Nature, Published online: 18 December 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-04168-6Understanding Chinas and other nations responses to US trade measures can help policymakers and firms find ways to manage economic competition.

Strands is back with yet another difficult puzzle to ponder over. If you want to win, you need to figure out the theme and all the themed words hidden deep in the letter grid. And today's clue isn't much help.

Connections is a daily word-puzzle game from the New York Times. If you want to win this challenging game, you'll need to know a lot more than just the rules of how to play Connections; you'll need to know all the definitions for all the words and the categories too.

Valkyrae, one of the most prominent content creators with 4.1 million subscribers on YouTube, has revealed the major reason behind her decision to leave the platform after five years and transition to Twitch. Known for her engaging personality and diverse gaming content, Valkyrae's move to Twitch, the Amazon-owned streaming platform, marks a significant shift in her career.

Understanding soft caps are key to how to level up stats and runes in Elden Ring. That way, if you know the soft cap breakpoints, youll be able to get the optimal return from the runes youve spent as opposed to receiving diminishing returns from excessive stats.If that sounds a bit complex, dont worry; in this guide, well explain everything there is to know about soft caps in Elden Ring.What are soft caps in Elden Ring?If youre no stranger to the Lands Between and Shadow of the Erdtrees Realm of Shadow, you probably know the drill: defeat enemies, receive runes, and use the runes to level your stats at a Site of Grace. Each individual stat can be leveled from 1 to 99, with 99 being the hard cap the limit.Beware, however, that theres a difference between leveling a stat from level 30 to level 31 or from level 50 to level 51, as youll receive less benefits once youve crossed a certain threshold. This threshold is called a soft cap or a breakpoint in Elden Ring. When you start leveling a stat, the returns will initially remain the same or even improve with every new level, but after reaching a certain breakpoint, the stat will be soft-capped and the returns will become less and less.For example:If you level your Vigor from level 3 to level 4, your HP will increase from 312 to 322.If you level your Vigor from level 4 to level 5, your HP increases from 322 to 334.As you can see, the returns per level have improved; instead of 10 HP points, you received 12 HP points the second time. These growing returns will reach their peak when leveling Vigor from level 39 to level 40, with a whopping 48 HP points gained (from 1402 HP to 1450 HP).If you continue to level your Vigor from level 40 to level 41, though, your HP will improve from 1450 to 1476; a return of 26 HP points. Its still an improvement, but obviously not nearly as great as the previous 48 HP points. From this point onwards, the amount of HP gained from additional Vigor levels will steadily decline. Level 40 is therefore called the first soft cap for Vigor.And thats not all; every Elden Ring stat has at least two soft cap points, up to as many as four. For Vigor, the amount of HP gained from higher levels will drop significantly after level 60, as you will only get between 3 and 6 HP points per level afterwards. Level 60 is therefore named the second soft cap for this stat.The existence of soft caps in Elden Ring doesnt mean you should stop leveling a stat after reaching such a breakpoint, but it does mean that you need to mind your stat point allocation. Leveling Vigor from 40 to 60 can still be a great choice, but you might need to prioritize other stats before you do so, as the returns from those upgrades may be far greater. If youd like to respec your current stats, visit Rennala in the Raya Lucaria library and select Rebirth.Elden Ring soft caps in 2025Before we dive into the details, heres a quick overview of all soft cap breakpoints per stat type in Elden Ring:Vigor: 40, 60Mind: 50, 60Endurance: 30, 50 (equipment load 60)Strength: 60, 80Dexterity: 60, 80Intelligence: 50, 60, 80Faith: 50, 60, 80Arcane: 60, 80Lets delve into each stat, one-by-one:Vigor soft capsLevel 1-40: growing returns, up to +48 HP per level.Level 41-60: diminishing returns, between 27 and 13 HP per level.Level 61-99: diminishing returns, between 6 and 3 HP per level.Vigor improves HP, fire resistance, and immunity. As mentioned in the example above, Vigor has growing returns before reaching the first soft cap at level 40. This is amazing, as it means youll receive more and more HP with every level up until that point. Sadly, the drop-off is rather steep, going from 48 HP to 26 HP points and even down to only 6 per level after the second soft cap at level 60.Having a high HP is extremely useful for almost any Elden Ring build its hard enough to stay alive without giving every enemy the possibility to one-shot you. We therefore recommend to hit the first soft cap of level 40, and continue to level 60 if your playstyle needs it (frontline melee builds, for example). Anything above level 60 is a waste of runes.Mind soft capsLevel 1-15: between 3 and 4 FP per level.Level 16-35: between 5 and 6 FP per level.Level 36-50: between 6 and 7 FP per level.Level 51-60: diminishing returns, between 4 and 6 FP per level.Level 60+: diminishing returns, between 2 and 3 FP per level.Focus: only starts to improve from Mind level 31 onwards, with soft cap at level 40.Mind improves your FP and Focus. Focus is a nice defensive stat to have (protects against sleep and madness) but FP, also known as mana, is far more important as its needed to cast spells. With that in mind, you really only need as much Mind as you require FP to cast your magic. With a fully upgraded Flask of Cerulean Tears, you can restore 220 FP one full FP bar at Mind level 38. Therefore, Mind at +38 is therefore the sweet spot before hitting the FP soft cap at level 50 and Focus soft cap at level 40.Endurance soft capsStamina level 1-30: between 1 and 2 points per level, but usually 2.Stamina level 31-50: diminishing returns, between 1 and 2 points per level, but usually 1.Stamina level 50+: diminishing returns, between 0 and 1 point per level.Equipment load level 9-25: only starts to improve from Endurance level 9 onwards, with +1.6 points per level up to level 25.Equipment load level 26-45: adds between 1 and 1.4 points.Equipment load level 46-60: adds between 1.4 and 1.5 points.Equipment load level 60+: soft cap with a huge drop-off, down to 1 point.Robustness: only starts to improve from Endurance level 31 onwards, with soft cap at level 40.Endurance improves stamina, maximum equipment load (allowing you to stay within the medium load range while wearing heavier armor, for example), and robustness (resistance to bleed and frostbite). The amount of stamina youll need depends on how much you consume; if youre using a melee build, youll typically want at least +34 Endurance, a stamina and equipment load sweet spot that also offers some robustness.If youre an endgame player with lots of runes to spend, you may keep going until the equipment load soft cap at level 60, as this allows you to equip far better armor sets while remaining in a below-heavy load range.Strength and Dexterity soft capsStrength armaments: soft caps are usually at level 20, 60, and 80.Physical defense: improves at levels 30 and 40, peaking at 60. Diminishing returns after level 60.Dexterity armaments: soft caps are usually at level 20, 60, and 80.Incantations: soft caps at level 30 and 45.Strength and Dexterity improve the damage dealt with armaments (weapons) scaling with these stats (usually physical/melee weapons). Although the breakpoints and minimum stats required depend on the individual armament, the physical damage soft caps are typically at level 20, 60, and 80.At the start of your Elden Ring game, should you decide to wield a strength- or dexterity-scaling weapon, try to reach soft cap level 20 as soon as possible. Go up to 60 as you progress further (dont forget your Vigor, Endurance, and Mind soft caps), but theres no need to proceed past the level 80 soft cap.Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane soft capsIntelligence armaments: soft caps are usually at level 20, 50, and 80.Intelligence sorceries: usually level 60 and 80.Magic defense: best benefits until level 20 and slightly less until level 35. Soft cap at level 35 and soft cap with steep drop-off at level 60.Faith armaments: usually level 20, 50, and 80.Faith incantations: usually level 60 and 80.Arcane armaments: usually level 20, 60, and 80.Arcane buildup: usually level 40 and 60.Arcane incantations: soft caps at level 30 and 45.Arcane vitality and holy defense: hit their first soft cap at level 15 and 20 respectively. Final soft caps are level 60 for both.Besides improving armaments that scale with these stats, Intelligence boosts the power of your sorceries, Faith increases the power of incantations, and Arcane improves status buildup (for Arcane-scaling weapons).Similar to Strength and Dexterity, the exact scaling depends on the armament youre using, but you typically need to hit level 20 for the best gains in early game. Try to eventually hit the soft cap around level 50, but its not worth it to go beyond level 80.The defensive attributes (vitality, magic defense, etc.) hit a very steep drop-off after level 60.Looking for Shadow of the Erdtree guides? Check out our guides on Elden Ring DLC weapons, armor, map fragments, sites of grace, and talismans. Weve also got location guides on where to find Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes, and an interactive Elden Ring DLC map.

Among the eccentric party that defines Baldur's Gate 3, Astarion has achieved a particularly iconic status within the RPG genre. As a vampire spawn who is often more than willing to encourage and indulge in the player's darker side, the dynamic between him and the more kind-hearted companions of Baldur's Gate 3 is demonstrative of the moral flexibility available to the player. When it comes to helping him achieve redemption, however, the part of Astarion's arc involving him making a literal deal with a devil has uncanny parallels to the compelling story of a lesser-known character.

Hollow Knight is one of those games that's designed to please both players who love Soulslikes and people who are fans of 2D side-scrollers. This amazing game is not only set in an exciting world, but also presents players with considerable challenges that are almost always very enjoyable.

The Sorcerer is one of the most volatile Classes in all of Baldur's Gate 3 thanks to their wild spells and ability to use Metamagic to enhance their spellcasting skills. Sorcerers are at their best when they put all of their effort into maximizing their damage output, which the Draconic Bloodline subclass offers in spades.

Regardless of how 2024 went for you, 2025 is another chance for all of us to make the new year better than the one that came before it. New Years resolutions are usually set with the best intentions, but its no secret many people fail after just a few weeks old habits die hard. Its important to have a support group, people who can cheer you on during those particularly hard days. But its also important to have the right tools to make achieving your goals easier. Whether youre trying to get healthy, be more organized, read more or anything in between, there are tech tools that can make your journey smoother and more enjoyable. Fitness tracker If youre attempting to turn over a new, healthier leaf, youre not alone. Fitness trackers (and their companion apps) are highly sought after this time of year because they can help you stick to those new movement, hydration and sleep habits youre trying to build. The Xiaomi Mi Band 8 is a good option, not only because its affordable at $50, but because it does pretty much everything a beginner needs. It tracks daily steps, calories, sleep and more, and it has a two-week battery life so you can keep it on all the time and rarely have to remember to charge it. If youre already a runner or a cyclist (or want to be one), we recommend upgrading to the Fitbit Charge 6 instead. Youll get all of the basic fitness tracking features you'd expect like daily step, sleep and activity tracking, along with onboard GPS for mapping outdoor workouts and Fitbit Pay for contactless payments. That way youll be able to go for a run in the morning and stop to grab a coffee without bringing your phone or your wallet with you. Smartwatch If youd rather invest in an all-purpose wearable that also has serious fitness chops, the Apple Watch SE is a good choice. While it doesnt include all the bells and whistles that the pricier Series 10 does, it still offers the same core experience. It tracks all-day activity and heart rate, and watchOS finally offers basic sleep tracking, too. In addition to built-in GPS for outdoor workouts, it tracks dozens of exercises and supports fall detection, as well as high and low heart rate alerts. Its also quite good at automatically recognizing when youre working out and prompting you to start tracking your efforts. On top of all that, the Apple Watch excels when it comes to table-stakes smartwatch features: Youll be able to send and receive text messages from the device, as well as control music playback, smart home devices and more. Android users should consider the Fitbit Versa series of smartwatches. The latest model, the Versa 4, has many of the same features as Apples most affordable wearable including all-day activity tracking and heart rate monitoring, built-in GPS and even more advanced sleep tracking capabilities. It also has a lot of features you wont find on an Apple Watch like Alexa voice control, Google Maps and Wallet integration and a days-long battery life (up to six days to be precise). There are smart alerts as well, so youll get notified when your phone receives calls and texts. At $200, the Versa 4 is decently priced on a regular day, but you can often find it on sale for close to $150 that could make it a good options for anyone on a budget, not just those with Android phones. Workout classes Finding exercise classes that you actually enjoy can make working out feel like less of a chore. You may prefer going through your local gym that push to get out of the house and into a dedicated exercise space can be really effective for some but there are plenty of on-demand fitness classes as well that you can participate in from the comfort of your living room. Ive tried my fair share of these services and my favorite has been Peloton. No, you dont need one of the companys expensive bikes or other machinery to take advantage of their classes. Access to the app-only version costs $13 per month and it lets you take HIIT, strength, yoga and even outdoor running classes, many of which require little to no equipment. If Peloton isnt your speed, Apple Fitness+ is a good alternative, especially now that anyone with an iPhone can subscribe and take classes, regardless of whether they own an Apple Watch. Alo Moves is another good option for those who prefer yoga and pilates workouts. If you cant afford another monthly subscription fee, the internet has tons of free exercise resources you just have to work a little harder to find the ones you jibe with most. I highly recommend Fitness Blender, a free website where you can watch hundreds of workout videos and even set a schedule for yourself, assigning routines to specific days of the week. I like the quality and consistency of their videos, but you may connect more to YouTube workouts if theyre taught by instructors you like; Heather Robertson and Move with Nicole are two personal favorites. Habit tracker Accountability is key when youre trying to build new habits, so keeping track of your progress is crucial. While you could go deep down the bullet-journal rabbit hole, a habit-tracking app is probably the easier option. Done and Strides are two iOS options that let you log when youve completed a new habit youre trying to build or when you avoided a bad habit that youre trying to break. You can get pretty granular, customizing how often you want to do a task, set reminders to log, review stats and more. Both apps have paid tiers youll be asked to subscribe to after you create a few trackable habits. If youd rather avoid yet another subscription, consider an app like Streaks, which can be all yours for a one-time fee of $6. As for Android, theres Habitica, which turns habit tracking to an 8-bit RPG game where you level-up your custom avatar by checking things off your list. To-do list apps The new year provides an opportunity to get back on track, and one way to do that is by finding organizational tools that work for you and making sure theyre as uncomplicated as possible. The worst thing that could happen is that your to-do list or note-taking system ends up being so cumbersome that you avoid using it. Keeping all of your necessary tasks in your head may work on easy days, but it can quickly get overwhelming when you have a million things to handle in both your personal and professional life. Im a fan of Todoist and Things (the latter of which is for iOS and macOS only) because both are detailed enough for big work projects, but simple enough for personal tasks. Both also have a Today view, which will show everything across all of your projects that need attention immediately. While Todoist has a free tier, youll pay $80 to get Things for iOS, iPadOS and macOS. Microsofts To Do is an alternative that, while less involved than Things, is free and works on almost every platform including Windows, iOS and Android, among others. You can keep it simple and just have a task list and a grocery list, or you can go deeper and add due dates, sub-tasks and even share lists with family members. If you dont want to bother with another service, you can always opt for the reminders app that (most likely) came preinstalled on your phone. That would be Reminders for iOS users and Google Keep for Android users. Google Keep also doubles as a note-taking app, which will be a better solution if youve been jotting down ideas for new projects on Post-It notes you inevitably lose. Apple Notes is the default option for this on iOS devices, and its come a long way in recent years with new features like interlinked notes, inline and annotatable PDFs and native support for scanning documents using the iPhones camera. Password manager If youre looking to up your digital security game in the new year, a password manager is a great place to start. Im partial to 1Password (as are we as a whole at Engadget), but there are plenty of other options including Bitwarden, NordPass and Dashlane. After saving all of your passwords for various accounts, you only need to remember one (hence the name) to log in to your 1Password account and access all of the others. The service has browser extensions Chrome, Edge and others that will let you seamlessly log in with just a few clicks, and 1Password has apps for most platforms including iOS and Android, so you can use it on all of your devices. The Password Generator feature helps you create a new, secure password whenever one of yours has expired. LastPass has this too, and Dashlane even has a free tool that anyone can use to make more secure passwords. Not only does this take the onus of coming up with a strong key off your shoulders, but it also makes it easy to override old credentials with new ones. Cable and accessory organizer One of the consequences of the past few of years is the dual-office life. Many of us now work both from home and from an office, and the last thing you want to do when you arrive in either place is rummage around your backpack only to realize that youve left your mouse, charging cable or dongle at your other desk. An organizer bag can prevent this before it happens we recommend BagSmart tech organizers thanks to their utilitarian, water-repellent designs and their multiple pockets and dividers. They also come in different sizes, so you can pick the best one for your commuter bag. If you want something a bit more elevated, Bellroys Desk Caddy is a good option. Its pricier but for the money you get a more elegant silhouette, higher-quality materials and a design that sits upright when full and has a front panel that fully folds down to give you a good view of whats inside. Computer docking station Its all too easy for your work-from-home setup to get really messy really quickly. When youre going through your busiest times at work, the last thing youre thinking about is cable management, but dedicating a bit more effort to tidying up your workspace can make your day to day more efficient and more enjoyable. We recommend some sort of docking station to keep your laptop, monitors, accessories and the like in check. There are plenty of options out there, regardless of if you use a macOS or Windows machine, or even a Chromebook. We like Satechis Dual Dock for MacBooks thanks to its unique design that allows it to sit under your laptop, and the fact that it plugs into two USB-C ports at once. This means you can connect to two external displays (provided you have an M2-powered MacBook or later), which will be handy if you have an elaborate workstation on your desk. Kensingtons Thunderbolt 4 dock is a good all-purpose option for other non-macOS laptops. There are also USB-C hubs and adapters out there that can give you similar organization while on the go, albeit in a less elegant package. UGreen's Revodok Pro is an affordable solution that includes an HDMI port, microSD and SD card readers, an Ethernet slot, two USB-C connections and three USB-A sockets. It also supports 100W power pass-through, so you can charge your laptop through the hub while using it. Multicookers and air fryers Eating healthier, or even just avoiding takeout multiple times a week, can be challenging in part because it usually means cooking more at home. This can be hard to even start if youre not used to cooking for yourself and dont have the basic tools to do so. On top of that, cooking takes time much more time than ordering a meal from an app on your phone. But tools like an Instant Pot can cut your active cooking time down drastically. You can find a plethora of recipes where you simply throw a bunch of ingredients into the pot, set it and forget it until its time to eat. We recommend the Instant Pot Duo for beginners because its relatively affordable and combines seven different cooking methods into one appliance, including rice cooking, steaming, pressure cooking, slow cooking and more. If youre primarily cooking for yourself and a partner, the three-quart model will serve you just fine, but we recommend the six-quart model if youre routinely cooking for four or more. Whereas the Instant Pot and multicookers as a whole had their moment a few years ago, air fryers are the big thing now thanks in part to the fact that they let you cook so many different foods quickly and with less oil or other fat. The best air fryers come in all shapes and sizes (and from many companies), but our top pick also comes from Instant Brands. The Instant Vortex Plus air fryer doesn't take up too much space on a countertop, includes six cooking modes and it comes with an odor-removing filter that prevents too much of that cooking smell from wafting out of the machine as it runs. We also appreciate that, unlike most other air fryers, this one has a window that lets you see into the machine during cooking so you can keep an eye on the doneness of your food. Recipe organization One of the best things about cooking at home is finding recipes that you love so much that you want to make over and over again. Youll want to keep those recipes safe and readily available so you can refer to them when you need a quick weeknight meal or a dish to bring to your next family reunion. Recipe cards are a great way to do this, and youll build up your rolodex of delicious meals over time. If youd rather have a cookbook of sorts that you fill in yourself over time, opt for a recipe book instead. If youd rather keep your arsenal of recipes accessible at any time, anywhere from your phone, Paprikas recipe management app is the best solution Ive tried. The $5 app basically acts as your digital recipe box, allowing you to enter your own as well as save them from the internet. You know those hundreds of words that precede online recipes, in which the author divulges their entire life story before telling you their secret to making deliciously moist cornbread? Paprika strips all of those unnecessary bits out and only saves the ingredient list and the instructions. You can also make grocery lists and keep track of pantry staples in the app, so dont be surprised if it quickly becomes one of your most-used kitchen tools. Reading apps Dont take your habit of doom-scrolling into the new year. You could instead use the internet to find other things to read and the free Libby app is a good place to start. Powered by Overdrive, it connects you with your local librarys digital collection, allowing you to borrow and download all kinds of e-books, audiobooks, magazines, graphic novels and more. Libby also has a tag system that you can use to save titles for later without actually putting a hold on them (although you can do that in the app, too). If you find a bunch of audiobooks you eventually want to get to, you can give them all a TBR tag so you can quickly find them and borrow one when you need new reading/listening material. As someone who uses Libby on a regular basis, I love how easy it is to borrow from my local library without leaving my home. However, there have been numerous times in which my library doesnt have a title Im looking for. If that happens to you often, you may want to consider a subscription service like Kindle Unlimited or Everand (formerly Scribd), both of which give you unlimited access to a wide library of e-books for $10 per month. And for audiobook lovers, your options are Amazons Audible or Libro.fm, the latter of which lets you choose the local bookstore you want to support with your purchases. Ereader Ereaders are still around because so many people recognize how much better it can be to read e-books on a dedicated device especially one with an high-contrast, e-paper display. Sure, you could read on your smartphone or a tablet, but staring at those screens all day long can be tiring for your eyes. An ereader like the Kobo Clara Colour or the Amazon Kindle is a better choice not only for its more comfortable display, but also because it focuses your attention on reading. (If youve ever picked up your smartphone intending to finish a chapter only to be distracted by email or Facebook, you know how crucial this is.) The Clara Colour is our current top pick in our best ereader guide, thanks to its 6-inch color E Ink display, adjustable brightness and temperature, weeks-long battery life and handy Overdrive integration for checking out digital library books. But if you already get most of your e-books through Amazon, the latest Kindle is the best option. You can listen to Audible audiobooks, too, if you connect a pair of wireless earbuds to the ereader. Kobos device primarily gets books via the Kobo Store, but it also supports various file types like EPUB, PDF and MOBI.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tech-to-help-you-stick-to-new-years-resolutions-150034002.html?src=rss

Virtual private networks (VPNs) promise the potential to stream any content, from anywhere. They unlock content from abroad across nearly any streaming service you use regularly, which can come in handy if youre into some obscure BBC exclusive not available in the United States. But thats actually just one small perk of VPN services. VPNs provide a private traffic tunnel to keep your internet service provider out of your business, and provide an extra layer of security to protect your browsing habits.We tested nine of the most popular VPN services available now to come up with our top picks, and lay out what you should know before paying for one. Our top pick remains ProtonVPN thanks to its easy-to-use interface, no-logs policy and open-source framework, while other popular options like NordVPN didn't quite make the cut. While we think ProtonVPN is the best VPN for most people, we lay out other good options you can consider, too. Table of contents Best VPNs of 2025 What is a VPN? Are VPNs worth it? How we tested VPNs Other VPN services our experts tested VPN FAQs Best VPNs for 2025 What is a VPN? VPNs, or virtual private networks, mask your IP address and the identity of your computer or mobile device on the network and creating an encrypted "tunnel" that prevents your internet service provider (ISP) from accessing data about your browsing history. VPNs are not a one-size-fits-all security solution, though. Instead, theyre just one part of keeping your data private and secure. Roya Ensafi, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan, told Engadget that VPNs dont protect against common threats like phishing attacks, nor do they protect your data from being stolen. Much of the data or information is stored with the VPN provider instead of your ISP, which means that using a poorly designed or unprotected network can still undermine your security. But they do come in handy for online privacy when youre connecting to an untrusted network somewhere public because they tunnel and encrypt your traffic to the next hop. That means sweeping claims that seem promising, like military-grade encryption or total digital invisibility, may not be totally accurate. Instead, Yael Grauer, program manager of Consumer Reports online security guide, recommends looking for security features like open-source software with reproducible builds, up-to-date support for industry-standard protocols like WireGuard (CR's preferred protocol) or IPsec, and the ability to defend against attack vectors like brute force. Read more: How to use a VPN on your iPhone How to stream video to your TV using a VPN How to stream using a VPN on your Google TV or Chromecast How to stream via a VPN on Roku Understanding VPNs and your needs Before considering a VPN, make sure your online security is up to date in other ways. That means complex passwords, multi-factor authentication methods and locking down your data sharing preferences. Even then, you probably dont need to be using a VPN all the time. If you're just worried about somebody sitting there passively and looking at your data then a VPN is great, Jed Crandall, an associate professor at Arizona State University, told Engadget. That brings us to some of the most common uses cases for VPNs. If you use public WiFi networks a lot, like while working at a coffee shop, then VPN usage can help give you private internet access. Theyre also helpful for hiding information from other people on your ISP if you dont want members of your household to know what youre up to online. Geoblocking has also become a popular use case as it helps you reach services in other parts of the world. For example, you can access shows that are only available on streaming services, like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime, in other countries, or play online games with people located all over the globe. There are also a few common VPN features that you should consider before deciding if you want to use one, and which is best for you: What is split tunneling? Split tunneling allows you to route some traffic through your VPN, while other traffic has direct access to the internet. This can come in handy when you want to protect certain activity online without losing access to local network devices, or services that work best with location sharing enabled. What is a double VPN? A double VPN, otherwise known as multi-hop VPN or a VPN chain, passes your online activity through two different VPN servers one right after the other. For VPN services that support this, users are typically able to choose which two servers they want their traffic to pass through. As you might expect, this provides an extra layer of security. Are VPNs worth it? Whether or not VPNs are worth it depends how often you could use it for the above use cases. If you travel a lot and rely on public WiFi or hotspots, are looking to browse outside of your home country or want to keep your traffic hidden from your ISP, then investing in a VPN will be useful. But, keep in mind that even the best VPN services often slow down your internet connection speed, so they may not be ideal all the time. In today's world, we recommend not relying on a VPN connection as your main cybersecurity tool. VPN use can provide a false sense of security, leaving you vulnerable to attack. Plus, if you choose just any VPN, it may not be as secure as just relying on your ISP. Thats because the VPN could be based in a country with weaker data privacy regulation, obligated to hand information over to law enforcement or linked to weak user data protection policies. For VPN users working in professions like activism or journalism that want to really strengthen their internet security, options like the Tor browser may be a worthwhile alternative, according to Crandall. Tor is free, and while it's less user-friendly, its built for anonymity and privacy. How we tested VPNs To test the security specs of different VPNs and name our top picks, we relied on pre-existing academic work through Consumer Reports, VPNalyzer and other sources. We referenced privacy policies, transparency reports and security audits made available to the public. We also considered past security incidents like data breaches. We looked at price, usage limits, effects on internet speed, possible use cases, ease of use, general functionality and additional extra VPN features like multihop. The VPNs were tested across iOS, Android and Mac devices so we could see the state of the mobile apps across various platforms (Windows devices are also supported in most cases). We used the quick connect feature on the VPN apps to connect to the fastest provider available when testing internet speed, access to IP address data and DNS and WebRTC leaks or when a fault in the encrypted tunnel reveals requests to an ISP. Otherwise, we conducted a test of geoblocking content by accessing Canada-exclusive Netflix releases, a streaming test by watching a news livestream on YouTube via a Hong Kong-based VPN and a gaming test by playing on servers in the United Kingdom. By performing these tests at the same time, it also allowed us to test claims about simultaneous device use. Here are the VPN services we tested: ExpressVPN NordVPN Surfshark Proton VPN TunnelBear Bitdefender VPN CyberGhost Windscribe Atlas VPN Read more: The best password managers for 2023 Other VPN services our experts tested NordVPN NordVPN didnt quite make the cut because its overhyped, and underwhelming. As I've written in our full review of NordVPN, the pricing, up to $14.49 for a complete subscription, seemed high compared to other services, and its free or lower cost plans just didnt have the same wide variety of features as its competitors. TunnelBear Despite the cute graphics and user friendliness, TunnelBear wasnt a top choice. It failed numerous basic security tests from Consumer Reports, and had limited availability across platforms like Linux. It did, however, get a major security boost in July when it updated to support WireGuard protocol across more of its platforms. Bitdefender VPN Bitdefender doesnt offer support for devices like routers, which limits its cross-platform accessibility. It also lacked a transparency report or third-party audit to confirm security specs. Atlas VPN Atlas ranked lower on our speed tests compared to the other VPNs tested, with a notably slower difference on web browsing and streaming tests. It was a good option otherwise, but could easily cause headaches for those chasing high speed connections. Security-wise, an Atlas VPN vulnerability leaked Linux users real IP addresses. VPN FAQs What are some things VPNs are used for? VPNs are traditionally used to protect your internet traffic. If youre connected to an untrusted network like public WiFi in a cafe, using a VPN hides what you do from the internet service provider. Then, the owner of the WiFi or hackers trying to get into the system cant see the identity of your computer or your browsing history. A common non-textbook use case for VPNs has been accessing geographically restricted content. VPNs can mask your location, so even if youre based in the United States, they can make it appear as if youre browsing abroad and unblock access. This is especially useful for streaming content thats often limited to certain countries, like if you want to watch Canadian Netflix from the US. What information does a VPN hide? A VPN doesnt hide all of your data. It only hides information like your IP address, location and browser history. A common misconception is that VPNs can make you totally invisible online. But keep in mind that the VPN provider often still has access to all of this information, so it doesnt grant you total anonymity. Youre also still vulnerable to phishing attacks, hacking and other cyberthreats that you should be mindful of by implementing strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. Are VPNs safe? Generally, yes. VPNs are a safe and reliable way to encrypt and protect your internet data. But like most online services, the safety specifics vary from provider to provider. You can use resources like third-party audits, Consumer Reports reviews, transparency reports and privacy policies to understand the specifics of your chosen provider. What about Googles One VPN? Google One subscriptions include access to the companys VPN, which works similarly to other VPNs on our list, hiding your online activity from network operators. However, Google announced recently that it plans to shut down the One VPN because "people simply werent using it." There's no specific date for the shutdown, with Google simply saying it will discontinue the service sometime in 2024. Pixel phone owners, however, will continue to have access to the free VPN available on their devices. Recent updates October 2024: Added a "read more" section with links to additional VPN content. June 2024: Updated to include table of contents.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/best-vpn-130004396.html?src=rss