TL;DR: Permanently erase files and folders with military-grade security using the Data Shredder Stick—just $29.99 with free shipping. Some not-so-known info is that hitting “delete” doesn’t actually delete anything. Sure, your files look gone, but your hard drive’s just politely pretending. If you’re getting ready to sell an old laptop, recycle an external drive, or simply want to wipe that folder named “Taxes 2013 FINAL v3,” you’re going to want something more permanent. That’s where the Data Shredder Stick can help. This unassuming USB stick is your new digital enforcer—plug it in, and it’s ready to go full scorched-earth on your data. Simply drag and drop files into the app, and the stick’s military-grade algorithms overwrite them so completely they’re gone for good. We’re talking zero chance of recovery. Need to wipe an entire hard drive before handing it off to a new owner? The Data Shredder Stick makes it easy. Select the drive, press shred, and boom, no digital breadcrumbs left behind. Whether it’s a few old photos or an entire corporate server, this tool gets the job done. It works on as many computers and drives as you want. No subscriptions, no limits. Just plug, shred, and peace out. Get this Data Shredder Stick while it’s just $29.99 (reg. $39.99) with free shipping. Data Shredder Stick Secure Data Wiping Tool for WindowsSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

Microsoft dealt a heavy blow to Windows 10 with the most recent Patch Tuesday. May’s KB5058379 update is causing some annoying problems, like making Windows request the BitLocker recovery key on startup on some Windows 10 PCs. (Windows 10 normally only requests this key when changes are made to the hardware or BIOS settings.) German blog Borncity reports on this problem as it relates to German users, but there are also reports in the US, like the one by Windows Latest. The problem affects Windows 10 computers in companies as well as PCs used privately, and information from affected users can be found both in the Microsoft forums and on Reddit. Without the BitLocker recovery key, Windows 10 remains locked and therefore cannot be used. Some affected users have to go through system recovery and restore their OS to a point in time before the update installation. But that’s not all. Even after Windows 10 starts, some users are running into blue screen crashes. As a workaround, it seems to help if you deactivate the “Intel Trusted Execution Technology (Intel TXT)” option in the BIOS/UEFI. Instructions on how to do that have been provided by Windows Latest and BleepingComputer. According to Windows Latest, the problem affects computers from Dell, HP, and Lenovo running Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 10 21H2 Enterprise. Microsoft doesn’t currently mention the above issues on the KB5058379 update support page, but this is an important security patch that you should install, and Windows should install it automatically once it’s available to your PC. Unless you have a good reason, don’t skip it. Further reading: How to upgrade Windows 10 to 11, step by step Read...

CPUs and GPUs are old news. These days, the cutting edge is all about NPUs, and hardware manufacturers are talking up NPU performance. The NPU is a computer component designed to accelerate AI tasks in a power-efficient manner, paving the way for new Windows desktop applications with powerful AI features. That’s the plan, anyway. All PCs will eventually have NPUs, but at the moment only some laptops have them. Here’s everything you need to know about NPUs and why they’re such a hot topic in the computer industry right now. What is an NPU? NPU stands for neural processing unit. It’s a special kind of processor that’s optimized for AI and machine learning tasks. The name comes from the fact that AI models use neural networks. A neural network is, in layman’s terms, a vast mesh of interconnected nodes that pass information between them. (The whole idea was modeled after the way our own human brains work.) An NPU isn’t a separate device that you buy and plug in (as you would with a GPU, for example). Instead, an NPU is “packaged” as part of a modern processor platform — like Intel’s Core Ultra, AMD’s Ryzen AI, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus. These platforms have a CPU along with an integrated GPU and NPU. NPU vs. CPU vs. GPU: What’s the difference? Explained For many years now, computers have been running tasks on either the central processing unit (CPU) or graphics processing unit (GPU.) That’s still how it works on AI PCs (i.e., computers with NPUs). The CPU runs most of the tasks on the computer. But the GPU, despite its name, isn’t just for graphics and gaming tasks. The GPU is actually just optimized for a different type of computing task, which is why GPUs have been critical for non-gaming endeavors like mining cryptocurrency and running local AI models with high performance. In fact, GPUs are very good at such AI tasks — but GPUs are awfully power-hungry. That’s where NPUs come into play. An NPU is faster than a CPU at computing AI tasks, but not as fast when compared to a GPU. The trade-off is that an NPU uses far less power than a GPU when computing those same AI tasks. Plus, while the NPU handles AI-related tasks, the CPU and GPU are both freed up to handle their own respective tasks, boosting overall system performance. Why use an NPU instead of a CPU or GPU? If you’re running AI image generation software like Stable Diffusion (or some other AI model) on your PC’s hardware and you need maximum performance, a GPU is going to be your best bet. That’s why Nvidia advertises its GPUs as “premium AI” hardware over NPUs. But there are times when you want to run AI features that might be too taxing for a regular CPU but don’t necessarily need the top-tier power of a GPU. Or maybe you’re on a laptop and you want to take advantage of AI features but don’t want the GPU to drain your battery down. With an NPU, a laptop can perform local (on-device) AI tasks without producing a lot of heat and without expending inordinate battery life — and it can perform those AI tasks without taking up CPU and GPU resources from whatever else your PC might be doing. And even if you aren’t interested in AI per se, you can still take advantage of NPUs for other uses. At CES 2024, HP showed off game-streaming software that uses the NPU for video-streaming tasks, freeing up the GPU to run the game itself. By using the NPU’s extra computing power, the streaming software doesn’t take up any GPU resources… and it’s much faster than using the CPU for the same type of task. But what can Windows PC software do with an NPU, really? With an AI PC, the NPU can be used by both the operating system and the apps that reside on the system. For example, if you have laptop with Intel Meteor Lake hardware, the built-in NPU will let you run Windows Studio Effects, which are AI-powered webcam effects that provide features like background blur and forced eye contact in any application that uses your webcam. Microsoft Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs — the first wave of which were powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X chips — have their own AI-powered features that use the NPUs built into that platform. For example, the Windows Recall feature will require an NPU. Related: What is a Copilot+ PC? Explained Earlier this year, AMD and Intel processors gained access to Copilot+ features that were previously exclusive to Qualcomm PCs — but only AMD and Intel PCs that have the new AMD Ryzen AI 300 series and Intel Core Ultra Series 2 (Lunar Lake) processors. And those are just the features built into Windows; app developers will also be able to use the NPU in a variety of ways. Don’t be surprised to see plug-ins for Audacity and GIMP that offer AI-powered audio and photo editing that’s powered by a computer’s NPU. The possibilities are endless, but it’s still early days for the hardware so it’ll be a while before its full potential is realized. Why do I need an NPU if my PC can already run AI software? Most current applications that have AI features — including Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot — don’t utilize an NPU yet. Instead, they run their AI models on faraway cloud servers. That’s why you can run things like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Adobe Firefly, and other AI solutions on any device, whether an old Windows PC, a Chromebook, a Mac, an Android phone, or something else. Adobe But it’s expensive for those services to run their AI models on the cloud. Microsoft spends a lot of money churning through Copilot AI tasks in data centers, for example. Companies would love to offload those AI tasks to your local PC and reduce their own cloud computing expenses. Of course, it’s not just about cost savings. You also benefit from the ability to run computationally heavy AI tasks on your local device. For example, those AI features will still work even when you’re offline, and you can keep your data private instead of uploading it all to cloud servers all the time. (That’s a big deal for companies, too, who want to maintain control over their own business data for privacy and security reasons.) Further reading: I tried running AI chatbots locally on my laptop — and they kinda suck Which NPUs are available and how powerful are they? Intel NPU performance is measured in TOPS, which stands for trillion operations per second. To give you a sense of what that means, a low-end NPU might only be able to handle 10 TOPS whereas PCs that qualify for Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC branding must handle at least 40 TOPS. As of fall 2024, the following NPUs are available: Intel Core Ultra Series 1 (Meteor Lake): Intel’s first-generation Core Ultra NPU can deliver up to 11 TOPS. It’s too slow for Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC features, but it does work with Windows Studio Effects and some third-party applications. This same NPU is found in newer “Arrow Lake” Intel gaming laptops, as well. Intel Core Ultra Series 2 (Lunar Lake): Intel’s Lunar Lake chips will include an NPU with up to 48 TOPS of performance, exceeding Copilot+ PC requirements. AMD Ryzen Pro 7000 and 8000 Series: AMD first delivered NPUs on PCs before Intel did, but the NPUs in Ryzen 7000 series processors are too slow for Copilot+ PC features, with up to 12 and 16 TOPS of performance. AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series: The NPUs in the latest AMD Ryzen AI 300 series processors can deliver up to 50 TOPS of performance, more than enough for Copilot+ PCs. Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus: Qualcomm’s Arm-based hardware includes a Qualcomm Hexagon NPU that’s capable of up to 45 TOPS. It’s worth noting that NPUs aren’t just on PCs. Apple’s Neural Engine hardware was one of the first big splashy NPUs to get marketing attention. Google’s Tensor platform for Pixel devices also includes an NPU, while Samsung Galaxy phones have NPUs, too. Bottom line: Should you get a PC with an NPU right now or wait? Honestly, it’s risky being on the bleeding edge. If you went out of your way to get a Meteor Lake laptop in hopes of future-proofing your PC for AI features, you actually got burned when Microsoft later announced that Meteor Lake NPUs were too slow for Copilot+ PC features. (Intel disagreed, pointing out that you still get all the features those laptops originally shipped with.) The silver lining to that? Copilot+ PC features aren’t that interesting yet. And most of the biggest AI tools — ChatGPT, Adobe Firefly, etc. — don’t even use NPUs at all. Still, if I were buying a new laptop, I’d want to get an NPU if possible. You don’t actually have to go out of your way to get one; it’s just something that comes included with modern hardware platforms. And those modern processor platforms have other big features, like big battery life gains. On the other hand, those fast NPUs are only on the latest laptops right now, and you can often find great deals on older laptops that are nearly as fast as the latest models. If you spot a previous-generation laptop that’s heavily discounted, it may not make sense to shell out tons more cash just for an NPU, especially if you don’t have any AI tools you plan to run. As of this writing, most big AI tools still run in the cloud — or at least offer that as an option — so you’ll be able to run them on any Windows laptop, Chromebook, or even Android tablets and iPads. For desktops, the NPU situation is different. Intel’s desktop CPUs don’t have NPUs yet. You could hunt down an AMD desktop chip with a Ryzen AI NPU, but AMD’s Ryzen 7000 and 8000 series chips don’t support Copilot+ PC features anyway. So, if you’re putting together a desktop PC, set aside the NPU for now. It just isn’t that important yet. Looking for a PC with a high-performance NPU? Consider Arm-based Windows laptops like the Surface Laptop 7 and AMD Ryzen AI 300 series laptops like the Asus ProArt PX13, as well as Intel Core Ultra Series 2 laptops like the Asus Zenbook S 14. Further reading: Why can’t my $3000 gaming PC run Copilot+ features? Come on, Microsoft! Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Over 3GBps reading and 2.5GBps writing Tiny, shirt-pocketable form factor Magnetic mounting ring included Astoundingly affordable for USB4 Cons Slightly off the performance pace for USB4 Our Verdict The uber-small form factor, good performance, and super-low price make the Addlink P30 one of my favorite USB4 SSDs. The magnetic mounting ring is a hoot as well, though pros might prefer faster real-world performance. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Addlink P30 USB4 SSD Retailer Price $89.44 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Absolutely the first thing you’ll notice upon unboxing Addlink’s P30 portable USB4 SSD is how tiny it is. And while not really large enough to show it off fully, it’s a good-looking little critter. It’s also light in the hand, and light on your wallet. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best external drives for comparison. What are the Addlink P30’s features? The P30 is a super-small USB4 SSD measuring a mere 2.5-inches square, by approximately 0.5-inches thick. It weighs only 1.9 ounces solo, and 2.1 ounces with the included 5-inch, 40Gbps Type-C to Type-C cable. Unlike many vendors, Addlink let us know exactly what controller and NAND are inside: a Phison PS2251-21 and 162-layer Kioxia BiCS6 TLC (Triple-Level Cell/3-bit) NAND. Thanks, guys! The back of the Addlink P30 with the included, optional magnetic ring in place. The P30 is warrantied for five years. And though I wasn’t provided a TBW rating, given that the NAND is TLC, I’d guess 600TBW per terabyte of capacity. Whatever it is, it’s highly unlikely you’ll exceed it before the warranty period expires. If you’re not familiar, TBW is terabytes written, and represents how much data you can write to the drive before it goes into read/write mode. Note that TBW is a worst-case estimate, and part of a financial liability formula. You might get a lot more — out of warranty. How much does the Addlink P30 cost? The P30 is available in 1TB capacity for $89.44 (tested) and 2TB for $158.44. That’s darn affordable for USB4. In fact, it’s about half the cost of the top-rated Adata SE920. Of course, with larger amounts of data, the SE920 borders on twice as fast, but our test P30 was slightly handicapped as a 1TB unit with less secondary cache than its rival. A 4TB version is in the works, but not yet available. The P30’s value proposition is lots of capacity in a tiny form factor. How fast is the Addlink P30? After a recent spate of compatibility issues with Sandisk and WD (Sandisk), it was a joy to test the P30, which both behaved itself, and turned in a relatively smooth performance. That said, and as just mentioned, being only a 1TB drive, it did run out of steam at points during our 48GB and 450GB write tests. Although not as fast as some larger drives (thermal considerations are no doubt a thing), the P30 is still quite fast in the grand scheme. You can see where the P30 lagged in CrystalDiskMark 8’s sequential tests below, but it still edged out the Corsair EX400U — a similar design. The P30 lagged in CrystalDiskMark 8’s sequential tests below, but it edged out the Corsair EX400U ,which is a similar design. The Addlink P30’s random performance was more in keeping with the competition in CrystalDiskMark 8. Note that we’re still puzzled by the Sandisk Extreme Pro SSD with USB4’s miserable single-queue/single-thread write score. Not to mention the reasoning behind its ponderous moniker. The P30’s random performance was more in keeping with the competition in CrystalDiskMark 8. Where the P30 really started to lag behind was in the 48GB transfers. While not horrible, they’re certainly nothing to write home about. Again, 1TB. Where the P30 really started to lag behind was in the 48GB transfers. While not horrible, they’re not particularly fast either. At twice the price, the SE920 is actually more than twice as fast as the P30 writing our 450GB file. But some of the difference was due to the SE920 having twice the capacity (2TB) and twice the secondary cache. Not to hammer the excuse, but the Addlink P30 would turn in much better 450GB write times in its 2TB or 4TB flavors. The P30 will turn in much better 450GB write times in its 2TB or 4TB flavors. Below you can see the why behind the slowish 450GB write — only about 50GB of secondary cache — i.e., TLC written as SLC to avoid the ponderous error-checking (in SSD terms) induced by multiple possible cell-voltage levels. The good news is that the write speed drops only to around 830MBps. Previous generations of NAND, especially QLC (Quad-Level Cell.4-bit) could drop to 100MBps — slower than a hard drive. Even modern QLC writes at only a little over twice that. Though not exactly what you want to see from your USB4 SSD, 830MBps is actually a very good pace for TLC written natively (no secondary caching in play). While not the best USB4 performer I’ve tested (it’s actually in last place and slower in the real-world transfers than several 20Gbps SSDs), the P30’s value proposition is lots of capacity in a tiny form factor. Given that, I’ll call it fast enough. For light data-transfer duties, it’s certainly that. Should you buy the Addlink P30? I say, have at it. This tiny P30 has found a place in my heart and one of my computers — magnetically attached of course. Cool, inexpensive (for USB4), and very portable beans from Addlink. On the other hand, if you’re after top 40Gbps performance, you’ll need to spend more bucks on an SSD such as the oft-mentioned Adata SE920. How we test Our storage tests currently utilize Windows 11 (22H2) 64-bit running on a Z790 (PCIe 5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 modules (64GB of memory total). Intel integrated graphics are used. The 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk taking up 58GB of the 64GB total memory. The 450GB file is transferred from a Samsung 990 Pro 2TB, which also contains the operating system. Each test is performed on a newly formatted and TRIM’d drive so the results are optimal. Note that as any drive fills up, performance will decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, and other factors. The performance numbers shown apply only to the drive we were shipped as well as the capacity tested. SSD performance can vary by capacity due to more or fewer chips to read/write across and the amount of NAND available for secondary caching (writing TLC/QLC as SLC). Vendors also occasionally swap components. If you ever notice a large discrepancy between the performance you experience and that which we report (systems being roughly equal), by all means — let us know. Read...

When Microsoft Defender is mentioned, most users think of the antivirus software included in Windows (currently called Windows Security). On the one hand, this is correct, as the antivirus engine within Windows Security is called Microsoft Defender. On the other hand, an app called Microsoft Defender is available for Microsoft 365 subscribers, which can manage the security settings of up to five devices in the local network. The difference between them is not immediately obvious. Reason enough to clarify the terms and differentiate between the two programs. Further reading: Windows Security vs. Microsoft Defender A look back at the history of Defender Defender originated from software developed by Giant, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2004. At that time, spyware and adware programs were flooding Windows computers. Microsoft felt compelled to take action. Following the takeover of Giant, Microsoft renamed the program Windows Antispyware and made it available as a free download for Windows XP. In 2005, it was integrated into the newly developed Windows Vista. Pure confusion: The Windows antivirus tool is called “Microsoft Defender Antivirus.” At the same time, however, Microsoft Defender is an app that only indirectly has anything to do with antivirus.Foundry Windows Antispyware only combats adware and spyware. To defend against malware such as worms and Trojans, users still had to rely on antivirus programs from third-party manufacturers. This only changed in 2012 with the release of Windows 8, where the tool replaced a lightweight antivirus program called Microsoft Security Essentials, which had been available as a free download since 2009. The former antispyware now recognized malware of all kinds and became an integral part of the operating system under the name Windows Defender. Further reading: Windows Defender antivirus: 5 settings to change first With Windows 10, Microsoft began to integrate Defender into a larger suite of security products that were managed via the new Windows Defender Security Center. This center is now simply called Windows Security and is used to manage the various security modules in the operating system. The former Security Center is now called “Windows Security” and summarizes the Windows 11 security modules in one overview. Foundry Windows Security can be accessed via the taskbar. You can usually find the icon by clicking on the arrow for the hidden icons. It appears as a blue shield. If there are no complaints, you will see a white tick on a green background. Alternatively, you can also access the area via the “Settings” of Windows 11 and the “Privacy and security” item. Click on the “Windows Security” button there. Overview: Windows Security Windows Security comprises several modules, all of which are more or less concerned with data protection and data security within Windows. In detail, these are: Virus & threat protection: Here you will find the antivirus tool Microsoft Defender Antivirus as well as ransomware protection, which is designed to monitor access to Windows folders. Account protection: In this area, you control the synchronization of your important data with the cloud service Onedrive as well as the Windows login options. Firewall & network protection: In this module, you have access to the Windows firewall settings. App & browser control: Windows offers extensive options for protection against dangerous apps and websites as well as phishing protection. Foundry Device security: This area includes a range of Windows-internal functions for working with the security hardware in your computer. Device performance & health: The operating system provides reports on the current security status of the computer here. Family options: This module links to an online administration — primarily for parental control settings in your Microsoft account. Protection history: A log of actions performed relating to protection against viruses and potentially unwanted programs appears here. Microsoft Defender: What the app can do Microsoft Defender Antivirus should not be confused with the Microsoft Defender or Microsoft Defender for Individuals app. The manufacturer announced the app for the U.S. market in June 2022. It is only available for subscribers to the Microsoft 365 Office package in the Single and Family versions and is installed automatically together with the Office applications. If this does not work, the app can be downloaded free of charge from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft Defender manages the security of up to four devices via a central dashboard. In addition to PCs and laptops, this also includes smartphones and tablets with Android and iOS as well as desktop computers with Mac OS. Warnings and notifications about newly recognized threats can be played out simultaneously on all devices. It is interesting to note that Microsoft Defender not only works with the internal virus guard Microsoft Defender Antivirus, but also with almost every antivirus tool on the market. For example, the app also forwards the messages from Avast or Norton antivirus programs. Microsoft Defender app. Microsoft Microsoft Defender app: Protection for multiple devices Use the “Add devices” button to extend the protection of Microsoft Defender to other devices. To do this, either scan the QR code that appears and follow the links to the Google Play Store, the Apple App Store, or the Microsoft Store. Or you can send the link to Defender in the Microsoft Store to other devices and users. You can check the security status of the current computer and the other devices that you manage via Microsoft Defender via “Device protection.” You will also find the “Security history” there, which you can also access via “Warnings and history” on the start page. Microsoft Defender centrally manages the security of all devices on which it is installed. This also includes mobile devices such as smartphones.Foundry If you click on it, it shows you in list form which actions Defender has performed on the individual devices, for example where it has removed malware or activated web protection. Mobile version of the Defender app Microsoft Defender for Android is not installed automatically, even for Microsoft 365 subscribers. Instead, you must obtain and set up the program via the Google Play Store. Only once you have signed in to your Microsoft account in the app will the mobile device on which the app is running appear in the list of protected devices. And there is something else that distinguishes the app from the Windows version: Defender for Android not only comes with its own virus scanner, but also includes web protection that warns you of dangerous websites and prevents you from downloading apps that want to spy on personal data. It also regularly displays security tips and recommendations. You can find the antivirus program and web protection on the start page by tapping on “Device protection.” On the following page, make sure that “This device” is selected at the top and go to “Protection against malware.” On the next page, you will see the “Monitor for malicious apps” function. It is active by default and checks existing and newly downloaded apps for malware. Click the “Scan” button under “Run a manual scan” to initiate an additional virus scan. Defender performs a scan every day even if you don’t click it. One page back, “Web protection” takes you to the function of the same name. It compares the web addresses you visit with a list of fraudulent or dangerous websites compiled by Microsoft and issues a corresponding warning if necessary. You can access a list of previous warnings and notifications as well as virus detections on this device via “Security history.” This function corresponds to the “Device protection” in the Windows version of Microsoft Defender. Use another antivirus program in parallel As soon as you install the virus scanner of a third-party manufacturer, Windows Defender automatically withdraws. The antivirus program you have chosen is now responsible for monitoring the system for suspicious actions. Only if Windows detects that this software is out of date, has expired, or is not working properly will the Defender come back into play. Enable Microsoft Defender Antivirus if you want it to continue working alongside a third-party antivirus program Foundry However, you can also run additional scans with Defender using a functioning third-party product. To do this, open “Virus and Threat Protection” in “Windows Security”, click on “Microsoft Defender Antivirus options” and set the “Regular Scan” switch to “On.” As soon as new virus definitions are downloaded, the Defender now performs a quick scan once a day. Read...

TL;DR: For a one-time payment of $9.99, you can secure lifetime privacy with Ashampoo WebCam Guard, blocking webcam and mic access with just one click. We all spend hours a day in front of our computers, and if you’ve ever slapped a piece of tape over your webcam or worried about your mic picking up private conversations, you’re not alone. Even tech giants have been seen covering their cameras, and for good reason: unauthorized access is a real and growing risk. Ashampoo WebCam Guard is an intuitive privacy tool that gives you one-click control over your webcam and microphone. For just $9.99 (regularly $30), you get a lifetime license covering up to three devices—no subscriptions, no recurring costs, just permanent peace of mind. What makes it special? Unlike basic software toggles or physical covers, Ashampoo WebCam Guard interacts directly with your device’s hardware. That means when you block access, it’s fully blocked—no sneaky apps running in the background. A clear, easy-to-read dashboard shows you exactly when your webcam and mic are active or disabled, and you can reactivate them just as quickly when you need to jump on a call. Don’t miss a lifetime of security with Ashampoo WebCam Guard, especially since it’s just $9.99 (reg. $30). Ashampoo® WebCam Guard: Lifetime LicenseSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

There’s a part of me that really hates AI because it has taken work away from me and my colleagues. And even though I find it useful for certain things, I’d prefer humanity wasn’t replaced by AI. That said, AI is indeed useful. Over the past few years, ever since ChatGPT blew us away with its conversational skills and agentic abilities, I find myself using some form of AI tool almost every day. Sometimes it’s just to chat—I quite like gushing to an AI chatbot over a new show I’m watching without risking spoilers—but more often than not, these AI-driven apps are slowly transforming the way I work and live my life. I’m not about to let them take over completely just yet, but I’ll begrudgingly admit that I’m also unwilling to give up AI altogether. All that to say, AI was once seen as a mere gimmick but has successfully evolved into something greater. Here are some of my favorite AI-assisted apps that I actually use on a day-to-day basis. Adobe Photoshop for Generative Fill Removing the name on this Nvidia graphics card would be tough if left to my own devices, but Generative Fill can take care of it in a snap.Jon Martindale / Foundry When Adobe introduced its AI-powered Generative Fill feature back in 2023, it was billed as a way to create masterpieces in record time by quickly adding and removing elements from images via text prompts. That’s all well and good, and I’m sure people are using it to great effect, but I really only use it for one thing: image cleanup. Every time I write an article like this one, I have to grab a few images for illustrative purposes. Usually that’s a screenshot or two, but it can sometimes involve product shots, stock images, and other specific photos related to whatever I’m writing about. The problem is, the images are never quite exactly what I need. That’s where Generative Fill comes into play and saves the day. Normally I’d have to painstakingly cut out bits, clone areas, use the healing brush over imperfections, expand the image, copy and paste backgrounds, crop to a specific aspect ratio… But these days? I can just describe what I need and have Generative Fill do it for me. Want to remove something? Just draw a box around it and leave the Generative Fill prompt blank—it’ll wipe out whatever is there and blend the gap into the background. Same goes for expanding the dimensions of an image without stretching, or hiding personally identifiable information behind something more complicated than a simple blur filter. Generative Fill isn’t perfect—and that’s good because it means I keep my Photoshop skills sharp—but it is a massive time saver and one of the most effective AI-driven tools of the last few years. PDFgear for AI editing and answers PDFgear has a built-in AI chatbot that analyzes documents and answers questions. Unfortunately, it’s not smart enough to help me win—yet.Jon Martindale / Foundry My seemingly lifelong search for a capable-yet-free PDF editor ended last year when I discovered PDFgear. But not only is it a free PDF editor that can do everything the big players can do—including annotations and signatures—it also has a built-in AI assistant that’s genuinely useful. PDFgear has an AI chatbot that can perform various editing tasks with speed and precision, making it a useful tool for tweaking complicated documents without introducing formatting errors or compromising the original aesthetics of the document’s design. It can annotate, extract data and images, or even just talk to you about what’s in it. I especially like it for finding information in complex board game rulebooks. Sure, a good index or glossary goes a long way, but asking a natural language question of the Twilight Imperium Living Rules is much faster than flipping back and forth through the 30-ish pages of endless text. My eyes slip off that like water from the proverbial duck’s back—but with AI, it’s fast, easy, and accurate. My colleague reviewed PDFgear and found it excellent with robust AI features worth using, so I’m not alone on this one! ProWritingAid for AI suggestions ProWritingAid If you thought otherwise, let me break it to you: professional writers use spell check. While my colleagues and I used to debate whether tools like Grammarly and ProWritingAid were “cheating,” that ship has long since sailed. These days, it’s almost expected—and why not? Sure, my editor could catch all my typos and grammar mistakes, but AI tools can go way beyond that. ProWritingAid makes me a better writer, period. To be clear, I don’t use ProWritingAid to generate text for me. Instead, I use it to analyze what I’ve written and point out all the areas where my writing could be improved. Maybe I’ve inadvertently used passive voice, or maybe I reuse the same phrasings too often, or maybe sentences can be worded more clearly. It’s useful, and the persistent presence of these reminders makes me improve over time. ProWritingAid is like a voice on my shoulder reminding me that I can always do better with tighter copy. I appreciate it. Microsoft 365 Copilot and Designer Jon Martindale / Foundry Microsoft has been all-in on AI since ChatGPT made its major debut, but despite Copilot integrations in Bing Search and Windows 11, they’ve struggled to find a real purpose for it beyond the basics offered by other AI chatbots. That said, one area where I’ve found legitimate use for it? The various integrations across Microsoft 365 apps. I’m a LibreOffice user at heart, but even I’ve been enjoying Copilot’s quick text generation in Word and slide generation in PowerPoint. Asking where something is within a massive document of hundreds of pages is so convenient, and when I want to whip up a quick draft of a document to give me a baseline to work with, it saves a ton of time. Copilot really came in handy recently when I was invited to give a talk to a couple of classes at my kids’ school about how computers work. I haven’t used PowerPoint in decades, so it was a real treat to be able to boot up the latest version and have Copilot and Designer jointly generate for me a simple presentation template which I could then tweak and update according to my own needs. Literal hours saved. I like to think of myself as a PC expert, but I’m not an expert in every app. Fortunately, with Copilot and Designer, I don’t need to be. ChatGPT for everything else Jon Martindale / Foundry ChatGPT has evolved into a catch-all AI tool for me over the past year. Whether it’s having a spoiler-free conversation about the latest episode of Severance, using it to learn how to code my first game project, going back and forth to practice roleplaying D&D characters, or even treating it like a virtual counselor, it’s become a fantastic tool with practical results. I even asked it to help me reword my responses in an argument with a family member to be less combative—and it worked! In my work life, I use ChatGPT to spit out briefs for articles I’m writing to help me hone in on the structure I’m looking for. I use it as a quick and dirty alternative to a thesaurus, and to find information on the web that Google just can’t seem to for some reason. Again, ChatGPT is far from perfect and I’m not about to rely on it—or any of the tools on this list—for mission-critical tasks, medical diagnoses, financial advice, etc. But for those moments where I could use the help of someone else to tackle something simple, I’m finding that ChatGPT and other AI apps hold an increasingly useful place in my heart. Further reading: I paid $200/mo for ChatGPT Pro. Was it worth it? Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros File- and image-based backup Powerful online (web) management Console Local and online backup Pro-level features abound Cons Doesn’t support Consumer-grade online storage Costs add up Our Verdict MSP360 Managed Backup and its fully featured online Console let you control all your computer backups for a decently low fee. Local and online, file-based and imaging, along with disaster recovery are all provided via manageable local clients. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: MSP360 Managed Backup Retailer Price MSP360 $30 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If you have more than one computer to back up, you might want to consider the option- and feature-rich MSP360 Managed Backup. Its online console allows you to easily keep tabs on all your machines, perform various related functions, and track their backup status. You can also opt for remote control and management if you really have a lot of PCs to worry about. Local and online backup are supported, though the latter lacks hooks to consumer-grade storage services such as Dropbox, OneDrive, etc. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best backup software for comparison. What are MSP360 Managed Backup’s features? MSP360 Managed Backup, nee Cloudberry Backup, supports both file- and image-based replication of your data. The client (shown below) is almost identical to the standalone desktop version of MSP360 Backup that I recently reviewed, but connects with the online management console so you can manage it remotely. Upgrades are of course available. Granular scheduling is one of MSP360’s strengths. Of which it has many. This is the desktop client. The list of the online storage services that MSP360 Managed Backup supports is extensive, but doesn’t include consumer favorites such as OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. What it does support are: Wasabi (default), Amazon AWS S3, Microsoft Azure/Azure VM, Backblaze B2, Google Cloud, and Minio. You may also employ S3-compatible services, many of which are very affordable. The online storage service destination definition dialog from MSP360’s local client. Local disaster recovery is implemented via the usual WinPE (Linux is also common) boot disc, as shown below. Bare metal recovery basically means you can restore to dissimilar hardware without having to worry about hunting down drivers. The MSP360 disaster recovery boot disc. As for the online management console, which is the whole reason you might want MSP360 Managed Backup versus its standalone variant, it is slick, full-featured, and very efficient once you are up to speed. It does, however, take a bit of getting used to. There’s a lot there and it will only be intuitive if you’re used to remote management. You can of course manage all the local clients, install agents remotely (as long as there’s something connected already), and even control them remotely (extra charge). There are also reports and analysis aplenty of both the clients and whatever storage service you are using. If you aren’t using one, you can stick with backups to local media if you so desire. There’s also the remote control and management (the RMM in the graphic below), the latter of which is used to roll out updates and set the policies (update permissions, installation privileges, etc.) for groups of PCs. While I’ll say that RMM is of little interest to most end-users, I know of at least one guy who manages his entire trans-continental family’s computer network using RMM. The two computers I used to test MSP360 Managed Backup’s online console. One of my favorite features is object lock, aka immutability. This means no one can change the data, including legitimate users, until you remove the lock. Having suffered a ransomware attack once when I foolishly hosted my website on my own NAS box, I can readily appreciate the utility of this. MSP360 Management console email and downloads sections. Other online features include the ability to purchase and manage licenses, set up notification options, managing storage and billing, etc. Below you’ll see some iOS captures of the MSP360 app. While it can’t manage backups like the online management console, it can tell you plenty about the status. It’s also used in 2FA when you login online. In fact, it’s required. Industrial strength security here, though you can disable the 2FA. Having once managed several SMB computer fleets (using Kaseya) remotely, I found MSP360 Managed Backup more than adequate to the task. I didn’t take the RMM for a spin, but I wish I’d had this service back in the day. Good stuff. How much is MSP360 Managed Backup? While I’m reviewing MSP360 Manage Backup as a consumer product, and there are certainly users and small businesses who it would benefit, it’s just a wee bit of a stretch for the average user due to the overall price. The MSP360 service is $2.50 a month, or $30 a year per computer. That’s not bad at all, but then you’ll probably want to add online storage — which is where the lack of support for consumer-oriented storage services you might already have could hurt. Of course, you can work around this limitation and use virtually any online storage service by mounting it locally using cloud manager software. It’s an extra step, but hey. MSP360 defaults to Wasabi, which is $6 a month per TB, or $72 a year. That’s competitive with most other services, but shop around for the best deal. When you check pricing, remember that this is purely for backup, and not working online or syncing between computers. Those that are pure storage tend to be a bit cheaper. Using MSP360’s default pricing, a household of five computers, backing up only essential data to a single 1TB Wasabi account would cost you around $222 a year. What kind of bargain you consider that, only you will know. It might be a bit much for a family, but I’d call it insignificant for a small business. Note that the Connect and RMM services incur additional costs: $90 per year for the former and $60 a month for the latter. Also, it’s difficult to find pricing on the MSP360 website. I’m going off what the media relations folks told me. Per-computer pricing could make MSP360 Manage Backup a bit pricey for a family or totally reasonable for a small business. How does MSP360 Managed Backup perform? The local client was flawless in my hands-on, as long as there was enough room on the destination. The program actually warned me that there wasn’t enough space (our previous look at the client saw no warning) — then promptly let me try to fit 1.2TB of data into 450GB of space. I understand compression can reduce size, but not by 750GB. Just say no! The MSP360 Desktop client utilized by the managed system. To be fair, I experienced issues of the same ilk with an old faithful favorite — R-Drive Image. Trusting the intelligence and diligence of your users is great, but every once in a while guardrails are appropriate. Beyond the attempt at bliveting (trying to stuff 10 pounds of “stuff” into a 5 pound bag), local, network (mounted drives), and online backups all went off without a hitch and in what I consider a sprightly fashion — i.e., roughly in line with the speed of the operating system, connection, and media involved. The disaster recovery disk booted fine and restore operations all succeeded. Can’t ask for more than that. The management console connected successfully and in short order with the clients I had installed, and there wasn’t a lot of lag in updating information. Is MSP360 Managed Backup worth it? If you have multiple PCs to back up and monitor, and aren’t committed to an online storage vendor that’s not supported, then yes. Even if you are committed to one online service, there are roundabout ways to still utilize it. Also, redundancy isn’t a bad thing when it comes to backup. Read...

Victoria University says AI on computers could enable cheating. Read...

For years, I’ve assumed that most people don’t need third-party antivirus tools and have cheerily passed this suggestion along to others. After all, Microsoft’s Windows Security suite (also known as Windows Defender or Microsoft Defender) provides built-in virus protection for your PC, and it doesn’t cost a dime. I’ve been using it for years, and the last time I can recall having virus problems on my PC was well over a decade ago. And yet, looking around for confirmation of this long-held belief quickly turns up an alternate universe, full of experts who insist that everyone should be paying for antivirus software. This advice comes not just from the companies that sell antivirus suites, but from reputable sites that perform antivirus software reviews. On top of that, nearly every laptop I’ve reviewed for PCWorld has come with some form of antivirus trialware from companies like McAfee and Norton. Those companies pay PC makers for placement, which wouldn’t make sense if no one bought the products, right? At this point, I’ve heard enough questions from readers—and family members—that I decided to dig a little deeper. What I’ve learned is that my initial assumptions were mostly correct: Most people can indeed skate by without extra antivirus software. But that doesn’t mean everyone should, or that you shouldn’t take any extra precautions to stay safe. The case against extra antivirus software As a Reddit thread on the subject shows, the consensus answer is yes, with caveats. Jared Newman / Foundry PCWorld writer Jon Martindale came to the same conclusion, as did the website SafetyDetectives. The reasoning is simple: Windows Security rivals other programs at sniffing out viruses. While this wasn’t always the case, Microsoft’s detection has improved considerably in recent years, to the point that the independent AV-TEST Institute regularly awards it a perfect 6 out 6 in protection, usability, and performance, beating industry averages. Perhaps more importantly, security is decentralized now, so a single virus scanner is no longer your only line of protection. Some examples: Major web browsers can detect and block malicious websites on their own, thanks to tools like Google Safe Browsing. Those browsers may also warn you if you’re about to download an unrecognized program. Major email providers, such as Gmail and Yahoo, scan attachments for viruses before you can even download them. Those same email providers’ spam filters do a great job at keeping malicious emails out of your inbox and warning you of potential phishing schemes. The SmartScreen filter built into Windows will warn you if you’re attempting to install unrecognized software. Antivirus, in the end, is just another line of defense. For many people, Microsoft’s built-in defenses should be strong enough. Further reading: Windows Defender antivirus: 5 settings to change first Getting a second opinion Malwarebytes might find some potential threats that Windows Security misses.Alaina Yee / Foundry So why to do some folks recommend Malwarebytes as an additional layer of protection? Mainly because it’s nice to have another set of eyes on your computer. Last year, for instance, I ran a scan in Malwarebytes, and picked up a set of potentially unwanted programs tied to my installation of Chrome. While my Chrome installation seemed to be working fine—with no sketchy toolbars or search redirects that I could see—this did convince me to delete my sync data from Chrome, reset its settings, and perform a fresh Chrome install. (I suspect it was a browser extension behaving badly.) But Malwarebytes has its downsides as well. If you’re not careful during installation, it will automatically install its own extension in all your browsers, and the free version routinely nags you with upgrade prompts. Also, unless you disable its real-time protections (which are only available as a 14-day trial for free users), they’ll override Microsoft’s own virus scanner. I may still occasionally install Malwarebytes to get a second opinion on my computer’s health, but for now, I’m leaving it off my PC as well. Further reading: The best antivirus software The case for extra antivirus protection Tools like Norton 360 provide more than just virus scanning.Ian Paul / Foundry To be clear, third-party antivirus software isn’t a grift with no actual utility behind it. While many people don’t need to pay for antivirus software, there are still some reasons to consider doing so: You need more help with security: Some antivirus programs offer extra security features beyond the realm of traditional virus scanning. Avast, for instance, can monitor webcam use and let you block untrusted apps from capturing video, and it can also alert you if any of your online passwords are involved in a security breach. (Many premium AV suites now offer identity protection features.) You’re looking to bundle: In addition to extra security features, some antivirus programs offer tools that you might otherwise purchase separately. Norton 360 Deluxe, for instance, includes its own password manager and cloud storage service. Avast One has a built-in VPN and a temporary file cleaner. You want more kinds of protection: Some third-party tools offer additional methods of protection that aren’t built into Windows. AVG’s “Behavior Shield,” for instance, can look for patterns of malicious behavior even when it hasn’t detected a virus, while Avast One has ransomware protection that prevents apps from encrypting your files without permission. (Windows offers this as well, but not by default.) Secure file deletion, browsing protection, and other helpful features are available in many premium security packages as well. Antivirus suites also typically provide protection for mobile devices as well as personal computers. All of these extra features, however, may bloat your computer, affecting performance and getting in your way, and they might not even be the best tools for the job. I’d much rather use a dedicated password manager than one that’s bundled with antivirus software, and if I needed a VPN, I’d want to choose the provider myself. That said, there’s strong appeal in an all-in-one solution for people who don’t want to handle a mish-mash of programs, and modern antivirus suites offer exactly that. the best windows antivirus overall Norton 360 Deluxe Read our review While extra antivirus software was essential in the early days of personal computing, these days it’s just one potential tool in the broader security arsenal, which should also include strong passwords, two-factor authentication, robust data backups, and a healthy dose of common sense. On that, at least, the experts seem to be in total harmony. Want more tech advice like this? Sign up for my Advisorator newsletter, where a version of this column originally appeared. Read...