Latest news with #Linux
Mint
8 hours ago
- Mint
Want to browse without being tracked? Try these 5 browsers instead of Google Chrome's Incognito Mode
Ever opened an incognito window and thought, 'Now I'm invisible online'? The reality is, incognito mode is just a thin veil. It keeps your browsing history off your device, but your internet provider, employer, and most websites can still track you. If you want real privacy, better security, or even true anonymity, it's time to look beyond Chrome's incognito and try browsers built for more than just hiding your tracks. Incognito mode only stops your browser from saving your history and cookies locally. It doesn't block trackers, hide your IP address, or prevent websites from profiling you. Advertisers, your network admin, and even Google itself can still see what you're doing. For anyone serious about privacy or security, incognito is just a starting point, not a solution. Firefox is a favourite among privacy advocates. It's open-source, so anyone can inspect the code, and it blocks trackers and fingerprinting by default. You can also customise privacy settings to suit your needs, making it a flexible choice for most users. Use this browser if you value: Privacy, Security Available on: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS Brave blocks ads and trackers out of the box and upgrades your connections to HTTPS whenever possible. It also gives you the option to block scripts that might be following your activity. Brave feels familiar if you're used to Chrome but strips out a lot of the data collection. Use this browser if you value: Privacy, Security Available on: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS Tor is the go-to for anyone who wants to be truly anonymous online. It routes your traffic through several encrypted nodes, making it very difficult for anyone to trace your activity back to you. It's slower than most browsers, but if you need to keep your identity hidden, nothing beats it. Use this browser if you value: Anonymity, Privacy Available on: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android Epic is designed from the ground up for privacy. It blocks ads, trackers, and fingerprinting technologies, and even disables features like spell-check and auto-fill to keep your data safe. Epic doesn't require much setup and is straightforward to use. Use this browser if you value: Privacy, Security Available on: Windows, macOS, Android Vivaldi gives you a ton of control over your browsing experience. You can tweak privacy settings, block ads and trackers, and customise just about everything. While it's not focused on anonymity, it does a solid job of protecting your privacy and security. Use this browser if you value: Privacy, Security Available on: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS Incognito mode is fine for hiding your browsing from others who use your device, but it won't protect you from trackers, advertisers, or anyone else watching your activity online. If you care about privacy, security, or anonymity, these browsers give you real options. Take a few minutes to try one out and see how much more private your browsing can feel. Your data is worth protecting, and switching browsers is one of the easiest ways to start.
Geeky Gadgets
11 hours ago
- Geeky Gadgets
Build a 1440p Gaming PC on a Budget That Crushes Consoles
What if you could build a gaming PC that delivers stunning 1440p performance without emptying your wallet? Imagine playing graphically demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Elden Ring at high settings, all while staying under the cost of a modern console. It might sound too good to be true, but thanks to recent advancements in hardware and the rise of Linux-based gaming platforms like SteamOS, this dream setup is now within reach. Whether you're a seasoned PC builder or a curious first-timer, assembling a budget-friendly gaming rig has never been more accessible—or rewarding. In this guide, ETA Prime uncovers how to craft a compact, cost-effective gaming machine that doesn't compromise on performance. From selecting the perfect GPU and CPU to optimizing your system with SteamOS, we'll walk you through every critical decision. You'll also discover clever ways to cut costs, like sourcing refurbished components, while still achieving buttery-smooth gameplay at 1440p. But this build isn't just about gaming—it doubles as a versatile Linux desktop for everyday tasks, making it a true multitasking powerhouse. By the end, you'll see how this setup rivals the best consoles while offering the flexibility only a PC can provide. Budget 1440p Gaming PC Guide Key Components for Optimal Performance Selecting the right hardware is essential to balance performance and affordability. Each component plays a critical role in making sure your system runs efficiently while staying within budget. Here's a detailed breakdown of the essential parts for this build: GPU: The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the ideal choice for 1440p gaming, offering excellent performance at a reasonable price. If you're looking to cut costs, consider the RX 6700 XT or RX 6600, which provide slightly lower performance but remain highly capable for most games. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the ideal choice for 1440p gaming, offering excellent performance at a reasonable price. If you're looking to cut costs, consider the RX 6700 XT or RX 6600, which provide slightly lower performance but remain highly capable for most games. CPU: The AMD Ryzen 5700G is a standout processor with 8 cores, 16 threads, and a boost clock of up to 4.6 GHz. Its integrated graphics also serve as a reliable backup for troubleshooting or light tasks. The AMD Ryzen 5700G is a standout processor with 8 cores, 16 threads, and a boost clock of up to 4.6 GHz. Its integrated graphics also serve as a reliable backup for troubleshooting or light tasks. Motherboard: A B550 MicroATX motherboard ensures compatibility with your CPU and GPU while supporting PCIe 4.0 for faster SSDs and GPUs. It's a cost-effective option that doesn't compromise on features. A B550 MicroATX motherboard ensures compatibility with your CPU and GPU while supporting PCIe 4.0 for faster SSDs and GPUs. It's a cost-effective option that doesn't compromise on features. RAM: Opt for 32GB of DDR4 RAM at 3200 MHz to handle multitasking and gaming seamlessly. If your budget is tight, 16GB is still sufficient for most gaming scenarios. Opt for 32GB of DDR4 RAM at 3200 MHz to handle multitasking and gaming seamlessly. If your budget is tight, 16GB is still sufficient for most gaming scenarios. Case: A compact PC case, often found as an affordable 'Amazon special,' keeps your build portable without sacrificing airflow or cooling efficiency. A compact PC case, often found as an affordable 'Amazon special,' keeps your build portable without sacrificing airflow or cooling efficiency. Power Supply: A reliable 550W power supply unit is more than capable of meeting the system's power demands while maintaining stability. Installing SteamOS for Gaming SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system optimized for gaming, serves as the foundation for this build. To install it, download the Steam Deck recovery tools, which are freely available online. After installation, ensure you update to the latest version, such as SteamOS Hollow 3.79, to access the newest features and compatibility improvements. SteamOS offers both beta and stable updates, allowing you to choose between innovative features or a more stable experience. The operating system is designed to maximize gaming performance while maintaining a user-friendly interface. Its integration with Steam ensures seamless access to your game library, making it an excellent choice for this build. Watch this video on YouTube. Below are more guides on SteamOS from our extensive range of articles. 1440p Gaming Performance This system is specifically designed to handle 1440p gaming with ease, even in demanding titles. By allowing FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), you can enjoy high or ultra settings in popular games while maintaining smooth frame rates. Here's a closer look at what you can expect from this build: Cyberpunk 2077: With FSR enabled, you can achieve consistent frame rates above 60 FPS on high settings, making sure a fluid and immersive experience. With FSR enabled, you can achieve consistent frame rates above 60 FPS on high settings, making sure a fluid and immersive experience. Elden Ring: Runs flawlessly at ultra settings, showcasing the system's ability to handle graphically intensive games with ease. Runs flawlessly at ultra settings, showcasing the system's ability to handle graphically intensive games with ease. Horizon Zero Dawn: High settings deliver stunning visuals and smooth performance, making the most of the hardware's capabilities. The combination of the RX 6750 XT GPU and Ryzen 5700G CPU ensures that this build can handle a wide range of AAA titles and indie games alike, providing a premium gaming experience without breaking the bank. More Than Just a Gaming PC This build isn't limited to gaming—it also functions as a full-fledged Linux desktop. Its versatility makes it suitable for everyday tasks such as web browsing, video playback, and even light content creation. The compact form factor is particularly advantageous for living room setups, offering a sleek and unobtrusive design that blends seamlessly into your entertainment space. Additionally, the Linux-based SteamOS provides access to a wide range of productivity tools and software, making this system a practical choice for users who need a multipurpose machine. Overcoming Challenges and Maximizing Cost Efficiency Building a budget-friendly gaming PC comes with its challenges, but careful planning can help you avoid common pitfalls. For example, an initial attempt to use an RX 960 XT GPU revealed driver compatibility issues with SteamOS. Switching to the RX 6750 XT resolved these problems, highlighting the importance of selecting components optimized for your operating system. Similarly, overheating issues with a used RX 7600 XT were mitigated by opting for a more reliable GPU. To further reduce costs, consider incorporating used or refurbished components. For instance, purchasing pre-owned GPUs and RAM can significantly lower expenses without sacrificing performance. Here are some additional tips to maximize cost efficiency: Shop for used or refurbished GPUs and RAM to save money while maintaining performance. Start with a smaller SSD and upgrade your storage capacity later as needed. Choose a compact case that balances affordability with adequate cooling and airflow. This build offers a cost-effective alternative to modern gaming consoles like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, which typically cost around $500. By carefully selecting components and exploring second-hand options, you can achieve comparable or even superior performance for less. Media Credit: ETA PRIME Filed Under: Gaming News, Guides, Hardware Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
Scoop
21 hours ago
- Scoop
MakeDongle 2 - USB Dongle Protection For MacOS, Windows And Linux
Excel Software announced MakeDongle 2.0 for macOS or Windows. MakeDongle generates a secure USB dongle from a flash drive. The dongle grants a license to run protected software on all modern versions of Mac, Windows or Linux OS. MakeDongle complements a diverse suite of protection and licensing tools from Excel Software. Protected software can be stored on the computer or dongle itself. On application launch, the dongle is validated before the software is allowed to run. Each dongle can be generated in seconds. When building dongles, MakeDongle can copy multiple licenses, applications or installers to the USB flash drive. MakeDongle can be used standalone or with the QuickLicense, AppProtect or DocProtect products. It also works with licensing plugins for FileMaker and Xojo. To use MakeDongle alone, several coding interfaces are supported with sample code provided for popular programming languages. MakeDongle works with QuickLicense. QuickLicense supports many license types including Trial, Product, Try/Buy and Subscription. Software is protected by adding API programming commands or by using the AddLicense wrapping tool without programming. AddLicense is a popular choice for runtime environments like MAX, Adobe Air or Unity since application code and resources can be securely embedded within the EXE or APP file. Protected software can immediately launch when the appropriate dongle is present or optionally require a manual or online activation process. MakeDongle and QuickLicense give developers many options for software and hardware protection. Excel spreadsheets can be protected using QuickLicense and OfficeProtect to produce an EXE for Windows or APP for Mac. This protection can be combined with a USB dongle to allow the App to run. The application and encrypted data files can be stored on the dongle making them easily portable between computers. MakeDongle works with QuickLicenseRT Linux. QuickLicense and MakeDongle run on a Mac or Windows computer to produce a dongle and license files. The protected software run on a Linux computer with the dongle installed in any free USB port. MakeDongle works with DocProtect on Mac, Windows or Linux. DocProtect wraps PDF, Video, Image slide shows or HTML files into a Mac or Windows application. The protected document can be used on any computer when the dongle is present. MakeDongle, DocProtect and QuickLicense can be combined to support other license types and features. MakeDongle can be used with AppProtect to wrap Mac or Windows software into a protected application that only runs if the dongle is present. Dongle secured installers can be created using MakeDongle plus ClickInstall on Mac or Windows. The installer only runs if the dongle is present and can be distributed on the dongle itself. MakeDongle 2.0 is $495 for a Single User License on Mac or Windows. Produce unlimited dongles for any number of products. The product includes royalty-free distribution rights for protected software. MakeDongle Mac is a Universal (Intel & Apple Silicon) App that runs on macOS 10.14 or later. MakeDongle Windows runs on Windows 10 or 11. Visit the company web site for demonstration videos and product information.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Why China is giving away its tech for free
Underpinning the digital economy is a deep foundation of open-source software, freely available for anyone to use. The majority of the world's websites are run using Apache and Nginx, two open-source programs. Most computer servers are powered by Linux, another such program, which is also the basis of Google's Android operating system. Kubernetes, a program widely used to manage cloud-computing workloads, is likewise open-source. The software is maintained and improved upon by a global community of developers. China, which had long stood at the periphery of that community, has in recent years become an integral part of it. After America and India, it is home to the largest group of developers on GitHub, the world's biggest repository of open-source software. Chinese tech giants, including Alibaba, Baidu and Huawei, have become prolific open-source funders and contributors. China has been particularly active in the development of open-source artificial-intelligence (AI) models, including those from DeepSeek, an AI startup that shook the world in January by releasing for free the cutting-edge models it had developed on a shoestring. According to Artificial Analysis, a website, 12 of the 15 leading open-source AI models are Chinese. This newfound interest in open-source has been fuelled by America's efforts to hobble its rival. Curbing China's access to code that is readily available online is tricky. This month Ren Zhengfei, Huawei's founder, told People's Daily, a Communist Party mouthpiece, that American tech restrictions were nothing to fear since 'there will be thousands of open-source software [programs] to meet the needs of the entire society.' Yet the rise in China of open technology, which relies on transparency and decentralisation, is awkward for an authoritarian state. If the party's patience with open-source fades, and it decides to exert control, that could hinder both the course of innovation at home, and developers' ability to export their technology abroad. China's open-source movement first gained traction in the mid-2010s. Richard Lin, co-founder of Kaiyuanshe, a local open-source advocacy group, recalls that most of the early adopters were developers who simply wanted free software. That changed when they realised that contributing to open-source projects could improve their job prospects. Big firms soon followed, with companies like Huawei backing open-source work to attract talent and cut costs by sharing technology. Momentum gathered in 2019 when Huawei was, in effect, barred by America from using Android. That gave new urgency to efforts to cut reliance on Western technology. Open-source offered a faster way for Chinese tech firms to take existing code and build their own programs with help from the country's vast community of developers. In 2020 Huawei launched OpenHarmony, a family of open-source operating systems for smartphones and other devices. It also joined others, including Alibaba, Baidu and Tencent, to establish the OpenAtom Foundation, a body dedicated to open-source development. China quickly became not just a big contributor to open-source programs, but also an early adopter of software. an e-commerce firm, was among the first to deploy Kubernetes. AI has lately given China's open-source movement a further boost. Chinese companies, and the government, see open models as the quickest way to narrow the gap with America. DeepSeek's models have generated the most interest, but Qwen, developed by Alibaba, is also highly rated, and Baidu has said it will soon open up the model behind its Ernie chatbot. China's enthusiasm for open technology is also extending to hardware. Unitree, a robotics startup from Hangzhou, has made its training data, algorithms and hardware designs available for free, which may help it to shape global standards. Semiconductors offer another illustration. China depends on designs from Western chip firms. As part of its push for self-sufficiency, the government is urging firms to adopt RISC-V, an open chip architecture developed at the University of California, Berkeley. Many Chinese firms also hope that more transparent technology will help them win acceptance for their products abroad. That has yet to prove true. Huawei's operating system has found few users elsewhere. Although some Western companies have been experimenting with DeepSeek's models, an executive at a global enterprise-software firm says that many clients outside China will not touch the country's AI tools. Some fear disruption from future American restrictions. Others worry about backdoors hidden in the code that might allow them to be spied on. China's open-source ambitions could be derailed in other ways, too. Qi Ning, a Chinese software engineer, points out that at international open-source conferences, attendees increasingly avoid naming Chinese collaborators, as they worry about reputational risk or political blowback. America's government may also make life difficult for Chinese open-source developers. Fearing nefarious meddling in the world's code, it could seek to cut China off from GitHub, which is owned by Microsoft. Mr Qi says many Chinese developers fear 'access issues in the future'. China's government has promoted Gitee, a domestic alternative. But few local programmers use it. Last year some American lawmakers argued for restricting China's access to RISC-V—though Andrea Gallo, head of the Swiss body that oversees the technology, contends that this is not feasible as it is a public standard, much like USB. Yet it is China's own government that poses the biggest threat to the country's open-source experiment, despite supporting it in principle. In 2021 the government restricted access to GitHub, concerned that the platform could be used to host politically sensitive content. Developers quickly turned to virtual private networks (which mask a user's location) to regain access, but the episode rattled many. In 2022 the government announced that all projects on Gitee would be subject to official review and that developers would need to certify compliance with Chinese law. A similar pattern is playing out in AI. Chinese law prohibits models from generating content that 'damages the unity of the country and social harmony'. In 2023 Hugging Face, a Franco-American platform for sharing open-source AI models, became inaccessible from within China. China's open-source movement is organic, driven by developers and tech firms. The government has so far encouraged it because it serves its objectives of accelerating domestic innovation and reducing reliance on Western technology. If China's leaders constrain the culture of freedom and experimentation on which open technology relies, however, they will limit its potential.
India Today
a day ago
- India Today
Govt issues high risk warning for Google Chrome users and you should not miss it
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a high-risk warning for Google Chrome desktop users. In its latest vulnerability note tagged CIVN-2025-0130, the national cybersecurity agency under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has flagged multiple vulnerabilities in Chrome. These flaws, if exploited, could allow remote hackers to gain access to users' computers and even crash the to CERT-In, the recently discovered vulnerabilities exist in Google Chrome versions prior to 137.0.7151.119/.120 for Windows and Mac, and prior to 137.0.7151.119 for Linux. These flaws arise from an integer overflow in Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine and use-after-free errors in the Profiler means that users still running the vulnerable version of the Google Chrome browser could, by unknowingly visiting a malicious or specially crafted web page, allow a remote attacker to exploit these flaws to run harmful code on their system or cause it to crash. This exploitation could also result in serious harm, including sensitive data theft, complete system compromise, or service disruption — all without the user's knowledge. CERT-In has marked the warning as High in severity, meaning these vulnerabilities in Google's web browser are particularly serious and could have major consequences if exploited. The risks include:advertisementRemote code execution: Attackers could gain control of the user's of Service (DoS): PCs may become unresponsive or crash disclosure: Users' sensitive data on the affected machine could be accessed or threat is alarming to both individual users and organisations relying on Chrome for daily operations. All desktop users of Google Chrome — whether on Windows, macOS, or Linux as mentioned above — are at risk if they are using outdated to stay safe?To protect your system, CERT-In strongly recommends that users immediately update their Chrome browser to the latest stable version provided by Google. The official update has already been released. 'The Stable channel has been updated to 137.0.7151.119/.120 for Windows and Mac, and 137.0.7151.119 for Linux, which will roll out over the coming days/weeks,' notes Google in its recent Stable Channel Update for your system is not set to auto-update, you can manually check and update Chrome:Open the Google Chrome the three-dot menu () in the top right to Help > About Google will automatically check for updates and install them if the browser to apply changes.
