Every file and every program leaves traces in your system: It accesses other files, uses Windows resources, makes entries in the registry, and possibly installs additional software. In the best-case scenario, you will only clutter up your Windows if the software’s uninstall routine does not delete all associated files and registry entries. In the worst-case scenario, malware will infect your system or ransomware will encrypt your files. If you want to try out new programs or open unknown files, it is best to do this in a particularly secure environment that is separate from the running system: This is exactly what a sandbox offers. If you open a program in a sandbox, it works as expected, but cannot make any permanent changes to the system or access resources outside its environment — the sandbox prevents this, redirects access, and deletes all activities of the program and itself when you close it. With a sandbox, you can therefore try out new software or install programs from dubious sources with less risk, surf potentially unsafe websites, and keep your system clean. We will show you various ways of setting up and using a suitable sandbox for programs and files under Windows: These range from Windows on-board resources and virtual systems to browsers and programs with their own sandbox function. We describe the Sandboxie-Plus software in particular detail — the simplest and most practical sandbox solution for most users. Further reading: Is a hacker logged into your Google account? Here’s how to tell Sandbox for the browser You probably already use a sandbox: Current browsers such as Chrome and Firefox use this protection technology. They rely on Windows security mechanisms: This has the advantage that they can guarantee a high level of protection without having to use a lot of resources, which could result in websites opening slowly, for example. Like most browsers, Chrome opens each tab in its own isolated process, which can be seen in the Task Manager. All websites are shielded from each other. IDG Each browser tab is opened in its own sandbox. This prevents Chrome and others from automatically downloading programs on a website or running malicious scripts. This process also protects against attacks that are executed via a website without an antivirus program raising the alarm (zero-day exploits). Each tab of the browser runs as an isolated process and has no access to other tabs or the system. It also starts with very limited rights — which is why you usually have to authorize a website’s access to the computer camera, for example. In addition, the separation of the individual tabs should mean that the crash of a website does not paralyze the entire browser, but only the corresponding tab. How and whether the browser sandbox works can be observed in the Windows Task Manager: Under “Processes” you can see that numerous other processes are running under the “Google Chrome” entry — these are the separate sandboxes of the individual tabs. Further reading: How to turn a USB flash drive into a secure login key for your PC You can find out more details by entering the command chrome://sandbox/ in the browser address bar: The tabs here are called “Renderer” — this is the function that displays web pages. Each should also appear in the “Sandbox” column and in the next column with the note “Lockdown.” Like the “Untrusted” entry to the right, this means that this process has very few access rights to the system. IDG Nevertheless, you should always update your browser, as hackers often try to exploit the sandbox via other security vulnerabilities in order to give scripts and programs on a website more access rights. Programs with a built-in sandbox Windows also uses a sandbox for certain programs: Apps from the Microsoft Store — the so-called UWP apps (Universal Windows Platform) — run in an isolated process with reduced rights. This means they can be uninstalled without leaving any residue. In many cases, you must also authorize them to access files or hardware such as the camera or microphone. However, only a few users use UWP apps. The more frequently installed standard programs — the so-called desktop apps — run without a sandbox and rights restrictions. You also give many UWP apps certain rights during installation. You can check what these are before installation on the app page in the Microsoft Store under the entry “This app can” and after installation in the Windows settings under “Privacy > App permissions.” You can revoke these rights there — although this often means that the app no longer functions correctly. Programs from the Microsoft Store run in an isolated environment: However, they often request numerous rights during installation, which undermine this protection.Foundry From version 24H2, Windows 11 also supports a sandbox function for normal programs — Win32 App Isolation. However, manufacturers must incorporate this into their software for the protection to work. Acrobat Reader offers a secure sandbox function for PDF documents: If you receive a PDF as an attachment from an email or an insecure source, you can prevent code contained in the document from being executed or you from being taken to a nefarious website when you click on a link in the PDF. To use the PDF sandbox, go to “Settings > Security (advanced)” in the Reader menu and activate the “Enable protected mode on startup” option. Additional protection is provided by the “Protected view” below, where you can choose whether it should apply to all PDFs or only to those from insecure sources. The Reader then opens the PDF in read-only mode, which means it cannot be filled in and usually cannot be saved or printed. Free special tool Sandboxie-Plus The small open source tool Sandboxie-Plus is ideal for running all suspicious files and programs in isolation. You install it as usual under Windows and can then start the desired content directly in a sandbox container. The complete range of functions of Sandboxie-Plus costs $40 per year: You can pay the programmer directly via Paypal or you can buy a supporter certificate on the website. For use on a home computer, however, the free basic functions, which we present below, are sufficient. With Sandboxie-Plus, programs can be started in an isolated environment: They cannot access the system and can be removed without leaving any residue.Foundry Sandboxie-Plus is available in versions for standard Windows and for Arm Windows. The tool can also be installed as a mobile app on a USB stick. After installation, you will be greeted by a setup wizard where you first select the option “Personal, for non-commercial use” for the free functions. In the next window, you can obtain a so-called evaluation certificate by clicking on the red, underlined text: This allows you to test the software with all functions for 10 days. Otherwise, click on “Next.” For the user interface, you can choose between an expert and a beginner mode as well as a light or dark mode for the display. It is best to accept the default settings and click “Next” again. Finish setting up the software in the last window by clicking on “Finish.” In the following window for the “Global settings,” you do not need to adjust anything and click on “OK.” Running risky programs in Sandboxie-Plus Sandboxie-Plus starts with a two-part interface: At the top you will see the entry for a “DefaultBox.” You can start suspicious programs in this box. In the lower window, the tool logs all actions and settings. The user interface can also be called up by right-clicking on the tool icon in the system tray and selecting “Show / Hide.” To start software safely in a sandbox, click on “Sandbox > Run in sandbox.” Confirm the settings in the next window with “OK.” Another window then appears: Enter the name of the software that you want to start in Sandboxie-Plus and confirm with “OK.” If you do not know the exact name or the tool cannot find a program that matches your input, you can call up the software directly with the Explorer via “Search.” This start procedure is recommended for programs that you have installed but want to start again in the secure environment — for example, your web browser: If you call it up again in the sandbox, you can use it to visit suspicious websites without risk. The program then starts: The corresponding EXE file appears in the top window of Sandboxie-Plus. You can recognize that software is running in the sandbox by two features: Its name in the program window begins and ends with a diamond symbol — for example, if you open the Chrome browser in the sandbox and drag the mouse to its icon in the taskbar, it will say [#] New Tab – Google Chrome [#]. If you move the mouse to the top edge of the program window, a yellow frame appears. There is also a window finder in Sandboxie-Plus under “Sandbox — Is the window in a sandbox?” There, click on the circle in the small program window on the left, hold down the left mouse button and release it in the window of the program whose status you want to check: The answer to the question will then appear in the window finder. Sandboxie-Plus is also entered in the context menu of Windows Explorer: You can then call up the desired program with a right-click and the command “Start Sandboxed.” For example, software that you have just downloaded can be installed in the sandbox by starting the corresponding EXE or installation file with Sandboxie-Plus. It is advisable to run each program and each file in its own sandbox: When starting via Sandboxie-Plus or the context menu, select the entry “Run in a new sandbox” in the next window and then “Standard sandbox.” You can also give each sandbox a meaningful name here. Important programs can be started particularly quickly in Sandboxie-Plus, for example your browser, your email program, or Windows Explorer: Click on an existing sandbox in the top right-hand corner of the tool window. Then select “Start > Standard programs” and then the desired software. Open and check suspicious files Like programs, individual files can also be opened in an isolated sandbox. Sandboxie-Plus starts the default program for this file — for example Word for a DOCX file. If the program crashes, change a setting in Sandboxie-Plus: Open the file in a new sandbox as described. In the window in which you select “Standard Sandbox” as the box type, tick the “Configure advanced options” option at the bottom right. After clicking on “Next,” select “Version 1” for “Virtualization scheme,” click on “Next” several times, and finish with “Finish.” With Sandboxie-Plus, you can tell whether a software really works in the sandbox by the yellow frame around the program window and the hashtags before and after the program name at the top.IDG Important: A program that you start in the sandbox can only read files outside the sandbox and cannot change them. If you open a file within the sandboxed software, it can be changed, but this has no effect on the original file: For example, if you start Outlook in the sandbox and delete an email there, it will still be there when you open Outlook normally. Emails with suspicious attachments can be examined in this way: You open your mail program in the sandbox and open the attachment. If it seems suspicious or comes from an unexpected sender, delete the sandbox and then delete the email in your normal email program without opening it or looking at the attachment. Sandboxie-Plus isolates programs and files by creating separate directories for them: These are located in the program directory “C:\Sandbox\username,” where there is a separate folder for each sandbox. The tool also stores changes made by the isolated program in the registry there. In this way, no traces remain in the system when you delete the corresponding sandbox. You can do this by right-clicking on the desired sandbox in the upper window of Sandboxie-Plus and selecting “Remove sandbox” from the context menu. If you want to keep the sandbox but close the programs running in it, select the “Close all processes” command in the context menu. Alternative: Virtual PC A virtual PC (VPC) is also suitable for starting risky programs or opening suspicious files. Windows includes the Windows Sandbox for this purpose. It is a VPC based on Microsoft’s Hyper-V virtualization software, but is only included in Windows Pro. You also need to install it first: You do this via the Control Panel and “Enable or disable Windows features.” Select the “Windows Sandbox” entry there and restart the computer. You will then find the program as “Windows Sandbox” in the selection of installed apps. After starting, another Windows desktop opens as the user interface of the virtual PC: You operate this as you would your normal system — so you can install and try out programs in the Windows Sandbox. You can copy and paste suspicious files from the main system to the virtual Windows. Since the Windows 11 update 22H2, the VPC also supports a restart that preserves its data and applications. However, this only applies if you only restart the sandbox: If you close the VPC window or restart the main system, the contents of the sandbox will be deleted. If you are using Windows Home, you can use free virtualization programs such as Virtualbox for a VPC. However, the virtual computer needs an operating system — if it is to be Windows, you will need an additional lisence for this. A VPC is largely isolated from the main system and is a secure test environment. Compared to Sandboxie-Plus, however, it is oversized if you only occasionally want to try out unknown programs or open suspicious email attachments: You have to install your own operating system in the VPC, which places correspondingly high demands on your computer’s hardware. This applies on the one hand to CPU performance, but above all to RAM: You should provide at least 4GB of RAM exclusively for the virtual system; more RAM significantly increases the ease of use of the VPC. It is also not ideal for a quick file check: You have to start the VPC like a normal system and wait until the virtual Windows is ready for use. Read...

Worried about the environment and the loss of skills, some people are resisting the rise of AI. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Accomplishes its goal: provides a usable AR workspace XReal glasses are lightweight and comfortable Cons Numerous bugs Subscription cost is a significant investment Our Verdict Sightful’s Spacetop is undoubtedly useful as a massive AR alternative for those who can’t access a number of physical displays. But a number of fixable bugs still soured my experience, capped off by a fairly hefty subscription price. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Sightful Spacetop Bundle Retailer Price Sightful $899 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Sightful’s Spacetop, a gigantic augmented-reality supplemental monitor for your PC, succeeds as a concept. But it still needs some fine-tuning before you’ll be completely happy with it, especially at the price Sightful is charging. So, what is the Sightful Spacetop experience? Imagine looking through a swim mask at the night sky, made up of a regular grid of small stars. Upon this grid floats a small taskbar and various Windows windows, which you can move around and drag, just like a desktop. Spacetop functions as a massive virtual screen that seamlessly replaces your laptop’s monitor. Look up, down, and to the sides, and you can see your windows and apps. There’s a small floating taskbar for in-Spacetop navigation. You can run Teams or Slack in one corner and Outlook in another since it’s all in Windows. Instead of a swim mask, however, you’re using a pair of XReal augmented-reality glasses. Does it work? Absolutely. However, I felt like I was wrestling with the interface as much as using it, which isn’t a strong endorsement. There are workarounds, however. The biggest obstacle to this review, sadly, was probably myself—a product of the pre-PC educational system. Sightful concept art showing what it’s like to use the Spacetop. It’s pretty close to the real thing.Sightful The Spacetop bundle: Out of the box and setup Sightful debuted Spacetop in May of 2023, when it was a quasi-headless laptop with the XReal glasses directly built into the device. Since then, Sightful has retooled the device to run as a subscription-based app on top of a new generation of AI PCs and made the Sightful app Windows native. (Before, the Sightful Spacetop was essentially a Chromebook.) Now, the Sightful Spacetop costs $899, including a pair of $699 XReal Air Ultra 2 AR glasses that serve as the Spacetop display. You’ll need to supply your own AI PC, too. If you fall in love with the Spacetop, you’ll need to pay $200 for a year’s subscription; the bundle already ships with a year’s worth of Spacetop service. That’s a pricey package, in the neighborhood of what Adobe charges per month for Photoshop. At least the glasses are yours to keep, regardless. Sightful asked me to review the Spacetop software rather than write about my experiences with the XReal glasses or the associated laptop. That’s not entirely possible, as it’s a holistic experience. XReal’s XReal Air Ultra 2 AR glasses, sitting on top of the HP laptop Sightful provided for review purposes.Mark Hachman / Foundry Sightful provided me with an HP AIPC laptop with Spacetop already provisioned upon it. Spacetop’s app appears to be just a Windows app, and Sightful’s representatives said that it can be moved from laptop to laptop just like a normal Windows app. However, I was unable to test the setup process myself. (“Customers who purchase the Spacetop Bundle receive a link to create an account and download the software (regular MSI installer), then, following the installation, are required to log in once to activate their license on the laptop,” a Sightful representative said when I asked about setup. “If a customer purchased an optical attachment, they get a link to upload their prescription, and the attachment is shipped together with the XReal glasses to them.” The optical attachments are just prescription inserts. XReal’s glasses don’t allow room for eyeglasses, but you can ask Sightful to serve as a go-between if you need prescription lenses. Prescription single-lens inserts cost $50, while prescription progressive lenses cost $150. As part of this review, I supplied my prescription to Sightful, which installed prescription lenses. (I’m not sure what will happen if your prescription worsens, or if you want to swap them out for progressive lenses.) The Xreal glasses are lightweight and comfortable. Note the prescription inserts.Jennifer Sundberg XReal’s glasses come bundled, and XReal has no connection to Sightful’s Spacetop other than that. Still, the Air Ultra 2 glasses weigh just 83 grams, and that’s absolutely critical on a device you plan to wear for potentially hours. The glasses felt lightweight, comfortable, and open to the side. They also include small audio speakers. That’s comforting in an unfamiliar environment, like a coffee shop, where you’d like to have an awareness of your surroundings. But on a plane or in a hotel room — trusted locations, for which you might buy the Spacetop for working — you might find the gaps to the side a bit distracting. It’s a trade off. Spacetop: AR as a productivity device Plug in the XReal glasses, and you’ll see a duplicate of your laptop’s screen, floating in your vision. You’ll need to launch the Spacetop app to get what you paid for: the AR environment, which extends your view about 180 degrees in all directions. If you were to lie on your back and look up, your AR workspace would be about what you could see in the sky above. XReal’s OLED displays supply 1080p per eye at up to 120Hz, so I didn’t feel like I needed to make any adjustments to the font size or via Windows settings. I could read my Windows apps perfectly well, and any text was legible without needing me to adjust anything. XReal rates XReal Air Ultra 2’s field of view (FOV) at 52 degrees. I tried to reproduce the familiar environment of my desktop: a large landscape display in the center of my desk, with a second portrait display to one side and my laptop just below. Multiple physical monitors confine you to the space they offer. But Windows does offer Windows Snap, which allows you to quickly align windows in various configurations. Spacetop doesn’t provide this feature, so I had to manually adjust various apps and windows until I achieved the desired alignment. The layout appears to be persistent, though, so there’s that. (I’d really like to show you what you can see as you’re using Spacetop, but I can’t really show it off. Screenshots don’t really work, though I’ve included one below. Even trying to share your screen via Zoom displays a pair of screens, as both of the XReal’s displays are projected.) Mark Hachman / Foundry Look up, and the virtual space extends to about your ceiling. On my setup, the “bottom” of the workspace reached the top of my laptop tray in front of me, extending to about 90 degrees to either side. You can adjust the AR display by moving it closer or farther away or tilting it. The little dots that describe the virtual landscape layout don’t always signal how far you can go, but dragging a window to the side will expand the AR space until it can go no further—a bit like adding new tables and charts to an Excel spreadsheet. In the center of your screen perches the Spacetop toolbar, which basically stands as a minimalist representation of your Windows toolbar. You can open and launch apps via a Start-like button to the left, access Windows settings, and more. Unfortunately, it just sits there, plopped in the center of your screen, without any easy way to move it around. That becomes a pain when it accidentally blocks part of your windows, which have to be readjusted to accommodate it. Sightful representatives say that the toolbar is not adjustable; I’d say it needs to be. Spacetop’s toolbar sits plopped in the center of your screen. Yes, you can put windows above and below it, but it seems like it should live somewhere else. Note that the apps menu only pops out when you click on the grid icon, on the left of the toolbar.Mark Hachman / Foundry There’s one more interesting twist: travel mode. Let’s say that you’re waiting for an appointment and need to move into a conference room. When used normally, what you see in the Spacetop environment won’t change orientation if you move about. In travel mode, Spacetop syncs the center of its workspace to the way your laptop is facing, helping you to keep everything in its place. I never really thought about it, but it’s a smart idea which works. If you get “lost,” a small little icon will show you the location of your mouse cursor. . Glitches don’t overwhelm Spacetop, but they are there Spacetop: a gigantic virtual display for your laptop. That’s easy enough to understand. But the road to that experience is bumpier than it needs to be. I really disliked two things about the Spacetop experience. First, the app provides you a window with your laptop’s desktop in case you need to access any files stored there. I was able to move that screen around, like a window, with absolutely no issues at all. But other windows—a collection of Microsoft Edge browser tabs, for example—sometimes would glitch repeatedly and wouldn’t move. I challenge anyone to not have to look at their keyboard while navigating these shortcuts!Mark Hachman / Foundry I think that has to do with being a left-handed user, and possibly that certain elements within the Spacetop environment respected my choice of mouse/taskbar buttons, and others did not. (When I dropped out of the Spacetop environment, the laptop’s trackpad worked as expected for moving apps and windows around.) That drove me mildly insane until I connected a mouse to the laptop. As a left-handed user, I’m not impressed. Second, I’m not sure if I triggered a CTRL LOCK function on the laptop, but the application absolutely refused to allow me to type a URL inside Edge until I tapped the CTRL key a few times. (Typing “O” would bring me to a File “Open” function within File Explorer instead.) I solved my issue by tapping the ESC or CTRL keys until the problem went away. I also encountered a couple of other bugs, including one where the audio would cut out over the XReal speakers unless I adjusted the spatial sound within Windows. In another, a small Favorites window within Edge apparently hooked onto the toolbar and wouldn’t let go. Other popup windows, several of which asked for confirmation, weren’t responsive until I repeatedly tried to interact with them. Not a glitch, just a restriction. Apparently Spacetop is a connected application.Mark Hachman / Foundry But the biggest handicap? Me, unfortunately. What Spacetop instantly exposed was that I’m not the typist I thought I was. I learned typing as sort of a hybrid of two- and multi-fingering, and I work best upon a familiar keyboard. The associated XReal glasses basically block you from looking at your fingers for any reason, so I found that the unfamiliar laptop keyboard caused me to make more errors than usual. I wanted to check my finger placement before I began typing, which the glasses wouldn’t allow me to do. Eventually, I learned to “cheat” by stealing glances down below the glasses to make sure that I wasn’t accidentally tapping the CAPS LOCK key when I was trying to type the characters simply next to it. The issue wasn’t Sightful’s fault. But it still meant that I preferred my traditional laptop keyboard, and I ended up feeling more productive in my everyday work environment. But yes, Sightful’s Spacetop can be used to get work done. I previously tried Meta’s implementation of a virtual workspace within Horizon Worlds, and it just didn’t work; the virtual displays were too “far away” and low-resolution that I couldn’t really see myself getting anything done. Spacetop running on top of the XReal glasses works, and I liked it the more I used it. Is Spacetop better than your home office? Was using the Spacetop comfortable? Surprisingly so, though I grew into it. Originally, I found it easiest to work in quick bursts before I solved some of my pointing issues. As I became more familiar, I worked for longer stretches. I wrote a draft of this review entirely within the Spacetop environment. It was as easy to pull up supplementary documentation in separate windows as it was within a more conventional laptop with multiple monitors. XReal’s glasses provide audio, so I was able to skim a video on the web and jot notes as well. My wife burst out laughing when she took this picture, but at least it’s a little less dorky than the Apple Vision Pro or a Meta headset.Jennifer Sundberg But there’s definitely some element of fatigue. My eyes grew somewhat tired after a while, and I found I needed to take breaks. I also felt some traces of vertigo on a single occasion. I think I solved it by adjusting how much light the XReal glasses let in—from nearly black to nearly transparent— all by tapping a button on the glasses. It also makes Spacetop well-suited for both indoor and outdoor work. Over time, the unfamiliar weight of the glasses caused a slight strain on my neck. All told, I got to the point I would work for about 45 minutes to an hour at a time. I do think my experience improved over time, and I’m not entirely sure why. I didn’t specifically test how long the laptop battery would last, though I noticed it drop from 48 percent to 21 percent in about 45 minutes, as measured by the toolbar battery meter. Most planes now offer power plugs, so I don’t think this will be an issue. I still prefer my trusty desktop setup, though plugging in a USB mouse to the laptop made the Spacetop experience significantly better. On the other hand, certain scenarios throw you into situations where you simply don’t have the luxury of working under your preferred conditions, such as on a plane. I didn’t hop a flight to write this review, but I did simply flip off my screens and use my keyboard drawer as a tray table, writing this review under those conditions. Would I recommend it? If I flew to Asia every week, would I find value in the Spacetop? I think I would. Sure, Windows already offers you options to see “more” than just a single screen’s worth of data, especially via the virtual desktop feature that allows you to slide screens’ worth of data back and forth. I do like the option to keep a few lightly used apps off to the side, however, and Spacetop accomplishes that nicely. Is it all worth $899 plus $200 per year? That’s the real question. For the premium flyer zipping back and forth on a corporate dime, yeah, maybe. But for the average consumer? Probably not. This is a one-trick Apple Vision Pro for the Windows world. A useful trick, yes, but an expensive one. Read...

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A lot of people still have weak security practices, especially for their passwords. They’re reusing them, relying on easily cracked ones, or are unaware of current recommended guidelines. Their reasons for not using a password manager are usually understandable, too. But they’re still wrong. Passwords are similar to the locks on the front door of a house. And when you live in a city (the internet is definitely that crowded), everyone throws on at least one lock. But choose the doorknob’s lock, and it takes but a minute for an experienced burglar to get past it. You want a deadbolt at a minimum, and in higher traffic or rougher neighborhoods, you might have a thicker door (or even an iron gate before your door), sturdier hinges, and longer screws for your deadbolt strike plate. And yet, you don’t have to rely solely on keys to deal with your door locks. These days you can tailor your safety setup to make life easier and still more secure—e.g., using PIN pads, Bluetooth readers, and other methods to gain entry. Password managers are the same. You can choose one that works for you, whatever your needs or concerns—you don’t need to rearrange your life for it. Don’t believe me? Watch as I dismantle the top six reasons people don’t use a password manager lickety-split. Already using a password manager? Here are 10 ways to make the most of it. Reason 1: I have my own system and it works fine Your passwords are hopefully not this weak, but a homebrew system still can’t beat out a password manager.Shutterstock A lot of folks still believe using numbers and symbols in place of letters or riffing off of a base password is sufficient protection. The sad news is that those strategies aren’t strong enough anymore and haven’t been for a while. My colleague Mark Hachman explains how easy it can be to crack a password—and extrapolate patterns and habits to make cracking future passwords even easier. In other words, it’s becoming easier and easier to pick the lock on a digital door. You can gamble on never getting hit with an account takeover attempt, but you’re going to lose that bet sooner rather than later. Data breaches are only increasing in frequency (and scope), with potential fallout also increasing as vital services move further online. And even if you are generating your own long passphrases or even randomized passwords, keeping track of them will either be less protected than in a password manager (a spreadsheet with an innocuous name isn’t secure, alas) or slip your memory at some point. Reason 2: It takes too much time You can set up a password manager to automatically fill in your login info, as well as generate and save passwords. It’s much faster than manual input. (Shown here: iCloud Keychain on an iPhone.)PCWorld Not true! Typing out your login info takes longer than having your password manager pop up and autofill the credentials for you. So while it may seem like it’s slowing down your process to use one, it’s not.  As for setting up the password manager—some require no work to make them part of your routine. The ones built into Google, Apple, and Microsoft’s ecosystems (heck, even into browsers like Firefox) tie in with your existing account and offer automated password management across devices. Even third-party password managers are pretty seamless if you can spare a few minutes to sign up and then install a browser extension and mobile app. You might have to also tweak a system setting or two to ensure full integration into your flow, but it’s fast if you do. Once that’s complete, the experience is nearly as effortless as with first-party password managers—and you get more robust features. Oh, and entering all your passwords into the manager doesn’t have to happen all at once, either. It’s ideal, but if you take care of the sensitive accounts (and upgrade the quality of your passwords for them too!), you can then gradually add more credentials as you log into those accounts. Reason 3: It costs too much Bitwarden, our top pick for free password managers, offers a ton of features. You don’t have to spend any money in order to have good security.PCWorld You don’t have to spend a single cent for a good password manager. OUr favorite paid password manager Dashlane Read our review Best Prices Today: $4.99 at Dashlane Yes, paid password managers do often get recommended, but that’s because of their extra useful features—not their level of protection. A paid service will offer a wider range of two-factor authentication options (like hardware authentication keys or the ability in the password manager to generate software-based tokens), easier password sharing, family plans with group access to passwords, special travel-oriented features, and more. For not much cash, you get a tangible quality of life improvement. But a good free password manager will store all of your login info securely and also easily generate long, random passwords for every website and app. And just like paid password managers, it will also recognize sites you visit and offer to automatically fill in your credentials, as well as support basic two-factor authentication.  The better free services also provide a way to share passwords securely, set an emergency access for trusted contacts, and can generate unique user names (not just passwords), email masks, and more. Reason 4: Having all my passwords in one place is dangerous You can use an app like Authy or Aegis to generate two-factor authentication tokens.PCWorld I hear you on this one. The idea that you would put all of your passwords in one place can seem like a direct contradiction with security. If someone breaks in, you could be in for a world of pain. But you can mitigate this concern with little difficulty. Your first line of defense: Choose a good master password and enable two-factor authentication. This is arguably the most important thing you can do to safeguard yourself. You can (and should) also protect your accounts by requiring a PIN, biometric authentication, or your master password for all installed browser extensions and apps. How you choose to store your passwords can minimize or eliminate this issue, too. For example, you can lean on KeePass as your manager, which gives you complete control over the file holding all your login info. Save it on a trusted PC or external drive (don’t forget to back it up!) and access to your passwords will remain limited. KeePass might not look like much, but it gets the job done while giving you complete control over your password database. You can also opt for one of its forks, like KeePassXC, for a more modern interface.PCWorld Or you can spread your passwords between different services and apps. Maybe you sign up for both Dashlane and Bitwarden, storing a mix of accounts in each. Alternatively, you could put your info for less valuable accounts in a cloud-based manager, while your high-value account info stays locked up tight in a KeePass file. Another riff on this idea: Split passwords themselves into different fragments and store them across different accounts. For all of these scenarios, you can have both browser extensions or apps installed on your devices for simultaneous use. These options are a little more complicated, but you’ll still be remembering no more than a couple of mega-strong passwords. And you’ll have a faster and stronger system than typing out passwords kept in your brain. Reason 5: Storing my passwords in the cloud seems risky You can approximate a DIY cloud-based password system if you choose KeePass and store its database with a cloud provider you trust. Or just keep the file offline for complete control—the choice is yours.Microsoft This is a fair concern. Even the most diligent company could have a vulnerability in their system. Bugs are an unfortunate but regular part of software development. But you still have options. As mentioned earlier, KeePass saves passwords to a local file, which lets you keep that data out of cloud-based storage. Or you can DIY your own cloud solution by uploading a KeePass vault file to a cloud storage provider you trust (one that has enough engineers to properly ward off hackers and have proper safeguards against rogue employees)—e.g., Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive, or Google Drive. You can go with a hybrid system instead as well. Use an online password manager for medium- and lower-value accounts (places that have your address and billing info, but not more), while financial and other highly personal accounts are stored in a more tightly controlled environment. If you’ve been OK with using Ilovetarget.com as your password for shopping online at Target, this solution surely can’t be that objectionable. Reason 6: I’ll get stuck with a password manager I hate Nope, you can move at will. A standard practice for all reputable password managers is the ability to export your passwords. The better services allow you to export as an encrypted file, which minimizes the risk of sensitive data falling into the wrong hands. By the way, always choose the encrypted option, because a plain-text file of all your passwords is no bueno. (This one’s easy to lay to rest!) Good password managers will let you export your passwords in an encrypted format for easy and safe transfers. (Shown here: Bitwarden’s browser extension.) PCWorld Any (reputable) password manager is better than none This won’t be the last time I write about password managers, much less try to convince people to use them. But let me say, whenever you hear different arguments from tech journalists (even right here among the PCWorld staff!) about why paid password managers are better, or that browser-based password managers should be passed over—don’t let that confuse you. Or turn that into a reason to write off online security as too complicated. The reputable password manager that you use is the best one. Simple as that. I just want you all to be safe. Having to frantically recover an account or deal with identity theft is no one’s idea of a good time. Read...

28 April 2025 – Rakon Limited (NZX:RAK), a world-leading manufacturer of frequency control and timing solutions, today updates shareholders on FY2025 performance, the current business environment and the Chair’s retirement Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Remarkably full featured for a first-generation device Can be wired to analog or digital doorbell chimes Supports Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings Ecobee has one of the most affordable security plans that includes professional monitoring Cons No battery backup for power outages Subscription required to unlock entire feature set Doesn’t support Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video Ecobee’s home security ecosystem lacks an outdoor camera Our Verdict The Ecobee Smart Doorbell (wired) is a reliable, easy-to-use, high-end video doorbell. It depends on hardwired power, but it can trigger a homeowner’s existing chimes. As with many of its competitors, you’ll need to pay for a subscription to unlock all its features, but it can be incorporated into a robust home security system with professional monitoring at a very reasonable price. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today If you’re already using one of Ecobee’s smart home thermostats or security systems—or you’re thinking about installing one—you’ll want to consider the company’s first video doorbell. The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera (wired) doesn’t just compete with category leaders Ring, Nest, and Arlo, it also brings a few smart ideas of its own—and it plays especially well within Ecobee’s larger smart home/home security ecosystem. There is no battery-powered version of this product, but its $160 price tag puts it in the sweet spot for high-end video doorbells. The unit records in 1080p resolution with HDR, capturing a tall (175 degrees vertical, 115 degrees horizontal) field of view with no fisheye distortion. That framing gives you a head-to-toe view of visitors and lets you see packages dropped flush against the door. The doorbell delivers a clear, bright image, day or night. The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera can be integrated into a comprehensive, self-installed, professionally monitored home security system. The upside of being entirely reliant on hardwired power means no downtime when a battery needs to be recharged. On the other hand, you can’t install this doorbell unless you either already have the infrastructure in place or you’re willing to run wire to the location you want to install it. If you don’t want to do that yourself, Ecobee offers professional installation for a reasonable $150 (not including the power transformer, if needed). Specifications The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera (wired) comes with everything you need to install it, including a wedge mount, extension wires at the doorbell end, an adapter at the chime/transformer end, wire nuts and screws. Ecobee The Ecobee Smart Doorbell boasts IP65 weatherization, which means it’ll stand up to dust, rain, and snow, which—as TechHive’s IP code decoder tells us—means it’s impervious to dust and that it can withstand water jets projected from any direction. What’s more, it can operate in temperatures from ranging from a frigid -13 degrees Fahrenheit to a broiling 113 F (-25 to 45 C). In other words, it’s built to last without the remove-recharge-reinstall routine a solely battery-powered doorbell requires. That said, a hybrid wired/battery solution would keep the camera operational during a power outage. Being a division of Generac, perhaps Ecobee would suggest homeowners invest in a backup generator to keep your home security system powered up. In any event, I’d been using a Ring Battery Doorbell connected to a Ring Alarm base station, and I never liked the synthesized electronic ring it delivered when a visitor rang. It was loud enough to be heard throughout the house, but I really preferred my old-school analog chimes, and the Ecobee made it possible to return those to use. Ring has other wired models that can do this as well, but the one I have doesn’t. Installation and setup The Ecobee Smart Doorbell (wired) fit in the narrow space next to my door, but I needed to use the provided extension wires to connect it to my existing transfomer.James Barber/Foundry The Ecobee Smart Doorbell can be installed flat, with its camera lens facing straight out, or attached to a wedge that angles its lens by 15 degrees to better capture a view of a person standing at your door. At my home, there’s a very narrow gap between the front door frame and the brick surrounding it. The Ring doorbell I’d been using wouldn’t fit in the space, and while the Ecobee and its wedge did fit, the angled camera stuck out so that my storm door wouldn’t fully close. I ended up removing the wedge and the reinstalling Ecobee’s doorbell, and it worked perfectly in that very cramped space. That wasn’t the end of my challenges, however; Ecobee’s app displayed a “low power” warning when I connected it to my existing doorbell transformer, so Ecobee recommended that I upgrade to a 24 Volt, 40 VA AC model. The low-power warning continued to show up for a few days after I upgraded the transformer, but it eventually disappeared. Despite the low-power warning, Ecobee’s doorbell operated as expected during my entire review period. I’ve since replaced the outlet the original transformer was plugged into because it showed some wear-and-tear. In retrospect, I suspect the old outlet was the true cause of the low-power warnings, and buying a new transformer was probably unnecessary. Ecobee’s chime adapter allowed me to connect its Smart Doorbell to my lovely old-school chime.James Barber/Foundry The wiring for the original doorbell button was cut to an exact length, so there was no extra wire tucked into the wall. That makes sense. An electrician in 1967 couldn’t have dreamed that a homeowner would want to replace a doorbell button with a magic camera more than 50 years down the road. Anyway, I needed to use the extension wires and wire nuts that Ecobee included in the box to make my connection. The cavity in the wall behind the doorbell was a bit tight with the extra wire and wire nuts stuffed inside, but everything worked as expected. Ecobee’s receiver unit can connect to your home’s previously installed doorbell chime. My mid-century chime box is built like a tank and has a wonderfully musical tone when the hammer strikes the tone bar. There’s no way I could buy a unit of this quality today at any price, and it’s a welcome contrast to all the other electronic sounds generated by the modern TV, audio, and smart home gear in my home. You can also configure the doorbell to ring a chime on an Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium or an Ecobee SmartCamera. Like Ecobee’s higher-end smart thermostats, the Ecobee Smart Doorbell sports a dual-band (2.4-/5GHz) Wi-Fi adapter. Performance Ecobee’s approach to visitor detection is another feature that differentiates this doorbell from the competition. The unit’s camera has a radar sensor that cuts down on false alerts. That means fewer notifications triggered by wind-blown leaves or passing cars. Smart Focus automatically pans and zooms to keep people centered in the frame, a feature that’s usually only seen on more expensive models. As with many video doorbells and security cameras, you’ll need a subscription to get the full value from an Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera. But even without a sub, Ecobee delivers more features than most manufacturers do when you don’t pay up, including person detection, two-way talk (between the doorbell and the Ecobee app on your smartphone or an Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium), live video viewing on your smartphone or that thermostat, and 30 days of video snapshots (not video clips) from a single Ecobee camera. Stepping up to Ecobee’s Smart Security Standard subscription ($5 per month or $50 per year) adds package detection, 30 days of video recordings, and rich push notifications (all three of those features are for a single Ecobee camera). You can also pair the doorbell camera with a Yale or August smart lock and gain the ability to lock and unlock those locks from within the Ecobee app, making it easy to open your door for a visitor you see on the camera. You’ll get a 30-day free trial to Ecobee Smart Security when you buy a Smart Doorbell Cam, but you’ll need to pay at least $5 per month after that to continue being able to store video recordings and receive smart alerts. James Barber The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera can also be integrated into a comprehensive, self-installed, professionally monitored home security system in which the fabulous Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium serves as the central hub. Ecobee makes excellent door/window sensors ($80 for a 2-pack) and occupancy/temperature sensors ($100 for a 2-pack), and the indoor Ecobee SmartCamera is very good as well. Currently missing from Ecobee’s home security portfolio: an outdoor security camera—apart from this doorbell camera, that is. The top-tier Ecobee Complete subscription is one of the least expensive professional monitoring plans on the market at just $10 per month or $100 per year. You’ll also get 30 days of video storage for an unlimited number of Ecobee cameras and doorbell cameras. With professional monitoring, an agent can dispatch the police in the event of a break-in or the fire department if your Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium or Ecobee SmartCamera detects the sound of a smoke alarm sounding off. Ecobee’s top-tier plan is a rare bargain for that level of service. After a recent price increase, Ring charges at least $20 a month—$30 a month if you want to enable all the features of its Ring Alarm Pro security system. The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera can be integrated with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings smart home ecosystems. When a visitor rings the doorbell, you’ll get an alert on your Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod, or Google smart speaker. Unlike Ecobee’s SmartCamera, however, this doorbell camera does not support Apple’s excellent HomeKit Secure Video, which stores encrypted video recordings to an Apple user’s iCloud account. Should you buy the Ecobee Smart Doorbell (wired)? The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera (wired) doesn’t capture 2K or 4K video like some competitors, but its image quality is solid, and the radar-assisted motion detection is ahead of the curve. The Ecobee app is easy to understand and its connections to the doorbell camera have proved reliable during my testing. Two-way communication with visitors at the door was clear with almost zero lag. The Ring doorbell I replaced touts is hi-res (1536 x 1536 pixels) resolution, but I haven’t noticed a significant downgrade in video quality with the Ecobee’s 1080p resolution. That seems more than adequate for this camera’s purposes, but some users may want a unit that offers a sharper image. It’s an unfortunate fact of life that in today’s smart home security environment, you generally need to pick an ecosystem and stay in it. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself juggling apps on your phone to get a complete picture of what’s going on. The good news for Ecobee is that its video doorbell, indoor camera, smart thermostat/home security hub, and its sensor suite are all excellent. The company even has a smart light switch. Add in its highly affordable professional monitoring service plan and you have a 95 percent winner. The remaining 5 percent deficit comes from Ecobee not having an outdoor security camera—or anything battery powered (apart from its sensors, that is). Read...

OPINION: We are facing the most challenging and dangerous strategic environment in decades with increasing threats to our national security interests. Read...

About two years after Sightful’s Spacetop first emerged as a sort of display-less virtual computer, Spacetop is ready for liftoff — this time as a subscription-based Windows app that runs on third-party hardware, including laptops with NPUs. What’s Spacetop? Using a pair of AR glasses from XReal, Sightful’s Spacetop AR platform surrounds you with a gigantic 100-inch virtual screen so that you can work on a virtual “multi-monitor” setup virtually anywhere. The primary appeal is to help you work in a cramped environment like a plane or a hotel room, where the virtual workspace offers you some of the advantages of a home office. In 2023, Sightful showed off the Spacetop, which was like a Chromebook without a display. Sightful now utilizes the xReal Air ultra 2 AR glasses in place of the previously tethered AR glasses. If you didn’t own multiple displays and a Thunderbolt dock, fine — the AR setup surrounded you with virtual displays. Today’s Spacetop Bundle makes some changes, though the concept remains the same. Instead of AR glasses that were essentially tethered to the computing solution, Sightful uses the XReal Air Ultra 2 AR glasses instead. The most significant change involves the computer: you’ll need a laptop with an NPU of some sort (a Copilot+ PC isn’t necessary, but a basic NPU like a Core Ultra 100 series is) to power the Spacetop app itself. Yes, Spacetop is now a subscription-based application that runs on top of Windows, and it’s $200 per year. The old Sightful Spacetop.Sightful The Xreal Air Ultra 2 AR glasses output at 1080p per eye, at up to 120 Hz, with three dimming levels so that you can essentially block out extraneous light. Custom lenses are available: prescription single-lens inserts cost $50, while prescription progressive lenses cost $150. Unfortunately, you can’t wear glasses with the Spacetop/XReal headset. This concept might sound a bit like Apple’s Vision Pro — but Spacetop’s AR glasses from Xreal weigh 83 grams, while Apple’s headset weighs up to 650 grams. That’s a neck cramp waiting to happen. Yes, it’s a hefty price: the $899 Spacetop Bundle includes the AR glasses and a year’s worth ($200) of the Spacetop subscription. But you’ll need to either buy or own your own laptop on top of that, too. Sightful has been selling preorders of the bundle for $950, with a two-year Spacetop subscription offering for $1,050. (The subscriptions renew at $200 per year.) Spacetop running on a Windows machine.Sightful Work on the road and in the air Spacetop aims to enable you to bring an office-like environment with you wherever you go, utilizing AR technology. We’ve heard this concept before: part of Meta’s ill-timed metaverse push around the Meta Quest Pro was a virtual workspace, where you were surrounded by virtual screens. It didn’t work, in part because the screens were simply too low-resolution to be useful, and the headset was too heavy. Likewise, Microsoft’s original HoloLens, which I loved, was paired with a Microsoft Mixed Reality headsets — which bombed — but included an ability to pin “screens” inside of a workspace that could remain persistent while you walked around. Spacetop combines elements of both. It not only allows you to move and pin applications on what the company calls a 100-inch virtual screen but also set up a “travel mode” where the screens move with you as you move around. All of that happens via the NPU. At CES 2025 in January, Sightful representatives informed me that the company shifted its strategy in 2024, following the introduction of the Copilot+ PC and the NPU in general. They also announced plans to launch the Spacetop later that year in May 2024. On the Spacetop’s laptop, the NPU simply offloads some of the functions that were previously assigned to the CPU and the GPU — it fits within the traditional role of the NPU, which is to perform some AI-specific tasks much more efficiently than elsewhere. The idea is that efficiency translates into longer battery life. Early customers also didn’t like that the first Sightful iterations were essentially Android phones, with no ability to run Windows apps. It’s not entirely clear whether you’ll be able to run Chrome, or Edge, or a browser with plugins, let alone take a Zoom call while your face is obscured by a headset. The question is, will such a specialty device take off? Spacetop’s launch seemed less certain a couple of years ago, essentially requiring a specialized device for plane use. But now it looks much more useful as just another Windows app combined with a laptop and AR glasses that you can store in your carry-on. Read...