In a recent blog post, Microsoft declared 2025 to be the “year of the Windows 11 PC refresh.” That’s because when October rolls around, official support for Windows 10 is going to end and most users will likely need to switch over to Windows 11 when that happens. However, if you’re planning on waiting until the last minute to make that switch, you might want to think again. According to one security expert, the security risks for all non-upgraded PCs will only continue to get worse between now and then. Windows 10 is a ticking time bomb According to Statista, Windows 10 continues to hold about 65 percent of worldwide market share among desktop operating systems, amounting to millions of PCs around the globe. IT security expert Thorsten Urbanski specifically warns against this impending “security fiasco,” urging owners of Windows 10 PCs to upgrade their “ticking time bombs” to Windows 11 sooner than later. “It’s five minutes to midnight to avoid a security fiasco for 2025. We strongly advise all users not to wait until October, but to switch to Windows 11 immediately or choose an alternative operating system if their device cannot be updated to the latest Windows operating system. Otherwise, users expose themselves to considerable security risks and make themselves vulnerable to dangerous cyber attacks and data loss. Companies should plan the switch early. Extending support is costly. Simply letting the devices continue to run is grossly negligent. These outdated systems in particular are more vulnerable to cyber attacks. In the worst case, these computers are the starting point for data loss, espionage and ransomware attacks. In the event of damage, insurance companies can even refuse to pay out because the state of the art was not adhered to.” In short, there will soon come a time when new security flaws are no longer addressed by Microsoft, as the company will be fully focused on Windows 11. Even if you pay to extend support for your Windows 10 PC, you’re only postponing the inevitable — and you’ll likely be increasingly vulnerable to security issues during that time. Get Windows 11 Pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro Therefore, the advice is to not wait until October. If you have the option to switch over to Windows 11 now, consider making the switch as soon as you can. Otherwise, you run the risk of falling victim to a cyber attack or losing valuable data in other ways, even if Windows 10 continues to receive security updates until that final day of support. What if you can’t upgrade just yet? Unfortunately, due to specific hardware requirements, upgrading older PCs to Windows 11 is a major obstacle for many. The TPM 2.0 requirement in particular, which is essential for the security features of Windows 11, poses a challenge and makes many older PCs incompatible. If your PC hardware is incompatible with Windows 11, you’ll have to upgrade your hardware or buy a new computer outright. While there are ways to circumvent the hardware lock, doing so is associated with its own security risks. Plus, to install Windows 11 on incompatible PCs, you have to assume liability for any issues that arise and waive eligibility to receive system updates. We don’t recommend doing this. If you don’t want to buy a new machine, your only real alternative is to switch to Linux. You could keep using Windows 10 despite it no longer receiving security updates after October, but that’d be the riskiest way to go and we definitely advise against it. Further reading: Hey everyone, it’s time to update to Windows 11 Read...

Rufus is an open-source program that creates bootable USB sticks for Windows installation and more. Compared to Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool, Rufus offers many more options for configuration setup. If you’re interested in such a program, we’ll show you how to use it. Further reading: 9 replacements for Windows features that Microsoft abandoned Why is Rufus better? With the Media Creation Tool, Microsoft provides its own software to configure USB sticks for installing Windows 10 or 11. So, why do you need Rufus at all? I’ll tell you why. Rufus is not limited to installation media for Windows, but also supports Linux, live, and emergency systems as well as other bootable ISO files. In addition to the ISO format, Rufus also processes Virtual Hard Disks from Microsoft (VHD) and disc image files (IMG). This tool enables bios updates from DOS directly from the stick as well. Rufus comes with a selection of pre-configured systems for booting USB sticks. The selection can be extended almost at will by loading your own ISO files. Rufus Many older computers and mainboards require this update mode. However, Rufus is the better choice for installing the Microsoft operating system compared to the Media Creation Tool. During Windows setup, you can clearly choose between real Uefi and Bios compatibility mode. get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro Secondly, the hardware requirements of Windows 11 can be easily bypassed and the current operating system can be installed on older computers. Thirdly, the tool downloads the desired Windows version directly and processes it immediately. And, finally, Rufus allows the complete Windows installation on the stick, i.e. a “Windows to go.” Normal or portable version? Two versions for Windows (64-bit) are available for download on the Rufus website. One of the two is labelled “p” for portable. In other words, it’s a program that starts directly without installation. Is there a difference between the two versions? In principle, there’s no difference and at first glance this is confusing. This is because the “normal” version also starts directly and without installation. However, the automatic update check is switched off for the file labelled as portable while the other checks daily whether a new program version is available. The update check can be switched on and off in the program settings. The same applies to the extended drive properties and the extended formatting options, both of which are hidden by default in the portable version. Note: The file labelled “x86” on the website is suitable for earlier 32-bit versions of Windows, the file labeled “arm64” for Windows on the (new) ARM basis. Stick for Windows installation If Rufus offers more setting options than Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool, doesn’t that make configuring the installation stick unnecessarily complicated? No, not at all! If you hide the advanced drive properties and formatting options already mentioned, Rufus shows the reduced interface shown in the picture (above). A USB stick with at least 8GB of storage capacity is required for the Windows installation. As soon as it’s inserted in the computer, it appears at the top under “Drive.” Use the “Select” button to integrate the desired Windows ISO. You can obtain this from the official Microsoft download page. Accept the remaining default settings–this applies in particular to the partition scheme, target, and file system. To do this, click on “Start,” confirm the other dialogue windows, and wait until Rufus has written to the USB data carrier. Then close the program interface. The stick configured in this way is bootable and can be used both for a new Windows installation and upgrade. Important: When using Rufus, the previous content of the USB stick will be overwritten and deleted. Therefore, please back up important data stored on it separately beforehand. Uefi or CSM compatibility mode Rufus’ settings allow the Windows installation to be clearly set to the modern Uefi or the older Bios compatibility mode. If you install Windows on an older computer using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool, you often do not know in advance how the system will be installed: Whether in the older CSM compatibility mode (Compatibility Support Module, also known as “Legacy”) with the MBR hard disk partition scheme or in modern Uefi mode and the GPT partition style. You can view this later in the Windows settings, but depending on the hardware and Bios/Uefi settings, you may not be able to influence it. Rufus, on the other hand, allows you to define the partitioning scheme from the outset and, correspondingly, the operating mode specified in the “Target system” tool. Whenever possible on the part of the mainboard or the Bios/Uefi, you should select the settings “GPT” and “UEFI (without CSM).” Only if booting and the subsequent Windows installation fail and this cannot be rectified by changing the Bios/Uefi settings, create a new stick with the Rufus combination “MBR” and “BIOS (or UEFI-CSM).” Tip: If explicitly requested, Rufus also offers the option of configuring the stick for Windows installation in dual mode. This allows the mobile data carrier to be used on UEFI and legacy hardware. To do this, press the Alt-E key combination and Rufus will briefly display the confirmation message “Dual UEFI/BIOS mode enabled” at the bottom. The partition scheme is now set to “MBR” and “BIOS or UEFI” to the right. Install Windows 11 despite hardware requirements Microsoft has significantly tightened the system requirements for Windows 11 compared to the previous version. However, with the help of Rufus, the current operating system can also be installed on formally unsuitable PCs. Windows 11 can initially only be installed on computers that fulfill Microsoft’s system requirements. These include Uefi operation, Secure Boot switched on, a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0, and a compatible processor. For the common Core i CPUs from Intel, this must be at least generation 8. However, as the previous generation 7 models are also suitable for Windows 11 in principle, it makes sense to switch off the hardware check during setup. This makes Rufus particularly easy. After loading the Windows 11 ISO file and inserting the USB stick, click on “Start” on the program interface as described. This opens a dialogue box in which the option at the top is important. “Remove requirement for 4GB RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0” skips the hardware check when installing or updating later. You can also deactivate the requirement for an online account and the automatic encryption of the hard drive here. Setup I: Completely reinstall Windows Because Rufus automatically makes the Windows stick bootable, the Microsoft operating system can be freshly installed without much effort. To do this, insert the installation stick into the switched-off computer, switch it on, and press the button with which you can select the USB data carrier as the boot medium. Instead of booting from the hard drive as usual, the computer will now boot from the stick. The button is specific to the PC, mainboard or manufacturer, and is usually displayed briefly on the monitor when booting up. On older PCs, the boot sequence may have to be changed in the bios. After booting from the mobile data carrier, Microsoft’s setup wizard starts. Among other things, you specify the partition on which the operating system is to be installed. Make sure you select the correct partition as the destination so that you do not accidentally delete the data on another partition. The current version 24H2 of Windows 11 requires your explicit consent to “delete all files, apps and settings” for the first time. However, this only applies to the partition selected in the next step for the Windows installation, not to the other hard drive areas. Setup II: Upgrading Windows 11 Upgrading a running Windows system is easy in itself, but there is one point where you need to pay close attention. On newer computers, the annual major function update — for example from Windows 11 23H2 to version 24H2 — is carried out via the normal Windows update. The same applies to upgrading from Windows 10 to 11. However, if the hardware does not fulfill the system requirements of the newer operating system, this type of update will fail. This is where the setup stick modified with Rufus can help. To upgrade, plug the stick into the running computer, and double-click the “Setup.exe” file on the mobile data carrier. It’s now important to select the option “Change how updates are downloaded from Setup -> Not now” in the first dialogue window. Only then do you start the actual update by clicking on “Accept.” You may also see the message “What you should take care of.” In this case, click on “Accept” and the upgrade will start with the transfer of all programs, files, and settings. Download installation files Rufus also allows you to download the Windows 10 and 11 ISO files for the installation stick directly, but this option may be hidden depending on the settings. Instead of first downloading the ISO files for Windows 10 or 11 from Microsoft and then integrating them into Rufus from your hard drive, you can do this directly in the Sticktool. To do this, click on the small black arrow to the right of the “Select” button on the user interface and switch to “Download.” If you do not have this option, first click on the small “Show application settings” button at the bottom. This is the second of the four buttons on the right. Set the “Check for new version” option to “Daily (default)” and close the window and program. After restarting Rufus, click on the arrow and “Download” to select the current version of Windows 10 or 11, start the download and then create the boot stick for the Windows installation as described. Windows-To-Go Microsoft has discontinued “Windows to go,” but Rufus still enables the complete installation of the system on the USB stick to take with you. Always having your personal Windows on the USB stick with you sounds practical, but has a decisive disadvantage compared to the permanently installed system on the hard drive. It’s much slower. If you still want to try it out, you can create a to-go stick with Rufus. This should have at least 16, preferably 32GB of storage space. After plugging in the stick, integrate the desired and previously downloaded ISO file on the Rufus interface via “Selection.” Below this in the “Image property” field, switch to “Windows To Go,” check the other options, and click on “Start.” In the next steps, specify the Windows version (essentially Home or Pro) and a few other settings. Finally, click on “OK” to create the stick with the system to go. Read...

Branding is important. Corporations spend millions of dollars every year to make sure that words like “Tacoma” and “Sleep Number” press the right buttons in your brain. And Dell has spent decades putting that same work in for terms like “XPS,” “Inspiron,” and “Latitude.” Starting in 2025, though, Dell laptops and desktops will just be… Dell. “There’s just one brand,” said executive Sam Burd. “Dell.” Dude, it’s just Dell Before I get into editorializing, let me clear a few things up. The actual designs that Dell has been working on aren’t going away. So, for example, the XPS 13 that’s been a staple of high-end laptops for years isn’t being discontinued, and it isn’t even being replaced with a new model. It’s just that the 2025 version will be called the “Dell 13 Plus.” (Although there’s no direct 13-inch model equivalent available at launch. The 14-incher is the smallest in the non-superlative Dell line.) Dell also isn’t doing away with the Alienware sub-brand, which it purchased in 2006. Alienware gaming models will, apparently, keep their specific names, such as “Area 51” and “m16.” Monitor names seem to be unaffected, too, so the “UltraSharp” line will still exist. On top of that, you’ll continue to see older designs sold under their original nomenclature while Dell clears out its existing lines — the XPS 13 and Inspiron 15 models from 2023 and 2024 will still be sold under those names for the time being. Now, let’s break down Dell’s new and allegedly simpler branding. You’ll see three tiers of products overall going forward: Dell (no extras or superlatives), Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max. The regular Dell tier is for standard consumers and students, “designed for play, school, and work.” This will encompass machines formerly labelled Inspiron or ones that had no specific branding even before this change. Dell Pro is “designed for professional-grade productivity.” (Weird that “work” was included in the previous tier and not here, but anyway…) This is where the Latitude line and similar products will end up. Meanwhile, Dell Pro Max is the absolute cream of the crop and will be the landing spot for Dell’s “maximum performance” designs. Dell Seems pretty straightforward, huh? Not so fast! Under each tier, computers will also be split up into three more sub-categories. Base is, well, the base model with no extras (though presumably it’ll still be customizable to some degree using Dell’s long-standing online ordering system. Plus is a step above that, for pre-configured machines that have a few extras like a better screen, RAM, CPU, storage, and maybe a discrete graphics card. Premium is the top-end model in each tier, presumably maxed out (or nearly so) in every configurable category. If you remember your elementary school times tables, that’s nine different labels for Dell computers starting in 2025, from simply “Dell Base” (if these models will even be differentiated) all the way up to “Dell Pro Max Premium.” Which doesn’t even include the differentiator for a specific model. In other words, the pinnacle business-focused laptop that’s also packing the maximum power and capability would seemingly be the “Dell 14 Pro Max Premium.” Hooray, it’s so simple. And if you’re thinking that the “Pro” and “Max” extras make Dell’s new product line seem eerily familiar to a certain fruit-identity competitor, you’re not alone. During a presentation, one fellow tech journalist pointed out the similarity to Apple’s various Pro and Max labels for its desktops, laptops, and accessories — and in response, Dell executives dismissed the concern, indicating that these are universal terms that consumers are already familiar with. The new Dell laptops in 2025 For the initial 2025 launch, there are seven “new” laptop models (many of which are modified from older designs to varying degrees), plus and also various Plus and Premium upgraded models of the same design. Most are launching by the end of February, and other new models will probably be announced later in the year. Dell 14 Plus Michael Crider/Foundry Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 Dell Dell 16 Plus Dell Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 Dell Dell Pro 13, Pro 13 Plus, Pro 13 Premium Dell Dell Pro 14, Pro 14 Plus, Pro 14 Premium Michael Crider/Foundry Dell Pro 16, Dell Pro 16 Plus Dell Look at that list. It’s a mess, just begging for a miscommunication that could easily land you with the wrong build of a laptop you want, or the wrong laptop model entirely. And despite being allegedly distinct, all these laptops look extremely similar. Frankly, I’m not a fan. A confusing change for everyone It seems like most of the Dell products that we cover here at PCWorld will fall under the standard Dell branding (sans Pro or Pro Max) since we mostly handle consumer-focused designs. But the very fact that Pro and Pro Max models exist will indicate to some consumers that they aren’t getting the best possible experience, even if they don’t actually need any sort of upsell to the fastest possible processor or the most available RAM. Like similar labels applied to phones, some will want “the best” even if they’ll never actually make use of those features — and I wonder if there isn’t a bit of intentionality behind that decision. I also wonder what the point of having the Base, Plus, and Premium subdivisions are when Dell didn’t need these before its controversial decision to add “Plus” to the XPS line to denote a more streamlined chassis. Maybe Dell’s going to make more than one 14-inch laptop in each category and simply needed a point of differentiation… which would only then undermine this attempt at simplicity. Which of the seven new models is this? I have no idea. This is an official image from Dell.Dell Between the adjectives that indicate different product categories and intended audiences, and separate-but-similar adjectives that further bifurcate these categories, it’s a lot to process. And I don’t see it as any less confusing than “Inspiron” versus “Latitude.” I don’t think this will be easier to parse for consumers, and even those who have a passing familiarity with computers might trip up. It doesn’t help that all of Dell’s non-Alienware laptops seem to be moving to a unified, utilitarian design language, with very little to visually distinguish Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max laptops from one another. Maybe I have a bias here. I’m a professional tech writer who’s been obsessively following PCs for decades. I live and breathe this stuff. And I’ve been using Dell computers in one flavor or another for a pretty big chunk of that. Maybe I’m demonstrating a knee-jerk reaction, rejecting the unfamiliar simply because I don’t want to let go of a lingering attachment to these terms. But I don’t think that’s the case. I think Dell is under-valuing the work it has put into these brands. I think it would be better to simply streamline the lineup with fewer models and more options within the config upgrades for each one. I think there’s a good chance Dell will walk this back, especially for the XPS label, before too long. Then again, no one’s paying me a huge amount of money to make branding decisions that will affect product lines that sell millions of units. So take this opinion for what it’s worth (not a lot), and we’ll see how this strategy plays out in the new year. Read...

You probably haven’t seen HP’s Z series of computers unless you’re working in an office with some “big iron,” packed with high-end hardware and specialized designs. But HP’s new Z2 Mini G1a, shown off at a pre-CES presentation, caught my attention in a big way. It’s a mini desktop PC with some of the most powerful parts available. First, the chassis. This thing is almost a literal brick, at least in terms of size and weight, albeit a fashionable one. HP didn’t provide me with dimensions at the presentation, but it’s approximately the size of a two-drive NAS setup, or maybe one-third as small as the smallest Mini-ITX desktop I’ve seen. Much bigger than a typical “mini PC” sold to consumers, yet still a fraction of the size of a conventional desktop PC. Michael Crider / IDG That’s not all that impressive… until you learn what HP crammed inside this thing. It has AMD’s latest workstation laptop parts, maxing out with a Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395 (a 16-core, 32-thread monster). You can get up to 128GB of RAM and 4TB of storage (or 8TB if you upgrade it yourself with the second M.2 slot). There’s no discrete graphics for these chips, but the integrated Radeon 8000S series should be enough to handle all but the most extreme needs, since you can assign up to 96GB of memory to the graphics in that maximum configuration. The HP logo on the front rotates for horizontal and vertical use. Classy.HP Most of the same capabilities are being built into this thing’s laptop counterpart, the ZBook Ultra 14 G1a. That comes with a 14-inch 2.8K OLED screen and a unified chip architecture for the CPU, GPU, and NPU. The only big difference from a capability perspective is that it’s limited to one M.2 slot. It’s a chunky laptop at 3.5 pounds, and HP didn’t provide an estimated life for its 74.5 watt-hour battery. This laptop and mini PC are based on the same crazy-powerful AMD platform. Michael Crider/Foundry Again, neither the laptop nor desktop are machines you’d buy for a standard user. The desktop is designed to act as a workstation or even mounted in a server rack, thanks to its integrated 300-watt power supply. It’s just as happy sitting on a desk, though. In fact, it’ll sit horizontally or vertically, and I was delighted to see that the HP logo on the front can rotate (just like ye olde PlayStation 2). Want the price for the Z2 Mini G1a? Well, so do I. Ask your IT manager, but be prepared to provide a darn good reason that you need it. Read...

Deep within your computer is a blueprint that specifies a certain “language” of machine instructions it can understand and execute. This blueprint (called the “instruction set architecture”) sits between your computer’s software and hardware. In order for any given app to function properly on your computer, it needs to “speak” the same language — that way your computer can understand what it wants to do and perform the proper actions on the hardware. Until now, different instruction set architectures have been proprietary and incompatible with each other (except via emulation, which is like real-time translation between blueprint languages). The x86 and Arm architectures are the best-known real-world examples. But from 2025 onwards, you’ll be able to buy a computer where everything within is open and customizable. That’s thanks to RISC-V (pronounced “risk five”), an open instruction set architecture used in customized processors for a range of applications. Framework plans to launch a laptop supporting a RISC-V-based motherboard in 2025. The product is so far aimed at technology enthusiasts and developers, but is expected to be the most user-friendly and refined RISC-V laptop yet, IEEE Spectrum reports. RISC-V, unlike x86 and Arm, is completely open source and can be used without any licensing fees. This makes the technology more flexible, cheaper, and customizable for manufacturers. In fact, it’s already being used by hard drive manufacturer Western Digital. RISC-V has the potential to make both hardware and software more accessible and coordinated, and 2025 could be the year when RISC-V computers pave the way towards a new standard. Read...

As we head into 2025, now’s a good time to upgrade those old power strips that are hanging on by a thread. And if you’re going to upgrade, make sure you step up to one that has ample surge protection and ample room to connect all the devices you’d ever need plugged in. Right now, this Anker power strip is available for only $22 on Amazon, a hefty 39 percent discount off its original $36 price. This surge protector features a jaw-dropping 12 AC outlets (so there’s plenty of space for your computers, laptop chargers, monitors, smart devices, lamps, and whatever else) as well as two USB-A ports and one USB-C port. The USB-C port delivers 20W fast charging, so you’ll be able to bring your smartphone back to 100 percent in no time. The power strip also has an optimized layout, making it easy to plug in bricks and plugs into all of the outlets without colliding and losing slots. It also has built-in safety features, protecting your devices against power surges and overloads. At this price, it’s an absolute bargain considering just how many devices you can protect at once. Don’t miss out on this chance to get this 15-device Anker surge protector for $22 on Amazon! Note that this one has a 5-foot cable. Alternatively, you can opt for the 10-foot cable variant for $28. Charge and protect 15 devices at once for just $22Buy now at Amazon Read...

Virtual private networks, or VPNs, are one of the most effective ways to keep your data private and secure while online. They encrypt and hide our confidential web activity and are a key component in helping us to navigate safely while connected to the internet. As VPN usage continues to increase globally these apps are quickly becoming a cornerstone of our online security. Due to this importance, it’s worth looking at what’s in store for the next-gen VPNs to see how they’ll continue to provide us privacy and security into the future. From VPNs utilizing blockchain to new encryption standards even quantum computers can’t break—and maybe even anonymity for your smart appliances—here are the coming advancements in VPN tech I’m most excited for. Further reading: Best VPN services 2024: Top picks for speed, price, privacy, and more Blockchain technology is coming to VPNs The decentralized node structure of a dVPN may be the way of the future.NordVPN Decentralized VPNs, or dVPNs, offer a new twist on VPN technology and they are quickly growing in popularity. By distributing network functions across many nodes rather than routing traffic through one company’s centralized servers, they can theoretically afford better privacy and security to users. A dVPN runs on a peer-to-peer network that leverages blockchain technology. Decentralized nodes, operated by volunteer hosts, eliminate single points of failure and ensure that no single entity has control over every user’s data. Due to a dVPN’s more democratic functioning, they are also seen as being more resistant to censorship and government data sharing. Just over the last year or two, decentralized VPNs have started to gain traction in the global market. So does this mean crypto bros are about to take over your VPNs? Not likely. While dVPNs certainly seem like an attractive offer, more so with all of the hype surrounding everything crypto and blockchain nowadays, this decentralization doesn’t inherently mean a better experience.  With a traditional VPN, you have to put your trust in just one company. But this company, assuming you choose wisely, will run regular audits to prove it’s trustworthy, has a vested interest in keeping its network secure, and has the financial backing to continually make improvements to its applications. Using a dVPN on the other hand means that you have to trust each volunteer node host. Depending on how the dVPN company operates, these hosts may not be required to prove their trustworthiness or the privacy of their nodes.  So, while dVPNs are sure to become a popular choice for those seeking decentralized privacy, there will still be a place for traditional VPNs in the future. What is most likely is that you’ll see two separate markets develop, one for dVPN services and another for traditional centralized VPN services. It will then be up to you as the user to choose which you believe is best suited to protect your data. The post-quantum encryption revolution is upon us Post-quantum encryption will become the new standard for VPNs in the near future.Pixabay In August of this year, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) made history by releasing the first quantum-resistant encryption standards. Outside of a few overly enthusiastic cryptographers, this news might not have made a splash but it’s set to have huge implications for the future of online privacy and security. Researchers and tech companies are racing to build quantum computers that will have the capability to crush the encryption standards of today’s machines in mere minutes—something currently impossible. So, how does this relate to VPNs? Well, VPNs are heavily reliant on cryptographic protocols for securing communication on their networks. When you connect to a VPN, it encrypts your traffic by scrambling the data into an unreadable form, thereby preventing third parties from viewing and understanding that data. If a quantum computer with vastly greater computational power were to get ahold of this same encrypted data, it could decipher it with ease. These new ‘post-quantum’ encryption standards will not only set the bar for VPN providers in the coming years, but also provide a roadmap to help them become more secure. “Post-quantum” encryption will become a selling point that VPNs will advertise and market to consumers. For users, it might seem like a boutique feature now, but once quantum computers are up and running—most experts believe it could be within the next decade—you’ll absolutely want your VPN to be using these new standards. We’re already seeing some VPN providers offer ‘post-quantum’ encryption. Just recently NordVPN took the initiative and launched an app with post-quantum support. Others such as ExpressVPN and Surfshark have also implemented their own versions as well. It’s only a matter of time before this becomes the new norm for all VPNs.  VPNs will soon protect your refrigerator, too The all encompassing internet of things, or IoT, refers to a network of connected devices that communicate and share data with each other. For most people, this takes the form of smart home devices such as thermostats, TVs, lights, refrigerators, and home security systems. Thanks to IoT devices we now have more control over our environment than ever before. When it comes to cybersecurity however, smart devices are generally some of the most vulnerable and least protected pieces on your home network. Cybercriminals love to exploit IoT devices and in many cases, simply hacking one device will give them access to everything else. VPNs are out to change this in the near future. By providing fully integrated home network security, a VPN can encrypt and protect communications for all of your devices. Unlike the typical personal VPN that requires you to connect each individual device, IoT VPNs extend across an entire network to safeguard all devices. At home this can already be done via a router VPN.  Unfortunately, there are still a few drawbacks to using a router method. Many VPN providers still impose simultaneous device connection limits that can be taken up quickly by all of your IoT devices. Router VPNs also create a single point of failure meaning you need to make sure failsafes, such as an automatic killswitch, are set up correctly. This all requires a bit of technical know-how which the average layperson may not have. Routers with built-in VPNs, like Aircove from ExpressVPN, are just one of the ways that next-gen VPNs will protect all of the devices on your home network. ExpressVPN VPN companies are working on new and innovative solutions for at-home IoT coverage. More and more services are switching over to unlimited device connection models. Others such as ExpressVPN have even started selling their own routers, ready to go right out of the box, with the VPN built into them. VPNs are likely to begin offering configurable IoT options in their mobile apps as well. This will allow users to easily control which devices on their home network are connected through the VPN, all in a centralized hub. So in the future, even the AI-generated grocery list from your smart fridge will be encrypted and secure from prying eyes. Read...

Do you like fiddling with computers and fancy the idea of taking on a more advanced project? Then I have a suggestion: Build your own router/firewall. With a router running a more advanced operating system on more powerful hardware than standard consumer routers, a whole world of new possibilities opens up. Although there is a learning curve and can feel complicated at first, it actually becomes easier to do things that might be possible with a router from, for example, Asus, but are really complicated. There are a number of operating systems to choose from, from Openwrt, which can also be installed on consumer routers, to various Linux-based systems such as Clear OS and IP Fire, to Unix systems such as PF Sense and Opnsense. Yours truly’s little rat’s nest home lab. To the left, an Intel NUC that runs an Opnsense router, among other things. To the right a switch from Unifi.Anders Lundberg The latter two seem to be the most popular, and I myself have had a router with Opnsense for a couple of years so for this guide I have chosen that system. Other articles in this series: How to choose a new router and get started with important settings Solve your Wi-Fi problems with these smart router settings Protect your home network with these essential router tweaks More than Internet: 9 tips to maximize your home network Get more from your home network: 5 advanced tips for the hardcore Why build it yourself? For many, it’s enough to answer: Because it’s possible and because it’s interesting and instructive. But you don’t have to be motivated by curiosity alone. There are several practical and technical advantages too. Once you get started and learn the basics, it immediately becomes much easier to do things like set up multiple VLAN with different firewall rules (to prevent smart home gadgets from accessing the internet, for example), use dynamic DNS, run your own recursive DNS server, display a welcome message when guests connect to the wireless network, and much more. Perhaps the biggest benefit, however, is security. Instead of relying on the manufacturer to release updates and keep the router secure, you get new updates almost weekly so that all parts of the system have the very latest security fixes. There are also add-ons that give the network more advanced protection than is normal in consumer products. Hunsn Choose the right hardware You can reuse an old computer for Opnsense, in which case one or two network cards are all you normally need to buy. But such a computer is usually unnecessarily power hungry and a large piece of equipment that can be difficult to place in the home. Opnsense is based on the Unix system Freebsd. This means that it is a little more fussy with the hardware compared to Linux. Above all, it is network cards that can be a problem. The system prefers and works best with Intel-based cards, so if you’re buying new, it might be worth checking that the computer you choose has Intel networking chips. A mini PC with two Ethernet connectors may be a better choice, and in fact there are computers on sale designed specifically for use with Opnsense or PF Sense. For example, Amazon sells this model from Hunsn that costs just over $200 and has Intel networking chips. Since memory is cheap, I recommend 16 gigabytes from the start and at least 128 gigabytes of SSD. In addition to the router computer, I strongly recommend a managed switch to connect, for example, your old router that you can set to work as an access point instead of a router, only for Wi-Fi. It is also needed if you want to start using virtual networks (VLAN). Installing Opnsense Start by downloading the latest version of Opnsense (click directly on the Download button with the preselected options). Also download and install Balena Etcher, a simple program for writing .iso and .img files to USB sticks. Foundry Unzip the downloaded .bz2 file so that you get an .img file. Plug in a USB stick, start Etcher, click on Flash from file and select that file. Select your USB stick as target and then click on Flash. Once that’s done, you can eject the flash drive and connect it to the router computer, to which you’ll need to have a monitor and keyboard connected to begin with. Boot the computer from the USB stick via the boot menu or BIOS. Foundry The system starts with text only, which will scroll past for a while. When it is finished, you will be taken to a login prompt. Enter username installer and password opnsense. The installation program will now start. Foundry Select the language on the keyboard and move on. Select Install (ZFS) which is now the normal recommended method. Select Stripe and then use the space bar to select the target SSD. Go ahead and accept and it will format the disk and copy all the files. Once it’s done, you can select Complete Install (you can change root password easier in the next step). Basic settings When the router computer reboots, you can take out the USB stick and let it boot from the SSD. As before, a bunch of text will scroll by during boot, until you reach the login prompt. I recommend that you start by changing the address of the LAN interface, so that Opnsense doesn’t mess with your old router if you want to be connected to both at the same time before you are ready to move the internet connection over to Opnsense. Foundry Log in with the username root and the password opnsense. Press 2 to change the IP address. Press the correct number for LAN (normally 1). Press return to choose not to use DHCP. Enter an appropriate address, for example 10.1.1.1, and then 24 to stick to addresses in the format 10.1.1.x. On the rest of the questions you can press return to accept the preselected option. Before you can do anything else, you need to connect the Opnsense machine and your regular computer with a network cable, either directly or via a switch. Open Settings on your regular computer and go to Network and Internet > Ethernet. You should have an address in the same format as Opnsense (for example 10.1.1.2), with the address you just chose as gateway and mask 255.255.255.0. If it has not appeared by itself, you can click on Edit to the right of IP assignment and fill in yourself. Then open a browser and type in 10.1.1.1 and you should hopefully get a security warning about invalid certificate, which you have to click past to get to the Opnsense web interface. The username is root and the default password is opnsense. Foundry You will now be taken to the Opnsense guided basic settings. The first thing to do is DNS settings. Here I recommend leaving the dns servers fields blank, untick Override DNS and tick the three boxes under Unbound DNS. The remaining steps you can click past until you get to a question about changing the password for the root account. Choose a new secure password and write it down. Get on the internet In order for Opnsense to access the internet and act as a router/firewall, you need to connect an Ethernet cable to it. You can either take the cable from the broadband socket of your old router and connect it to Opnsense instead. Alternatively, you can connect to a socket in the old router or a switch if you have one, but this will be a bit more complicated. If you have regular broadband via fiber that connects with DHCP, Opnsense should automatically connect and get an external IP. You can check this by selecting Interfaces > Overview in the web interface. Foundry If the WAN has been given an address, you can test that everything works by checking for updates. Select System > Firmware > Status and click Check for updates. If it works, this is a good time to install the first of many upcoming updates. Then try going to any website in your regular computer. If that works too, you have a working Opnsense router. Other settings in the system can be left as they are for now — the system has no unsafe default options. Foundry Learn the interface and understand the firewall The Opnsense web interface is structured a little differently than most routers. On the left, there’s a hierarchical menu where you’ll find all the settings, divided into different categories. At the top right, there is also a search bar that works really well to find settings far down in the hierarchies. The System menu mainly has settings for Opnsense itself, but also updates and installation of plugins — an important feature when you want to start building out the router with smart features. Interfaces is about the different network interfaces, normally LAN and WAN but here you will also find VLAN, PPPoE if the internet operator requires login and interfaces for a VPN server. Firewall is, of course, about rules for blocking and allowing traffic, but also about port forwarding. Under Aliases, you can create aliases for individual devices, for example, to make them easier to use in firewall rules. The VPN menu is for both VPN servers for connecting from outside to your local network and for connecting the entire network to an external VPN service. Services is a collection menu for other built-in functions such as DHCP and DNS (Unbound) and also functions from installed plugins. VLAN without internet for the smart home A common use case for a more advanced router like Opnsense is to place some connected devices on a separate network with different firewall rules. For example, a network for smart home gadgets that have no access to the internet and limited access to the rest of the network. Foundry To do so, start by opening Interfaces > Other Types > VLAN. Click on the plus button to create a new VLAN. Give it a short name, for example SMART and fill in a number for the VLAN tag between 1 and 4,094, I usually choose a ten, for example 10. Save. Flundry Now go to Interfaces > Assignments and fill in the same name under Description for the new interface. Click Add. Foundry Now click Interfaces > [SMART] and tick Enable Interface and Prevent interface removal. Select Static IPv4 under IPv4 Configuration Type. Scroll down to the bottom and fill in a suitable IP address and select 24 instead of 32 to the right of the address. If you have chosen to give the regular network the address 10.1.1.1, you can choose 10.1.10.1 for the VLAN network (I usually use the same number in the third group as the VLAN tag, so a guest network with the tag 20 gets the address 10.1.20.1 and so on). Save and apply the changes. Foundry Go to Services > ISC DHCPv4 > [SMART]. Tick Enable DHCP server… and fill in an address range, for example 10.1.10.100-10.1.10.254 (I usually leave addresses below 100 for devices that should have a fixed IP address). Save and apply the changes. If you look in Firewall > Rules > SMART you will see that there are no rules, which means that all traffic is stopped. If you look at the rules for the LAN, you will see that Opnsense has automatically added rules to let through all traffic originating on that network. So if you want to allow internet for smart home gadgets, you need to create a rule for that. Foundry To actually use and connect gadgets to the VLAN network, you need a managed switch. In its settings, you can enable VLAN tagging for one or more ethernet connectors, and gadgets you connect to these connectors will then only “see” the VLAN network. In the adjacent image, you can see what it looks like with a switch from Unifi — other manufacturers such as D-Link and TP-Link have similar settings. If your Opnsense machine has more network connectors, you can “tag” these and use them instead. Do you need help? If you get stuck somewhere, there are many resources to help. The Home Network Guy blog has several guides on Opnsense, from installation to more advanced topics like VLAN. It also has a very good YouTube channel that I highly recommend. On Reddit, help is available in several groups, such as r/opnsense and r/homelab. Foundry Tip: Virtual router If you want to try Opnsense and see how the interface feels, you can do it in a virtual machine instead of on a physical computer. You can do this with, for example, Virtualbox directly in Windows, just to familiarize yourself with the interface and how to set things up. You can also run the system more permanently on a server computer running Linux, usually the Proxmox variant. Home Network Guy has a good guide to that. Read...

I have been working in the IT industry for over 30 years, for most of this time as an editor at PC-WELT (PCWorld’s German sister publication), specializing in security. I test antivirus software, give tips on how to make Windows more secure, am constantly on the lookout for the best security tools, and monitor the activities of cyber criminals. Over the years, I have acquired a whole range of behaviors and principles that seem completely normal and sensible to me. However, when I observe other PC users, I often discover risky or at least less security-oriented behavior. That’s why I’ve put together the 10 most important things I would never do as an IT security expert, with tips on what to do instead. Further reading: Installing Windows 11 on old PCs is incredibly risky. Here’s why 1. Move instead of copy You can hardly tell the difference in Windows Explorer: Here, photos and videos are moved instead of copied. This can worsen data security rather than improve it. IDG Moving your own files instead of copying them immediately makes me feel uneasy. This includes, for example, photos or videos from the camera or audio recordings from a smartphone or audio recorder. If you move such files, which are usually unique, you run the risk of losing them as soon as you move them. Although this is very rare, it cannot be completely ruled out. But even if the moving process goes smoothly: The data is then still only available once. If the hard drive in the PC breaks, the data is gone. If I make a mistake and accidentally delete the files, they are gone. These are risks that only arise if you start a move operation instead of a copy operation. If you think “I need the space on the SD card for new photos,” then you should consider buying a second SD card. Your own data is always worth it. And when do I release the space on the SD card? I do this as soon as my backup plan on the PC has backed up the copied data. In my case, this is done on a hard drive in the network that runs on a Raspberry Pi. Important files are also automatically encrypted and uploaded to cloud storage. Further reading: Best online backup services 2. Save my own data without a backup I have set up an automatic backup for all important data. Because saving files I have created myself without a prompt backup is far too risky for me. This also includes all data that I enter into apps, for example, whether for Android, iOS, or Windows. Just because most apps don’t offer an easily recognizable backup function doesn’t absolve the user of responsibility for their data. great windows backup software Acronis True Image Read our review Best Prices Today: $49.99 at Acronis For example, at two grammar schools in Koblenz, Germany, several hundred school iPads were logged off the school network due to an error. The handwritten notes in the Goodnotes app used by the pupils were deleted. Many students had worked exclusively with the school’s own iPads and this app — in other words, there was no secondary copy of their notes. Around 500 of the total of 7,500 iPads were affected by the data loss by being connected to the school network at the time of the breakdown. A cloud backup, as is usual for iPads, was deactivated for data protection reasons. No other form of data backup appears to have been used. The pupils concerned cannot be blamed here, but the system administrator responsible can. 3. Format storage without a thorough check The drive management shows each connected drive with all partitions. You can usually clearly identify a partition based on its name and size. IDG I would never make this mistake — because I have made it before. Therefore, I can only advise from experience: Only format a storage drive when you are sure that you have selected the correct drive. For years, I used external USB hard drives to store my files. The folder structure on these hard drives was usually identical. There were the folders “My Documents,” “Videos,” “Temp,” “Virtual PCs,” and a few more. What’s more, all the hard drives were the same model, which I had once bought generously on a good deal. Some of these disks even had the same data carrier designation — namely “Data.” That wasn’t very clever, because it made it too easy to mix them up. So I ended up confusing one of these hard drives with another one at a late hour and formatted the wrong one. Since then, I have named and labelled my external hard drives and USB sticks very clearly and take another close look before formatting them. First check, then format: Choosing the right drive before formatting is crucial to avoid unintentional data loss. In Windows Explorer, check which drive letter the hard drive or partition to be formatted has. This is often not immediately apparent on systems with multiple drives. Take the time to check, unplug other hard disks and drives to increase the overview. The name of the disk and its size will help you to identify it. In addition, start Disk Management by entering Disk Management in the Windows search. All connected disks and their partitions will be displayed. Only start formatting when you are sure that you have found the correct hard drive, USB stick, or partition. Related: How to prevent (or survive) a ransomware attack 4. Open links in emails I don’t like to open a link in an email. And I never open a link if the email is supposedly from my bank or payment service provider. I don’t even open the link in the monthly email from PayPal, even though I know that this email actually comes from PayPal. Why not? Nowadays it is very easy for an attacker to create a deceptively real copy of a bank email. I wouldn’t reliably recognize the difference between a phishing email and a real bank email — at least not in the short time I have to check my inbox. Instead, I open online banking pages and other important pages via links I’ve saved in my browser, or retype the address into the browser each time. I log in to the site and check whether a new message has arrived in my customer account. If not, then the message in the email is either a fake or not important enough for the bank to enter this information in my customer account. That’s the end of the matter for me. Tip: Change these 5 Windows settings to improve your data privacy 5. Opening suspicious files The online sandbox Hybrid Analysis documents the behavior of a suspicious program with a screenshot. The service is free, but it is often overloaded and responds very slowly. IDG If a file is suspicious, regardless of whether it’s a program or a document, I don’t open it. The risk is simply too great. As an IT editor, I am of course constantly downloading tools from the internet and quite a few of them are scanned by the virus scanner. That is one indication that makes a file suspicious. Another is the source. Files from dubious websites are just as suspicious as files that are attached to an email or come from links in emails. If I can’t avoid opening or starting such files, I always check them first with the tool www.virustotal.com. The online service checks a file with more than 60 virus scanners. If you want even more information about a suspicious file than www.virustotal.com provides, you can also upload suspicious files to an online sandbox. However, this is somewhat more complicated than a test at Virustotal. The services often require registration and are sometimes subject to a fee. A free and uncomplicated online sandbox without registration is available at www.hybrid-analysis.com. 6. Give vouchers for payment of services If you are asked to buy vouchers, you should listen carefully (at least if the request does not come from your children). This is how scammers who are after your money operate. Foundry Who would want to do this? An astonishing number of users! They are all victims of a social engineering attack. Social engineering uses psychological tricks to manipulate people into doing things that are not in their interests. Human characteristics such as trust, fear, or ignorance are exploited. A popular trick goes like this: You are surfing the internet and suddenly a warning message appears that appears to come from Windows. Your PC has been hacked and you should call a support telephone number so that a Microsoft employee can fix your PC. When you call, you are told that your PC has actually been hacked. However, this costs money and is supposed to be paid for with voucher cards. The criminals demand these because voucher codes are much harder for the police to trace than a bank transfer. The fact is: Nobody is immune to the tricks of social engineering. A well-prepared and skillful attacker can lure anyone into a trap. There are many examples of this — search “CEO fraud.” But the moment something as unusual as a voucher code for a service is requested, you can become suspicious and escape the trap. The same applies if you are told that someone is coming round to collect money from you. See also: How do I remove malware from my PC? 7. Connect unknown external devices A USB stick whose owner I don’t know. I’m not plugging it in. Fortunately, gone are the days when Windows’ autostart function immediately launched an EXE file from a connected USB stick. By default, Windows 10 and 11 only offer to start Windows Explorer to display the contents of the USB stick. So that’s not the problem. But like everyone, I’m curious. Attackers take advantage of this and save malicious files with file names that you can’t resist opening. For a long time, security experts said that if you wanted to break into a company network, all you had to do was leave a few infected USB sticks in the company parking lot. Some employee will grab a stick and connect it to their work PC. The professional malware Stuxnet is also said to have reached the computers at the Iranian nuclear facility via a USB stick. It is only unclear whether this USB stick got into the plant via the parking lot trick or whether an insider smuggled it in. Stuxnet destroyed the centrifuges in the nuclear facility and thus delayed the production of fissile material for a nuclear bomb. When you have to insert a foreign USB stick: The same rules apply as under point 5. Check the files on www.virustotal.com or start them in a sandbox. 8. Use default passwords the best password manager overall Dashlane Read our review Best Prices Today: $4.99 at Dashlane When I connect a new device that has default password protection, I immediately change the existing password. The same applies to online accounts that have given me a password. Admittedly: It has become rare for a router to come with a default password. However, it is all the more important to act quickly in the remaining cases. This is because attackers know the default passwords and try to use them to log into the devices. A great password manager can help you create strong, unique passwords for every site and service you use. 9. Enable unnecessary network services If you do not need remote access to the Fritzbox via www.myfritz.net, for example, you should not activate it. Every access point to your IT increases the attack surface for hackers. IDG Hardly a month goes by without a new security vulnerability in a NAS or webcam becoming known. These network devices are usually vulnerable via the internet and allow hackers to access the data on the NAS, the images on the webcam, or even the entire home network. That’s why I don’t activate any network services that I don’t need. Remote access to my router — deactivated. Remote access to my smart lighting — deactivated. Access to my NAS and the robot vacuum cleaner is also deactivated. 10. Buy an expensive Plus version of antivirus Most antivirus manufacturers offer three or more program versions. I wouldn’t buy the most expensive one. I don’t need their expensive additional functions.PCWorld Antivirus software is usually available in three versions. Simple, good, and very good — or antivirus, internet security, and total security. I would never buy the third and most expensive version. That’s purely a financial consideration: If I were rich, I would decide differently. But as long as money is tight, I only buy the middle variant, which is usually called Internet Security. It usually offers more than the free Microsoft Defender, but is not as expensive as the full version. With the latter, I would be paying for services that I don’t necessarily need (metadata cleansing, social media monitoring) or that I can get cheaper elsewhere (VPN services, cloud storage). As I said, the total versions offer more, but I don’t need that extra. the best budget antivirus we`ve tested AVG Internet Security Read our review This article was translated from German to English and originally appeared on pcwelt.de. Read...

PCWorld executive editor Gordon Mah Ung, a tireless journalist we once described as a founding father of hardcore tech journalism, passed away over the weekend after a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. Gordon was 58, and leaves behind a loving wife, two children, older sister, and mother. Please consider contributing to a GoFundMe campaign in support of Gordon’s family, which was left with considerable medical bills and financial strain. With more than 25 years’ experience covering computer tech broadly and computer chips specifically, Gordon’s dogged reporting, one-of-a-kind personality, and commitment to journalistic standards touched many, many lives. He will be profoundly missed by co-workers, industry sources, and the PC enthusiasts who read his words and followed him as a video creator. Gordon studied journalism at San Francisco State University and then worked as a police reporter for the Contra Costa Times in the late 1990s. In 1997, he joined Computerworld (a PCWorld sister publication) before I recruited him to join boot magazine (later re-launched as Maximum PC), where he would ultimately lead hardware coverage for 16 years. At Maximum PC, Gordon developed his trademark voice that blended a hardcore passion for PC tech with non-sequiturs, deadpan humor, and occasional bursts of outrage. As a very early podcaster in the tech space, Gordon’s “Rant of the Week” segment on the Maximum PC pod became so legendary, someone made a soundboard of his best sound bytes. (Caution: It can get a bit NSFW in the finest Gordon tradition.) As I listened to his rants from my office, he always had me guessing, “Is he really that angry, or is he playing us?” And that was part of Gordon’s genius. His number one commitment was to investigating the story, informing the public, and helping people make the best technology decisions. But layered on top of all of this was a master showman who effortlessly connected with like-minded enthusiasts. During much of his time at Maximum PC, Gordon was the lead designer, builder and dreamer behind the magazine’s annual Dream Machine project, which entailed creating the most outrageous, high-performing PC possible. Throughout these building endeavors, he cemented his relationships with Intel, AMD, Nvidia, and other hardware manufacturers too numerous to mention. Gordon’s goal was to get the newest, best, most high-performing parts before anyone else. And it didn’t end with CPUs and GPUs. If a piece of technology went into a PC build, Gordon had an encyclopedic knowledge about all of it—memory, storage, PSUs, cases, cooling, and beyond. Gordon was also the unnamed author of Maximum PC’s consumer-advocate “Watchdog” column. As the mysterious Watchdog, Gordon responded to reader complaints about fly-by-night companies and failing products, and applied all his investigative skills to help readers reach a resolution. It was a perfect merger of consumer service, deep reporting and tech smarts that only Gordon could own. Sort of like Star Trek’s Scotty who preferred sticking to his technical manuals, Gordon resisted taking the helm of Maximum PC, but eventually agreed to become Editor-in-Chief in 2014. Flash forward to later that year, when I once again asked for his help—this time to join PCWorld as executive editor in charge of hardware. At PCWorld, Gordon immediately began imprinting his knowledge and personality on our articles and video. His deep-dive CPU reviews were epic, and continued a legacy of no-BS chip coverage that nonetheless earned the trust and respect of the companies he covered. Some of his first segues into video took the form of our Hardcore Hardware series where he married his deep wealth of knowledge with trademark Gordon theatrics. Some of Gordon’s first forays into PCWorld video were for his “Hardcore Hardware” series, which was shot in the bowels of our San Francisco office space. A master showman, Gordon always knew how to connect directly with his YouTube audience. Gordon’s infectious personality always kept The Full Nerd crew in stitches. Here he’s leading the viewer Q&A segment, in which live stream participants lined up to tap Gordon’s deep wealth of PC knowledge. But it wasn’t until we launched The Full Nerd video podcast in 2016, and set Gordon loose on many more video formats, did he come full circle as a creator. As the host of The Full Nerd, Gordon was able to deliver all his knowledge and analysis at a much faster pace—and if you’ve seen The Full Nerd, you know just how much he loved everything the PC scene has to offer. Through his expanded presence on The Full Nerd, Gordon developed deep relationships with not only other YouTube creators, but also with dedicated followers. You could almost hear his fan base cheering him on via the comments feed during live shows. I have often thought that the way Gordon shared his reporting in print and on podcasts served as model for what PC hardware YouTube would become—unapologetically nerdy, opinionated, and full of attitude. But Gordon always delivered a crucial additional element: a legit journalism background and all the rigor it entails. Gordon continued to shoot video and appear on The Full Nerd until weeks before his death. Talk about a commitment to beat coverage. He was following the story to the very end. I met Gordon in journalism school and spent a lot of time with him in the trenches—sharing cubicle spaces, and hearing him riff. I’ll remember his endless debates with co-workers (his bob-and-weave rhetorical style was as maddening as it was entertaining). I’ll remember his two-hour long phone interviews with sources (he interrogated them like a pro, but played the long game in cultivating trust). I’ll remember his reliability in always asking about the TPS reports when some bureaucratic email landed in our inboxes. I’ll remember him slyly trolling me by calling the series “Star Track” even though I’m 99 percent sure he knew that’s not how it’s pronounced. He might have been the staff curmudgeon, but he was also our most fun co-worker, bar none. I’ve long held this romantic notion, maybe foolishly, that journalists are immortalized by their canon. And of all the tech journalists I’ve personally known, no one has a deeper canon, and has touched more followers, and has earned more respect from industry heavyweights than Gordon. From his earliest days on Maximum PC to his last days on PCWorld and the Full Nerd, Gordon touched people in a way I just haven’t seen anywhere else. He’s leaving a gaping hole in the hearts of those who loved him, but what he’s given us lives forever. – Jon Phillips, editorial director, PCWorld Gordon Mah Ung, remembered Here are more reflections from those who knew Gordon well. If you’d like to share some thoughts on what Gordon meant to you, please email Brad Chacos, PCWorld executive editor, at bchacos@pcworld.com. Unfortunately, we will not be able to add all submissions to this article. ‘The journalist and person I wanted to be when I grow up.’ Here’s something Gordon never knew. He was the beacon for my career before I even had my career. I was born in the early 80s. I was a wide-eyed teen when Gordon was blazing trails in boot and Maximum PC in the late 90s. This was my introduction to enthusiast PC culture, long before the Internet exploded. After spending years unloading trucks and working in factories, I eventually took the plunge into tech journalism. I had $2,000 in the bank and a 6-month-old daughter, but I wanted to do what Gordon did. I ground out endless $15 articles on a content farm called Demand Media. I was eventually added to the tech vertical, which Salon syndicated. And those Salon clips got me a freelance gig with Maximum PC’s nascent Web Blog. YES! The first time I got an email from Gordon with insights on something I was working on, I swooned—and listened, and hustled. Eventually I was fortunate enough to work alongside Gordon at PCWorld, then become his co-host on The Full Nerd, and loooong after that, his boss. (WUT!) I learned so much from him. Gordon always remained my inspiration; the journalist and person I wanted to be when I grow up. He still is. He never knew that. I wish he did, because Gordon literally changed my life. Follow in the footsteps of greatness, kids. And Gordon was the GOAT. — Brad Chacos, PCWorld executive editor and Gordon Mah Ung stan ‘He remembered who came before him, and created space for those who would follow’ I may write for a living, but I can’t do justice to Gordon in words. But I know he would nudge me, as he always has, to go for it. See where it takes me. PC building is what led me to cross paths with Gordon—I first met him while sneaking peeks at the wild and wonderful PC builds on the other side of my cubical wall. At the time, I was a video games journalist, covering a platform I’d later get mercilessly razzed about on The Full Nerd. But I liked tech, and I liked learning about PC hardware. It was a trait that Gordon encouraged, nurtured, and transformed into an entire new branch of my career. Gordon was the kind of guy who did that casually, too. His deep love for PC hardware made him open and generous, always actively keeping seats open at the table for others. He remembered who came before him, and created space for those who would follow him. In every capacity I’ve known him—boss, mentor, colleague—he taught me to stay humble, lead with curiosity, and remain fair in coverage. Combined with his laser-sharp precision and analysis, his example forever motivates me to think deeply and thoughtfully. The industry will not be the same without him. —Alaina Yee, PCWorld senior editor and Maximum PC alumni ‘He welcomed me in and let me know I belonged’ Newsrooms attract characters. Misfits, hopeless optimists, unrepentent goofballs, anti-establishment types, lovable weirdos, and willful contrarians. Gordon was all of those things, but most of all, he was kind. He was always first in line to help a friend in need. When there was an emergency, he ran toward it. I don’t think he was a Boy Scout, but he was always prepared. When I was the new guy at Maximum PC, I knew all about computers and nothing about magazines. Gordon didn’t care. He welcomed me in and let me know I belonged there. He answered all of my stupidest questions, helped me when I needed help, and let me make mistakes when I needed to mess up. And he made sure that we all got into good trouble on the reg. He taught me that our job, as editors, is always to serve the reader. It didn’t matter that advertisers paid the bills; the people who trusted us to give them advice and guidance were always our number one priority. It was his guiding principle and he lived it every day. He was never afraid of speaking truth to power in service of the reader. And he taught so many young journalists to do the same. I already miss my friend terribly, but I’m profoundly grateful that I got to share a small part of his journey with him. The world is a worse place without him. —Will Smith, Full Nerd regular and former Maximum PC editor-in-chief ‘Gordon was always at the center of it’ I hardly need to list Gordon’s many great attributes—he was a beloved legend in the PC community for a reason. But I’m among a smaller number of people who had the privilege of working with him day to day on a team, first at Maximum PC and then PCWorld. Despite being a larger-than-life figure for both of those brands, Gordon was the consummate team member—always willing to patiently explain something, always down to riff and collaborate, always kind and respectful of others. He seemed to genuinely thrive on the group effort. My favorite work memories are of the Maximum PC bullpen where the staff would banter and laugh seemingly all day—it’s amazing we ever got anything done. Gordon was always at the center of it. He was a truly outstanding individual who I’m proud to have worked with and know as a friend. —Katherine Stevenson, PCWorld managing editor and Maximum PC alumni ‘Gordon was the newsiest nerd I’ve ever known’ It’s fair to say Gordon helped define what PCWorld is today, from our mission to especially our voice. I grew up in a newsroom, and Gordon was the newsiest nerd I’ve ever known: utterly dedicated to depth, accuracy, and context, but with a cynical, collegial sense of humor. He also cared deeply about understanding how tech worked and unearthing its deep, dark secrets that manufacturers glossed over. The man simply loved his job. We all loved him. – Mark Hachman, senior editor, PCWorld ‘We are fortunate to have had someone so genuine fighting for us’ Gordon Mah Ung is an irreplaceable force of good for this industry and for consumers. His background in police reporting and journalism afforded a strong foundation to his work and a unique perspective not found anywhere else in the computer reporting business. Like many others, Gordon’s work in Maximum PC inspired me long before I was ever in the industry. Back when I was in high school, I would buy magazines Gordon wrote for every month. In particular, his “Watchdog” consumer advocacy columns inspired our own similar content. He knew when and how to push back to protect consumers, and Gordon served as a mentor for me.Gordon was kind enough to regularly listen to my rambling as I sought his advice and experience, navigating complicated issues of ethics and conflict. He always brought grounded, sobering advice. I still can’t believe that I have been fortunate enough to have worked alongside a hero of mine, and still cannot believe his passing. Gordon and I got along from day one, and I will forever keep his perspective in mind. His presence at events will be greatly missed. Gordon Mah Ung has long been my favorite co-host in videos for his “real” demeanor and his candor; he is exactly who he presents himself as on camera, and we are fortunate to have had someone so genuine fighting for us in this industry. Gordon, thank you for everything you have taught me, and thank you for unwaveringly looking out for consumers. —Steve Burke, editor-in-chief, GamersNexus ‘If Gordon praised my system, it felt like I’d won an Oscar’ Gordon reviewed our PCs for 25 years, and he has written more kind words about my company than anyone. It’s a bittersweet honor to offer a few words about Gordon in return. For the first decade I knew Gordon, I learned little about him personally. He was like a test we had to pass. At Maximum PC, he was the ultimate authority on whether the systems we were building were worth anyone buying. If Gordon praised my system, it felt like I’d won an Oscar. But he never let a missed detail get by him, and trying to impress Gordon has become a constant of my career. I would not be where I am today without Gordon’s approval. But over the years I was fortunate enough to get to know Gordon a bit personally. I always felt privileged when he’d call me for long off-the-record talks about the latest PC industry intrigue, and we’d inevitably tangent off to talking about Aliens or Star Trek, or “the kids building PCs these days who don’t know how easy they have it.” Gordon was a kindred spirit: an O.G. sci-fi and computer nerd who loved tech, and always remembered the point of the hobby was having fun with cool toys. But the biggest impression he made on me was when he and his family stopped by my shop a few years ago. Such wonderful people, and I was so impressed by his children: kind, smart and funny—exactly whom you’d expect Gordon to have made the world better with. Meeting them, I learned his legacy was not just in what he wrote, but in who he taught, and who he loved. Thank you, Gordon.—Kelt Reeves, Falcon Northwest ‘A truly inquisitive journalist, he sought the stories behind the stories’ Most of us know Gordon as a long-time tech journalist, as one of the best and the most passionate in the industry. Gordon was a truly inquisitive journalist, he sought the stories behind the stories by taking a real interest in the products, companies, and the people behind them.  I was lucky enough to know Gordon as a friend. We checked-in often with one another. I would ask about his health, and he would ask about my flying. Occasionally, we’d talk industry updates but most of our conversations were about family, friends, life, and the things that matter most. He was so proud of his family, not too long ago sending me Halloween Ghostbusters pics and the amazing photos his son took at an air show last year. I will miss our conversations and my friend. He was one of the best and forever will be. —Frank Azor, Chief Architect of Gaming Solutions, AMD, and Alienware co-founder ‘Any good work I do reflects at least in part on Gordon’ If you’ve ever done research on anything technical, chances are you’ve read something Gordon wrote. His keen intellect and razor-sharp wit helped him connect the dots on both the technology and the people that make up our modern world. His talent for investigation was honed over a long and storied career; he was a force in our industry. I will miss his advice and insight, as I am sure will many others. Often one can infer a lot about a person from their writing, and while I’m sure a kind reasonableness comes through clearly in Gordon’s writing, his was a type of kindness and patience that is exceedingly rare. Gordon always loved to chat, find out what you were up to, and was always kind and thoughtful. While his writing and insights have become a part of computing history, any good work I do reflects at least in part on Gordon because of his positive influences. So, in that way, he will live on in the work of others. I will forever have fond memories of our many chats, and while I’d love to have just one more chat, I am thankful that he is able to rest for a while. —Wendell Wilson, Level1Techs ‘Gordon was uncannily skilled at demystifying complex technology’ Gordon Mah Ung wasn’t just the most talented tech journalist of his generation; he was one of the best tech journalists of all time. Brutally honest, yet eminently humble, Gordon was uncannily skilled at demystifying complex technology for readers of every stripe. Both in writing and during live podcasts, Gordon schooled and entertained us with his wicked sense of humor. – Michael Brown, executive editor, TechHive and boot magazine alumni Read...