If you need to “remote” in to a local PC while on vacation. there’s a new way to do it: the Windows App, which is replacing the Remote Desktop app within Windows. Microsoft’s Remote Desktop app is one of the easier ways to remotely connect to a PC while you’re out and about, allowing you to access a PC remotely and even perform some basic file transfers. (Unfortunately, since the October 2024 Update for Windows 11, the app has had some issues.) In September 2024, however, Microsoft began rounding up some of its connectivity services and putting them inside what it calls the Windows App. (Yes, we think that the name isn’t the best, either.) However, Microsoft did so as a unified way to allow users to connect remotely from other PCs or mobile devices. Now, having migrated users over to the Windows App, Microsoft is removing support for the Remote Desktop app, it said this week. “Starting May 27, 2025, the Remote Desktop app for Windows from the Microsoft Store will no longer be supported or available for download and installation,” Microsoft said. “Users must transition to Windows App to ensure continued access to Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Microsoft Dev Box.” The process has some nuances. If you’re a Remote Desktop user, you’ll need to keep using the Remote Desktop Connection until this feature is in the Windows App, Microsoft said. If you use Remote Desktop Services, you should use the RemoteApp and Desktop Connection until support for this connection type is available in Windows App, the company said. Everyday PC users who need to remote into far-away computers might be better off with one of our favorite remote desktop services. Read...

An Australian company called Cortical Labs has developed a computer powered by lab-grown human brain cells, Gizmodo reports. The computer, known as CL1, is described as the world’s first “code deployable biological computer” and is now available for pre-order — for a price in the $35,000 range. Don’t want to buy your own device? The company also offers “Wetware-as-a-Service” via which you can rent bio-computer processing power via the cloud. CL1 consists of lab-grown neurons grown on a glass-and-metal electrode array. They’re connected to 59 electrodes, creating a stable neural network. The system is encased in a life support unit that keeps the neurons alive by mimicking the body’s organ functions, including heart pumping, kidney-like waste filtration, and gas mixing of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. According to Cortical Labs, the neurons are placed in a nutrient solution and receive their information from the company’s Biological Intelligence Operating System (biOS), which creates a simulated world in which the neurons receive sensory input and produce responses that affect the environment. CL1 is designed as a high-performance closed loop, where neurons interact with software in real time. The system can stay alive for up to six months and is compatible with USB devices. Cortical Labs demonstrated an early version of the technology by teaching the system to play Pong. They claim that biological computers can rival or surpass digital AI systems, especially when it comes to understanding the basic mechanisms of intelligence. According to the company’s Chief Scientific Officer, Brett Kagan, a network of 120 CL1 devices could give researchers insight into how genes and proteins affect learning. The technology can also be used in drug development and disease modeling by simulating neurological processes at the molecular level. Read...

In September 2024, the Germany’s federal criminal police (BKA) and the public prosecutor’s office in Frankfurt, Germany were able to report a success: The suspected operators of the darknet platform Boystown, formerly one of the largest websites for child pornography with around 400,000 members, were identified and arrested after years of research. The special thing about this is that the suspects were identified via the TOR network, which to this day stands for security and anonymity on the internet. Has TOR now been cracked? If criminals can be stopped, this is of course good news. But the TOR network is not only used by criminals. Many press representatives and opposition members in totalitarian states also use TOR to gain access to information, disseminate news, or communicate with each other without being identified by the state authorities. See also: What is the Darknet? How the web’s secretive, hidden underbelly works Major international media outlets such as the BBC, the New York Times, and the NDR maintain mailboxes in the TOR network, through which they can be reached anonymously by informants. And the darknet is not all evil either. Deutsche Welle, for example, operates a website there to give the inhabitants of some heavily monitored countries free access to information. Are all these services no longer secure? And what other options are there for remaining anonymous on the internet? Internet connection via a proxy server The little brother of the TOR network is the proxy server. The word proxy means a representative, and this is how you could actually describe the function of a proxy server: It surfs the internet on behalf of the user. In technical terms, this means that you connect your PC to a proxy server, which forwards your website calls, entries, and commands to the internet and returns the responses to you. Only the IP address of the server is visible to the outside world; your own address remains hidden. Websites such as Raid.Rush maintain constantly updated lists of free proxy servers. There are hundreds of these servers in countries all over the world, so the user can fake any location.Foundry You can find dozens of lists of free proxy servers on the internet, many of which also provide data on current utilization and accessibility. Examples include Raidrush and Hidemyname. Instead of configuring the proxy server in the Windows settings (Windows icon > Settings > Network and Internet > Manual proxy setup > Setup), you can also use proxy websites such as Proxysite.com, Croxyproxy, or the free online web proxy from Steganos. The disadvantage of free proxies is that the data transfer rates are often rather low. In addition, these services often do not offer any real anonymity, but instead name the country in which the user is based, for example, or sell the collected user data to advertising networks. You should also be aware that many proxy servers write the data of the connections that run through them in log files, which they pass on to government agencies on request. You can get more anonymity and higher speeds with paid proxy services. You can find a list here, for example. Proxysite is one of many free proxy websites that provide a private way to browse.IDG VPN: Good and cheap services If you have decided to pay for an anonymizing internet connection, you should consider a VPN service as the means. VPN stands for virtual private network. Like proxy webites, these services also redirect your data traffic via a server on the internet, but go one step further when it comes to anonymization. In contrast to a proxy service, the connection between your PC and the VPN server is securely encrypted, while the proxy server forwards the data unencrypted. Further reading: The best VPN services In addition, a proxy service works at application level, i.e. it only conceals your IP address when using the browser, for example, but not when working with an FTP client or a mail program. A VPN service, on the other hand, works at operating system level and protects all data traffic via the internet. There is a whole range of free VPN services. However, with these providers you always have to live with restrictions, either the monthly data volume is limited, or the number of VPN servers is only in the single-digit range, or the speed is limited. There is also a risk that these services will transmit user data to the advertising industry or government agencies. our favorite vpn for ultimate privacy Mullvad Read our review Paid VPN services such as NordVPN, Mullvad VPN, or ExpressVPN offer high speeds and thousands of servers around the world at prices of around $3 to $5 per month. The services advertise a no-log policy, i.e. they promise not to store any user data. This has also been confirmed in the past by independent institutions for the three services mentioned. Blurring fingerprints As IP addresses can change from time to time and computers from networks access the internet under a shared IP address, the advertising industry has been relying less and less on IP addresses to identify website visitors for years, and instead increasingly on fingerprinting methods. Firefox and some other browsers contain defences against fingerprinting and provide incorrect or nonsensical data in response to such requests.Foundry Fingerprinting does not (only) record the IP address of a website visitor, but also the configuration of their computer. Which browser is she using, which version, with which extensions, which screen resolution is set, which graphics card is installed, which driver version, which operating system …? The browser willingly provides all this and much more data to the web server after a Javascript request. You can make fingerprinting impossible by deactivating Javascript, but this also means that many websites can no longer be used. Firefox, Brave, and Avast browsers contain functions that either deliver incorrect data in response to Javascript requests or generally block companies that are known to use fingerprinting. Classic tracking with cookies, etc. When you browse the web with a browser, the websites you visit place cookies on your computer. These are small text files which, on the one hand, are a prerequisite for online shops to function at all. On the other hand, so-called third-party cookies are used by specialized tracking companies to track visitors to a website as they move around the internet. These companies generate a profile from the data collected in this way, which they sell to advertisers who use it to display adverts tailored to you on the websites you visit. You can switch off the acceptance of third-party cookies in any browser. In Edge and Firefox, it is also possible to automatically delete all cookies when you close the browser, and there is a corresponding extension for Chrome called Click & Clean. You will also find a do-not-track switch in every browser, which prevents the websites you visit from tracking you as you browse the internet. However, this is nothing more than a request. Switch the function on anyway. In Chrome, as in other browsers, there is a do-not-track switch that you can use to ask websites not to track your movements on the internet.Foundry Why TOR is still the best solution The TOR network protects its users by redirecting connections via three randomly selected servers (the so-called nodes) and encrypting them at least three times. The second node only knows the location of the first server, but not the user. The third only knows the second server, but neither the incoming server nor the user. After 10 minutes at the latest, the TOR browser — a customized version of Firefox — swaps the second and third servers for other locations. Connections via TOR are therefore highly secure and anonymous. The TOR browser is a slightly modified version of Firefox that offers preconfigured access to the TOR network. The TOR network, in turn, is a prerequisite for access to the Darknet.Primakov / Shutterstock.com In the case of the darknet platform Boystown, the investigators had probably exchanged messages with the suspect via a messenger. This meant they knew exactly when which data packet was sent and only had to wait until one of them was forwarded via the nodes they were monitoring. The BKA officials presumably configured a large number of high-performance and well-connected servers as TOR nodes for this purpose. As the TOR network looks for fast servers with low latency when switching nodes, it was only a matter of time before a chat with the suspect was registered there. However, correspondingly extensive investigations can only take place in individual cases. For the vast majority of users, currently around 2 million every day, TOR is still the safest way to remain unrecognized on the internet. Anonymizing search queries Both Google and Bing save their users’ search queries. Google and Microsoft use this data to create user profiles and sell them to the advertising industry. If you have a Google account, you can see what queries and other activities you have saved there after logging in online. You can also deactivate this tracking at the same place. Bing provides this information directly via the browser: Open the menu with the three dashes at the top right and go to “Search history.” There you can delete the search history, deactivating it is not possible. To remain anonymous during your web searches, you must switch to other search engines. Although the Dutch search engine Startpage uses Google’s search results, it does not record your search history, does not save IP addresses, and does not display personalized advertising. The U.S. service Duck Duck Go obtains its results from over 400 sources, including Bing, Wikipedia, and Yahoo. Like Startpage, it does not store IP addresses or information about users. However, due to the U.S. Patriot Act, Duck Duck Go must grant the U.S. authorities access to its servers on request. Anonymous with the smartphone Almost all smartphones work with either Android from Google or Apple’s iOS. In both cases, large amounts of user data flow to Google and Apple, but also to the app manufacturers and advertising companies. There are two ways to switch off this data flow: by optimizing the privacy settings and installing special data protection apps or — in the case of Android devices — by installing alternative operating systems, so-called custom ROMs. Lineage OS is an alternative operating system for Android smartphones. The manufacturer promises a higher level of data protection than the Google system. IDG The two best-known custom ROMs are Lineage-OS and /e/OS. Please note: These operating systems are not suitable for every Android smartphone. First check the compatibility lists to see if your model is listed. Please also note that although the custom ROMs are based on Android, not every app will run on them. These systems are well suited for older smartphones that are no longer needed, which you can convert into secondary devices with a high level of data protection. Read...

If you haven’t been paying attention to the news, heads up—prices for tech gear are shooting up. Tariffs are now in effect for goods imported from China, and they’ve doubled since their original announcement. The U.S. government is now imposing an additional 20 percent tax, instead of 10 percent. Name any kind of tech device, and it’s affected: laptops, desktop computers, PC components, monitors, smartphones, e-readers, and much more. An overwhelming majority of electronics are produced in China. Big retailers have already warned about imminent price hikes, with the CEOs of both Best Buy and Target commenting on the breadth and immediacy of the tariff effects. Here at PCWorld, I’ve been wondering specifically about the impact on computers (surprise!)—laptops and desktop PCs are both major interests of our readers. To answer my own questions—as well as those of readers, friends, and family—I reached out to industry contacts to better understand what these tariffs mean for the cost of PCs…and what to expect in the coming days. Those who responded manufacture laptops, prebuilt desktop machines, and PC components. Much of this information is generally applicable to electronics overall. The short answer: Expect pain at the cash register. Businesses won’t be able to shield customers from these increases. As Falcon Northwest CEO Kelt Reeves said to me, “[The] PC industry is infamously low margin, so no one can afford to ‘cushion’ 20 percent. Prices already went up incredibly fast on almost every component we buy to build a PC. Stock that was already here vanished, as anything new will be minimum 20% more.” Ouch. For a fuller grasp of the situation, read on. I’ve broken things down into a series of questions and answers, so you can more quickly find the info you most want to know. Also, if you’re Canadian, I’m sorry to inform you—this affects you too. What is a tariff? First, a quick recap so we’re all on the same page. A tariff is a type of tax that governments impose on goods either entering (import) or leaving (export) the country. They can be fixed or variable, and they apply when goods enter the U.S. Essentially, the tariff must be paid in order for the shipment to be released by customs to the business. On their face, import tariffs are meant to help protect a country’s domestic industries. Let’s say a country wants to nurture its almond production. It could impose a tariff on imports of almonds from other countries, so that they become more expensive to buy—thus encouraging the purchase of domestically grown almonds instead. In practice, tariffs can become complicated. Other countries can respond with their own tariffs, kicking off what’s known as a trade war. Economists widely view tariffs as problematic, as they can cause slowed economic growth, damage to domestic industries, and rising costs for consumers without much return benefit. What are these tariffs? On February 1, 2025, the executive branch of the United States government announced tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, to take effect on February 4. The tax was set at 25 percent for Canada and Mexico, with a lower 10 percent levy on Canadian energy resources (e.g., gas). For China, the rate was set at 10 percent. On February 4, the import tariff for China began. Those for Canada and Mexico were delayed to March 4. On February 27, the U.S. government announced an intention to raise the tariffs on Chinese imports to 20 percent. On March 4, the higher tariffs for Chinese imports kicked in, as did the original tariffs for Canada and Mexico. However, the levies on Canadian and Mexican goods were later delayed again (and remain so at this article’s publishing). You can read this ABC News overview to see the full timeline for these tariffs, but the basic takeaway here is that tariffs started affecting Chinese products on schedule. Accordingly, prices already began rising on tech gear a month ago, but will jump even higher now. Which tech devices are affected by these tariffs? These tariffs are particularly unusual in that they broadly apply to all imports from the named countries. Previous tariffs during the last Trump administration hit more selectively. When I spoke with SilverStone, a Taiwanese vendor that manufactures an array of hardware for PC building, a representative from their U.S. office emphasized this point, saying, “Almost everything we sell are affected: cases, power supplies, coolers, fans, cables, expansion cards, adapters, etc.” Last time, the impact fell primarily on power supplies. So a overwhelming majority of electronics are affected—most companies have their devices and/or hardware produced in China. Those imports are all subject to the additional 20 percent tariff. Additionally, products made in the United States could be affected as well. If a domestic company can’t find an alternative source for materials or components made in China, the cost of those items will rise now, too. These days, most things we buy are global products—far fewer are made top to bottom within a single country. That’s especially so for anything related to tech. Are only U.S. residents affected by these tariffs? Nope. If you live in another country, but are purchasing through U.S., the cost increases will spread to you, too. For example—SilverStone’s U.S. office said to me that because Canadian customers buy through its U.S. office, they have to pay the higher price as well. (Sorry, Canada.) However, some companies may be able to still keep costs down for other international customers, so long as they can export directly to their other offices across the globe. If you live outside of the U.S. and know (or suspect) what you’re purchasing could route through the U.S., you may want to look at alternative territories you could buy from. Are the price hikes equal to the size of the tariffs? Not necessarily.  When the tariffs first were announced, Acer’s CEO described their effect as “straightforward” on the retail price of laptops—a direct 10 percent jump.  In contrast, just a month later, I couldn’t get a precise percentage from most people I spoke with. Many avoided naming any figure. For example, a source who asked to remain anonymous said only, “Price changes will vary based on components and market demand, but we’re doing our best to minimize the impact and are exploring strategies to mitigate these effects.” The ones who did give numbers generally used a range, because the calculus is so variable. The spokesperson from SilverStone’s U.S. office told me Chinese-made products will “increase on average of 12 to 18 percent” from their current selling prices. (The company plans to raise prices starting next Monday, March 10.) Meanwhile, as I noted at the start of this article, U.S.-based Falcon Northwest believes that the hardware it buys for its custom PCs will start at a minimum of 20 percent more. Why the differences in response? SilverStone sells its computer components primarily to partners, like retailers. Falcon Northwest sells fully built PCs (both laptops and desktops) to consumers. Basically, the ultimate price effects we’ll see as consumers is a mix of: How much of the product is made in China The relationships the vendors have with their partners The retailer’s ability to absorb part of the tariffs Why can’t the companies absorb these costs? As mentioned above, the PC industry is considered “low margin.” For consumer gear, profit made on components can be as low as single-digit percentages, and often don’t extend above 20 percent.  Think under 10 percent for motherboards, and 10 to 15 percent for power supplies. These numbers climb a bit for premium hardware, but not enough to ever rival the margins seen in, say, software. There, you can see as much as 70 to 80 percent. Without a big cushion, companies can’t cut deeply into their profits to shield customers (be they consumers or fellow businesses) from the tariff hikes. The higher costs get passed on more directly. That said, multiple industry contacts said they’re working to spread the hit and lighten the load on consumers. Tech vendors know that increased prices mean fewer sales. My anonymous source told me they’ve already seeing sales slow and are trying not to pass on more any costs than necessary, saying, “We only raised prices to cover the tariffs we’ve paid.” That’s another important detail—these companies must pay these tariffs to get their products onto U.S. shores. They can’t sell anything otherwise. The same anonymous contact said to me, “As importers ourselves, we have to pay the tariffs upfront.” They can’t float the cost until sales happen. As for the retailers we buy from, you may see some variation in price due to their operating costs and margins. But it doesn’t sound like consumers can expect much help on that front, given those stark warnings made by Best Buy and Target’s CEOs about price increases. When do prices increase? Will it happen all at once? The first round of tariffs on Chinese goods went into effect on February 4, at 10 percent. The leap to 20 percent began this past Tuesday, on March 4. How fast that’ll be felt depends on the product. If a retailer has a decent amount of stock brought to the U.S. before the tariffs started, then their prices may not rise just yet. Most industry contacts I spoke with avoided naming an exact timeline, but SilverStone’s U.S. office estimated the ramp-up period could extend until April. However if there’s little stock left in the channel, then the price jump may be immediate. Are there any other price increases coming? Potentially. In mid-February, President Trump announced an intention to impose a 25 percent tariff on semiconductors as soon as April 2, with the intent to continue to raise the rate “substantially higher over a course of a year.” Such a move would impact PC CPUs and GPUs. Specific countries subject to this import fee have not yet been revealed. But if the tariff becomes applied broadly, chips shipped from fabrication plants in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and other locations will be subject to that hefty new tax—not just those from China. Will prices come down if the tariffs are dropped? Costs often stay higher once tariffs are enacted. My SilverStone contact confirmed this when asked about any price reversals should tariffs end, saying, “As to your question on reversing prices, that’ll happen more slowly than it is to raise prices. As a business, we have to be careful with reducing prices across our product line.” Remember, even after a tariff lifts, any stock that arrived in the U.S. during the tariff still carries a higher cost to a manufacturer or vendor. And due to the lower margins of PC hardware, they are still limited in how much of said cost they can absorb on behalf of the consumer.Basically, costs can come down, but don’t expect to see any shift until the channels clear of previous stock. Even then, if the chance of future tariffs looms, companies will have less logistical and financial incentive to cut prices. How big is the impact on laptops and desktop PCs? Between the comments made by the CEOs of Acer and Falcon Northwest, you could assume a 20 percent increase at minimum.  Such an even application would put a serious dent in consumer buying power. If you apply that 20 percent as a straight increase, here’s what the prices would look like for laptops that PCWorld has reviewed just before the tariffs: Original MSRP10% tariff increase20% tariff increaseLenovo Legion 5i$1,399$1,539$1,779Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition$2,519$2,771$3,023Lenovo LOQ 15$799$879$959Asus Vivobook S 14$1,199$1,319$1,439Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360$1,699$1,869$2,039Lenovo Chromebook Duet$399$439$479 You’ll pay $100 more now for a previously $500 laptop after this new tariff. In that price range, that’s a sizable increase and can push a machine out of someone’s budget. On the flip side, other sources declined to state a figure, and I’ve yet to receive comment from large corporations like Dell. We likely have to wait for time to tell—much is up in the air, as I was repeatedly told. How big is the impact on PC components? The answer to this question is more complicated than for laptops and prebuilt desktop PCs. Component vendors sit more in the middle of the chain that leads to a computer you can sit down and use. As I covered above when discussing price, the specific impact will vary. Besides cost, consumers should also be prepared for less availability of parts. One contact told me that a “pressing concern is that several major AIB partners are reducing shipments to prevent costly overstock.” Basically, higher prices on hardware often means less interest, and no one wants to be left with excess stock they can’t sell. What hidden effects will the tariffs have? Besides ongoing price chaos, DIY builders should prepare for possible longer wait times to acquire parts. Likewise, those buying a prebuilt desktop PC made from off-the-shelf components may need more patience as well. Also, as Falcon Northwest said to me, list prices (MSRP) for components will likely become even more aspirational. Street prices will fluctuate as businesses continue to respond to unpredictable changes to U.S. economic policy—and if availability reduces, demand could cause even higher leaps in cost. Why can’t companies give more concrete answers? More than one person I spoke with referenced the tariff situation using words like “uncertainty,” and “unpredictability.” The short of it is, businesses are scrambling to react to these policy changes. Remember, the 20 percent tariff on Chinese-made goods was only announced on February 27th, just three days before it took effect. The tax’s size and its abruptness caused a lot of disruption. So right now, companies are still working out their responses to the tariffs. Discussions with partners and reassessing both financial and logistical impact takes time. An additional wrinkle is that vendors don’t know what to expect in the future, which complicates planning. Kelt Reeves, the Falcon Northwest CEO, says, “This is just a chaotic climate to try and run a business in.” Will vendors stop producing goods in China? Some companies intend to shift production across borders. AsRock, which produces PC components like motherboards and graphics cards, has gone on record with its intention to move manufacturing to other countries.  But that production may not go very far. My contact at SilverStone’s U.S. office said that a couple of its power supplies are made in Vietnam, and the company “will continue to transition more in the future.” However, the extent of the transfer won’t become apparent for a while—with the sheer amount of manufacturing China does, ramping up in alternative nations can’t happen overnight. For example, 90 percent of SilverStone’s products are made in China. Facilities that can handle the capacity for a wide-scale switch will take time. Can’t the U.S. just produce electronics on domestic soil? In a word, no. The infrastructure doesn’t exist—for now. The Biden administration did begin the U.S.’s attempt to reduce its dependence on China for production of key electronics, namely processors. The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 set aside $280 billion to facilitate the building of new chip foundries on U.S. soil.  However, building such facilities takes time, and their ability to ramp up output also can’t happen immediately. TSMC’s new Arizona fabrication plant is already booked out until 2027. And more importantly, domestic production may never get a chance to take off—President Trump just proposed killing the CHIPS act, which would gut its funding. That could delay or even suspend the overall effort to ramp up the US’s self-sufficiency. Editor’s note: This article originally published on March 7, but was updated with additional info and clarifications. Read...

If you haven’t been paying attention to the news, heads up—prices for tech gear are shooting up. Tariffs are now in effect for goods imported from China, and they’ve doubled since their original announcement. The US government is now imposing an additional 20 percent tax, instead of 10 percent. Name any kind of tech device, and it’s affected: laptops, desktop computers, PC components, monitors, smartphones, e-readers, and much more. An overwhelming majority of electronics are produced in China. Big retailers have already warned about imminent price hikes, with the CEOs of both Best Buy and Target commenting on the breadth and immediacy of the tariff effects. Here at PCWorld, I’ve been wondering specifically about the impact on computers (surprise!)—laptops and desktop PCs are both major interests of our readers. To answer my own questions—as well as those of readers, friends, and family—I reached out to industry contacts to better understand what these tariffs mean for the cost of PCs…and what to expect in the coming days. Those who responded manufacture laptops, prebuilt desktop machines, and PC components. Much of this information is generally applicable to electronics overall. The short answer: Expect pain at the cash register. Businesses won’t be able to shield customers from these increases. As Falcon Northwest CEO Kelt Reeves said to me, “[The] PC industry is infamously low margin, so no one can afford to ‘cushion’ 20 percent. Prices already went up incredibly fast on almost every component we buy to build a PC. Stock that was already here vanished, as anything new will be minimum 20% more.” Ouch. For a fuller grasp of the situation, read on. I’ve broken things down into a series of questions and answers, so you can more quickly find the info you most want to know. Also, if you’re Canadian, I’m sorry to inform you—this affects you too. What is a tariff? First, a quick recap so we’re all on the same page. A tariff is a type of tax that governments impose on goods either entering (import) or leaving (export) the country. They can be fixed or variable. On their face, import tariffs are meant to help protect a country’s domestic industries. Let’s say a country wants to nurture its almond production. It could impose a tariff on imports of almonds from other countries, so that they become more expensive to buy—thus encouraging the purchase of domestically grown almonds instead. In practice, tariffs can become complicated. Other countries can respond with their own tariffs, kicking off what’s known as a trade war. Economists widely view tariffs as problematic, as they can cause slowed economic growth, damage to domestic industries, and rising costs for consumers without much return benefit. What are these tariffs? On February 1, 2025, the executive branch of the United States government announced tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, to take effect on February 4. The tax was set at 25 percent for Canada and Mexico, with a lower 10 percent levy on Canadian energy resources (e.g., gas). For China, the rate was set at 10 percent. On February 4, the import tariff for China began. Those for Canada and Mexico were delayed to March 4. On February 27, the US government announced an intention to raise the tariffs on Chinese imports to 20 percent. On March 4, the higher tariffs for Chinese imports kicked in, as did the original tariffs for Canada and Mexico. However, the levies on Canadian and Mexican goods were later delayed again (and remain so at this article’s publishing). You can read this ABC News overview to see the full timeline for these tariffs, but the basic takeaway here is that tariffs started affecting Chinese products on schedule. Accordingly, prices already began rising on tech gear a month ago, but will jump even higher now. Which tech devices are affected by these tariffs? These tariffs are particularly unusual in that they broadly apply to all imports from the named countries. Previous tariffs during the last Trump administration hit more selectively. When I spoke with SilverStone, which manufactures an array of hardware for PC building, a representative from their U.S. office emphasized this point, saying, “Almost everything we sell are affected: cases, power supplies, coolers, fans, cables, expansion cards, adapters, etc.” Last time, the impact fell primarily on power supplies. So a overwhelming majority of electronics are affected—most companies have their devices and/or hardware produced in China. Those imports are all subject to the additional 20 percent tariff. Additionally, products made in the United States could be affected as well. If a domestic company can’t find an alternative source for materials or components made in China, the cost of those items will rise now, too. These days, most things we buy are global products—far fewer are made top to bottom within a single country. That’s especially so for anything related to tech. Are only US residents affected by these tariffs? Nope. If you live in another country, but are purchasing through U.S., the cost increases will spread to you, too. For example—SilverStone’s U.S. office said to me that because Canadian customers buy through its U.S. office, they have to pay the higher price as well. (Sorry, Canada.) However, some companies may be able to still keep costs down for other international customers, so long as they can export directly to their other offices across the globe. If you live outside of the U.S. and know (or suspect) what you’re purchasing could route through the U.S., you may want to look at alternative territories you could buy from. Are the price hikes equal to the size of the tariffs? Not necessarily.  When the tariffs first were announced, Acer’s CEO described their effect as “straightforward” on the retail price of laptops—a direct 10 percent jump.  In contrast, just a month later, I couldn’t get a precise percentage from most people I spoke with. Many avoided naming any figure. For example, a source who asked to remain anonymous said only, “Price changes will vary based on components and market demand, but we’re doing our best to minimize the impact and are exploring strategies to mitigate these effects.” The ones who did give numbers generally used a range, because the calculus is so variable. The spokesperson from SilverStone’s U.S. office told me Chinese-made products will “increase on average of 12 to 18 percent” from their current selling prices. (The company plans to raise prices starting next Monday, March 10.) Meanwhile, as I noted at the start of this article, Falcon Northwest believes that the hardware it buys for its custom PCs will start at a minimum of 20 percent more. Why the differences in response? SilverStone sells its computer components primarily to partners, like retailers. Falcon Northwest sells fully built PCs (both laptops and desktops) to consumers. Basically, the ultimate price effects we’ll see as consumers is a mix of: How much of the product is made in China The relationships the vendors have with their partners The retailer’s ability to absorb part of the tariffs Why can’t the companies absorb these costs? As mentioned above, the PC industry is considered “low margin.” For consumer gear, profit made on components can be as low as single-digit percentages, and often don’t extend above 20 percent.  Think under 10 percent for motherboards, and 10 to 15 percent for power supplies. These numbers climb a bit for premium hardware, but not enough to ever rival the margins seen in, say, software. There, you can see as much as 70 to 80 percent. Without a big cushion, companies can’t cut deeply into their profits to shield customers (be they consumers or fellow businesses) from the tariff hikes. The higher costs get passed on more directly. That said, multiple industry contacts said they’re working to spread the hit and lighten the load on consumers. Tech vendors know that increased prices mean fewer sales. My anonymous source told me they’ve already seeing sales slow and are trying not to pass on more any costs than necessary, saying, “We only raised prices to cover the tariffs we’ve paid.” That’s another important detail—these companies must pay these tariffs to get their products onto U.S. shores. They can’t sell anything otherwise. The same anonymous contact said to me, “As importers ourselves, we have to pay the tariffs upfront.” They can’t float the cost until sales happen. As for the retailers we buy from, you may see some variation in price due to their operating costs and margins. But it doesn’t sound like consumers can expect much help on that front, given those stark warnings made by Best Buy and Target’s CEOs about price increases. When do prices increase? Will it happen all at once? The first round of tariffs on Chinese goods went into effect on February 4, at 10 percent. The leap to 20 percent began this past Tuesday, on March 4. How fast that’ll be felt depends on the product. If a retailer has a decent amount of stock brought to the U.S. before the tariffs started, then their prices may not rise just yet. Most industry contacts I spoke with avoided naming an exact timeline, but SilverStone’s US office estimated the ramp-up period could extend until April. However if there’s little stock left in the channel, then the price jump may be immediate. How big is the impact on laptops and desktop PCs? Between the comments made by the CEOs of Acer and Falcon Northwest, you could assume a 20 percent increase at minimum.  Such an even application would put a serious dent in consumer buying power. If you apply that 20 percent as a straight increase, here’s what the prices would look like for laptops that PCWorld has reviewed just before the tariffs: Original MSRP10% tariff increase20% tariff increaseLenovo Legion 5i$1,399$1,539$1,779Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition$2,519$2,771$3,023Lenovo LOQ 15$799$879$959Asus Vivobook S 14$1,199$1,319$1,439Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360$1,699$1,869$2,039Lenovo Chromebook Duet$399$439$479 You’ll pay $100 more now for a previously $500 laptop after this new tariff. In that price range, that’s a sizable increase and can push a machine out of someone’s budget. On the flip side, other sources declined to state a figure, and I’ve yet to receive comment from large corporations like Dell. We likely have to wait for time to tell—much is up in the air, as I was repeatedly told. How big is the impact on PC components? The answer to this question is more complicated than for laptops and prebuilt desktop PCs. Component vendors sit more in the middle of the chain that leads to a computer you can sit down and use. As I covered above when discussing price, the specific impact will vary. Besides cost, consumers should also be prepared for less availability of parts. One contact told me that a “pressing concern is that several major AIB partners are reducing shipments to prevent costly overstock.” Basically, higher prices on hardware often means less interest, and no one wants to be left with excess stock they can’t sell. What hidden effects will the tariffs have? Besides ongoing price chaos, DIY builders should prepare for possible longer wait times to acquire parts. Likewise, those buying a prebuilt desktop PC made from off-the-shelf components may need more patience as well. Also, as Falcon Northwest said to me, list prices (MSRP) for components will likely become even more aspirational. Street prices will fluctuate as businesses continue to respond to unpredictable changes to U.S. economic policy—and if availability reduces, demand could cause even higher leaps in cost. Why can’t companies give more concrete answers? More than one person I spoke with referenced the tariff situation using words like “uncertainty,” and “unpredictability.” The short of it is, businesses are scrambling to react to these policy changes. Remember, the 20 percent tariff on Chinese-made goods was only announced on February 27th, just three days before it took effect. The tax’s size and its abruptness caused a lot of disruption. So right now, companies are still working out their responses to the tariffs. Discussions with partners and reassessing both financial and logistical impact takes time. An additional wrinkle is that vendors don’t know what to expect in the future, which complicates planning. Kelt Reeves, the Falcon Northwest CEO, says, “This is just a chaotic climate to try and run a business in.” Will vendors stop producing goods in China? Some companies intend to shift production across borders. AsRock, which produces PC components like motherboards and graphics cards, has gone on record with its intention to move manufacturing to other countries.  But that production may not go very far. My contact at SilverStone’s U.S. office said that a couple of its power supplies are made in Vietnam, and the company “will continue to transition more in the future.” However, the extent of the transfer won’t become apparent for a while—with the sheer amount of manufacturing China does, ramping up in alternative nations can’t happen overnight. For example, 90 percent of SilverStone’s products are made in China. Facilities that can handle the capacity for a wide-scale switch will take time. Can’t the U.S. just produce electronics on domestic soil? In a word, no. The infrastructure doesn’t exist—for now. The Biden administration did begin the U.S.’s attempt to reduce its dependence on China for production of key electronics, namely processors. The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 set aside $280 billion to facilitate the building of new chip foundries on US soil.  However, building such facilities takes time, and their ability to ramp up output also can’t happen immediately. TSMC’s new Arizona foundry is already booked out until 2027. And more importantly, domestic production may never get a chance to take off—President Trump just proposed killing the CHIPS act, which would gut its funding. That could delay or even suspend the overall effort to ramp up the US’s self-sufficiency. Read...

When will your computer die? Be assured, it’s a question of “when” and not “if.” Though I can’t give you a precise date, I can tell you the next best thing: all the skills you need to know to be prepared for it. The most crucial part of your PC, assuming that you can’t guarantee the hardware will last forever, is the data. I’ll show you how to protect it. I’d recommend treating this article like a checklist. How you accomplish each task isn’t really as important as knowing that you can do it… preferably with some practice. How to replace a hard drive or SSD  Chris Hoffman / Foundry The storage drive is where your data lives on your computer. And, if you want more of it — or your current drive fails — then you might need to replace it. It’s one of the most basic parts of computer maintenance. Fortunately, it’s also a pretty easy one. All you need to replace a storage drive on most desktops and laptops is a screwdriver (and a replacement drive, of course). The newest computers use M.2 drives that can be swapped out like an old-fashioned game cartridge. Older drives using SATA connections need to be screwed into place onto frames or sleds, but again, the physical part of the process is pretty easy, just plug them into power and data cables. Here’s the bad news. Some of the newest and sleekest laptops aren’t willing to let you into their guts, so you’re stuck with whatever storage came from the factory, just like a phone or a tablet. To avoid that, look for models that allow easy upgrades. For maximum repairability and upgrade options, check out Framework’s modular laptop designs. How to back up and restore a partition  partition manager Here’s the more tricky part of data retention. While you can set up a backup system to create copies of your files and programs on a secondary drive, or use a cloud backup system to create a physically distinct security, the only way to really “preserve” your computer is to back up the primary partition of your storage drive. That preserves everything on it — the operating system, programs, files, and settings. Backing up a partition to another drive creates a near-perfect copy of your computer’s data, as it is when the backup is made. It’s the easiest way to preserve absolutely everything on your PC, and restore it without any interruption. It might take several hours to perform, depending on how much data you have, but there’s nothing like a full partition backup for peace of mind. Partition backups are big, slow, and complicated — it’s not like just moving a bunch of files to a flash drive. But they’re the ultimate in local backups, and a great skill to know if you’re worried about potentially catastrophic data loss. How to set up an uninterrupted power supply  APC Of course the easiest way to protect the data is to never lose it in the first place. You probably already have your PC plugged into a surge protector, but the ultimate in defense from electrical issues is an uninterrupted power supply, a UPS. This is essentially a massive battery that’s constantly recharging and powering your desktop PC directly. With your PC getting power from the battery instead of the electrical system in your house, there’s no way for a momentary outage or a power surge to damage it. As a nice bonus, you get a short amount of time — typically under 30 minutes — to save your work and shut down your computer safely. Best of all, it’s super easy, barely an inconvenience to set up. Plus the UPS into power, plug your PC into the UPS, and you’re done. How to set up encryption  Chris Hoffman / IDG What if what you’re concerned about isn’t the physical safety of your computer, but just keeping any prying eyes off of your files? Then you want to encrypt them. While encrypted data doesn’t make it completely impenetrable, it’s generally safe enough to trust unless you’re dealing with files that would make James Bond sweat. Windows has a built-in encryption system called BitLocker, and it’s generally the easiest way to use encryption on a PC. There are other options if you want more serious protection, or something a little faster or more portable. How to use a VPN ExpressVPN Of course, there’s only so much you can do in terms of security while you’re connected to the internet. What if your local nation or state is either restricting the places on the web you can visit or monitoring your every move? What if you don’t trust that the network you’re using is actually secure? Then what you need is a VPN. A Virtual Private Network is a system that routes your web traffic through a remote server, locking anyone on the local network out of any monitoring activities. It also lets you effectively browse from that remote location — if you connect to a VPN server in California, it looks like you’re browsing in California, wherever you’re physically located. There are a lot of VPN services to choose from, and they specialize in different things, like extra privacy or more speed. But all of them require a degree of trust on your end, and a bit of technical setup for a PC (or a home network). Check out this guide to learn everything you need to know. Read...

The DIY smart home and home security specialists at Abode Systems have released their first Apple TV app, along with an upgraded version of the company’s existing Android TV app. The new software promises to make it easier for Abode users to control their self-installed systems from their couch, using their TV or set-top box remote. The company already has apps for smartphones, smart watches, computers, and tablets. Users will be able to manage their security system and control their smart devices (lights, thermostat, from the Abode dashboard, but the primary attraction will be the ability to view live feeds from up to four Abode security cameras and/or video doorbells on their connected TVs. You can also watch recorded clips, and with AC-powered cameras that have 24/7 recording enabled (more on this in a bit), you can scrub back and forth along a 10-day timeline and jump to specific events. Abode Systems Abode is one of the few home security developers with products–specifically, the Abode Smart Security Kit and the Abode Iota All-in-One Security Kit–that support Apple HomeKit as well as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Its cameras, however, do not support Apple’s HomeKit Security Video platform. You can find out more about Abode smart home integrations at the preceding link. Abode has also released a revamped version of its existing Android TV app, which offers a similar set of features. Abode says the Android TV menus and general layout will look slightly different from the Apple TV app, but that users will have the same camera features. They will also be able to control their Abode system and the devices connected to it directly from their Android TV. Abode says it’s not developing apps for other TV operating systems–such as Amazon Fire TV, LG’s WebOS, Roku OS, or Samsung’s Tizen OS–at this time, but didn’t rule out doing so in the future. Abode Iota All-in-One Security Kit Read our review Best Prices Today: $299.99 at Amazon Further reading: TechHive’s highest-rated smart home systems As is typical of DIY home security systems, Abode offers free and paid service plans, but a paid plan is required to get security camera recordings (you get only a live view without one). The company has two paid plans that include up to 10 days of event-based camera recordings: Its Standard plan costs $8 per month ($75 per year), while its Pro plan that adds professional monitoring and cellular backup in the event the system loses its primary connection to the internet costs $26 per month ($240 per year). Either a Standard or Pro plan is required to get 24/7 recording for an unlimited number of AC-powered Abode security cameras, a service that costs $10 per month ($110 per year) on top of either of those subscriptions. Read...

We’re in the middle of an AI revolution, and while the new technology’s benefits are clear, figuring out where to get started can be confusing. You’re faced with buzzwords and lingo, and a nonstop stream of AI-related news makes it difficult to resolve how AI applies to you. But here’s the good news: GeForce’s RTX 50 Series GPUs serve as a great hardware platform to explore generative AI right on your own PC. From running large language models to playing AI-enhanced games, RTX 50 GPUs make generative AI more accessible than ever before. Follow along as we explain Generative AI, show you how it’s being used to transform science, and then help you get started with AI on your GeForce RTX 50 Series powered PC. Shop AI on RTX at Nvidia What is Generative AI? Generative AI has become an umbrella term for various AI technologies. When you type a prompt into your AI engine of choice, a bunch of highly specialized AI programs called “models” spring into action. These models individually excel at specific tasks, such as recognizing patterns in language, images, audio, computer code, and more. But they can also work together to solve more complicated problems. The models typically run on enormous computers in data centers, though that’s changing with PC hardware running GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards. The models excel in breaking up problems into individual components, and then work together to generate helpful results. In effect, each model handles a portion of the problem they’re trained for, then passes that output to other models. In fact, our brains handle these types of complicated cognitive tasks without any conscious thought at all. And now, with Generative AI running locally on PC hardware, these scenarios—once limited to human brain power—enter the realm of what’s possible on a computer. Most generative AI starts with a large language model, or LLM, which understands normal written language. When you type a prompt for an LLM, the model parses it for meaning and then can pass that output to any number of other models—and there are models that generate images, audio, spoken voice, software code, and more. NVIDIA What does adding an NVIDIA GPU to your PC get you? Generative AI represents an enormous technological shift, and it’s already having an impact on a variety of industries. Programmers are using generative AI to write better code, faster than they were able to before. Drug companies are using AI to develop new treatments for diseases—treatments that are more effective or have fewer side effects. And getting value out of generative AI isn’t limited to scientific breakthroughs. It can also summarize meetings, parse complicated datasets, generate your grocery list using your family’s favorite recipes, or just improve your PC gaming frame rates. Bottom line: AI can help you get you more done in less time than what’s been possible with traditional software. And running generative AI models locally on your PC offers a few big advantages: costs are relatively fixed, processing is generally faster compared to cloud-based AI, and if you’re concerned about security, running AI locally means you don’t have to upload proprietary data to someone else’s servers. Shop AI on RTX at Nvidia Unlimited access to cloud AI models can cost $200 or more each month. That quickly gets expensive. But once you’ve bought (or built) a machine with a GeForce 50 Series GPU that’s capable of running AI locally, you’re really only paying for the electricity your machine consumes. But GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs offer even more benefits: raw speed. When you use one of the massive cloud-based AI services, you’re sharing compute time with millions of other users. On the other hands, when you’re running locally on a GPU you own, you don’t have to wait in line for your next prompt. And the security benefits can’t be over-emphasized. Many of the free—and even some paid—cloud-based AI services train their models on prompts that users input. That means if you upload proprietary data as part of an online prompt, it can show up in later versions of the model. You just bought an RTX 50 series GPU. What’s next? Downloading and running generative AI models locally used to be difficult, but now there are tools that make it much more accessible. One of our favorites is Ollama, which makes it easy to run popular open models locally on your own PC, and take full advantage of your GeForce RTX 50 Series GPU. To get started, grab the latest version of Ollama from the download page and install it on your PC. Once it’s installed, open a Terminal window and type ollama run llama3.2. This will download one of Meta’s smaller Llama LLMs and let you start chatting with it and experimenting with prompts. When you’re done, or want to try another model, just type /bye at the prompt. The Ollama site maintains a list of all the different models that are available. We recommend checking out one of the new reasoning models, like deepseek-r1, which walk you through the thought processes behind their responses to your prompts. The models in Ollama are all free to download, but some of them are quite large. If you want to try out AI image generation running locally on your GeForce RTX 50 Series cards, you’ll want to try Stable Diffusion. Make sure to watch this 5-minute tutorial video, which will help guide you through the process. Once you’re done experimenting with text and image generation, you can fire up one of the 75-plus games that support DLSS 4. DLSS is NVIDIA’s suite of AI tools, which enable high-refresh rate 4K gaming, even in the most advanced ray-tracing games. Using DLSS Multi Frame Generation and the new transformer AI upscaling model lets your GeForce RTX 50 Series card get up to 8X the performance of traditional brute-force rendering. PCWorld has published an explainer on DLSS 4, and all the benefits it provides to PC gamers. Between running local LLMs, creating AI art, and playing DLSS 4 games, you’ll have plenty to explore in leveraging the power of your GeForce RTX 50 Series GPU. For even more inspiration, check out NVIDIA’s content hub on how NVIDIA powers the AI world, along with this list of more than 100 RTX-accelerated creative apps that run local AI. NVIDIA hardware can power your AI projects today, and is ready to handle whatever comes throughout 2025 and beyond. Shop AI on RTX at Nvidia Read...

Everyone knows them, everyone has them. USB sticks, or thumb drives, are ideal for quickly exchanging data between computers — but also for transporting digital content between mobile phones and PCs when the cloud is not an alternative. Because they are so small, USB sticks are also very popular as promotional gifts or are quickly added to the shopping basket just before the checkout in the electronics store. Trouble later arises because the stick turns out to be a bad buy. That’s why it’s worth knowing a little more about USB sticks. After all, we entrust our private and business data to these small data transporters. Cheap USB sticks in particular (here from Unionsine) hide the fact that they only support outdated USB 2.0 speeds behind their versatile application.IDG The USB interface makes them universally applicable — with the Type A and Type C designs now available in two connector formats. The differences in the flash modules themselves are worth knowing. It is also interesting to know which capacities and transfer speeds are now possible — and which are not. Because only those who know why one USB stick is more expensive and what distinguishes it from the supposed bargain options will ultimately make the right choice for their own purposes. Tip: You’re using your USB flash drive wrong. Do this instead Differences in flash drives Both USB SSDs and USB sticks use flash memory as their basis. The fundamental difference lies in the quality of the flash modules. They are manufactured in the same production facilities and may even come from the same machines. However, they are not identical in quality. The best flash chips are generally used for the production of SSDs. The next quality level involves flash components for the production of memory cards — such as SD or MicroSD cards. This is followed by flash memory for USB sticks. However, this does not automatically mean that every USB stick is of poor quality, per se. However, it does show that USB sticks are not designed for long-term archiving. It also makes it clear why USB 2.0 speed is still widely used for inexpensive USB sticks in particular. Last year, a report by the company CBL Datenrettung also caused a stir: More and more USB sticks with inferior memory chips were ending up in the company’s laboratories. The manufacturer logos on the NAND chips were missing or had been made unrecognizable. The capacity information was also incorrect. As a rule, the actual storage space was less than the label would have us believe. Further reading: The best external drives A USB stick on which the manufacturer’s name of the NAND chip has been made unrecognizable indicates that this is actually discarded flash memory. (Image: CBL Datenrettung)IDG The data sticks examined were both promotional gifts and branded goods. The company concluded from this that more and more memory chips are ending up on the market that should actually have been decommissioned. This observation emphasizes once again that USB sticks are not the right choice for sensitive storage tasks. You can find out how to treat the drive so that it provides good service for as long as possible in the box below “USB stick: Handling tips.” Further reading: How long does data last on a USB flash drive? It’s complicated Capacities of USB flash drives If you look for USB flash drives on price comparison websites, you can usually specify the desired storage capacity. The selection range here is usually between 64GB and 1TB. And that’s a good thing. Because if you are offered significantly higher capacities for a USB stick, then the products are almost certainly counterfeits. The most obvious clue is the price. If the price is exceptionally low for a 2TB stick — for example less than $10 — then all your alarm bells should be ringing. If the online provider also comes from the Far East, the scam is obvious. A healthy dose of skepticism is worthwhile when buying a USB stick to avoid trouble later on. In most cases, you will actually receive a drive with only 32GB or 64GB of flash memory. At the same time, the boundaries between USB stick and USB SSD can become blurred with high capacities. One example: While price search engines refer to the Adata SC610 2TB model as a USB stick, the data carrier is labelled by the manufacturer as an “external solid state drive” — in other words, an external SSD. The price of around $145 emphasizes the latter, but the form factor with USB-A interface directly on the housing gives the impression of a stick. With the Adata SC610 2TB model, it is not entirely clear whether it is a USB stick or a USB SSD. The manufacturer lists the model under Solid State Drive, in stores you will find it under Sticks.IDG Nevertheless, it can be said that the majority of branded USB sticks are currently available in capacities of 64, 128, 256, and 512GB. An entry-level stick with 64GB currently costs around $10. For a 512GB model, you can expect to pay between $40 and $50. Reading tip: Best USB-C cables 2025: Get quality charging and data transfers Boot stick for Windows There are always problems with Windows boot sticks. They are either not recognized or cannot be created in the first place. The problem is usually not the capacity. According to Microsoft, the official minimum requirement is 8GB. You are definitely on the safe side with a 64GB stick. There are also a few points that you should bear in mind: In principle, the USB stick should ideally be new and unused, as this provides the freshest flash memory. It is also advisable not to use a USB stick that is too slow. It is better to avoid USB 2.0 models for the installation medium. It is advisable to use a stick from a brand manufacturer such as Sandisk (Western Digital, WD), Samsung, Kioxia, Lexar, Kingston, or Crucial (Micron). Or from providers such as PNY, Adata, Hama, Intenso or Verbatim. For a Windows boot medium, it is best to use a stick from a brand manufacturer. For 64GB capacity, invest around $10, as here for the Sandisk Ultra Slider with USB 3.2 Gen1 interface.IDG With cheap and no-name sticks, you cannot judge the quality of the components used. A complaint in the event of a defect is also very likely to come to nothing. Basically, you can only hope that the retailer will refund the purchase price — but not that the retailer will stop selling the product. Speed boost through USB standard Not every new USB stick automatically provides a speed boost. Conversely, you will achieve the greatest boost in data transfer if you switch to a faster USB interface — provided your host device supports the standard. USB 2.0: The slow USB 2.0 standard is still widespread, especially with very inexpensive models. Here you can only achieve a transfer rate of around 45MB/s even when reading. Write rates can even be as low as 10MB/s. USB 3.2 Gen1: In many cases, the outdated designation USB 3.0 can still be found on USB stick packaging. The read transfer rates are at best 450MB/s, while the write rates can easily drop to less than half that. However, many sticks only achieve around 200MB/s. USB 3.2 Gen2: This interface, formerly known as USB 3.1, has now become very established and can be present on the computer as both a Type-A and Type-C connector. This port is also extremely popular for USB accessories. Most external USB SSDs in which an NVMe data carrier is installed already rely on USB 3.2 Gen2. USB 3.2 Gen2 is currently the fastest standard for USB sticks. It has two types: Type A and C. You can choose the appropriate connection — like here with the Kingston Data Traveler Max.IDG USB sticks with this interface are also becoming increasingly popular, but are still on the rise and therefore expensive. Based on the interface standard, a bandwidth of 10Gb/s is available here. In the best case scenario, data rates of around 1000MB/s can be achieved — again, the ideal case only applies to read tasks. However, the presence of a Type C connector alone does not automatically signal that the promised maximum speed is supported. For example, we tested the Verbatim Dual Quickstick model with 256GB capacity for this guide. It has both a Type A and a Type C connector and, according to the packaging, is supposed to support USB 3.2 Gen1. The Verbatim Dual Quickstick has two connections — Type A and Type C. However, it only achieves the promised speed of USB 3.2 Gen1 via USB-A. It falls back to USB 2.0 speed via Type C.IDG The benchmark runs with CrystalDiskMark show that this is only the case with one connection: The drive actually achieves over 450MB/s read and write speeds via Type A. Via Type C, the transfers drop to a good 40MB/s. This makes it clear that only the much slower USB 2.0 speed is possible via Type C. More space, perhaps more speed The transfer rates stated by the manufacturers represent ideal values for sequential tasks. They can be verified with benchmark tools, but rarely occur in everyday life — most likely when copying a large file, such as a video. The controllers used play an important role in achieving fast data transfers. If they can distribute the data to several memory modules at the same time, the stick can complete the tasks faster. The greater the capacity, the more flash modules are available. Sticks with a higher capacity can therefore also work faster. Such controllers are not always built into the sticks. Very cheap versions, in particular, use chips that are not capable of simultaneous distribution. The work is then done one after the other: Only when one flash module is completely filled is it the next one’s turn. This procedure slows down the process. Even sticks with a large capacity do not gain any speed. File systems for USB sticks USB sticks can be formatted ex works in different file systems. FAT32 (File Allocation Table) used to be very common. However, it has the disadvantage that it cannot handle file sizes over 4GB. Anyone who likes to drag videos onto the stick should bear this in mind. An alternative is exFAT (Extensible File Allocation Table), which was specially developed for flash memory. It is the most popular file system for USB sticks. Its strength lies in its flexibility. For example, exFAT is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS and works with Android and iOS devices. This makes it easier to exchange data between PCs and mobile devices. However, you need to be careful if you want to connect the USB stick to a smart TV. Many TVs can’t do anything with it, some are even exclusively set to FAT32. Sometimes you will also encounter the NTFS (New Technology File System) file system on USB sticks. It is the Windows standard and therefore the first choice if you only want to use the stick with Windows systems. NTFS is also compatible with Chrome OS. USB stick: Tips on handling Everyone uses memory sticks — usually for several years. To avoid data loss or problems recognizing the USB port on your computer, the following tips will help. 1. Use USB sticks in rotation: If you regularly write and delete data on USB sticks, you should not just use one stick. It is best to have several drives that you use alternately. The reason: Flash memory only has a limited number of erasure cycles and ages accordingly. 2. Beware of very small sticks: The size of a USB stick can have an impact on data security. Very small USB sticks usually have poorer heat dissipation than larger versions. In addition, mini housings are usually not as robust. They can be damaged when plugged in and unplugged and do not cope so well with transport. 3. Cool storage: If you want your USB stick to last as long as possible, you should ensure that it is stored in a cool place. High temperatures can cause the flash quality to deteriorate, which favors gradual data loss. 4. Regular use: USB flash drives (like other flash storage media) should not be left unused in a drawer for years. It is best to plug important USB sticks into the computer regularly — every six months or so — to read data on a trial basis. This triggers internal error correction mechanisms. Any unstable data is copied internally. 5. Do not write to the USB stick completely: The write cycles of flash cells are limited. Repeated write/erase cycles of the same memory area lead to wear and tear. Internal control mechanisms ensure that the data is distributed across the available memory space. To ensure that as many new or fewer used cells are available for as long as possible, it is recommended that the capacity on the stick is not fully utilized. Read...

Cloud storage is better, faster, and more affordable per gigabyte than ever before. But it’s not the best way to go for everything, nor can it completely replace local storage and backups. In fact, cloud storage can be drastically inferior to local storage, placing sensitive data in real danger of oversight, theft, and loss. Storing your data locally on a physical drive that you can touch with your hands and manage on premises can be a great way to avoid the pitfalls of remote data storage. Here are several key ways in which local storage trumps cloud storage and remains relevant in 2025. Speed and availability One of the main reasons for backing up important data is that it can be readily recovered in the event of an outage, data breach, ransomware, or loss. However, while cloud backups are convenient for day-to-day stuff like individual files or folders, they’re dreadfully slow when it comes to restoring large swaths of data after a catastrophic loss. Downloading several terabytes of data from a cloud provider can take hours or even days, depending on the speed of your connection. A local drive, on the other hand, can transfer data way faster and gives you more options on how to actually access that data — over your network, with a USB cable, or even installing directly into your PC. Think about it. Why do cloud backup companies like BackBlaze offer restore-by-mail programs, where they ship out a hard drive or flash drive with your data on it, which you can then return for a refund? It’s just plain faster and more secure than going over the internet. Backblaze Local storage also means your data is always available. Even if you have an ultra-fast internet connection, there’s nothing you can do if you experience an internet outage, nor can you do anything if your cloud provider goes down for any reason. Services may promise 99.9 percent uptime, but that 0.1 percent is always there — and according to Murphy’s law, it’ll go down when you most need it. In July 2024, the infamous CrowdStrike disaster took down Windows computers across the world, rendering many sites and services inoperable for extended periods. Similarly, outages at AWS, Azure, Cloudflare, Google, et al. have killed entire chunks of the internet until issues could be addressed. And let’s not forget that cloud services can go down permanently and you could lose all your data overnight. Is it likely? Maybe not, especially with giants like Google and Microsoft. They’ll probably give you some kind of heads up… but even so, scrambling to clone all your data before some arbitrary deadline could be a pain. Not so if you maintain local backups, at least of your most important files and folders. Cloud backups are here to stay, I’m not arguing that. Cloud backups are good to have — as one of several options. Local backups are still important because you never know when cloud backups won’t be there for you. The only way to guarantee your data is available when you need it? Store it locally on premises. Security and compliance If you’re looking after client data, or if you have sensitive personal information that you want to keep away from prying eyes, then storing your data locally gives you more control and privacy. You’ll still be subject to local and national laws, but you won’t have to worry about other laws that might apply overseas and in other territories. Dooffy / Pixabay If you’re based in the US, storing data with a cloud provider in Europe comes with GDPR compliance requirements — and penalties for non-compliance. Cloud providers elsewhere are beholden to the laws of their own countries. That means government intervention can compel those companies to hand over your data. Speaking about small Australian businesses in 2021, David Tudehope, CEO of Macquarie Technology Group, highlighted this issue in a chat with ABC: “[If] they keep their data offshore, even if it wasn’t a conscious choice, that data is now subject to the foreign laws of that country. … It’s subject to a foreign regulator, it’s subject to foreign courts, none of which they realized when they clicked the ‘I accept’ button.” Data breaches One of the best ways to avoid being hacked by malicious attackers is… to avoid presenting yourself as a target. While cloud providers do put a lot of effort into security for the data they oversee, the fact that they store so much data makes them huge targets for cybercriminals. In 2022, cloud-based password manager company LastPass suffered a major security breach when a compromised developer account led to the theft of users’ password vaults full of incredibly sensitive information. On top of putting customer data at risk, the ripples kept going out — and in December 2024, it was reported that cryptocurrency was still being stolen from customers who had their LastPass accounts hacked. Markus Spiske / Unsplash In 2024, cloud-based data storage company Snowflake suffered a major breach when hackers were able to compromise the data of more than 100 customer accounts, including TicketMaster and AT&T. They stole banking information, medical data, and customer call records from millions of customers of those companies, too. While these are isolated incidents, they aren’t unique. Even the most hardened cloud storage companies suffer data breaches, and you can’t fully protect your data just by ensuring you have a strong password and multi-factor authentication enabled on your account. If that data is stored on a server in your office or your home, you retain complete control of its security. With the right know-how, you can guarantee it’s locked down more than any major cloud provider could, and you’re less of a target by keeping your data in a solitary location, without the global access that cloud providers offer. Local storage still matters in 2025 Cloud storage has undoubtedly revolutionized the way we all interact with and think about data. It offers convenience, scalability, and redundancy in ways that are tough to replicate locally. But it’s not perfect. Cloud storage introduces a range of risks and concerns that can overshadow the benefits for some. By maintaining local backups instead of (or in conjunction with) cloud backups, you can ensure that your data (or your clients’ data) is always available, with full control over its security and compliance, while mitigating the risks of cloud outages and data breaches. Whether it’s a managed server, a NAS drive, or a portable SSD you keep in a drawer, local storage remains an important way to maintain swift and secure access to important data in 2025. In need of more local storage? Get started with our top picks for best external drives! Further reading: Why HDDs are still far from obsolete Read...