Whether you’re using a phone, tablet or laptop – VPNs (or Virtual Private Networks) are one of the best ways to keep your devices and your data safe as you surf the web, as well as being able to stream content otherwise blocked. If you’re ready to take your online security to the next level, then you’re in the right place. At this point, it’s hard to imagine anyone who hasn’t come across VPNs in some form or another, thanks to an abundance of marketing and the fact that they tend to dominate the conversation when it comes to discussions about staying safe online....

HBO’s new adaptation of video game The Last of Us is almost slavishly loyal to its source material at times. That may well sound like music to gamers’ ears, but anyone who’s seen Zack Snyder’s immaculately reconstructed Watchmen adaptation will know that hewing too closely to an original source carries its own risks. Fortunately the new show – co-created by Chernobyl’s Craig Mazin and the game’s own creator Neil Druckmann – has been assembled with enough care to straddle the line, re-creating some of the PlayStation classic’s best moments with painstaking precision, while still finding the space to go its own way when needed....

I’ve been using the new Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G for a couple of days and I can confirm it is too much: too much money, too much camera bump, too much screen. The Note has always been the most phone you can buy, but I’ve never personally thought it was too much until now. Samsung stuffs the Note with all the most premium features possible, with that S-Pen that curiously no other phone manufacturer has tried to copy (LG’s mid-range devices aside), and even though it’s a bank-breaker, I always felt it was worth it if you wanted the most bells and whistles Android phone going....

The Ultion Nuki Plus, the upgraded smart lock built for British doors, is now Matter friendly. Hello Ultion Nuki Plus Matter Edition. Matter is the smart home standard designed to make connected devices from different brands interoperable. There’s more information about the protocol in our explainer . The Matter Edition has some other new features as well, including a new and more secure 3-star Euro Cylinder lock. If someone tries to force the lock, a new LockDown Mode will be triggered....

Here’s all we know so far about what many people think could be the next Game of Thrones (only with a better ending, hopefully). When is the release date for The Wheel of Time TV show? The Wheel of Time debuted on 19 November 2021 with the first three episodes and is rolling out new instalments now every week. Will there be a second season of The Wheel of Time? Gonna do a 30-minute #wheeloftime Q&A on my Instagram Stories in about 15 minutes to celebrate the official greenlight for Season 2 of Wheel of Time!...

I’ve been testing the new iPhone 17 for Tech Advisor’s review and I’m a big fan. This year’s base model is excellent. It’s had all sorts of upgrades that bring it dizzyingly close to the Pro model, but it’s held its price point from last year – and with extra storage to boot. Coming from an iPhone 14, which was my daily driver until I was loaned the latest model, this is my first opportunity to enjoy features including Dynamic Island and the Action button....

I love using YouTube for long-form content like video essays and vlogs. However, sometimes I want to multitask while I’m diving down a rabbit hole about some weird internet culture trend or crazy fandom theory. Previously I didn’t think this was possible without buying a YouTube Premium subscription . However, I accidentally stumbled across a hack while testing something for another article (the grind never stops). Fortunately, it’s one of the best accidental discoveries I’ve made, and very easy to do....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict The M50-A-11Q provides very respectable performance, battery life and build quality at a competitive price. It’s not perfect, and the screen’s limited viewing angles are a clear weakness. Even so, it’s well worth Considering if you’re on a tight budget and looking for a good, basic laptop that can handle most day-to-day computing tasks for less than £500. Best Prices Today: Toshiba Satellite M50-A-11Q There are several models in the M50 range, equipped with a variety of both Intel and AMD processors and with prices varying from £400 to £600....

The full range of new models starts at just £229 and there’s a choice of Android, Toshiba and Fire TV operating systems. Toshiba’s first Quantum Dot and Fire TV models are the most interesting, taking on the likes of Hisense , Roku, TCL and others in the competitive budget TV market . The QA5D is Toshiba’s Quantum Dot model which costs £399 and runs on Android TV. The technology, which Samsung often uses, is a way of creating a LED-backlit LCD TV with enhanced colour reproduction....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Cordless Self-cleaning and drying Self-driven Effective Cons Heavy You’ll still need a second vacuum Unhelpful instruction manual Cleaning solution hard to buy Our Verdict The Ultenic AC1 is a brilliant combined vacuum and mop that’s jam-packed with useful features and great value. If you have lots of hard flooring at home, it’s well worth the investment. Best Prices Today: Ultenic AC1 Ultenic’s AC1 is a self-driven, cordless wet and dry vacuum with a long battery life, large separate clean and dirty water tanks, powerful suction and edge-to-edge cleaning....

In summary Vivo X300 Pro and X300 announced Impressive camera specs Sadly limited availability The Vivo X300 Pro and X300 smartphones have been officially announced, with some impressive specs and an uncertain launch schedule. Vivo’s latest flagship phones look set to nail a tempting combination of high-end specs and accessible pricing, for those who can actually buy one. Both phones are based around MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 chip, which promise to offer some strong competition to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict The WD My Cloud EX2100 has performance issues with Mac OS X, but otherwise is a snappy NAS drive brimming with useful features. At around £200 unpopulated it’s close in price and performance to the Synology DS214. It’s perhaps testament to the progress WD has made with its NAS hardware that it’s now a tougher call to choose between them. Best Prices Today: WD My Cloud EX2100 8TB WD’s My Cloud EX2100 8TB is a snappy NAS drive brimming with useful features that’s a real contender to its Synology rivals....

Today, VanMoof unveiled its latest electric bike. Simply called V, it looks like an S3 on steroids. It has a fatter frame, fatter wheels and – with the high-level circular headlight – much more of a motorcycle aesthetic. The company is calling it a speed bike because it tops out at 31mph / 50kmh. Typically, electric bikes are limited to 15.5 or 20mph depending upon the region, but so-called speed pedelecs (a shortening of pedal electric) are already very popular in Europe....

The Marvels will bring together a trio of heroes from the MCU – Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau / Photon. The three women must team up when their powers become entangled, and Carol must deal with the destabilisation of the entire universe. The next MCU film hits cinemas on 10 November 2023 – you can get your tickets here . However, fans of the superhero franchise will know that the story is likely to reference other movies and TV shows, so some pre-requisite viewing may be in order....

Each year Apple releases a new version of its iPhone software, called iOS. This year we’re up to iOS 17 and it’s almost time for the official public release. There are plenty of new features you’ll find useful, and most are coming even to older phones and aren’t restricted just to newer ones with the right hardware. As ever, the update is free, and it’s easier than ever to get it....

New smartphones appear so frequently now that it can feel like it’s always the wrong time to buy one. You don’t want to pay out the best part of a grand on the shiniest, most powerful device only for it to be replaced by a new and improved model a couple of weeks later. Thankfully, it’s not quite as random as it might seem, due to the fact that manufacturers tend to launch new models on an annual cycle and knowing what they are can ensure that you make your purchase at exactly the right time....

Unveiled in March 2021, the Realme GT is the most affordable Snapdragon 888 phone. Following an exclusive release in China, the phone has now made its way to European markets after an international release on 15 June. The original Realme GT , with Android 11, boasts speed from all fronts. On top of the Snapdragon 888, the GT offers 5G connectivity, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, Bluetooth 5.2, a 120Hz 6....

It’s a busy day for Xiaomi as it officially brings two new Poco phones to the market: the Poco X3 Pro and the Poco F3. The F3, which is Poco’s most powerful device to date, features a Snapdragon 870 chip along with a 6.67in 120Hz E4 AMOLED – specs that should please gamers and social media surfers alike. If you’re wondering, the E4 AMOLED is Samsung’s next-generation screen technology that promises greater brightness, contrast, and colour fidelity, along with greater energy efficiency....

Online grocery shopping is more popular than ever, especially now that social distancing has become a part of our lives. Even if that’s abolished soon, the convenience of having your groceries delivered means the service will remain popular. Here’s what’s on offer in the UK to help you decide which service is the best one for you. It isn’t just supermarkets that sell groceries online in the UK. Here’s a quick list of the main ones including a few subscription services that have also become popular choices:...

You might be forgiven for thinking that the giggling, seemingly insane blonde woman in episode four of The Penguin was Harley Quinn. However, the HBO show went in a different direction for a DC villain cameo. The cell neighbour for Sofia Falcone is Magpie (“not Margaret”, as she bitterly reminds us), a familiar name for fans of the comic books. But who is this character? We’ve done some digging in the superhero lore to find out everything you need to know....