Between statewide site bans, some streaming services not playing all content in all areas, and the increasing worry that the US may block outside content, you may have an increasing interest in getting one of the best VPNs. Here, we’re going to look at these problems and what a VPN does to help. We’ll also consider how every VPN service offers different extras, creating a unique package.
It can be intense to go through each and every feature, so we’ll be looking at Surfshark as a case study. One advantage of this is that Surfshark has a free trial, which is fairly unusual in the world of paid VPN services. Go ahead and tap the button below to try Surfshark on your own (again, it has a free trial) and see if it solves your problems, or keep reading to learn what a VPN does and how complimentary features (such as the ones from Surfshark) really pull the whole service together into something you can get a whole lot of mileage out of.
A basic VPN essentially runs your data connection to a target site via a third party IP address. You can think of it like having a P.O. box, or rather a network of P.O. boxes across the country and world. And target websites are none the wiser. If you live in Tennessee but use a VPN’s Italian server, suddenly you’ll be browsing the web as if you’re in Italy.
But what does a VPN do to protect your privacy? First of all, your ISP can no longer see what sites you visit (though they will know that you are surfing via a VPN, which is totally fine). Next, many VPN services encrypt your data so it is difficult for even them to get your information. In other words, a VPN increases your privacy by leaving less of a digital trail behind when you surf the net.
As it so turns out, a VPN rarely exists in a vacuum. When you pay for a service, you typically get more out of it. Let’s take a look at Surfshark as an example service.
If you go through our Surfshark review, you’ll see that a fast-working VPN service that covers multiple devices is just one part of the whole. The VPN includes ad blocking services, and (depending on your payment tier) a private email generator, antivirus protection, credit card and ID alerts, malware protection, and personal information removal from data broker sites. As it is, many people interested in a VPN are like you — they’re interested in privacy across the board, not just a simple VPN service.
Additionally, one of the best parts of services like these is just how affordable they are. Surfshark, even at the highest subscription level, runs for just a few dollars a month from you. So be sure to check it out if you want to see what a VPN does for you.
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).
Two residents of Chicago have filed a lawsuit in the US over claims that robots run by Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics captured their facial and hand measurements without consent, bringing renewed attention to the food delivery robots. The cases raise a troubling question: If a robot delivers food to your door, can it also be gathering sensitive information about you?
According to a report by The Associated Press, the proposed class-action lawsuits were filed in Cook County on Oct. 9 and allege violations of Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act. The complaints claim that the robots’ cameras and LiDAR sensors captured information on customers’ faces and hands as they approached the machines to pick up their orders. Both have denied the allegations.