Monthly Archives: October 2023

Netflix is opening physical stores in 2025 as marketing ploy

Posted on by
Screenshot from Squid Game trailer

Enlarge (credit: Netflix)

“Netflix and chill” usually implies a cozy night in with a companion and no one else in your living room besides those on your TV screen. In 2025, the term could start taking on an opposite meaning, as Netflix opens physical stores with merchandise and activities inspired by its content.

Netflix House will debut in two undetermined cities in the US before expanding globally, Josh Simon, Netflix VP of consumer products, told Bloomberg yesterday. Netflix House will be the streaming company’s first permanent retail location and will seek to promote fandom around its original programming.

Netflix didn’t disclose many specifics about what customers will be able to do there beyond buying Stranger Things T-shirts (presumably) and other merch. By far the most exciting aspect teased is the potential for a real-life Squid Game obstacle course.

Read 6 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Netflix is opening physical stores in 2025 as marketing ploy

Proton VPN review 2023: Why it's our top-choice VPN

Posted on by

Proton sells a suite of privacy products, from email to document storage, so when I used Proton VPN I was already familiar with the company. We tested nine of the best VPN services available for our overall guide, including ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark and Tunnelbear. Proton promises “privacy by default,” but that left me wondering if the company meant rigorous security testing — and if a focus on privacy would take away from ease of use. Because it balanced all of the above, Proton VPN landed at the top of our list.

VPNs can be used for general web browsing, but I tested each one by streaming, gaming and evading geoblocking on the servers. I measured streaming speeds by watching Canadian Netflix from my home in the US, playing an online game from a UK-based VPN server and watching a live news channel on YouTube from a Hong Kong-based VPN.

How much does Proton VPN cost?

Proton offers a free, but limited, version of its VPN. It can be used on one device with access to servers in the Netherlands, United States and Japan. For $5.99 per month, Proton VPN’s paid subscription includes access to more than 3,000 servers in over 65 countries, use on up to 10 devices and an included ad-blocker and malware protection. Or for $9.99 per month, Proton sells an “unlimited” package with access to all of its mail, calendar, drive, VPN and password manager products.

Privacy and security

When I tried out VPNs, I looked for options that kept my information secure without impacting my ability to easily browse the web. Proton VPN has a no-logs policy, meaning it doesn’t collect data that passes through its network. It’s passed external audits, is based on an open-source framework and it runs a vulnerability disclosure program. Proton VPN has a policy not to comply with law enforcement requests and has no forced logging requirements because it’s based in Switzerland, according to the company.

Speed and availability

There was little to no lag when I used Proton VPN for its streaming, geoblocking and gaming capabilities. I also did a ping test to measure internet latency. Without a VPN, it took 43 milliseconds, but connected to Proton VPN, it took 49 milliseconds, which is not a big difference at all.

For paid users, Proton VPN is available on more than 1,800 servers in 64 countries. It’s available across iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, streaming services and more. Because it supports up to 10 devices at once, it’s also easy to use across an entire household of tech.

Proton VPN pros and cons

Even our top choice isn’t perfect. The free version can be a bit finicky, and struggles to stay connected at times. According to Consumer Reports, it doesn’t meet password complexity requirements and didn’t offer clear protections against unauthorized access. Like many of its competitors, Proton VPN also tends to use misleading marketing language. Proton VPN makes lofty claims — like bypassing censorship, keeping you safe from hackers and surfing the web without surveillance — that can’t always be factually backed up.

The VPNs I tested were consistently good. They made it easy to browse the web securely. Proton VPN took the top spot because of its overall security and ease of use.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/proton-vpn-review-2023-why-its-our-top-choice-vpn-153046020.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Proton VPN review 2023: Why it’s our top-choice VPN

Russell T. Davies Has at Least 4 Seasons Planned For His Doctor Who Return

Posted on by

Russell T. Davies is well and truly back into the world of Doctor Who at this point, as we’re on the cusp of seeing just what the series has in store for its 60th anniversary next month. But it sounds like Davies is intending on sticking around for at least as long as he was the first time round.

Read more…



Source: Gizmodo – Russell T. Davies Has at Least 4 Seasons Planned For His Doctor Who Return

The Kitchen Tools That Deserve a Spot in Your Utensil Holder

Posted on by

Building your official grown-up kitchen involves selecting big ticket items–cast iron skillets, stainless steel pans, and a set of knives you treat like family–but don’t forget about the little guys. Your utensil holder (that big cylinder from IKEA full of spatulas that sits next to your stove) has likely been overrun…

Read more…



Source: LifeHacker – The Kitchen Tools That Deserve a Spot in Your Utensil Holder

Cisco Can't Stop Using Hard-Coded Passwords

Posted on by

There’s a new Cisco vulnerability in its Emergency Responder product: “This vulnerability is due to the presence of static user credentials for the root account that are typically reserved for use during development. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using the account to log in to an affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to log in to the affected system and execute arbitrary commands as the root user.” Bruce Schneier adds: “This is not the first time Cisco products have had hard-coded passwords made public. You’d think it would learn.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – Cisco Can’t Stop Using Hard-Coded Passwords

[$] Recent improvements in GCC diagnostics

Posted on by

The primary job of a compiler is to translate source code into a binary
form that can be run by a computer. Increasingly, though, developers want
more from their tools, compilers included. Since the compiler must
understand the code it is being asked to translate, it is in a good
position to provide information about how that code will execute — and
where things might go wrong. At the 2023 GNU Tools Cauldron,
David Malcolm talked about recent work to improve the diagnostic output
from the GCC compiler.

Source: LWN.net – [$] Recent improvements in GCC diagnostics

UK Praises Microsoft's Game-Changing Concessions And Greenlights $69B Activision Deal

Posted on by

UK Praises Microsoft's Game-Changing Concessions And Greenlights $69B Activision Deal
The UK has given its blessing to Microsoft to acquire Activision-Blizzard after the tech giant agreed to exclude cloud gaming rights from the deal. The new deal has Ubisoft acquiring cloud gaming rights instead of Microsoft.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had been the last hurdle that Microsoft needed to clear before closing

Source: Hot Hardware – UK Praises Microsoft’s Game-Changing Concessions And Greenlights B Activision Deal

Ewan McGregor Talks Strikes, Bagel Opinions, and Little Else at NYCC

Posted on by

“Hello there,” New York. Kenobi star Ewan McGregor would have a lot to talk about with his starring role in the Star Wars canon or any other feature film, but he can’t, not when the actors union SAG-AFTRA is still fighting for a fair contract.

Read more…



Source: Gizmodo – Ewan McGregor Talks Strikes, Bagel Opinions, and Little Else at NYCC

The 9 Best Pokémon TCG YouTubers To Follow

Posted on by

Anyone surprised by what manages to become popular on YouTube clearly hasn’t been paying attention. From magnet fishing for trash, to trampolining off high platforms, there’s a channel with over a million subscribers for everything. So it shouldn’t shock anyone that when it comes to watching other people open Pokémon…

Read more…



Source: Kotaku – The 9 Best Pokémon TCG YouTubers To Follow

How to Take Care of Your Knives Like an Adult

Posted on by

You’ve finally invested in a few high quality knives. You won’t regret it. Not only will a good knife make cutting easier, but the materials used will ensure your knives stay sharper for longer. (Unlike the set of knives in the molded plastic box that cut like spoons after six months.) But like any important tool,…

Read more…



Source: LifeHacker – How to Take Care of Your Knives Like an Adult

Intel Arc Graphics See Faster Performance On Ubuntu 23.10

Posted on by

For those using the stock kernel and Mesa drivers when running Ubuntu Linux, the upgrade from Ubuntu 23.04 to the newly-released Ubuntu 23.10 can mean some nice graphics performance improvements for Intel Arc Graphics users. Here is a look at some Arc Graphics A770 benchmarks on Ubuntu 23.04 to 23.10 plus the gains that are coming up when moving to Linux 6.6 and Mesa 23.3-devel.

Source: Phoronix – Intel Arc Graphics See Faster Performance On Ubuntu 23.10

OnePlus Open Is About To Steal A Key Bragging Right From Google's Pixel Fold

Posted on by

OnePlus Open Is About To Steal A Key Bragging Right From Google's Pixel Fold
The OnePlus Open is about a week out from launch and already it is dropping specs and taking names—the Open is now claiming that the Google Pixel Fold is too fat for your pants. 

While nothing official has been revealed by OnePlus regarding the Open’s physical dimensions, it hasn’t stopped reliable leaker Arsène Lupin (@MysteryLupin) from

Source: Hot Hardware – OnePlus Open Is About To Steal A Key Bragging Right From Google’s Pixel Fold

Astronomers Capture Astonishing Afterglow Of Two Giant Planets Colliding In Deep Space

Posted on by

Astronomers Capture Astonishing Afterglow Of Two Giant Planets Colliding In Deep Space
A new study reports two ice giant exoplanets colliding near a sun-like star, creating an astonishing afterglow in deep space. Astronomers were able to view the afterglow of light and plumes of dust as it passed in front of the parent star, dimming it over time.

An international team of astronomers came together after an enthusiast viewed

Source: Hot Hardware – Astronomers Capture Astonishing Afterglow Of Two Giant Planets Colliding In Deep Space

OpenWrt 23.05.0 released

Posted on by

Version
23.05.0 of the OpenWrt distribution has been released: “OpenWrt
23.05 supports over 1790 devices. Support for over 200 new devices was
added in addition to the device support by OpenWrt 22.03“. Along with
new device support, this release features a switch to the mbedtls
cryptographic library, the ability to include utilities written in Rust, an
updated toolchain, and more.

Source: LWN.net – OpenWrt 23.05.0 released

Don't Panic But DDR5 And DDR4 Are Poised For Price Hikes, SSD Storage Too

Posted on by

Don't Panic But DDR5 And DDR4 Are Poised For Price Hikes, SSD Storage Too
As consumers, we’ve been a little spoiled with RAM prices over the past few years. A continued overabundance of chips on the supply side kept retail prices steadily trending downward, even (and especially) for DDR5 kits, which were sky high (compared to DDR4) at the outset. Unfortunately, DDR5 and DDR4 kits are about to cost a bit more, according

Source: Hot Hardware – Don’t Panic But DDR5 And DDR4 Are Poised For Price Hikes, SSD Storage Too

Microsoft Asks Controversial Activision CEO Bobby Kotick To Stay For Two More Months

Posted on by

Longtime Activision Blizzard CEO, Bobby Kotick, is almost gone, but not quite yet. Nearly two years after over 1,000 of his employees called on the controversial executive to resign, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer confirmed that Kotick will remain the head of the Call of Duty publisher until the end of 2023, to…

Read more…



Source: Kotaku – Microsoft Asks Controversial Activision CEO Bobby Kotick To Stay For Two More Months