Everyone wants privacy, but how far are you willing to go for it? For most people, the answer is "not very far." The cost of privacy is not only the knowledge it takes to navigate safely and invisibly online, but often also the inconvenience that comes with security practices practices like using VPNs, installing ad blockers and other extensions, and using a non-Chrome browser. If you go to extra lengths to protect your online privacy, we want to hear from you. And if you go to extreme lengths, we definitely want to hear from you. The first time I switched to a privacy-focused browser, I wondered why I hadn't done it sooner. I left Google Chrome after reading one of the countless stories about how Chrome is the worst browser for your data and privacy, and after importing my bookmarks and settings, I admittedly felt rather smug. I was a Brave user now, separate from the flock of sheep who gave their data away to Chrome, resigned to having their data tagged and tracked wherever they went. I also deleted my Facebook account, installed a VPN on my phone, and used Tor to browse anything I would be less than proud of. I also stopped using Google Maps. At least, I tried. As you might have guessed, few of these changes lasted long. Protecting my privacy online was one inconvenience after another. At first, I attributed my minor annoyances to a learning curve. My VPN broke certain websites, so I got in the habit of switching it on and off whenever I needed, for example. But while some decisions made life easier—I still don't miss Facebook, and browsing the internet without an ad blocker seems unthinkable now—others created accumulating obstacles. Websites wouldn't load, citing compatibility problems with my browser. Extensions were unavailable. Tech walkthroughs with friends and IT teams each invariably met the point where I would need to explain that, no, I am not on Chrome, or Firefox, or Edge. Once, I spent several days debating companies, agencies, and friends who insisted they tried calling me even though my phone never rang. Frustrated, I eventually called Verizon, and a customer service representative ran me through a series of tests and pings to identify the problem. After half an hour, my call was escalated to a higher tech support team that walked me through heavier solutions like resetting my network. Eventually, in a moment of clarity, I apologized to customer service, confessed that it was user error, and hung up the phone. I knew what the problem was, even if I couldn't explain it: I left my VPN on, and somehow it was blocking incoming calls. I turned it off, and life went back to normal.I began to feel less smug and more impractical, my decision to live a privacy-focused life having downsides I wasn't sure I was willing to accept. My breaking point came when I was on a trip and a Netflix error informed me that my browser was no longer supported. Stuck at an airport with yet another inconvenience, I got frustrated, threw in the towel, and found myself back on Chrome. Of course, my failure is my own, and there are endless reasons to push past the inconveniences to make your online privacy a standard practice. As part of our Safety Net series, I want to speak with people who take their privacy seriously enough to go to great lengths—arguably extreme ones, even—to keep your identity and privacy safe. I want us to learn what you do for privacy, what it's like to use technology the way you do, and how much convenience you sacrifice to do it. If this sounds like you, email me at jcalhoun@lifehacker.com with the subject line "Safety Net" or message me on Bluesky, and I'll get back to you if your story is selected to be featured. If it sounds like someone you know, please send them this article to share their experience. You can, of course, stay as anonymous as you'd like.

Falling victim to a scam is terrible, but being targeted a second time by fraudsters posing as law enforcement promising to help you recover is even worse. Scammers pretending to be from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) have been reported more than 100 times between December 2023 and February 2025, according to an April 18 public service announcement. Impersonation scams aren't new—a widespread scheme in 2022 saw scammers posing as government and law enforcement officials, for example—but this latest one doubles up on people whose money has already been stolen. How the IC3 scam worksAs the FBI's notice describes, scammers may contact fraud victims by phone, email, social media, or forum posts posing as IC3 employees. They offer to help targets recover their lost money—or claim they've already recovered it—and ask for payment or personal information, at which point victims lose money and/or data to yet another bad actor. While there are a number of variations, in one example, scammers created female profiles on social networks, joined groups for financial fraud victims, and suggested members reach out via Telegram to "Jaime Quin," the "Chief Director" of IC3, who completed the scam. How to protect yourself from the IC3 scamIf you've been a victim of fraud or identity theft, you are a potential target for the IC3 scam, and you should stay vigilant and skeptical of anyone offering to help you get your money back. IC3 employees will never contact you via phone, email, social media, apps, or forums, and they will never ask for payment (or refer you to anyone who requires payment) to recover your money. If you are contacted by someone claiming to be law enforcement or a government official over the phone or online, do not share any sensitive information, and do not send money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency to someone you do not know. You can report fraud to the actual, legitimate IC3 at www.ic3.gov.

Solo Game Developer CatHuntTree has returned to showcase brand new gameplay footage for their WIP first-person shooter, Shell Soldier.A demo version will soon arrive. Wishlist: https://80.lv/articles/frenetic-firefights-from-an-upcoming-fps-by-a-solo-dev/@CatHuntTree

Anthony Koithra presented LCAT, a collection of tools designed to make character animation in Unreal Engine 5 easier, faster, and more enjoyable.Free and made with indie creators in mind: https://80.lv/articles/check-out-this-new-ultimate-character-animation-toolkit-for-ue5/

Bluesky is adopting an official verification system after all. In an update, the company said it plans to grant blue checkmarks to “authentic and notable” accounts. It will also allow some “trusted organizations" to verify users as well. The change is a notable shift for the upstart platform, which previously resisted the idea of centralized verification. Up to now, the company has relied on a domain-based verification system, which allows users to change their handles to match domains that they are associated with. But that approach was often criticized for being overly complicated and offering insufficient protection from impersonation.  These critiques have only amplified as Bluesky has grown in popularity and attracted more prominent users. For example, when former President Barack Obama joined Bluesky in recent weeks, his handle did not use a custom domain, which understandably led many users to question whether the account was authentic. Instead, individual Bluesky employees ended up publicly vouching that the account was legitimate Under Bluesky’s new system, the company will proactively verify certain accounts and add a prominent blue checkmark to their profile. It’s not clear what criteria Bluesky will use for these badges or how it plans to verify users’ identities. Additionally, there will be a slightly different blue badge — one with “scalloped edges” — that certain “trusted organizations” can grant through a new “trusted verifiers” feature.  Bluesky The New York Times is one such organization, and the newspaper will now be able to hand out blue checks to its journalists. Bluesky didn’t say what other organizations will be able to participate in the program, but added that it will review verification from third-parties in order to “ensure authenticity.” Notably, Bluesky said that people and organizations are still “highly encourage(d)” to verify themselves via a custom domain. And it sounds like the new blue ticks may be in short supply, at least to start. “During this initial phase, Bluesky is not accepting direct applications for verification,” the company wrote in its announcement. “As this feature stabilizes, we’ll launch a request form for notable and authentic accounts interested in becoming verified or becoming trusted verifiers.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/bluesky-is-getting-blue-checkmarks-and-an-official-verification-system-173204662.html?src=rss

Nintendo is going after the leaker behind last year’s massive Pokémon data breach, according to a report by Polygon. The company has asked a California court to force Discord to give up the identity of the person behind the leak, who goes by the name "GameFreakOUT" on the platform. Nintendo wants Discord to release the name, address, phone number and email address of the leaker. It said in a subpoena that the person uploaded "confidential materials not released to the public" to a Discord server called FreakLeak. After that, the leaked materials reached every nook-and-cranny of the Internet. These materials included source codes, early character designs, references to an upcoming MMO and transcripts of design meetings. There was even information about an unreleased Detective Pikachu sequel and other planned Pokémon movies. The data breach included so much data that it’s become known as the “Teraleak” on the internet, referring to the sheer breadth and scope of the leaked materials. Babe wake up, a new Pokémon beta video from the Teraleak just dropped!▶️ A Deep Dive Into Pokemon Sword & Shield’s Scrapped Content[ Full video link in the first reply ] pic.twitter.com/G8pEzWDCHQ— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) April 17, 2025 As of this writing, Discord hasn’t publicly addressed the request. We’ve reached out to the company and will update this post when we hear back. If the platform complies with Nintendo’s request, it’s likely that "GameFreakOUT" will face a lawsuit. In the past, Nintendo has taken people to court over Pokémon leaks. This happened when photos of a Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield strategy guide were distributed online before the games were released. The defendants in that case were required to pay $150,000 each in damages and attorneys’ fees.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-is-going-after-the-person-behind-last-years-massive-pokemon-leak-171336637.html?src=rss

RT Gleb AlexandrovMesh > convert to SDF grid > sdf boolean > convert to mesh is a pretty interesting workflow in 4.5 alpha, made possible by the experimental volume nodes, yet I can't wrap my head around how to even start *beveling* any edges? :D#b3d #blender3d

The third beta of Apple’s iOS 18.5 has just launched, but it’s a very lightweight update.

Windows 11 is getting better search, accessibility powers and integration for its ‘reading coach’ – but with AI doing the heavy lifting in some cases, you’ll need a Copilot+ PC.

RT LtKanada 🇨🇦Here are some key details on the new Void Wireless v2 by @CORSAIR! An icon reborn 🎧 #Corsair #gamerSee for yourself: https://cor.sr/ltkanada