Ian Paul
Israel
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Product Marketing. Former contributor to @PCWorld, @howtogeek, and others.
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Articles by Ian Paul
Was Jesus born in December?
One of the problems about the development of traditions around Christmas is that people writing hymns or plays set Jesus’ birth in their own world rather than in what we know of the first century. In particular, many assume that Jesus was born in winter, since Christmas is celebrated in winter in the northern hemisphere.
Harmony SaaS Delivers Next-Level SaaS Security for Google Cloud Customers
Your organization relies on a growing portfolio of SaaS applications to drive productivity. But this shift has brought with it a shadow of complexity and risk. Shadow IT, misconfigured apps, and third-party integrations now form a fragmented, often-invisible attack surface—one that many traditional security tools weren’t built to handle. That’s why we’re excited to announce that Check Point Harmony SaaS is now available on Google Cloud Marketplace.
Wi-Fi Extender vs. Mesh Network: What's the Difference? Original
Wi-Fi extenders and mesh networks take two different approaches to boosting signal coverage in your home. Extenders will repeat your Wi-Fi signal to increase your coverage, but the signal degrades the further away you replace an extender. Mesh networks create a strong signal across your entire home with smart, powerful routers and nodes. However, a mesh upgrade costs significantly more than an extender. Having Wi-Fi dead zone issues?
Between the Sea and the Security Fence
Ian Alan Paul October 18th, 2023 Other languages: Türkçe, Polski, Français, Español, 日本語 Across Gaza’s fragmented collage of architectures and ruins, the abstraction of life rivals life itself.
The Secret Recipe for Modern Network Security
Network security is no longer just about protecting boxes inside a well-defined perimeter. Instead, we’ve moved to a hybrid world where lines are blurred. Modern network security has to cover on-prem servers, cloud resources, and SaaS applications. The key tool in this new reality is Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), and at the center of ZTNA is identity. Being able to identify employees and assign access to specific on-prem or cloud applications is a foundational part of ZTNA.
FTC Proposes Negative Option Rule Changes
Attention all website operators that sell goods and services on a subscription basis. On March 23, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced proposed amendments to the Negative Option Rule, which governs how businesses can sell goods and services on a subscription basis. The complete announcement can be viewed on the FTC’s website.
Turn Up the Heat With Extra-Provocative Videos
Nudes have been at the top of the adult content game for a long stretch, but in the sexting hierarchy, there’s another link in the chain: provocative videos. Anyone can snap a quick nude here and there, but making a sexy video takes a little more effort and creativity, and is therefore more highly valued—literally, meaning it deserves a higher price tag. Moreover, users love videos because they offer a more captivating and immersive experience than photos can.
Using YouTube as an NSFW Content Creator
What’s your favorite shampoo? Most likely you always buy your preferred brand, no matter the price or what other new brands might appear. The same thing happens in the content creation world. As a content creator, you are a brand, and you need to position yourself so that customers focus on you — precisely because it’s “you.” That “you” factor goes beyond how sexy you look naked. In fact, it mostly relies on the persona you create for yourself on the internet and the connection you create with fans.
Keep the Marketing Hype Going Full Steam, Nonstop
You’re a social media influencer. Or a model. Or an adult film actress, chef or fitness instructor. You’ve got great content, a huge group of influencer friends, a ton of goods to sell and all the creative tools you could possibly need to be successful. So, why isn’t the cash rolling in? Why are you stuck in the black hole of broke without a sliver of daylight? You hear other influencers talk about how many fans they have or how much money they’re making, and you compare yourself to them.
Using YouTube as a NSFW Content Creator
What’s your favorite shampoo? Most likely you always buy your preferred brand, no matter the price or what other new brands might appear. The same thing happens in the content creation world. As a content creator, you are a brand, and you need to position yourself so that customers focus on you — precisely because it’s “you.” That “you” factor goes beyond how sexy you look naked. In fact, it mostly relies on the persona you create for yourself on the internet and the connection you create with fans.
Don't Underestimate the Power of Email Marketing
Tired of the stress that comes from losing yet another social media account? Fortunately, there are alternative ways to reach your fans. Even though social media marketing has taken over as the primary way to connect with potential customers, there is another marketing tool that can also be highly effective and yet is often overlooked: email marketing. What Is Email Marketing and Why Should I Give It a Shot?
Netflix's 'Money Shot' Highlights Need for 2257 Self-Certification
The Netflix documentary “Money Shot: The Pornhub Story” has sparked a debate about the consequences of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and its impact on the adult industry, particularly in light of the negative influence that the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) has had on content creator revenue and sex worker safety. However, most recent debate on this matter overlooks a key potential solution.
How to use voice dictation in Google Docs
Voice dictation wasn't used to create this article on how to use Google Docs' voice typing, but it could have been. The service is actually very accurate and quite flexible, thanks to Google's inclusion of basic formatting and editing commands. There's a reason Google's offerings remain a mainstay in our roundup of the best free Office suites.
How to use voice dictation in Google Docs
Voice dictation wasn't used to create this article on how to use Google Docs' voice typing, but it could have been. The service is actually very accurate and quite flexible, thanks to Google's inclusion of basic formatting and editing commands. There's a reason Google's offerings remain a mainstay in our roundup of the best free Office suites.
NordVPN review: A great choice for Netflix fans, but who's running the show?
Credit: NordVPN NordVPN in brief: P2P allowed: Yes. Dedicated servers. Business location: Panama Number of servers: 5200+ Number of country locations: 60 Cost: US$79 / AU$111 (For 2 years service) Panama-based NordVPN is a popular choice among VPN users and is also the recipient of much praise from experts. After spending some time with the service, it's not hard to see why. First off, NordVPN lets you watch U.S. Netflix from anywhere in the world a rare feat these days.
Best antivirus: Keep your Windows PC safe from spyware, Trojans, malware, and more
Antivirus software is nearly as crucial as a PC's operating system. Even if you're well aware of potential threats and practice extreme caution, some threats just can't be prevented without the extra help of an AV program—or a full antivirus suite. You could, for example, visit a website that unintentionally displays malicious ads. Or accidentally click on a phishing email (it happens!).
Release v0.30.0: Built for Python 3 · cmdln/flashbake
Flashbake 0.30.0 Changelog New: Python 3 Flashbake is now built for Python 3. The Python 3 port doesn't require substantial changes to configuration files, with the exception of removing any dropped features and adding new features. Python 2 is no longer compatible with Flashbake; however, older versions remain in the archive for those who need them. New (Linux): Support for Rhythmbox The Music plugin now supports Rhythmbox. The plugin doesn't require any configuration.
DDR5 RAM: How Much Faster Is It, and What Else Is New?
SK Hynix DDR5, the next generation of RAM, should appear on store shelves somewhere around late summer or fall of 2021. DDR5 is the successor to DDR4 RAM. DDR5 promises better speeds, better power management and efficiency, and more RAM packed into a single stick. What You’ll Need to Use DDR5 RAM DDR5 is coming to a PC near you, but you need the right CPU and motherboard to support it.
How to Choose a Motherboard for Your PC: What to Look for
Kreabobek/Shutterstock.com New PC builds happen along a common trajectory: You decide on your GPU and CPU in whichever order is important to you. Next, you usually decide on the motherboard based on your budget (and chosen CPU), the case, and then everything else. Motherboard Basics Since the CPU and GPU have the most substantial impact on the performance of the PC, it makes sense to start with them. A motherboard, however, can also make a big difference.
What Is a “Lite Hash Rate” or “LHR” GPU?
NVIDIA Forget about software. In 2021, it’s cryptocurrencies that are eating the world. Thanks to miners looking to strike it rich in cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Dogecoin, prices are sky-high in the consumer market for graphics cards—if you can even find a graphics card in stock.
5 things to do before Google's data cap hits June 1
Credit: IDG The time has come and the free ride is over. As of Tuesday June 1, 2021 your Gmail messages, Google Drive files, and Google Photos will count against a hard cloud storage limit. No more loopholes, no more ignored files, no more unlimited storage of photos (unless you're on a Pixel) and documents. Nearly everything counts.
5 things to do before Google's data cap hits June 1
Credit: IDG The time has come and the free ride is over. As of Tuesday June 1, 2021 your Gmail messages, Google Drive files, and Google Photos will count against a hard cloud storage limit. No more loopholes, no more ignored files, no more unlimited storage of photos (unless you're on a Pixel) and documents. Nearly everything counts.
Do You Need Liquid Cooling for Your PC?
socrates471/Shutterstock.com Keeping your PC cool is critical, whether it’s a high-powered gaming machine or just an office PC. There are a lot of PC types in between these two extremes, and many require robust cooling under heavy load. So should you stick with an air-cooling fan or go with an expensive liquid-cooling system? What Is Liquid Cooling? When we talk about liquid cooling for mainstream PCs, we’re talking about all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooling systems.
The 5 best WhatsApp alternatives
Credit: Anton More than a billion people around the globe use WhatsApp to stay in touch, and while people have been looking for alternatives in the wake of some recent controversies, it can be difficult to quit if your friends circle is already entrenched. Like most messaging apps of this type, you can only communicate with others who are also using WhatsApp—messaging apps aren't universal like text messages are.
IVPN Pro review: Privacy gets a huge boost
Credit: IVPN IVPN in brief: P2P allowed: Yes Business location: Gibraltar Number of servers: 76 Number of country locations: 32 Cost: $100 per year VPN protocol: WireGuard Data encryption: ChaCha20 Data authentication: Poly1305 Handshake: ECDH/curve25519 One of the best features of Mullvad, our favorite VPN at this writing, is that it doesn’t require an email address or password to subscribe. Instead, it auto-generates an account name that works as your one and only login.
PC Matic 4.0 review: Healing is still holistic, but with a new coat of paint
Credit: PC Matic Antivirus suites with lots of features tend to focus on detecting and managing threats first, and then throw in some “tune-up” utilities as extras. Iowa-based PC Matic (formerly PC Pitstop) takes a different approach. The company’s eponymous software is an optimization tool for your PC foremost, with antivirus being just one part of that larger whole. The focus on optimization is made clear the moment you see PC Matic’s use of dashboard gauges.
MSCHF is up to no good with its race to win 100 pounds of cookies
Credit: IDG The Internet is a weird and wonderful place. The latest weirdness comes from the team at MSCHF of the Lil Nas X “Satan” shoe debacle. The Brooklyn-based art collective’s latest effort is a contest to win 100 pounds of cookies. All you have to do is gather the most browser cookies with MSCHF’s special Google Chrome plugin by Monday, May 3 at 1 PM Eastern time. It sounds like a fun contest but don’t count on winning, as the leaderboard is already filled with shenanigans.
Logitech's new carbon labels show your mouse and keyboard's impact on the environment
Credit: Logitech It’s Earth Day, and all the world’s companies want to make sure you know they care about the planet too. So please, buy their stuff? Sure, that’s a little cynical, but Earth Day promotions are often just ploys to sell more products, which seems counterintuitive to the first two of environmentalism’s Three Rs. This year, however, I have to admit I found Logitech’s approach to sustainability marketing intriguing.
Logitech's new carbon labels show your mouse and keyboard's impact on the environment
Credit: Logitech It’s Earth Day, and all the world’s companies want to make sure you know they care about the planet too. So please, buy their stuff? Sure, that’s a little cynical, but Earth Day promotions are often just ploys to sell more products, which seems counterintuitive to the first two of environmentalism’s Three Rs. This year, however, I have to admit I found Logitech’s approach to sustainability marketing intriguing.
5 great security tools built right into Windows
Windows 10 has a fantastic set of built-in security tools. In recent years, Windows Defender, the built-in antivirus for Windows 10, has performed as well as (and sometimes even better than) the major third-party suites. Many of Windows 10’s security features are turned on by default, such as Windows Defender’s real-time malware scanning and scheduled quick scans. Still, there are items that are either not enabled by default or have a lot more to offer than you may realize at first glance.
How to see what Google knows about you, and delete it
Google collects a lot of data about you if you use the company’s services. To its credit, the company makes finding and deleting that data easy by showing most of it on a single website. Here’s how to see the bulk of what Google knows about you, and how to delete it if you want. Once you delete data from your Google Account, the company immediately starts removing it and stops using it for personalization.
Newcomer VeePN features a Double VPN, Netflix support, and workable speeds.
VeePN in brief: P2P allowed: Yes Business location: Panama Number of servers: 2,600+ Number of country locations: 52 Cost: $70 (billed annually) VPN protocol: OpenVPN Data encryption: AES-256-CBC Data authentication: TLS 1.2 with 2048-bit Diffie-Hellman Handshake: SHA-512 VPN services are everywhere these days, and new ones pop up all the time. The one we’re looking at today is called VeePN.
Which CPU do I have and how fast is it? How to check
Credit: Brad Chacos/IDG Do you know which CPU you have, and how fast it runs? And is it fast enough to run Windows 10 at a capable clip? The latter question we can answer right away: As long as you have a PC-compatible CPU manufactured in the last five years, there’s little reason to think it can’t run Windows 10. The minimum Windows 10 processor spec is just 1GHz, after all. There are some restrictions for older processors, though, and in these cases you’ll want details on which CPU you’re running.
VeePN Review: Passable speeds and crazy-good five-year deal
Credit: PC World US VeePN in brief: P2P allowed: Yes Business location: Panama Number of servers: 2,600+ Number of country locations: 52 Cost: $70 (billed annually) VPN protocol: OpenVPN Data encryption: AES-256-CBC Data authentication: TLS 1.2 with 2048-bit Diffie-Hellman Handshake: SHA-512 VPN services are everywhere these days, and new ones pop up all the time. The one we’re looking at today is called VeePN.
How to disable start up programs in Windows 10 to make boot times faster
Credit: Microsoft You can find plenty of Windows programs to help cut down boot times, but they’re not necessary. Everything you need to make Windows faster is already waiting for you in an old, built-in utility: the Task Manager. This storied program isn’t just the place to stop annoying processes that refuse to shut down. The Task Manager can also help manage startup times. Open the Task Manager by tapping Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
VeePN Review: Passable speeds and crazy-good five-year deal
VeePN in brief: P2P allowed: Yes Business location: Panama Number of servers: 2,600+ Number of country locations: 52 Cost: $70 (billed annually) VPN protocol: OpenVPN Data encryption: AES-256-CBC Data authentication: TLS 1.2 with 2048-bit Diffie-Hellman Handshake: SHA-512 VPN services are everywhere these days, and new ones pop up all the time. The one we’re looking at today is called VeePN.
Lock down your Windows PC with a dedicated local administrator account
To protect your Windows 10 PC from hackers, try this: Creating a local user account to be your Administrator account. Many Windows 10 users make the mistake of using the Administrator account as their everyday user account, which makes your PC more vulnerable if your user account is hacked. One of the advantages of Linux PCs is that by default users don’t have “always-on” administrator accounts. Instead, authorized users elevate their privileges to act as an administrator for brief periods of time.
How to Choose a PC Case: 5 Features to Consider
Syafiq Adnan/Shutterstock.com When building a PC, the case is usually an afterthought. People pick a CPU, GPU, a good motherboard, RAM, a PSU, maybe a liquid cooler—and, with whatever budget is left, pick up a case. But your PC’s case deserves more thought than that. Here are five important things to bear in mind. Case Size The Corsair Crystal Series 280X Micro-ATX case. This one is easy and obvious, but it still shouldn’t be overlooked. The first thing to consider is the sizing of your PC case.
When Should You Buy an Aftermarket CPU Cooler?
Alberto Garcia Guillen/Shutterstock Many CPUs come with a free cooler. This is fantastic since it means you have one less component to buy when building a new PC. But many PC builders believe these coolers aren’t worth using. You can definitely buy better CPU coolers than the one that comes with your CPU—but should you? The answer comes down to how you use your PC and how hot your CPU gets when in use.
CyberGhost VPN review: An easy-to-use VPN for content streamers
Credit: CyberGhost CyberGhost in brief: P2P allowed: Yes Business location: Romania Number of servers: 7,000 Number of country locations: 90 Cost: $47.88 per year VPN protocol: IKEv2 (default) Data encryption: AES-256 Data authentication: SHA-256 Handshake: 4096-bit RSA CyberGhost is back with a new update, and we really liked what the company has done with its desktop app.
How to Overclock Your AMD CPU with Ryzen Master
Tester128/Shutterstock.com AMD offers a free overclocking program called Ryzen Master that lets you experiment with overclocking your AMD Ryzen CPU. Ryzen Master makes overclocking a lot easier than it used to be. Ryzen Master lets you easily fall back to the default settings if things go wrong. You still need some basic overclocking understanding, but it’s a nice, easy gateway into the world of overclocking. What Is Overclocking?
Mastering your password manager: 5 must-know tips
If you aren’t using a password manager yet, you really need to start, because protecting online accounts has never been more important. To take just one example, a personal email account now contains years of not only correspondence, but also purchase histories, travel plans, and links to other key accounts, including credit cards and banks. You probably also have passwords for banking, home security systems, social media, and digital platforms at work. And on, and on, and on.
Getting started with Signal and other encrypted messaging apps
Credit: Open Whisper Systems Right now. That’s always the best answer to the question, “When is it a good time to start using an encrypted messaging app like Signal?” Ever since Edward Snowden became the world’s most famous whistle blower, concerns about digital privacy have been front and center, and apps like Signal can help protect the wary. But what is Signal and other encrypted messaging apps, and how do they work?
Getting started with Signal and other encrypted messaging apps
Credit: Open Whisper Systems Right now. That’s always the best answer to the question, “When is it a good time to start using an encrypted messaging app like Signal?” Ever since Edward Snowden became the world’s most famous whistle blower, concerns about digital privacy have been front and center, and apps like Signal can help protect the wary. But what is Signal and other encrypted messaging apps, and how do they work?
Getting started with Signal and other encrypted messaging apps
Credit: Open Whisper Systems Right now. That’s always the best answer to the question, “When is it a good time to start using an encrypted messaging app like Signal?” Ever since Edward Snowden became the world’s most famous whistle blower, concerns about digital privacy have been front and center, and apps like Signal can help protect the wary. But what is Signal and other encrypted messaging apps, and how do they work?
CorelDraw Graphics Suite 2021 makes life easier for artists working remotely
Credit: Corel With so many companies working remotely during this pandemic, and so many think pieces talking about how work life will never be the same, Corel’s Draw Graphics suite is rising to the occasion. The company announced its 2021 update for the powerful illustration and design suite on Tuesday, and this year’s enhancements have a renewed focus on the demands of remote work.
AceVPN.com Ultimate review: No desktop app, but that's not its biggest problem
AceVPN.com in brief: P2P allowed: Yes (Ultimate plan only) Business location: United States (unconfirmed) Number of servers: Unknown Number of country locations: 23 Cost: $165 per year VPN protocol: OpenVPN (IKEv2, IPSec, and PPTP also supported) Data encryption: AES-256-GCM Data authentication: HMAC with SHA-384 Handshake: TLS v1.2 We’re breaking one of our standard rules for reviewing VPNs by looking at a service—namely, AceVPN.com Ultimate—that has no desktop app to speak of.
Wi-Fi Extender vs. Mesh Network: What’s the Difference?
Eero Both Wi-Fi extenders and mesh networks promise to improve and extend your Wi-Fi signal, but they achieve this through different means. Plus, if you don’t purchase the appropriate system, you may find that the investment wasn’t worth it. What Is a Range Extender? A range extender is usually a box that plugs directly into an outlet “wall wart”-style. It may or may not have external antennas, and as the name implies, it extends the range of your Wi-Fi network.
How to benchmark your PC laptop for real-world gains
Credit: IDG Everybody wants to know how well their laptop performs, but usually for different reasons. Was that high-end processor you optioned worth the extra money? Can your inexpensive clamshell run the latest, hottest PC games? Is it time to give up on that old laptop for something with a little more capability? A good way to find out is to run a few benchmarks.
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