Is NordVPN the fastest VPN? This research claims so

After undergoing a series of comparative VPN connection speed tests, NordVPN has been acknowledged as the fastest VPN service on the market by AV-Test.

The independent provider of comparative tests and reviews for antivirus, anti-malware and security software conducted the comparative test by measuring the download and upload speed of NordVPN and comparing it to an unencrypted connection in the UK, Japan and the United States' West Coast.

AV-Test provided further insight on the VPN company's speed tests results in a new report, saying:

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“NordVPN was the clear winner in this performance test for measured download and upload performance in all three major world regions. Getting the first spot in five tested categories and only missing the last top spot by a small margin. Outperforming the next ranked VPN by sometimes doubling the performance”.

Improving NordVPN's speed

While using a VPN can help you protect your privacy and stay secure online, one of the most common drawbacks to using a VPN is the fact that your internet speed will be reduced as a result of the encryption process.

In order to overcome this issue, NordVPN built a custom VPN protocol called NordLynx which is built around the WireGuard protocol that uses state-of-the-art cryptography and is also backed by academic research. However, since WireGuard is so fast, it does have some privacy shortcomings that the company was able to get the better of by building a custom double Network Address Translation (NAT) system. The system allows NordVPN's clients to establish a secure VPN connection without storing any identifiable data on a server.

According to AV-Test's results, NordVPN outperformed other VPN services including  ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, PrivateVPN, ProtonVPN, PureVPN and TorGuard by a margin of over 60 percent when connected to a local VPN server. At the same time though, the company's VPN service leads by a double margin in overseas download speed.

Digital privacy expert at NordVPN Daniel Markuson provided further insight on the results of AV-Test's comparative VPN speed tests, saying:

“We have made a promise to our users and ourselves to become the fastest VPN in the universe, and now I am proud to say we are. Security measures still require sacrificing some of the service speed, but what we’ve achieved is already groundbreaking. Our users can rest assured that we are working towards a seamless, all-around cybersecurity protection every day, and the test proves that we are moving in the right direction.” 

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Redmi 9 Prime to Go on Sale at 12 Noon Today via Amazon, Mi.com: Price, Specifications

Redmi 9 Prime will go on sale at 12pm (noon) today via Amazon India and Mi.com. The phone features a quad rear camera setup, an octa-core processor, and a 5,020mAh battery.

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Microsoft's new portable and affordable Surface Laptop Go is up for pre-order now

Microsoft has introduced another family member to its Surface range of portable computing devices – the Surface Laptop Go – available for pre-order now in Australia and looking set to take on the rumoured 12-inch MacBook.

As the name suggests, this is a more affordable entry in the premium Surface Laptop line-up (Microsoft’s MacBook equivalents), starting at just AU$999 and getting more expensive with more powerful configurations.

The Surface Laptop Go sports a more compact form factor than its bigger Surface siblings and, although Microsoft has kept costs down by sticking with an i5 processor for all configurations, you do still get a full-featured laptop.

It sports a 12.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen, a full-sized keyboard, a fingerprint scanner, an HD camera and the promise of 13 hours of battery life. There's also a USB-C and USB-A port. Alongside the 10th-gen Intel Core i5 CPUs are configurations ranging from 4GB, 8GB or 16GB of system memory (RAM) and 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB SSD storage.

Most importantly though, the new Surface Laptop Go is available in three stylish shades – Ice Blue, Sandstone, and Platinum.

As mentioned, Microsoft has opened up pre-orders already, with the device shipping out from October 13.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go | from AU$999

Available for pre-order right now in three different colours and shipping from October 13, this 12-inch laptop promises not just portability but some decent amount of power as well. This might actually give Apple a run for its money, potentially making it a great Windows alternative for students or anyone on a limited budget.View Deal

• We've rounded up the best laptops available in Australia right now in case you're looking for more options

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Microsoft announces new Surface Laptop Go and updated Surface Pro X

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World of Warcraft Shadowlands delayed until later this year

John Hight, Executive Producer of Blizzard's World of Warcraft, announced in a blog post Thursday that World of Warcraft: Shadowlands was being delayed until some time later this year.

"I wanted to let you know that we’re delaying the release of Shadowlands to later this year—and while we’re still in the process of determining the right new date to launch," Hight said, "we felt it was important to let you know about this change in plans as soon as we could."

In a post on Wowhead about the news, several commenters actually applauded Blizzard for delaying the official launch of their highly anticipated expansion to the best-selling World of Warcraft MMO, apparently due to considerable work that remains to be done polishing up the game - something Hight himself acknowledges in his post.

"Shadowlands is one of the most intricate expansions we’ve yet created, and while we’ve made great progress, the challenge of tuning the endgame was compounded by the team having to work from home."

"Blizzard has a commitment to quality," Hight said. "We believe Shadowlands will be something special, and we’ve heard from many of you who feel the same. We need this extra time to ensure that Shadowlands lives up to its full potential."

On the bright side of the Shadowlands, there's finally a date for the prepatch 

While it's disappointing to hear that Shadowlands itself is being delayed by several weeks or even a couple of months, Hight did announce that the Shadowlands prepatch - where the expansion's level rebalancing of existing characters and other changes will be implemented - will drop in two weeks.

"In the meantime, we’re excited to announce that beginning October 13 we will be releasing the Shadowlands pre-patch, which lays a lot of the groundwork for the expansion and includes our revamped character leveling, new-player experience on Exile’s Reach, and a host of new character customization options," Hight said. 

"And once we get closer to Shadowlands’ release, you’ll be called upon to defend Azeroth against a resurgence of the Scourge during our pre-launch event."

While this will likely break the hearts of an entire burning legion of diehard fans, no doubt it's for the best. It is 2020, after all.

• WoW! That World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Afterlives animation is everything I needed

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Data traveling through space could become priority target for cybercriminals

As we've entered a new era of space exploration where commercial companies such as Elon Musk's Space X and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, along with smaller companies, have begun to launch satellites into orbit, a new report from the cybersecurity company McAfee warns that space may be the next frontier for cybercriminals.

In a recently published technical research paper, the firm's Advanced Threat Research team in collaboration with Cork Institute of Technology, Blackrock Castle Observatory and the National Space Center in Cork, Ireland, have outlined the threats posed to space 4.0.

According to the European Space Agency, space 4.0 represents the evolution of the space sector into a new era where governments and private sector businesses are working together with an increased number of diverse space actors around the world to launch small satellites and make commercial space travel a reality.

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Up until now, cyberattacks in space have been fairly infrequent though the extent of these attacks is not known due to the fact the majority of the industry is operated by government agencies. However, with the proliferation of small satellites currently being launched into orbit by commercial companies, there will likely be an uptick in the number of publicly known cyberattacks in space.

Taking a cybersecurity approach to space

In a blog post outlining the findings from their technical research paper, McAfee's Eoin Carroll and Christiaan Beek explained why space security should adopt a cybersecurity approach, saying:

“Space security has typically been analyzed from the perspective of ground segment, communications or datalink and space segment. Additionally, the attack classes have been categorized as electronic (jamming), eavesdropping, hijacking and control. We need to think about Space 4.0 with a cybersecurity approach due to the increased connectivity and data, as opposed to the traditional approach of ground, communication and space segments. Cybercriminals will target the data and systems as opposed to the RF transmission layer.”

The research team also likened the emerging Space 4.0 industry to the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) where hardware makers brought a number of new devices to market without proper security protections in place. This has led IoT devices to become a popular target for cybercriminals and if the space industry isn't careful, the same thing could happen to satellites and other devices as well.

McAfee's Advanced Threat Research team believes that now is the time for the space industry to take steps to secure their devices or risk repeating the mistakes of the IoT where “the rush to adopt new and faster technology resulted in large scale deployment of insecure hardware and software”.

• We've also highlighted the best antivirus software

Via Verdict

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Budget buy: TicPods ANC is a great AirPods Pro alternative for under AU$100

This year has been a hard one for most of us – not only has our lifestyle changed to suit the conditions placed on us during the pandemic, we're also suffering from an economic downturn. So when you get a chance to save some cash on something you'd like to get, you really ought to jump at it.

The best part? You don't have to wait till Prime Day 2020 or Black Friday in November to snag a bargain. Particularly if you're after a set of headphones that won't burn a hole in your pocket.

Mobvoi is best known for its affordable smartwatches in its TicWatch range but the company also makes affordable headphones. And the TicPods ANC are the only ones to offer active noise cancellation on a budget.

In Australia, the TicPods ANC currently cost a smidge over AU$100 – AU$107.99 to be precise. These true wireless 'buds are a great alternative to Apple's premium AirPods Pro if you happen to be on a really tight budget.

Admittedly the noise cancellation doesn't work as well on the TicPods but you'll be hard pressed to find active noise cancellation in true wireless headphones at this price.

In fact, you don't even need to pay AU$108 to get these 'buds – Mobvoi is offering 15% off the TicPods ANC for a limited time with the use of the checkout code ANC15OFF. That brings the price down to just AU$91.79 – an absolute steal, if you ask us! 

This offer is available until Tuesday, November 10.

TicPods ANC | AU$91.79 (RRP AU$107.99; save AU$16.20)

It's hard to pass this offer by. The TicPods ANC will make a great set of everyday headphones and keep a decent amount of ambient sound at bay as well. To get a set of true wireless 'buds at this price is unheard of, so if you'd like a set – either for yourself or as a potential gift for someone – this is a brilliant bargain for under AU$100. Just be sure to use the code ANC15OFF at checkout by November 10.View Deal

The TicPods ANC headphones might be cheap but they do offer some decent features besides active noise cancellation. They're IPX5 rated, so are sweat- and water-resistant, support both Siri and Google Assistant, all your music controls are via touch and Bluetooth 5.0 means you get a great stable connection.

• Not what you're looking for? Check out our picks of the best true wireless headphones you can buy right now for more alternatives.

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