All about Technology: February 2017

Tuesday, 28 February 2017

UK’s long-delayed digital strategy looks to AI but is locked to Brexit

The UK government is due to publish its long awaited Digital Strategy later today, about a year later than originally slated. Existing delays having been compounded by the shock of Brexit. Drafts of the strategy framework seen by TechCrunch suggest its scope and ambition vis-a-vis the digital technologies has been pared back and repositioned vs earlier formulations of the plan. Read More http://ift.tt/2lRpHFn

YouTube TV is a monthly subscription service that wants to take down cable

We all knew this day would come.

YouTube has announced YouTube TV - a new television streaming service allowing customers to beam in live television from major networks for $35 (about £30/AU$45) a month without any other commitments.

Self-described as "live TV designed for the YouTube generation," YouTube TV grants access to over 40 channels ranging from NBC to E! to FOX Sports. The inclusion of sports networks is especially intriguing, given their usual reluctance to streaming services without a cable subscription.

YouTube says its live TV service will not only have major sports channels like ESPN, but also regional offerings from the likes of Fox Sports and Comcast SportsNet and even sports and news from your area's local station.

Though YouTube is a big name jumping into the TV streaming game, it's not the only one vying for cable cutters to-be.

YouTube TV also matches up in price to AT&T's DirecTV Now service, which streams about 60+ channels starting at $35/month.

Services like Sling TV and Sony's PlayStation Vue also grant live TV over the web and like DirecTV Now, offering different packages priced by how many channels you want. By contrast, it appears YouTube TV will start out with just one tier.

The pool could become even more crowded in time, as other big streaming sites like Hulu and Amazon expressing interest in getting into the live TV game.

Cable TV, YouTube features

Taking advantage of its internet pedigree, YouTube TV also plans to offer cloud DVR with unlimited space to its subscribers with a storage time of up to nine months.

The service also holds up to six personal accounts on a single subscription, allowing each member of the household their own personal DVR and recommended content.

Users can also access their shows and pre-recorded content via phones, tablets, and TVs connected with a Google Chromecast or already have Chromecast features built-in. Up to three different streams can be active on a single account at a given time.

As a bonus, YouTube TV subscribers also receive YouTube Red Originals with their subscription - allowing them to watch shows formally exclusive to members the video site's premium YouTube Red service.

YouTube TV is currently planned to be exclusive to US viewers, starting with larger markets soon and expanding over time. You can visit the service's official site to sign up for a notification, should YouTube TV become available in your town.

We have asked Google about its plans to expand availability for YouTube TV, and will update this story as details develop.

YouTube is also putting an end to the 30-second unskippable ad

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Download of the day: YouTube Song Downloader

Snap: Rewriting ‘Art of War’ for social networking — by not documenting anything

Social networks may be the most valuable and durable types of businesses powered by “network effects,” the phenomenon of products or services becoming more powerful the more people use them. This is one reason the imminent IPO of social/mobile app Snap, which thrives on network effects, is being so closely watched. Another is that Snap represents the first credible threat to Facebook. Read More

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Gaming company Kabam’s roller coaster ride to a $700 million exit

We talked with Kevin Chou, co-founder and CEO of the gaming company Kabam, about his own both stressful and euphoric experience in running a gaming startup for roughly a decade before selling most of its assets in December to South Korea’s Netmarble Games for a reported $700 million. Read More http://ift.tt/2l8Q3Uz

TechRadar Pro readers have voted for their preferred Linux distro

Linux is steadily building up steam as a viable platform on all sorts of fronts, including gaming as we’ve seen recently, but which is the most popular of all the many distros out there?

The results of our survey from earlier this month (which had almost 900 participants) have now been totted up, in which we asked you to name the three distros you used the most. And the clear winner – king-of-the-hill, top-of-the-list, a-number-one – was Ubuntu which was cited by 24% of respondents.

The popular OS had a clear lead over second-place Mint, which was used by 14.5% of those surveyed. And the bronze medal was just secured by Fedora which snared 10.1%, only a fraction ahead of Debian which finished on 10% bang-on.

The rest of the operating systems lined up as follows, from fifth position onwards: Red Hat (8.8%), Ubuntu Server (8.5%), CentOS (7.3%), Arch (5.9%), and then openSUSE (5.2%). 5.5% indicated that they used another distro not mentioned above (there are plenty of them out there, of course).

Programmed for success

In our survey, TechRadar Pro also asked readers which programming language they planned to learn next. The winner here was Python, and no less than 25.3% of respondents wanted to skill-up in this language.

It was followed by JavaScript on 18.3%, and in third position was C++ which tallied 15% of our vote.

The remainder of the other languages were considerably behind these big three, and ran as follows from fourth position onwards: SQL (8%), PHP (6.7%), Bash and Swift (both tied on 6%), Ruby (5.8%), Go (4.8%), and finally we had C (4.1%).

A big thanks to everyone who participated in the survey!

We’ve rounded up our recommended Linux distros here

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The best WordPress plugins 2017

eMarketer: Snapchat growth driven by older users, as usage among young adults declines

Snapchat has a reputation for being an app that’s confusing to the “olds” – something the company tried to address with a redesign just ahead of filing for its IPO. In addition, the app has expanded beyond its original use case, which focused on communication, and now includes short, easily digestible content from a number of sources, including media and… Read More

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Nasty flaw found in Microsoft’s browsers leaves surfers on edge

Do you run one of Microsoft’s web browsers rather than Chrome or Firefox (or indeed another alternative)? Then be warned that a severe bug has been uncovered which could allow a malicious party to crash your browser, and reportedly even pull off a hijack of either Internet Explorer 11 or Edge.

This finding comes courtesy of Ivan Fratric, a security researcher at Google Project Zero, who uncovered the flaw last November, as the BBC reports. Microsoft hasn’t taken action to patch it, though, so Fratric has made his discovery public after the expiration of Google's standard 90-day disclosure deadline.

The exploit is leveraged via a problem with the way these browsers deal with web page layout and formatting instructions, and according to the researcher, it can be used to crash the software, and potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the victim’s browser.

Given that it remains un-patched, Fratric declined to reveal more about the vulnerability, writing in a Chromium bugs forum post, “I will not make any further comments on exploitability, at least not until the bug is fixed. [My] report has too much info on that as it is (I really didn't expect this one to miss the deadline).”

All that said, there’s currently no evidence that malicious types are actively using this exploit as of this writing.

Cutting-Edge browser?

Furthermore, in that same Chromium discussion thread on the matter, several posters have claimed that they can’t successfully reproduce this issue on Microsoft’s Edge browser. However, they can replicate it with Internet Explorer 11.

So, Edge may not be vulnerable if you put stock in those particular comments. Fratric based his report on demonstrating the vulnerability in IE 11 64-bit, but claims that the 32-bit version of IE and Microsoft Edge should “behave similarly."

At any rate, this is clearly a major gremlin which is worth knowing about, and hopefully now that knowledge is public and widespread, Microsoft will be fixing the appropriate holes pronto.

Microsoft declined to comment on the issue when contacted by the BBC, but did say that it operates with a commitment to “investigate reported security issues and proactively update impacted devices as soon as possible”, and further added that it was talking to Google about extending the 90-day disclosure deadline to avoid putting customers at risk.

We’ve contacted Microsoft for further comment on the matter, and will update this story with should we receive one.

This is obviously slightly embarrassing for the software giant, because Microsoft hasn’t been shy about hyping Windows 10 and Edge in terms of their security chops.

Given previous boasts that Edge is the browser to use if you want security, it hopefully isn’t the case that there’s currently an major, un-patched flaw in Edge that could have been fixed a considerable time ago.

Put a premium on security by using the best antivirus software

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The Xbox Game Pass is a $9.99 Spotify-like game subscription

Having free games with Xbox Live Gold was one thing, but Microsoft wants to go one step further. The company is launching a new service called the Xbox Game Pass. It’s a library of more than 100 games that you can download and play for a monthly subscription of $9.99. The feature isn’t live yet, but the company already announced some names so that the company can start beta… Read More http://ift.tt/2m2PQkT

Could the Windows 10 Creators Update make you dump Netflix and YouTube?

Microsoft continues to bolster Windows 10’s media-playing credentials with the news that it will be including the ability to play 360-degree videos through the Movies & TV app when the Creators Update launches later this year.

This new feature, which was spotted in a document that lists all the recent changes added to the Windows Insider program, states that users will be able to “get into the action with 360° videos – tilt or drag in any direction to look around. (Windows 10 Creators Update required)”.

So, you’ll be able to use your mouse to click and drag 360-degree videos to look around in an immersive entertainment experience. It also mentions tilting, which could refer to moving a Windows 10 tablet around to view the 360-degree footage. It could also hint at virtual reality support.

Media frenzy

Earlier this week we reported that Windows 10 is getting some neat new tricks for film and music lovers with the Windows 10 Creators Update, and that trend of boosting the media-playing credentials of Windows 10 looks set to continue with this latest news.

A 'Trailer gallery' is being added to the Movies & TV app that comes pre-installed on Windows 10, letting you view trailers of TV shows and movies available from the Windows Store (and keep up to date with upcoming releases which you can pre-order).

The whole process of renting and buying movies and TV shows through the Windows Store has also been made more user-friendly, with all the videos you’ve rented or bought now grouped together on one page, while exploring movies and TV shows is made easier with video suggestions based on what you’ve previously watched.

Microsoft appears to be keen to take on Amazon and Netflix with its streaming options, and YouTube and Facebook with its 360-degree video support.

Additional support for video files, such as MPEG-2, is also coming, so it looks like Microsoft wants to make its Movies & TV app the only place you’ll need to go when you fancy watching something. Will these additions be enough? We’ll find out when the Windows 10 Creators Update launches later this year.

Via MSPowerUser

You can now tour the White House in 360-degree VR

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Monday, 27 February 2017

Hater, an app for finding someone who dislikes the same things as you, to expand beyond dating

Not a fan of Trump? Can’t stand country music? Think selfie culture is the worst? Wouldn’t go camping if someone paid you? Bonding over the things you hate can be more powerful than bonding over what you like, studies have shown. Now, a new dating app called Hater can help you find better matches by focusing on those things you and others mutually detest. Yes, an app that connects… Read More

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Download of the day: Scribus

Reshopper is an app for parents to buy and sell used items

Once in a while I come across a company that seems like a complete no-brainer. An idea that induces a ‘why hasn’t this been done already’ moment. That was certainly the case when I jumped on a call with Aja Guldhammer Henderson, CEO of Reshopper, a Danish startup that has built a mobile app for parents to buy and sell used items. Read More http://ift.tt/2mmXtn7

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Facebook’s new video app hits Samsung Smart TVs

Facebook’s new video app is now available on Samsung Smart TVs – which makes Samsung the first platform to feature the social network’s latest application. Facebook had announced earlier this month that it was soon releasing a video app aimed at connected TVs and other media players, like Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, but didn’t unveil a specific launch date for any… Read More

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Best VPN for iPhone/iOS: Our 5 top choices

Apple’s iPhone is widely regarded as a stable and secure smartphone, but that isn’t to say that iOS doesn’t have its own issues regarding security and privacy – particularly in today’s climate of hacking and security breaches. Using a VPN service ensures you retain your digital privacy, while also allowing for other neat features like accessing geo-restricted content and circumventing censorship.

How to choose the best VPN service for iPhone/iOS

There’s no shortage of VPNs with decent iOS support, with many providers offering dedicated iOS apps, which is obviously a main consideration here – and preferably the software will be easy-to-use, and yet provide enough options for more advanced users to be able to tweak things.

Other important considerations include tight security (obviously) and a favourable privacy policy, along with terms of service which make it quite clear what logs and details are stored by the provider. The number of simultaneous connections allowed and the ensuing speeds you get from the VPN provider are also well worth considering, as ever.

Below are the five best VPN services for iPhone/iOS that we've picked out for you.

The 5 best VPN services of 2017

IPVanish delivers consistently great performance, and indeed actually improved our download speeds by around 15% over long distances, with even faster results when it came to some short hops. The native client supports iOS 8 or better, works equally well on iPads and connects automatically anytime internet traffic is detected. It also suggests the fastest server based on your location and ping time.

When it comes to security, the service offers a broad range of protocols, and on the privacy front, IPVanish doesn’t record any online activity or connection data while using the iOS app.

In short, the only niggle with IPVanish is its pricing. There is no free trial available and the service is slightly more expensive than others. That said, the three plans include a 7-day money-back guarantee. The 1-year subscription is the most affordable option. The packages available are:

This Switzerland-based provider owns and operates all of its servers, and boasts exceptional performance levels as a result. Our tests revealed an outstanding boost in download speeds, with performance being over twice as fast as our regular rates.

The native app supports iOS 8 and higher, plus it comes with useful features like automatic fastest server selection, iPad compatibility and automatic encryption of untrusted Wi-Fi connections. It’s also worth noting that VyprVPN doesn't restrict your connections by IP address (i.e. you can access the network via your router, mobile phone network via 3G/4G and so forth).

Security-wise, the service boasts the proprietary Chameleon protocol, which is designed to help get around VPN blocking. The privacy policy is clear and straightforward, and this VPN doesn't log or inspect your traffic.

There are only two pricing plans to choose from, and you can be billed either monthly or annually. Going the yearly route offers a big saving. Make sure you use the three-day free trial to properly test the service as VyprVPN doesn’t allow refunds. The packages available are:

SaferVPN offers lots of quality software clients, and the iOS app is no exception. You can connect with a simple tap without any prior configuration as the app automatically determines the best server locations for optimal performance. The client also automatically protects data over any unsecured Wi-Fi hotspot.

SaferVPN manages its own network. In our performance tests, we found speeds were pretty good compared to rivals, and we obtained solid download rates even over longer distances.

On the downside, this VPN records a great deal of session data, although none of this is related to your actual activities online – but it’s still far more information than competitors collect, generally speaking.

The service boasts a free access-all-areas 24-hour trial to check it out. Among the three price plans, the 2-year plan offers the best value. The packages available are:

PureVPN has a simple and straightforward iOS app, but it also offers a number of additional settings that can be tweaked if you’re so inclined. The handy one-click connection feature automatically detects your location to help you get on the fastest server. There are optimised servers for various purposes, and with a huge choice of server locations, PureVPN is great for streaming content.

Indeed, the provider did well in our performance tests – our download speeds were close to twice as fast in comparison to our normal (non-VPN) rates. There is a weakness on the security front, however, namely that the Secure DNS feature didn’t work for us (this is supposed to prevent DNS leaks); but your mileage may vary.

As for the privacy policy, PureVPN scores well here, with everything clearly stated, and there’s no logging of your surfing activity or indeed anything else.

PureVPN has three available subscription plans which aren’t the cheapest around, with the 1-year plan being the clear winner in the value for money stakes. The packages available are:

KeepSolid is a well-known VPN that provides good overall performance levels. In our testing, download speeds were only 12% down compared to our regular rates, which is more than good enough for a stable and fast connection.

The native app supports iOS 8 or better, although certain features may require a newer version: for example, to use the built-in ad blocking for Safari, you must be running iOS 9. You can opt for the optimal/fastest connection or choose a server for a specific purpose.

KeepSolid’s terms and conditions state that the company logs only basic details about service activity, and there's no logging of anything a user might do online. However, one weak point is that you may be able to connect five devices simultaneously, but you can only change one of them once per week.

There's a 7-day free trial to get you started, along with a 7-day money-back guarantee. KeepSolid offers two main plans, although there’s also a lifetime subscription available. Chances are you might not want to make that much of a commitment, particularly seeing as the annual subscription is temptingly cheap. The packages available are:

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Best VPN for Windows: Our 5 top choices

One of the perks of having Windows as your operating system is that you have a lot of options when choosing a VPN service (or any software, for that matter). Virtually every VPN service caters to users of the most popular desktop OS in the world with a variety of features. However, with a massive selection of possible VPN services, that only makes choosing one more difficult. Luckily, as ever, we are here to help.

Best VPN for China
Best VPN for Mac
Best VPN for torrenting
Best VPN for Android
Best VPN for Kodi
Best VPN for Netflix
Best VPN for Canada

How to choose the best VPN for Windows

Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 10, is a significant improvement in terms of security and protection. Even so, there are some widely discussed, controversial privacy issues pertaining to the OS, and what’s more you can never be ‘too’ secure, let’s face it.

When picking a Windows VPN service, you should look for good all-round performance with a little bit of everything – a friendly client, P2P support, clearly written and straightforward privacy policy, and so on.

The 5 best VPN services of 2017

Then there’s the matter of pricing as not every service is worth the money they’re asking. Sometimes paying a little bit extra ensures a superb experience, but other times a cheaper service provides the optimal quality.

Yes, there are some difficult choices to be made for sure, which is exactly why we’ve done all the legwork and selected our five best VPN services for Windows across various different categories. You won’t go wrong with any of these.

We’ve also picked out the best VPNs for torrenting

This VPN features a well-designed client that offers a wide array of both basic and advanced settings, with enough options to satisfy even expert tinkerers. The service is one of the best for torrenting and other P2P traffic, as well.

In our testing, we witnessed a significant increase in download speeds (close to 20%) which is fantastic, obviously. IPVanish has a firm no logs policy in place, and more than adequate protection with 256-bit encryption over OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP protocols.

The slight drawback is this is a little pricier than much of the competition, and there’s no free trial either. However, IPVanish does offer a 7-day money-back guarantee across all three of its pricing plans. The 1-year subscription clearly provides the best value. The packages available are:

NordVPN is a mainstay on many ‘best of’ lists for several good reasons – although the one that matters most is its tight security. The service offers a certain number of ‘Double VPN’ servers which pass your data through two separate VPN servers, not just one, which makes things even more secure. You can also route its encrypted traffic over the Tor network, adding another layer of security, along with the existing KEv2/IPsec, OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP protocols.

The client is easy-to-use, featuring a compact interface that has all the essentials and then some. NordVPN is P2P-friendly and has a strict zero logs policy. The performance of the VPN is above-average, but there is a small fly in the ointment. Namely, you can't connect multiple devices to the same server with the same protocol, which restricts you to four devices per server.

There's a free 3-day trial (but it's tucked away in the FAQ), and NordVPN is rather affordable, offering three plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The best and most popular choice is the 1-year plan. The packages available are:

Hotspot Shield’s rather colourful client provides all the necessary basics which are simple enough to use, but lacks extra settings options. The low number of server locations doesn’t help either, but what you’ll really like here is the performance levels. This VPN posted some excellent results in our testing, with only marginal latency increase and a bit faster upload and download speeds compared to our normal rates.

It also features the standard security protocols with an added bonus of cloud-based malware protection. The privacy policy is favourable, deleting data which might be recorded upon ending the VPN session.

Perhaps the best feature of Hotspot Shield is its low price. There are five pricing plans, including a special ‘forever’ offer which is undeniably the best option in the long run. If you don’t fancy that much of a commitment, the 2-year plan works out at just over $2 a month, which is really cheap. The packages available are:

This Slovakian-based provider runs its own network, DNS servers, and infrastructure. And this definitely shows as the performance levels were well above-average and fairly consistent when we tested TigerVPN. The global choice of available servers certainly helps the cause here.

The dedicated Windows client is very user-friendly, too. However, it only offers some basic options, with advanced settings being few and far between – but that’s not likely to bother novice users. Another issue with the service is that you only get two simultaneous connections with the monthly plan, which means those looking for a genuine multi-device experience need to subscribe to the yearly plan.

TigerVPN is P2P friendly and it even has a free plan, although a 500MB monthly limit means you can’t do much with it – although it at least allows you to give the service a bit of a try. There are three affordable price plans to choose from, and subscribing for a year gives you the best savings, plus you get up to five simultaneous connections (rather than two), along with bonus features like a password manager. The packages available are:

KeepSolid is one of the best general purpose VPNs out there, performing well in all the key areas. The native Windows client boasts a compact design, displaying important details and having all the basics, while leaving scope for more advanced tweaks. There’s even support for Windows 10 Mobile here, which is a rather handy addition.

The service uses the standard 256-bit OpenVPN security with additional perks like a personal server or a personal static IP available for an extra fee. And the VPN’s performance is good, with download and upload speeds experiencing a mere 10-15% drop compared to our regular rates. That said, those speeds won’t do you much good with torrents as most KeepSolid servers don't support them.

On the privacy front, the company logs only the basics like session duration and bandwidth use. And as for pricing, this hasn’t scooped our most affordable Windows VPN title without reason, offering a 7-day free trial, and six remarkably cheap plans. The 3-year plan offers the best value, but the 1-year plan is also a great option if you don’t want to make such a commitment. The packages available are:

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Kinetise now lets you download the code you make in their drag and drop app creator

The world of mobile development is a hairy one. You can code things yourself and hurt your brain on React Native or you can use a drag-and-drop editor and get locked into one platform forever. But now app development house Kinetise is offering the best of both worlds. Kinetise, who I’ve talked about for years as an interesting alternative to coding your own Android and iOS apps, came… Read More http://ift.tt/2lgv1OJ

Twitch will sell video games on its site starting this spring

Amazon-owned video game streaming site Twitch announced this morning that it will now sell games directly on its platform – a not entirely surprising expansion for the service where developers are already taking advantage of the site’s social community to get the word out about their games, and engage fans. Games will go on sale this spring, says Twitch, but did not give an… Read More http://ift.tt/2lNLKuZ

Facebook digs into mobile infrastructure in Uganda as TIP commits $170M to startups

While Google is using MWC to show off some of its advances in native apps on mobile devices — specifically in chat apps — the world’s biggest chat app company is doing something completely different. Today, Facebook announced that it is building a 770-kilometer (500-mile) fiber backhaul network in Uganda, in partnership with India’s Airtel and wholesale provider BCS… Read More

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Best VPN for China: Our 5 top choices

As you’re probably aware, China has a history of very strict policies regarding online content. The country recently approved a new cybersecurity law, expected to go into effect this summer, which further establishes firm state control over information flows and tech equipment.

As for VPN providers, the situation is no different in the country. China routinely campaigns against VPNs, aiming to interrupt or completely block the services. Still, using a VPN is not illegal in China – the focus is on censorship, rather than punishment.

Indeed, VPNs are very popular in China, especially among expatriates and those in academic circles. But circumventing the ‘Great Firewall’, the nickname given to the country’s vast system of online censorship, is becoming harder. It’s important to note that almost every major internet service provider is controlled by Chinese authorities.

Best VPN for Mac
Best VPN for torrenting
Best VPN for Android
Best VPN for Kodi
Best VPN for Windows
Best VPN for Netflix
Best VPN for Canada

How to choose the best VPN service for China

Dealing with this level of censorship of the net is far from easy, but some VPNs are willing to tackle the problem, having proven methods of maintaining uptime in a difficult online climate. Obviously you need to look for a capable service in this respect, and pick out a reliable VPN, too.

The 5 best VPN services of 2017

Choosing one with high quality customer support is also important, for when downtime does rear its ugly head. And obviously the number and range of available servers (particularly those in Asia) will help you obtain a better, faster connection. Tight security and privacy is, as ever, a primary consideration as well.

So which are the best VPN services for those based in China? We’ve picked out five top-notch efforts for your delectation.

We’ve also chosen the best VPNs for Windows and Mac

ExpressVPN is one of the most popular VPNs in China, and it’s a go-to provider for many because it deftly navigates around the Great Firewall. The service’s wide array of server locations is a big plus, with Hong Kong and Singapore-based servers being especially relevant in this case.

ExpressVPN offers a consistent performance, with neat dedicated apps for the mobile experience. For any trouble that might occur, there’s round-the-clock live chat and email support available from China (the website is not blocked).

There’s no free trial of the service and the pricing isn’t cheap. Still, the 30-day money-back guarantee at least gives you some fall-back, and the year-long plan provides the best value for money. The packages available are:

One of the main advantages of VyprVPN is its proprietary Chameleon security protocol which can help bypass VPN blocking, scrambling OpenVPN packet metadata to ensure it’s safe from the tendrils of deep packet inspection.

VyprVPN is a tier-1 VPN network, which means the outfit owns all of its servers. There are enough of them to ensure good performance (14 are located in Asia), along with solid support for mobile operating systems, and 24/7 live chat for troubleshooting.

The much-praised Chameleon protocol is excluded from the basic plan, which itself offers a rather miserly two simultaneous connections. On top of that, the service is expensive, but does offer a 30-day refund period and a three-day trial. Despite the cost, what’s on offer here could well be worth paying for – your best bet is the Pro plan to make sure you get the benefit from Chameleon. The packages available are:

This Hungarian VPN offers a rather enjoyable experience that’s easy to set up. Surprisingly, there is no native mobile support which is a shame, considering you can connect up to five devices simultaneously. Instead, the company offers detailed guides for configuring mobiles manually – although that won’t be ideal for beginners.

There are several servers in Asia which make for a reliable and speedy performance, and you get round-the-clock technical support. One of the more interesting features is the refund policy, which is valid for up to 10 hours, 100 sessions or 10GB of bandwidth.

Buffered VPN is somewhat expensive, with the 12-month plan providing the best value. The packages available are:

AirVPN is a very up-front service with an engaging forum community. That’s not surprising when you find out that it’s operated by ‘activists and hacktivists’ in defence of net neutrality and other online freedoms.

The website lists all the available servers and their current load. The number of server locations is low, admittedly, although seven are located in Asia. Nevertheless, the provider has no problems manoeuvring around geolocation restrictions and China is no exception. The service offers solid and reliable performance, even if signing up and getting going is a bit of a hassle.

AirVPN has reasonably priced plans – five of them, to be exact. A 3-day plan offers a convenient way to try the service out, while the 12-month plan boasts the best value for money. The packages available are:

StrongVPN is one of the favourites among visitors and expats in China. It supports the most popular platforms with detailed manual setup instructions for others. This VPN features a decent number of server locations, and has no problems navigating around the Great Firewall, with connections proving reliable and pretty fast.

And if you want security, there’s wide protocol support, up to 2048-bit encryption, along with StrongDNS, the company’s own concoction to protect against DNS leaks. However, there is a limit of two simultaneous device connections which spoils the fun just a little.

The plan selection is also on the weak side, with only two options to pick from. Both come with a 5-day money-back guarantee, with the annual plan clearly offering the best value for money. The packages available are:

Best VPN for China
Best VPN for Mac
Best VPN for torrenting
Best VPN for Android
Best VPN for Kodi
Best VPN for Windows
Best VPN for Netflix
Best VPN for Canada

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Best VPN for Netflix: Our 5 top choices

One of the main reasons why VPNs are so popular is because of their ability to unblock geo-restricted access. In other words, they let you access content that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach due to your location, such as getting the US Netflix service in the UK (with all its extra content). Some countries block Netflix completely, of course – for example, China – and again, you can use a VPN to get around this.

Bear in mind, though, that accessing content which shouldn’t be available in your region is something Netflix doesn’t want you to do. Indeed, it is expressly forbidden in Netflix’s terms and conditions of usage, and there’s a constant battle between the streaming service and VPNs which are circumventing its restrictions. Naturally, you travel down the avenue of VPN content unblocking entirely at your own risk…

Best VPN for China
Best VPN for Mac
Best VPN for torrenting
Best VPN for Android
Best VPN for Kodi
Best VPN for Windows
Best VPN for Canada

How to choose the best VPN for Netflix

As mentioned, there’s an ongoing game of cat-and-mouse between VPNs and Netflix in terms of beating its region restrictions. As a result, there’s a much smaller pool of VPN providers to choose from in this particular arena. However, while your options may be more limited than usual, there are still a few things to look out for.

Download speeds and server coverage should be your top priorities. Video streaming is an intensive activity, and you’ll need nippy performance levels to avoid suffering at the hands of stuttering footage, particularly when watching HD content (or indeed 4K). Having plenty of servers on offer will mean you’ll be more likely to be able to find that vital fast connection, as well (generally speaking).

The 5 best VPN services of 2017

Privacy and security are important whatever you’re using a VPN for, of course, with a ‘no logs’ policy and good encryption being definite must-haves. Support for mobile devices, and hopefully native clients for iOS/Android, will obviously be handy for watching flicks on the move.

And another good idea is to plump for a service with a money-back guarantee – that will be useful if things change suddenly, as they can with Netflix, and the particular VPN you’ve gone for ends up getting the cold shoulder from the streaming service. At least if you can get a refund, you won’t have wasted money (and obviously enough, the longer the duration of the money-back guarantee, the better).

Bearing all that in mind, let’s look at the five best VPN services for Netflix.

We’ve also highlighted the best VPN for torrenting

Known for its security-first approach, NordVPN is our best all-round VPN for using Netflix. The service offers fast performance, and in testing it barely affected our download speeds compared to our non-VPN rates.

Besides the United States, NordVPN supports Netflix in Sweden, France and India. Further benefits of the service include super-strong 2048-bit encryption, DNS leak protection, and an extensive choice of servers. The company has a strict no-logs policy regarding the user’s online activity.

Note that while NordVPN supports up to six devices, you can only connect one on the same server with the same protocol, which might bother some people (in other words, if you want multiple devices on the same server, you’ll have to use different protocols with them all).

There's a free 3-day trial (hidden away in the FAQ), and the service comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The 1-year plan offers the best value for money. The packages available are:

While Hotspot Shield doesn’t have a great deal of server locations to choose from, the service makes up for it with excellent performance. Both upload and download speeds were marginally higher than our normal rates when we tested the VPN, which is obviously fantastic for streaming.

On the downside, the client offers very little in terms of configuration. However, this VPN’s privacy policy is a favourable one, stating that any data which has been recorded is deleted upon ending the VPN session.

Hotspot Shield also boasts very attractive pricing. The 2-year plan is the best value, unless you’re prepared to commit to the ‘forever’ offering which could work out extremely cheap in the long run. The packages available are:

This British Virgin Islands-based provider offers good download speeds and a great mobile VPN experience, with some high-quality native clients for iOS, Android and even BlackBerry. It supports up to three devices – which can be either PCs, tablets or phones – and doesn’t log traffic or browsing data. On the security front it boasts 256-bit encryption over OpenVPN, L2TP – IPSEC, PPTP, and SSTP protocols.

ExpressVPN falls down a little, however, when it comes to value for money. The service is a bit more expensive than many rivals, but that said, a reassuring 30-day money-back guarantee is available (even if there isn’t a free trial). ExpressVPN offers three price plans, with the 12-month plan providing the best savings. The packages available are:

Currently, Buffered VPN only works for gaining access to Netflix’s US library, but the company says it is working on unblocking Netflix for other countries as well. While great for desktop computers, note that the service doesn't have native mobile clients (although there is a detailed guide for setting up on Android, iOS and other platforms).

What makes Buffered VPN a good pick? The service’s biggest strength is its excellent speeds in terms of both downloads and uploads. There’s no logging of the user’s online activity, either. This VPN offers a refund until you’ve used up either 10 hours, 10GB of bandwidth, or partaken of 100 sessions – whichever comes first – and that’s another highlight of the service.

The slight fly in the ointment is the pricing, which is on the expensive side – although if you sign up for a year, it’s not bad value for money by any means. The packages available are:

StrongVPN’s strong point (ahem) is its security, which includes broad protocol support (PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, OpenVPN and IPSec), 2048-bit encryption and the company's own StrongDNS service, which protects the user from DNS leaks.

The service is simple and based on the essentials. It boasts solid server coverage, support for all the major platforms – Windows, Mac, iOS and Android – with manual setup guides for the rest. In our testing, performance proved to be fast, actually improving our download speeds on long-distance tests, meaning swift and reliable connections to US Netflix.

Do note, though, that StrongVPN only supports two simultaneous connections, which is a little disappointing. And the service doesn’t have much variety when it comes to pricing plans – there are only two available with a short 5-day money-back guarantee. Going monthly is expensive, but if you sign up for the full year, it’s more reasonably priced. The packages available are:

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Amazon and Netflix are finally Oscar winners - streaming tech comes of age

As the biggest of all the film awards ceremonies, the Oscars work as a great litmus test for the film industry at large.

Aside from this year’s Oscars being one of the most diverse ever - and controversial given the La La Land / Moonlight award mix-up - it was also surprising to see so many streaming services represented up on stage.

Netflix documentary The White Helmets picked up an award for Best Documentary Short for its exploration of the work of the Syrian rescue service of the same name.

But the real success was had by Amazon Prime Video’s Manchester by the Sea which picked up two awards on the night, one for best original screenplay, and another for best actor - which went to Casey Affleck.

Best Documentary was also won by The Salesman, a documentary by Asghar Farhadi and distributed by Amazon Studios.

Four awards, 10 nominations

This year the awards have shown what a good job the likes of Amazon and Netflix are doing with their original content. As well as putting out mass-market hits like Stranger Things and Mr Robot, the two companies are also promoting small-budget indie films like those nominated last night.

With the amount of money earned by streaming services increasing year by year, expect these to be two names that will crop up more and more at these kinds of awards ceremonies.

They are so prevalent to the movie space, that even Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was given a shoutout by Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel.

Joking, he said: “Jeff Bezos is the founder and CEO, and I want to say congratulations to Jeff.

"And I also want you to know, if you win tonight, you can expect your Oscar to arrive in two to five business days, possibly stolen by a GrubHub delivery man.”

Check out our guides to the best Netflix shows and best Amazon Prime shows.

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Jolla inks exclusive license to kick-start its Android alternative in China

Mobile OS maker Jolla, whose Sailfish platform remains one of the few smartphone alternatives in play these days, has signed an exclusive license to a Chinese consortium to develop a Sailfish-based OS for the country. Read More http://ift.tt/2mCa9md