Vacation upgrade: Before you sign onto the in-flight or hotel Wi-Fi, turn on a VPN. It’s a layer of protection and privacy between you, hackers and the network. Get an extra three months of my VPN pick here.
DeepSeek told me some weird things
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DeepSeek, the blockbuster AI chatbot from Communist China, told me that 95% of global internet traffic flows through undersea cables. That wasn’t surprising, but what came next was:
“China has developed advanced submarines and underwater drones capable of tapping into these cables to intercept communications.”
This is from the state-approved chatbot that’s gone viral for blocking anything Communist China deems inappropriate.
I watched in real time …
… as DeepSeek removed answers or flat-out refused to discuss Tiananmen Square, internment camps and protests in Hong Kong. It wouldn’t tell me where to find a Christian church in China or talk about President Xi Jinping. Heck, it wouldn’t even acknowledge Winnie the Pooh.
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DeepSeek is a Chinese startup, and its V3 model outperforms OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Meta’s Llama and Google Gemini. Its launch sparked a tech selloff to the tune of $1 trillion, despite accusations DeepSeek ripped off ChatGPT to get up to speed in record time on a (comparatively) shoestring budget.
In my tests, DeepSeek is impressive
It’s fast, smart and beats ChatGPT in most prompts I’ve tried. (“Most” is the keyword there.) It had so much to say about China’s beauty, its bullet trains and its tech prowess.
Why you can’t access some sites while you’re on a VPN and what to do
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Let’s say you’re browsing the web with a VPN. You’re protecting privacy, so you’re confident hackers and advertisers can’t track you. Then you try to go to a site, and it just won’t load.
This can throw a wrench into productivity when working. Or it can ruin your mood when trying to have fun online.
You get what you pay for: Hackers got their hands on 19 million IP addresses by luring people in with “free” downloads like MaskVPN and DewVPN. If you ever downloaded a free VPN, uninstall it ASAP. My pick is ExpressVPN for a solid, safe option.
Why you need a VPN (even if you're not tech-savvy)
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When surfing the web, you might encounter a few confusing acronyms. Take VPN, for example. You might shrug and scroll past it if you don’t know what it means. Just like that, you could miss out on the best internet privacy tool.
Privacy tip: 5 ways you’re being tracked you must stop right now
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Online privacy is an oxymoron. For example, an advertiser ID on your phone is supposed to keep your location anonymous. Are you surprised it doesn’t? Me neither. Tap or click here for steps to see and remove your advertiser ID.
Fake your location to get the lowest prices: A friend of mine in Phoenix booked a rental car in the U.K. It was $955. I told her to try this trick. She used her VPN to change her location to the U.K. and the same car for the same dates was $322. Just another reason why you need ExpressVPN on all your devices. Use this link to get three months free.
👊 Protect your personal info: Ensure your online privacy and keep your sensitive data safe from hackers and identity thieves. I use and recommend ExpressVPN. Literally one click and you’re protected. Use my link to get three months free.
Fake your location to get the lowest prices: A friend of mine in Phoenix booked a rental car in the U.K. It was $955. I told her to try this trick. She used her VPN to change her location to the U.K. and the same car for the same dates was $322. Just another reason why you need ExpressVPN on all your devices. Use this link to get three months free.
Be my guest: Check if your router offers a guest mode. If it does, turn it on. This means visitors can get online but can’t start messing with your smart lights or using your printer — that’s getting too comfortable. And if you’re the one on a guest network or public Wi-Fi, always use a VPN. I recommend ExpressVPN. Use this link to get three free months.
10 best travel apps to plan your next adventure
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Some things may have changed since your last excursion if you haven’t traveled in forever. You might even run into sticker shock regarding airfare and hotel accommodations. Tap or click here for the best budgeting apps to help get your finances in order.
Where to put your router for better speeds
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If you sink a ton of money into a high-performing router, you probably expect it to function perfectly. Though, just buying a good router isn’t enough. You need to put it in the ideal spot to maximize efficiency.
Regarding routers, it’s all about location, location, location. By that, we mean you need to think about anything that could obstruct its signals.
Twitter shares your location when you tweet - Take this step now
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Social media is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family. Thanks to privacy settings, you can easily share stories and photos only with people you know. Even with the latest privacy tools, people still tend to overshare.
Records for 21 million VPN users leaked online - Check your data now
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Almost everything you search for, sign in to, or look at is trackable when you browse the internet. Your online activity and location logs are most likely kept somewhere, at least by your ISP. Your ISP sees everything you do online. Tap or click here to stop it.
Free check to see if your router has been hacked by criminals
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The internet is a crazy place. Not only do marketers and advertisers follow your every move, but there are also hackers and scammers lurking in the dark corners, ready to pounce on your personal information.
At least marketers and advertisers want to make money off of you. The hackers and scammers we’re talking about want to flat-out steal your money by hijacking your personal information.
Think Big Tech knows a lot? Your ISP is just as bad
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Your privacy is put at risk every time you go online. Your browsing habits and choice of apps and accounts do have a significant impact on your level of exposure. Social networks are among the biggest offenders, and that’s scary when you consider how many users they have.
Half a million VPN passwords leaked - Has your info been compromised?
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We all know the dangers of data breaches. When large caches of information are leaked, victims are at risk of many serious issues, including identity theft and other costly and frustrating cybercrime. Tap or click here for details on a recent breach that hit a wireless carrier.
Scary flaw: This app was exposing precise user location
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Most of our daily activities have found a way to be available online. More so in the last decade, dating has shifted to online apps too. Apps like Tinder and Bumble have exploded in popularity, especially during the pandemic.
Smartphone security: Do you need a VPN on your phone?
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Compared to computers, smartphones have weak defenses and easy-to-crack passwords. They’ve also got a ton of valuable data. Just think about everything on your phone.
Chances are your work email is connected, which means a savvy cybercriminal could steal your company’s secrets. There’s also your contacts list, which is stuffed with phone numbers and maybe even emails.
Warning: Free VPNs are putting you at risk
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There’s nothing wrong with trying to save a little money every now and then. Cutting back on dining out or getting a $6 latte every day is a good place to start.
But one thing you definitely don’t want to skimp on is online security. You think you’re saving money with free VPN downloads or apps, but they will cost you in the end.