Last week, the Internet Archive and its beloved Wayback Machine was taken down by a hacktivist group who unleashed a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on the site. Along with that, data for over 31 million user accounts were lost in the cyberattack. While the site owners have been working around the clock this past week to restore everything, it’s going to be a while longer before everything is back up and running as it was. For now, though, there’s some good news: the Wayback Machine is up and running in a read-only capacity, meaning you can browse whatever it has archived so far but it won’t be archiving anything new for the time being. (The Wayback Machine is a renowned tool that archives copies of web pages so you can see those pages “as they were” in the past.) If you have an account on the Internet Archive, you should plan on changing your password as soon as the site is fully operational again. Further reading: What to do if you’re caught in a data breach Read...

As the proliferation of smart home devices continues, users are growing increasingly worried about manufacturers who are collecting data and effectively spying on their in-home behaviors. It’s been a big topic of concern for many years with smartphones that are always in our pockets and purses, but the risk is no longer limited to just that. According to a new study (PDF) that was jointly published by students from the US, the UK, and Spain, manufacturers of smart TVs actually know a lot more about their users than you’d expect, all thanks to something called Automatic Content Recognition (ACR). What data is collected by smart TVs? According to the study’s results, smart TVs collect a lot of data during use, including data as far as linear TV shows watched, streamed movies and TV shows watched, games played, how long certain content is watched, among other bits of data. All of this data is used to create a unique digital fingerprint, which is transmitted back to the manufacturer’s servers for storage and analysis. For individual users like you and me, this means manufacturers can draw precise conclusions about viewing behaviors on a per-smart-TV basis. Related: Why you should be using a VPN with your smart TV The only requirements for this are that the smart TV remains connected to the internet (which is essential for smart TV operation) and that the user has agreed to the terms and conditions (which usually happens when the device is first set up). Perhaps most unnerving is that even if a smart TV is only used as a connected display via HDMI and doesn’t run any internal apps or software, it can still collect and understand what you’re watching: “ACR network traffic exists when watching linear TV and when using smart TV as an external display using HDMI.” Related: How to use your TV as a monitor Notably, there was one special case when ACR transmissions weren’t being measured: when using certain third-party apps, including Netflix and YouTube. (This presumably has to do with special agreements or technical restrictions. For example, Netflix prevents screenshots from being taken in its app in order to protect its content.) How your viewing data is collected According to the study, smart TVs aren’t just analyzing network traffic to determine what you’re watching — they’re taking screenshots of the display at regular intervals. (This is reminiscent of Microsoft’s Windows Recall feature, which was sharply criticized over privacy concerns.) With LG’s smart TVs, screenshots occur approximately every 10 milliseconds (100 per second); with Samsung’s smart TVs, screenshots are taken approximately every 500 milliseconds (2 per second). Then, after 15 seconds, all collected screenshots are sent to the manufacturer via ACR as another data point on your viewing behavior. Although the study only looks at devices from LG and Samsung, previous reports suggest that virtually all smart TV manufacturers are doing the same thing. It’s yet another step towards less privacy at home. Further reading: Worried about spying TVs? Try a home theater PC Read...

The writing is almost literally on the wall for Chrome’s most popular ad blockers. After months of warnings that extensions like uBlock Origin would be removed after Chrome’s Manifest V3 extension update, Google is now telling Chrome users who try to download it from the Chrome Web Store that it “may soon no longer be supported.” On a more recent Chromebook review unit, the download button is fully disabled. uBlock Origin cannot be installed at all. The new warning that uBlock Origin “doesn’t follow best practices for Chrome extensions” was spotted on Twitter and reported by BleepingComputer. While most of the popular commercial ad blocking solutions have been updated for Manifest V3 compatibility, the solo, unpaid developer of uBlock Origin has kept the extension on Manifest V2 as a way to highlight the issues with the updated standard. An alternative version called uBlock Origin Lite — less capable but compatible with the newer standard — has also been released. The original uBlock Origin has 39 million users according to the Chrome Web Store (and there are many more when you count Firefox and alternative Chromium-based browsers) while the newer uBlock Origin Lite extension currently only shows 700,000 users. The developer of uBlock Origin is not the only one who has a problem with Google’s changes. In a recent interview with PCWorld, the developers of the Ghostery ad blocker told me that Manifest V3 does not improve privacy or security as Google claims. Its restriction of the browser’s network layer is something that hobbles the effectiveness of all major ad blocking extensions, even as they’re essentially forced to comply with the standard. Ghostery CEO Jean-Paul Schmetz recommends that users who care about ad blocking effectiveness should switch to Firefox, the only major third-party browser left that isn’t based on the open-source Chromium project controlled by Google. The original, unhobbled uBlock Origin is still working on Firefox, though developer Raymond Hill has run into some issues with Mozilla as well. “If we were talking at the bar, I would try to convince you that Firefox is your best friend,” said Schmetz. “It’s possible that in the future only Firefox will allow ad blockers and be able to block certain kinds of ads.” Further reading: These ad blockers still work with Chrome Read...

Adobe is now adding its AI-based video generator, Firefly, to its video editing software Premiere Pro. The Firefly model can be used to extend a video clip or generate video from still images or text instructions. This was first brought to our attention by The Verge. The Generative Extend tool will initially be available in beta and can extend the length of a video clip by up to two seconds with an image resolution of 720p or 1080p and a refresh rate of 24 frames-per-second. This tool will also be applicable to ambient sounds and sound effects, but not to music or speech. Adobe’s Text-to-Video and Image-to-Video tools are available in Premiere’s web app as a beta and can be used to generate video from text or still images. Adobe suggests that the tools could be used to create B-roll, i.e. secondary film stills or clips. The maximum length of a generated clip is five seconds with a resolution of 720p and 24 frames-per-second. All videos created or edited with Adobe Firefly can be embedded with Content Credentials to account for AI usage and ownership if published online. Read...

What is WebP? Anyone trying to save images from websites these days is increasingly stumbling across the new WebP image format. But what is it actually? WebP was developed by Google to replace the outdated JPG, PNG, and GIF formats and is said to be technically superior to all three. The format supports both lossless and lossy compression. With lossless compression, the original image quality is retained, while lossy compression enables an even smaller file size at the expense of image quality. WebP can also handle transparency (alpha channel) in a similar way to PNGs. Animations from several images, as known from GIFs, are also possible. According to Google, WebP is able to compress images on average up to 30 per cent more than JPG with the same image quality thanks to significantly more complex compression algorithms. Google shows the advantages of WebP over JPEG and PNG on its website. Google shows the advantages of WebP over JPEG and PNG on its website.Google Google shows the advantages of WebP over JPEG and PNG on its website.Google Google WebP has been on the rise on the web for several years — not least because Google is actively pushing the format. Anyone who uses Google’s website optimization tools PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse in particular is advised to use “next-gen” formats such as WebP instead of JPG on their website. What are the advantages and disadvantages of WebP compared to JPG and PNG? Advantages of WebPDisadvantages of WebPOn average 30 percent better compression than JPG/PNGLess adoption than JPG/PNG. Some programs and apps cannot open or edit WebP.Supports transparencyMore complex encoding/decoding and therefore slower savingSupports animationsAlready no longer “cutting edge.” The newer AVIF image format generally achieves even better compression rates with the same quality as WebP.Can save images flexibly in lossless or lossy format Which programs can open WebP? WebP has been supported by all common browsers for many years. Google Chrome has been able to handle WebP since October 2010. Edge has been able to do so since the switch to Chromium in 2020, as have all other Chromium-based browsers. Firefox has supported WebP since 2019, while Safari introduced the format in 2020. WebP is fully supported by all modern browsers. WebP is fully supported by all modern browsers. IDG WebP is fully supported by all modern browsers. IDG IDG Although support for WebP initially left much to be desired in many image editing programs, the situation has improved significantly as of 2024. All top dogs and most well-known tools now offer support for WebP, such as Windows Photos (since 2023) Microsoft Paint (since 2023) Paint.NET (since 2019) GIMP (since 2018) IrfanView (since 2011) Inkscape (since 2021) Adobe Photoshop (since 2022) Adobe Illustrator (since 2021) You can find an overview of other programs with WebP support on Wikipedia. Nevertheless, there may be reasons why you would prefer to convert WebP to JPG or PNG. In the following sections, we will show you how to do this and which tools you need. Convert WebP using browser add-ons or online There are a number of free conversion tools that can convert WebP files to JPG and the like without much effort. Browser add-ons can save WebP images directly from the browser in other formats. Browser add-ons can save WebP images directly from the browser in other formats.IDG Browser add-ons can save WebP images directly from the browser in other formats.IDG IDG Browser add-ons such as Save image as Type for Chrome or Save webP as PNG or JPEG for Firefox are probably the easiest. To download a WebP image in the browser, simply right-click and the image can then be downloaded. There are also many free online conversion tools that convert WebP into any other image format. Services such as Convertio, Cloud Convert, or Tiny Img can be used for this. Convert WebP to JPG or PNG with Paint You can use the Windows onboard tool Paint to open WebP files and convert them to other common image formats. To do this, right-click on the WebP image and then select Open with > Paint. In Paint, click on File > Save as and select the desired format under “File type.” An image file in WebP format can be opened with the Windows onboard tool Paint and then converted into another image format. An image file in WebP format can be opened with the Windows onboard tool Paint and then converted into another image format. Foundry An image file in WebP format can be opened with the Windows onboard tool Paint and then converted into another image format. Foundry Foundry Convert WebP to PNG with the command prompt If you are familiar with the command line, you can also use the official command line tool dwebp to convert WebP files to PNG or some other formats. This tool is included in the libwebp package that Google offers for free on the Webp project page. If you want to convert several files in WebP format to PNG format, the commands for and dwebp, which you enter in the command line as above, will help. If you want to convert several files in WebP format to PNG format, the commands for and dwebp, which you enter in the command line as above, will help.IDG If you want to convert several files in WebP format to PNG format, the commands for and dwebp, which you enter in the command line as above, will help.IDG IDG Download the package to your computer via the link “Download for Windows” and unpack the archive libwebp-1.2.4-windows-x64.zip. Switch to the “bin” folder. Hold down the Shift key and right-click in the folder. You can then select the command “Open command prompt here” from the Windows Explorer context menu. If your image file has the name Image.webp, use this command to convert your file to PNG format: dwebp image.webp -o image.png In this example, we assume that the image file is located in the same folder as the dwebp.exe command. If this is not the case, you must also specify the path to the image file. If you want to convert several webp files to PNG format, use the following command: for %f in (*.webp) dodwebp.exe `%f` -o `%~nf.png` The dwebp command does not convert to JPG format. Converting WebP on MacOS Similar to Paint in Windows, you can use the standard image editing tool Preview in MacOS to convert WebP files to other formats. To do this, open the WebP image in Preview and then click on “File” in the menu bar and then on “Export.” Here you can select the format for saving as usual, such as JPG or PNG. Alternatively, there are also specialized programs in the Mac App Store, such as WebP Converter, which can convert several WebP files at once into more common image formats. Read...

Windows Latest reports that an issue in Windows 11’s big 2024 update is causing system failures and Blue Screens of Death for some users, with the main cause being SSDs by a certain manufacturer. After installing Windows 11 24H2, computers running on certain models of Western Digital SSDs have started crashing. This comes in the wake of several other issues caused by Windows 11 24H2, including driver-related crashes, undeletable update cache files, and dead internet connections. Users have been sharing their experiences in a Western Digital forum thread, with the following SSDs known to be affected: WD SN770 WD SN580 The crashes only start happening after users update Windows to the latest version: Windows 11 24H2. After updating, affected users with these SSDs installed are hit with a Blue Screen of Death that shows a “Critical Process Has Died” error message. According to Windows Latest, it’s currently assumed that these crashes are related to faulty memory drivers that can’t cope with the 200 HMBs (i.e., Host Memory Buffer) of these SSD models. (Both of these SSDs were also known to cause problems in the past with Windows 11 23H2, but for different reasons.) What to do if you’re affected According to user reports, this isn’t an issue that can be resolved by reinstalling Windows 11 or repositioning the SSDs, as neither has solved the problem. However, there is a workaround. For now, here’s what you can do if your Western Digital SSD is causing Windows 11 24H2 to crash: disable HMB in the Windows Registry. Note: Disabling HMB for all SSDs can negatively affect performance. However, it will keep the Blue Screen crashes at bay until Microsoft provides a fix. To disable HBM in the Registry, follow these steps: In the Start menu, search for registry and then launch Registry Editor from the search results. In Registry Editor, use the left sidebar to navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\stornvme\Parameters\Device. After selecting Device, you may or may not see HMBAllocationPolicy in the right-side panel. If you don’t see it, right-click on an empty spot in the right-side panel and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it as HMBAllocationPolicy. Double-click HMBAllocationPolicy and set its value to 0. Restart your PC. Both Microsoft and Western Digital are allegedly aware of the crashing issue and are working on a solution, but neither has released any official acknowledgment or communication about it yet. Further reading: Crucial Windows 11 settings to change ASAP Read...

The Tor network was created in the early 2000s as a project at the Naval Research Laboratory, a research institute of the U.S. Army. Since 2006, the independent non-profit organization The Tor Project has been responsible for the operation and further development of the network. The aim of the organization is to provide a free option for anonymizing connection data on the internet. The Tor Project receives around 85 percent of its funding from several U.S. authorities, with the remaining 15 percent coming from private sponsors and non-governmental organizations. Tor originally stood for “The Onion Router”: Anyone who dials into the network is routed through three randomly selected Tor servers, which lie one behind the other like the skins of an onion and are known as nodes. The website visited therefore only ever sees the IP address of one Tor server, the so-called exit server. The visitor’s address remains hidden. The individual Tor servers only know the addresses of the upstream and downstream stations via which the data is forwarded. The connection changes every 10 minutes and then runs via other, randomly selected nodes. Only the access node remains the same for around two to three months. Within the Tor network, the transmitted data is encrypted; it is only decrypted again on the exit server. Tor users should be aware that the data they transmit, such as the information they enter on websites or social media, is stored in plain text behind the exit node. If you want to communicate confidentially with other people via Tor, you should therefore always use encryption. Tor requires a specially configured browser as a client. The Tor browser, which is included in Tails, for example, is based on Mozilla Firefox, which has been customized in its settings for this purpose. Further reading: How to use the Tor Browser to surf the web anonymously There are currently around 6,500 Tor servers active worldwide. They are operated by private individuals, companies, and organizations — any user with a DSL connection can set up their own Tor node. However, this openness is also a weak point of Tor: As many connections via Tor are unencrypted due to ignorance, the operators of the Tor servers can read the communication running via their computer if their computer is acting as an exit server. Communication on the Tor network should therefore also be encrypted. If an organization such as a secret service controls large parts of the internet or if it succeeds in infecting a large number of Tor nodes with espionage software, it is also possible to draw conclusions about the network’s users using statistical methods. Nevertheless, Tor is currently the safest way to move around the internet without being recognized and is used by around two million people every day, many of whom live in surveillance states. The darknet also relies on Tor; its sites and forums can only be accessed via this anonymization network. Further reading: Meet Darknet, the hidden, anonymous underbelly of the searchable Web Read...

Wayback Machine back in read-only mode after DDoS, may need further maintenance. Read...

Converting images into vector graphics or creating vector graphics is particularly useful if you need graphics for logos, illustrations, or print templates. While conventional image formats such as JPG and PNG can lose quality, vector graphics can be enlarged to any size without losing sharpness or detail. Whether you want to create an SVG file or simply convert a PNG to a SVG, we’ll help you find the right solutions for creating a vector graphic. Further reading: How to create custom Windows icons from your own images What is a vector graphic? A vector graphic is not based on pixels, but on mathematical formulas that define lines, curves, and geometric shapes. This allows the graphic to be scaled as required without any loss of quality. Unlike raster graphics, which become blurred when enlarged, vector graphics always remain razor-sharp. Vector graphics are also smaller files than raster graphics. However, not all graphics can be displayed in vectors, which is particularly difficult with complex images and photos. How do I create a vector graphic? To create a vector graphic, you need a special program that vectorizes image data. This means that the program converts the image information into lines and curves, which can then be scaled without loss. This can be done using both free tools and professional software. Creating vector graphics with on-board tools on Windows — is it possible? Windows doesn’t come with any specialized tools for creating or editing vector graphics. While programs such as Paint offer basic image editing functions, they’re only suitable for raster graphics. Convert image to vector graphics with free software One of the best open source programs for vector graphics is Inkscape. Inkscape offers impressive performance that can easily compete with paid programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. This is how it works: Launch Inkscape and import the image you want to convert into a vector graphic. Select the image and navigate to Path > Trace Bitmap. Here you can adjust the various settings to optimize the contours and details of the image to your liking. Once the tracing is complete, you can save the file as an SVG format and have created a scalable vector graphic. How do I create a vector graphic on my mobile phone? Can you also create a vector graphic on your mobile phone? You sure can. You can do this with Adobe Illustrator Draw and the corresponding mobile phone app, for example. Adobe provides instructions here. You can also create vector graphics on your smartphone with Vector Ink or Inky. Create vector graphics for free with online tools If you want to convert an image to SVG, there are various free online tools that make this process quick and easy. Two of the most popular tools are FreeConvert and Convertio. Both websites offer simple conversion functions that do not require the installation of additional software. This is how it works: Open the web tool page. Upload your image (e.g. a JPG or PNG file). Select the desired output format, in this case SVG. Start the conversion process and then download your new SVG file. How do I recognize whether a file is vectorized? You can recognize a vectorized file by the fact that it can be enlarged or reduced without loss. Open the file in a graphics program such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape and zoom in. If no pixels are visible, it’s a vector graphic. In addition, vectorized files often have the file extension .svg, .eps, or .ai. Comparison of image (left, pixels) and vector graphic (right, no pixels). Comparison of image (left, pixels) and vector graphic (right, no pixels). IDG Comparison of image (left, pixels) and vector graphic (right, no pixels). IDG IDG What are the vector graphic formats? Vector graphics are usually saved in the following formats: SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics): A widely used format for web applications. EPS (Encapsulated PostScript): Ideal for professional printing. AI (Adobe Illustrator): A proprietary format for Adobe products. How do I convert a JPG into a vector graphic? To convert a JPG into a vector graphic, programs such as Inkscape or web tools such as JPG2SVG and Convertio can help. These programs recognize the lines and shapes of the image and convert them into mathematical paths. The process can be optimized manually to ensure that all important details are retained. Note: Canva can also convert images to SVG, but you will need a paid Pro account. How do I convert a PNG to a vector graphic? Similar to JPG, a PNG can also be converted to SVG. Use programs like Inkscape or online converters such as PNG2SVG. This is particularly useful for logos or graphics with a transparent background, as PNG supports transparency and this is transferred to the vector graphic. Read...

TL;DR: AdGuard’s lifetime family plan for $18.97 through October 27 lets you block ads, trackers, and malware on up to 9 devices with no complicated tech setup. Blocking ads and keeping your internet secure doesn’t have to be a complicated tech project. With AdGuard’s Family Plan lifetime subscription for up to 9 devices, you can kick ads to the curb without needing to be a tech wizard. No more fumbling with settings, pop-ups, or endless trackers slowing you down. It’s not just about the ads, either. AdGuard also stops those sneaky, data-hungry trackers that follow your every move online. Their privacy protection ensures your family’s data stays safe, and you can even customize filters to block specific types of content. Whether you’re using it on Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android, setup is quick and painless — just download the app, activate the license, and you’re good to go. The best part? It works in the background, so your browsing experience is faster and cleaner without extra effort. With parental control features built in, you can make sure the little ones are protected from inappropriate content. It’s peace of mind for the whole family — all wrapped up in a tool that’s easy to use and effective. Say goodbye to ads and stay secure online with an AdGuard Family Plan for life, on sale for $18.97 until October 27.   AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription – $18.97 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...