How to Choose the Best VPN in 2025 – Advice from The VPN Advisor
That's where The VPN Advisor helps. As a dedicated VPN comparison site, it cuts through the noise and shows which providers truly deliver.
In 2025, VPNs remain vital for:
Privacy – Encryption makes it harder for ISPs, hackers, or advertisers to monitor you.
Access – Unlock region-restricted content from global news to streaming platforms.
Security – Stay protected on café, airport, or hotel Wi-Fi.
Not all VPNs are equal. Look at:
Speed – A VPN should handle streaming and video calls smoothly.
Server coverage – More locations mean more flexibility.
Privacy policy – Strong no-logs rules and audits matter.
Device support – Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, routers, and more.
Value – Balance features with price; the cheapest isn't always best.
The challenge is separating marketing hype from real performance. The VPN Advisor provides side-by-side reviews of major services, showing their strengths and weaknesses clearly. That means you can pick the VPN that suits your needs, whether you want speed for streaming, the best value, or maximum security.
A good VPN is as important as antivirus software. Before you commit to a subscription, compare the market. Visit The VPN Advisor for clear comparisons, honest reviews, and advice to help you find the right service.
TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
We're sticking with an old-school rubric to grade the success of Disney's new ESPN service
ESPN entered into a new era on Thursday with the iconic sports channel finally becoming available as a standalone streaming service. For investors, the thing that matters most is the same as it ever was: Good old-fashioned revenues and profits. In an interview Thursday on CNBC, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company is not planning to break out subscriber numbers for the new ESPN offering — perhaps against the wishes of some investors who wanted to see those figures. The streaming service, which provides access to all of ESPN's channels along with some additional personalization features, costs $29.99 a month, or $299.99 a year. An ad-supported bundle with Disney+ and Hulu is $35.99 a month, or $44.99 without ads. The ESPN+ service that Disney had been offering for years didn't have everything available on the cable channels. Iger argued the subscribers numbers for the direct-to-consumer ESPN service are "irrelevant," and instead said Disney is taking more of an "agnostic" approach. "We don't feel like the way to measure this is immediate, nor do we feel like the way to measure this is in just subscribers," Iger told CNBC's David Faber. There's no question that some people look at subscriber numbers as a key metric to evaluate the success of streaming platforms, but we don't think keeping it in house is a bad decision. It's not without precedent. Streaming pioneer Netflix stopped providing their subscriber totals this year. Go back further, and in November 2018, Apple stopped reporting how many iPhones, iPads and Mac computers it was selling — looking instead to focus investor attention on what should actually matter: revenue, earnings and cash flows. Subscriber numbers are double-edged sword. Investors love a stock when the numbers are increasing and hate it when they aren't. Providing those numbers initially only to take them away later is almost always viewed as a negative — in reality, that holds true no matter the metric. Investors value transparency, and there's a general belief that if a company is no longer reporting something, it's because management doesn't want investors to see a slowdown or, even worse, a decline. After all, why hide a metric if it's only improving? While we understand some will take issue with Disney's decision on ESPN subscribers, viewing it as a defensive move, we think it is the smarter long-term play. As we saw with both Netflix and Apple, when investors don't get the subscriber figures or unit sales, they tend to throw a fit, claim management is hiding something, and sell the stock. But eventually, they get over it and refocus on what actually matters: the money. Forgoing subscriber numbers from the start avoids this headache down the line and from Day One keeps investors focused on the overall financial success of ESPN. The same is true for management. It needs to be focused on growing ESPN overall, especially its bottom line. Of course, the company can update investors when certain subscriber milestones are reached. But there's a risk in chasing subscriber growth at the expense of profits — something we saw during the pandemic-era streaming wars. Wall Street was obsessed with subscriber growth during Covid, and companies with new streaming platforms — Disney among them — priced the services low enough to attract tons of sign-ups, while losing piles of money in the process. The whole paradigm changed in 2022 around the time the Federal Reserve started raising interest rates. The market woke up to the idea that having a path to profitability was important and the right way to view these businesses. Yes, subscriber numbers are important but these numbers can be greased via promotional activity or, as mentioned, just generally underpricing the service. The last thing we want is for management to focus on subscribers just to please Wall Street, rather than doing whatever is in the best interest of generating the largest profits possible over the long term. It should also be noted that cable subscribers will be granted access to the app. Even if these people don't count as paying subscribers to the streaming service specifically, giving them access makes it easier for Disney to monetize the app — whether that's through advertisements or features such as sports betting, the more eyeballs the better. The distinction between digital subscriber or cable subscriber doesn't matter in that regard. "We think this will contribute nicely to ESPN's bottom line over time as engagement grows," Iger told CNBC on Thursday. Additionally, with Disney now saying it's agnostic whether people are watching ESPN through their cable bundle or directly on the app, it makes perfect sense to manage the division as a unified entity, with the focus being on financial success rather than some metric not found on the income or cash-flow statement. Rather than shift the focus from linear offerings to digital ones, just run the whole company well. Importantly, this isn't a change in the reporting structure. In Disney's quarterly results, it will still report its "Sports" division as usual — recall, we've never gotten ESPN channel viewership in those reports. Sure, Nielsen tracks viewership and we hear how many people tuned into major sporting events. But it's not part of every earnings release. To be sure, Disney has continued to provide subscriber numbers for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ and we do value getting those insights – so long as there's no signs that management is prioritizing subscriber growth over profitability. All their recent actions on this front, including last year's round of price hikes, signal profits are the north star. The bottom line is that we take no issue with Disney withholding subscriber numbers for the new ESPN streaming platform. It keeps the focus on the profits and allows Disney to manage the ESPN division as a whole. We think the increased personalization and interactivity offered on the app will increase engagement with the ESPN brand and in turn boost ESPN's bottom line. In the end, that's what will determine where the stock goes from here — not the disclosure of how many people have signed up for the long-awaited service. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long DIS. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
CNET
an hour ago
- CNET
You Need to Download iOS 18.6.2 Now to Patch This Zero-Day Exploit
Apple released iOS 18.6.2 on Aug. 20 to patch a zero-day vulnerability that it says "may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals." If you're an iPhone user, download this update as soon as possible -- preferably right now. You can download iOS 18.6.2 by going to Settings, then tapping General. Next, select Software Update, then tap Update Now and follow the prompts on your screen. According to Apple, the issue was found in Image I/O, a framework that lets applications read and write most image formats. "Processing a malicious image file may result in memory corruption," Apple wrote online. The important update, which fixes a critical security flaw, comes a few weeks before iOS 26's expected release. While you may not be the target of this attack, it's still important to update your device to protect it and its data. Here are the full release notes for iOS 18.6.2. This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
The Verge
an hour ago
- The Verge
Microsoft's Xbox handheld is a good first step towards a Windows gaming OS
The first thing I did when I got my hands on the Xbox Ally was reboot it. I wanted to see exactly how Microsoft manages to hide Windows beneath the Xbox interface that's debuting on these handheld devices. After a short startup, I was met with the standard Windows login prompt. But I could use the controller to input the PIN code, an immediate improvement over what's available right now. And as soon as Windows 11 loaded up, the interface immediately disappeared. The Xbox PC app took over and went full-screen — and for the most part, I didn't have to leave. I've spent enough time with Microsoft and Asus' Xbox Ally devices this week to get a better understanding of how Windows and Xbox are moving closer together. Microsoft has created what it calls an Xbox full-screen experience for these new handheld devices, which essentially takes over for Windows and hides the OS away. It's exactly what I've been wanting for Windows-powered handheld gaming PCs for years now, but it still feels like a small first step in a grand next-gen Xbox plan. The main interface on the Xbox Ally is similar to what can be found in the current Xbox app on Windows 11, Microsoft's Steam competitor on PC. This app integrates with the Game Bar, Microsoft's PC gaming overlay, to form this full-screen Xbox experience. Just like an Xbox console, you activate this Game Bar from a single tap of the Xbox button, and it's what keeps you far away from the complexities of the Windows desktop hidden underneath. Microsoft doesn't load the desktop wallpaper, the taskbar, or a bunch of other processes that you don't need for gaming. It's essentially not loading the Explorer shell and saving around 2GB of memory by suppressing all the unnecessary parts of a typical Windows 11 installation. It's surprisingly easy to get back to a regular Windows experience on these Xbox Ally devices, though. You can exit out of the Xbox full-screen experience through the Game Bar or hold the Xbox button down to access the task switcher and a shortcut to the Windows desktop. Microsoft warns that you're exiting to the Windows desktop and that you should use touch or a mouse and keyboard 'for the best experience.' The Windows desktop experience is exactly the same as any regular handheld, and the Xbox team hasn't done much additional work here to improve this side of the Xbox Ally. You'll still have to use this part of the device to install and configure Windows apps like Discord and Steam, but once they're up and running, you can mostly stay within the handheld-optimized confines of the Xbox full-screen experience. It's easy to connect to Bluetooth devices or Wi-Fi networks here, and if all you're doing is gaming, then Microsoft has nailed most of the basics, thanks to the widgets in the Game Bar. Switching back and forth between Windows and Xbox modes is relatively quick, but after switching into the Windows desktop mode just once, you'll need to fully reboot the device to regain the 2GB of allocated RAM. You also have the option to keep switching between both modes without those performance savings. While the handheld-optimized Xbox UI on the Xbox Ally devices is a great improvement over what exists today, I still fear the complexity of Windows will creep through during daily use. This is still a Windows 11 device after all, which means there are OS updates and notifications from other apps or storefronts to install that might break the immersion. For example, while the Xbox app takes over the left-hand swipe gesture to activate the Game Bar, the right-hand swipe still activates the Windows 11 notification center, which looks out of place in the Xbox UI. The Xbox team is working to improve this, but it highlights the challenges of trying to hide Windows beneath a console-like UI. There's also an interesting setting that suggests you'll be able to set something other than the Xbox app as the default boot experience on the Xbox Ally devices, potentially opening the door for Steam or other launchers to become the home app here. Microsoft wouldn't comment on what this setting is for just yet. Due to my limited time with the Xbox Ally devices, it's difficult to judge just how much switching between the Windows desktop and this full-screen Xbox experience you'd have to do on a daily basis. If you install Steam, then Microsoft brings any games you install from Valve's store into the library interface of the Xbox app, making it a launcher for these PC games and keeping you in the handheld-friendly UI. But I did play some Gears of War: Reloaded on one of the demo units on the floor and noticed the game crash, leaving me with a broken game app window instead of a more gracious home screen like you see when games crash on an Xbox Series X console. I also ran into a UI bug switching into the Windows desktop, which Microsoft assures me will be fixed by the time these devices ship on October 16th. Asus' own devices on the Gamescom floor also had some weird bugs, including not being able to use the Xbox button at times. There's clearly some work needed ahead of release. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to fully test how Windows standby and hibernation work with games on the Xbox Ally. I love the experience of turning my Xbox Series X off and then being able to immediately resume a game hours or days later, and Microsoft doesn't have the equivalent of Quick Resume on Windows devices. This experience feels like a first step in Microsoft's plans for the next-gen Xbox, and seeing it in action makes it even clearer to me that Windows will be at the heart of the next Xbox console. Microsoft still has a tremendous amount of work ahead to blend all the best parts of Windows and Xbox together, but it's about to ship some improvements that will hopefully lead to a gaming-optimized Windows operating system that spans across handhelds, consoles, and PCs. I'm always keen to hear from readers, so please drop a comment here, or you can reach me at [email protected] if you want to discuss anything else. If you've heard about any of Microsoft's secret projects, you can reach me via email at [email protected] or speak to me confidentially on the Signal messaging app, where I'm tomwarren.01. I'm also tomwarren on Telegram, if you'd prefer to chat there. Thanks for subscribing to Notepad. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Tom Warren Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Gaming Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Hands-on Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Microsoft Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Notepad Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All PC Gaming Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Reviews Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Xbox
