Ventiva’s fanless PC cooling technology is evolving from a curiosity to what appears to be a genuine game-changer: not only is it demonstrating 45W cooling capabilities with two partners, but Ventiva is also claiming that its ICE9 system can cool up to 100 watts of thermal energy as well. Dell — the partner with which Ventiva originally worked with — is one of the companies interested in the 45W cooling solution. The other is Compal, a “white box” contract manufacturer that builds PCs for any number of vendors who then claim them as their own. Ventiva surfaced late last year, and we sat down with company executives at CES 2025. Rivals like Frore or xMEMS use a vibrating membrane to replicate the actions of a fan, moving cool air over heated elements within a PC and then outside the system. Ventiva essentially ionizes the air, which is pushed away from a charged wire and creates airflow. The amount of air moved, and how much cooling is applied, depends on a few factors: the size of the cooling component (which Ventiva calls an ICE), how much charge is applied, and how many ICE devices are working together. At CES 2025, however, Ventiva was talking about moving just 25 watts’ worth of thermal energy, enough for the 15W of an Intel Core Ultra “Meteor Lake”-U chip, for example., but not quite enough for the 28W “Arrow Lake” chips or the rival Ryzen AI 300 processors, whose TDPs are also about 28W. By pushing up to 40W, Ventiva’s partnerships with Compal and Dell would allow both companies to design laptop reference designs that could accommodate a wider variety of PC processors, including while they were running in excess of their rated TDP in turbo mode. The ICE technology is less than 12mm high, allowing thinner laptops to be made. Ventiva is also looking at the future. The company is demonstrating a 100W test laptop at Computex 2025 this week, which it will presumably use to strike even more partnerships. “AI-driven laptops are transforming the way we work, create, and play, but their increasing thermal output requires a new level of device heat management,” said Carl Schlachte, chairman, president and chief executive of Ventiva, in a statement. “This is our highest-performing thermal management system to date, enabling laptop OEMs and ODMs to push power to the limit, and stay totally cool, under any workload, from 3D design to AI development to immersive game playing.”  While 100 watts of cooling is well below what gaming laptops can consume under full load, there’s certainly a chance that a midrange laptop might be able to use Ventiva’s solution for some sort of gaming application. And boy, wouldn’t a silent gaming laptop — without the need to dunk it in a vat of coolant — be a thing of beauty? Read...

You likely already know EZVIZ for its innovative smart home security solutions. It has become one of the leading brands in the space, offering quality solutions to suit every home. However, you might not have heard about its sustainability efforts. The brand is committed to making its products as green as possible, both in the immediate term and in the future. What is EZVIZ doing to improve sustainability? EZVIZ has a long-term initiative dedicated to sustainability called EZVIZ Green. It’s a two-pronged approach that includes both product design and collaborative campaigns to further offset emissions. Starting with the products themselves, EZVIZ incorporates a number of eco-friendly measures that are both convenient for users and help to reduce the impact on the environment. For instance, EZVIZ has reduced plastic usage throughout the entire product cycle, from the packaging materials to the products themselves. Many EZVIZ cameras are compatible with solar panels to reduce the reliance on conventional power sources, and you can even take things a step further, opting to power your entire smart home with solar energy. The products also use highly efficient components to reduce power consumption, and are designed to be durable and updatable. EZVIZ pushes over-the-air updates to all of its products. So even if they’ve been on the market for a while, products continue to receive the latest features and security updates. Effectively, it means customers can keep using the same cameras for longer, both saving them money and reducing e-waste. EZVIZ In addition, EZVIZ has a partnership with an organisation called Treedom. Funded by the sales of EZVIZ Green products, they grow an average of two trees per day as part of a global forest plan. The trees are carefully selected by working with local experts and farmers to bring as many benefits as possible to the local ecosystem, and the progress is tracked online, so you can watch the impact of the campaign in real time. EZVIZ encourages customers to participate in its sustainability efforts by promoting its #GreenerWithEZVIZ campaign. When choosing an EZVIZ green-labelled product, customers are invited to join the tree-planting efforts to make a real impact across the globe. How can battery-powered cameras be better for the environment? The EZVIZ Green initiative starts with product design, and battery-powered EZVIZ cameras are a key part of this plan. EZVIZ battery cameras incorporate a technology called AOV (Always-On Video) which uses battery power more intelligently. It allows the camera to record 24/7 while reducing energy waste and extending battery life. It’s both better for the environment and also makes the products more convenient for the user. EZVIZ incorporates plenty of other eco-friendly technologies to further its sustainable goals, too. For instance, ColorFULL tech allows for high-quality color night vision, without disturbing the local environment with additional light pollution. In addition, the energy-efficient components used in EZVIZ products help to cut down on power usage. The batteries are designed to last as long as possible. Not only in terms of endurance, wherein they don’t need to be charged as frequently, but also in terms of lifecycle. When buying an EZVIZ product, you can rest assured that it’s designed to keep working in the long term. Frequent OTA updates also keep EZVIZ battery cameras feeling fresh, with all the latest features, so users can go for longer without needing to upgrade to a newer model. It’s easier on the wallet, it’s less hassle, and it’s better for the environment. As mentioned earlier, many EZVIZ cameras are compatible with solar panels, which means they can be charged using the power of the sun, rather than charging from the mains, which can contribute to carbon emissions. If you’re interested in picking up an eco-friendly EZVIZ smart camera, here are a few that we’d recommend checking out: EZVIZ CB8 Lite Outdoor PT Battery Camera EZVIZ The CB8 Lite is the perfect solution for users who want a budget-friendly camera that doesn’t sacrifice features. It has pan and tilt functionality, all-day AOV recording and color night vision. Of course, it’s also compatible with solar panels, so you can achieve your security goals and your sustainability goals in one go. Learn more about the EZVIZ CB8 Lite. EZVIZ CB5 Battery Camera EZVIZ The EZVIZ CB5 has a built-in solar panel, so it’s one of the easiest ways to get started with a green approach to home security. It also has an incredibly clear 4K resolution, making it one of the highest-resolution security cameras on the market. Combine that with AOV technology, which can record all day without sacrificing so much battery life, and you’ve got a very tempting camera. Learn more about the EZVIZ CB5. EZVIZ CB90x Dual 4G Battery Camera with Solar Panel Kit EZVIZ The CB90x Dual is an ingenious solution that incorporates dual pan-and-tilt cameras to cover a massive area using a single product. It also boasts 4G wireless connectivity, so you can install it anywhere, and you won’t need to worry about wires or Wi-Fi range. It’s the first camera of its kind to offer seamless switching between Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity, ensuring reliable video capture in all conditions. What’s more, ColorFULL tech means that it can see in the dark without creating any light pollution. The EZVIZ CB90x Dual 4G Kit will debut in June 2025. Stay tuned for more details on this amazing all-rounder. Read...

TL;DR: Take some things off your plate for good with a lifetime subscription to the Swatle All-in-One AI Assistant, now just $59.99 (reg. $240). Looking for a way AI can make your life easier? Swatle is an AI-powered productivity partner that serves as your own project assistant, helping you get more things done with fewer resources. And right now, you can secure a premium lifetime subscription for just $59.99 (reg. $240). Could you use an extra pair of hands at work? Swatle helps manage projects, automate repetitive tasks, or organize your team’s workflow. It adapts to your individual needs, helping you streamline your operations and eliminate your inefficiencies so you can work smarter and faster. Swatle’s AI project assistant provides step-by-step guidance, actionable updates, and even gives you time estimates on tasks so you can plan your day efficiently. It also helps you work with your team, streamlining communication and file sharing through a Swatle chat. There’s also a Swatle Taskdesk that can assist with non-technical projects like content creation and event planning, while the Swatle Devboard handles technical ones. Though Swatle employs cutting-edge AI technology, the interface is easy to use and requires no technical expertise. Get some help at work and beyond with a lifetime subscription to the Swatle All-in-One AI Assistant, now just $59.99 (reg. $240). StackSocial prices subject to change. Swatle All-in-One AI Assistant for Projects, Tasks & Teams: Premium Lifetime SubscriptionSee Deal Read...

Auckland Mayor unveils Innovation & Technology Alliance to boost collaboration, tech growth, and economic productivity in the city and region. Read...

There is an accelerating need for nations to establish trusted supply chains for sensitive goods such as AI technology. Australia ticks many boxes. Read...

Microsoft says it used its own agentic reasoning AI model to help develop and synthesize a new immersion fluid for PC cooling—and then confirmed that it worked by dunking a PC motherboard into a vat of it. John Link, Microsoft’s principal program manager for product innovation, closed out Microsoft’s Build developer keynote by showing off how Microsoft innovated a new immersion cooling technology using Copilot AI without any PFAS (or what’s known as “forever chemicals”). PC boards and server racks can be cooled by air, by water, or by connecting metal heat exchangers with fluid-filled tubing that thermally routes the heat of a processor to the outside world. Immersion cooling is an extreme example of this, which uses electrically non-conductive fluids that surround the entire board. Essentially, the entire board is submerged. Water can’t be used because it would short out the system, so PFAS can be used instead—but PFAS presents environmental and health hazards. Link used what Microsoft calls Microsoft Discovery, an agentic research system. Agentic AI is Microsoft’s next big thing, and your one-on-one interactions with Copilot will soon give way to managing individual AIs that autonomously perform specialized tasks. Submerged, cooled, and running Forza.YouTube According to Microsoft, the model uses both proprietary data as well as external research to try and develop relationships between the data. In Link’s demonstration, it used both a “Knowledge Base” agent as well as a specialized chemistry agent. The example tried to exclude any proposed molecules that would violate the PFAS conditions, and that fell within a certain dielectric range and boiling points. You can watch Link’s Microsoft Build 2025 keynote closeout to see what he discovered, but it appears to be a member of the alkene family. More to the point, Link said that the discovery was promising enough that Microsoft synthesized enough of it to dunk a motherboard and PC processor inside a container of the stuff, and then ran Forza Motorsport to prove that it worked. Read...

You’ve probably barely become used to interacting with ChatGPT, Copilot, and other AIs. Whether you like it or not, Microsoft will soon start guiding you towards the next generation of AI: ordering agents to autonomously pursue tasks for you, particularly in the business space. Today, at Microsoft Build, the company begins rolling out tools to consumers and business users that show off its vision. Microsoft 365 Copilot Wave 2, for example, is Microsoft’s name for an improved Microsoft 365 application, a hub where your chats, notebooks, and agents all intersect. It will include Copilot Search, too. Microsoft wants those business users to also begin training their agents and models on company data so that a legal agent, for example, can quickly come up with a merger proposal or disclaimer form. Other work that Microsoft is doing is laying the groundwork for a future that isn’t here yet, but you’ll probably want to know about: what Microsoft calls a Model Context Protocol will be a framework for AI agents to work with and control native Windows apps—part of what Microsoft originally promised with Copilot but never really delivered. And while Microsoft is pushing what it calls Windows AI Foundry and Windows AI Foundry Local toward developers, you might benefit, too—they’re designed to allow LLMs to run locally, with Microsoft handling all the deep thinking about bits of code you’ll need and how they’ll be optimized for the hardware that’s already on your PC. Microsoft seems to believe that any ground it lost to OpenAI, Meta, or Anthropic can be quickly made up by pushing AI across its workplace and yours. If it’s scary, just think: Microsoft just went through a round of layoffs that apparently were used to replace some of programmers with AI. What’s next for you in Microsoft’s AI So what’s an agent? If you’ve interacted with Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, or others, you might have delved into what some call “Deep Research”: you ask a question, the AI formulates a plan, and then it goes off and figures out what you’ll need. Agents are designed even more autonomous so that you’ll be able to assign them a task, and then they’ll keep at it until it’s done—potentially even repeating the task. That’s the hypothetical approach, anyway. The Microsoft 365 Copilot application, with a drop-down menu for agents.Microsoft Microsoft 365 Copilot Wave 2 will probably have the most immediate impact on your workday, provided that you work for a company that subscribes to Microsoft 365. The app itself is designed for human-agent interaction, and Microsoft showed off a menu with an “agent” category. Two of those, Researcher and Analyst, will be included. They’re rolling out to customers by what Microsoft calls the “Frontier Program,” which is basically a Windows Insider program for AI. Microsoft has two demonstration videos that explain Researcher and Analyst. Researcher is like a supercharged version of Deep Research, but instead of making a plan and checking it with you, it might bounce questions or ideas off you to get things going. Analyst feels like something that normal people could use—or at least those who haven’t learned good data practices. In the Analyst video below, you’re essentially able to ask Copilot to format your data in a way that makes sense, like to whip it up for a meeting. Another, separate feature that Microsoft is working on is in PowerBI, where you’ll have an opportunity to “query” or ask questions of your data. At this point, Microsoft is excellent at taking related functions and sprinkling them across their various apps where they make sense. Microsoft already offers what it calls Copilot Notebooks, where you can query Copilot and then turn the output into an interactive document. Microsoft says you can do this on your phone, and when you’re done, you can save the notebook as a “legacy” file format like Word for sharing. Microsoft also said that Microsoft plans to roll out Copilot Search and Copilot Memory in June. We’ve already seen Copilot Search, which is live now; the AI-powered search slurps up the recommendations from your favorite content creators and journalists and then presents them in Microsoft’s voice, with small links. Copilot Memory is more than just a history of your search. It’s a reminder of how you solved your problem. Currently, engaging with AI is a one-time, transactional process. Microsoft wants more of a history where it remembers what Copilot did and how it got there. “So you interact with an agent, maybe it recalls past interactions,” Kevin Scott, Microsoft’s chief technical officer, said Sunday night. “It almost certainly doesn’t remember its scratch work over time, like the way that we would, like we solve a problem once, and then we sort of write it down somewhere on a piece of paper, store it on disk, or remember it. So memory is one of these problems that is really going to be important for us to solve, and it needs to be a form of agentic memory that probably more mirrors what happens with biological memory.” Microsoft is also going to beef up Copilot’s Create function with OpenAI GPT-4o image generation, which OpenAI believes excels at generating text. So if you want a raccoon writing lines on a blackboard, the words will (hopefully) make sense. Another feature, Microsoft 365 Copilot Tuning, might not be totally aligned with Microsoft’s Wave 2 efforts. But Microsoft is trying to allow Copilot to train itself on as much corporate data as you (or your company) will allow it to take over menial tasks. Microsoft “Users will be able to automate repetitive tasks using Computer Using Agent (CUA) technology for tasks such as data transfer, document processing, market research, and compliance monitoring,” Microsoft says. Finally, Microsoft is taking its business browser, Edge, and improving it at understanding files shared over the Web, like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Laying out an AI agent future Microsoft is also setting the stage for future improvements, which aren’t here yet. Remember how Microsoft promised that Copilot would allow you to control your PC? That really never happened, although Microsoft’s promised controls of the Settings menu are an intermediary step. According to Microsoft, the company is “evolving Windows for the agentic future” with a technology called Model Context Protocol, or MCP. (It’s possible Microsoft will rename this when they realize the similarities with Tron‘s Master Control Program.) Microsoft is also working to implement “app actions” within Windows, too. “MCP integration with Windows will offer a standardized framework for AI agents to connect with native Windows apps, enabling apps to participate seamlessly in agentic interactions,” Microsoft said in a blog post authored by Pavan Davuluri, the corporate vice president in charge of Windows and devices at Microsoft. “Windows apps can expose specific functionality to augment the skills and capabilities of agents installed locally on a Windows PC.” For developers, Microsoft is building Windows AI Foundry. It’s not obvious what AI Foundry does, but it appears to take AI models and model catalogs like Ollama and bring them within Windows so that developers can quickly try out new models. A complementary AI Foundry Local service will allow those models to run locally on a PC rather than in the cloud. Microsoft’s Windows AI Foundry might be a tool for developers and enthusiasts alike.Microsoft “In preview, Foundry Local will make it easy to run AI models, tools, and agents directly on devices, whether Windows 11 or MacOS,” Microsoft said. “Foundry Local will be included in Windows AI Foundry and will deliver best-in-class AI capabilities on Windows with excellent cross-silicon performance and availability on millions of Windows devices.” “During preview, developers can access Foundry Local by installing from WinGet (winget install Microsoft.FoundryLocal) and the Foundry Local CLI to browse, download, and test models,” Microsoft added. “Foundry Local will automatically detect device hardware (CPU, GPU, and NPU) and list compatible models for developers to try.” If you’ve ever tried playing around with AI yourself, you probably know that trying to figure out what model your PC can run, then downloading it and whatever dependencies it needs, and then trying to update it—it’s all a real pain. Foundry AI and Foundry Local may be aimed at developers, but this might be a tool for enthusiasts to keep an eye on as Microsoft moves ahead into its agentic future. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Large server network Dedicated IP available Broad app support Cons Short-term plans are expensive Pushes you to buy extra features Dubious privacy record InConsistent streaming unblocking Our Verdict PureVPN offers a decent base set of features which can be extensively upgraded for a price. It boasts a large server network and is based in a privacy-friendly location. But previous privacy snafus, inConsistent streaming unblocking, and its pushy sales strategy means there might be better options elsewhere. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today PureVPN in brief: P2P allowed: Yes, on some servers Simultaneous device connections: 10 Business location: British Virgin Islands Number of servers: 6,500 Number of country locations: 78 Cost: $12.95 per month, $47.88 for 1 year, $51.36 for 2 years, or $129.60 for 5 years PureVPN is a service based out of the British Virgin Islands—formerly Hong Kong—that comes with a clean interface, broad server network, and large feature catalog.  The service might not offer any novel or revolutionary technology, but it tries to make up for this by striving to perfect the basics: privacy, security, and accessibility. I put the service to the test to see if it can stand out in a saturated market and whether it’s worth your time and money. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best VPN services for comparison. What are PureVPN’s features and services? PureVPN allows up to 10 simultaneous device connections. This is likely enough for most people, however there is a growing trend among top providers to provide unlimited simultaneous connections and that would’ve been more ideal. The service currently offers a total of 6,500 servers to choose from across 78 country locations. That’s quite good for any VPN, and is one of the best reasons to choose the service over other competitors. Unfortunately, unlike other services such as Windscribe Pro, which offers only physical servers, some of PureVPN’s server locations are virtual. VPNs typically employ these virtual servers in countries or regions where it would otherwise be difficult to safely maintain a physical server—think countries like China and Russia. Virtual servers are a kind of stopgap measure to offer these country locations without the physical infrastructure. Thankfully, PureVPN listened to its users and recently decided to scale back its use of virtual servers. While there isn’t anything inherently wrong with virtual servers, they are sometimes known to have reliability and speed issues compared to physical servers. A highlight of PureVPN is that it offers broad platform support including Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, browser extensions, and smart TVs. This, and its large server network seem to be the biggest draws for the service. PureVPN’s app is well designed, so long as you ignore the upgrade recommendations on the sidebar.Sam Singleton When you first open the Windows app you’ll encounter a pleasing white-and-purple user interface with a simple Connect button in the middle and a list of options on the left. It’d be a very slick interface if not for the addition of a side menu on the right unnecessarily serving you a bunch of upgrade recommendations. This type of upselling is actually one of my biggest gripes with the service. Not only can you seemingly not get rid of these recommendations, but the service also bombards you with marketing emails once you sign up. I personally counted eight unwarranted emails within the first few days of using the service. But I digress. Back on the home screen, along the left side rail you’ll find options for server locations, as well as (upgradable) data removal, dark web monitoring, and password manager tools, and the Settings menu. Broad platform support and a large server network seem to be the biggest draws for the PureVPN. PureVPN offers all of your basic VPN features, including ad- and tracker-blocking, a kill switch, and split tunneling.Sam Singleton Under the Settings menu there are personalization options along with standard VPN features. These include a kill switch to block internet traffic in the event of an accidental disconnection, auto-connect features, and an ad- and tracker-blocker. Here you can also change the connection protocol and enable split-tunneling, which allows you to pick and choose which apps you wish to run through the VPN and which to keep separate. That is about the extent of what is on offer for Standard plan users. Pretty cut and dry as far as VPNs go. I can’t say that I feel like I’m getting a lot of value for my money with the Standard plan considering it’s around the same price as other top VPNs such as NordVPN and ExpressVPN that offer way more features.  There are plenty of addons offered by PureVPN if you decide you want to upgrade the service. Sam Singleton It is worth noting, though, that PureVPN does offer a plethora of add-ons for various fees. There are the options for a dedicated IP, Port Forwarding, a dedicated server, residential network, and additional simultaneous device logins. You can also choose to upgrade to the Plus or Max plans if you’d prefer to have extra security features such as a password manager, data removal, or dark web monitoring. How much does PureVPN cost? PureVPN’s pricing is convoluted to say the least. Not only are there three different plan tiers, but also four different contract lengths to choose from: month-to-month, 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year. Then once you finally decide on your plan, you’ll be offered a bevy of extra services that you can add on for extra fees. Those who love customization will revel in the options, but those who want simplicity are likely to come away feeling overwhelmed. The service offers Standard, Plus, and Max tiers. The Standard plan provides just the VPN and tracker blocker. The Plus plan adds a password manager in addition to those. Then the Max tier adds additional access to a data removal service and dark web monitoring. PureVPN’s Standard plan costs $12.95 per month, which is more expensive than most premium VPN services. The Plus plan jumps sharply to $17.95 per month and the Max plan is $19.95 per month. Thankfully, the service offers all of these plans for steep discounts if you opt for long-term subscriptions instead. The Standard plan drops to a much more reasonable $47.88 for one year at $3.99 per month, or $51.36 for two years at $2.14 per month. PureVPN also offers a 5-year plan but the Standard plan monthly rate curiously increases a bit, with additional savings only available on the Plus or Max tiers at this term length. PureVPN accepts payments via credit card, PayPal, Bitcoin, and some other cryptocurrencies. How is PureVPN’s performance? When testing a VPN’s speeds I measure connection speeds across its servers in different countries all around the world and then compare them to my baseline internet speed. I carry out these tests across multiple days to establish a more consistent average. PureVPN’s speeds overall performed well. Testing with WireGuard connections produced the best results where the service was able to manage 61 percent of the base download speed. Upload averages were even better with an impressive average of 79 percent of the base speed. While these speeds were done over the WireGuard protocol, testing other protocols did slow down the connection to varying degrees. Regardless, I recommend that almost everyone use WireGuard as their default protocol for the best speed and security anyways. These results put PureVPN into the top half for speeds of all VPNs on the market. Users should find that they’ll have no issues with everyday browsing or streaming, and high speed torrenting or video chats should also work well while connected. When it comes to unblocking streaming content, PureVPN is a mixed bag. I found that even with the recommended streaming servers—listed under Shortcuts in the locations menu—I still wasn’t able to consistently access the sites they claimed to work with. For example, when trying to access Netflix U.S., I used the recommended server but was still met with the dreaded “connection blocked” screen. However, some of the other recommended servers unblocked streaming sites without a hitch. I even found that random PureVPN servers not specifically recommended for streaming could successfully unblock streaming sites. So all in all, the VPN’s unblocking capabilities felt very hit-or-miss and as a result I can’t truly recommend it for streaming. How is PureVPN’s security and privacy? PureVPN offers multiple protocols including WireGuard. Sam Singleton PureVPN offers three protocol options: IKEv2, OpenVPN (both TCP and UDP), and WireGuard. It also provides a feature called Connect to Fallback which, if turned on, will automatically connect to a different protocol should the original protocol connection fail to connect. While this feature seems like a good idea, I believe that users should always opt for WireGuard and I don’t particularly like the idea that a VPN would change the connection to a less secure protocol without a user knowing it. The potential issue here being that PureVPN might rely on this as a quick fix rather than a last resort. Regardless, this feature can be turned off, which I recommend. The app comes with a kill switch that will block all internet traffic in the event that your VPN accidentally disconnects. My kill switch tests found that the feature worked as intended, successfully blocking my internet when I needed it.  Also, DNS leak tests showed that while connected to PureVPN’s servers, there were no leaks of my original IP address.  In regards to PureVPN’s privacy policy, there are a few concerns. In the past, PureVPN caught some flak for cooperating with law enforcement. While the intentions were good in this instance, it doesn’t bode well for a VPN company in the business of user privacy to be breaching that trust. Additionally, according to PureVPN’s Privacy Policy, the service collects individual timestamps, dates of last connections, and individual bandwidth usage. However, the service does maintain a “no-logs policy” and it does not collect browsing activity, customer IP addresses, or identifiable connection logs, among other things. I do appreciate that PureVPN has undergone two independent audits on its no-logs policy in recent years. Unfortunately, it has yet to publish either of those audits publicly which is curious considering it’s common practice for most other VPN services. PureVPN has switched to an “always-on” open-door auditing system that allows security firms to drop in and conduct an audit anytime. Sam Singleton PureVPN provides regularly updated Transparency Reports detailing outside data request statistics. It also promotes what it calls an “always-on” approach to auditing where outside security auditing firm KPMG can conduct surprise audits of PureVPN without any prior notice—although beyond the two audits I mentioned previously, it doesn’t seem like they’ve been taken up on this offer. PureVPN has recently relocated from Hong Kong to its new homebase in the British Virgin Islands. This is good news as there are no mandatory data retention laws in the British Virgin Islands, nor is it a member of any international data sharing alliances such as Five, Nine, or Fourteen Eyes. Is PureVPN worth it? PureVPN is a worthwhile, if slightly underwhelming, VPN service that provides the basics for an affordable price. It has seemingly grown leaps and bounds in recent years, expanding its server network, improving its speeds, and updating the interface. It should also be commended for moving in the right direction to absolve itself of any privacy concerns. That all being said, I feel like there are other services out there that offer better value for the money and provide more consistent streaming unblocking capabilities. It isn’t a bad VPN, and there is an argument to be made that it could suit novice users well, but other services do the same things better. Editor’s note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, this review is subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the service. Any changes to text or our final review verdict will be noted at the top of this article. Read...

I don’t know how your tech drawers look, but mine are filled with wires I’ll likely never use again because technology has advanced quite a bit. Thankfully, USB-C seems to be here to stay since there is no wrong way to plug these things in. It’s not just smartphones, tablets, and laptops that use these, however, but also a long list of gadgets. We’ve scoured the market for hidden gems: gadgets that will make you think “Wow, I didn’t know I needed that, but it will make my life so much easier!” So, let’s dive in and see what cool devices you’ll be able to use your type-C cables and ports with. Wowstick 1F+ mini electric screwdriver Wowstick If you often have to fiddle around with your computer or other gadgets, this Wowstick mini electric screwdriver may be just what you need. This pen-shaped screwdriver features three LED lights so it’s easier to see what you’re working on and rotates 200 times per minute so you can finish the job faster. The screwdriver has a stylish base so you can hold it on your desk, and a whole collection of 56 aluminum alloy bits. The screwdriver can be charged via USB-C and it can last for hours. This super fun electric screwdriver usually goes for $41. Anker Nano Power Bank Anker One thing you need to have in you bag/pocket/backpack is a power bank because you never really know when your phone will fail you and cry for a recharge. Well, the Anker Nano power bank is tiny enough to fit just about anywhere. It comes with a foldable USB-C connector and a port on the side so you can charge two devices at once if you need to. The 5,000mAh capacity is just about enough for a full phone recharge, so it will be great in a pinch. It’s also only $30, but we’ve seen it as low as $16. Endoscope camera with light Ennovor Although it’s not something you’ll use every day, this Ennover endoscope camera can definitely come in handy. You just plug it in your phone, install and app, and see everything your camera does. Our team swears by it, using it for finding whatever they dropped behind the desk, while working on the car, or looking for pipe leaks. Since it has an IP67 rating, you can even plop it in your aquarium. The camera comes with a 16.4ft semi-rigid cable and several accessories, including a hook, magnet, and a mirror. You can get this one for $23 right now. Blukar flashlight Blukar I don’t care who you are—you need a flashlight. The smaller, the better, because you get to shove it into any pocket. This model from Blukar comes with a built-in 1800mAh battery that you’ll recharge with one of those many type-C cables you have in that tech drawer we were talking about. It can work for up to 16 hours on a single charge, which is pretty decent. There are four different lightning modes to cycle through, including one that will help you signal for help. Plus, one of these is only $10, so no excuse to pass on this one. Samsung flash drive Samsung The vast majority of flash drives have a USB-A connector, but this one from Samsung has a Type-C connector. With transfer speeds of up to 400MB/s, you’ll move files around in no time. The beauty of this thumb drive is that you can even pop it in your smartphone to record 4K vids directly on it. The Samsung Type-C flash drive comes in multiple storage options, starting at 64GB and up to 512GB and they start at $14. The 256GB version, for instance, is $27 at the time of writing. Read...

MSI unveils AI server platforms based on NVIDIA MGX and DGX Station architectures, boosting enterprise and cloud data centre AI capabilities. Read...