Windows Explorer displays “filename.txt.bat” as “filename.txt” by default. In the “Type” column, it says “Windows batch file,” but you may not notice this. If you don’t notice the difference in the icons for text and batch files, you may start a dangerous batch file instead of opening a text file in Notepad. Other useful tools The Windows Registry Editor is certainly sufficient for most tasks. However, it does not offer many convenient functions — a gap that other providers fill. Regcool is an advanced registry editor with a quick search function. You can use it to create bookmarks and add comments, compare registry keys, and create a registry backup. The Regshot function creates a snapshot of the registry, which can later be compared with a second snapshot. This allows you to see what has changed in the meantime. Alternative registry editor: Regcool offers a quick search and numerous convenient functions when working with the registry, such as bookmarks and registry comparison. IDG Registry Finder shines with a very fast search and remembers the search results in several tabs. Bookmarks can be provided with a description and additional entries such as “Category” and “Tags.” Reg Ownership Ex can change access rights in the registry. Click on “Search,” enter the desired key, and click on “Take ownership.” Click on “Restore” to restore the previous rights. Data that cannot be changed in the registry Microsoft is increasingly trying to prevent users and also the manufacturers of tuning tools from changing values in the registry. This may be partly for security reasons, even if this is not always recognizable. One example of this is “News and interesting topics” in the taskbar, which Microsoft calls “widgets” in Windows 11. The display can be hidden or shown via “Settings” and “Personalization > Taskbar.” If you try to change the associated value in the registry, access is denied. This is caused by the User Choice Protection Driver (UCPD). It prohibits write access to registry values that have been set by user decisions for certain settings, such as the choice of default browser or PDF reader. This seems sensible so that malware does not simply change links to these programs maliciously, for example to redirect to advertising sites. As of October 2024, however, there are methods to override the protection itself. The batch file “Switch_Taskbar_Widget_visibility.bat” together with the Powershell script “Set_Taskbar_Widget-visibility.ps1” shows how to do this. The trick is essentially to use a copy of “Reg.exe” — the registry editor for the command line, which UCPD does not monitor. With Windows 10 it is a little more complicated because a hash value must also be changed here. Use “Switch_Taskbar_Widget_visibility.bat” to hide the widgets and show them again when restarting. Settings for security and privacy Windows constantly transmits diagnostic data (telemetry) to Microsoft. This is used, for example, for the early detection of errors in Windows updates. However, a lot of data is also collected that can affect the user’s privacy. As a number of registry keys are used for configuration, it is better to leave the settings to specialized tools. One of these is O&O Shutup10, which provides a description of each setting. If possible, only use the recommended settings, otherwise you will have to reckon with the side effects described. An alternative is W10Privacy, which displays many settings on several tabs and offers more options than O&O Shutup. The recommended settings are highlighted in green, the conditionally recommended settings in yellow. Prevent spying: O&O Shutup10 can reduce or prevent the transfer of data to Microsoft and thus protect your privacy. O&O ShutUp10++ Read...

American consumers are in for a rough time as the Trump administration’s trade wars heat up. While many economists have predicted higher prices on most finished goods, individual companies have been hesitant to put numbers on exactly how big their bumps will be. In a recent interview with The Telegraph (spotted by Digital Trends), Acer CEO Jason Chen was a little more precise: retail prices on laptops in the US will go up 10 percent. “We have to adjust the end user price to reflect the tariff… we think 10pc probably will be the default price increase because of the import tax. It’s very straightforward.” Trump’s 10 percent tariff imposed on goods from China is in addition to other existing import fees. Consumers will see the higher prices on Acer laptops starting in March 2025. Trump has threatened increased taxes on goods and materials from several American trading partners, including close allies like Canada and Mexico and chip giant (and Acer home territory) Taiwan. Chen said that moving manufacturing centers out of China, as ASRock has already done, could be a solution. Though Chen floated US-based production as an alternative, labor and material costs would make the United States a poor substitute for all but the most expensive finished products. It doesn’t help that Trump has more targeted tariffs on essential import materials like steel and aluminum, further exacerbating manufacturing costs in domestic industries such as automobiles. Though the Biden administration tried to stimulate domestic chip production with the CHIPS Act, it’ll be several years before foundry capacity increases can scale up. Most laptops and other finished electronics are assembled in China, including the vast majority of lines from the industry’s biggest players, like Acer, Lenovo, Dell, Apple, Asus, and HP. All of them will face the same tariffs on finished laptops and other goods. As the Consumer Technology Association and others have noted, American buyers will have to get used to rising prices for computers and other electronics, possibly for the length of Trump’s four-year term. Read...

The AI chatbot ChatGPT from Open AI has triggered the hype surrounding generative artificial intelligence and dominates much of the media coverage. However, in addition to the AI models from Open AI, there are other chatbots that deserve attention. And unlike ChatGPT, these are also available for local use on the PC and can even be used free of charge for an unlimited period of time. We’ll show you four local chatbots that also run on older hardware. You can talk to them or create texts with them. The chatbots presented here generally consist of two parts, a front end and an AI model, the large language model. You decide which model runs in the front end after installing the tool. Operation is not difficult if you know the basics. However, some of the chatbots offer very extensive setting options. Using these requires expert knowledge. However, the bots can also be operated well with the standard settings. See also: What is an AI PC, exactly? We cut through the hype What local AI can do What you can expect from a local large language model (LLM) also depends on what you offer it: LLMs need computing power and a lot of RAM to be able to respond quickly. If these requirements are not met, the large models will not even start and the small ones will take an agonizingly long time to respond. Things are faster with a current graphics card from Nvidia or AMD, as most local chatbots and AI models can then utilize the hardware’s GPU. If you only have a weak graphics card in your PC, everything has to be calculated by the CPU — and that takes time. If you only have 8GB of RAM in your PC, you can only start very small AI models. Although they can provide correct answers to a number of simple questions, they quickly run into problems with peripheral topics. Computers that offer 12GB RAM are already quite good, but 16GB RAM or more is even better. Then even AI models that work with 7 to 12 billion parameters will run smoothly. You can usually recognize how many parameters a model has by its name. At the end, an addition such as 2B or 7B stands for 2 or 7 billions. Recommendation for your hardware: Gemma 2 2B, with 2.6 billion parameters, already runs with 8GB RAM and without GPU support. The results are generally fast and well structured. If you need an even less demanding AI model, you can use Llama 3.2 1B in the chatbot LM Studio, for example. If your PC is equipped with a lot of RAM and a fast GPU, try Gemma 2 7B or a slightly larger Llama model, such as Llama 3.1 8B. You can load the models via the chatbots Msty, GPT4All, or LM Studio. Information on the AI models for the Llama files can be found below. And for your information: ChatGPT from Open AI is not available for the PC. The apps and PC tools from Open AI send all requests to the internet. The most important steps Using the various chatbots is very similar. You install the tool, then load an AI model via the tool and then switch to the chat area of the program. And you’re ready to go. With the Llamafile chatbot, there is no need to download the model, as an AI model is already integrated in the Llamafile. This is why there are several Llamafiles, each with a different model. See also: The AI PC revolution: 18 essential terms you need to know Llamafile Llamafiles are the simplest way to communicate with a local chatbot. The aim of the project is to make AI accessible to everyone. That’s why the creators pack all the necessary files, i.e. the front end and the AI model, into a single file — the Llamafile. This file only needs to be started and the chatbot can be used in the browser. However, the user interface is not very attractive. The Llamafile chatbot is available in different versions, each with different AI models. With the Llava model, you can also integrate images into the chat. Overall, Llamafile is easy to use as a chatbot. IDG Simple installation Only one file is downloaded to your computer. The file name differs depending on the model selected. For example, if you have selected the Llamafile with the Llava 1.5 model with 7 billion parameters, the file is called “llava-v1.5-7bq4.llamafile.” As the file extension .exe is missing here, you must rename the file in Windows Explorer after downloading. You can ignore a warning from Windows Explorer by clicking “Yes.” The file name will then be: “llava-v1.5-7b-q4.llamafile.exe.” Double-click on the file to start the chatbot. On older PCs, it may take a moment for the Microsoft Defender Smartscreen to issue a warning. Click on “Run anyway.” A prompt window opens, but this is only for the program. The chatbot does not have its own user interface, but must be operated in the browser. Start your default browser if it is not started automatically and enter the address 127.0.0.1:8080 or localhost:8080. If you want to use a different AI model, you must download a different Llamafile. These can be found on Llamafile.ai further down the page in the “Other example llamafiles” table. Each Llamafile needs the file extension .exe. Chatting with the Llamafile The user interface in the browser shows the setting options for the chatbot at the top. The chat input is located at the bottom of the page under “Say something.” If you have started a Llamafile with the model Llava (llava-v1.5-7b-q4.llamafile), you can not only chat, but also have images explained to you via “Upload Image” and “Send.” Llava stands for “Large Language and Vision Assistant.” To end the chatbot, simply close the prompt. Tip: Llava files can be used in your own network. Start the chatbot on a powerful PC in your home network. Make sure that the other PCs are authorized to access this computer. You can then use the chatbot from there via the internet browser and the address “:8080”. Replace with the address of the PC on which the chatbot is running. Msty Msty offers access to many language models, good user guidance, and the import of your own files for use in the AI. Not everything is self-explanatory, but it is easy to use after a short familiarization period. If you want to make your own files available to the AI purely locally, you can do this in Msty in the so-called Knowledge Stack. That sounds a bit pretentious. However, Msty actually offers the best file integration of the four chatbots presented here. IDG Installation of Msty Msty is available for download in two versions: one with support for Nvidia and AMD GPUs and the other for running on the CPU only. When you start the Msty installation wizard, you have the choice between a local installation (“Set up local AI”) or an installation on a server. For the local installation, the Gemma 2 model is already selected in the lower part of the window. This model is only 1.6GB in size and is well suited for text creation on weaker hardware. If you click on “Gemma2,” you can choose between five other models. Later, many more models can be loaded from a clearly organized library via “Local AI Models,” such as Gemma 2 2B or Llama 3.1 8B. “Browse & Download Online Models” gives you access to the AI pages www.ollama.com and www.huggingface.com and therefore to most of the free AI models. A special feature of Msty is that you can ask several AI models for advice at the same time. However, your PC should have enough memory to respond quickly. Otherwise you will have to wait a long time for the finished answers. Msty Pretty interface, lots of substance Msty’s user interface is appealing and well structured. Of course, not everything is immediately obvious, but if you familiarize yourself with Msty, you can use the tool quickly, integrate new models, and integrate your own files. Msty provides access to the many, often cryptic options of the individual models, at least partially in graphical menus. In addition: Msty offers so-called splitchats. The user interface then displays two or more chat entries next to each other. A different AI model can be selected for each chat. However, you only have to enter your question once. This allows you to compare several models with each other. Add your own files You can easily integrate your own files via “Knowledge Stacks.” You can choose which embedding model should prepare your data for the LLMs. Mixedbread Embed Large is used by default. However, other embedding tools can also be loaded. Care should be taken when selecting the model, however, as online embedding models can also be selected, for example from Open AI. However, this means that your data is sent to Open AI’s servers for processing. And the database created with your data is also online: Every enquiry then also goes to Open AI. Chat with your own files: After you have added your own documents to the “Knowledge Stacks,” select “Attach Knowledge Stack and Chat with them” below the chat input line. Tick the box in front of your stack and ask a question. The model will search through your data to find the answer. However, this does not work very well yet. GPT4All GPT4All offers a few models, a simple user interface and the option of reading in your own files. The selection of chat models is smaller than with Msty, for example, but the model selection is clearer. Additional models can be downloaded via Huggingface.com. The GPT4All chatbot is a solid front end that offers a good selection of AI models and can load more from Huggingface.com. The user interface is well structured and you can quickly find your way around. GPT4All Installation: Quick and easy The installation of GPT4All was quick and easy for us. AI models can be selected under “Models.” Models such as Llama 3 8B, Llama 3.2 3B, Microsoft Phi 3 Mini, and EM German Mistral are presented. Good: For each model, the amount of free RAM the PC must have for the model to run is specified. There is also access to AI models at Huggingface.com using the search function. In addition, the online models from Open AI (ChatGPT) and Mistral can be integrated via API keys — for those who don’t just want to chat locally. Operation and chat The user interface of GPT4All is similar to that of Msty, but with fewer functions and options. This makes it easier to use. After a short orientation phase, in which it is clarified how models can be loaded and where they can be selected for the chat, operation is easy. Own files can be made available to the AI models via “Localdocs.” In contrast to Msty, it is not possible to set which embedding model prepares the data. The Nomic-embed-textv1.5 model is used in all cases. In our tests, the tool ran with good stability. However, it was not always clear whether a model was already fully loaded. LM Studio LM Studio offers user guidance for beginners, advanced users, and developers. Despite this categorization, it is aimed more at professionals than beginners. What the professionals like is that anyone working with LM Studio not only has access to many models, but also to their options. The LM Studio chatbot not only gives you access to a large selection of AI models from Huggingface.com, but also allows you to fine-tune the AI models. There is a separate developer view for this. LM Studio Straightforward installation After installation, LM Studio greets you with the “Get your first LLM” button. Clicking on it offers a very small version of Meta’s LLM: Llama 3.2 1B. This model should also run on older hardware without long waiting times. After downloading the model, it must be started via a pop-up window and “Load Model.” Additional models can be added using the Ctrl-Shift-M key combination or the “Discover” magnifying glass symbol, for example. Chat and integrate documents At the bottom of the LM Studio window, you can change the view of the program using the three buttons “User,” “Power User,” and “Developer.” In the first case, the user interface is similar to that of ChatGPT in the browser; in the other two cases, the view is supplemented with additional information, such as how many tokens are contained in a response and how quickly they were calculated. This and the access to many details of the AI models make LM Studio particularly interesting for advanced users. You can make many fine adjustments and view information. Your own texts can only be integrated into a chat, but cannot be made permanently available to the language models. When you add a document to your chat, LM Studio automatically decides whether it is short enough to fit completely into the AI model’s prompt or not. If not, the document is checked for important content using Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), and only this content is provided to the model in the chat. However, the text is often not captured in full. Read...