Dec 01
Dec 01
Gigabyte has just listed a new graphics card ‘Radeon RX VEGA 64 GAMING OC 8G’ on its product page. Powered by AMD Radeon RX VEGA 64 GPU, this VR-ready graphics card is built with 4096 Stream Processors, a 2048-bit memory interface, a core base clock of 1276MHz (1247MHz reference), a core boost clock of 1560MHz (1546MHz reference) and an 8GB HBM2 memory set @ 950MHz (1900MHz rate).
Equipped with Gigabyte’s WINDFORCE 2X cooling system (w/ 2x 100mm unique blade fans – effectively enhancing the air flow by 23% over traditional fan), the Radeon RX VEGA 64 GAMING OC 8G provides 3x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4 output ports. Unfortunately, there’s no word on pricing yet. [Product Page]
The post Gigabyte Radeon RX VEGA 64 GAMING OC 8G Graphics Card appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.
Dec 01
QNAP hits back by announcing their newest 2-bay NAS server, the TS-231P2. Aimed at SMB and SOHO users, this cost-effective NAS server is packed with a 1.7GHz Alpine AL-314 quad-core processor, a 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 512MB NAND flash memory and 2x 2.5-/3.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD bays.
Furthermore, the TS-231P2 comes with a Kensington security slot, 3x USB 3.0 ports (1x front, 2x rear), 2x GbE RJ45 LAN ports and a built-in 70mm cooling fan, and runs on QTS operating system.
Measuring W102mm x D219mm x H169mm and weighing 1.28kg, the QNAP TS-231P2 will start shipping from December 1st for 44,800 Yen (about $403). [Product Page]
The post QNAP TS-231P2 2-Bay NAS Server Announced appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.
Dec 01
A leaked ICE bulletin warns of possible spying by drone maker DJI on behalf of the Chinese government, raising new concerns about security and privacy. The memo warns that DJI is very likely targeting certain government and private entities “to collect and exploit sensitive U.S. data.” That is just a sliver of the long report, though, which warns that DJI’s … Continue reading
Dec 01
We’re sure some of you guys have come across content on YouTube that is geo-blocked, meaning that depending on your location, some YouTube videos cannot be played due to possible legal/copyright reasons. One way to get around this would be through a VPN, but there might be a quicker, easier, and cheaper way.
TNW reports that there is an extension for Google Chrome called “F*ck YouTube” which basically lets you watch geo-blocked videos. It seems to be pretty straightforward, where you just surf on over to the YouTube page and you’re good to go. The only downside to this is that you will need the URL of the video you’re trying to watch.
This means that if you’re searching for it on YouTube, you won’t find it since YouTube only lists videos that you can watch, but other than that embedded videos or videos with direct links should not pose an issue. However we should point out that the extension has been removed from the Chrome Web Store.
It is unclear why it has been removed, possibly because of the name (we’re not sure if the functionality is considered a violation of the Chrome Web Store policy), but its creator Alessandro Costa has stated that there are plans to bring a version onto Firefox Quantum, so do keep an eye out for it in the near future.
This Browser Extension Lets You Watch Geo-Blocked YouTube Videos , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Dec 01
We have heard that HMD Global had plans to bring the low-end Nokia 2 to the US, and if you are indeed looking for a budget Android handset, then you’ll be pleased to learn that the reports are true and that the Nokia 2 has finally made its way to the US where you’ll be able to get your hands on it for just $100.
The handset is currently available from the likes of Amazon and Best Buy where they are sold unlocked. This means that they are not tied to any specific carrier, which means that you’ll have to get a line for it, although you’ll want to check on whether or not the handset will be compatible with the carrier of your choice.
Given its price, safe to say that the Nokia 2 is not what many would consider a high-end phone. However at $100, it does seem to be somewhat decent if you’re looking for a cheap second phone or one for your kids. It will feature a 5-inch 720p HD display, the use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 212 chipset, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of onboard storage that can be expanded via microSD, an 8MP rear-facing camera, a 5MP front-facing camera, and will come with Android Nougat.
However as HMD had promised, the Oreo update should arrive for the Nokia 2 by the end of the year.
Nokia 2 Has Arrived In The US For $100 , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Dec 01
At a glance the iPhone X might seem physically smaller compared to the iPhone 8 Plus, and it is, don’t let its size fool you because it actually packs a larger display, and also a higher display resolution, which means that if you’re noticing how some apps might not look as crisp as you’d like, it’s probably because they haven’t been updated with support for the higher resolution yet.
We expect that eventually most, if not all apps will be updated with support for the larger display and higher resolution of the iPhone X, and in the meantime it looks like Google is one of them. The company has recently pushed out an update for Google Maps which includes support for the iPhone X’s display and takes full advantage of the edge-to-edge design.
As you can see in the images above, the two left images show Google Maps before the update where it did not stretch to the edges of the display, and the two on the right show the app after the update where the app now takes up the entire screen, which gives it a more dramatic effect. The bottom portion, at least based on these images, does seem like there could still be some improvements made, but it’s much better than the black bars that were present in the previous version.
The update should already be live, so if you’re an iPhone X user, head on over to the iTunes App Store for the download.
Google Maps Updated With iPhone X Support , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Dec 01
djiSeveral years ago, Chinese tech company Huawei was accused by the US government as manufacturing phones that spied on the US on China’s behalf, and claim that the company has since vehemently denied. Last year, another Chinese company ZTE was also accused, leading to trade restrictions.
Now it seems that according to a report from The New York Times, Chinese drone maker DJI is being accused of spying for China, or at least that’s what Homeland Security is alleging. In a memo obtained by The New York Times, was written back in August and alleges that DJI was collecting sensitive data from its drones in the US and sharing it with the Chinese government.
The memo mentions that DJI is apparently targeting the military, law enforcement, and infrastructure builders, all of which would help China plan and launch better physical and cyber attacks should it ever come to that. We have to wonder if the memo had something to do with the military announcing (also back in August) that they would cease the use of DJI drones immediately.
Unsurprisingly DJI is denying those claims, which they say are based on “clearly false and misleading claims”. The company’s statement reads, “The allegations in the bulletin are so profoundly wrong as a factual matter that ICE should consider withdrawing it, or at least correcting its unsupportable assertions.”
Homeland Security Claims DJI’s Drones Are Spying For China , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Dec 01
Earlier this month, it was suggested that musician Taylor Swift would not launch her latest album, Reputation, on streaming services right away. Instead it was suggested that Swift would only make the album available a week after its launch. The good news is that if you’re a music streaming subscriber, it looks like Swift’s album is finally available.
It has been noted that Swift’s album is now available on streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify. However it should be pointed out that this only seems to apply to international markets, and not the US. Presumably the US launch shouldn’t be too far behind, but at this time of writing it looks like it isn’t available just yet. We’re not sure why the launch dates are different, so fans will just have to remain patient.
That being said, Swift’s decision to launch the album through more “traditional” means first makes sense, especially in light of Apple Music’s head and music industry veteran Jimmy Iovine’s comments. According to an earlier report, Iovine claims that the profit margins made in music streaming is pretty much non-existent.
This would suggest that releasing music through physical sales or digital purchases is still a better way to go. Swift is also not the first artist to hold off on releasing her music via streaming, where in 2016 Adele fans also had to go through a similar waiting process, where the musician’s 25 album was only made available on streaming about a half year following the album’s release.
Taylor Swift’s ‘Reputation’ Album Available On Apple Music & Spotify , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Dec 01
We live in a time where almost every bit of our everyday life has been digitized, and therefore we store a lot of relevant information on our computers or mobile devices. From social media and email passwords, to highly-sensitive info, such as banking records and social security number.
With the increasing number of scammers and hackers looming around every corner of the internet, protecting your data is more necessary than it ever was. If it falls into the wrong hands, the repercussions can be devastating, and it can never be taken back.
With that in mind, we are here to provide you with a few simple solutions to help you to strongly encrypt your data; both on your computer and mobile device.
PC, Mac, Linux
Based on our research, the best and easiest way to confidently protect your files on your computer is a program called BestCrypt, a paid app, but with a comfortable trial period. We also have a completely free and open-source option with Veracrypt below. Veracrypt is not as nice to use, but it’s hard to complain when it’s free.
In a nutshell, what BestCrypt does is that it allows users to create a virtual drive where they can store any file they want to. The user defines the storage size of the drive before creating it.
Both the installation process and using the program qualify as relatively simple procedures. Just follow the step-by-step screenshots and you will be good to go.
Download and install BestCrypt
To download BestCrypt, head over to jetico.com/downloads, select your operating system and then click download.
Once the download is finished, click on the .exe file, located in the bottom left-hand corner (Chrome). Alternatively, you can press CTRL+J to see the list of recent downloads in the browser.
Hit next on every page of the installation menu. Once the process is completed, you will be asked to restart your computer. Click yes.
Using BestCrypt
Now that everything is all set up, search on your computer for “BestCrypt Control Panel” and open it. To create a new virtual drive, click the button circled in the screenshot below.
The program will then ask you to set up the size of the virtual drive. Once you’ve decided, hit create. Time of creations depends on the size you’ve selected.
You will then be asked to set up a password for the particular container. Make sure that you’ve written it down. If the user forgets the password, he will not be able to restore it. We have an article that explains how to create strong passwords that are easy to remember.
The program will ask you to randomly press keys on your keyboard, thus generating a hyper-safe encryption key that is almost impossible to break. Only a quantum computer would be able to find the key in a reasonable time frame. In theory, an attack on a single AES-256 key (a common encryption protocol) can take billions of years every single computer on the planet, today.
You now have a password-protected virtual drive. Copy all the files you wish to keep private into it, just like you would on a USB drive.
Once you are ready to virtually ejecting the encrypted drive, select the container and click the yellow button, or right click on the container and select “Dismount” from the contextual menu.
When you wish to re-access the protected files, open BestCrypt, select the respective container and click the green button circled below, or right click on the container and select “Mount” from the contextual menu (it’s like virtually inserting the encrypted drive in the system). Enter the container’s password and the virtual drive will automatically open and will be accessible as long as you do not dismount it.
To change or remove the password from a container the user will first have to dismount it, then right-click on it and select properties from the contextual menu that shows up. Hit “User Passwords” and then select one of the two. Either way, you will be initially asked to type in your old password, for security purposes.
It is worth mentioning that BestCrypt has a three-week free trial. After that, the containers will be accessible in read-only mode. For personal use or for small businesses, the full version costs $80 per year, or $7 a month.
We know that $80 might sound a lot, though BestCrypt really is the best data encryption program currently available. If you genuinely value the privacy of your data, we’d strongly suggest that you look no further.
VeraCrypt
The folks who are currently on a tighter-budget could go with VeraCrypt, which is free of charge. VeraCrypt functions the same way as BestCrypt, though the former is much less user-friendly.
Download and install VeraCrypt
To download VeraCrypt, head over to Codeplex.com and select the operating system of your choice. Then click on the .exe file, located in the bottom left-hand corner (Chrome). Alternatively, you can press CTRL+J to see the list of recent downloads in the browser.
The installation window will then show up. Click next on every page of the process.
Using VeraCrypt
Much like on BestCrypt, we are going to create an encrypted virtual drive on VeraCrypt as well.
Open up VeraCrypt, and then follow Creat Volume>Create an encrypted file container>Standard VeraCrypt Volume.
Next up, you will have to specify where you would like to save the VeraCrypt file.
Adjust the file’s space based on the size of the files you are planning to store into it. Following that, you will be asked to set up a password and then to randomly press keys on the keyboard, thus generating an encryption key. It goes without saying that you should write down that password.
The VeraCrypt file has been created. Do also keep the type of Hash Algorithm that you are using, as it will be needed down the road.
To mount the encrypted file, you will have to pick one of the virtual drives that VeraCrypt offers. Pick any of them, click select file and then open the VeraCrypt file – as illustrated below.
Once that’s done, click Mount. You will then be asked to fill in the password that you setup a few steps above. In case you had written down the type of Hash Algorithm, select it from the “PKCS-5 PRF” menu, as it will expedite the mounting process. If you haven’t, just leave it on Autodetection.
You have successfully mounted the container as a virtual disk M:.
To “lock” the virtual drive, just click Dismount. When you wish to re-access its content, select the drive and click Mount. Type-in your password and you will be good to go.
For more details, you can also check out this VeraCrypt tutorial.
Encrypt individual files: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS
Download and install AESCrypt
To download AESCrypt, head over to aescrypt.com/download/ and select the operating system of your choice. To avoid using the command prompt to operate AESCrypt, pick the GUI version. The program is free of charge.
Open the .zip file and follow the instructions described in the picture below.
Using AESCrypt
Using the program is a piece of cake. Just right-click on the individual file you wish to encrypt, hit AES Encrypt and then setup the password.
Much like BestCrypt there is no password restoration process available, so do ensure that you’ve written down the password.
Once that is complete, delete the non-encrypted version, since the program will generate an encrypted one.
To open the file, just double-click on the encrypted version and enter the respective password. The file will automatically open, while the non-encrypted version will be revived as well.
We strongly recommend using AESCrypt for quick and simple individual-file encryption.
Android and iOS
The best way to password-proof your files on iOS and Android is by downloading a folder locker-kind of app. There are plenty of options on both operating systems, most of which are free, though they do ask for a few extra bucks in order to get the full features-package.
Folder Lock (Android 4.0+, iOS 7.0+)
Folder Lock is one of the most popular apps in this category and is available on both Android and iOS. Of all the apps that we tested, we recommend Folder Lock chiefly due to the wide range of types of data that it covers.
More specifically, with Folder Lock you can hide:
- Photos and videos, Galleries
- Documents
- Apps
- Audio
- Notes
- Contacts
- Miscellaneous files (they contain system file data or data from the apps installed on your phone)
To kick things off, download Folder Lock from Play Store or App Store. When you first launch it, you will be asked to set up your PIN. The user can change his password from the app’s settings.
In fact, you can also use a pattern/password lock, or even fingerprint-lock. In the latter case, your device must come with a fingerprint sensor.
The pro version costs about $5 (one-time-payment). It removes ads, offers 24/7 support and most importantly features cloud backup. For those unfamiliar, with cloud backup the user has access to all his hidden data – within the app – from any device that he downloads the app on.
As aforementioned, besides conventional data, Folder Lock also allows you to hide apps. To do so, tap on the AppLock button from the main menu and hit the lock on the apps you want to hide from public view. From now on, the particular apps will be accessible only via the Locked Apps section within AppLock.
A similar procedure applies to the rest types of data.
You can also view if there have been any attempts at entering the app and which people were behind it. Every time the password/PIN/pattern is typed incorrectly, the app registers it as hacking attempt and simultaneously uses the front camera to snap a photo of the intruder – silently.
Pros:
- The app covers almost everything
- Lots of cool extra features
- Pro version is sensibly priced
Cons:
- Way too many annoying ads on the free version
If you encounter any problems while trying out any of the above or have a recommendation to make, feel free to shoot a comment down below.
How To Encrypt Files on Desktop, iPhone and Android , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
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