Technology

• The web version of Google Calendar has been given an official dark mode
• The feature is rolling out globally this week to all Calendar users
• Google has also given Calendar a "refreshed user interface"

If you've been patiently waiting years for Google Calendar to deliver an official dark mode, today is your day – the web version of the app has finally been given a darker optional color scheme, along with a mild redesign.

The news came in a Google Workspace blog post where Google said that it's introducing the ability to switch between light mode, dark mode, and default themes. As previous reports have noted, dark modes can give you a small battery life saving, particularly if you're using a device with an OLED screen.

(Image credit: Future)

The update is rolling out now, though it's also become available to a few members of the TechRadar team so far. To see if you have it, head to the settings cog at the top right of the page, then in the new drop-down menu click 'Appearance' (see above).

You'll then see the menu below – choose 'Dark' and you'll be treated to the eye-pleasing sight of the new dark mode. That's not everything that's changed either – the typography and controls have been tweaked in line with Google's 'Material Design 3' guidelines, which Google says makes it "more modern and accessible."

The calendar certainly looks cleaner to us, but the dark mode is the main improvement that we're particularly happy to see.

Warning: may cause extension headaches

(Image credit: Future)

In slightly less good news, Google says these changes may break some of your Chrome extensions if they "are active when using Google Calendar."

Google didn't elaborate on what extensions might be affected but said some "might not work as expected" and that you should contact the extension's developers with any issues. We'd imagine ones like G-Calize (for color-coding calendars) and Timely might be the kind of extensions that could be affected.

Other affected extensions could include some theme customizers that became available in the Chrome Web Store when it looked like Google was reluctant to make an official one.

Fortunately, that dark mode is now here – which is good news for both our eyes and laptop battery lives in general.

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A new leak claims AMD’s upcoming Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor will see an 8% performance boost over the Ryzen 9 7800X3D — in other words, the chip that is regarded as one of the best gaming CPUs on the market now looks set to be dethroned.

This could stand as a significant boost for PC gamers, especially considering the improvement in 3D V-Cache, which was a downside in our AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D review. The leak from VideoCardz contains a marketing description of the 9800X3D, revealing ‘Next-Gen 3D V-Cache’ which points towards better thermal performance when operating at higher clock speeds.

VideoCardz also reports that it’s expected to have a 15% enhancement over the 7800X3D in multi-threaded workloads, ideal for multi-tasking duties and video editing, using 8 cores and 16 threads — this strikes a balance for both content creators and gamers, along with the aforementioned 3D V-Cache improvements. These pivotal enhancements being leaked ahead of the 9800X3D’s confirmed November 7th launch and AMD’s full spec reveal gives gamers some insight into what to expect.

Will the 9800X3D be worth the upgrade?

While we have yet to see the full scope of what the Ryzen 7 9800X3D will have to offer specification-wise, the leaked marketing description gives us a great idea of what is in store for PC gamers. Considering the aforementioned 8% boost in gaming performance and room for slightly higher clock speeds up to 5.2GHz compared to the previous 5GHz, the switch is certainly worth contemplating - and for gamers who have yet to upgrade to an AM5 chip, this performance boost could finally be the push they need.

Despite the improvements listed in the leak, it’s important to note that there is only so much that can be done when it comes to poor game optimization on PC — an upgrade can help specifically with reducing stuttering in certain games, but it’s not the silver bullet for achieving optimal performance. Besides, most modern games are far more dependent on your GPU and available VRAM.

If you’re using the best GPUs on the market, like the Nvidia RTX 4080 Super or RTX 4090, any kind of upgrade isn’t entirely urgent, but we’ll have to wait to see everything AMD’s new processor has to offer before we can pass judgment on the value of this new chip.

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The iKOOLCORE R2 Max is a compact yet powerful mini PC that comes with either the Intel N100 or the more powerful Intel Core i3-N305, making it capable of handling various tasks such as content creation, virtualization, and office work.

Despite its small size, measuring just 15.7 x 11.8 x 4 cm, the R2 Max is well-equipped with four high-speed Ethernet ports - two 10GbE ports powered by Marvell AQC113C-B1-C chips and two 2.5GbE ports running on Intel i226-v controllers.

These could make it an excellent choice for users seeking a budget-friendly home web server with advanced networking capabilities.

Keep cool

(Image credit: iKOOLCORE )

Internally, the R2 Max supports up to 32GB of DDR5-4800 RAM in a single slot and includes dual M.2 NVMe slots (2242/2280) for storage, with support for up to 2TB. While the PCIe 2.0 x1 lanes limit peak SSD performance, they should be fast enough for sharing files and serving up media.

The R2 Max also includes two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C 3.2 Gen2 port for connecting peripherals, alongside HDMI 2.0 and USB-C for 4K 60fps display output. Power can be supplied via a 19V DC input or a USB-C PD port, adding flexibility for users who want a backup battery.

Cooling is handled via a passive system, featuring a copper heatsink and a CNC metal top cover for heat dissipation, which should be more than sufficient for typical home server tasks. For heavier workloads, two optional fans can be added to improve airflow and prevent the system from overheating.

The R2 Max is priced at $299 for the N100 barebone version and up to $709 for the fully equipped N305 model with 32GB RAM and a 2TB SSD. The mini PC is compatible with Windows, Linux, pfSense, OPNsense, OpenWrt, Proxmox VE, VMware ESXi, Unraid, and more.

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Our experts spend hundreds of hours regularly testing VPN apps to give you only the best and most up-to-date buying advice. Well, after another round of deep dives, there are some big changes to our best VPN rankings.

While some testing sessions are less eventful – often confirming rather than revolutionizing our top VPN list – there have been quite a few interesting changes this time around. From checking unblocking and threat protection capabilities to speeds, server network, pricing, and new releases: some providers have recorded important wins to the detriment of some big names.

Keep reading to see what has changed, what hasn't, and what all this means for you. Understanding the reasoning behind our rankings is crucial for choosing today's best software according to your needs.

NordVPN remains TechRadar's favorite

Before looking at what has changed with the new VPN ranking, let's confirm what has not. Good news for all our long-standing readers who have trusted our previous buying advice - NordVPN confirms itself as TechRadar's best pick this time, too. This round of testing unveils brilliant performances from Nord's side yet again, in fact, across all its apps. We are especially pleased to see its speeds and unblocking results still at the top of the ranking.

Did you know?

A VPN, short for virtual private network, is a security software that encrypts your internet connection to secure all the data leaving your device. It also spoofs your real IP address and location to boost your online anonymity and grant you access to otherwise geo-blocked content.

We also recorded many browser extension improvements, including location spoofing which tells your browser to use the VPN’s virtual location, and the complete rebuilding of the Firefox extension to improve security. Similarly, there also are some improvements with its Meshnet feature, including faster file sharing and the ability to personalize device names so they’re easier to recognize.

Even more significantly, NordVPN has seriously upped its game for malware and phishing protection. The newly launched Threat Protection Pro has already proven itself to be a highly effective security tool and uses AI to help identify newly created threats. Yes, you'll need to upgrade above the Basic plan to use this tool, but our results show that it's well worth it for your online safety.

Surfshark steals second place

Now, let's have a look at something more juicy – the changes across the rankings.

Surfshark obtained a silver medal for the first time ever in our top VPN list. While the best cheap VPN provider has moved to second place, ExpressVPN has slipped to third as a result. Multiple factors influenced our decision which can be summarized as Surfshark offering more consistent performances for a fraction of Express' price.

(Image credit: Future)

Let's take a look at the speed results, for example. NordVPN and Surfshark were still consistently faster than ExpressVPN, if only a little. While the latter peaked at 898 Mbps with its WireGuard-based protocol, the others reached over 950 Mbps consistently also this time.

When using Surfshark, we enjoyed more stable streaming unblocking, too. That's because ExpressVPN had a few fails with some Netflix connections. It eventually unblocked every country but sometimes it took two or three attempts – this makes Surfshark a way more reliable Netflix VPN option.

Last but not least, ExpressVPN is way more expensive service compared to Surfshark or NordVPN. In the past, we were putting performances and technical infrastructure above this factor, but lacking the first we had to consider this difference.

Having said that, Express has recently lowered its price for the first time ever. Its one-year plan dropped to just $5.32 per month from its previous $8.33 monthly fee. While this is still far from matching Sursfhark convenience ($2.79 a month for the same plan), it certainly puts Express at a more competitive place in the market.

Proton VPN knocks PIA out of the rankings

The changes among our top VPN picks do not end here, though. The Swiss provider also behind one of the most secure email services and cloud storage solutions, Proton VPN has jumped from #6 to #4.

Again, there is a mix of reasons behind this choice. For starters, Proton VPN was among the fastest VPNs we tested also this time, peaking at 950+Mbps alongside the top two picks when connected to the WireGuard protocol.

(Image credit: Future)

We were also impressed by the boost to its server network, now counting locations across 112 countries – even more than NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Proton VPN’s global domination is also significant as the provider focuses on areas competitors may overlook, like Africa (Proton has 22 servers in contrast to the 7 NordVPN has) and Asia (42, against 34 from ExpressVPN and 32 from NordVPN).

While PrivadoVPN, the best free VPN service right now, remains in the same position (#5), a popular provider had to say goodbye to the top five. Private Internet Access (PIA) has now fallen to the sixth position after a few years in fourth.

This drop mainly comes as a result of Proton's improvements. Besides this, PIA speeds didn't impress much – 436Mbps when connected to WireGuard. TechRadar's Lead Reviewer, Mike Williams, also found the provider's customer support experience a bit "lousy" as the team stopped replying to his questions at some point.

How we test VPNs

We take our reviewing process very seriously and are committed to running VPN tests regularly to offer only up-to-date recommendations. To do so, our experts undertake a rigorous array of tests designed to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each VPN service.

The testing process begins by gathering as many technical details as possible about every product. These details span from network size and server locations to supported protocols, encryption methods, security features, and independent audit results. Reviewers then compare the information and conduct subsequent in-house tests accordingly.

Many factors need to be verified to assess the reliability of VPN software, in fact. Is the privacy and security infrastructure in line with industry standards? Does it work as promised? Does the VPN offer fast connections? Does it unblock geo-restricted content without any issues? How's the provider customer support?

To reply to all these questions, reviewers run many practical tests, including speeds, streaming unblocking, and various security checks. You can read more about our testing process on our methodology page.

Bottom line

It's important to stress that these rankings variations are a cumulation of many factors, but do not mean that ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access (PIA) are not valid services anymore.

All the providers listed in our guide are secure and worth subscribing to, in fact. These new pieces of information are for you to shape your buying choices according to your very own needs.

Do you need more servers around Africa and Asia? Proton VPN may be your best bet, then. Is connection speed a defining factor for you? You should probably consider NordVPN or Surfshark over PIA. And so on.

It's also worth reminding you that all the VPN services in our rankings come with some form of money-back guarantee (generally 30 days). This means you can try them out risk-free and decide for yourself if the software is really value for money – for you, at least.

Some Samsung smartphones were reportedly carrying a high severity vulnerability in their processors, allowing threat actors to escalate privileges and possibly drop malware on the devices.

Cybersecurity researchers from Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) found the flaw and reported it to Samsung, which addressed the vulnerability on October 7, with a patch and a follow-up security advisory.

In the advisory, the flaw was described as an use-after-free vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-44068, with a severity score of 8.1 (high-severity), found in Samsung Exynos mobile processors versions 9820, 9825, 980, 990, 850, and W920.

Vulnerability chain

Samsung phones that are powered by these chips include parts of the S10 series, Note 10 and 10+, the S20 series, as well as Samsung Galaxy A51 5G and Samsung Galaxy A71 5G. The Exynos W920 is primarily used in wearable devices like Samsung's Galaxy Watch series.

TAG’s researchers suggested that the vulnerability is being exploited in the wild, as part of a larger chain that makes use of other bugs, as well.

"This 0-day exploit is part of an EoP chain," TAG said in its technical write-up. "The actor is able to execute arbitrary code in a privileged cameraserver process. The exploit also renamed the process name itself to 'vendor.samsung.hardware.camera.provider@3.0-service,' probably for anti-forensic purposes." There was no mention of other vulnerabilities exploited as part of the chain.

Google’s researchers did not discuss the identity of the miscreants abusing this flaw. However, it’s worth mentioning TAG usually tracks nation-states and state-sponsored threat actors, so it is safe to assume that this bug was abused by a similar team, too.

Nation-states usually engage in cyber-espionage and identity theft, so it is possible that whoever abused this flaw, tried to drop an infostealer, or a tracker, onto a Samsung device.

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