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| PC World - 4 Feb (PC World)Climate change, rising inflation, the possible demise of American democracy — it’s a lot to handle. Opera may have the right product at the right time: Opera Air, a free web browser that was actively designed to help de-stress and calm you as you navigate the web.
With strong competition from other free Windows browser makers, Opera has tried everything from early integration of useful features like VPNs to slightly more dubious “gaming browsers” like Opera GX. Think of Opera Air as somewhere in the middle, with a sedate UI bolstered by features like calming binaural beats and even stretching exercises that can use your laptop’s camera to help ensure you’re performing them correctly.
Essentially, the new Opera Air browser is the standard Opera browser, which ships with its no-log VPN capabilities, ad and tracker blockers, and a sidebar with various apps and “workspaces” of collected tabs. The UI, however, uses a “frosted glass” appearance to give the browser an aura of calm, according to the company.
Furthermore, Opera Air is based upon new features that help you through an ongoing journey of sorts: Beginning your day with an inspirational quote, then providing “Boosts” of calming or stimulating music as you browse the web. Every so often, Opera will encourage you to take a break, and can help focus your mind through stretching or meditative exercises.
Opera’s Boosts are designed around what are known as binaural beats, a method of either stimulating or calming your brain. The theory behind binaural beats is that broadcasting tones of different frequencies in each ear prompts the brain to “fill in the differences” between the two, creating its own frequency or beat. The brain’s neurons then synchronize to the new beat, with a variety of different effects. (The effects of binaural beats aren’t well studied, and a WebMD article notes that effects can vary, depending on the user, from positive feelings to a trigger for depression.)
Opera’s Boosts combine binaural beats, ambient music, and nature sounds.Mark Hachman / IDG
Opera’s Boosts can be tuned from theta waves (associated with meditation) to alpha waves (stress-free work) to beta waves (active concentration) to gamma waves (peak mental performance), with timers that can be set for brief periods to a length of infinite duration. Each Boost can also be mixed with other sounds, like lo-fi tracks and piano, or nature sounds like rainfall, forest noises, or ocean waves. All told, there are 19 different Boosts available.
Opera Air can be set for users to “take a break” every 45 to 180 minutes, with a reminder to stand up and move or simply pause work.
Alternatively, Opera Air offers a choice of relaxation activities (led by real actors, Opera says, and not AI). They include standard breathing exercises, a deeper meditation, and even a “full body scan” that can help you relax the various parts of your body.
A fourth activity, neck exercises, can be synced with your laptop camera to ensure that you’re performing them correctly. This is optional, Opera said. If you turn it on, the information will only be processed locally, the company said.
A summary slide with Opera Air’s new features.Opera
Hands-on with Opera Air
Opera offered me a build of the Opera Air browser to try out in advance of its launch.
On the surface, Opera Air isn’t that different from an ordinary browser. By default, Opera offers to import your bookmarks and other data from another browser, and a brief setup process allows you to pick a theme. When opened, Opera Air puts the customary arrangement of tabs and bookmarks at the top of the page, as well as a hokey inspirational saying — “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf”– at the bottom of the screen.
Opera Air’s new features are hidden in the browser sidebar.Opera
The real innovations, however, are in the new Boosts, as well as the ability to take a guided break.
There’s an old saying: “No whistling in the newsroom.” For some people, simply hearing music — especially if it’s attached to a known song — distracts the brain by causing it to fixate on the song itself. I usually fall into that camp. Each Boost is essentially a pre-configured mix of a predetermined list of ambient music samples, the binaural beat, as well as some ambient nature sounds. (If there was a way to change the background noise of ocean waves to birdcalls, or from soft low-fi music to Brahms, I couldn’t find it.)
Surprisingly, though, it worked. Boosts require headphones or earbuds, and I did have to play around a bit to get the overall volume, and the mix between the various sounds, so that they would fade into the background. But I was surprised to find that I wasn’t distracted, and I began to bang out this article in a mode that I would describe as focused.
I was mildly impressed by the stretching exercises that Opera’s “Take a break” mode offered. Let’s face it: Giving yourself the grace and freedom to actually pause from working for a moment or two is a blessing in itself. The instructors themselves are not particularly impressive, simply leading you through a series of stretching exercises. Turning on my camera (and trying to “break” the instruction) didn’t work, either. I’m also not sure if I was supposed to hold a stretch for a minute or two, or if the process simply glitched.
Opera Air’s “Take a break” offers stretching exercises.Mark Hachman / IDG
I could never be truly sure if some placebo effect was at work, or just being told to essentially pause work, relax, and stretch out cramped muscles was something I could do on my own. But yes, I did feel that setting Opera Air’s Boost to “Peak Concentration” helped me knock out this report, lickety-split.
What does Opera Air need? More configuration options, maybe. I also wouldn’t mind seeing a “startup” and “wind-down” option that would kick in to help users begin and end their workday. But otherwise, I was moderately impressed.
So, yes, I’d say that Opera Air deserves a quick, free download. Setup really takes just a few seconds, and you’re free to keep on using the browser. But let’s face it: The next few years could be among the most stressful of our lifetimes. Could Opera Air alleviate that? Boy, do I hope so. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | RadioNZ - 4 Feb (RadioNZ) Web series - Farewell Guangdong sheds some light on a little-known chapter of New Zealand`s history. Read...Newslink ©2025 to RadioNZ |  |
|  | | PC World - 4 Feb (PC World)It’s hard to find a cheap laptop out there. Well, that’s not quite true. It’s hard to find a cheap laptop that’s actually worth buying.
But today Staples has one that’s a godsend if you’re in the market for an affordable laptop that can run Windows well. The Asus Vivobook 15 is just $379.99, a whopping $220 off its retail price.
I won’t lie to you. This is still a budget model and it’s not going to compete with the latest Zenbook, XPS, or Surface in performance, fit, or finish. But it does have a very recent Intel Core 5 120U processor and 16GB of DDR4 RAM. That’s the bare minimum I would recommend for a Windows laptop these days, considering the memory overhead of the operating system plus a decent web browser.
Other highlights include a 15-inch 1080p screen (non-touch), a surprisingly roomy 512GB SSD, a fingerprint sensor, and a backlit keyboard, which isn’t necessarily a given in this price range. You only get one USB-C port, but there are three USB-A ports and a full-sized HDMI port for easy connections to an external monitor. According to this video, the F104VAP model of this laptop comes with one DDR4 SO-DIMM slot and an M.2 2280 slot available for user upgrade, though I don’t know whether that RAM slot is filled in on this 16GB model.
If there’s one major downside, it’s probably the battery life. Previous Vivobook 15 models didn’t do well in that regard. But for a decently specced laptop under $500 , you’ve gotta make compromises… especially since they might be even harder to find very soon.
Get this Asus laptop with Intel Core 5 and 16GB RAM for $380Buy now at Staples Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 4 Feb (PC World)I think it’s fair to say that people are frustrated with Google these days between the deluge of advertisements and AI-powered results of questionable utility. Normally, swearing at your computer only helps in a placebo effect, but it turns out that throwing in an F-bomb might actually improve the quality of Google search results.
Heads up, there’s going to be a lot of swearing in this article. Absolutely none of which I will enjoy. I’m definitely not giggling like a third grader while I write this, nope.
Ars Technica reports that the latest tech tip making the rounds on social media is that you can disable Google’s Gemini AI-powered search overviews if you add some casual cursing to your search query. Some cursory testing shows that, indeed, modifying your query in this way generally gets rid of the AI Overview.
But after a bit of experimentation, I’ve found that this may or may not translate into meaningfully better results. For example, a Google search for “how to see sold items on ebay” (which I needed for my last PCWorld article) showed the AI Overview, followed by the wrong eBay page, followed by the “People also ask” Google module, followed by the right eBay page (a community forum post).
Changing up the query to “how the fuck do I see sold items on ebay” showed me a YouTube video with a guy making a weird face (which seems to be about 60 percent of YouTube content these days), followed by the same “People also ask” module, and finally a relevant Reddit thread. Both searches gave what I would call “okay” info in a format I didn’t want, and required scrolling to find the actual information I needed in a straightforward way.
Google
For “how to replace ram,” I got an AI Overview followed by a Crucial guide and then a Reddit thread. Pretty good, no scrolling necessary to find info from an authoritative source. Interestingly, “how the hell do I replace ram” gave me a lengthier AI Overview, followed by a bunch of YouTube videos, then that pesky “People also ask” module, then Reddit. An objectively poorer result.
Google
Going a little harder into the PG-13 zone, “how do I replace my goddamn ram” gave me no AI results, a Reddit thread (with the expletive removed automatically), followed by the “People also ask” module, then a CyberPowerPC video on YouTube. That’s a good result if you want instant text-based information, but I’d say it’s about even for the original query in actual utility.
Let’s try one more, a little less focused on tech. “How to poach an egg” gave me an AI Overview, a rather long Downshiftology blog post pointing to a YouTube video, the “People also ask” module (I’m really starting to hate that thing), a bunch of YouTube videos, a Recipes module, then finally a Serious Eats page with a “Jump to recipe” button at the top. A decent bit of scrolling required.
“How the fuck do I poach an egg” gave me a list of instructions immediately, apparently scraped from The Pioneer Woman. That’s a definite win for the potty-mouth searcher.
Google
So it looks like cussing the sky blue at Google might improve your results for some searches, in the same way that adding “reddit” to your query could get you to information coming from actual humans a lot faster… but it’s not a universal cheat code. There’s also the relatively new Web view, which gets rid of auto-generated modules for most searches. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 4 Feb (PC World)Even if you’ve done a great job looking after your devices, chances are you will have a few much-loved USB cables that look worse for wear. Fraying or breaking cables will mostly work when you need them to, which makes it easy to fob them off as a problem to be sorted out later. But there are good reasons why you should pay closer attention.
The biggest has to do with safety. Fraying USB cables pose a very small, but albeit still noteworthy, risk of causing electric shock or fire. It’s for that reason most experts will err on the side of caution and recommend you just bite the bullet and throw out worn cables.
If that’s not enough to motivate you to let them go, then perhaps this fact will: Fraying USB cables can actually damage your devices. They have been known to partially or fully short circuit, cause fluctuating electrical charges, and their USB connectors can heat up and fry internal componentry.
Further reading: The best USB-C cables
On that note, a common mistake that people often make is to wiggle the frayed part when they stop charging or transferring. This can get them operational again, but it can also cause wires to short out. Two common consequences are a fried charging port or an overcharged battery. In a worst-case scenario, an overcharged lithium-ion battery will even explode.
Another thing you should look out for with USB chargers in particular is the location of the fraying. Fraying at the AC end — that is at the end closest to the wall outlet — is generally considered more dangerous than at the DC end near your device, so take care if you have any cables like that!
Can fraying USB cables be repaired?
Of course, the internet and especially YouTube, is awash with tips on how to repair fraying cables, and that is an option if you think the risks to you or your devices are slim. If you do decide to repair your cables, it’s best to start at the first signs the cable splits.
One of the most common ways to repair a USB cable is with heat-shrink tubing. A pack with hundreds of tube pieces costs as little as $7 on Amazon, only slightly more than a coffee, giving you ample materials to fix your collection of cords.
A piece of tubing is typically placed over the fraying wire and then heated so that it shrinks down to be a tight and secure covering. A heat gun will do the shrinking for you, otherwise a hair dryer can also do the job.
Just a word of caution, though: There have been a few instances of people melting their USB cable’s connectors in the process, so you’ll want to keep it well clear of the heat source.
Prevention is easier than a cure
If you’re now thinking, “Oh, heck! Now I have to throw out all my fraying USB cables,” the consolation here is that there are ways to minimize the risk of fraying in any future cables you buy.
The number one way to do that is to simply pay a few extra dollars to buy cables that are made from tougher materials — cheaper cables will mostly work just fine, but the lesser-grade cabling tends to wear out quicker.
Pexels: Rann Vijay
For the strongest and longest-lasting cables, look for ones that are thicker rather than thinner and made from braided nylon or metal rather than plastic.
Cables from well-known brands like Belkin, Apple, and Anker are a good first port of call to ensure a quality product. These companies put a lot of time and effort into research and development and often have quality control processes, too.
our favorite usb-c charging cable
Belkin BoostCharge 240-watt charging cable
Best Prices Today:
$15.99 at Amazon
One such cable that’s a favorite of PCWorld is the Belkin Boost Charge 240-watt charging cable. Not only is it braided, has a beefy overmolding and is tested for 30,000 bends, it also features eMarker chips that can detect if it’s overheating, and signal devices to pause until it cools down.
Another good tip is to buy cables that have been reinforced at the joints where they are most prone to breaking. It may not prevent fraying altogether, but it could at least ward it off from happening too quickly. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 4 Feb (PC World)Microsoft is no stranger to axing Windows apps and features. In the last year alone, we’ve seen the death of iconic WordPad, abandonment of Paint 3D, and deprecation of Windows Mixed Reality. It’s something you just have to get used to with Windows.
And today, we can add another gravestone to the list. Microsoft Defender VPN is being discontinued for Windows 11, Windows 10, Android, macOS, and iPhones. The official death date is February 28, 2025, as explained on this support page (spotted by Windows Latest).
Microsoft Defender offers additional security features to Windows users who are subscribed to Microsoft 365. VPN is one of those features, making it possible to secure your internet connection. Unlike other VPN services, Microsoft Defender VPN automatically selected a nearby server instead of letting you select one yourself.
Microsoft’s VPN also offered extended privacy protection, which could be used for things like recognizing insecure Wi-Fi connections. This is particularly useful if you’re working on a PC or smartphone while travelling and accessing public Wi-Fi.
What should you do now?
Rumor has it that Microsoft is discontinuing Microsoft Defender VPN due to low usage and demand. In another blog post, though, the company explains that deprecation of features is intended to strengthen the overall functionality of Windows.
If you’re currently using Microsoft Defender VPN, you’ll have to manually remove it from Android devices. On PCs, Macs, and iPhones, the app will be removed automatically on 28 February.
You should also consider switching to another VPN service sooner than later in order to keep your internet traffic secure, encrypted, and private. Not sure where to go? See our VPN top picks for reputable options. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 4 Feb (PC World)There are things in this world that you simply wouldn’t expect, like an aircraft carrier with Windows XP, a nuclear weapon control system on floppy discs, or a Commodore 64 as a cash register system in a bakery.
While most people replace modern devices after a few years, these technology dinosaurs fight their way through decades–sometimes as faithful helpers, sometimes as potential security risks. Here’s an overview of what are probably the scariest retro technology moments of our time.
Further reading: This retro monitor looks like it fell off the OG Enterprise
Bitcoin mining with the Commodore 64
A hobbyist has proven that a Commodore 64 can actually mine bitcoins–if you have a lot of time on your hands that is. The 8-bit processor, clocked at 1 MHz, manages just 0.3 hashes per second. By comparison, a graphics card like the RTX 3080 can do 100 million of them. So, if you want to get rich with the C64, you need to be patient and wait about a billion years, to be precise.
The legendary Nintendo Game Boy from 1989 can also mine Bitcoins (at least in theory). YouTuber “stacksmashing” has managed to connect the handheld to the internet via a Raspberry Pi Pico and run mining software.
However, at 0.8 hashes per second, the Gameboy is barely faster than the C64 and around 125 trillion times slower than a modern ASIC miner. The math is clear. For a single Bitcoin, the Gameboy would have to work longer than the universe exists. Getting rich is out of the question, but it’s still impressive.
This car workshop has been using a C64C for 30 years
In a workshop in Gdansk, Poland, a Commodore 64C has been running continuously for over 30 years now, helping the mechanics with drive shaft calculations. Not even a flood could stop the computer.
The C64C defies time and shows that old technology is sometimes more robust than its modern successors. Only the mechanical fan could capitulate at some point, but until then it will continue to run as if it were still 1986.
An American bakery uses the 64 as a POS system
A bakery in Indiana has been using the Commodore 64 as a POS system since the 1980s, a literally fitting application for the “bread box,” as the computer is also known in the trade. Modern POS systems often struggle with software updates and occasional failures. The C64, on the other hand, runs reliably and without grumbling, supported by lovingly labelled keys depicting various baked goods.
The USA controls nuclear weapons with 8-inch floppy discs
Things get even more absurd when it comes to defense. An IBM computer from 1976 still controls the US nuclear force using 8-inch floppy discs as a storage medium. These floppy discs store no less than 80 kilobytes of data, which is less than an average WhatsApp message.
Although there are plans to modernize this IT, the fact that nuclear weapons are based on technology from the era of disco music is kind of frightening.
Retro flair for the German navy, too
The German navy also continues to rely on 8-inch floppy discs to control its systems on its Brandenburg-class frigates. Although these warships, built in the 1990s, have state-of-the-art weapons technology, the data storage could bring tears to the eyes of nostalgic IT fans. There are plans to modernize the systems, but the use of a floppy disk emulator suggests that the old days are not quite over yet.
Windows XP on a ship worth billions
The British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth impresses with modern technology–apart from the operating system. It runs Windows XP, which has not been supported by Microsoft since 2014. Although the Royal Navy emphasizes that extensive security measures have been taken, at a cost of £3.5 billion you would somehow expect… something else.
The situation is similar on the British nuclear submarines Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant, and Vengeance, which are still running Windows XP for the operation of a system that controls intercontinental missiles. The British government reassures that the systems are not connected to the internet. However, an update is not planned until 2028.
Windows 3.1 paralyzes the airport
While we’re on the subject of Windows, let’s talk about the 2015 system failure at the Paris-Orly airport. The reason? A computer running Windows 3.1, an operating system from the early 90s, crashed. The “DECOR” software, which provides pilots with weather data, stopped working and take-offs had to be suspended for safety reasons. Perhaps the computer simply wanted to upgrade to Windows 95? Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | Sydney Morning Herald - 2 Feb (Sydney Morning Herald)Internet sensation iShowSpeed entered the Royal Rumble, but was quickly speared and sent packing by Bron Breakker. Read...Newslink ©2025 to Sydney Morning Herald |  |
|  | | PC World - 1 Feb (PC World)TL;DR: Get a lifetime AdGuard Family Plan on up to nine devices for just $19.97 with code GUARD20 until February 23. Block ads, protect your privacy, and secure up to nine devices.
You open a webpage, and suddenly it’s a battlefield — pop-ups ambush you, videos autoplay at full volume, and you’re ready to quit the internet. If it feels like browsing has become a chore, it’s because it has. Ads aren’t just annoying — they slow down your connection, track your behavior, and even pose security risks.
That’s where AdGuard Family Plan steps in. This all-in-one ad blocker and privacy protector doesn’t just hide banners — it completely removes ads from websites, videos, and even apps. Trackers? Gone. Malware sites? Blocked before they can do damage. And if you’ve got kids, AdGuard’s parental controls help filter out inappropriate content.
Unlike browser extensions that only work in one app, AdGuard protects your entire device — whether you’re on Windows, macOS, iOS, or Android. Plus, it covers up to nine devices, so your whole household can browse in peace.
Please note this deal is only available to new users.
For a one-time payment of just $19.97 (reg. $169) with code GUARD20, you can get a lifetime subscription to an AdGuard Family Plan. But hurry — this deal is only available until February 23.
AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription – $39.99
See Deal
StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
|  | | PC World - 1 Feb (PC World)There are always risks when you use the internet, so it’s of utmost importance to take all the proper precautions and make sure your devices are protected, whether your phone, laptop, or otherwise.
If you don’t have a reputable security solution yet, here’s an offer you can’t afford to pass by: right now, you can get 15 months of Norton 360 Deluxe on three devices for just $20. That’s a massive 73 percent discount, and you can get it on the PCWorld Store.
Norton 360 Deluxe is our overall top pick among all security suites, with our security expert giving it four stars in our review. She mentions strong antivirus performance and widespread protection against online threats as its best features. Plus, it’s pretty simple and straightforward.
“Of Norton’s offerings, the Norton 360 Deluxe plan hits an ideal sweet spot of wide protection and affordable pricing.”
What do you get for $20? You get a 15-month subscription and full protection for three of your devices. Since Norton works on Android and iOS devices, Mac and Windows computers, you’re well-covered. Norton 360 Deluxe packs all-around protection against malware, dark web monitoring, cloud backup for essential files, parental controls, access to VPN services, a password manager, and more.
This is a limited-time deal that ends today, so don’t delay — it’s just $20 for 15 months of Norton 360 Deluxe! Better safe than sorry when it comes to identity theft, malware infections, and dark web leaks.
Get 15 months of Norton 360 Deluxe for a whopping 73% offBuy now at PCWorld Store Read...Newslink ©2025 to PC World |  |
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