Apple has announced its new iPhone 13, which can film “portrait mode” videos with a depth of field effect.

The new cinematic mode “anticipates when someone is about to enter the frame” and shifts focus to them, Apple said – something known as “pull focus”.

It is the only smartphone that lets users edit this effect after shooting, Apple boss Tim Cook said.

However, most other features on the new model were incremental updates over previous versions.

The event was also overshadowed by news of a new security flaw in Apple devices which could expose users’ messages.

Apple released a security patch on Monday for the previously-unknown flaw, which could let attackers access its iMessage service without the user clicking on a malicious link or file.

New features
The new iPhone includes a faster A15 chip, a brighter display, and a battery life of up to 2.5 hours longer, and comes in new colours including pink, blue, “midnight starlight” and red.

The new iPhone will also have up to 500GB of storage with its lowest available storage rising to 128GB from previous models’ 64GB.

Apple was also keen to stress its green credentials, saying the phone used many recycled materials – including antenna lines made from plastic water bottles, it said.

The launch comes as buyers are keeping their phones for longer before upgrading. Investment firm Wedbush Securities estimates that around 250 million iPhone users have not upgraded their phones in 3.5 years.

Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight, said many have yet to experience modern features.

“While many will see some upgrades as incremental, there are millions of users who have yet to upgrade to 5G. Therefore, this so called ‘supercycle’ moment is still relevant,” he said.

The 5G connectivity is only available on the iPhone 12, released last year, and the newly-announced models.

In the second quarter of this year, Apple shipped 25.9% of all 5G handsets in the world, according to analyst firm IDC.

Marta Pinto, senior research manager at IDC, said: “With the new portfolio, this number will grow and consolidate the dominance of Apple in that space.”

“Not being the first [to launch a 5G phone] paid off.”

Apple also launched an iPhone 13 Mini, Pro and Pro Max.

The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max contain three cameras and what Apple calls “its most advanced camera system yet”.

Its premium models include a Super Retina XDR display and ProMotion – which delivers adaptive refresh rates of up to 120Hz.

This allows for smoother scrolling, animations, and gameplay.

The iPhone 13 mini starts at £679, with the iPhone 13 starting at £779. The iPhone 13 Pro starts at £949, and the larger Pro Max £1,049.

Apple has a reputation for innovation. But if this launch was anything to go by, that reputation is outdated.

Nothing especially new or visionary was announced here. The updates to its iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad feel conservative, uninspired, safe.

Barring a new improved cinematic camera (which to be fair looks good) these are iterative updates. Even the presentation, though slick, had no particularly memorable or creative moments. Rumours of more interesting updates, iPhones with satellite capabilities for example, turned out to be false.

“What a spectacular set of announcements,” said Apple’s Tim Cook – referring to products like the new iPhone 13, which looks almost identical to the iPhone 12.

Some had speculated that maybe Apple would stop numbering the new iPhone (13 being an unlucky number for some) – but no such radical move.

Still, Apple will sell a lot of these gadgets – they always do.

But look past the bombastic marketing and this was a pretty uninteresting launch – particularly from a company that likes to describe itself as innovative.

Apple also announced a new version of its wearable Apple Watch.

The Series 7 brings the first redesign to the watch since 2018, and will be slightly larger.

The new size can fit almost 50% more text on screen, and has a keyboard to input text. It is also dust-resistant for the first time.

Apple Watch iOS 8 will also be able to automatically detect bicycle rides, including e-bikes.

But manufacture of the Apple Watch Series 7 could face production delays, reported Bloomberg.

Apple said the new model would be available “later this fall”, whereas other products such as the new iPad and iPhone – announced at the same event – are available from next week.

Apple accounts for 47% of the global smartwatch market, according to research from CCS Insight.

“At first glance the latest Apple Watch is another iterative update, but the larger screen allowing bigger virtual buttons and a full qwerty keyboard should certainly improve usability,” Leo Gebbie, principal analyst at CCS Insight said.

He said he had expected to see a longer battery life, as “owners continue to clamour for smartwatches to last longer”, but that was not announced – even if faster charging was.

“Despite these concerns, the Apple Watch continues to sell in record numbers and dominates the smartwatch market by a distance,” he added.

iPad updates

Apple has also launched a new version of its iPad. Tim Cook said its iPad sales had grown by 40% in the past year.

It will be powered by the A13 chip, with 20% faster performance from its previous iteration. Apple said this was up to “three times faster than the Chromebook”.

Those cheap styles of laptop exploded in popularity last year as schools shut down during the pandemic.

The new iPad starts at $329 (£319) and has a discounted price of $299 for schools.

A new iPad mini was also launched, with USB-C functionality, Apple pencil support and no home button – using a lock button on the top for Touch ID instead. Prices start at £479.

Epic has launched an appeal against last week’s ruling in its case against Apple’s App Store policies.

On Friday, the court issued a permanent injunction stopping Apple preventing app developers from directing users to payment methods outside the App Store – seen by many as a loss for Apple.

But the court also ruled against Epic on nine out of 10 issues and ordered it to pay millions of dollars in costs.

Epic boss Tim Sweeney said he was “as determined as ever to fight on”.

‘Clear win’
Epic had argued Apple’s tight control of its iOS platform amounted to a monopoly.

But the court found Epic had failed to prove its case.

“The court cannot ultimately conclude that Apple is a monopolist,” judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers said.

Apple has characterised the ruling as a clear win, saying it is about communication between app developers and users.

But the injunction allowing developers to link to their own purchasing mechanisms – the only part of the ruling to have gone against Apple – may mean fewer customers use Apple’s in-app payment systems, which take a 30% cut.

‘Fair competition’
The court has given Apple a 90-day grace period before the ruling takes effect

And the technology giant has yet to decide whether to appeal.

It also remains unclear whether any change would be limited to the US market or rolled out worldwide.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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In the wake of the ruling, Mr Sweeney tweeted: “Today’s ruling isn’t a win for developers or for consumers.

“Epic is fighting for fair competition among in-app payment methods and app stores, for a billion consumers.”

In a filing Sunday with a California district court, Epic gave notice to appeal against the judgement – “and all orders leading” to it – but without much further detail.

A similar court case between Epic and Google, which runs the equivalent Android app store, continues.

A second, or spare, battery can extend the battery life of your laptop. When your primary battery becomes discharged, insert your spare battery to keep using your laptop.

One option you probably ignored when you bought your laptop was getting a spare battery. This item is a must for someone who is seriously on the road or in a remote location, where a long time is spent away from the power socket. Before you use a spare battery, ensure that it’s fully charged.

If your laptop has some type of quick-swapping ability, when the power gets low, you can just eject your laptop’s original, spent battery and quickly insert the spare battery. But be sure that your laptop can survive such a transplant before you attempt it! Perform a test swap in a noncritical situation, just to be sure.

If your laptop doesn’t have the ability to hot-swap batteries, just turn off (or hibernate) the laptop when the original battery is nearly spent. Remove the old battery, insert the fresh one, and then turn the laptop on again. Keep the following points in mind:

• If you plan on pulling this trick often, get a laptop that supports hot-swapping batteries in the first place.
• Label the batteries with a Sharpie so that you don’t get the two (or more) batteries confused and accidentally insert a dead battery.
• You can buy a spare battery from your dealer or from stores that sell extra batteries

This is a rechargeable Datalogic 3.7V 3600mAh 13.3Wh 50-BTEC Battery . High quality and long lifetime, this 50-BTEC battery lets you work seamlessly when you are on the move for business trips or vacations. All our Li-ion replacement batteries for Datalogic 50-BTEC Barcode Scanners have been tested and proven to match and/or exceed original battery performance and are 100% compatible with Original Manufacturer Specifications. Every piece of our replacement battery for Datalogic 50-BTEC has been tested and validated on Datalogic systems to ensure the safety for your Datalogic LYNX BTSC 94ACC0. Increased capacity extends your workable hours at the office, in meetings or classes, or while traveling.

50-BTEC Replacement Datalogic 50-BTEC 3.7V 3600mAh 13.3Wh Battery. Buy cheap Datalogic 50-BTEC Replacement Battery from batteriestore.co.uk now. We have a strict testing process to ensure that your ordered products (like this battery for Datalogic 50-BTEC) are functionally correct before they are packed and sent to you. And before placing an order please make sure that your old original Datalogic 50-BTEC battery’s shape is same to our batteries’ images as below. Free shipping and one year warranty!

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How to care for your 50-BTEC battery.

This is the Replacement Datalogic 50-BTEC Battery, You can extend the life of your 50-BTEC battery significantly through the proper care and handling of your battery.

• Any new 50-BTEC battery should first be fully charged by leaving it plugged in overnight. Once a computer battery is fully charged it will no longer accept any more power. It is a common practice to leave Barcode Scannerss plugged in after they have been turned off so that the battery has a full charge the next time you use your Barcode Scanners. It is probably fully charged within 5 hours.
• A brand new 50-BTEC Barcode Scanners battery is in a weakened condition since it has not been conditioned yet. Condition and break in your new battery by performing 5 partial discharge and recharge cycles the first week you receive your new battery.
• Run on battery power without the AC adapter cord at least once a week to keep the 50-BTEC battery cells active and at their peak potential. When your Barcode Scanners is plugged into the power adapter the battery goes to ‘standby mode’ while your Barcode Scanners runs directly on electricity from the wall outlet.
• Even though your battery indicates it is fully charged, your battery will return to a weakened state again in a few months if it does not get some exercise through partial discharge and recharge cycles while running on battery power alone.
• If your 50-BTEC battery has not been actively used 2 months or more, condition your battery again with 5 partial discharge & recharge cycles to increase the batteries capacity and run time.
• Don’t run your battery all the way to empty. Your battery will have a longer service life if it receives shallow discharge and recharge cycles. Research has shown that the useful life of the battery will be much longer if you begin to recharge the battery any time before reaching 20% of the remaining power capacity. Recharging the 50-BTEC battery even after 10 minutes will not reduce the battery’s life span as lithium batteries do not have the memory effect which was found in older NiCad battery technology. NiCad batteries have never been used in Barcode Scannerss, even the earliest models.
• Never run your battery below the 2% critically low warning point. If your battery is run below this point it may not have enough energy to even recharge. This may effectively ‘kill’ your 50-BTEC battery.

How can I extend your battery run time?

You can extend your 50-BTEC battery run time by minimizing the power drain on your battery. A 3 cell battery will run approximately 2 to 2-1/2 hours when the battery is new. Even longer times can be achieved by minimizing the power consumption of your laptop. Here are the top ways to reduce your power consumption.

• Avoid using the CD or DVD drive as the motor consumes a fair amount of power.
• Turn off your wireless finder if you are not using the internet.
• Remove any devices plugged into your USB ports or other ports.
• Close out programs you are not using. By minimizing the load on your CPU, sometimes you can avoid having the cooling fan turn to its high speed mode.
• Increase your memory to 4 Gigabytes. This creates less work for your hard drive. Data is temporarily written to your hard drive when your memory is not sufficient to hold all the data on the many pages you may be accessing.
• Reduce the brightness of your laptop screen. This is the number one drain on your battery by far.

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The Metropolitan Police commissioner has accused tech giants of making it harder to identify and stop terrorists.

The tech giants’ focus on end-to-end encryption was making it “impossible in some cases” for the police to do their jobs, Dame Cressida Dick wrote in the Telegraph on Saturday.

On Wednesday, Home Secretary Priti Patel launched a new fund for technologies to keep children safe.

She also called on tech firms to put user safety before profits.

But cyber-security experts have told the BBC that they are not sure the solutions the government wants are possible to build.

Should encryption be curbed to combat child abuse?
Apple delays plan to scan iPhones for child abuse
Apple regrets confusion over ‘iPhone scanning’
In her piece marking the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Dame Cressida stressed that advances in communication technologies meant terrorists were now able to “recruit anyone, anywhere and at any time” through social media and the internet.

In response, the UK was needing to constantly develop its own digital capabilities to keep up with terrorists exploiting technology to their advantage.

Her message echoes that of Ms Patel, who launched the Safety Tech Challenge Fund at a meeting of the G7 interior ministers earlier this week.

The fund, open to experts from across the world, is aimed at tackling child sexual abuse online.

Five applicants will be awarded up to £85,000 each to develop new technologies that enable the detection of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online, without breaking end-to-end encryption.

End-to-end encryption is a privacy feature that makes it impossible for anyone except the sender and recipient to read messages sent online.

While tech giants such as Facebook say using such technology will protect users’ privacy, several governments including the US, UK and Australia have repeatedly objected to the idea since 2019.

Controversy over Apple plan
Cyber-security and privacy experts believe that Ms Patel and Dame Cressida’s views could be in response to Apple’s decision to delay a plan to scan iPhones for CSAM earlier this month.

The detection technology, first announced in August, compares images before they are uploaded to iCloud against unique “digital fingerprints”, or hashes, of known CSAM material on a database maintained by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Apple’s technology was widely criticised by privacy groups and the cyber-security industry as setting a dangerous precedent, because it involved using an individual’s own device to check if they could be a potential criminal.

“We already have end-to-end encryption in Apple’s iMessage texting technology – it’s strange that law enforcement and the government haven’t hit out at Apple about that, but it’s all about attacking Facebook and WhatsApp,” Alec Muffett, who led the team that built end-to-end encryption technology for Facebook Messenger, told the BBC.

Much has been written about the wealth of data tech giants possess about the users of their services, particularly the fact they are constantly tracking user behaviour and interests in order to provide personalised ads.

He argues that tech firms already possess the technology they need to detect paedophiles and terrorists, simply by tracking their behaviour – they don’t need to compromise a user’s privacy by looking at all their personal files on their phone.

“If you’ve got an Facebook account of a middle-aged male who is randomly messaging a dozen teenagers out of the blue, then you have a potentially suspicious activity. It might be innocent, but it is certainly an issue worth delving into,” said Mr Muffett, who has more than 30 years’ experience in cyber-security and cryptography.

“The UK government is trying to detect CSAM by looking at the content, as in trying to snoop, rather than trying to observe behaviours.”

On top of this, he says, multiple cyber-security researchers have tested Apple’s NeuralHash algorithm and found that it is mistaking two completely different images, as being the same photo, so they fear Apple will falsely accuse users of having criminal content.

Criticism of new tech fund
One leading cyber-security expert who did not wish to be named told the BBC that what the government wants is not technically feasible.

“You can change the law of the land, but you can’t change the law of science – there’s no way of allowing the mass scanning of devices without undermining the protections of end-to-end encryption,” the expert said.

“If somebody manages to viably protect end-to-end encryption while detecting child sexual abuse imagery, they’re going to make a lot more than £85,000, so I just don’t see what the economics are.”

Another cyber-security boss agrees: “It’s almost like the government is making a statement to make Facebook and other social media organisations do more and give them more access.

“If you read between the lines, Ms Patel is essentially saying they want to recruit hackers.”

Then there’s the privacy concerns. “Can we trust those in power not to abuse these powers?” questions online child safety expert Dr Rachel O’Connell, founder of a secure child age authentication tool TrustElevate.

As far as data protection expert Pat Walshe is concerned, Apple’s solution is not legal. He says he has asked the tech giant to explain how it can be deployed in Europe, and has yet to receive an answer.

“The European Court of Justice (ECJ) says the mobile phone is an extension of our private sphere, and the courts have said that the device and any information on it is part of the private sphere of our lives, meaning it requires protection under the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR),” he said.

Mr Walshe, who led a team at the mobile operator Three that was responsible for dealing with the government and law enforcement, also has grave concerns about the tech fund proposal, saying it prompts too many questions about privacy.

Instead, he says, there need to be better, more direct reporting channels to enable both citizens and communication providers to report CSAM to either the tech firms or law enforcement.

“And law enforcement needs to receive a huge boost in training, manpower and funding to deal with the reports,” he stressed.

“I’d like to see a greater emphasis on that, than on breaking technology that keeps us safe every day.”

Apple has been dealt a major blow in its ongoing trial against Fortnite-maker Epic Games.

A court in Oakland, California, has ruled that Apple cannot stop app developers directing users to third-party payment options.

Apple had argued that all apps should use Apple’s own in-app payment options.

In a high profile trial, Epic Games had challenged the up-to-30% cut Apple takes from purchases – and argued that the App Store was monopolistic.

On Friday, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers ruled that “the court cannot ultimately conclude that Apple is a monopolist”.

However she also issued a permanent injunction, stating that Apple could no longer prohibit developers linking to their own purchasing mechanisms.

For example, a movie-streaming service will now be able to tell customers to subscribe via its own website, without using Apple’s in-app purchasing mechanism.

Epic has also taken legal action against Google over its Play Store.

Apple’s closed payments system is hugely lucrative for the tech giant, although the company says it does not know exactly how much it makes.

The ruling effectively states that Apple cannot ban developers from communicating with customers. Often there are cheaper options for consumers away from the App Store, however Apple did not allow companies to tell consumers this.

Epic had argued that this was unreasonable and that developers should be able to inform users that they could make purchases away from the App Store.

However in a win for Apple, the judge also ruled Epic failed to demonstrate Apple was operating an illegal monopoly.

Judge Yvonne Gonzales-Rogers said: “Apple enjoys considerable market share of over 55% and extraordinary high profit margins.”

But added: “These factors alone do not show antitrust conduct. Success is not illegal.”

A spokesperson for Apple said: “Today the Court has affirmed what we’ve known all along: the App Store is not in violation of antitrust law.

“Apple faces rigorous competition in every segment in which we do business, and we believe customers and developers choose us because our products and services are the best in the world.”

Epic Games’ chief Tim Sweeney said the ruling was “not a win for developers or consumers” and vowed to “fight on”.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
View original tweet on Twitter
Music streaming site Spotify said: “We are pleased with [the decision that] Apple engaged in anti-competitive conduct and has permanently prohibited their anti-steering provisions.”

The ruling also revealed that gaming apps account for 70% of App Store revenue.

It’s likely the decision will be appealed, perhaps by both sides.

Apple’s share price has fallen by 3% since the decision, wiping billions of dollars from its valuation.

Apple has been quick to claim victory – calling it a “resounding win”.

It is true that the judge mainly sided with Apple on Epic’s major contention, stating it is not a monopoly.

However the characterisation that Apple has “won” here is misleading.

Epic’s case against Apple was speculative. Many believed they didn’t stand a chance.

That the court has moved to allow in app purchases to be redirected away from the App Store could be a major blow to Apple’s business model.

It was revealed that 70% of Apple’s App Store revenue comes from gaming apps – an astonishing figure.

I say “could be” because it’s unclear how many people would choose to purchase away from the App Store, or to what extent that would dent Apple’s profits.

During the trial, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said he didn’t know how much the company generates from the App Store. That makes trying to assess the damage this ruling could have on the company difficult.

Epic is saying it is disappointed in the ruling, and certainly the judge could have given them more.

But the decision has been welcomed by anti-trust campaigners, who believe Apple use their market dominance to bully developers.

THERE ARE TWO big reasons why people get hacked. Flaws in software and flaws in human behavior. While there’s not much you can do about coding vulnerabilities, you can change your own behavior and bad habits.

Just ask former US president Donald Trump, whose Twitter password was “maga2020!” Or Boris Johnson, who revealed details of sensitive Zoom calls at the start of the pandemic in 2020. (These world leaders will have had specific security training from protection agencies too.)

The risks are just as real for the average person—even if the stakes aren’t quite so high. If your accounts aren’t properly protected, your credit card could be compromised or your private messages and photographs stolen and shared for all to see. Working out if your accounts have been hacked is a time-consuming and potentially frustrating process. You’re better off taking some steps to mitigate the risks of getting hacked in the first place. Here’s what you can do to protect yourself.Use Multi-Factor AuthenticationArguably the most effective thing you can do to protect your online accounts is turning on multi-factor, or two-factor, authentication for as many of your accounts as possible. The method uses a secondary piece of information—often a code generated by an app or sent via SMS—alongside a password.

This secondary piece of information helps to prove it really is you trying to log in, as the codes are often accessed on the phone in your pocket. Even if you do have a password that’s easy to guess (we’ll get to that shortly), an attacker is unlikely to get access to an account with multi-factor authentication turned on unless they have your phone.

There’s a guide to all the accounts that support the method here, but in the first instance you should turn it on for all the accounts that hold personal information that could be abused. Like messaging apps such as WhatsApp, social media including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and your email accounts.

Not all forms of multi-factor authentication are equal though. Code-generating apps are considered more secure than getting codes via SMS, and beyond that, physical security keys provide an even more robust layer of protection.Get a Password ManagerLet’s talk about passwords. It’s 2021. You shouldn’t be using “password” or “12345” for any of your passwords—even if it’s a throwaway account.

All the passwords you use for your online accounts should be strong and unique. What this really means is they should be long, include a mixture of different character types, and not be used across multiple websites. Your Twitter password shouldn’t be the same as your online banking one; your home Wi-Fi network shouldn’t use the same credentials as your Amazon account.

The best way to do this is by using a password manager. Password managers create strong passwords for you and store them securely. If the fact that they can stop you getting hacked isn’t enough to make you consider using one, a password manager also means you never have to struggle to remember a forgotten password again.

From our testing of the best password managers our there, we recommend trying out LastPass or KeePass.Learn How to Spot a Phishing AttackQuickly clicking can be your worst enemy. When a new email or text message arrives, and it includes something that can be tapped or clicked, our instincts often lead us to do it straight away. Don’t.

Hackers have used the pandemic as cover to launch wave after wave of phishing attacks and dumb Google Drive scams.

Anyone can fall for these types of scams. The main thing to do is to think before you click. Scam messages try to trick people into behaving in a way they wouldn’t normally—with, say, pretend instant demands from a boss or messages that say an urgent response is required.

There’s no foolproof way to identify every type of phishing effort or scam—scammers are constantly upping their game—but being aware of the threat can help reduce its effectiveness. Be cautious, think before you click, and download files only from people and sources you know and trust.Update EverythingEvery piece of technology you use—from the Facebook app on your phone to the operating system that controls your smart lightbulb—is open to attack. Thankfully, companies are always finding new bugs and fixing them. That’s why it’s crucial you download and update the latest versions of the apps and software you’re using.

Start with your phone. Navigate to your device settings and find out what operating system you’re using, and update it if you’re not on the latest version (iOS 14 is the latest for iPhones; Android 11 is the latest from Google). For apps and games, Apple’s iOS 13 and above downloads updates automatically, although these settings can be customized. On Android, auto-updates can also be turned on by visiting the settings page in the Google Play Store.

Once you’ve updated your phone, you need to work out what devices to update next. Generally these should be done in order of potential impact. Any laptops and computers you own should be high up the list, and then work back through other connected devices in your life. Remember: Everything is vulnerable, including your internet-connected chastity belt.Encrypt EverythingProtecting your communications has never been easier. Over the last half-decade, companies handling our personal data—including the messages we send and the files we upload to the cloud —have realized that encryption can help them as well as their customers. Using encrypted services means that what you’re sending is better protected against surveillance and won’t be accessible if your device gets lost or stolen.

There are two main end-to-end encrypted messaging services, Signal and WhatsApp. Messages (including photos and videos) plus voice calls and video calls are encrypted by default within both apps. They both also let you use disappearing messages, which remove what you’ve sent after a set period of time. The practice can help keep your chats private, even from those that have access to your devices. Our advice is to use Signal where possible, as it collects less metadata than WhatsApp and isn’t owned by Facebook. But if you can’t get your friends to move to Signal, WhatsApp offers a lot more protection than apps that don’t use end-to-end encryption by default.

For your emails, encrypted provider ProtonMail can protect your messages, and there’s also the option to use burner email accounts for mailing lists and purchases where you don’t want to hand over your personal data.

Beyond your messages, encrypting the files on your devices can help reduce the chances of your data being compromised if you’re hacked or lose your devices. Both iPhone and iOS encrypt your hard drive by default. Just make sure you use a strong password or PIN for your devices. A little more effort is needed to encrypt the hard drive on your laptop or computer. Turn on Apple’s FileVault to encrypt your startup disk, and on Windows you can turn encryption on through the Settings menus or use BitLocker encryption.Wipe Your Digital FootprintThe past can come back to haunt you. The old online accounts you no longer use and the login details that belong to them can be weaponized against you if you don’t do anything about them. Hackers frequently use details from previous data breaches to access the accounts people currently use.

Reducing the amount of information that’s available about your online life can help cut your risk of being hacked. A very simple step is to regularly delete your Google search history, but you can also use privacy-first Google alternatives.

Beyond this, there’s a lot more you can do to reduce your digital footprint. Find the old accounts you no longer use and delete them. It’ll reduce the amount of spam you get and reduce the number of ways hackers can target you. Use Have I Been Pwned? to find your information in old data breaches, use a VPN to boost browsing privacy, and download Tor if you really want to boost your online anonymity.

Internet service providers (ISPs) connect your home to the internet, and they usually send you a modem and router (sometimes in a single device). The modem connects your home to the broader internet; the router hooks up to the modem, and you connect all your gadgets wired or wirelessly to the router to access that connectivity. ISPs often charge you a rental fee for this equipment, and their routers are usually basic in terms of performance and features. The good news is that ISPs are no longer allowed to force you to use their equipment or charge you to use your own hardware by law, though you may still have to return their stuff to avoid charges.

We’re largely looking at using your own router in this guide and using your ISP’s modem. By using your own, you can potentially save money in the long term, but you can also enjoy faster Wi-Fi, better coverage, easier configuration, and extra features like parental controls and guest Wi-Fi networks. We will run through your router options, but whatever system you decide to go with, check compatibility with your ISP before buying. You can also search your ISP’s forums to find posts where people discuss using different routers and modems. A little research before you shop can save you a big headache down the line.