Proton VPN has launched a new Windows app today, redesigning the look and simplifying the experience for users. As common a tool as VPNs are now, they’re still quite complex and it’s common for users to ignore features they’re not familiar with.
With this new redesign, Proton hopes to encourage users to try out advanced features like Kill Switch, port forwarding, and split tunneling. If you’re wondering what these three features do — Kill Switch instantly blocks network traffic if you lose your VPN connection, making sure your IP address isn’t temporarily exposed. Port forwarding helps you securely connect to your home network from another location or give someone else access, and split tunneling lets you choose which apps use your VPN and which don’t.
And that’s just a few of the features available for Proton subscribers — the full list is over 30 features long. With so much to choose from, it’s easy to see why users avoid most of it, so any amount of simplification Proton can manage should be useful. The app now also has a light mode available, so you can match its look to the rest of your PC.
If you haven’t jumped on the VPN bandwagon yet, there are four main benefits to using one:
As well as the Windows app, Proton VPN is also adding widgets to its mobile apps so you can turn on your recent or pinned connections with one tap, rather than opening the app. With your VPN living on your home screen and being instantly accessible, it should help new or forgetful users remember to turn it on before they browse — I know I’ve forgotten to turn mine on plenty of times.
You might notice that the iOS app has a new home screen too, making similar improvements to help users access their favorite connections more quickly and easily.
Speech-to-text apps have flooded the App Store, making it easier than ever to type on our Macs with just our voice. I have previously covered one such app called TypeWhisper. However, there has been a dearth of good text-to-speech models, and most of the good ones are locked behind a subscription.
Ollama, an open-source app that lets you run local AI models on your computer, wants to change that. It works on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and your prompts are never stored or used for training.
Did you think hitting delete on your AI chatbot conversation actually makes it disappear? Georgia Tech researchers just proved that's not entirely true. They have built a forensic tool called ORISA that can dig deleted conversations from your phone and even rebuild them into a working chatbot session you can keep talking to.
How can ORISA bring deleted AI conversations back?
Touchscreen laptops have been around for years. You can get them in all sizes and shapes. Just not from Apple. For years, the Cupertino giant has treated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook the way I treat a meeting that could have been an email: with open contempt. However, Wednesday looks like the day the company could finally change its mind.
The latest Apple invite puts the “Pro and Tell” showcase in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on October 28, 2026. Instead of a regular live-streamed keynote, it is an invitation-only, hands-on event for a handful of press and creators (similar to what the company did for the MacBook Neo earlier this year).