Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a '90s-style beat-'em-up in the mold of Shredder's Revenge

There's a lot in the world to be angry about today. So, why not do like we did in the '90s and channel that aggression into beating the living hell out of bad guys in a delightfully loud and over-the-top arcade game? Marvel Cosmic Invasion takes characters like Spider-Man, Captain America and Wolverine and gives them a beat-'em-up that looks straight out of a grunge-era cabinet. If this sounds like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge , that's no coincidence. Marvel Cosmic Invasion is not only cut from the same cloth; it's from the same team (developer Tribute Games and publisher Dotemu). The idea is to recreate the look, sound and feel of side-scrolling '90s button-mashers like X-Men , The Simpsons and the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with modern touches. Tribute Games / Dotemu Like Shredder's Revenge , it exploits the advantages of modern graphical engines without betraying its muses' old-school pixel art. Appropriately, the characters' visual style is inspired by 90s-era Marvel comics. You'll choose a team of two superheroes and can tag between them mid-fight. At launch, you can play as Captain America, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Storm, Phyla-Vell, Venom and Nova. The developers are mum about which characters we might see in the future, but it's hard to imagine Marvel stalwarts like Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther, Hulk and Black Widow not swooping in at some point. Tribute Games / Dotemu Its story sounds as extravagant as you'd want from a '90s-inspired Marvel beat-'em-up. The immortal Super Villain Annihilus has launched an unprecedented attack across the galaxy, threatening all life as we know it, the description reads. Fighters both Earth-born and cosmic must now join forces in a star-spanning adventure against the deadly Annihilation Wave. Brawl through the streets of New York City all the way to the depths of the Negative Zone to foil Annihilus' vow to spread death across the cosmos. You can play with up to four players, local or online. (And it supports crossplay!) Marvel Cosmic Invasion will be available for PC , Switch, PS5 / PS4 and Xbox. There's no word yet on pricing or an exact release date, but Dotemu says it will arrive later this year. In the meantime, you can check out the announcement trailer below. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/marvel-cosmic-invasion-is-a-90s-style-beat-em-up-in-the-mold-of-shredders-revenge-191110625.html?src=rss

Dressed In Pink Anarkali Suit, Karisma Kapoor Looks Straight Out Of A Movie

Karisma Kapoor attended an event in a stunning salwar suit from the shelves of ace designer Anita Dongre.

The best live TV streaming services to cut cable in 2025

We still think getting a live TV streaming service is a better deal than paying for cable but the gulf between the two options is narrowing. Now that many of the major providers go for more than $80 per month, its not the amazing deal it once was. Still, live TV streaming plans have no contract, offer relatively simpler pricing and need no special equipment beyond a smart TV and an internet connection. There are a handful of major players and, after testing them all, we found YouTube TV to be the most well-rounded. But other services have their advantages, too, depending on what you want to watch. Here are the best live TV streaming services according to our tests. Editors Note : The 2025 NCAA Tournaments, aka March Madness , is currently ongoing, but since different broadcasters own the rights to each tournament, viewers wont be able to watch every game on a single channel. The rights to mens matchups are split between Warner Bros. Discovery and CBS. The womens bracket is carried by ESPN. A Live TV streaming service such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo and Sling should cover the games as they all carry the necessary channels. However, sports fans who only need access to a selection of games have cheaper alternatives available to them. Engadgets streaming guide to March Madness details every available viewing option. Table of contents Best live TV streaming services for 2025 Best free live TV streaming services for 2025 What to look for in a live TV streaming service How we tested Live TV Streaming FAQs Recent updates Best live TV streaming services for 2025 Back to top Best free live TV streaming services for 2025 There are plenty of ways to get free TV these days. To start, many standard streaming apps have added live components to their lineups. Youre paying for the service, so its not technically free, but you can get a dose of live TV without spending more than necessary. Peacock includes some regional NBC stations, and notably access to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games . Paramount+ subscribers can watch on-air CBS programming. The standard Hulu app has a live ABC news channel and Max now includes a live CNN outlet with its service, along with cable-like linear channels . The smart TV operating system (OS) you use likely provides free live content too: Amazons Fire TV interface has a live tab and Rokus built-in Roku Channel includes hundreds of live channels at no extra cost. The same goes for Samsung TV Plus , which added a trove of K-dramas to its free live and on-demand lineup in 2024. The PBS app offers local live streams of its channels even NASA has a free streaming service with live coverage. But for a full suite of live TV networks, and dont want to sign up for any paid service, there are a number of free ad-supported TV services that have live TV. Even cable company DirecTV has joined the crowd with MyFree , though we havent had a chance to test that one yet. Here's the best of what we tried: Back to top What to look for in a live TV streaming service How to stream live TV Streaming live TV is a lot like using Netflix. You get access through apps on your phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device and the signal arrives over the internet. A faster and more stable connection tends to give you a better experience. Most live TV apps require you to sign up and pay via a web browser. After that, you can activate the app on all of your devices. Monthly Price When I started testing these cord-cutting alternatives, I was struck by the price difference between live TV and a standard video streaming app . Where the latter cost between $5 and $20 per month, most live TV services hit the $80 mark and can go higher than $200 with additional perks, channel packages and premium extras. The higher starting price is mostly due to the cost of providing multiple networks particularly sports and local stations. And, in the past year or so, every service except Sling has raised base plan prices. Local channels Only two of the services I tried dont include full local channel coverage for subscribers and one of those makes no effort to carry sports at all. That would be Philo and, as you might guess, its the cheapest. The next most affordable option, Sling, only carries three local stations and only in larger markets but it still manages to include some of the top sports channels. When you sign up with any provider that handles local TV, youll enter your zip code, ensuring you get your areas broadcast affiliates for ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC. Of course, you can also get those stations for free. Nearly all modern television sets support a radio frequency (RF) connection, also known as the coaxial port, which means if you buy an HD antenna , youll receive locally broadcast stations like ABC, CBS, PBS, FOX and NBC. And since the signal is digital, reception is much improved over the staticky rabbit-ears era. Live sports coverage One reality that spun my head was the sheer number and iterations of sports networks in existence. Trying to figure out which network will carry the match-up you want to see can be tricky. I found that Google makes it a little easier for sports fans by listing out upcoming games (just swap in NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and so on in the search bar). When you click an event, the TV & streaming button will tell you which network is covering it. That just leaves figuring out if your chosen service carries the RSNs (regional sports networks) you want. Unfortunately, even with add-ons and extra packages, some providers simply dont have certain channels in their lineups. It would take a lawyer to understand the ins and outs of streaming rights negotiations , and networks leave and return to live TV carriers all the time. That said, most major sporting events in the US are covered by ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT, USA and local affiliates. I should also point out that traditional streaming services have started adding live sports to their lineups. Peacock carries live Premier League matches, Sunday Night Football games and aired the 2024 Olympic Games from Paris. Thursday Night Football as well as NBA and WNBA games are on Amazon Prime and Christmas Day Football aired on Netflix. Max ( formerly HBO Max) now airs select, regular season games from the NHL, MLB, NCAA and NBA with a $10-per-month add-on . You can watch MLS games with an add-on through the Apple TV app, and Apple TV+ includes some MLB games . Roku users can watch the just-added free sports channel and those who subscribe to Paramount Plus can see many of the matches aired on CBS Sports, including live NFL games. This year, even the Super Bowl was live-streamed for free on Tubi . While all of these alternatives may not cover as much ground as live TV streamers, they could end up being cheaper avenues to the sports you want. And if sports is all youre after, there are sports-only plans that are a touch cheaper too. While the promised sports streaming service from ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. called Venu was cancelled early this year, shortly after, DirecTV announced a $70-per-month, sports-only streaming package called MySports and Comcast now has a sports and news bundle for the same price (as long as you're an Xfinity customer with auto-pay, otherwise it's more expensive). Traditional cable networks Dozens of linear programming networks were once only available with cable TV, like Bravo, BET, Food Network, HGTV, CNN, Lifetime, SYFY and MTV. If you only subscribe to, say, Netflix or Apple TV+, you wont have access to those. But as with sports, standard streamers are starting to incorporate this content into their offerings. After the Warner Bros. merger, Max incorporated some content from HGTV, Discovery and TLC. Peacock has Bravo and Hallmark shows, and Paramount+ has material from Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central. Other channels like AMC+ have stand-alone apps. The Discovery+ app gives you 15 channels ad-free for $9 per month (or with ads for $5 monthly). And a service called Frndly TV starts at a mere $7 per month and streams A&E, Lifetime, Game Show Network, Outdoor Channel and about 35 others. Of course, most live TV streaming options will deliver more sizable lists of cable networks, but just note that you may already be paying for some of them and if all you need is a certain channel, you could get it cheaper by subscribing directly. On-demand streaming Most live TV subscriptions include access to a selection of video-on-demand (VOD) content, like you would get with a traditional streaming service. Much of this content is made up of the movies and TV series that have recently aired on your subscribed networks. This typically doesnt cover live events and news programming, but I was able to watch specific episodes of ongoing shows like Top Chef or BETs Diarra from Detroit. Just search the on-demand library for the program, pick an episode and hit play. Partnerships, like Hulus relationship with Disney, and add-ons, such as bundling Max with your YouTube TV subscription or Starz with your Sling plan, will let you watch even larger libraries of on-demand content. But again, if VOD is all youre after, paying for those networks directly instead of through a live TV plan will be far cheaper. Digital video recordings (DVR) limits Every option I tried offers some cloud DVR storage without needing a separate physical device. Youll either get unlimited storage for recordings that expires after nine months or a year, or youll get a set number of hours (between 50 and 1,000) that you can keep indefinitely. Typically, all you need to do is designate what ongoing TV series you want to record and the DVR component will do all the hard work of saving subsequent episodes for you to watch later. You can do the same thing with sports events. Aside from being able to watch whenever its most convenient, you can also fast-forward through commercials in recorded content. In contrast, you cant skip them on live TV or VOD. Simultaneous streams and profiles per account Each plan gives you a certain number of simultaneous streams, aka how many screens can play content at the same time. And while most providers will let you travel with your subscription, there are usually location restrictions that require you to sign in from your home IP address periodically. Stream allowances range from one at a time to unlimited screens (or as many as your ISPs bandwidth can handle). Some plans require add-ons to get more screens. Most services also let you set up a few profiles so I was able to give different people in my family the ability to build their own watch histories and libraries, set their favorite channels and get individual recommendations. Picture-in-picture mode and multiview Picture-in-picture (PiP) usually refers to shrinking a video window on a mobile device or computer browser so you can watch it while using other apps. Sling, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Philo, DirecTV Stream and Hulu + Live TV all have PiP modes on computers and mobile devices. Another feature, multiview, lets you view multiple live sports games at once on your TV screen. YouTube TV and FuboTV are the only live TV streamers that let you do this. With YouTube TV, you can select up to four views from a few preset selection of streams. FuboTV offers the same feature, but only if you're using an Apple TV or Roku streaming device. 4K live streams Right now, just FuboTV, YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream offer 4K live streams but with caveats. YouTube TV requires a $20-per-month add-on , after which youll only be able to watch certain live content in 4K. DirecTV Stream has three channels that show live 4K content one with shows and original series, and two with occasional sporting events. You dont have to pay extra for these but you do need to have either DirecTVs Gemini receiver, or a device from Fire TV, Apple TV or Roku. Youll need those same streaming devices to watch the select 4K programming on Sling as well. FuboTV shows certain live events in 4K but access is limited to the Elite and Premier packages, not the base-level Pro plan. Of course, watching any 4K content also requires equipment that can handle it: a 4K smart TV or 4K streaming device paired with a cord and screen that can handle 4K resolution. Tiers, packages and add-ons Comparing price-to-offering ratios is a task for a spreadsheet. I made three. The base plans range from $28 to $85 per month. From there, you can add packages, which are usually groups of live TV channels bundled by themes like news, sports, entertainment or international content. Premium VOD extras like Max, AMC+ and Starz are also available. Add-ons cost an extra $5 to $20 each per month and simply show up in the guide where you find the rest of your live TV. This is where streaming can quickly get expensive, pushing an $80 subscription to $200 monthly, depending on what you choose. How to stream live TV for free I also downloaded and tried out a few apps that offer free ad-supported TV ( FAST ) including Freevee , Tubi , PlutoTV and Sling Freestream . These let you drop in and watch a more limited selection of live networks at zero cost. Most dont even require an email address, let alone a credit card. And if you have a Roku device, an Amazon Fire TV or Stick, a Samsung TV, a Chromecast device or a Google TV, you already have access to hundreds of live channels via the Roku Channel , the live tab in Fire TV, through the Samsung TV Plus app or through Google TV . Back to top How we tested When I begin testing for a guide, I research the most popular and well-reviewed players in the category and narrow down which are worth trying. For the paid plans, just six services dominate so I tried them all. There are considerably more free live TV contenders so I tested the four most popular. After getting accounts set up using my laptop, I downloaded the apps on a Samsung smart TV running the latest version of Tizen OS. I counted the local stations and regional sports coverage, and noted how many of the top cable networks were available. I then weighed the prices, base packages and available add-ons. I then looked at how the programming was organized in each apps UI and judged how easy everything was to navigate, from the top navigation to the settings. To test the search function, I searched for the same few TV shows on BET, Food Network, HGTV and Comedy Central, since all six providers carry those channels. I noted how helpful the searches were and how quickly they got me to season 6, episode 13 of Home Town . I used DVR to record entire series and single movies and watched VOD shows, making sure to test the pause and scan functions. On each service with sports, I searched for the same four upcoming NHL, NBA, MLS and NCAA basketball matches and used the record option to save the games and play them back a day or two later. Finally, I noted any extra perks or irritating quirks. All live TV streaming services weve tested: Philo Sling YouTube TV Hulu + Live TV DirecTV Stream FuboTV Freevee Tubi PlutoTV Sling Freestream Plex Back to top Live TV Streaming FAQs What is live streaming? Streaming simply refers to video content that is delivered to your screen over the internet. Live streaming can be split into two categories: linear programming and simultaneous transmission. That first one is similar to what you get with cable or broadcast TV, with channels that play a constant flow of movies and shows (sort of what TV looked like before Netflix). Simultaneous streaming lets you watch live events (like a basketball game) or a program (like the evening news) as they happen. What is the difference between streaming and live streaming? Standard streaming, the most popular example being Netflix, lets you pick what you want to watch from a menu of choices. Its also referred to as video on demand. Live streaming refers to sports and news events that you can stream as they happen in real time. It also refers to channels that show a continuous, linear flow of programming. What streaming service is best for live TV? FuboTV does the best job of letting you organize live channels to help you find just what you want to watch. The interface is uncluttered and when you search for something, the UI clearly tells you whether something is live now or on-demand. YouTube TV also does a good job making that info clear. Both have just over 100 live channels on offer. What is the most cost effective TV streaming service? Free TV streaming services like PlutoTV, Plex, Tubi and FreeVee show plenty of ad-supported TV shows and movies without charging you anything. Of course, they wont have the same channels or content that more premium subscriptions have. Ultimately it depends on what you want to watch and finding the service that can supply that to you in the most streamlined form so youre not paying for stuff you dont need. Is it cheaper to have cable or streaming? A basic cable package used to be more expensive than the base-level live TV streaming service. But now that nearly all major providers have raised their prices to over $75 per month, thats no longer the case. And with add-ons and other premiums, you can easily pay over $200 a month for either cable or a live TV streaming service. What streaming service has all the TV channels? No service that we tested had every available channel. Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream carry the the highest number of the top rated channels, according to Neilsen . Hulus service also gets you Disney+ fare, which you cant get elsewhere. FuboTV has the most sports channels and YouTube TV gives you the widest selection of add-ons. What is the most popular live TV streaming platform? YouTube TV has the most paying customers. According to 2024's letter from the CEO, the service has over eight million subscribers. Disneys 2024 third quarter earnings put the Hulu + Live TV viewer count at 4.6 million. Slings customer count dipped from two million to about 1.9 million in 2024 and FuboTV grew its subscriber list to 1.6 million . How safe are free streaming services and websites? You may have heard certain sites that provide free content can be dangerous, leading to stolen info and/or exposing you to malware. Thats likely in reference to certain peer-to-peer (P2P) networks and file-sharing sites that let people download free movies and series which can come bundled with malicious code. But if youre talking about the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services listed here, from providers like PlutoTV, Tubi and Freevee, they are just as safe as any other streaming service. Since you sometimes dont even have to provide your email address or credit card info, they can even be more anonymous than apps that require login credentials. Back to top Recent updates January 31, 2025 : Added information about which streaming service would live-stream the Super Bowl, including Tubis free option. Updated Fubos pricing. Added details about DirectTV Streams sports-only package and Comcasts sports and news bundle. January 16, 2025 : Included higher prices for Slings Orange and Blue plans. Noted the demise of the never-launched Venu sports streaming service and mentioned the inclusion of DirecTVs new sports package. December 31, 2024 : Noted increased pricing for YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV and DirecTV. Updated information for 4K streaming capabilities and requirements for multiple services. Reported on the upcoming shut down of Amazons Freevee service and the addition of DirecTVs free service. August 6, 2024 : Updated with the addition of Plex as a free live TV streaming recommendation and mentioned the additional free channels Philo is now including with the free version of its service. Added pricing information for ESPN's new sports-only streaming service, Venu. June 12, 2024 : Updated with more information about 4K live streaming, picture-in-picture and multiview modes, as well as video on-demand options. We expanded our recommendations around free live TV streaming services and added a FAQ query about the safety of free streaming services and clarified the difference between standard and live streaming. More traditional streaming services have added live and sports components, so we revised that section accordingly. Back to top This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/best-live-tv-streaming-service-133000410.html?src=rss

How will Muslims react to BJP's Eid gift 'Saugat-e-Modi'? Is it politics of appeasement?

Each of the gift packets from BJP on Eid contains food items, clothing, vermicelli, dates, dry fruits, and sugar. The 'Saugat-e-Modi' kits also contains salwar-suit fabric for women, and kurta-pajama fabric for men. The estimated cost of each kit is around Rs 500-Rs 600.

Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran's L2 Empuraan full film leaked online hours after release

These pirated versions, available for free, pose a significant threat to the film's box office performance. Furthermore, these websites are notorious hotspots for malware, spyware, and ransomware, making them a risk to users' online security.

Nice way to honour Judge

BCCI Secretary AW Kanmadikars recent family-organised birth centenary celebration in Indore must move the establishment and state units to honour cricketing stalwarts in this fashion

FBI warns about document conversion sites spreading malware

The FBI warns that some free online document converters load malware onto people's computers, making their private information vulnerable to attack.

Former Spurs Stalwart Jan Vertonghen Set To Retire At End Of 2025 Season

Vertonghen also played for Ajax and Benfica in a career spanning more than 18 years.

Srivaikuntam public waylay bus skipping bus stand despite collector's directive, demand action

THOOTHUKUDI: Residents of Srivaikuntam waylaid a government bus that allegedly skipped the Srivaikuntam bus stand, violating the district collector's order to mandatorily stop and alight passengers at the depot, and handed it over to the police. During police inquiry, the conductor of the Tiruchendur-Srivaikuntam bus was found to be in an inebriated state. Following the collector's mandate directing the TNSTC to operate buses via Srivaikuntam bus stand, while plying between Tirunlveli and Tiruchendur, the Srivaikuntam public have been keenly watching the movement of both government and private buses reaching Srivaikuntam bus stand via Thamirabarani bridges in Pudukudi. Often, the buses do not enter the depot during night hours, sources said. Late on Monday, the public caught a TNSTC bus skipping the depot, and handed it over to the police. As the conductor was providing contradictory information, the police checked if he had consumed alcohol using a breathalyser, and confirmed the same. An inquiry has been initiated against the conductor, identified as Krishnakumar of Arumuganeri, who belongs to the Tiruchendur depot, added sources. Even after District Collector K Elambahavath's directive, the public asserted, conductors of government buses do not provide tickets for Srivaikuntam stop, instead give tickets to Alwarthirunagari or Pudhukudi. Meanwhile, traders opined that the TNSTC should paste stickers on the buses to ensure its passage and halting at the Srivaikuntam bus stand, and mention 'Srivaikuntam' in the digital boards as well.

Game Informer is back and so is its entire team

Gaming journalism stalwart Game Informer has risen from the ashes. More than thirty years after its debut issue back in August 1991, the media outlet was officially shut down by parent company GameStop in August 2024. Since then, the rights to Game Informer were acquired by Gunzilla Games and, in an all-to-rare win for today's media world, the entire team that worked for Game Informer at the time of its closure will return to their jobs. Editor-in-Chief Matt Miller posted the details about how the outlet was saved from the brink and noted that Gunzilla Games will be a hands-off boss. The new owners insisted on the idea of Game Informer remaining an independent editorial outlet, he wrote. They felt just as strongly as our team did that the only path forward was with an editorial group that made 100 percent of the decisions around what we cover and how we do so, without any influence from them or anyone else. We are proud to welcome the talented voices behind Game Informer in the Gunzilla Games family, and join their fight to preserve the heart of video game journalism in what has been a tumultuous time for the industry, Gunzilla CEO and Co-Founder Vlad Korolov said . The website and its back catalog of content have been republished online. Game Informer 's staff have also published reviews of more than two dozen games that came out during the site's hiatus and belatedly compiled their requisite best games of 2024 list. The print magazine is also expected to resume activity, and Miller said more details will be forthcoming about subscription and membership options. Gunzilla Games, which counts Hollywood director Neill Blomkamp among its leadership, made a battle royale shooter called Off the Grid and also developed the GUNZ blockchain platform. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/game-informer-is-back-and-so-is-its-entire-team-210748358.html?src=rss

Potholes before takeoff: Halwara international airports bumpy road to completion in Ludhiana

Best Antivirus Software for Maximum Protection in 2025

Keep your devices safe from malware, phishing attempts and other threats with the best antivirus software, researched and ranked by our team of CNET experts.

IPL 2025: Ashutoshs Shots Against Spin In Blazing Knock For DC Were Very Heartening, Says Bangar

Lucknow Super Giants: Sanjay Bangar, the former India player and batting coach, said for him, the most heartening aspect of Ashutosh Sharmas whirlwind 31-ball 66 not out, that gave Delhi Capitals (DC) an improbable one-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), was his solid stroke-play against spin. With DC slumping to 65/5 in the seventh over, Ashutosh walked in and was on 20 off 20 balls before switching gears to smash an astonishing 46 runs off his next 11 balls to lead his team to an epic win with only three balls to spare at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. As pointed out by Bangar, who saw Ashutosh closely while being in the Punjab Kings set-up in IPL 2024, the all-rounder was solid in his shots against spinners, like carting leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi for two fours and as many sixes, as well as taking a boundary each off Digvesh Singh Rathi and Shahbaz Ahmed. In the Punjab Kings set-up, he was extremely impressive because if you look at the way Punjab Kings' season went last year, it was basically down to those two individuals, Ashutosh and Shashank (Singh), who were getting the team close and winning matches through some extraordinary skills. This season, I think what I liked about his knock was the way he approached spin because last season, he had certain issues against spin. He also got dismissed against spin (last year), and more so (against) left-arm spin on a couple of occasions. So, he has gone back and worked quite well on those aspects, and if you look at how the LSG bowling was lined up, there were a number of spinners. So, close to 14 or 15 overs of spin were bowled during that innings. So, for him, it must be very satisfying that not only pace, because he loves batting against pace, he has got the shots, and belief. But his overall batting against spin is indeed a very heartening factor, said Bangar, a JioStar expert, to IANS, in a virtual interaction around the 18th edition of the tournament. IPL 2025 has seen younger players like Ashutosh, Vipraj Nigam, Vignesh Puthur, and even a capped Indian player in the form of Ishan Kishan shine, despite the presence of stalwarts of the game such as Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. According to Bangar, the fearlessness in the bright performances of the younger players results from the IPL providing them with the exposure and platform to succeed and play a vital role in winning matches for their respective teams. Its massive - the kind of impact that IPL has had on Indian teams, because of the exposure, the competitive nature of the tournament, the eyeballs that are there during the entire tournament, it helps these domestic players grow mentally as well because they suddenly start to feel that they belong to the highest level. So, that has been a huge plus for the Indian team. You can clearly see that even if a few players are not available, the strength of the team doesnt diminish, because there is a continuous stream of talented young players who are there, not just to make a mark, but they can come and win a game for the team. According to Bangar, the fearlessness in the bright performances of the younger players results from the IPL providing them with the exposure and platform to succeed and play a vital role in winning matches for their respective teams. Its massive - the kind of impact that IPL has had on Indian teams, because of the exposure, the competitive nature of the tournament, the eyeballs that are there during the entire tournament, it helps these domestic players grow mentally as well because they suddenly start to feel that they belong to the highest level. Also Read: Highest tax paying cricketers Article Source: IANS

Koil Alwar for Ugadi festival conducted at Tirumala - Hindudayashankar

Koil Alwar for Ugadi festival conducted at Tirumala Hindudayashankar

BCCI Contracts: Will Rohit, Kohli lose A+ status?

There are some speculations over some rejigging in the A+ category following the retirement of stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja from T20 Internationals.

IPL 2025: Stoinis inspired by Dhoni's longevity

Marcus Stoinis says a ready reckoner in how to have a long T20 career has already been created by 40-plus stalwarts like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Faf du Plessis.

Eid 2025: How Farshi Salwar is making its mark in Hyderabad

Unless you have been living under a rock, you might have come across at least one Instagram reel talking about Farshi Salwar during your doomscrolling routine. It is the internets latest obsession with influencers, designers and actors alike, showcasing this dramatic floor-length silhouette. The trend, which can be partly credited to Anmol Balochs stunning outfits Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Vignesh Puthurs fairytale debut: From state league to shining for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025

MUMBAI: Plucked out of a state league with no experience of first-class cricket, 24-year-old spinner Vignesh Puthur lived a dream as he snared three wickets on debut for the Mumbai Indians and even though it wasn't enough to ensure victory, the student of English literature seems ready for the big stage. It wasn't just his skills that made everyone take notice of the bowler from Kerala's Malappuram, whose father is an auto-rickshaw driver and mother a home-maker. He had quite a moment when Chennai Super Kings stalwart Mahendra Singh Dhoni put his hand on his shoulders to laud his performance. He earned that appreciation for dismissing CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and Deepak Hooda for figures of 3/32 in four overs as an impact player. I never thought in my life that I would play with all these players, a smiling Puthur said addressing his star-studded dressing room after being presented the best bowler's badge in the team's in-house post-match honours. With him, MI seem to have have unearthed yet another unheralded talent like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, also discovered from the far-reaches, thanks to a robust scouting system. The team, however, began yet another IPL with a defeat even though the loss on Sunday had a silver lining with Puthur making his presence felt against a storied side like the CSK. IPL 2025| CSK vs MI: Rachin, Ruturaj steer Chennai home after Noor spins web around Mumbai Puthur is currently pursuing MA in English Literature from PTM Govt College Perinthalmanna in the Calicut University. He hasn't yet played First-Class cricket apart from a brief stint in the Kerala Cricket League and in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, but his talent was enough for MI to bring him on board. The nurturing began immediately after Puthur joined the camp a few months ago. From interacting with the coaches to accessing the training facilities as well as working with analytics and data, his cricket journey took flight and Puthur soaked it all in. We never expected him to play in the first match itself. We are so happy. We never even thought he will get an IPL contract. Now, a lot of people are calling us to congratulate, and hopefully he will live up to everybody's expectations, said Sunil Kumar, his father. Puthur's mother Bindu was equally delighted. He had called up last evening saying there was a chance for me to play tonight. We were watching every ball last night, and this was his performance. He called us around 12.30 am last night after the match and then again he called after an hour. He was so happy. I have never seen him so happy. We also could not sleep because of happiness. Puthur's childhood coach Vijayan, who has worked with renowned Mumbai coach Vasu Paranjpe, expects him rise high. (He is) a very disciplined kid, and he worked hard on his a tough craft like left-arm wrist spin. When asked about the potential that MI saw in the left-arm spinner, the team's bowling coach Paras Mhambrey said, The idea at MI is always seeing the potential more than anything else, and when we saw him for one of our trials. Puthur attended MI's selection trials in November ahead of the mega auction and after he was picked for a base price of Rs 30 lakh, he was sent to be around the MI Cape Town team which won the SA20 tournament. He spent around a month bowling in the nets alongside MI Cape Town skipper Rashid Khan, while bowling coach Lasith Malinga also kept an eye on the young spinner and the two developed a bond. Back from a successful stint, it was now time to impress the big names and Puthur did exactly that. When Rohit (Sharma) and Surya and Tilak (Varma), all these guys batted against him, they felt it wasn't that easy, so (that was) one of the reasons we felt we had the confidence of pushing him in this game, Mhambrey said. Yes, he spins the ball, (he is) pretty consistent, lands the ball on pretty much what (areas) we wanted, he is pretty accurate with it. Those are the tick marks that we look into, the former India pacer added. 'Can hold his own against big names' Mhambrey is particularly impressed with Puthur's confident persona. (It is) never easy -- (the) first game against CSK -- it's a big game. But purely the way he responded, hats off to him, he told the media after the match on Sunday night. He was able to hold his nerves and handle pressure superbly, (he) really got us in the game. Very happy about his performance, he added. Amazing, MI is known for that giving youngsters opportunities, the scouts do this for 10 months and he (Vignesh) is a product of that, said MIs stand-in skipper and India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav after the match.

Centre plans to set up five regional NCFL centres, rename them as N-DISC

The newly formed Cyber and Information Security (CIS) Division of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been working on a plan to set up five regional centres of the National Cyber Forensic Laboratories (NCFL) with an aim to enhance capabilities of central agencies and state police forces in their counter online fraud efforts, officials said on Monday. According to officials one of these centres will come up in Northern, Eastern & North Eastern, Central, Western and Southern regions with an estimated cost of nearly Rs 250 crore for building required infrastructure. Interesting here to note that a proposal has also been mooted to rename NCFL as N-DISC (National Digital Investigation Support Centre). This is being done to bring in focus the NCFL contributes to digital investigations and cybersecurity, the officials said. The NCFL plays a key role in helping law enforcement agencies in combating cyber fraud, financial crimes, malware attacks and other cybercrimes by tracking cybercriminals and detecting online financial and other frauds, the officials said, adding that the proposed expansion of the facility will facilitate better access to information and related evidence in real time. With ever advancing technologies, the officials said, cybercriminals deploy new and innovative tools to commit crimes and in this backdrop the countrys forensic abilities also need to keep pace by getting equipped in its battle against cyber crimes by constantly plugging in loopholes. According to the data available with the CIS Division, the lone NCFL, since its establishment, has so far dealt with a total of over 11,200 cases. These cases included Forensic Memory Investigations like hard disks, laptops, memory cards, and encrypted documents. With the increasing number of financial transactions through mobile phones, the NCFL has so far processed and investigated over 5,000 such handsets, the officials said, adding that it has also processed financial frauds relating to cryptocurrencies. Besides setting up regional centres of the NCFL, the CIS Division has also been focussing on improving the capabilities of Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC), which is part of the I4C under the MHA. Keeping this in mind, the CIS has roped in representatives of major banks, financial intermediaries, payment aggregators, telecom service providers, IT intermediaries, representatives of state/UT law enforcement agencies and a few other experts to work in tandem to ensure real-time and seamless action is initiated counter incidents of online crimes. According to the MHA data till February this year, the authorities have blocked nearly 8 lakh SIM cards and 2 lakh IMEIs. The government has also constituted seven Joint Cyber Coordination Teams (JCCTs) with a mandate for each of them to deal with cybercrime hotspots like Mewat, Jamtara, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Visakhapatnam and Guwahati.

Govt Plans 5 More Rebranded National Cyber Forensic Labs Across India

By enhancing the number of such labs, the authorities will be better able to deal with cyber fraud, financial crimes, malware attacks, and other cybercrimes, a senior government official told News18

Sangita Kalanidhi, Nritya Kalanidhi announced

Art and culture have always been the soul of society. Music and dance, in particular, serve as powerful forms of expression, preserving the essence of our heritage while constantly evolving. Every year, the Music Academy of Madras honours the finest artistes who have dedicated their lives to these traditions, shaping the cultural landscape of the country. The 2025 awards, announced on Sunday, recognise unique talent in Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam. This years Sangita Kalanidhi, the highest honour in Carnatic music, has been conferred upon RK Shriramkumar, a violinist whose artistry has graced the stage for decades. Hailing from the Rudrapatnam lineage, Shriramkumar was trained under his grandfather, RK Venkatarama Sastry, and later by Sangita Kalanidhi DK Jayaraman. His understanding of the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini has cemented his reputation as an authority on Muthuswami Dikshitars compositions. His ability to accompany legendary musicians such as Semmangudi R Srinivasa Iyer and MS Subbulakshmi, alongside his dedication to training future generations, makes him a fitting choice for this award especially in the year marking Muthuswami Dikshitars 250th birth anniversary. It is an overwhelming feeling and a feeling of great honour to be chosen to receive this prestigious award. It is a great blessing for me to receive the award in the 250th birth anniversary year of Sri Muttusvami Dikshitar. It is all due to the blessings of all my Gurus who have moulded me and guided me in my musical path, he says. The Sangita Kala Acharya award, given to distinguished gurus, honours Shyamala, Venkateswaran, a vocalist recognised early by the Music Academy, and Thanjavur R Govindarajan, one of the senior-most Tavil artistes, who has shaped the Nagaswaram-Tavil tradition for over 60 years. The TTK Award has been bestowed upon Madambi Subramania Namboothiri, a stalwart of Kathakali music, and JT Jeyaraaj Krishnan and Jaysri Jeyaraaj Krishnan, a veena duo deeply rooted in Muthuswami Dikshitars lineage. Namboothiri, a respected guru and performer, has spent over three decades at Kerala Kalamandalam, upholding the traditional idiom of Kathakali music. The Jeyaraaj Krishnans, both A-Top artistes at AIR, are celebrated for their commitment to their pathanthara, keeping their style pure and authentic. Urmila Sathyanarayana has been chosen for the Nritya Kalandhi In recognition of scholarly contributions to music, the Musicologist Award has been awarded to Professor CA Sridhara, an associate professor at the University College of Fine Arts for Women, whose research has expanded the academic understanding of Carnatic traditions. On the dance front, the Nritya Kalanidhi title has been conferred upon Urmila Satyanarayana, a Bharatanatyam exponent who has not only enthralled audiences but also nurtured many disciples through her dance school, Natya Sankalpaa. Urmila shares, I feel very joyous and extremely grateful. Its unbelievable, overwhelming. This is a recognition of not just my journey, but the efforts of my gurus, my students, my colleagues, and my family. Reflecting on challenges in a dancers career, she advised young artistes, The most important thing is to have faith in what youre doing. There will be highs and lows, but holding on with positivity and grit through the difficult times is key. There will be light at the end of the tunnel. For Urmila, the award is a collective achievement. I owe it to my gurus, my students, my co-musicians, my faculty who have supported me for over 25 years. A dancer cannot perform without music, without the stage, without the team behind the scenes. This award belongs to all of them. The Sangita Kalanidhi awardee will preside over the academic sessions of the 99th Annual Conference and Concerts of the Music Academy from December 15, 2025, to January 1, 2026, receiving the award on the final day at the 'Sadas'. The Nritya Kalanidhi awardee will be honoured at the inauguration of the 19th Annual Dance Festival on January 3, 2026.

Nyrraa Banerji Discusses Her Experience Of Working With Stalwart Bengali Actors | EXCLUSIVE

Nyrraa Banerji gets candid on the red carpet of News18 Showsha Reel Awards and shared her experience of working with all the veteran actors from Tollywood industry in 'Khakee: The Bengal Chapter'. Check out the video here! bollywood news | entertainment news live | latest bollywood news | bollywood | news18 | n18oc_moviesLiked the video? Please press the thumbs up icon and leave a comment. Subscribe to Showsha YouTube channel and never miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/c/SHOWSHAIndiaFollow Showsha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/showsha_/Follow Showsha on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/showshaFollow Showsha on X: https://x.com/news18showshaFollow Showsha on Snapchat: https://snapchat.com/t/6YeotZeyMore entertainment and lifestyle news and updates on:https://www.news18.com/entertainment

'Meeting against delimitation coincides with AKG's death anniversary': Kerala CM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said the joint action committee meeting on the issue of Lok Sabha constituency delimitation was being held in Chennai coinciding with the 48th death anniversary of CPI(M) stalwart A K Gopalan, popularly known as AKG. Vijayan, in a Facebook post, said that AKG's struggles to protect constitutional values are part of India's history and his memory will give strength to the ongoing fight to protect the federalism of the country and the rights of the states. The CM is presently in Chennai for the meeting called by his counterpart M K Stalin against the central government's move to carry out a parliamentary constituency delimitation. Vijayan had earlier termed the Centre's move as unilateral and hasty. In his Facebook post, the Kerala CM also recalled AKG's socio-political contributions. Vijayan said that AKG led the fight against various evil practices, displacement of people and all kinds of denial of rights. He strongly spoke in the Lok Sabha against the Emergency that undermined the Constitution and made Parliament a platform for struggle against the erosion of democracy, he said in his post. Vijayan said that it was AKG's work and organisational capacity that made a place for the Left party in the people's hearts.

How long does Apple support iPads?

Macworld If you have an iPad already or are thinking of picking up an older one, maybe a refurbished model , youll need to know how long it will still be able to use the newest version of iPadOS. Apple is usually excellent in this area, often keeping older generations of its products on the latest versions of the operating system or at least blessed with security updates to keep them safe. But there comes a time when the software on an iPad can no longer be updated to a secure version of iPadOS, and when that happens you may find that apps and services will no longer work and your data could be at risk. Heres a quick guide to how long you should expect an iPad to remain usable. Which versions of iPadOS does Apple support? While the latest version of iPadOS is the one with all the latest features, and the one that Apple will update with new features through the year, the company provides security updates for older versions of iPadOS in order to ensure the safety of users of older iPads, but how long can you expect to get these updates for? The crucial thing is whether Apple will update the operating system software that runs on your iPad if it discovers a security flaw. You could be at risk if you use an iPad that doesnt have adequate security measures in place. This means that the real defining element of how long an iPad can last is security updates. Once those stop, its not advisable to continue using the device, as it could be vulnerable. Generally, Apple issues security updates for two generations after ending support for the latest version. For example, when iPadOS 17 arrived in 2023, Apple still issued updates for iPadOS 16 and 15 throughout the year. But with iPadOS 18, Apple stopped issuing regular security updates for iPadOS 15 and iPadOS 16. (The last update to iPadOS 16 was in August 2024). Security updates are released relatively frequently and simply update the code in the system to close any potential areas where hackers or malware could gain access. These appear on your device as point releases, such as iPadOS 18.1, 18.1.1, 18.2, etc., and they make small adjustments to iPadOS and fix any security flaws that could put your data at risk. To find out if you have installed the most recent version of iPadOS go to Settings > General > Software Update and check. iPadOS 18 runs on iPads introduced since 2019. Apple Which version of iPadOS can I run? The key is to know which version of iPadOS your iPad can run, that way you can identify whether Apple is still committed to updating it with security-related fixes. Apple tends to continue security support for the two or three most recent versions of iPadOS (Apple tend not to support a third version if the same iPad models are covered by the newer version). iPadOS 18 iPadOS 18 arrived on September 16, 2024. It runs on the following models: iPad Pro 11-inch & 13-inch (M4) iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd gen and later) iPad Air (M3, M2, 3rd gen and later) iPad (7th gen and later) iPad mini (5th gen and later) With this iteration of iPadOS Apple dropped support for the 2nd-gen 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and the 6th-gen iPad. iPadOS 17 iPadOS 17 arrived in 2023 and was last updated in August 2024. It runs on the following models, and Apple is issuing software updates for it (the most recent was iPadOS 17.7.5 on February 10, 2025). iPad Pro 12.9 (2nd gen and later) iPad Pro 11 iPad Pro 10.5 iPad Air (3rd gen and later) iPad (6th gen and later) iPad mini (5th gen and later) iPadOS 17 dropped support for 2016 iPad Pro 9.7-inch (A9X chip), 2015 iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st gen) (A9X chip) and 2017 iPad (5th gen) which runs on an even slower A9 processor. Apple Which iPads are not supported with any updates? With the arrival of iPadOS 18, Apple dropped support for iPadOS 15 and iPadOS 16, which means that iPad Air 2nd gen and iPad mini 4, have been dropped from the list of supported iPads. Because Apple no longer supports them with security updates, you should avoid any iPads that cant run iPadOS 16. That includes these models: iPad Air (2nd gen and earlier) iPad (4th gen and earlier) iPad mini (4th gen and earlier) Keep in mind that in late 2025 iPadOS 17 support might end, at which point the following iPads will no longer be supported: 2016 iPad Pro 9.7-inch (A9X) 2015 iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st gen) (A9X) 2017 iPad (5th gen) (A9) Which iPads are supported with full updates? These are the iPads that get the latest version of the iPadOS iPadOS 18. Not every iPad below gets all the features, many miss out on the Apple Intelligent features that require an M1, M2, M3 or M4 chips found in the iPad Air or iPad Pro, or the A17 Pro chip used in the 2024 iPad mini. iPad Pro (M3, M4) iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd gen and later) iPad Pro 11-inch (all) iPad Air (M2, M3, 3rd gen and later) iPad (7th, 8th, 9th, 10th gen and A17 Pro) iPad Mini (5th, 6th gen and A16) How long does Apple support iPads with security updates? Apple currently supports security updates for iPadOS 18 and 17. The oldest iPad able to run iPadOS 18 is from 2018 and the oldest iPad able to run iPadOS 17 is the decade-old 1st gen 12.9-inch iPad Pro from 2015, the 2016 9.7-inch iPad Pro and the 2017 iPad (5th gen). Apple may stop security updates for iPadOS 17 in late 2025 or 2026, at which point it will end support for those models. Note that the first 12.9-inch iPad Pro is already considered obsolete by Apple (as you will see in the section below!) That is still seven to ten years of security support. When buying an iPad, you can assume between eight and 10 years of security updates. If its the full version of iPadOS you are after, you can expect about six years of supportthe 3rd-gen iPad Pro 12.9-inch being the oldest iPad that can run iPadOS 18, and they were introduced in 2018. Every iOS and iPadOS version and the iPads supported by it. Foundry How long does Apple support iPads for repair? Generally, Apple moves devices onto the Vintage list between five and seven years after it stops selling them. Around seven years after Apple stops selling a product it is moved into the Obsolete list, though some countries have different rules. Once considered Vintage by Apple, your chance of being able to get replacement parts is difficult, but when a product is Obsolete you will not be able to get replacement parts. Therefore if it has been five years since Apple stopped selling an iPad you are unlikely to be able to get replacement parts if something goes wrong. The products considered vintage and obsolete are listed below. Vintage iPads iPad Air 2 iPad mini 2, iPad mini 4 iPad Pro 10.5-inch iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st gen, 2nd gen) iPad (5th gen, 6th gen) Obsolete iPads iPad Air (1st gen) iPad mini (3rd gen and earlier) iPad (4th gen and earlier) iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st gen) iPad Pro 9.7-inch (1st gen) How long should an iPad last? On the software side of things, it seems from the current examples laid out above that you can expect software security support up to nine years from when an iPad went on sale, however, we wouldnt count on that. Because Apple doesnt consider a product vintage until five years after it stopped selling it, you can expect at least six years of support (assuming the product was sold for a year, though Apple often sells products for much longer than that). Of course, hardware is the other side of the equation and that can be more random as parts deteriorate or fail. Say your battery life falls off a cliff, youll need to still be within your one-year warranty period to have it repaired for free. Apple does have a battery replacement service though, usually costing $99/99 for a replacement and fitting, so this could prolong the hardware side of things for a good while (essentially up until it was moved to the vintage list five years after Apple stopped selling it). Apple offers hardware servicing and parts for a range of older iPads, all at a cost of course. On its site , the company states, Owners of iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac or Apple TV products may obtain service and parts from Apple service providers, including Apple Store locations and Independent Repair Providers, for a minimum of 5 years from when Apple last distributed the product for sale. This is clarified later in the text, saying that you can get iPads repaired up to seven years after they were last on sale from Apple. So, if you want to know if your iPad qualifies, simply Google when it was discontinued by Apple. Naturally, a 10-year-old iPad is an impressive feat of durability, but it wont be as fun or powerful as a new one. So, take a look at our iPad buying guide to see whats currently on offer. After all, you could be using it for a very long time. Want to know how long Apple supports iPhones and how long Apple supports Macs , we have that covered too.

Best VPN for Mac 2025: Reviews and buying advice for Mac users

Macworld If you are concerned about your privacy and security online using a VPN could give you some reassurance. Apple provides various measures in macOS that make Macs more secure , but if you want to ensure that the connection between your Mac and the internet is protected, rather than the computer itself, you need a VPN. Using a VPN essentially makes you invisible on the webyour data is encrypted, your IP address is hidden, and you can even make it look like you are surfing from another country. This latter reason is the main reason many people use a VPN: they want to access services that are locked to a particular region, such as accessing U.S. Netflix from the U.K or BBC iPlayer from the U.S. If you are looking for a VPN to protect your privacy and security online, and to grant you a way to access content as if you are in a different country, we are here to help. There are a lot of VPN providers vying for your business, which can make finding the best one to suit your needs difficult. To help you sort out the right provider for you, weve committed to extensive research and testing of VPN services that cater to Mac owners in our guide to the top VPN services for Mac. Best VPNs for Mac: Reviewed & Ranked Our top choice right now is NordVPN , which we feel stands out in many areas, from speed and privacy to unblocking and ease of use. Get NordVPN here Below you will find the VPN services for Mac that we recommend based on our tests. Most of these will cost less than $3/3 per month if you sign up for a one- or two-year deal. However, once the deal period ends the price often jumps, so its worth setting a reminder to shop around a month before your subscription runs out so you can search for a better deal, alternatively, you could cancel and sign up with another email address. You may be able to save money if you take a look at our round-up of VPN deals . ProtonVPN has a free tier which may be sufficient for your needs. All of these VPNs will also work on your iPhone and iPad as well, and many with Apple TV, but you might want to check out our separate guides to the best VPNs for iPhone and best VPNs for iPad . 1. NordVPN Pros Easy to use Impressive WireGuard speeds Lots of servers Cons Two separate apps can be confusing Price When Reviewed: Basic plan from $3.09 a month for two years. Usually $12.99. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price NordVPN (Monthly) $3.09 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $3.09 at NordVPN (Monthly) 5,300 servers 10 simultaneous connections NordVPN is one of the biggest and best-known VPN services. Its a fully featured VPN option thats secure, easy to use, and unbelievably fast compared to its competitors. There are cheaper options, with unlimited connections and more in-depth VPN features, but NordVPN is our top choice right now because it stands out in so many areas, from speed and privacy to unblocking and ease of use. There are more than 5,300 servers (none of which are virtual) available across 60 countries, which sounds great. You probably only care about the servers where you want to unblock content, but the more servers the better as it means you have a better chance of finding one thats not overloaded. You wont have to figure out which one to choose thanks to the handy Quick connect feature that picks the server best suited to your needs. Connections are fast and reliable, and NordVPN unblocks popular streaming services around the world including Netflix and BBC iPlayer. You can connect up to six devices simultaneously including your Apple TV. Nord has added support for the faster WireGuard protocol in NordLynx, making it one of the fastest VPN services out there. However, its only available on the IKE version of the app, which only offers a permanently enabled kill switch. To have more control, youll need to download the OpenVPN version, albeit with slightly slower speeds. Nord has an up-to-date independent audit. It also has specialty servers for specific purposes. Nord frequently has deals on offer that save money on the usual monthly price if you take advantage of the two-year plan . NordVPN offers three tiers: Standard, Plus and Ultimate. You can get Plus features (data breach scanner and password manager) or the Ultimate tier adds cloud storage and insurance options. Prices change all the time, so take a look at the prices and plans at NordVPN.com . Read our full NordVPN review 2. Surfshark Pros Simple to use No device limits Great for streaming services Cons Expensive to renew Price When Reviewed: Starter plan from $1.99 a month for two years + 3 free months. Usually $15.45 a month. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Surfshark (Monthly) $1.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $1.99 at Surfshark (Monthly) 3,200 servers in 100 countries Unlimited simultaneous connections Surfshark is a reliable, affordable option with more than 3000 servers spread across 100 countries. Surfsharks network is one of the widest and most varied of any VPN. Its apps, which work with Macs, iPhones, and even Apple TV, as well as other devices, are easy to use. The macOS app offers light and dark modes, and you can opt to have it shown in the dock or the menu bar. The iOS version of SurfShark offers features like MultiHop and Dedicated IP its not a watered-down versions of their desktop VPN. SurfShark offers three tiers of features at varying price points. SurfShark Starter offers VPN functionality as well as an ad blocker and the option to generate a proxy email address and personal details. SurfShark One adds email and payment detail breach alerts, as well as personal data security reports, antivirus and other malware protection. And the One+ plan adds data removal from company databases and people search sites. When we reviewed Surfshark previously we had some performance issues, but this time around things were a lot better. With WireGuard, SurfShark is the slickest VPN around, removing very little speed from my connection. OpenVPN, where we had problems previously, was much swifter this time around. Whichever protocol we used, we were able to flick between streaming libraries with ease. Those protocols also offer varying degrees of encryption to keep your data secure. The Kill Switch feature is billed as a safety net, Itll shut down your connection if your VPN connection falters, preventing personal data from sneaking out to bad actors. Surfshark is is headquartered in the Netherlands and has a privacy-minded no-logs policy thats regularly audited. Surfsharks process means it logs a small amount of data thats then scrubbed from its servers with 15 minutes of closing the connection. For even more security, the Antivirus Scan feature (available with Surfshark One and One+) can run scheduled background scans if you leave the app open. Ransomware Shield and Webcam Protection can stop your personal folders and hardware camera from falling into the wrong hands respectively, and the app will constantly look to update its database of viruses to cross-reference files. Sign up to Surfshark here. Read our full Surfshark review 3. ExpressVPN Pros Easy-to-use Broad device support Excellent speeds Cons Illusive ExpressVPN team Expensive Price When Reviewed: From $4.99 a month for 2 years + 6 free months Best Prices Today: Retailer Price ExpressVPN (Monthly) $4.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $4.99 at ExpressVPN (Monthly) 2,000 servers 8 simultaneous connections If you want to circumnavigate geoblocking to get access to content not available where you live, protect your data while browsing the web from a public network, and keep your web browsing habits private, ExpressVPN, with its server locations across 105 countries, can do just about all of this with two or three clicks. ExpressVPN is remarkably easy to use, but if you have any difficulties the 24-hour live chat means you can be connected to a real human to discuss issues within minutes. There are native apps on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Android and Windows. Plus you can use it on eight devices at once (the limit was five previously). Like all VPNs there is some speed loss because you are routing via a server in another country, but ExpressVPN does well to mitigate this, dropping less than 13% of download speed in our testing. NordVPN remains faster with a 12% loss in our tests, but ExpressVPNs 13% is still better than most. ExpressVPN offers no fewer than six different choices for protocol. Lightway, the companys own option, is rapid. For improved compatibility you can switch to another version of Lightway or OpenVPN things slowed down with 24% of speed loss with the latter. Theres no Malware protection with ExpressVPN, but you can install a password manager called ExpressVPN Keys. The company is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, so its free from the majority of intelligence-sharing agencies jurisdiction. While it also operates a no-log policy, it doesnt have PureVPNs always-on audit process, but it undergoes audits each year. ExpressVPNs more expensive than many of its contemporaries and doesnt allow access from unlimited devices (just eight). But you get a solid, speedy connection with minimal fuss, and you dont have to tie-in for a two-year deal to get the best value. That latter point is important because VPN legislation can change regularly. See ExpressVPN subscription plans here . Read our full ExpressVPN review 4. ProtonVPN Pros Simple to use Free plan Great speed Cons Setup on macOS was a little fiddly Price When Reviewed: From $2.99 a month for two years. Usually $9.99 a month. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Proton Technologies (Monthly) $2.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $2.99 at Proton Technologies (Monthly) 6,500+ servers in 100+ countries (access servers in 5 countries on free plan, on one device) 10 simultaneous connections ProtonVPNs free tier of membership helps to set Proton VPN apart from some of its rivals. Its naturally limited, with US, Japan, and Netherlands as the server locations and some speed drop but its still pretty usable If you pay for the service it offers a sleek interface, impressive connection speeds and just about enough features to improve your day-to-day web experience without throwing too many complex concepts at new users. Proton VPN Plus offers a host of features, including an ad and tracker blocker and speed of up to 10 Gbps, as well as a 10-device limit. Theres Port Forwarding for downloads and gaming, too, as well as a Kill Switch for disconnecting should the VPN drop out. Some VPN services offer features like dark web data notifications. Proton VPN sticks to the basics and does so very well. The companys no-logs policy confirms it doesnt track sites, IP addresses, communications, or session lengths, nor does it track location-based information. Proton is Swiss-based, and only Swiss court orders can request data from the company, but since it doesnt log data theres very little it can offer to law enforcement. For the privacy-minded, Secure Core, routes traffic through one of the companys Secure servers, minimizing the potential of a data leak. These secure servers are owned by Proton and are located in more than 90 countries. Proton VPN does increase latency, but only by about 29% in our testing on a modest 60 Mbps broadband. In fact, its only about 7% slower when downloading and 5.5% slower when uploading, making it one of the slicker VPNs weve tested. In terms of included VPN protocols, Smart will be ideal for most users, automatically setting the right protocol for your current usage, but WireGuard, WireGuard (TCP), IKEv2 and Stealth are also offered. Proton VPN is an easy recommendation both for new and experienced users. Sign up for Protons subscription plans here . Read our full ProtonVPN review 5. FastestVPN Pros Great pricing, including lifetime plan Impressive speeds and features Cons Fewer servers than some rivals Price When Reviewed: Lifetime special deal: $40, usually $600 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price FastestVPN (Lifetime payment) $40 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $40 at FastestVPN (Lifetime payment) 800+ servers in 49+ countries 10 simultaneous connections FastestVPN packs impressive VPN performance, but thats only one facet of what makes it worth a look. Its also relatively cheap compared to many rivals, and has seen a bunch of improvements since we took a look in 2021. The app is sleek and easy to use and offers 10 simultaneous connections. FastestVPN is headquartered in the Cayman islands and has undergone a third-party audit from Altius to confirm its no-logs policy. Since the last time we looked at it its gained a number power user features like multi-hop connections. It also now features an Internet Kill Switch to shut down all traffic if your VPN drops for any reason. You can also use Smart Tunneling to ensure certain apps go via a VPN while others dont. Will FastestVPN help you get around geoblocks? Yes, in fact, FastestVPN highlights certain streaming-focused servers to help get around geoblocking. Youll find a variety of VPN protocols to choose from, with Wireguard, OpenVPN (TCP and UDP options) and IKEv2 available, and Servers have recently been updated to 10 Gbps options, but despite the name, its not the fastest around. However, its so affordable that its hard not to recommend, with a lifetime price of $40 (normally $600), which weve even seen reduced to just $30! FastestVPN does a great job and for a lot less than others. FastestVPN has more than 800 servers, which is a lot but in context, thats dramatically less than NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Rivals do offer a larger server count, but the ease of use, and low barrier of entry, make FastestVPN one of our best VPN picks in 2025. FastestVPN is available on Mac as well as Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and plenty more apps. See FastestVPNs plans here . Read our full FastestVPN review 6. Mullvad VPN Pros Privacy-focused sign-up Great for getting around geoblocks Great pricing Cons 5 connections is lower than some rivals Price When Reviewed: $5.26 a month (5) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Mullvad $5.26 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $5.26 at Mullvad 700+ servers 5 connections Mullvad doesnt offer recurring plans, you pay 5 a month whether you sign up for a month, a year or longer. The only price change will be dependent on the exchange rate from euros at that time. This way you arent caught up in a recurring subscription and Mullvad doesnt store your personal information a great example of its privacy-first mindset. You can even buy prepaid cards if you dont want to log payment information, which makes Mullvad the ideal VPN service for anyone looking to leave a minimal digital footprint. Split Tunnelling, multihop connections and even an AI-focused defence mechanism called DAITA are included. Performance is excellent and there are plenty of features that would be paid additions elsewhere. For example, the Kill Switch to cut traffic if the VPN drops, and a Lockdown Mode that forces the user to reconnect via Mullvad if the connection drops. Multihop will bounce your connection via multiple servers, and split tunnelling is available so you can send some traffic via the VPN and ignore it for others. There is also an ad blocker. Its available on Mac, Windows, iOS, iPadOS, and Android. Its accessed exclusively from the menu bar on Mac. The iPhone and iPad apps pack plenty of power user features that in some services are limited to desktop, like multihop connections and the DAITA protection. DAITA (Defence against AI-guided Traffic Analysis) will add network noise so data packets are all the same size. The main disadvantages are the five device limit, which is lower than many VPNs, and. a lower server count. It has 700, but this is still lower than the likes of NordVPN with over 7,000. Mullvads servers are all real, not virtual, servers though. Connection speeds are impressive. Mullvad is a fantastic VPN service thats about as privacy-minded as can be. It might not have the most servers, but thats a small price to pay for the service on offer. Sign up to Mullvad here . Read our full Mullvad review 7. Private Internet Access Pros Lots of servers Fast WireGuard speeds Split tunneling works well Unblocks BBC iPlayer Cons Clunky Mac app Based within 14-eyes Price When Reviewed: From $2.19 a month for two years + 4 free months. Usually $11.99 a month. Unlimited devices. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Private Internet Access (Monthly) $2.19 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $2.19 at Private Internet Access (Monthly) 35,000+ servers, 91 countries Unlimited connections Private Internet Access (PIA) is a powerful VPN designed for savvy users, offering power user tools and features such as custom DNS, connection rules, split tunnelling, and more at a lower cost than many competitors. The PIA Mac app offers pretty much everything its Microsoft counterpart does. The app can be used on any device and offers servers in 91 countries. In my testing, the auto setting did a good job of picking servers that balanced speed and privacy. The main window provides information on performance graphs, download and upload speeds, and quick settings for tools like Light Mode, Port Forwarding, and LAN connections. While you can use PIA for getting around geoblocked content on your streaming services, PIA is more privacy-focused than other VPNs, with features like the Advanced Kill Switch, Split Tunnelling, port forwarding, and Multi-Hop server obfuscation. PIA also offers customizable features like automation setup and DNS options. Private Internet Access cant beat the speeds of NordVPN and Surfshark, and its stablemate CyberGhost VPN offers more impressive speeds, but at the cost of some power features. In our testing, we saw a reasonable drop of around 8% on Mac while using the PIA VPN. Upload speeds dropped considerably by around 25%, which may be an issue if you do a lot of uploading. Its zero-log policy has been verified by Deloitte Audit Romania. Despite inconsistent speeds, Private Internet Access is a great VPN for all budgets with a wealth of features for privacy-inclined users. Subscribe to Private Internet Access here . Read our full Private Internet Access review 8. ClearVPN Pros Nice design. Great for getting around geo-blocks. Cons Lacks some features like split tunneling. Not the fastest. Price When Reviewed: Three day trial. Currently $44.99 a year, usually $119.88 a year ($9.99 a month). Best Prices Today: Retailer Price MacPaw (first year, 6 devices) $44.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $44.99 at MacPaw (first year, 6 devices) More than 50 servers Six device limit MacPaws ClearVPN service is a VPN that lacks many more advanced features offered by its rivals, but on the other hand, its one of the easiest to use. With a nice UI and easy-to-use features its thoughtfully designed for VPN newcomers. It really is as simple as hitting a button to connect. In the settings are options to block ads, keep ClearVPN in the dock, and a Kill Switch so that you can cut traffic from your device if the connection to the VPN is broken. Its all pretty basic stuff, but its offered in such an easy-to-use way that its hard not to appreciate the simplicity. There are also handy keyboard shortcuts to move around the app. There are more than 50 servers, which sounds like a lot, but its dwarfed rivals who have thousands of servers. That means your choices are limited, but at least ClearVPN lets you filter between Optimal Location or jumping straight to something like Disney Plus US or UK. One of the more common power user features for VPNs is split tunneling, which lets some traffic go through the VPN while some goes around it. Thats not supported here. Sadly, MacPaws VPN speeds also need some work. We saw considerable speed drops across multiple servers even closer ones. We saw drops of around 20 to 30 percent in download speed, and around 50 percent for upload speed. Its still fast enough to use Netflix, but its slower than the majority of alternatives out there. Most VPN companies use external auditors to verify that theyre not recording user or session data, but ClearVPN hasnt undergone one at the time of writing. This shouldnt mean anything untoward as the company is headquartered in Ukraine, which falls outside of various surveillance alliances, so it cant be asked to share your data. ClearVPN is priced affordably, but prices and the deals on offer change all the time with VPNs. Look out for low monthly prices that dont lock you in for too long. Theres a six-device limit. If youre new to using a VPN service, ClearVPN makes a compelling case to be your first choice, and stress-free access to Netflix around the globe, its a great starter option. Still, the speed drop and lack of common features like split tunneling likely mean power users should look elsewhere. You can save money by paying for the first year up front, but you can also pay monthly. See full ClearVPN pricing here . Read our full ClearVPN review 9. PureVPN Pros Easy to use Works on multiple devices Additional power user features Cons Obtuse pricing model. Caused many websites to question whether we were human Price When Reviewed: Standard plan from $2.14 a month for two years + 3 free months, $58.05 a year (usually $349.65). Best Prices Today: Retailer Price PureVPN (Monthly for first year) $3.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $3.99 at PureVPN (Monthly for first year) 6,500 servers, 78 countries 10 simultaneous connections If youre looking for a flexible VPN service that will get around geoblocking and is easy to use, PureVPN is well worth a look. The basic plan includes the VPN service and nothing more, but you can add a Password Manager and File Encryption tools in the Plus plan. The Max plan adds a Digital Privacy Manager that requests your records be scrubbed by data brokers, blocks web trackers, and recommends ways to maximize your privacy. Whichever plan you opt for youll be able to connect 10 devices at once. PureVPN will run on your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, and is easy to use on each to let you connect to over six thousand servers. As far as getting around geo-blocks, we found PureVPN to be as easy as any other service to use. Select a location, load your streaming service or app of choice, and youre off. PureVPN is registered in the British Virgin Islands, which is more privacy-friendly than Hong Kong where it operated previously. PureVPN offers one of the more impressive no-logging policies, with an ongoing always-on audit process whereby an auditor can request confirmation of that policy at any time. PureVPN has been winding down its virtual servers, of which it has less control. There are still 23 such servers, but PureVPN is transparent about which servers are virtual and which are physical you can see a small v next to each virtual server on the PureVPN website . At the time of writing PureVPN is offering more than a whopping 80% off its plans if you sign up for 24 months. Two years is a long time in the world of VPNs, but at least means the full monthly pricing wont kick in twelve months time. See PureVPN offers here . Read our full PureVPN review 10. Malwarebytes Privacy VPN Pros Killswitch and other advanced features Decent speeds Cons Fewer servers than some rivals Inconsistent geoblocking Price When Reviewed: $39.99 a year for one device Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Malwarebytes (first year, 1 device) $39.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $39.99 at Malwarebytes (first year, 1 device) More than 245 servers 32 countries Malwarebytes is probably best known for antivirus software and advice (see our review of Malwarebytes Premium for Mac ), but it also offers a standalone VPN service called Malwarebytes Privacy VPN . Its an easy to use app with the right kind of privacy promises as youd expect. Malwarebytes Privacy VPN is easy to use and offers speeds that are better than many of its rivals for both downloads and uploads. It also has split-tunnelling via its Connection rules, and a Kill Switch to cut all traffic if the VPN drops out. There are some caveats namely that it features fewer server locations than its rivals, and getting around geoblocks for different versions of streaming services can be a tad inconsistent. Theres no multi-hop server jumping, but the company does have a verified no-logs policy in place which means information isnt held about a users activity. See full Maywarebytes pricing here Read our full Malwarebytes Privacy VPN review 11. CyberGhost Pros Simple to use Decent speeds Plenty of servers Cons Two-year plans are much cheaper Lacking some power user features Price When Reviewed: $2.19 a month for two years + 2 free months. Usually $12.99 a month. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price CyberGhost (Monthly) $2.19 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $2.19 at CyberGhost (Monthly) 11,000+ servers in 100 countries 7 simultaneous connections CyberGhost is a user-friendly app that connects to numerous servers worldwide, making it ideal for streaming Netflix from different countries and routing traffic away from untrustworthy open Wi-Fi networks. It offers core features like kill switch support, split tunnelling, and no bandwidth restrictions. CyberGhosts no-logging audit history is thorough, and there is a 45-day free trial available. CyberGhost apps can be downloaded for various platforms, including Chrome extension and game consoles (we tested on Mac and iPhone). The app offers a simple click and go connection process, with a list of server nations and multiple locations. Encryption is standard across servers, and split tunnelling prioritizes traffic where needed. An automated kill switch can cut connections if the VPN drops out, while Block content blocks DNS domains for ads, trackers, and malware. The app does not offer anything like Proton VPNs Secure Core or additional features like a Password Manager, but subscription tiers are based on adding a dedicated IP address. The VPN has over 9,000 servers located in over 100 countries, with plans to expand in South America and Asia in late 2023. CyberGhost VPN has an impressive no-logs policy, meaning no one can access records of your activity while connected to the VPN. The app does not offer the Dark Web monitor offered by NordVPN, but it does have an automated kill switch to cut connections if the VPN drops out. The DNS blocking feature is easy to use but doesnt allow you to choose what to block. CyberGhost offers a compelling package with just one main plan and a 45-day money-back guarantee. Its an excellent VPN for newcomers, with impressive audits, an array of servers, decent speeds, and easy-to-use apps. See CyberGhost pricing here . Read our full CyberGhost review 12. Norton Ultra VPN Pros Antivirus protections Cloud Backup and Password Manager Email tracking quarantine Cons Slower than rival VPNs Inflexible payment options Price When Reviewed: First year is from $39.99 Norton Secure VPN; $49.99 Norton Ultra VPN; $59.99 Norton Ultra VPN Plus. Renews at a higher price of $79.99/$109.99/$129.99. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Norton (first year) $49.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $49.99 at Norton (first year) Servers in 32 countries Norton has decades of experience protecting devices from cyber threats (read our review of Norton 360 ), but what or its VPN? Nortons VPN plans are, outside of the basic tier, tied into its security software. It also comes with a password manager, dark web monitor, and cloud storage, but the VPN side of things is a little lacking. Perhaps its from testing so many of the best VPN services that weve grown used to a certain set of non-negotiables. Chief among them is browser extension options to allow for quick switching, but at the time of writing, theres no such offering from Norton. Nortons VPN does include plenty of accoutrements that other VPNs either dont have or charge extra for. You can install the app on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and all three platforms have apps that work well and run nicely in the background. Norton offers Browser Protection, which scans sites as you browse. Norton also scans files before they land on your device. This worked well in testing, with barely added any additional time to the length of downloads. Theres a password manager, but its tied to the middle subscription tier and above. VPNs naturally decrease your internet speeds as your signal is fired across the globe, and Norton has servers in 32 countries a steep drop from the 111 in NordVPNs portfolio but it does offer four protocols to choose from. IKEv2, OpenVPN and WireGuard are pretty commonly found across the board of rivals, but Norton has its own Mimic protocol which is intended to be ideal for unblocking international streaming services. Sadly, testing on a 70 Mbps connection saw a consistent speed drop-off. As for Mimic, Nortons own VPN protocol, I was disappointed to find some international streaming services simply werent able to be unblocked with it. Norton clarified that Mimic is specifically designed for customers with special use cases who are unable to use WireGuard. We did have more luck with the more standardized protocols. VPNs worth their salt should always focus on privacy as their primary concern, and Norton does a good job, having undergone an audit from VerSprite, a security firm. Its not a bad VPN, and if youre looking for an option that packs a whole host of cyber-security tools into one easy-to-use package, its a great option. Its disappointing that there is only a pay yearly option, where other VPNs have the option to pay monthly. Added to that is a steep jump in price for the second year. See full Norton Ultra VPN pricing here Read our full Norton Ultra VPN review 13. Hide.me Pros Fast WireGuard speeds Dedicated streaming servers Impressive free tier Only VPN that offers Split Tunnelling in Big Sur and beyond Cons Slightly clunky UI No recent independent audit Premium plans are expensive Price When Reviewed: From $3.84 a month for 2 years + 2 free months. Usually $9.95 a month. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Hide.Me (Monthly) $3.84 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $3.84 at Hide.Me (Monthly) 2,600+ servers in 90 countries 10 simultaneous connections Hide.me is another VPN service that has improved considerably in recent years. As well as offering a completely free version (which none of its rivals here do), it has also added WireGuard, which is considerably faster than other encryption protocols. Other key features include a customizable kill switch and split tunneling. Hide.me is the only VPN to offer Split Tunnelling in macOS. They state on their website: hide.me VPN for macOS supports split tunneling. You can configure it in the clients settings. Hide.me also offers Stealth Guard, which stops selected apps from running without the security of a VPN connection. It can unblock Netflix and allows you to access BBC iPlayer from outside the UK. Theres also solid device support, with up to 10 simultaneous connections permitted. Malaysia-based, in recent years it has expanded the number of servers and doubled the number of countries it covers. Unfortunately, the third-party audit hasnt been updated since 2015 However, the user interface on Mac is a bit clunky, and were still waiting for an update to the 2015 no-logs policy certification. See full Hide.me pricing here Read our full hide.me VPN review 14. VyprVPN Pros Fast WireGuard speeds Very easy to use Unblocks Netflix and BBC iPlayer Low starting price Cons Comparatively few servers Not clear which servers are virtual Patchy support experience Price When Reviewed: From $3 a month for two years. Usually $10 a month. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price VyprVPN (Monthly) $3 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $3 at VyprVPN (Monthly) 70 servers 5 simultaneous connection VyprVPN offers everything most people are looking for in a VPN, without needing to spend much money. You get fast WireGuard speeds, alongside separate protocols focused on reliability, anti-censorship and ease of use. Its also excellent at unblocking geo-restricted content, whether thats local versions of Netflix or BBC iPlayer & ITV Hub from outside the UK. Premium features such as split tunneling and a kill switch are here too, even if the latter cant be customised. VyprVPNs no-logs policy has been independently audited, and the service adheres to a strict Privacy Policy from parent company Golden Frog. More than 700 servers in over 70 countries should be plenty for most people, although theres often only one per country. Its also not clear which of these are physical and virtual. Nonetheless, its still speedy, reliable and affordable. See full VyprVPN pricing here Read our full VyprVPN review Best Free VPNs for Mac There are also a number of free VPNs available, but beware that some severely restrict which servers (and therefore countries) you can connect to and the amount of data you can download through those servers. You may be able to save money if you take a look at our round-up of VPN deals . Its also important to read the terms and conditions before using a free VPN, as in rare cases they sell your data to third parties to offset the cost of you using it without paying. Its a bigger problem on iPhones and Android where unscrupulous companies try to cash in on the VPN gold rush and offer up poorly put together apps. Stick with our recommendations and youll be safe from these, though. Do Macs need a VPN? There is a big question. Do Mac users even need a VPN? Since Apple introduced iOS 15 and macOS Monterey in 2021 the company has offered a handy private relay service. iCloud Private Relay acts a bit like a VPN because it encrypts your web-browsing traffic and sends it through a relay to hide your location, IP, and any information about what you were browsing. iCloud Private Relay solves part of the problem that Mac users have used VPNs for in the pastit means that companies cannot build a clear picture of you on the web, thereby protecting your privacy. iCloud Private Relay has some disadvantages: it only works when you are using Safari, you have to be a subscriber to iCloud, and you cant use it to pretend to be surfing from another country in order to access content that is locked to a particular region. Read more here: iCloud+ Private Relay explained . If you are a subscriber to iCloud, and only use Safari, then iCloud Private Relay will provide you with some anonymity when you are surfing the web. You may therefore be thinking that this means you dont need a VPN to hide your location and identity. However, iCloud Private Relay does not allow you to choose an IP address or a region, and you wont be able to make it look like youre coming from another location. So you cant watch geographically locked Netflix content, for example. How we test VPNs For each VPN service we review, we conduct tests at three different times of the day: morning, afternoon, and evening, using Ookla Speedtest . We start by measuring the speed of our unprotected internet connection before testing the upload/download speeds of the VPN service. These tests are conducted to servers located in North America, the UK, Europe, Oceana, and Asia over an ethernet connection with a service provision of 100Mbps. To test upload and download speeds, we close down all background internet processes on the Mac, using TripMode. The only traffic on the system able to upload or download any data is Ookla. We use this setup to ensure that the numbers that Ookla produced were not stymied by anything else that the computer may have been doing at the time. The speeds Ookla captured were then averaged, providing us with a final numeric score. We then use those scores to calculate a percentage of difference in speeds, which is what youll see in our reviews. Since internet speeds change constantly based on server load, how fast your connection is, and a gazillion other factors, we feel this provides a better picture of what you can expect from a service, on the whole, than merely quoting the exact upload/download speeds we encountered during testing. Speed isnt the only quantifiable metric that we look at. The number of countries that a VPN offers servers in, total number of servers worldwide, and how much itll cost you to connect to those servers on a monthly or annual basis are also taken into consideration when recommending a VPN service to you. Additionally, we conduct hours of research into the VPN providers to find out who owns them, where theyre based, what they do with subscriber information, and whether the provider has a track record of questionable business practices. Whats a VPN? VPN stands for virtual private network . If youre not using a VPN, when your computer connects to the internet, it does so through the local gateway provided by your internet service provider (ISP). Doing this allows you to connect to all of the online services you use everyday. However, connecting this way also allows an ISP to know your physical location based on where you access the internetbe it at home, at work, in a cafe, or at a public Wi-Fi hotspot.This information is often sold to marketers and other parties interested in getting to know more about you and your browsing habits. Worse still, if you connect to the internet through an access point with weak security, such as at an airport, mall, or local library, hackers connected to the same network could intercept personal information like your social media passwords or banking credentials through whats called a man-in-the-middle attack . A VPN service can help prevent all of that. A VPN creates an encrypted digital tunnel between your computer and the server of the VPN service you choose to use. Once this tunnel has been established, your web searches, the sites you access, and the information you submit online will be hidden from prying eyes. This means that your ISP cant log or sell your information and hackers using the same network as you will find it difficult to initiate an attack on you. Almost no one will have any idea of what information youre accessing. For our recommendations of Mac Antivirus Software that we have tested see: Best Antivirus for Mac 2024: Top Security Software Compared . VPN apps are very easy to install and use but for a step-by-step guide, read how to set up a VPN on a Mac . What a VPN cant do A VPN cant protect you from viruses, malware, or ransomware attacks if you choose to download an infected file, or a visit site designed to inject your computer with malignant code. It wont keep spoofed sites from stealing your personal information, if you happen to visit one. So, youll want to bone up on online security best practices . You should know that while using a VPN will allow you to anonymously engage in peer-to-peer file-sharing/torrenting, some service providers may cancel your VPN subscription or turn over your information to the authorities if they catch you trading copyrighted material with others. Is it legal to use a VPN? While accessing locked content is a bit of a gray area, due to licensing agreements, we dont blame anyone who is desperate to watch the latest season of their favorite program when it airs in the U.S. rather than waiting for it to come to their country. Paying to watch a streaming service thats not available in your country has to be less morally wrong than actual piracy! For more information on the legalities and whether it is safe to use a VPN read: Is a VPN safe for Mac? What to look for in a VPN A clear privacy policy. A good VPN should offer an easy-to-understand privacy policy that outlines what, if any, information the company collects from its users. Its important that this policy details what they do with this information. Some VPN providers, especially those that offer their services for free, sell their user information to advertisers and other interested parties, just like an ISP does. Choose a provider that offers a level of privacy that suits you. Know where the provider is based. Many countries have no laws demanding that VPN providers maintain logs of their users activity. This makes maintaining your privacy more assurable than it would be if you use a VPN located in a country that requires that user-activity records be maintained. Some companies, in an effort to make their network of servers look bigger or more varied than it actually is, spoof the locations of their servers . The more servers, the merrier. Choosing a VPN provider with a ton of servers around the world is important for a couple of reasons. First, having a multitude of servers to choose from means that you wont be forced to connect to an overpopulated server where the data flows like mud. Second, having a wealth of servers to choose from both at home and internationally means more opportunities for spoofing your location, allowing you to hide where you are or access region-locked content with ease. Multiple payment options. Its a vicious circle. Paying for a VPN with a credit card online before you have access to a VPN could allow your financial information to fall into the wrong hands. Look for providers that offer alternative payment options such as PayPal, Bitcoin, AliPay, or via the Mac App Store. An easy-to-use interface. It takes a lot of digital wizardry to connect to a VPN. Some people want to see how their VPN operates, behind the scenes. Using an open source VPN client like Tunnelblick is great for this. Most folks, however, just want their VPN to work with minimal frustration. Look for a VPN service that offers a Mac client with an easy-to-use interface. Protection for all of your devices. A good VPN service will offer licenses for multiple devices to protect your loved ones computers as well as your personal smartphone and tablet. To this end, before investing in a VPN subscription, make sure that it provides software clients for all of the devices you own.

Sultan of shehnai: Remembering Ustad Bismillah Khan on his birth anniversary

VARANASI: The stairs are crumbling to dust, the walls ravaged by the passage of time and just beyond flows the Ganga as if in eternal serenity. It was here that a young Bismillah Khan practiced for hoursfrom 4 am till the sun came up and again in the afternoon till it went down. The strains of his shehnai have long faded away from the Naubat Khana but the Ustad, who took the instrument to the world stage and became synonymous with it, lives on somewhere in its recesses. And outside it too. On his 109th birth anniversary on Friday, memories of the man counted as one of India's greatest musicians linger in the corners of the temple town where he lived, learnt and played. He was the classical musician who famously heralded India's independence on August 15, 1947 by playing Raag Kafi from the ramparts of the Red Fort ahead of Jawaharlal Nehru's momentous Tryst with Destiny' speech. Anecdotes from the life of the sultan of shehnai, born Qamaruddin Khan in Bihar's Dumraon on March 21, 1916, abound around the ghats and narrow gullies of the ancient city of Varanasi, or Banaras as it was known. For the residents of the town, some who knew him and others who grew up on stories about him, he was the world renowned musician and also a beacon of the Hindu-Muslim syncretic culturethe Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb. The Naubat Khana, at the intersection of the Balaji and Mangala Gauri temples, was perhaps his first stage. Nearly 20 years since his passing in 2006, the floor of the room and the passage to it has fallen through. This is the place where he used to sit. His meditation was of four phases. He would light a diya in the alcove inside and sit down to play the shehnai at 4 am, then in the noon, then in the evening and later in the night, Pandit Narayan Guru, head priest of the Mangala Gauri temple, told PTI . The routine he followed for more than three years as a young student was an odd mix of Hindu and Muslim morning rituals, starting from taking a dip in the Ganga, followed by morning namaz at Alamgir mosque nearby and then settling down to play at the Naubat Khana after lighting an earthen lamp. He would play the shehnai at the Naubat Khana and also at the entrance of the temple but never inside. He was a devout Muslim but never looked differently at any Hindus he met, asking for their and their family's well being, recalled Prabhat Kumar Sharma, who manages the Balaji temple. Remembering the shehnai maestro as the best example of the culture of harmony for which the land was known for, Sharma said Khan would also donate money for the temple's food offerings. The Naubat Khana of Balaji Temple in Varanasi, where Ustad Bismillah Khan used to practice the shehnai in his early days, in Varanasi, Sunday, March 16, 2025. Khan, who was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2001, passed on the baton of his music and his values of tolerance and harmony to his grandchildren. Many of them play the shehnai though they haven't reached the heights of fame he did. Dada ji never believed in the difference of Hindu or Muslim. Music is the same for everybody', he would say. Music is my god and I have faith only in that', said one of his grandsons, 62-year-old Mohammed Shibtain. Another grandson Afaq Haidar added, He used to say go to a clean and holy place if you want to learn music. This instrument has its roots in 'fakeeri' (mendicancy), the more you drown in it the more efficacy the almighty will bestow upon your music, the 36-year-old said. Away from the Naubat Khana, Khan's home, hidden in a maze of narrow lanes in Hadha Sarai area of Banaras, is evidence to the fakeeri'. It is testament to his dedication to the craft, more often than not at the expense of materialistic wealth. Now turned into a shrine of sorts with his photos, awards, and shehnai, the room on the terrace, painted a bright green, is where Khan spent most of his time when at home. The room where Shehnai player Ustad Bismillah Khan lived his entire life, in Varanasi, Saturday, March 15, 2025. He would help everyone - for the last rites of someone in the area, for medical aid or for a wedding. Be it Muharram or Eid, people used to wait for him to help them get through the hard times. They used to pray for his health, remembered Zarina Begum, one of his three daughters. He also had five sons. Even though Khan was not keen on teaching music to the women of his family, he admired Zarina's natural talent. She recalled with affection one particular incident. I was preparing food in the kitchen and Abba left to meet some people downstairs. I did not know when he came back with his entire party. Lost in my thoughts, I was singing Laagi Charan Tumri Khwaja Moinuddin'. Abba then scolded my brothers, I have been wasting my lessons on you and here she is who has learnt it all while cooking', the 70-year-old said with a smile. Coming from a long line of court musicians, Khan came to Banaras as a three-year-old to learn the shehnai under his maternal uncle, Ali Bux Vilayatu' Khan, who was a shehnai player associated with the Kashi Vishwanath temple. The rest, as they say, is history. His journey onwards is marked with recordings, concerts and countless performances that collectively worked in making the shehnai a recognisable instrument on international stage and even establishing its status as a classical instrument. Shehnai player Ustad Bismillah Khan's grandsons, his daughter and other family members, in Varanasi, Saturday, March 15, 2025. Bismillah Khan converted the shehnai into a classical instrument. It used to be played at weddings and ceremonies, but he added the singing bit to it, added elements of dhrupad and dhamar, worked on sur' and taan'. He would observe classical singers and would replicate how they were singing through the shehnai, Haidar said. Long years of practice and a keen ear led him to familiarise the shehnai with various classical music forms, including thumri, chaiti, kajri, sawani and khayal. A prominent figure of the Banaras Gharana, Khan performed in India and across the world with his contemporaries and stalwarts of Hindustani classical music, including Pandit Ravi Shankar, Vilayat Khan, Amjad Ali Khan, and Hariprasad Chaurasia. His renditions of Vaishnav Jana To, Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, and Ganga Dware Badhaiyya Baje established him as a musician par excellence. Khan died on August 21, 2006 at the age of 90, his entire life lived in the service of his music. He received multiple awards and recognition. He was the third classical musician after MS Subbalakshmi and Ravi Shankar to receive the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. He also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1956), Padma Shri (1961), Padma Bhushan (1968), and Padma Vibhushan (1980). It has been many decades since he played. The road leading to his house, lined with shops of cosmetics and artificial jewellery, has been named after him. But the city now awaits a museum for one of its most celebrated sons.

Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival: a celebration on music

The Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival kicks off at Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendras open theatre, featuring stalwarts and rising stars of Indian classical music

SC directs Rajasthan government to appoint nodal officer to check illegal mining near Sariska Tiger Reserve

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed that Rajasthan government to appoint a nodal officer in the Alwar district to deal with the increasing cases of illegal mining near the Sariska Tiger Reserve. During the hearing, the Rajasthan government denied that there was any illegal miningnear Sariska Tiger Reserve adding thatinspections were conducted and many steps were taken to prevent any kind of illegal activity within a 3-km radius of the tiger reserve. The bench, dissatisfied with the arguments of Rajasthan government, directed to appoint the nodal officer.A two-judge bench of the apex court, led by Justice B R Gavai and also comprising Justice Augustine George Masih passed the order while hearing pleas that claimed illegal mining activities within a kilometre of the tiger reserve despite the apex court's ban on such activity. The petitioner's lawyer alleged before the apex court that its directions of April 2023 for a ban on the mining activity within one kilometer of the reserve were being flouted. They cannot do anything which will have an adverse effect on the critical tiger habitat without our permission, the bench said. The top court in May last year held that if any illegal mining activity is done within the one-kilometer radius from the boundaries of critical tiger habitat of the reserve, it would be implied as contempt of court of its April 2023 order.

AI chatbots can be hijacked to steal Chrome passwords - new research exposes flaw

Researchers with no hacking experience jailbroke AI models to create 'infostealing malware' that can steal saved logins from Chrome.

Urgently Required Tailor

A tailoring shop in Ajman is looking for a tailor who can stitch ladies and gents dresses like pants, shirt, vest, salwar suit, Jalebiya etc. []

Ambarish Jethwani Honored as Best CEO Real Estate Icon UAE at Prestigious Industry Event

The event was a star-studded affair, attended by industry stalwarts, business leaders, and influential personalities from various sectors.

Actress Bhagyashree visits Puri Jagannath Temple

Puri: Actress Bhagyashree recently offered prayers at the famous Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha. The Maine Pyaar Kiya actress took to her Instagram and treated the netizens with some glimpses of her religious visit. The photos and clips posted by her show her standing outside the temple. She was wearing an orange salwar kameez with []

Maharashtra Politics: BJP Invites Sangli MP Vishal Patil To Join Party, But He Declines, Calls For Unity In Development

In a surprising move, the BJP has extended an invitation to Vishal Patil, the independent MP from Sangli and grandson of late Congress stalwart Vasantdada Patil, to join the party.

Tiruchy metro rail project missing from TN Budget 2025 disappoints residents

TIRUCHY: The lack of any announcement regarding the much-anticipated metro rail for Tiruchy in the 2025-26 state budget has left residents disappointed. Many had expected a proposal for the project, especially after the 2023-24 budget sanctioned metro rail for Coimbatore and Madurai. However, the latest budget remained silent on Tiruchys metro and instead focused on metro projects for Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai. It is a huge disappointment that the budget didnt mention anything about the Tiruchy metro. There was also no proposal on electric buses for Tiruchy. The budget mentions electric buses only for Coimbatore, Madurai, and Chennai, said H Ghouse Baig, a retired railway official and city resident. TN Budget 2025: Budget that counts all While some viewed the announcement of a 250-acre industrial park as a positive development, others were unimpressed, citing the lack of details on its location or cost. However, the budget did allocate Rs 400 crore for riverside development, including sewage treatment plants, footpaths, and streetlights in Tiruchy, Madurai, Erode, Coimbatore, and Tirunelveli corporations. Since Tiruchy had already done riverfront development in prime areas using the smart city fund, it should use this budget allocation for riverfront development in underdeveloped areas like Palakkarai, Alwarthoppu, etc., suggested RK Regupathy, a senior citizen and retired PWD officer. Additionally, Tiruchy city has been allocated an 'Anbucholai'a care centre for senior citizensone of the 25 announced in the budget. The proposals for an Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Mudhalvar Padaippagam (a centre for students preparing for competitive examinations), and measures to ensure women's safety were also welcomed. There has been no major project allocation to Tiruchy. Though most ministers have often asserted that the development of centrally located Tiruchy district is crucial for the state, the budget proposals dont do justice to such claims. The government has to clarify the likelihood of a metro project for Tiruchy, said Sangeetha Karthikeyan, a resident and school teacher.

BSP under 'iron lady' values action over words, says Mayawati on Kashi Ram's birth anniversary

LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Saturday said the vast population of Uttar Pradesh has seen how the party under the leadership of iron lady values action over words. Paying tributes to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder late Kanshi Ram on his 91st birth anniversary, Mayawati said, Today, on the birth anniversary of the founder of BSP Kanshi Ram Ji, the party across the country paid homage to him and resolved to strengthen his movement for social change and economic liberation. To liberate the 'Bahujan Samaj' from the troubled life of immense poverty, unemployment, exploitation, oppression, backwardness, casteism, communal violence and tension, it is necessary to understand the power of your precious vote and obtain the master key to power. This is the message of today, she added. Referring to herself as iron lady, the BSP supremo said, The vast population of Uttar Pradesh has seen how the BSP under the leadership of 'iron lady' believes more in action than in words. It ensured the all-around development of the Bahujans when in power, while most claims made by the other parties proved baseless and deceptive. Born in Punjab's Rupnagar on March 15, 1934, Kanshi Ram worked for the upliftment and political mobilisation of people belonging to backward classes. He founded the All India Backwards and Minorities Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF) in 1971, the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti in 1981, before forming the BSP in 1984. Kanshi Ram was elected to the Lok Sabha from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh in 1991 and from Hoshiarpur in Punjab in 1996. He also served as a Rajya Sabha member from 1998 to 2004. The BSP stalwart passed away on October 9, 2006, in Delhi at the age of 71.

Veteran Spinner Rajwinder Singh Aims for First Division Title with India Pistons

It is not easy for a player from the north to come down to Chennai and play league cricket when you are no longer playing first-class cricket. But Rajwinder Singh, who last played for Punjab in 2016, has been a regular in the TNCA first division league for more than a decade. He has also been a regular in the India Pistons team for more than a decade in the TNCA league. The left-arm spinner played a vital role in India Pistons beating Alwarpet CC in the eighth round of the senior division league. I am very happy to contribute to the teams success, Rajwinder said. There is always the pressure on an outstation player to perform as a professional. However, the 35-year-old said, I work on my process. What your process says is, if you keep bowling in the right areas and doing the same thing again and again, slowly you will get the results. So, thats my mantra. India Pistons has 18 points from eight rounds and are looking to gain some more crucial points in the next rounds. This season has been a little up and down for us so far. But we are playing well at the moment and trying our best to bag crucial points. Lets see how it goes from here, he said. To win a title, we need to build a core team over a period of time and be consistent. Sometimes, our core players leave in between. But India Pistons always picks youngsters and has managed to survive all these in the First Division league. We have always been a good fielding side. Slowly, we are building a core team and hopefully, we will win the First Division title in the coming years, emphasised Rajwinder. It has been quite some time since Rajwinder played for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy. But several experienced players are in demand from the North East teams affiliated to the BCCI. There are many friends of mine who are playing for different states. I am open to play (Ranji) if I get an offer, he said. Rajwinder has also been the coach of Punjab Under-19 team and has been helping out several youngsters both men and women. I do a little bit of personal coaching as well like for India player and RCB Kanika Ahuja, Mannat Kashyap (left arm spinner played for India; playing WPL, Gujarat), Arpan Walia (left arm spinner, Under-19 Punjab), Bhagat Singh (left arm spinner, U-16 Punjab), Shruti Tiwari (all rounder, Under 19. Punjab). Rafan is another left-arm spinner from India Pistons who I am guiding. I do free coaching for women cricketers, he shared. According to Rajwinder, Tamil Nadu is in a transition phase and the TNCA First division league is the place where one spots budding talents. There are a lot of talented youngsters in Chennai Andre Siddarth, Mohamed, and Ajith Ram. I like Ajith s consistency with the ball. Since the last two years, he is one of the highest wicket-takers of the league. His height gives him an advantage as well he varies the pace well, signed off Rajwinder.

Tamil Nadu Couple Loses Rs 24 Lakh After Child Downloads Malware On Phone; Police Find Bihar Connection - ETV Bharat

Tamil Nadu Couple Loses Rs 24 Lakh After Child Downloads Malware On Phone; Police Find Bihar Connection ETV Bharat

Google Play Store Reportedly Lets Users Pause Play Protect When Sideloading Third-Party Apps

Google is rolling out a new feature for the Play Store which makes it easier to sideload apps on Android devices, as per a new report. It lets users disable Play Protect, its cloud-based app-verification service, temporarily for a day instead of turning it off permanently, making sure that the devices dont stay unprotected. The feature will reportedly stop the programme from scanning apps installed outside the Play Store for malware.

That weird CAPTCHA could be a malware trap - here's how to protect yourself

Follow the 'I'm not a robot' CAPTCHA, and you might just end up with malware on your PC.

'Don't create communal discord': Ajit Pawar rebukes BJP's Nitesh Rane over remarks on Muslims

PUNE: Terming his cabinet colleague Nitesh Rane's statement about Muslims misleading, Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday advised restraint to political leaders in the state. It should be ensured that statements in public do not cause a communal rift, said Pawar who heads the Nationalist Congress Party. He was responding to a question about minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane's recent claim that Muslims were not part of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's army. Pawar was speaking in Karad after paying tributes at the memorial of late Congress stalwart and the first chief minister of the state Yashwantrao Chavan on his birth anniversary. Some individuals, from both sides of the political divide, sometimes make statements that are detrimental to Maharashtra's rich cultural heritage. In the past, leaders in the state have always strived to maintain communal harmony, ensuring that different communities coexist peacefully, he said, when asked about Rane's remarks. Pawar further said that while founding a sovereign state, Shivaji Maharaj never discriminated against any one on the basis of caste or creed. Political leaders, whether in the government or Opposition, must exercise caution while making statements, to ensure that communal discord is not created. Maharashtra is home to a large number of patriotic Muslims. There is evidence that during Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's reign, several Muslims played a key role, including that of overseeing his ammunition department, Pawar said. He did not understand the purpose behind such misleading statements, the deputy CM further said.

UP: Five Killed, Three Injured As Truck Hits SUV In Basti

Senior police officers, including the circle officer of Kalwari, and station house officer of Nagar police station, have reached the spot and launched a rescue operation.

Five killed, three injured as truck hits SUV in UP's Basti

BASTI: Five persons were killed while three others sustained serious injuries in a road accident on National Highway-27 here on Monday, police said. The accident occurred around 7 am near a Tata Agency in Gotwa under the City police station limits when a truck (RJ 18 GB 5710) heading towards Ayodhya from Basti changed lanes and collided with an SUV (GJ 17 BH 3923) coming from the opposite direction, officials said. Senior police officers, including the circle officer of Kalwari, and station house officer of Nagar police station, have reached the spot and launched a rescue operation. Traffic on one lane of the highway was disrupted before being restored. The victims are yet to be identified, police said.

Cybercrime probes focus on crypto transactions

NEW DELHI: In a move to strengthen investigations into cases relating to cyber crime, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to ramp up its efforts to track increasing cryptocurrency transactions, particularly since 2020, as an analysis of the data available with the agencies revealed that criminals are directly or indirectly using the digital currencies to launder and take away ill-gotten funds, sources said on Sunday. The sources said the government had directed a random forensic analysis of virtual wallets and crypto transactions and the same revealed a massive increase, which have now become crucial to track activities like money laundering, fraud, and ransomware payments. According to them, the data collected by the National Cyber Forensic Laboratory revealed that there has been a whopping jump in crypto-related forensic cases between 2020 and 2024, with figures going up from nearly 10 cases in 2020 to over 290 cases in 2024, showing an increase over 2,500 per cent, the sources said. For investigative agencies and for cyber forensic experts such a growth has become a major area of concern and plans are being worked out to keep a tab on this to make sure that criminals do not take advantage in taking away their illegal wealth, a source said. According to another source, the spike in the number of crypto wallets and currencies also alerted the agencies to widen their focus to counter financial crimes associated with these, as the international regulatory framework has also been changing fast. In certain instances, it was observed that miscreants employed the same cryptocurrency investment platforms and thus, came under the scanner of law enforcement agencies, he said, adding that when agencies approached the operators, they refused to provide details of transactions worth crores. The sources said that between 2019 and 2024, he National Cyber Forensic Laboratory checked around 11,000 devices, which included mobile phones, memory cards, malwares, and hard discs, among others According to the data, a total of 11,203 device forensics (mobile forensics, memory forensics, malware forensics, video/image enhancement, audio forensics) and crypto helped investigative agencies detect such crimes. According to cyber experts, analysis of hard drives, laptop CPUs, memory cards, and encrypted data is crucial for restoring erased or concealed informationand the number of investigations in the category has increased from 80 cases in 2019 to 690 in 2024, out of which 588 were just laptop/CPU analysis cases.

18-year-old girl attacked by nearly 10 stray dogs in Rajasthan's Alwar in viral video; WATCH

In a video that has since gone viral, Navya can be seen talking on the phone when nearly 10 stray dogs come running towards her, bite her, and pound her to the ground. The girl can be seen screaming and trying to fend off the dogs for a few moments before some neighbours come to her rescue.

Best Batting Lineup I've Played In: Gill Ahead of CT 2025 Final

Gill lauded the presence of stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, along with the depth in the middle order

Girl Attacked By Pack Of Stray Dogs During Evening Stroll In Rajasthan's Alwar | Video

Local councillor Hetram Yadav revealed that multiple complaints had been made to the municipal corporation regarding the stray dog issue, but no action had been taken

Properties Of 2 Proclaimed Offenders Attached In J&Ks Baramulla

Srinagar, Mar 8 : Properties worth lakhs of rupees of two proclaimed offenders were attached in Jammu and Kashmirs Baramulla district, police said on Saturday. Police in Sopore, in the north Kashmir district, have attached 6 kanals and 19 marlas of orchard land belonging to two proclaimed offenders on the Harwan Tujjar estate, a police spokesperson said. He identified the offenders as Irshad Ahmad Reshi, resident of Yamberzalwari Harwan, and Bashir Ahmad Mir, resident of Harwan Tujjar, both in Sopore. [] The post Properties Of 2 Proclaimed Offenders Attached In J&Ks Baramulla appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

One-Month-Old Infant Crushed to Death During Police Raid in Rajasthan

Police raid in Alwar district turns tragic as infant is crushed amid chaos; public outrage ensues

Meet IAS officer Tina Dabi, Ria Dabi's mother, who also cracked UPSC exam, became IES officer, took early retirement due to...

Tina Dabi is currently serving as the District Collector and Magistrate in Jaisalmer and IAS Ria Dabi is currently posted as Assistant Collector in Alwar, Rajasthan.

#BreakingNews | Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two of India's batting stalwarts,

Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami faced backlash on social media for not fasting during Ramzan while playing a semifinal match against Australia. Visuals of Shami sipping drinks on the boundary ropes went viral, sparking a heated debate. Some users criticized Shami for not following the holy month's traditions, while others defended him, citing the physical demands of cricket. Watch to know more about this controversy. n18oc_sports News18 Mobile App - https://onelink.to/desc-youtube

Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard retires from NFL at age 29 after playing for seven years

Sam Hubbard, the defensive stalwart for the Cincinnati Bengals, will get married this spring. During his time with the Bengals, Hubbard played an important part in their achievements, particularly in their notable AFC Championship win in 2021. He had been a valuable inclusion in his team as long as he played.

Time to give my racket and bandana a rest: TT stalwart Sharath announces retirement

Chennai, Mar 5: Indian table tennis legend A Sharath Kamal will hang up his racket and the iconic bandana later this month, having stayed at the top of his game for more than 22 years and resisting the temptation of lasting another Olympic cycle at the ripe old age of 42. In his own words, life has come full circle for one of Indias finest athletes who will say goodbye to professional table tennis in front of his friends and [] The post Time to give my racket and bandana a rest: TT stalwart Sharath announces retirement appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Defeats, succession battle behind BSP rumblings

LUCKNOW: Amid BJPs outreach to non-Jatav Dalits, emergence of Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan on the horizon of Dalit politics in UP and his claim to Kanshi Rams legacy along with SPs politics of Pichhda, Dalit and Alpasankhyak (PDA), the rumblings in Mayawati-led BSP seem set to add to the pace of partys downslide in days to come. The disappointment of Delhi Assembly election results, where BSP had gone it alone with 68 candidates in fray but failed to open account, the party seems to have lost the direction and has got caught in an internecine battle of succession, insecurities and one-up-manship. The expulsion of Akash Anand, the heir apparent of Mayawati, from the party, is the indication enough of leaderships frustration over back-to-back failures at the hustings and the fall of Dalit fortunes. The misery of the BSP can be encapsulated in its performances over the past five years, wherein, it was reduced to just a single MLA in UP Assembly in 2022 and zero presence in Lok Sabha after 2024 general elections. Significantly, the BSPs top leadership seems to be in a state of confusion while finding ways to arrest the downslide and such a confusion at the top always results in the erosion of the bottom, says JP Shukla, a political commentator. Political experts believe that signs of behenji bogged down in issues like succession, and suspicion of successors, instead of focusing on making a genuine attempt at revival of the lost base suggest a distracted leader not keen on rebuilding. At present Mayawati has completely strayed from the ideals of her mentor Kanshi Ram. Lacking the flexibility warranted from a leader of her stature, Mayawati has reduced the party to be her familys private limited firm, says Prof AK Mishra,a political scientist. He adds that Mayawati has failed to nurture a second-tier of leadership within the party. Her autocratic approach, aloofness and failure to adapt inclusivity have been the key factors in exodus of many stalwarts from the party adding to its decline.

The best VPNs with antivirus of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

We tested the best VPNs with antivirus features like unlimited connections, web malware protection, and fast connections to help you keep your devices safe.

Tailor Needed

A tailoring shop in Ajman is looking for a tailor who can stitch ladies and gents dresses like pants, shirt, vest, salwar suit, Jalabiya etc. []

Hina Khan wishes Ramadan Mubarak, shares her journey from Sehri to iftaari

Mumbai: Hina Khan successfully completed her first Roza of Ramadan 2025. She posted photos of her day from sehri to iftaari on social media. Hina Khan opted for a beautiful green salwar kameez for the iftaari. She completed her look with stunning matching jhumkas. The Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai actress can be seen posing Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Govt comes under fire overinaction in Bhembre case

Staff Reporter Margao The state government on Sunday came in for sharp criticism for its failure to book Bajrang Dal activists for the intimidating and provocative speeches in Cuncolim and holding a protest against Konkani stalwart and Opinion Poll hero Uday Bhembre at his residence in Margao late Friday evening. A large number of people []

One-month-old infant dies during police raid in Rajasthan; family alleges officer stepped on child

JAIPUR: A one-month-old infant died allegedly during a police raid in Alwar district of Rajasthan, an official said on Sunday, adding that the family has registered a case against two policemen in connection with the incident. Additional SP Tejpal Singh said that the police had gone to a house in the Naugawan police station area on Saturday to apprehend an accused in a cyber fraud case. The family members alleged that the policemen stepped on the infant girl, Alisba, who was sleeping on a cot beside her mother. The infant succumbed to her injuries on the spot. When the child's mother tried to intervene, the police allegedly pushed her out of the house. The family also claimed that no female police personnel were present during the raid. Outraged by the alleged negligence, villagers gathered outside the Alwar Superintendent of Police's residence today, staging a protest and demanding action against the accused policemen. The additional SP said that the matter was being investigated.

Himanta Biswa Sarma and his family looting Assam, alleges Assam Congress in-charge Jitendra Singh

AICC Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh Alwar accused Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma and his family of corruption and looting the state. The Congress leadership, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, discussed election preparations and strategies to challenge the ruling BJP government in the upcoming 2026 state assembly elections.

Hackers stole this engineer's 1Password database. Could it happen to you?

A software engineer for the Disney Company unwittingly downloaded a piece of malware that turned his life upside down. Was his password manager to blame?

Eatalica, one of Chennais oldest burger joints, turns 25 and relocates to a new space

Eatalica, one of Chennais oldest burger joints in the city, turns 25 with a relocation to Alwarpet. Patrons can now indulge in reminiscence, chilli cheese fries and specialty coffee and desserts and nostalgia

Maha Kumbh 2025 Highlights: PM Modi's Holy Dip In Sangam, Four Generations Of Ambanis At Prayagraj And More

Maha Kumbh 2025: From lakhs of devotees taking a holy dip on the first Amrit Snan, to PM Narendra Modi, global leaders, industry stalwarts and celebrities visiting Prayagraj, several moments made headlines this Maha Kumbh.

Telangana records 62.5 lakh cyber threats in a year

Hyderabad: Telangana has become one of the most targeted states for cyber threats in India, accounting for nearly 23% of all malware detections nationwide in 2024, with over 62.5 lakh incidents reported, according to the Telangana Cyber Threat Report 2025. The report, released on Monday by Seqrite, the enterprise arm of Quick Heal Technologies, highlights Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Hooked on a scam: How call merging lures you into losing money

The latest in the series of the ever-evolving 'scam-scape' is the call merging scam, a simple yet crafty phishing method that baits unsuspecting phone users and reels in sensitive information. From convincing calls posing as familiar contacts to seemingly innocent messages offering rewards, these scams prey on trust and momentary lapses in caution. As cybercriminals become more inventive, its essential for users to stay alert and adopt preventive measures to safeguard their personal and financial information. Cybercriminals are constantly evolving their tactics, and one of the latest scams is particularly crafty. The scam begins with a call from a fraudster who pretends to be a friend or acquaintance, claiming they got the victim's contact details through a mutual connection. The scammer then asks the victim to merge the call with someone else, creating the illusion of a legitimate conversation. Unaware of the trap, the victim agrees, unknowingly linking the call to an OTP verification process from their bank. The scammer has timed everything perfectly, waiting until the victim receives the OTP. Assuming it's part of the ongoing call, the victim shares the OTP, only for the fraudster to use it to authorise unauthorised transactions, draining their bank account. In some cases, scammers may take it a step further. They could pose as media professionals, inviting the victim to cover an event. During the conversation, the victim receives another call from an unknown number. The scammer claims the second call is from a VIP and convinces the victim to merge the calls. Once merged, the fraudster listens in, capturing OTPs from banking apps or social platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook, which they use to steal money or hack accounts. The simplicity and deception behind this scam make it especially dangerous. Once the victim shares the OTP, the transaction is completed, and the money is gone, leaving them stunned and helpless. This serves as a stark reminder to be cautious when dealing with unknown numbers and seemingly innocent requests. In another scam, fraudsters gather personal details from various sources where individuals have shared their phone numbers. Using this information, they send messages claiming the recipient has made a recent purchase. If the recipient clicks on the provided link, their money is instantly stolen. According to NDTV , in one such incident, a 26-year-old woman from New Delhi, who recently bought an HP laptop from Croma, received such a message a few days later. The message claimed she had won a voucher and asked her to provide personal and banking details to claim it. However, she noticed an inconsistency the message mentioned both Croma and Vijay Sales, stating the voucher was for a purchase made at Vijay Sales. This error raised her suspicions and helped her avoid falling victim to the scam. How do these scams work? The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has issued a warning about the emerging call merging scam. Fraudsters are exploiting the call merge feature on phones to steal one-time passwords (OTPs) and commit financial fraud. In a post on the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter), NPCI cautioned: Scammers are using call merging to trick you into revealing OTPs. Dont fall for it! Stay alert and protect your money. Scammers are using call merging to trick you into revealing OTPs. Dont fall for it! Stay alert and protect your money. Share this post to spread awareness! #UPI #CyberSecurity #FraudPrevention #StaySafe #OnlineFraudAwareness #SecurePayments pic.twitter.com/kZ3TmbyVag UPI (@UPI_NPCI) February 14, 2025 How to protect yourself from such scams: To help you stay safe, NPCI has shared several important precautions Avoid merging calls with unknown numbers, particularly if someone insists on doing so from an unfamiliar source. Always verify the identity of anyone claiming to be from your bank. If in doubt, confirm their details before sharing any information. Remember, banks will never ask for your OTP over the phone. If someone requests it, it's likely a scam. If you receive an OTP for a transaction you didn't initiate, report it immediately by calling 1930 (the national cybercrime helpline) and contact your bank. Additionally, consider these extra precautions: Be cautious of unsolicited calls and messages. Never share personal or sensitive information with unknown contacts. Avoid clicking on suspicious links, even if they promise vouchers, discounts, or cash rewards. Do not install apps from untrusted sources, as they may allow scammers to access your devices camera and photo gallery, which could be used for KYC verification. If you receive a suspicious call, always verify the sender's identity through official channels before taking any further action. Along with phishing links, fraudsters are employing advanced techniques like call merging, call forwarding, voicemail scams, QR code fraud, and screen sharing scams. APK and RAT Malware Scams Another growing threat involves the use of Android Application Package (APK) files and Remote Access Trojans (RATs). Such tools allow hackers to remotely control a victim's device without their knowledge. For example, on May 21, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) from the Hassan sub-division fell victim to such a scam, losing Rs 15.98 lakh. He had installed an application sent via a text message, which appeared to be from a nationalised bank. The link contained an APK or RAT file, granting hackers full access to his device, resulting in significant financial loss. As technology continues to evolve, so do the tactics employed by cybercriminals to deceive and defraud individuals. Whether through call merging scams, phishing links, or malware attacks, these criminals exploit trust and manipulate unsuspecting victims. By staying vigilant, verifying the identity of callers, and avoiding suspicious links or requests, we can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to such scams. Its essential to keep our personal information secure and act quickly if we suspect any fraudulent activity. With awareness and caution, we can protect ourselves and our finances from these ever-evolving threats. NPCI alerts users about call merging scam: What it is and how to stay safe

Absconding Hizbul militant arrested in Jammu's Reasi after 18 years on the run

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested an absconding militant, who had been on the run for 18 years, from a forest area near Gujjar Kothian in Reasi district. According to a police spokesperson, Anwar Ali Chouhan, 40, a resident of Gujjar Kothian in Reasi district has been wanted in several criminal and militancy-related cases. He had joined the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militant outfit in 2001 and remained active for seven years. He later surrendered in 2007 in Kashmir but subsequently went underground. Police conducted raids many times at his house at Gujjar Kothian, Chinore Jammu and Kherpora, Anantnag but he was not found at these locations, he said. Consequently, the court was approached and action under Section 82, 83 Cr.PC was initiated against him as he was absconding. According to a police spokesman, many police cases are registered against Anwar. On January 5, 2006 an FIR No. 04/2006 U/S 307, 120B ,121 (A) RPC, 7/27 Arms Act was registered at P/S Reasi after militants fired on a police party during a search operation in the forest area of Jadd, Talwara. Militants had managed to escape but one grenade was recovered during the searches. During the investigation of the case, Anwars involvement was revealed, he said. He further said that Anwar Ali was also wanted in connection with a on April 7, 2006, wherein a hand grenade was thrown on a bus at Baradari, Reasi in which one person was killed and four others injured. During investigation of the case, a charge sheet was presented before the court U/S 512 Cr.PC against Anwar and his brother Mumtaz Ali Chouhan. Mumtaz was arrested in 2007 but Anwar was absconding, he added.

Rekha Gupta's net worth, career & family: Meet Delhi's new Chief Minister

Rekha Gupta, Delhi's new CM, has a strong political journey from student leader to BJP stalwart. A lawyer by profession, she has assets worth Rs 5.3 crore. Her leadership aims to reshape Delhis governance.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa: Sikh stalwart in Delhi Cabinet is active social worker

Newly sworn-in minister in the Delhi government, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who was active in Covid-related relief efforts, aims to bolster BJP's support among the Sikh community. Sirsa, a former president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, has been involved in various relief operations and secured a notable victory in the Delhi Assembly polls.

Microsoft warns about new variant of modular macOS malware called XCSSET

Microsoft Threat Intelligence warned about a new variant of modular macOS malware called XCSSET that infects Xcode projects

Mumbai cricket stalwart Milind Rege passes away

An off-spinning all-rounder who featured in 52 First Class matches in the golden age of Mumbai cricket, Milind Rege was a part of the five consecutive Ranji title-winning seasons for Mumbai

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma near endgame as India chase Champions Trophy glory

Champions Trophy : India's cricket stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli face intense scrutiny over their future as age catches up. Despite recent ODI success against England, their form in Tests remains a concern. Both players are expected to play key roles in the upcoming Champions Trophy, with hypotheses on their retirement decisions emerging.

Won't work for Cong any more: Ahmed Patel's son Faisal

Faisal Patel, son of late Congress stalwart Ahmed Patel, has announced he will stop working for the grand old party, claiming that he tried to follow in his father's footsteps but was denied at every step. Ahmed Patel, who had served as a Rajya Sabha MP, All Indian Congress Committee treasurer and former party president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary, died in November 2020. Faisal had aspired to contest from the Bharuch seat in Gujarat in last year's Lok Sabha elections but the Congress did not nominate him.

Congress stalwart Ahmed Patel's son says he will no longer work for party

Faisal Patel, son of the late Ahmed Patel, has announced his decision to stop working for the Congress party, expressing disappointment over being denied a chance to follow his father's political legacy. Despite his father's prominent role in the party, Faisal was not nominated for the Bharuch seat in Gujarat. He remains committed to serving mankind in other ways.

Saurashtra stalwart Jackson calls time on career after Ranji loss

Saurashtra batting stalwart Sheldon Jackson retires from first-class cricket after 15-year career

Jackson, 38, retires with more than 7200 runs in 105 first-class matches with a highest score of 186, 21 hundreds and 39 half-centuries.

Except CM Atishi Marlena most AAP stalwarts bite the dust in Delhi polls

Almost all Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) heavy weights including its National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and minister Saurabh Bharadwaj faced crushing defeats in the crucial Delhi assembly elections for which votes ...

Kejriwal loses New Delhi seat, Sisodia concedes defeat from Jangpura

New Delhi, Feb 8: Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi former Chief Minister, has lost his re-election bid from the New Delhi Assembly constituency, ending his decade-long hold on the seat. Kejriwal, who has represented New Delhi since 2013, had previously defeated Congress stalwart Sheila Dikshit in what marked the start [] The post Kejriwal loses New Delhi seat, Sisodia concedes defeat from Jangpura appeared first on Northlines .

Arvind Kejriwal Loses New Delhi Seat As AAP Heads For Rout

New Delhi, Feb 8: Arvind Kejriwal has lost his re-election bid from the New Delhi Assembly constituency. Mr Kejriwal has held this seat since 2013, when he defeated Congress stalwart and then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to herald what would be the AAPs decade-long rule of Delhi. The post Arvind Kejriwal Loses New Delhi Seat As AAP Heads For Rout appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Will Virat Kohli play ICC Champions Trophy 2025? Report reveals India stalwart's return date following injury

Virat Kohli was unable to participate in the first ODI against England as he was sidelined with a knee injury.

Apple macOS Users Beware: Rising Infostealer Attacks Can Skim Off Your Passwords, Cause Monetary Loss

Infostealers accounted for the largest group of new macOS malware in 2024, with attacks spiking 100% between the final two quarters of 2024. They cause data breaches, monetary losses, and other harm.

Priyanka Chopra Shows How To Shine Without Stealing Bride's Thunder For Siddharth's Wedding Events

Priyanka Chopra is back in town for her brother Siddharth Chopra's wedding, and her dulha's sister lookbook has fashion lovers swooning! From elegant salwar to vibrant bespoke gown, Priyanka is serving one stunning look after another. Watch the video as we decode her fits! lifestyle news | health updates | travel stories | lifestyle | news18 | n18oc_lifestyleLiked the video? Please press the thumbs up icon and leave a comment. Subscribe to Showsha YouTube channel and never miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/c/SHOWSHAIndiaFollow Showsha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/showsha_/Follow Showsha on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/showshaFollow Showsha on X: https://x.com/news18showshaFollow Showsha on Snapchat: https://snapchat.com/t/6YeotZeyMore entertainment and lifestyle news and updates on:https://www.news18.com/lifestyle/

President Droupadi Murmu to Grace BIT Mesras Platinum Jubilee Celebrations

The landmark event will see the presence of esteemed dignitaries, policymakers, academic stalwarts alongside the institutes notable alumni, who have excelled in diverse fields globally

How DeepSeek Can Be Weaponised: From Bomb-Making Instructions To Revealing Malware And Malicious Code

Three distinct jailbreaking techniques have exposed the vulnerabilities of DeepSeek LLMs, hinting at the potential for these models to be weaponised for malicious purposes.

The best malware removal software of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

If you want additional ransomware protection on your machine, you should use one that offers thorough scans, a user-friendly interface, and compatibility with your preferred operating system.

Jamtara gangs creating fake apps using OpenAI

RANCHI: Cybercriminals of Jamtara, who have been updating their tactics to adopting new ways to dupe people, have now begun creating fake applications for Android mobile phones. They have also discovered ways to prevent these fake apps from being detected by anti-virus software. This was revealed during an investigation following the arrest of a group of cybercriminals operating under the name DK Boss in Jamtara. The gang was allegedly involved in digital frauds worth Rs 11 crore related to 415 complaints across the country. The gang was using Java programming to create malicious mobile applications in the name of government schemes like PM Kisan Yojna.apk and PM Fasal Bima Yojna.apk and various banks, including State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, and Axis Bank. APK, which stands for Android Package Kit, is a file format for distributing and installing apps on Android devices. The group was using sophisticated artificial intelligence in Android software development and ChatGPT for creating malware, police said. Some cybercriminals have learnt basic coding language required to create APK in the name of various government schemes and send these malicious files to users. Once downloaded, these files can easily hack the users phones, steal bank account details, OTPs and date of birth using SMS and call forwarding, which is further used to conduct unauthorised transactions in bank accounts of victims, DSP Chandrashekhar, a member of the probe team in Jamtara, said. He added that six people, who were operating under the pseudonym of DK Boss, have been arrested in the case. Data from about 2,000 Punjab National Bank and 500 Canara Bank account holders were found on their phones. They were not only using the apps themselves but also selling them to other criminals for `20,000-25,000 per APK, said the DSP. During the probe, it was found that the gang employed Chat GPT to generate new codes to further their malicious design, he added.

IND vs ENG fifth T20I: England elects to bowl against India

India made one change to the side, bringing in pace-bowling stalwart Mohammed Shami in place of Arshdeep Singh while England brought in Mark Wood in place of Saqib Mahmood.

Google Banned 2.3 Mn Dangerous Apps From Google Play; How AI Kept You Safe From Threats

AI helped human reviewers detect malware and spyware in 92% of the violating cases, increasing speed and accuracy of reviews.

Virat Kohli's lunch menu during Ranji Trophy comeback revealed: 'India stalwart to eat....'

Fans were so excited about Kohli's return to domestic cricket that more than 10,000 people flocked to the Arun Jaitley Stadium to see it.

Jharkhand Police busts another Jamtara module; arrests 6 cyber criminals

Jharkhand Police arrested six cyber criminals in Jamtara involved in 11 crore frauds through malicious mobile apps. They used APKs mimicking schemes and banks to hack phones and steal data. The group targeted 2,500 bank account holders using artificial intelligence and ChatGPT for malware development. Assistance from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre has been sought.

Cong hits back at Bandis comments about Gaddar

Hyderabad: Union minister of state for home Bandi Sanjays comments on balladeer Gaddar turned into a political slugfest with Congress activists burning his effigies at Gandhi Bhavan. BJP hit back stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had written a letter to Gaddars widow. In his letter written on August 21, 2023 the PM had said, I am deeply pained to learn about the demise of Shri Gummadi Vittal Rao Ji, widely known as 'Gaddar'. Heartfelt condolences to the family in this hour of intense grief. The themes of his poems and folk songs in Telugu reflected the challenges faced by the disadvantaged sections of the society. His creative works also provided encouragement to the people. TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud in his response to the comments by Bandi Sanjay said, The BJP has forgotten its ideology long back. Did he not know Gaddars ideology when he cuddled him? With a new state president set to be elected, Sanjay is frustrated that he would lose his importance. Is Eatla Rajendar, who had said that the naxal agenda is his agenda, not their MP? Did the BJP not ally with NTRs party who had said that naxalites are patriots? How many who contested on the party ticket in 2024 have allegiance to its ideology? Sanjays comments are against the spirit of the Constitution. Gaddar is a stalwart despite the assertions of the BJP leaders. The party even aligned with leaders who had ordered firing on kar sevaks, he said.

New Digital Rules Let You Wipe All Your Details Online

The most absurd part of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2023 is that while it purports to protect the individual from the misuse of digital data, there are no provisions aimed at preventing the risk of harm caused to individuals through the misuse of digital data by any agency, commercial or otherwise. (Representative image: DC) The most absurd part of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2023 is that while it purports to protect the individual from the misuse of digital data, there are no provisions aimed at preventing the risk of harm caused to individuals through the misuse of digital data by any agency, commercial or otherwise. (Representative image: DC) Hyderabad: Can a customer walk into a multinational company like Amazon and ask it to remove all her information from the company's database? She might have been able to delete her account, but could she ensure whether the company has removed her information? It would not have been possible until a month ago. With the draft Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025 released in public domain seeking comments and feedback, the citizens can now look forward to a framework through which they can exercise their right to privacy. The rules are framed under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which is yet to come into force. However, it has created ripples within the industry as now all companies and even government institutions would now have to comply with the rules. This would require both citizens and institutions to be mindful of how private data is shared, stored and used. As per India Cyber Threat Report 2025 released by Data Security Council of India (DSCI) last year, south India is the hub of the largest number of malware attacks, with Telangana leading among all the states. This shows the need to enhance privacy systems. The rules and the law need to be welcomed because prior to this, we were functioning in a vacuum. The Act certainly needs some strengthening but it can be the starting point that enables us to at least start thinking about privacy, said Arjun Reddy Bojja, a High Court lawyer specialising in data protection and privacy. The multinational companies earlier worked under GDPR, which did not have a legal backing in India. Now we have our own specific legal framework to be handed over to them. Initially, smaller businesses have little compliance burden but with the hope that they should not abuse this freedom, Bojja said. With time, the Act would need to be strengthened as technology is already progressing at light speed. Companies would need to enhance their data protection capacities. You would notice that while using certain applications, you are being asked to check the companies' privacy norms. This is because privacy as a concept came into policy as an afterthought. Now, everyone has to overhaul their existing systems to be able to bring in privacy and data protection as part of their design by default, said Sai Krishna Singupuram, Senior Cybersecurity Consultant, Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (CCoE), DSCI, Hyderabad. As individuals, when we give our 'consent' to applications for using our personal data, we need to be informed how, when and where the company is going to use that data. This comes under the ambit of 'informed consent'. The end user must be aware of what personal and private information they are sharing and how it could be used, Sai Krishna said. We welcome the introduction of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act in India. Beyond merely complying with statutory requirements, the DPDP Act marks a crucial turning point in cultivating a privacy-first mindset across industries. Organisations must adapt their processes, from product design to customer engagement, said Sriram Birudavolu, CEO, CCoE, DSCI. Imagine this scenario: You walk into a bar. The waiter asks you for your ID card. All that the waiter needs to know is whether you are of the drinking age or not. But for that, do you need to show him your ID card, which has all your other personal and private information? Is there a way through which he can get only the information he needs and nothing else? This is possible, said Sai Krishna. With the emerging privacy enhancing technologies, such interventions can be made. DSCI's report 'Privacy Engineering: Way Ahead' delves into emerging Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs). So in the bar scenario, there would be third party systems helping them to scan the card and take only the information they need and not collect any other data. There are also data anonymisation techniques that can be used, he mentioned.