How To

Google is promoting four network protections in Android 17. The most important one, Encrypted Client Hello, hides the websites and apps you open from your carrier. Google's own developer docs show it only kicks in for apps built against the new API level, and without encrypted DNS it does nothing at all.

ChatGPT Work's cloud browser got its own sign-in form on August 25. You type the username and password yourself, and OpenAI says the model never sees them and does not store them. The session it keeps afterwards is a different matter, and it lives on a computer at OpenAI. Here is where the off switch sits.

OpenAI switches on ChatGPT Ads in 31 European markets on 24 August. Only Free and Go users see them, and in the EEA and Switzerland there is no personalization at launch, so there is nothing to consent to yet. The free plan still hides an ads-free option that costs you messages and tools.

Germany has no legal waiting period before a disconnected mobile number is handed to someone new. Deutsche Telekom itself describes cases where numbers are released after 30 days. Whoever gets that number also receives the one-time codes for the previous owner's accounts. The US regulates this. What you should clear out today.

Six signs are supposed to give away a synthetic voice on the phone. Two of them appear in no source at all, three are technically obsolete, and the one that still works has nothing to do with sound. The largest listening study to date also shows that people are not getting better at catching fakes. They are getting worse at believing real voices.

OpenAI has switched on Computer History in the ChatGPT app for macOS. It records clicks, keystrokes and app switches, then turns them into a timeline and memories. OpenAI's own documentation says the files are not encrypted and that other programs on your Mac may be able to read them.

Twitch uses creator content to train Amazon's generative AI models. The setting arrived on August 12 already switched on for every account, with no announcement. It covers streams, chat, VODs, clips and images. Here is where the setting can be found and what it does not cover.

Microsoft's support page names four AI components inside a Copilot+ PC. Its own delivery list has nine, among them Semantic Analysis, Content Extraction and Image Search. Exactly one can be removed since late July, and Microsoft only turned it into a separate package on that very day. What really goes, what only switches off and what stays.

Your phone is gone. You still know the password, but the second factor lived on that exact device. We read the recovery procedures at Google, Apple and Microsoft, and the ones at 1Password, Bitwarden and Dashlane. All six come down to the same thing. Nothing can be set up after the fact, and at one provider the account is gone for good.

Zenity Labs demonstrated at Black Hat USA 2026 that Claude in Chrome, Gemini in Chrome, Perplexity Comet, ChatGPT Atlas and Copilot Edge can all be turned against their own users by ordinary content. An email, a calendar invite or a link under a social post is enough, and the victim never clicks anything. Here is what the attacks did and how to lock your agent down.

OpenAI has been testing ads in ChatGPT since February. The booking tool for businesses is now live in seven countries, Brazil and Mexico are still waiting, and Germany is not on the list at all. You can get rid of the ads, but you pay in daily messages or in subscription fees.

Two FIDO2 keys, same standard, same price. One asks for a PIN, the other just needs a tap. On most models no PIN is set at the factory, and whether you are asked at all is usually the website’s decision. We read the manuals from Yubico, Token2, Nitrokey, OnlyKey, Feitian and Google.

OpenAI removes the official DALL-E GPT from ChatGPT on August 30, 2026. If you created images through it, download them before then. ChatGPT Images takes over and is available on every tier, free accounts included. Custom GPTs with image generation are not affected. Here is what goes, what stays and how to save your images.

OpenAI is discontinuing its AI browser ChatGPT Atlas on August 9, 2026, less than ten months after its launch. Bookmarks, open tabs, and browsing history will not be automatically transferred to another browser. Users who want to keep them must export them themselves beforehand. Atlas will no longer receive security updates anyway.

A strong password alone won't be enough in 2026. Data breaches and phishing get past it. Two-factor authentication and, above all, passkeys make your accounts truly secure. We show you which methods protect best, how to set them up in a few minutes, and who should consider a hardware key.

An AI chatbot doesn't have to run in the cloud. With LM Studio or Ollama, you can run it right on your laptop, without an internet connection and without your data ever leaving your device. What your hardware needs to be capable of, which model is right for you, and how to get started in ten minutes.

Memory and training are controlled separately, and deleting a chat does not erase saved facts. Here's how to control what ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude store and use for training while protecting customer and company data.

Well-known AI assistants got a memory in 2026. They remember how you work and what matters to you beyond individual chats. What ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini can do with it, how you stay in control, and why Gemini can remember preferences but cannot access the Google data of European users.

CheckMag Inspiration can strike at any time, and in this case, it happened while running. With the help of Gemini, I was able to take an idea into a working prototype all in the span of a six-mile run.

A new web app uses the Steam Controller’s haptic motors to make the gamepad slide deliberately across a table through vibrations. Anyone who owns a Steam Controller can try it right away – no installation required.

Learn how to check if your PC is ready for Microsoft's Secure Boot certificate update using official built-in tools like the Windows Security app.

A pair of headphones supports a specific audio codec like LDAC—but what does that actually mean? More importantly, how do you use it to improve sound quality? Using the Marshall Milton as an example, we'll show you how to enable the codec and when the difference is actually noticeable.

Learn how to use the Windows 11 Shared Audio tool to broadcast sound to two Bluetooth headsets at once, along with the hardware requirements.

After a small break, You Should Be Modding returns with a showcase of the best Devil May Cry 3 mod of them all: DMC3 Crimson, a complete transformation that gives the game depth akin to 4 and modded 5 by adding Inertia, new moves, a modernized HUD, and more.

Update Edited on Monday, May 18th with more detailed optimization info and a few corrections. The first installment of [Tuesday Tweaks] covers Lossless Scaling, its vendor-neutral Frame Generation, and how it can be used to achieve higher framerates in games locked to 30 or 60 FPS, including emulators, fighting games, and etc. The actual Scaling functionality will also be briefly discussed.

Devil May Cry 4 and the follow-up Special Edition are both very moddable releases, and remain long-time favorites within the Devil May Cry community. In this installment of [Throwback Thursdays], I'll be highlighting the best Devil May Cry 4 mods, for both versions of the game.

Icons flicker like an old CRT display: Elgato’s Stream Deck+ is more than just a control panel — it quickly turns into a creative playground for customizing your setup. One particularly interesting feature is animated icon packs, which transform every key into a tiny display. A Fallout-inspired design especially caught our attention thanks to its unique visual style. Here’s how to install and use it on the Stream Deck+.

Amazon content restricted, no access to the home server: geoblocking can quickly become annoying while on vacation. That’s why, before leaving, I installed Tailscale on my small home server/NAS and on the devices I take with me. Together, they form a network that lets my travel devices browse through my home network and its German IP address.

The new Steam Controller costs $99, but it is closely tied to Steam Input. This could cause problems with Game Pass titles in particular. Possible solutions are already being discussed on Reddit.

CookieRun: Kingdom’s KPop Demon Hunters crossover is live through May 6, and players looking to squeeze more out of the event can still redeem a handful of active CRK codes through Devsisters’ browser-based coupon page.

This one's for the history books: Samsung is finally breaking down the "walled garden" by bringing native AirDrop support to the Galaxy S26 series in the US, Europe, and India via a new Quick Share update. Galaxy owners in those regions can now share res files seamlessly with iPhones, iPads and Macs. No third-party apps required.

CheckMag Yes, I saved 7GB of iPhone storage with a single click. Do yourself a favor and change the default iPhone setting that takes up gigabytes of storage - if you record Voice Memos as often as I do, that is.

If you want to replace your Vodafone router with your own OpenWRT or x86-based router, the first step is enabling bridge mode. Only then does the Vodafone Station act as a pure modem, passing the internet connection directly to your new router without interference. In part 4 of my “Unbloated Network” series, I walk through how to enable bridge mode in the Vodafone account portal—and why the Homespot feature often prevents it.

Many ISP-provided routers are closed black boxes with limited functionality. In part 3 of my “Unbloated Network” project, I show how to install OpenWRT on an x86 PC to replace the Vodafone router with your own hardware. Step by step, we’ll set up the latest stable release, including image selection, Linux-based installation, and partition expansion.

Valve’s Steam client beta adds optional PC specs labels to game reviews and an opt-in setting to share anonymized framerate data focused on SteamOS devices, helping add context to performance complaints.

After deciding against using the ISP router in part one, it’s time to focus on hardware: what actually works best for an OpenWRT router? A mini PC, Raspberry Pi, or a traditional router? And what about the switch and access point? In this part, I’ll walk through my hardware choices, including considerations around power consumption, architecture, and cost.

Provider routers are convenient—but that’s exactly their biggest problem. Poor Wi-Fi coverage, limited control, questionable privacy, and technical limitations are everyday issues for many users. In this new series, I’ll gradually replace my provider’s all-in-one device (the Vodafone Station) with a modular setup using an OpenWRT router, access point, and switch. In part 1, I’ll explain why I’m taking this approach and how the project is structured.

CheckMag Jailbreaking your Kindle with WinterBreak or AdBreak is easier than you might think, and when combined with KOReader and KindleForge, Amazon's e-reader can be made far better than Amazon would want.

A retro hardware modder has recreated the classic Commodore 1084 monitor in miniature form using 3D printing, pairing an 8-inch LCD with a custom-designed shell to match the Amiga A500 Mini and C64 Mini. The project, documented in detail on YouTube, combines modern display tech with faithfully styled housing, offering a sharp, compact alternative to original CRTs for today’s mini retro systems.

Chatbots come with built-in safeguards designed to prevent them from producing harmful, offensive, or otherwise inappropriate content. But researchers and hackers have shown that, even with multiple patches, AIs can still be vulnerable to certain inputs that bypass those guardrails. One way to explore the basics is through an online game called Gandalf.

What kind of storage is faster than any SSD? Your system memory. With an open-source tool, you can spin up a virtual drive directly in RAM — and it’s ridiculously fast. It’s not just useful for testing, either. With a bit of experimentation, it can be handy in everyday work, too.

Inside the high-tech world of smartphone tracking: A real-world demonstration of how Google and Samsung’s location systems can help mobile users to claw back their stolen devices... and the essential features every phone owner should activate to protect their device and data.

Some people learn the hard way—say, reporting from a trade show—that even in 2025, transferring files between an Android phone and a Mac still doesn’t work ad hoc. After trying several tools, I finally found one that solved my problems.

Whilst Steam officially supports offline mode – allowing gamers to enjoy their games without Internet access – Ubisoft Connect lacks a similar feature. Although several workarounds can be found online, some of them don’t seem to be effective. In this article, we’ll highlight the method that actually worked in our case.

WhatsApp has begun rolling out its Message Translations feature to Android and iPhone users, allowing in-chat translations in 1:1 chats, groups and channels after updating the app. Translating a message is simple, but supported languages are limited.

Chromebooks are built to be simple, affordable, and quick, but over time even cloud-first laptops can slow to a crawl. Updates, overloaded caches, and too many apps take a toll; new buyers often notice performance dips right after ChromeOS patches or school year setups. The good news is that you can fix most of it for free. With the right steps, your Chromebook in 2025 can feel almost brand new again.

Lenovo Tab P12 Pro with Precision Pen 3 doubles as a wireless second screen via Smart Connect. Setup, latency, and usability tested for students, pros, and creatives.

The GameSir X5s is now capable of waking up the Nintendo Switch 2. While it requires a software update, setting it up is quite straightforward.

The Labubu character, created by artist Kasing Lung, has recently evolved from a niche art project into a global phenomenon. Fueled by viral social media trends and celebrity endorsements, this massive popularity has created a thriving market for counterfeits.

A few 8BitDo controllers have gained official Steam Compatibility, allowing owners to use them with a Steam Deck or SteamOS device without the need for any workaround. Here's a guide explaining how to connect a compatible controller to a Steam Deck or SteamOS device.