APC November 2021

“it's not a surprise that the beckoning call of free protection against the vast majority of threats to a Windows PC is having an impact.” Well well, Windows Defender turns out to be all most people need. From being the much-maligned unwanted child of the security industry, to now offering system security equal or better than the paid options. Talk about disruptive! This nullifies the main selling point of the popular security suites, and it's been heading in that direction for a while. They all saw the writing on the wall, and a security suite today offers much more than simple AV and malware protection. That's why they're called suites, and is also why the term 'anti-virus' has been pushed out of the marketing and branding message progressively over the years. Yep –…

SECURE-PDF Security toolbox for PDF files including encryption and signing. The PDF format is used worldwide to distribute graphically processed documents. However, editing the documents is usually associated with high costs because good PDF editors are quite expensive. The cheaper alternatives on the other hand, lack the important functions to make PDFs secure, for example by encrypting, digitally signing or adding watermarks. Secure-PDF puts an end to this: Encrypt your own or other people’s PDF documents with up to 256 bit key strength (AES). Add a password to open it so that users can only view the encrypted document by entering the correct password. Secure-PDF can set watermarks as well as the owner information of a PDF document – even without previous knowledge of how to use PDF documents! Download link: www.apcmag.com/exclusives ASHAMPOO UNDELETER Never again trouble…

“Championing technology doesn’t mean we’re unrelenting yes-men and -women, however, and APC aims to be as objective as possible in all our coverage.” APC is Australia’s oldest consumer technology magazine – having been consistently in print for forty years, since our first issue way back in May 1980 – and we take that heritage and responsibility very seriously. While our focus is obviously on the personal computer the very definition of the PC has changed and shifted markedly since the early 1980s. As such, we touch on many other areas of tech, too, from smartphones and apps to peripherals, accessories, and beyond. We have two goals: to find the best modern tech and to help you make the most of it. We’re also an open church in terms of platforms. We know…

For the past few years, Microsoft has been predicting a future where you don’t need a password, thanks to the use of verification codes, biometric identifiers or authentication apps. Now, the company is putting its money where its mouth is and allowing you to take the password off your Microsoft account. Those who opt out of passwords will be able to use Microsoft’s Authenticator app for Android or iOS, Windows Hello facial recognition or fingerprint sensing, security keys or verification codes sent to phones or emails to sign into Microsoft’s apps and services. “Passwords are incredibly inconvenient to create, remember, and manage across all of the accounts in our lives.” Microsoft’s studies suggest that one in 10 people reuse passwords across different services, while 40 percent use a formula that changes predictably. In…

Chia Coin is an alternative cryptocurrency coin designed to be a greener solution to the whole cryptocurrency craze, and it started off incredibly strong, leading to crushing HDD shortages. However, the currency has now tumbled to roughly 15 percent of its initial peak over the last three months, so miners are reportedly fleeing to other platforms. According to a report from VNExpress, some miners are now dumping drives and reselling ‘renewed’ used SSDs as brand new. Miners initially purchased massive amounts of storage for Chia plotting, triggering shortages of SSDs and HDDs. Since then, the cryptocurrency has tumbled in value. Naturally, some miners will try to exit the business and move onto something else, but they’ll need fresh capital. That means selling off the existing hardware they used for Chia mining. These…

It’s no surprise that three CEOs would make the Time 100 list of most influential people. This year’s list includes Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, along with Apple’s Tim Cook and Tesla’s Elon Musk. Nvidia is certainly smaller than Apple or Google, but throughout his career Nvidia’s co-founder and chief executive Jensen Huang has had a major influence on such markets as PC gaming and high-performance computing, and is now helping to develop hardware and software for artificial intelligence applications. Given how widely AI can be used, Nvidia is certainly among the key high-tech Innovators these days, so it’s not surprising that the Time magazine chose Huang over many other high-tech CEOs. Furthermore, if Nvidia manages to acquire Arm, it will enter yet another new market.…