Software Reviews

Review on Yodot MP4 Video Repair Software:

Last updated on December 13, 2019

Videos are one of the best ways to record important events. The upside of having video is you can watch them anytime and savor the moment. What if your favorite video is corrupted? How do you repair these corrupted videos?

Yodot MP4 Repair software is one such software that can be relied upon to repair corrupted MP4 videos. Here is an insight on how the tool repairs the corrupted MP4 videos to make them playable again.

What are the attributes of a video repair software:

Handle different types corrupted videos: A video file might be corrupted due to Audio-Video sync issues, corruption while editing the video, corruption in video or audio tracks etc. Despite the extremity of corruption, the software needs to repair the video completely.
Fix videos captured on different devices: Videos are not only captured using cameras, but also devices like smart phones, camcorders, drones, CCTVs and many more. The software needs to be compatible to repair videos across all these devices.
Good user experience: The process on video repair involves sophisticated methods wherein, the broken video file has to be analyzed according to the codec in order to fix the video. Regardless of the complications involved, the tool has to be simple enough for even a novice user to use.

Videos can get corrupted at any time due to unforeseen reasons, at times its difficult to play the videos because of corruption in the storage drive due to bad sectors. If your storage device is corrupted, there are chances that the videos can go missing any time. In such cases you will be needing data recovery software such as Yodot Data Recovery to retrieve the videos before repairing them.

Considering the above factors such as compatibility, simplicity and credibility, it was found that Yodot MP4 Repair Software is highly efficient in terms of performance. The tool can repair videos with different types of corruptions with ease. Yodot MP4 Repair tool repairs MP4 videos irrespective of the file size and the severity of video file corruption.

Stand out features of Yodot MP4 video repair software:

3 step video repair Process: The simple user interface helps you repair corrupted videos in three quick steps. In order to repair videos, all you need to do is provide a healthy video file for reference along with the corrupted video and then hit the repair button to start the repair process.
Preview videos after the repair: After completion of the repair process, the tool gives you the option to preview the repaired video. This feature is very advantageous, as you can validate the videos before saving them.
Repair videos captured on various camera brands: Video formats of different camera brands differ from each other. Regardless of which camera the video is shot on, the tool is highly credible to repair damaged videos. This include cameras such as Nikon, Sony, Canon, Panasonic and many more. Along with cameras you can use the utility to repair videos captured on smart phones, and camcorders.
Compatibility: The software is available across both Windows and Mac operating systems. Apart from repairing MP4 videos, the utility also repairs videos of various other formats such as MOV and M4V videos.
24/7 Technical Support: The application is very easy to use even for a novice user. Despite its simplicity, if you find any difficulties while using the tool, you can always reach out to the highly trained technical support team for assistance round the clock.

How to repair videos with Yodot MP4 Repair Software:

Repairing videos using Yodot is simple, here is what you need to do to repair the corrupted video

Upon launching the application, you will be able to fine two options, Healthy File and Corrupted File. Click on Healthy file and select a healthy video file for reference. (Note: make sure that the selected healthy file has the same format as the corrupted video file)
Next, click on Corrupted File button, select the damaged video file to be repaired and hit Repair button
After completion of the repair process, the tool will display the repaired MP4 video. Click on Preview button to play the repaired video.
Finally, Save the repaired MP4 file on a location of your choice

System Requirements:

Yodot MP4 video Repair tool (Windows/ Mac) is compatible with all the latest versions of Windows and Mac operating systems.

Windows: Windows 10,8,7, Windows XP, 2003, 2008, etc.
macOS: Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, etc
Memory: 1 GB RAM.

Conclusion:

With advancements in technology, shooting high quality videos are much easier. A professional photographer generates huge volumes of videos each day, with more videos generated the chances of video file corruption is also high. Hence, always maintain a backup to protect your important videos and other media files from corruption or damage. Sometimes there are chances that the video files get corrupted despite having a backup. Therefore, it is important to be ready for any such video corruption scenarios. By utilizing the right tool such as Yodot MP4 repair software, empower yourself to repair corrupted videos anytime.

The 10 Best Mobile Apps for Running Your Business

Last updated on December 5, 2019

These days, mobile apps are available for just about any obscure function you could possibly conceive, from seeing what you look like with different funny moustaches to providing your pet cat with on-screen rodent entertainment. But of course, our mobile devices are not merely intended as trivial diversions; for the more sober-minded among us, phones and tablets can be essential tools for keeping business on the go, without the need to sit down in the office in front of a wide screen monitor. By choosing the right apps to download, we can maintain all important executive control wherever we happen to be. And we still might find time for silly moustaches and cat entertainment.

IT services are currently an essential part of driving business growth and can provide vital insights into which apps or software may benefit your business. If in the UK, EC-MSP offers unparalleled IT support services to London companiesEC-MSP offers unparalleled IT support services to London companiesand makes sure they can stay ahead of the game.

Slack

A useful cloud-based tool that allows for messages and files to be stored in one place, Slack is completely mobile. It allows for workflows to be divided into teams or clients in any way that’s suitable, and individuals can join or leave chats as required. Slack integrates with over 1000 apps, and it allows for files, images and videos to be dragged and dropped directly. It has a screen sharing feature, and a useful video call features for talking directly to participants.

Office 365

The cloud-based, web app version of Microsoft Office is available on Mac and PC, and across mobile devices. It includes the most useful applications, Word, Excel and Powerpoint, with OneDrive available for online backups and used with external cloud providers. Other applications included in the package are Publisher, Outlook, Access and Skype. As a leading office software platform, Office 365 is especially useful for smaller businesses.

Kashoo

Kashoo is a platform for creating invoices, auditing and taxation, among other accounting services. Its invoice features are available in multiple currencies and information on exchange rates are automatically downloaded. Kashoo has a payment gateway that allows users to accept credit card payments, with BluePay, Square and Stripe also supported. The app enables connections to more than 5000 bank data feeds, has a user-friendly interface, and excellent customer support. Unfortunately, Kashoo is only available for iOS users.

Quickbooks

Available to download or as an online, cloud-based solution, Quickbooks is a useful app for financial management aimed at small to mid-sized enterprises. It can be used to accept payment, to manage and pay invoices, and for various services like payroll. The Simple Start payment plan enables users to track expenses and income, manage receipts and create reports, while the Essentials plan allows for bills to be managed and for multiple users to be included. The app integrates with PayPal and Apple Pay to make payments and invoicing easier.

G Suite

Another cloud-based storage solution, G suite provides users with access to spreadsheets, text documents, presentations, images or email wherever they may be. The Google suite also enables collaboration in real time, with revision and comment tools. There is a comprehensive free plan for individual users, or paid plans for larger businesses that require more storage and security features. With a handy mobile app for a full range of mobile devices, G suite can be conveniently accessed anywhere.

Trello

Trello is a project management tool that is organised into list-making boards. It is flexible and easy to use, allowing users to keep track of their tasks and projects from simple overviews to precise details. Trello allows for collaboration between individuals and teams, and it has an appealing visual approach. Users create cards displayed on boards which can be marked as assigned or completed. Numerous labels can be attached to make things clearer and notifications are sent to users when actions are performed.

Inigo

It was not so long ago that the exchange of personal cards was an important part of business. Though this may still be practiced in the digital age, there is less need for it. Inigo is an app for networking that allows for the creation and sharing of virtual business cards simply by tapping one mobile device against another. This makes networking a much more convenient interaction, without the need to print and carry around physical cards that could still be in existence somewhere long after your professional situation has changed.

Xero

Xero is an accounting app that is widely used throughout the world. It provides everyday accounting procedures that include employee payrolls, accounts payable, accounts receivable and purchase orders. All data can be saved to cloud or downloaded, and the mobile app helps users to access data and keep track of finances in any location. Xero is easy to set up, with an intuitive dashboard and unlimited email support.

Evernote

For the recording of ideas, either for personal use or to be shared with others, Evernote enables the capture and storage of text, audio or images. This can include personal and business notes, to-do lists, reminders and other files, which can be stored and accessed across a range of personal devices. Notes can be located with the use of tags or keywords. Evernote conveniently makes note taking possible on the go, it prevents ideas from being lost, and it offers an easy Google sign-in.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a useful software application that is increasingly relevant in a business landscape, with a large focus on marketing and communications. This app helps businesses build and manage mailing lists, increase subscribers, send out messages, automate email campaigns, customise email templates, view performance reports, and create the most effective newsletters. The information provided can be used to make customer communications more relevant, and Mailchimp can be conveniently integrated with e-commerce platforms such as WooCommerce, Magentoand Shopify.

With so much more functionality accessible through mobile apps, it almost seems possible to run businesses solely from mobile devices. While in most cases this may still be a bit too much to ask, it does mean that those running businesses are much more flexible in terms of their location, and in terms of their overall capabilities. The future is likely to be one in which we are all freed from the traditional desk, and able to live more physical and comfortable lives – while we are getting things done.

Best Free VPN for Torrenting – ExpressVPN for Torrents

Last updated on November 25, 2019

Out and about looking or the best free VPN for torrenting without having to shell out a single buck for the premium ones? Here’s a complete breakdown of the best free VPNs you can use to download torrents, and why we recommend a premium service such as ExpressVPN instead.

For as long as the internet has existed on a personal user scale, we’ve been trying to not just communicate, but share content with one another. For years, electronic mail was the only way to get across images, audio files, videos, and documents across to users all around the world, but the significant increase in the overall user base of the World Wide Web has led to the creation of media sharing platforms online. Despite the popularity that video sharing platforms such as YouTube have received, the inception of file-sharing platforms, especially P2P (peer-to-peer) has changed the way large chunks of files are shared among users online.

Although the technology behind P2P was initially created to make large file sharing simpler, it has manifested into a way for sharing of copyright content, leading to a swarm of online piracy. We aren’t here to beat around the bush or discuss whether using torrents is morally questionable. But it is a fact that torrenting is not going away any time soon, and if you’re among those who indulge in this way of life, then being secured by a virtual private network (VPN) is bare essential. However, not all VPN services are built the same way, and with a variety of both, free VPN for torrenting along with premium ones out there, making the right choice isn’t an easy task.

Torrenting without a VPN is risky

If you’ve been a torrent user for years, you’re probably aware of the severe crackdown on torrenting websites all across the globe. Not only have some of the giants in the world of torrents been shut down for good, but the ones that still stand, are always facing an existential threat. As an end-user, there are certain risks involved when using these available torrent services, which makes the use of a VPN service essential.

Copyright issues – Billion-dollar movie studios and production companies do not have the time to go around looking for folks who are distributing their copyright content for free. They hire companies that look all over the World Wide Web for unauthorized and unregulated distribution of content produced by their clients and file lawsuits against the individuals who share it. Violating the terms of use can lead to heavy penalties for the users, and in some severe cases, can also land them in federal custody.

Malicious websites – The hostile takedown of some of the legitimate sources of torrents by federal authorities have left a vacuum for newer, less secure websites to take their place. This has led to the rise of torrent websites packed with excessive adware, virus-ridden content with activities related to phishing to surface. Apart from being bombarded by pop-up ads dozens of times upon a single visit, it even leaves your computer at risk of being affected by malware which can wreak havoc on your system.

Internet speed throttling – Since the free torrent websites still need to be able to afford the server costs and general maintenance, they not only resort to ad banners but also throttle the download speed for the content that the users can get their hands on. Additionally, your internet service provider (ISP) will also put a cap on the maximum download speed based on the source you download the torrent from.

Free VPN for Torrenting – Is it worth it?

One of the primary reasons why users choose to use torrents is to either access content that is not officially made available in their region of residence, or to fetch paid content, applications, and other files for free. When using torrents to get your hands on some premium content for free, it can seem counterintuitive to then go around and pay a premium price for the VPN that you’re using to cover up your activities online, when a free one can do the same – so it seems.

While some of the free VPN services out there can help you mask your IP address and grant you access to the torrent websites that your ISP has blocked you from, they are far from being foolproof. These free VPNs are not only just a makeshift proxy but in some cases, also steal user data to profit from its user base, which defeats the purpose of anonymity and privacy.

Additionally, a free VPN for torrenting will generally not offer security features such as no-log policy and other security barriers, which defeats the purpose of having a VPN in the first place. However, if you are dead set on not spending a single cent on torrenting, here are some of the free VPNs for torrenting that get the job done. However, these VPNs services lack the quality of service and security that is necessary to safely and optimally download torrents online.

1. Windscribe VPN

Offering a private window into the internet to users for years now, Windscribe is among the VPN services that have gained popularity not by advertising, but by word of mouth. Although the best experience of the VPN service comes when you spend for the premium subscription, it continues to be one of the best free VPN services out there.

Offering connections to 11 different remote servers across the world for the free members, you can have multiple connections across devices and enjoy a bandwidth of 10GB per month, which should help you plenty of torrents online all month long.

2. Hide.me VPN

A VPN Service which has made its way across desktop platforms, as well as Android and iOS for secure mobile browsing, Hide.me is a big name in the business. To unlock the full potential of this torrent client, along with unlimited bandwidth, you do need to subscribe to the premium service.

But even with the free membership, your browsing experience is secure with PPTP, IPSec, and several other security protocols. You do get only 2GB on data allowance to use this free VPN for torrenting, and the availability of just 3 servers along with 1 active connection per account holder also limits the usability.

3. Hotspot Shield VPN

Popularized on the mobile platform at first, Hotspot Shield has become a mainstream VPN client which is available for desktop platforms as well. Offering no cap on the download and uploads speed with fast transfers that are guarded by the latest security protocols, Hotspot Shield VPN only falls behind when it comes to the 500MB data allowance.

However, the data allowance is renewed every day, so you can start back the torrent downloads again in case of larger files while being able to use one device connection per account on the free subscription.

4. Betternet VPN

This is the only free VPN for torrenting on the list which gives you unlimited bandwidth to download gigantic torrent files in a protected manner. Getting started is simple, and you get support across all devices, included web support on Google Chrome, mobile Android and iOS apps, as well as desktop clients for Windows and Mac OS X as well.

The only reservation we have when it comes to Betternet VPN is the fact that it does not uphold a no-log policy, which again, is counterproductive when it comes to online security.

Our Recommendation – ExpressVPN for Torrents

It won’t take you to long to realize that free VPNs for torrents are either too inefficient to be useful, they won’t offer you the amount of bandwidth required to freely download content, or simply don’t offer the quality of speed and security necessary. The growing concern of internet privacy has led to the rise of plenty of great VPN service providers, and none of them has risen to the top faster than ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN covers 90+ countries – If you’re looking to access the local or national websites of a country far away, ExpressVPN has got you covered. With more than 160 server locations established in a total of 94 countries, you can spoof your IP address to appear from any of the enlisted countries, choose among 160+ different server locations, and get the fastest transfer speeds going.

Unlock entertainment content – For those who just want to take a look at the catalog of movies and TV shows that Netflix offers outside of your country of residence, or wish to try out services such as BBC iPlayer which is not available to residents outside of the UK, enabling ExpressVPN grants you access to a world of entertainment that you are yet to discover.

ExpressVPN on all devices – Whether you want to set up the VPN service on your mobile phone to make VOIP calls and go under the detection radar, or wish to unlock the power of torrents with ExpressVPN, there’s an app to do it. You get support for all of the popular platforms such as Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, and even VPN-enabled routers.

Keeping you secure – To keep your online activities private and away from the prying eyes of your ISP, the government, and especially hackers, ExpressVPN has the highly strengthened 256-bit encryption in place. Since your IP address is hidden, your location and your identity are also safeguarded for complete anonymity.

Built for torrenting – A single second of a drop, in the connectivity can leave your online user activity open for the ISP as well as the federal surveillance departments to snoop in and find out what you’ve been up to. ExpressVPN deters this mishap by offering the Network Lock feature, which acts as a kill-switch for your internet connection, effectively disabling the connection every time there’s a drop in connectivity between the device and the remote servers.

Finals Words

Whether you’re a good Samaritan who only uses torrents to download open-source content from the internet or a loyal member of the pirate ship downloading content from anywhere and everywhere, you need the protection that is awarded by some of the best VPN service providers out there. We’ve scoured through the vast depths of the internet to find, free and reliable VPNs for torrenting, and while they may not be perfect, you can get the job done with them.

However, we do recommend that you spend a few dollars to make the most out of the unlimited bandwidth, top of the line security, high-speed connectivity, and ease of use that comes with ExpressVPN. The best part is that ExpressVPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you’re unsatisfied with it, you can grab a full refund, effectively making it a free VPN for torrenting that you get to try out for a month.

Which is the free VPN service that you’re going to look towards for all your torrent downloads, or do you prefer to take the high road with ExpressVPN? Do share your thoughts in the comments section right down in the comments section.

How to Convert PDF to Word with PDFelement Pro

Last updated on November 21, 2019

Are you out looking for a way to convert PDF to Word and make some edits to a document before sending it out? Here’s a complete guide on how to change PDF to Word file, and why you should use iSkysoft PDFelement Pro to do it.

The business world now belongs to the internet, with everything from financial transactions, to conference business meetings happening over the web. Regardless of the line of work that you’re in connecting to the World Wide Web is most likely a daily work operation for you and your business. A large chunk of working over the web includes sharing files and data, most of which is done through one specific file format – Portable Document File (PDF).

The PDF format has been around since Adobe created it as a proprietary file format, but was finally made an open standard a decade ago in 2008. What makes PDF files unique is the fact that they are “written in stone”, meaning that the files cannot be edited, and the text cannot be changed or reformatted. The PDF format has been universally adopted to become the ideal way to view documents across different operating system platforms.

Why change PDF to Word file?

There are certain times when you actually need to edit the all-mighty PDF file or get a hold of the graphics or text contained within the file. This is where a PDF to DOC converter comes in handy, enabling you to easily change the document file format, and there are plenty of ways to do so. Here are just a few reasons why you would need to change the format of a PDF file to Word DOC file:

Copying the content – While you can always move over your cursor across a PDF file and use the “copy” command to fetch the content within the file, it does not take into account the formatting of the content. To do so, you would need to convert the PDF document into a typing-friendly format such as DOCX, which is the primary reason to convert it.

Making corrections and changes – The biggest advantage of a PDF document is that it cannot be tampered with, and is essentially permanent. This can also be counterproductive since any errors within the content, or changes that are required to the PDF document are there for good. The only way to make necessary edits and improvements to the content is by changing the file format into an easily editable document type such as Word.

Adding Annotations – There are times when your employer, your employees, or colleagues may share certain documents with you in PDF format, which need to be edited and worked on. Putting in your comments into the PDF file isn’t possible, but it can certainly be done in an editable file format such as DOC. By changing the file format to DOC, it is easier for you and others to add their comments, doodle over the content, and highlight changes.

iSkysoft PDFelement Pro – The ultimate PDF to DOC converter

Necessity surely is the mother of all inventions, which is why there has been a meteoric rise in the number of different apps and software clients to change PDF to DOCX. A simple web search will lead you to dozens of online and downloadable apps that provide the ability for file format conversion, but not all of them are built the same way. Some of these online converters ask you to sign up and populate your inbox with spam and adverts, while others do a subpar job of converting the files, resulting in cluttered content and broken images.

Dependable PDF to Word conversion apps is in short supply, and iSkysoft PDFelement Pro is among the top brass. Built as a no-nonsense solution to creating editable, sharable, and well-formatted Word DOC files the easy way, PDFelement Pro offers a range of features that are unmatched with the competition.

Editing made easy – Whether you want to edit an entire paragraph of content in the PDF file or just a single line of text, choose the style and size of the text with ease. Managing the images within the PDF file is made easy too, with options to resize, crop, replace, and more.

Annotate your PDFs – An important tool for collaboration projects, this feature allows you to put down your comments, put down your drawings, add stamps, sticky notes, and even floating text boxes within the PDF file itself.

Convert PDFs – The core feature of PDFelement Pro is to allow the user to convert the PDF file into another format. Using the Windows-based software, you can easily convert the PDF file into a Word DOCX file, TXT format, JPG file, and many others.

Create PDF forms – If you’ve ever downloaded a form online in PDF format, you know exactly how tedious it can be to fill it out, even after converting it into an editable file. PDFelement Pro allows you to pick up a file, fill it out in real-time, and even add your digital signature is required.

Smart OCR feature – A proprietary feature developed by iSkysoft is the OCR (optical character recognition) built specially to scan through image-based PDF documents. Saving you hours browsing through thousands of words of content at a stretch, the OCR feature makes it easier for you to copy, extract, and replace the text within the Word file.

Bonus features – Apart from the advertised features, PDFelement Pro packs a powerful punch with nifty tidbits for security such as permission controls and password protection. Additionally, PDFelement Pro saves you to time of printing the PDF document, signing/stamping it, and then scanning it again, by incorporating these features into the software itself.

How to convert PDF to Word with PDFelement Pro

Now that you’ve taken a quick look at everything that the PDFelement Pro software can do to super-charge your work routine, let’s get back to its core ability. To get started and convert the PDF file into a Word DOC file, here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Download and install PDFelement Pro

Designed to be a powerful solution to converting, editing, annotating, and replicating PDF files into multiple formats, PDFelement Pro is available as a Windows-based software. Using the link given down below, download the PDFelement Pro software to your computer and begin.

Download iSkysoft PDFelement Pro

You can download PDFelement Pro for a free trial to and it for a spin to gauge the efficiency of the features. The installation process is simple and should take no more than a couple of minutes to get everything set up and running.

Step 2: Convert the PDF file into a Word DOC file

Once you have installed the PDFelement Pro software, launch it on your computer and find the button that reads “Convert PDF”.
A file browser will pop up on the screen, allowing you to find the PDF file that you wish to convert.
Once you find the PDF file, click on it and press the Open button.
You will then be asked to select the location where you wish to save the converted file.
Additionally, the “Save as type” drop-down menu will allow you to choose the format you wish to save the file in. The default format is DOCX, but you can select from more than a dozen other file formats as well.
The conversion process will now begin, and depending on the file size of the PDF documents, the process should take a few minutes to complete.

Voila! You will now have the converted Word DOC file saved on the location of your choosing, ready for you to view and edit.

Final Words

A simple Google search will reveal that there is no shortage of PDF to Word converters out there, with PDFelement Pro certainly not being the only one available. To ensure that this tool for file format conversion is worth the money and the effort of using it, we tested out half a dozen online and downloadable software apps that promise to offer the same end result that PDFelement Pro does. In terms of quality, it was apparent that most of the free offerings out there did a mediocre job of converting the documents, with issues persisting the text and image formatting.

Additionally, there was no contender on the market that supported the sheer number of features that PDFelement Pro does. Factoring in the positives has led us to believe that if you find yourself converting and editing PDF documents often, PDFelement Pro is the way to go. To make the deal even sweeter, iSkysoft PDFelement Pro is being offered at a steep discount of 50% just for our loyal readers, giving you the benefits of a premium document conversion tool at half the cost. So what are you waiting for? Try out PDFelement Pro right now, and if you love it as much as we do, grab it at a 50% discount!

Download iSkysoft PDFelement Pro at 50% OFF

Everything You Need to Know About Using a Free VPN

Last updated on November 12, 2019

We are living in a digital age when everyone is online. Sadly, a lot of people still don’t understand the importance of privacy and security when they are online. On the other hand, some are aware of this but don’t want to spend their money on security.

But have you wondered, are there free VPNs? Of course, given the fact that they are free, they have certain limitations. Still, is there a good free VPN with decent performance? Let’s start with some reviews of the best free VPNs. You can also check out VPNlab for more VPN reviews

Windscribe

Windscribe is a free VPN that also comes with a premium option. Below we’re going to give you some of the critical details of their free offer. Bear in mind that their premium version only upgrades all of these things.

Free features

10 GB bandwidth per month
256 bits AES
OpenVPN tunneling
Solid speed
11 servers for accessing 110 different locations

Pricing

Free option
Premium option: $4 monthly payment

Compatibility

Works on most devices
Supports all the major platforms

Pros

Allows torrents
Quality encryption
No leaks
Can be used on multiple platforms and devices

Cons

Live chat support isn’t 24/7 available
Based in Canada

HotSpot Shield

Hotspots Shield comes with a free version as well that includes ads. The ads are there to make up for the excellent free service that they provide. How to get a VPN free? The Hotspot Shield Free can be downloaded and doesn’t require a subscription or an account.

Free features

500 MB daily bandwidth
Only a single virtual location (United States)
Data encryption

Pricing

Free version
Premium version: $12.99 per month / 12 months – $7.99 per month/ 36 months – $2.99 per month

Compatibility

Best free VPN for windows
iOS
Mac
Android

Pros

Easy to use
Has a free trial
A lot of server diversity
Best free VPM for streaming movies

Cons

A bit more expensive unless you take the longer subscription
Customer support is sometimes unreliable

Hide.Me

Hide.me is one of the rare VPNs that has a top-tier free option. On top of that, it offers several paid plans as well with a 30-day refund.

Free features

2 GB monthly bandwidth limit
Free anonymous proxy browser
No ads
Customer support

Pricing

Free version
Paid options: 1 month – $14.95 monthly/ 1 year – $9.99 monthly/ 2 years – $5.41 monthly

Compatibility

Androids
iOs
Windows
Firefox
Chrome
Blackberry
Routers

Pros

Offers advanced features
Allows 10 connections at the same time
A good number of servers
Nice speed

Cons

Doesn’t have specialized servers
A bit expensive

What you need to know when choosing a free VPN

There are three important things you need to consider. First of all, look at the business model the free VPN provider is using. A lot of free VPN providers use your data to make money, and you don’t want anyone to compromise your privacy.

The second thing to look out for is privacy policy. You need to ensure that the free VPN provider doesn’t log any of your online activities.

In the end, make sure to do a background check of a company. See where they are based, who is behind the organization, laws they comply with, and whether they’re transparent.

Why you should get a free VPN

A VPN hides your IP address to protect your data while giving you access to all the content. When browsing the web, the information you send and receive can be intercepted by someone. You need to make sure this doesn’t happen.

Hackers can steal your sensitive information like IP address, location, credit card information, browsing history, and so on. A VPN protects you from this and allows you to access restricted sites, browse anonymously, stop bandwidth throttling, improve torrenting, and much more.

Free VPN benefits

Free VPNs are best for individuals that want to access the site or online information that is blocked from them. Put, they can change their IP addresses and seem like they are from other countries. Some general benefits of free VPNs include:

Better access to apps and information
Improved Wi-fi security
Geo-restriction bypass
Protect login credentials
Use your home services when in a foreign country
More privacy and anonymity
Protection against malware

Free VPN restrictions and limitations

Like with any other service, the free options often have limitations compared to paid ones. For example, you will rarely find a free VPN with unlimited data.

However, there is a right way of seeing how VPNs work and check out all the options before switching to premium. Here are some of the limitations that free VPNs might have:

Download data cap
Bandwidth limitation
Limited server location access
Restrictions to which services you can use
No or limited customer support

FAQ

Can I use a free VPN for streaming?

If the provider offers this feature, of course, but not many free VPNs give you this option. The reason is quite simple; streaming requires a lot of speed and a lot of servers. Not many providers are willing to provide you with quality streaming options like Netflix.

Is free VPN good for torrenting?

All free VPNs have limitations. These limitations make peer-to-peer downloading a lot slower. It means that free VPNs aren’t good for torrenting. You use them to download torrents, but you will waste a lot of time.

Can I use a free VPN to bypass censorship?

Yes, of course, this is why most people use free VPNs. However, things aren’t that simple because there are different levels of censorship and restrictions.

For example, if you are located in a high-risk country like China, and you want to visit a strictly forbidden site, you might need a premium VPN with a better encryption protocol.

Should I get a home VPN?

In case you are worried about the safety of your online data, or you don’t want your internet service provider to see everything you are doing online, getting a home VPN is a good idea.

What is the difference between VPN and Proxy?

Both proxy and VPN can unblock locked content. However, only a VPN can improve online privacy and bring more security.

Should I use a free VPN or Tor?

In general, Tor gives you better anonymity than any free VPN. The only reason to use a free VPN is if the site you want to access is locked for Tor users. On the other hand, there are premium VPNs today that can match Tor’s capabilities.

Conclusion

We hope this guide has helped you understand VPNs and how they work. Try out the free versions and see for yourself how these services work and whether they are worth the money.

Surfshark VPN For iPhone Review

Last updated on August 17, 2019

Surfshark VPN for iPhone is an app that can increase your privacy, give you access to blocked websites, and even increase your security. And if you think that’s good, we’re just getting started!

This is one of the best deals that are out there right now as you’re getting a ton of features at a good price point. With that being said, let’s take a closer look into it!

Surfshark VPN For iPhone Review

Main Functionality

As mentioned above, Surfshark is a VPN. And the main purpose of a VPN is to increase your overall privacy while also allowing you to access regional blocked content. If you want more details on how that works, head to the bottom of this page.

Now, with that being said, different VPNs will offer a different set of features and functionality. So, let’s take a quick look at what Surfshark VPN for iPhone brings to the table!

1: Identity Protection And Data Theft

Your IP address can unveil a great deal of information about you from your location to even your name and address, depending on who gets his hands on it. An like it or not, our IP is visible to every single website that we visit.

As if that wasn’t enough, our connection is also not encrypted. So, basically, anyone who has the knowledge on how to steal information can almost freely do so.

That information may include anything from social media passwords to even login information on banking accounts. Needless to say that you definitely don’t want that.

Thankfully, Surfshark protects both your identity and information by concealing your IP and encrypting incoming and outcoming data/information.

2: Phishing Protection and Ad-Blocking

Phishing is a method that cyber criminals use to fool you into providing every bit of information that they need. There is a wide variety of methods to do that, but what matters is that more often than not, you won’t realize that you fell victim of a phishing scam until it’s too late.

For example, the scammer may create a fake copy of a banking website which looks and feels exactly the same. However, every bit of info that insert there will be sent over to the criminal instead of the bank.

So, you open an email which says that you need to log-in to your online bank account in order to check something out, you do, and without realizing, you end up giving all the information that the hacker needs.

That’s why Surfshark has implemented a phishing detection mechanism to protect us from such occurrences. Not to mention malware and intrusive ads.

3: Data Encryption

Encrypting outcoming and incoming information offers some massive benefits for both protection and privacy.

This single feature allows you to safely use public Wi-Fi, your banking account, crypto walled, and anything else that is normally prone to cyber criminal attacks.

4: No Borders

Many websites and even individual shows on Netflix are regionally blocked. That means that depending on where you live, you may not be able to access YouTube, Supernatural, or anything else that is regionally blocked.

Surfshark gives you the ability to bypass that by making it look as if you’re browsing through another country. Websites often look at the IP to determine the location of the one who is browsing.

So, if the VPN gives you an American IP, then the website that you’re browsing will think that you’re browsing from the USA regardless of where you really are.

Surfshark VPN for iPhone: Features and Pricing

Surfshark VPN for iPhone comes as cheap as $1.99 per month. That’s without a doubt one of the cheapest VPN apps we’ve ever seen and is definitely worth considering for the price alone.

But, obviously, there’s more to it than that! Apart from everything we’ve mentioned above, one thing that Surfshark offers that most VPNs don’t is the ability to use it on as many devices as you want.

That’s right! No restrictions! All you need to do is buy one subscription and then you are free to install it on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Smart TVs, Firefox, and Chrome!

Then there’s also CleanWeb. This is one of the main functionalities that we mentioned above. It blocks all intrusive ads and malware/phishing attempts. And if you’re browsing through your phone, it can also save some data!

Now, with all of that being said, don’t forget that there is always the option of whitelisting specific apps and/or websites. For example, if you want to browse YouTube or your banking account without them going through the VPN and slowing you down, you can do it.

Surfshark VPN for iPhone: Security

Our information is only as secure as the VPN that we’re using. That’s why many popular reviewers often recommend not using any free VPN apps. Because, after all, nothing is free. What we don’t pay in money is often paid by other means – like private information!

For this reason, Surfshark has a strict no logs policy. Nobody is going to know what you’re doing online, including the ones that protect that information.

Then there is the other side of the wall that want to spy on you. That includes anything from cyber criminals to even the government.

And for that reason, Surfshark used camouflage mode, encryption, and MultiHop to protect you from prying eyes. Multi-Hop can be particularly useful for privacy as it goes through multiple connection points before finally reaching the main destination. Much like Tor, just in case you’re familiar with it.

What is a VPN? How Does it Work?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. There are numerous VPN apps out there with Surfshark being one of them.

The main purpose of a VPN is to conceal the IP address and encrypt any online information that the user is sending or receiving.

There are multiple ways of doing that. But, the most common one is without a doubt a sort of relay system.

Normally, when you’re browsing without a VPN, all the information goes from your computer to the ISP and then to the main server. However, a VPN will first send the data through the company’s servers and then towards the destination server.

So, if the company’s server is in the US and you’re browsing the web through France, then it’s going to appear as if you’re browsing through the US. Even if you’re not remotely close to it.

The best VPN apps have multiple servers all over the world which helps increasing privacy and also bypassing regional locks. That being said, Surfshark is not an exception to that rule.

Truth be told, the actual technical description is a tiny bit more complicated than that. But, that’s basically all you need to know as fast as possible.

Surfshark VPN for iPhone Review: Wrapping Up

Surfshark is overall a strong, secure, and trustworthy VPN that’s available for the very low price of $1.99 per month. It’s really hard to go wrong with it and that’s why we give it our seal of approval.

You can get it for most available platforms that are out there, including iOS. Check it out in the link down below!

Are VPNs Legal to Use? Everything you Need to Know

Last updated on July 12, 2019

Looking to unlock the power of the internet but concerned that are VPNs legal to use in your region? Here’s everything there is to know about the countries that allow the use of VPN, and regions where it is restricted by the government, or banned entirely.

During the early days of the World Wide Web when the network infrastructure was not yet as abundant as it is today, there was more freedom offered to users too. From being able to connect to services across country lines, to be able to access websites freely, the openness of the internet certainly has been disrupted as the number of users has skyrocketed to billions over the past couple of decades. However, the fight to keep the essence of the internet alive and been fueled by virtual private networks (VPNs), offering way to access any part of the World Wide Web freely, while keeping things private and confidential.

Whether you’re trying to access a website that has been restricted by your ISP (Internet Service Provider), or just want to enjoy an international version of Netflix with all of its extra content, a VPN is the way to go. But over the years, even VPNs, which were designed to be a beacon of privacy and security, have been perverted into being used as tools of malicious activities all across the world. The restrictions put forward by certain regional authorities can make you wonder are VPNs legal to use in the first place, which is why we’re here to help it break it all down for you.

Are VPNs Legal or Illegal?

It is estimated that around 1 on 4 people all around the world use a VPN service to secure their online browsing experience for different purposes. What was once the brainchild of a Microsoft chief engineer, today stands as the evolutionary technology that not only allows users to go around the internet anonymously, but barricade their privacy as well. VPNs have been used for decades by corporate entities and government organizations to secure their network services, and in the past decade, has become commercially available to individuals.

The fact of the matter is that VPNs are legal to use in most of the major countries all around the world, and is acceptable to federal authorities. Using a VPN is around 196 countries is completely legal. This includes the major superpowers such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, Germany, Japan, and several others. However, there are certain countries that either restricted the use of VPNs partially, or have straight up made virtual private network illegal to use all across the region.

Where are VPNs Illegal and Why?

The core purpose of a VPN is to offer security, bolster privacy, and yet, grant complete and unrestricted access the World Wide Web. While the theory behind the service is a force for good, it hasn’t curbed the use of VPNs for a slew of illegal and immoral activities across the world. Unlawful and fraudulent use of a service that allows you to become untraceable and anonymous on the internet can wreak havoc on unsuspecting users.

The unethical use of such as service has been a concern for federal authorities worldwide, which is the reason users are compelled to ask are VPNs legal to use in the first place. However, most countries continue to allow the use of VPN services, with the regard of user freedom, but this does not apply to countries that have a sketchy record when it comes to human rights in the first place. A total of 11 countries have either explicitly banned the use of VPNs, or allow only government-approved VPN services for individual use.

Government-controlled VPN usage

China – Setting up a dedicated cross-border line of communication requires direct consent of the Chinese government. Individuals caught accessing VPN services can be fined up to 15,000 Yuan (approximately $2,200).
Russia – Under the guise of restricting “extremist materials” through social media, Russia blocks the access to VPN services and also imposes a fine of 300,000 RUB ($51,00) on the individual user, and an additional 700,000 RUB ($12,000) on the VPN service provider.
Iran – The government-approved VPN services by the judiciary service in Iran are still subject to surveillance by the government, which defeats the purpose of having a VPN service.
United Arab Emirates – Although the United Arab Emirates does not restrict corporations and institutions from using VPN services, individuals are barred from using VPN services to maximize the profitability of the government-owned telecommunication services. Fraudulent use of a VPN service is, however, a chargeable offence with can land you in custody or with a fine of $544,000.
Oman – VPN services are restricted to curb the use of VOIP for communication and for users outside the Sultanate of Oman to be able to use the online services provided within the region only. A fine of 500 Omani Rial ($1,300) on individuals and 1,000 Omani Rial ($2,600) can be imposed upon unauthorized usage.
Turkey – The government has imposed strict censorship on the content available for viewing to the users, but with no legal fines put forward.

Regions with VPN ban

Iraq – In an order to keep the extremist propaganda by groups such as ISIS from spreading among the common population through social media, Iraqi government has outright banned the use of VPN services.
Turkmenistan – For political reasons and to keep the coverage of foreign media away from the citizens, Turkmenistan’s one and only ISP is government-owned and filters out the content that the users have access to.
Belarus – The government feels strongly about how services like Tor and VPNs can lead to an increase in online criminal activity, thus enforcing a complete ban all across the country.
North Korea – Although a minuscule amount of users in North Korea have access to its version of the internet called “Kwangmyong” in the first place, usage of VPNs is entirely banned under the oppressive regime.
Uganda – After the use of social media was made taxable by the Ugandan government, citizens turned to VPN services, which sparked the ban on the services and was mandated by the authorities on all ISPs.

Choose ExpressVPN

Just because the country that you reside in has not barricaded your access to the internet, does not mean that you don’t need a VPN service. From restricting access to websites from foreign adversaries, to keeping a tab on citizens through unprecedented measures of surveillance, there are plenty of ways the federal authorities are attacking your right to access the World Wide Web with complete freedom.

Even if you do choose a VPN service, it isn’t guaranteed that your online browsing sessions are not being monitored by the ISP or by high authorities, such as the NSA in the United States. Since certain VPN service providers choose to log the user browsing history and can cough up these details to the federal authorities upon request, just plugging into any VPN service won’t cut it. This is why we recommend using ExpressVPN, which guarantees to log no user information, is backed by the highest standards in encryption, and offers hundreds of servers scattered all across the world.

ExpressVPN covers 90+ countries – If you’re looking to access the local or national websites of a country far away, ExpressVPN has got you covered. With more than 160 server locations established in a total of 94 countries, you can spoof your IP address to appear from any of the enlisted countries, choose among 160+ different server locations, and get the fastest transfer speeds going.

Unlock entertainment content – For those who just want to take a look at the catalog of movies and TV shows that Netflix offers outside of your country of residence, or wish to try out services such as BBC iPlayer which is not available to residents outside of the UK, enabling ExpressVPN grants you access to a world of entertainment that you are yet to discover.

ExpressVPN on all devices – Whether you want to set up the VPN service on your mobile phone to make VOIP calls and go under the detection radar, or wish to unlock the power of Kodi with ExpressVPN, there’s an app to do it. You get support for all of the popular platforms such as Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, and even VPN-enabled routers.

Keeping you secure – To keep your online activities private and away from the prying eyes of your ISP, the government, and especially hackers, ExpressVPN has the highly strengthened 256-bit encryption in place. Since your IP address is hidden, your location and your identity are also safeguarded for complete anonymity.

Final Words

While federal authorities tend to look at VPN services as a means for individuals to bypass necessary restrictions, the mainstream user only looks at it as a way to reclaim the core of what the World Wide Web was initially created for. As a means to connect the world, you cannot deny the fact that there are plenty of ways the resourcefulness of a VPN service can be amalgamated by those with malicious intent. The question of are VPNs legal has been answered in the list above, and the regions where it is restricted or banned, have been detailed as well.

Are you a resident of the countries where using VPN is a rite of passage, or are you among those who could land in trouble if caught communicated to a virtual private network? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.

Best Rainmeter Skins to Get in 2019

Last updated on July 6, 2019

Finding the best Rainmeter skins is not an easy task. There are hundreds or even thousands of choices out there with most of them being completely free.

That being said, skins are mostly a matter of personal preference. The look, feel, and functionality that each skin provides will greatly differ and what separates the good from the bad comes down to the person who is using the said skin. So, do keep that in mind.

Without any further ado, let’s get right into it!

What is Rainmeter And How To Install it

So, for those of you who just happened to come across this article and don’t know what Rainmeter is, it’s basically a program to modify you Windows desktop. In order to accomplish that, it uses skins.

Skins can be made by pretty much everyone which means that you can either create your own or rely on those that others have made and shared. Thankfully, there are tons of options out there which means that you most likely won’t have to lift a finger.

A skin can provide anything from shortcuts to moderation tools and anything in between. So, it’s not all about making your desktop pretty – it’s also about giving it more utility.

You can install Rainmeter from its original website and skins from websites like Deviant Art, Visual Skins, Rainmeter Hub, and more!

This program isn’t exactly a resource hog. But, if you’ve got a rather weak build, say, a dual-core i3 or something like that, then you probably don’t wanna install it. Still, it’s free! So, you can always give it a try.

1: Circle Launcher

This is the skin that I’m currently using and I’m loving it. It’s simple, gets the job done, and looks beautiful as well. Furthermore, it needs little to no adjustments at all. Most of the icons work out of the box as they are.

In my case, the only thing I had to change was Discord as it wouldn’t launch by its own. If that’s the case for you as well, click on the starter skin that is included, find the name of the app that doesn’t launch for you, find its location, then paste it where the skin tells you to.

This certainly sounds tough for someone who is not into computer stuff. But, again, chances are that you won’t have to touch anything. 99% of the shortcuts work by default. And if you are only using one drive then everything should be fine (I’ve got at least 3).

The screenshot that you look at above isn’t the stock skin. The clock and the interactive wallpaper are part of Wallpaper Engine while the CPU and RAM usage is part of the stock Rainmeter skin. If you wish to know more about that, check out our guide on how to customize Windows 10.

Pros:

Free
Fine balance between simplicity and fanciness
Easy to use
Numerous icon choices (Depending on the program)
Almost everything works right out of the box

Cons:

If a shortcut doesn’t work, you’ll have to adjust it on your own and despite how much the creator has simplified it, the process can still be a little bit tough for non-tech-savvy users.
May need 3rd party apps or other skins to feel complete

Get Circle Launcher From Deviant Art

2: GameBanner Collection V.2

Don’t be scared by the screenshot. This skin may look a bit messy at first glance. But, it’s not. That’s because it’s fully customizable and it can also be used alongside any other skins that you may be running at that point.

I’d honestly prefer something like Gameview as it looks and feels objectively better. However, the options that it gives you are so limited that it’s pretty much worthless for most of us.

So, when it comes to gaming skins, GameBanners wins its rightful place as one of the best Rainmeter skins that you can get right now. Mostly because it gives you so many options that it’s very hard to not find your games.

And in the rare occasion that you don’t find what you’re looking for, multiple people keep on working on this. So, chances are that sooner or later everything will be there.

If you’re feeling a bit brave, you can also try creating your own banners. That’s a bit time-consuming in the first time and it does take a little bit of experience. So, good luck with it.

Pros:

Great for gamers
Offers a wide variety of games – more than most skins out there
Relatively easy to use. Just read the instructions
Works great alongside other skins without messing up anything

Cons:

Not the most beautiful skin out there but it gets the job done

Get GameBanners From Deviant Art

3: Elegant Clock

Elegant Click doesn’t offer shortcuts, doesn’t monitor anything, and is generally not fancy in any way. So, why choose it as one of the best Rainmeter skins? Because a lot of people want nothing more but a simple, beautiful clock with a nice wallpaper and that’s about it.

If you’re one of these people, then this is definitely the best choice for you. It literally offers nothing else but a clock that you can add in combination with any wallpaper you want. Simple as that.

No need to bother with shortcuts, monitor tools, editing stuff, or anything. Just install it, select the dark or the light theme, and you’re good to go. Just do keep in mind that the wallpaper that you can see above is not included. So, you’ll have to find something on your own.

Nothing more to say about this one. You either love it or hate it.

Pros:

Doesn’t get any more simplistic than that
Easiest skin to use ever
Looks awesome if you combine it with an appropriate wallpaper
Extremely lightweight
Can be used with other skins (But it’s hard to pair it without ruining the sort of dark vibe)

Cons:

It’s just a clock. If you want anything else you’re looking at the wrong skin

Get Elegant Clock From The Rainmeter Hub

Best Rainmeter Skins: Wrapping up

Remember, I choose these skins with evergreen content in mind – which means I’m only showing what most people would like and nothing else. If you’re willing to search for more, you’ll find limitless options.

That being said, to be more specific, this is how I look at it:

Circle Launcher: Simple and beautiful launcher that will work for almost everyone
Game Banners: A great choice for gamers who mainly use their PC for gaming
Elegant Clock: Awesome for casual users who want to make their desktop more beautiful

Let us know about your skin preferences down in the comments.

Best Antivirus for 2019

Last updated on March 28, 2019

Summary: When your computer, smartphone, tablet, or internet-enabled device is connected online, the potential for hackers and scam-artists to invade your privacy is high.

One of the best ways to protect these devices from hackers and scam-artists attempting to hijack your device to steal your sensitive information, bank, and credit card accounts is to use a quality antivirus software.

After extensively testing each of the antivirus services available in 2017, I have found that Avast Antivirus provides the best protection in an easy-to-use package with competitive pricing.

To protect your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other device with Avast Antivirus in 2018, click here now.

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Why is An Antivirus Important?

In 2017, there are more devices connected to the internet than ever before, and each of these devices are at risk of being taken over by hackers and other scam-artists.

Depending on the device you’re using, you could have already stored sensitive information, like passwords to your bank accounts and credit card data on the device.

That means, if a hacker manages to hijack your device, they could access your bank accounts and use your credit cards, or even use your device to commit crimes against other people.

Many hackers devote significant effort to ensuring that their viruses and malware remain hidden from the user, so if you do not have a way to detect the viruses, you could end up dealing with a very frustrating experience.

The way to ensure you’re not going to fall victim to these attacks is to install a high-quality antivirus software on your device, and ensure that it’s updated on a regular basis.

Antivirus software will regularly scan your device to identify malicious software and identify threats as you attempt to download new files or access potentially harmful websites.

A good antivirus will also encrypt the sensitive information that’s stored on your machine so that hackers cannot decipher what’s stored, even if they do gain access to it.

In 2017, you cannot simply trust that your device is safe online, even if you follow the best practices for keeping yourself safe. You need to use an additional layer of protection, like an antivirus.

You can learn which antivirus software I recommend now by clicking here.

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Antivirus Software Testing Methodology

I tested the effectiveness of each service’s software by using the Anti-Malware Testfile, which you can learn more about by clicking here.

The Anti-Malware Testfile is developed by the European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research and the Computer Antivirus Research Organization.

The Testfile used has been specifically designed to verify the accuracy of antivirus software and trigger the software into providing a warning for potential threats.

In 2017, the Testfile is currently the only piece of software that’s being continually supported because development of the tools previously used, by Spy Car, has been discontinued.

How I Judged Their Performance

Criteria #1: Is It Easy to Use?

It’s unfortunate that software that’s meant to protect you is typically hard to install and configure or creates a frustrating experience for people attempting to use it.

To ensure you do not get frustrated while protecting your device, I have tested each service’s software to ensure that it is easy to install and configure.

Criteria #2: Do They Offer a Refund Policy?

I take pride in the tests that I have run and being able to recommend a quality antivirus software, but do understand that your experience may be different than mine.

To ensure that you do not waste money by taking a recommendation that I’ve given you, I have ranked any service without a refund policy lower than services that take away your risk.

Criteria #3: Can You Protect Multiple Devices?

If you are like so many other people reading this, you probably connect to the internet with more than one device, and need an antivirus software that will protect every device you own.

Some companies will require you to purchase additional licenses if you attempt to protect more than the original device you signed up to their service with.

To ensure that you can protect every device you own without spending more money, I have ranked companies that allow you to protect them with a single license higher in my review process.

Criteria #4: Does It Slow Down your Machine?

One huge complaint that people have about their antivirus software is that it typically slows down their machine and makes it unusable, especially while scanning for existing threats.

I have tested each of the service’s software to ensure it does not place excessive loads on a machine, and that you do not need high-end hardware to run the antivirus software.

Any service that provides software that causes lagging and freezing issues has been ranked lower in my review.

Criteria #5: Does It Create False Warnings?

Another complaint people have with their antivirus software is that they are being constantly inundated with false warnings and the software identifying objects as viruses that are truly harmless.

These false warnings can confuse many users, making them believe that their computer is infected when it’s simply a poorly developed antivirus software identifying harmless threats.

I have tested each of the service’s antivirus software to ensure that they do not warn of false threats, with software that is 100% accurate being ranked higher in my review process.

Criteria #6: Does It Protect Against 0-Day Attacks?

0-day attacks, if you’re unfamiliar, refer to threats and viruses that are not currently known by major antivirus developers. For an antivirus service to be recommended, they must be able to identify these threats.

Many antivirus software developers will force their software to update on a regular basis to help stay ahead of hackers and scam-artists.

That’s why I’ve tested each service’s software to ensure they maintain a fresh database and can properly detect threats that aren’t currently included in their database.

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Best Antivirus in 2018

By now, you can probably see that a significant amount of work has gone into testing each of the different service’s antivirus software that’s currently available.

After working through the list of available services, I have concluded that three have performed better than the rest, with one service easily setting themselves apart from their competition.

Each of the three services that performed the best during my review process have been listed below.

#1 – Avast Antivirus – 9.4 / 10 – Voted Best Antivirus in 2018

Avast Antivirus is the service that has clear put themselves at the front of the line in nearly every test I performed, and have earned the right to receive my top recommendation.

PROs

The antivirus software developed by Avast is easy to install and intuitive to use, making it possible to protect your PC with a few clicks and minutes after subscribing to their service.

Whenever you are subscribed to Avast, you subscribe with an email address that can be used on any additional devices you own without worrying about purchasing additional licenses.

During testing, I did not notice their software causing my machine to slow down or freeze, even while running tests on known infected files, such as the Testfile.

I verified Avast’s ability to avoid false warnings by visiting websites that caused false warnings with other software, and did not have any of the same warnings with Avast.

Their development team is large and you can tell they devote substantial resources toward maintaining their database of potential threats.

If you do happen to have issues with Avast and your machine, they offer a full 30-day refund policy so you can easily receive a refund and try a different service.

CONs

Even though Avast did perform well in most tests, their pricing is slightly higher than other services that I have tested. Their higher pricing is a con, but it does allow them to spend more on development of their antivirus software.

OVERALL

When you want to protect your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other device that’s connected to the internet in 2017, I have found Avast to be the clear winner in my review process.

If you’re looking for the absolute best antivirus software in 2017, we recommend you get Avast Antivirus by clicking here.

#2 – Bit Defender – 7.9 / 10 – Quality Antivirus if Avast Antivirus Doesn’t Work for You.

I understand that some people reading this may not have the same experience with Avast Antivirus that I had. For times when Avast doesn’t work on your machine, Bit Defender may be a good alternative solution for keeping your device protected in 2017.

PROs

Bit Defender, like Avast, is easy to install and configure it to work on most machines. I had it installed and configured within a few minutes after subscribing to their service.

While testing for false warnings, there were times that I received warnings for files that I believe shouldn’t have been flagged, but the number of warnings were minimal compared to other software.

The way you subscribe to Bit Defender allows you to protect multiple devices while using the same license key, so you do not need to spend more money.

Bit Defender’s development team works hard to maintain a database of the latest threats, and I didn’t have any issues with them properly identifying 0-day threats I tested.

CONs

I did notice that Bit Defender caused a few minor hiccups during testing, and my machine slowed down while performing full scans on my hard drive.

They also offer a shorter refund policy than what I consider to be the industry standard, but I didn’t find any signs of them refusing to stand behind their refund policy.

OVERALL

Whenever you are trying to protect a computer, smartphone, or tablet in 2017, Avast is currently the best antivirus software available.

However, if they are unavailable for you or do not function properly with your device, Bit Defender could be a decent alternative solution for keeping yourself protected.

If you’re unable to get Avast Antivirus to work, you can protect your device in 2017 with Bit Defender by clicking here.

#3 – Kapersky – 6.7 / 10 – Poor Performing Antivirus That Lacks Proper Protection

If you want to protect a computer, smartphone, tablet, or other device in 2017, there are far better options available than Kapersky Lab’s antivirus software.

PROs

Kapersky’s saved themselves with the fact that their software is simple to install, though it did have more options to configure than either Avast or Bit Defender.

CONs

Once I installed the Kapersky software on my machine, I began having issues that make it hard for me to recommend them as a viable solution to my readers.

Their software caused significant delays, both while scanning for existing threats, and while scanning new files to determine if a threat had been found.

They do allow you to register the software with a single email address, but I experienced “licensing issues” while attempting to protect more than one device using the same email.

I also had multiple false warnings with files that are known to be harmless, suggesting that the Kapersky team has work to do in the false detection realm.

They do not offer a money-back guarantee, but they do offer a 7-day trial period so you can test their software without risking your money.

OVERALL

While I have gone to great lengths to find the best antivirus in 2017, I can say that Kapersky Labs does not claim that title. There is better antivirus software currently available, like Avast.

If you want to find out more about the Kapersky Antivirus, you can visit their site by clicking here.

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Conclusion

Whenever your computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, or other device is connected to the internet, hackers are trying to find new ways to target it and steal your sensitive information.

The best way to protect yourself in 2017 is to use an antivirus software that can find these viruses and malware before they have a chance to infect your device.

When you want to use the best antivirus software available to protect your device in 2018, download and install Avast Antivirus now by clicking here.

Features to Keep in Mind When Choosing a VPN for Mac

Last updated on March 24, 2019

Features to Keep in Mind When Choosing a VPN for Mac

Getting a VPN for Mac is one of the smartest decisions you can make. It will encrypt your internet connection, making you anonymous online, hiding your online activity even from your ISP. It will prevent anyone from gaining access to your Mac and data, fully protecting your privacy and sensitive information.

However, choosing the right VPN for Mac can be challenging, because there are hundreds of different VPNs out there. How can you know what to look for?

Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. Here are the essential features you should look for when choosing the right VPN for your needs.\

The Locations It Covers

It’s vital to check a VPN for all the locations it covers. You don’t want to end up with a VPN that doesn’t allow access to particular servers you need.

For instance, China has a lot of restrictions regarding which servers you can access. If you plan on traveling or moving there, you’ll need a VPN that covers your location.

Reliable Connections

This is extremely important when choosing a VPN. You need to make sure your connections are safe and secure at all times.

Many VPNs have a kill switchthat automatically terminates a connection if a hacker compromises it. It monitors your internet connection and instantly changes your IP address if it detects any intrusion. That way, your sensitive data stays secure.

High Speed

High speed is something everyone expects when surfing the internet, especially if they spend a lot of time online. So, find a fast VPN with a high internet speed across all the locations it covers.

If you plan on doing a lot of online streaming, this is the most important feature to look for. Speaking of streaming, make sure your chosen VPN also comes with unlimited bandwidth.

Multiple Simultaneous Connections

This feature is essential for users who want to simultaneously use a VPN on multiple devices. For instance, if you want your entire family to use your VPN, make sure it allows multiple simultaneous connections. Either that or choose a router-based VPN, which will also enable your entire household to connect at the same time.

Some VPNs allow unlimited devices, while others allow only two or three, for example. So, be sure to check this in advance.

Compatible Devices

You should make sure your Mac VPN provider supports other devices as well. That way, you can connect your Android phone, for instance. If anyone in your family doesn’t use a Mac, they’ll thank you for choosing a VPN that supports their platform. Not all VPNs support every platform, so check this before you pay for a particular service.

Unlocking Region-Blocked Content

A lot of people start using a VPN to unlock region-blocked content. A VPN replaces your real IP address with a new one, virtually putting you in a different geographical location. This is what enables you to access content that’s not available in your area.

For instance, if you wish to access the entire Netflix content, look for a VPN that can bypass the restrictions. This is also useful for traveling to countries with region-restricted websites.

A User-Friendly Interface

You don’t want to jump through hoops to use your VPN for Mac. That’s why you should find one that’s easy to set up and use. Many VPN providers can even virtually set up your network. This is a perfect solution if you’re not really tech-savvy.

24/7 Customer Support

Reliable customer support is one of the most critical factors to look for when choosing a VPN for Mac. If you happen to experience some issues with your VPN, the provider should be available 24/7 to help you out.

Every VPN provider will give you their email address and some – a phone number. However, be sure they also have a live chat on their website. That way, you can quickly resolve any potential issue.

A Free Trial, or a Money-Back Guarantee

Every trustworthy VPN provider will offer you a free trial, or a money-back guarantee. Choosing such a provider will prevent you from ending up with a VPN that doesn’t fit your needs. A free trial will help you explore all the features and see whether or not you’ve made the right decision.

If you find a VPN that checks all your boxes, but doesn’t include one of these two features, walk away. Otherwise, you may get stuck with something you don’t want.

As you can see, choosing a VPN for Mac isn’t as confusing as it may seem at first. Simply think about what you need it for, put everything on paper, and look for those specific features. These tips will help you make the right choice, as they cover the essential features anyone needs in a VPN.