Latest news with #Bains
Tom's Guide
2 hours ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Norton VPN's feature drive makes it a serious VPN option – and the ex-ExpressVPN Head of Product has now joined its ranks
Norton is a big name in the world of cybersecurity. Its speciality has always been malware, scam, and antivirus protection – we didn't previously associate it with having one of the best VPNs. But is this about to change? We could be seeing Norton upset the VPN status quo and establish itself as one of the leading VPN providers. The team at Norton VPN have been focusing on overhauling the product and it has seen a huge array of feature updates over the last year. We've explored these in detail in our Norton VPN review – where it gets an impressive 4 stars out of 5 – but wanted to delve further. Norton VPN Plus: a new VPN challengerSave 72%: Norton VPN has improved over the last year, and it's now excellent value. Our exclusive deal means you can get a one-year plan for $2.50 per month ($29.99 up front). You'll get protection for up to 5 devices, threat protection, fast speeds, and strong streaming unblocking. Plus, there's a free trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee. Back in August 2024, we wrote how Norton was getting serious about its VPN. Updates included the launch of its Mimic protocol (more on this later), a no-logs audit, and threat protection features. Support for Apple platforms was noticeably absent, but this is no longer the case as Norton VPN has taken things up a notch. Himmat Bains is now leading Norton VPN's feature output. Bains was previously Head of Product at ExpressVPN and also worked at Private Internet Access (PIA). "This year marks a significant step forward in our mission to build the most trusted and user-centric VPN on the market," Bains said. "Many of the enhancements we've delivered are a direct result of customer feedback which continues to shape our roadmap and priorities to ensure we stay ahead of what people expect from a modern VPN." "And we're just getting started. More updates and a new independent no-log audit are on the horizon as part of our ongoing commitment to privacy, transparency, and performance." To be considered one of the most secure VPNs and a leading provider, a kill switch is a must-have. It cuts your internet connection should your VPN fail, ensuring none of your traffic goes unprotected. This has been present on Norton VPN Android and Windows VPN apps for a while but wasn't available for Mac and iOS. Norton VPN resolved this issue and released a kill switch for its Mac VPN app back in December 2024. In June 2025, a kill switch finally came to its iOS VPN app. Although we'd have preferred this to happen sooner, the fact a kill switch is present across all Norton VPN apps is a real positive and a big plus point for the provider. Norton VPN now has over 100 server locations worldwide, including 25 cities in 18 states in the US and 5 cities in the UK. This takes the providers total servers to over 3,000. Since December 2024, it has added 40 new countries and 16 new city locations to its server network. 19 countries were added between December 2024 and January 2025. These included Argentina, Greece, Italy, Nigeria, and Thailand. The cities added in this period were: In Q1 of 2025, 20 countries were added. Azerbaijan, Iceland, Libya, Malaysia, South Korea, and Ukraine were some of these. Norton VPN doesn't disclose its total number of servers, but it boasts decent global coverage and we would expect more locations to be added. A few P2P-optimized servers are part of Norton VPN's server offering and new locations have been recently added. Again, this is a little behind more established rivals, but likely to improve soon. Mimic is Norton VPN's unique VPN protocol. It's fast, and designed to obfuscate your VPN traffic – making it appear like you're not connected to a VPN at all. This is useful for bypassing firewalls and internet censorship, and many of the most private VPNs have their own obfuscating protocols. Thanks to a June 2025 update, Mimic is available on iOS, having already been supported on Mac, Windows, and Android VPN apps. Currently, WireGuard and OpenVPN are only supported on Windows and Android. However Norton VPN is aiming to bring WireGuard to Mac, iOS, and TV users soon. Double VPN routes your traffic through two encrypted VPN servers instead of the usual one, with improved levels of privacy and security its objective. It's not designed for everyday browsing or streaming, and you may see a decrease in performance when using the feature. Norton VPN has made Double VPN a full feature and it can be accessed on all platforms under the Advanced Servers tab on the Change VPN Location screen. Privacy is also the focus with Norton VPN's IP Rotation. This feature changes your IP address every 30 seconds and makes it harder for you to be tracked online. Like Double VPN, IP Rotation can be selected from the Advanced Servers tab. You may see an impact on performance and it's not optimized for streaming. The Ad Blocker feature targets intrusive ads and trackers. It's available as part of the new Norton VPN desktop browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. VPN protection goes beyond just your smartphone and laptop, you can protect your smart TV too. Norton VPN has launched apps for Google TV with Android TV OS and Apple TV with Apple tvOS. This is great for streaming your favorite shows and with speeds of over 950 Mbps recorded in our testing, Norton VPN is one of the fastest VPNs out there. Finally, Norton VPN has added widgets and a Pause VPN feature. Widgets allow you to control your VPN from your phone's home screen, without opening the Norton VPN app. You can connect, disconnect, or pause your VPN connection in one tap. Pause VPN allows you to temporarily pause your VPN connection, without turning it off entirely. This can be done for 15, 30, or 60 minutes and is useful for accessing sites that may have trouble interacting with a VPN, such as online banking. Norton VPN isn't done yet, and there's plenty more to come before the end of 2025. The provider has been audited for a second time by VerSprite, with full results to be announced in the coming weeks. This follows a 2024 audit and goes a long way in reassuring users it's complying with its no-logs policy. VerSprite has also audited Norton VPN's Mimic protocol. This is the first time Mimic has been examined and results will also be announced later this summer. OpenVPN is a robust and trusted VPN protocol, but it's now seen as slow and can't quite match the speeds and performance capabilities of the newer, lighter WireGuard protocol. Although some providers are moving away from OpenVPN, many still consider it a valuable protocol, and Norton VPN is one of them. It currently supports OpenVPN on Windows and Android and will be bringing OpenVPN Data Channel Offload (DCO) to these platforms later this year. OpenVPN DCO revolutionizes OpenVPN connections and improves speeds and performance. Norton VPN will also be adding more locations worldwide, further expanding its server network. Norton VPN has three tiers – Norton VPN Standard, Norton VPN Plus, and Norton VPN Ultimate. Tom's Guide currently has an exclusive deal which means you can get one-year of Norton VPN Plus for $2.50 per month ($29.99 up front). With this plan you get protection for up to 5 devices, all the features mentioned above, threat protection, and up to 10GB of cloud storage. Norton VPN Standard works out at $3.33 per month ($39.99 up front) and Norton VPN Ultimate is also $3.33 per month ($39.99 up front). We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Mint
11 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Syngene International share price gains 2% despite weak Indian stock markets: Should you buy or sell the stock?
Stock Market Today: Syngene International gained more than 2% in the intraday trades on Friday despite weak Indian stock markets. Should you buy or sell? Syngene International had reported Q1 results on Wednesday. The Q1 performance marked a decent start to the new financial year 2026. The adjusted reported net profit at ₹ 87 crore increased 59% year-on-year compared to ₹ 54 crore in the year-ago quarter (excluding the exceptional item of ₹ 21 crore (net of tax) in Q1 FY25 relating to the final settlement from an insurance claim). The revenue from operations was up 11% year-on-year to Rs. 875 crore, while the reported EBITDA was up by 19% year-on-year, with the reported EBITDA margin at 25%. Peter Bains, Managing Director and CEO of Syngene International, said that he expects the momentum to continue and expects to meet the annual guidance. The primary driver of this momentum was the continued conversion of pilot programs into longer-term contracts within the Research Services division, as per Bains. In our Biologics manufacturing division, the Unit III facility in Bengaluru has received the USFDA clearance, while the Bayview facility in the U.S. is expected to commence operations in the second half of FY26. While Bains said that he remains mindful of ongoing macroeconomic factors, we maintain a confident outlook. The company, being primarily into services, may see a lesser impact of proposed tariffs. Jefferies India Pvt Ltd, after Q1 results, has said that Syngene's 1QFY26 earnings beat their estimates as inventory adjustment is set to kick in from the second or third quarter. The start of the US biologics facility in the second half, as per Jefferies, is to keep margins under check. Further management as per Jefferies has reiterated FY26 guidance despite the strong Q1, indicating near-term headwinds. Further In the past few quarters, Syngene has made senior hires at overseas pharma hubs to strengthen its business development efforts; however, Jefferies expects benefits to be realized only from FY27/28. After a sharp 37.5% decline over 103 days, Syngene has been consolidating in a tight box for the past 66 sessions, signaling a pause before its next move. The current session is showing strong momentum and could be a precursor to a breakout, said ANSHUL JAIN, Head of Research at LAKSHMISHREE A sustained move above 690 will confirm the breakout and likely lead to a sharp bounce. The immediate target lies near the 50% Fibonacci retracement level of the previous fall, placed around 775. Traders should watch for volume confirmation to ride the breakout with conviction, said Jain Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or brokerage companies and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Syngene Q1 PAT up 59% to ₹87 crore, operational revenue rises 11%
Biocon arm Syngene International's consolidated net profit rose to Rs 87 crore, up 59 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in the first quarter of the financial year 2026 (Q1 FY26) ended June 30, according to a company statement. Revenue from operations grew 11 per cent Y-o-Y to Rs 875 crore. The performance was driven by continued conversion of pilot programmes into long-term contracts within the Research Services business. The Q1 FY25 profit after tax (PAT) excludes an exceptional item of Rs 21 crore (net of tax) relating to a final settlement from an insurance claim. The reported revenue stood at Rs 892 crore in Q1 FY26, up 10 per cent. The company's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) stood at Rs 224 crore—a 19 per cent increase—driven by revenue growth and cost optimisation. The EBITDA margin stood at 25 per cent. Bains added that Syngene continues to strengthen and expand its scientific platform capabilities, including the launch of a state-of-the-art, dedicated peptide laboratory, while remaining mindful of ongoing macroeconomic factors. Syngene has appointed Chethan Yogesh as the secretary and compliance officer of the company with effect from July 23. Yogesh was previously associated with technology firms including Wipro and IBM. The company also completed a USFDA GCP inspection of its Human Pharmacology Unit with no observations and received a favourable Voluntary Action Indicated (VAI) outcome for its Biologics facility. Syngene noted that over 20 client and regulatory audits in Q1 FY26 reinforced its global quality standards. Deepak Jain, chief financial officer, Syngene International Limited, said: 'The current quarter's PAT includes a tax benefit arising from transfer of gratuity funds to the Employee Gratuity Trust. We continue to maintain a robust balance sheet enabling us to invest in technology and capabilities to strengthen our customer offerings. While keeping a close watch on market trends, we remain on course to deliver in line with our stated guidance for the year.' Syngene announced its results after market close on Wednesday. During the session, the company's shares were up 0.50 per cent at Rs 679.65 apiece on the BSE.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
In Punjab, 115 govt schools renamed after revolutionaries, athletes to inspire kids
1 2 Chandigarh: To honour the legacy of Punjab's eminent personalities, the AAP govt has renamed 115 govt schools after freedom fighters, martyrs, and internationally acclaimed athletes, said Harjot Singh Bains, minister for school education, on Monday. The school education department renamed 25 schools after freedom fighters and martyrs on July 18, said Bains. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday announced that a school in Beas village in Jalandhar district would be renamed after marathoner Fauja Singh, the minister said. Addressing a press conference, Bains said Punjab govt had also decided to display pictures and histories of these personalities in schools named after them to inspire students with their sacrifices and contributions while appropriately honouring their legacy. These 115 schools have been rechristened to honour Ghadar Movement heroes, freedom fighters, martyrs, and eminent personalities of Punjab. "Renaming schools will inspire students through the stories and sacrifices of these individuals," Bains said. He highlighted the AAP govt in 2023 renamed Govt High School in Khatkar Kalan as Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Govt High School. In response to a media query on the 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' campaign, Bains said the school education department, along with subject matter experts, was making a curriculum to sensitise students against the ill effects of drugs. It will lay a strong foundation against the drug menace, he added.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Citing cuts to health care, Bains says she's running for Congress
Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains, D-Delano, said she's running for California's 22nd Congressional District, the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford. 'From the beginning of this year, a lot of people were asking me if I would ever consider a run for Congress, and I kept saying, 'I hope I don't have to,'' said Bains, a family physician who's served in California's 35th Assembly District since 2022. Bains said much of the work that she entered politics to accomplish was now being undone by the Trump administration, aided and abetted, she said, by Valadao in his recent vote for the massive reconciliation bill recently passed by Congress. 'I have been working day in, day out, to help expand access in an area with some of the most Medicaid patients in the country and this directly cuts a lot of the work that I have been doing,' Bains said. 'The whole reason why I even ran for an Assembly (seat) in the first place.' Speculation around the assemblywoman's potential run has swirled for months, but it wasn't until speaking with The Californian that Bains confirmed her intention to run. California's 22nd District is considered one of the most competitive in the nation and Valadao has been the target of relentless campaigning by Democrat-aligned groups for months. It also has the highest level of Medicaid enrollment in the state — 67%, according to UC Berkeley — making the focus of those attacks the proposed cuts to the program. 'I was shocked when I saw Congressman Valadao vote for what he himself said would decimate health care in our Central Valley, would take away vital access to care in an area that has the least access to begin with,' Bains said. Valadao didn't say revisions to Medicaid would decimate the valley, but he did sign onto a letter in June with other Congressional Republicans cautioning against changes made by the U.S. Senate. In a statement, Valadao said the vote on the reconciliation bill was not an easy one and he said he'd received assurances from the administration about the $50 billion allocated for rural health. Ahead of votes on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Bains appeared in advertisements urging Valadao to vote against the bill. Following the U.S. House of Representatives' vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Bains submitted in the state Legislature a resolution to formally censure all nine members of California's Republican Congressional Delegation who voted for it. Yet Bains has also previously clashed with her own party. In 2023, she was removed from an Assembly committee assignment by party leadership for being the only Democrat to vote no on a bill targeting the oil and gas industry. Those clashes were evidence, Bains said, of her willingness to put the interests of her district ahead of party politics. Bains said repeatedly during an interview with The Californian that her loyalty was to the district first. 'Voters in this district just saw their congressman choose party loyalty over them. That is something that I, from the first day I was in the Assembly, it was about choosing my district first,' Bains said. 'This area needs a representative that will choose them first. My loyalty again to the people in this district will always come first.' Bains is the second Democrat to officially challenge Valadao. In April, Visalia School Board member Randy Villegas announced his run for Congress, running on a progressive platform and vowing not to take any corporate political action committee money. Bains declined to make a similar commitment, saying she is focused on bringing health care back to the district. 'I am a doctor,' Bains said. 'I have been fighting to increase health care and I've been fighting to increase access to health care. I continue focusing on the issues that matter most, health care and also affordability, making sure that government is working for the people.' Environmental groups such as Greenpeace have criticized Bains for accepting money from the oil and gas industry. Past campaigns in the district have brought in massive amounts of money, much of it from donors outside the district. According to the Federal Elections Commission, in the 2024 race Valadao's campaign raised nearly $5 million while Democratic challenger Rudy Salas raised $6.5 million. Salas, himself a former Assemblyman, twice lost to Valadao, in 2022 and 2024. He's filed paperwork with the FEC to run in 2026, but has not committed to doing so. Valadao's campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment Tuesday, but in an email, Republican National Congressional Committee spokesman Christian Martinez called Bains a radical. 'Radical Democrat Jasmeet Bains will never represent the values of the Central Valley with her extreme record that sells out hardworking California families,' Martinez said. 'She's more focused on handing out taxpayer-funded home loans, welfare and free health care to illegal immigrants than defending the very Californians footing the bill. Californians deserve better than a radical activist masquerading as their representative.' Whether or not Bains is elected to Congress, running for the 22nd District means she won't be able to run for the 35th Assembly District, leaving a vacancy in that seat for the 2026 election. California's primary election isn't until June 2026, but only the two top vote-getting candidates in that race will move on to the general election. Whether or not she's elected to Congress, Bains said she is first and foremost a doctor. 'This is a doctor taking her oath to the highest level. I never signed up for this job in the Assembly to be a career politician. I am staying true to who I said I was from day one,' Bains said. 'This is about a doctor taking her oath to protect her community.'
