Author: Shaun M Jooste

I live in South Africa, Cape town, as a father of two children. I've been gaming almost all my life, with plenty of experience writing reviews and articles on the latest titles. With 15 years of experience in local government performing Facilities Management functions, I moved towards becoming CEO of my own company, Celenic Earth Publications, which serves to publish author's books, including my own. I'm a published author of horror and fantasy novels, while I also dabble in game and movie scriptwriting.

Autodesk Flex: A Cost-Effective Way to Work with Autocad and Others

Wanting to use an AutoCad solution that costs you less? Learn more about Autodesk Flex?

We live in a world of choices. In the past, if you wanted to use powerful software such as Autocad, Maya, and others, you needed to purchase an expensive license. However, Autodesk unveiled a subscription model for Autocad in 2016. Now, the company offers Flex, a new “pay as you go” model for its products.

With Flex, you can purchase tokens for any Autodesk product, including Autocad, Maya, 3ds Max, Fusion 360, and many other solutions. Autodesk is well-known for offering state-of-the-art software for different areas, including architecture, structural design, construction, game development, and more.

Even with top-quality software, is it a good deal to use Autodesk Flex? Let’s take a deeper look to find out.

The Concept Behind Flex

If you’re a heavy user of Autodesk apps, such as what happens with architects using Autocad, it’s a given that you’ll purchase a subscription. However, others might find the cost too high for occasional use. This is when Autodesk Flex comes in handy.

You can buy tokens that you later spend on using Autodesk offerings. Each software costs a different number of tokens a day. Additionally, no restrictions exist on how many people can use the software, whereas the subscription model is user-specific. Tokens expire one year from the date of purchase.

There’s no limit on software features by using Flex, and token spending is calculated on a daily basis or per result. For instance, ReCap Photo costs 1 token per 50 photos instead of a daily rate.

A Great Way to Reduce Cost

If you’re an occasional user, buying tokens is a great deal because it can greatly reduce your costs. Let’s take AutoCAD as an example. If you use it once a month, you can get 100 tokens for $300, which will also allow some additional uses.

If you’re unsure about how many tokens you need, fret not! An onsite tool allows you to choose your product, set an estimated use and number of users, and provide recommendations on how many tokens you need.

How Many Flex Tokens Do You Need?

Let’s look at some numbers as of the time of this writing. First, consider that each token costs $3, and you can buy at least 100. Remember that if you’re a dedicated user, purchasing a subscription might be more convenient. That said, here’s an overview of the tokens needed for the top products:

Autocad: 7 tokens a day
Navisworks: 9 tokens a day
3ds Max: 6 tokens a day
Advance Steel: 8 tokens a day
ReCap Pro: 1 token a day
Structural Bridge Design: 7 tokens a day
Fabrication products: 4 tokens a day
Civil 3D: 9 tokens a day
Infraworks: 7 tokens a day
Advance Steel: 8 tokens a day
Fusion 360: 2 tokens a day
Inventor: 8 tokens a day
Maya: 6 tokens a day
Flame: 18 tokens a day

Get a Good Deal

If you buy more than 5,000 tokens, you can get a discount by contacting Autodesk’s sales team. As we mentioned, you might want to explore subscriptions if you need many tokens for a specific product and one user. But purchasing many tokens is oriented toward distributing them to as many users as necessary.

It also brings a significant advantage: you can use the tokens for any Autodesk offerings. This means you can try and use other software and all their features. True to its name, Flex is all about flexibility.

You Have the Control with Flex

If you use Flex for your Autodesk products, you won’t need to worry about controlling token spending since everything is done via a simple interface, where you can assign users and track token spending.

You only need to worry about ensuring that every user closes the products once they’re finished to stop token spending.

Maximize Advantages with a Mixed Model

Even though Flex can be an excellent decision for you or your team, it doesn’t mean you need to discard any purchased subscriptions you might have. Account administrators can have a mix of subscriptions and Flex.

When using a product with a subscription, it won’t use tokens before the subscription expires. This idea is great for teams that use one product heavily and others occasionally.

Your Chance to Use Autocad at a Custom Cost

Autodesk Flex is an incredible way to use Autocad and many other offerings at a low cost. It’s ideal for small teams or anyone who needs to use these products occasionally. It allows you to spend as much as you need, reducing costs.

It’s also an excellent way to try new products before committing to a yearly subscription. So, if you’re unsure about a specific product, Flex offers a way to test it without committing too much money. Intrigued? Get started today!

rev·amp: Enhancing the Power of Site Monetization

rev·amp has become a popular name among publishers for platform monetization. Three years ago, Softonic packaged 25 years of publishing experience into an extensive solution. With it came all the expertise gained by working with clients, navigating advert spaces, and determining the best user experience.

For those of you who don’t know about this solution as yet, we’ve created this article to show you what rev·amp is all about and how it can benefit you. With an average revenue increase of up to 50% within the first six months with our existing clients, you won’t want to miss out.

A Brief History of rev·amp

Softonic has spent over 25 years becoming one of the biggest download platforms for PC and mobile apps, games, tools, and so much more. With so much experience with developing publishing tools and monetizing the site, the company decided to package everything into a single solution to help others reach the same benefits. Three years ago, rev·amp was born.

What does rev·amp do?

rev·amp aims to maximize the earning power of tech publishers so that they can achieve more from their advert placements. The experts visit the client’s site and discover new opportunities for optimization. By evaluating the current ad placements and performance, the team can more clearly determine how to improve the results and offer a unique set up to each publisher, balancing monetisation and user experience.

What makes rev·amp different?

If you have some experience with ad placement platforms on your site, you may already know that it doesn’t cater to the user experience. Instead, they provide an automated tool that haphazardly inserts advert blocks on the site, messing with the content and visual appeal.

rev·amp takes a more human-centric approach. There is more structure and planning involved, determining the critical points on the sites that won’t interfere with the content. Softonic also has a massive portfolio of direct clients and partners that we’ve grown over the years, which will benefit you as the publisher.

Top rev·amp Features that Set it Apart

The rev·amp platform comes with a complete AD-Stack solution. It doesn’t simply apply one approach universally, especially since every publisher has a different methodology. Here are some of the features it provides:

PMP Deal management
Ad Layout Customization
Unified Reports
Smart Ad Refresh
Adblock Recovery
Multi-Ad Format

The Top-Tier rev·amp Tools

rev·amp also supplies several products that will help you earn more from monetizing. The first of these is the cookie-less contextual ads approach. It doesn’t take previous browsing into account like most systems. Instead, it shows adverts relevant to the content on the current page.

The next item is rev·amp’s Policy Shield. It helps prevent Google violations across your website and makes sure no adverts are placed there. As the publisher, you’ll receive alerts whenever a possible infringement is detected so that you can take the necessary action to resolve it.

What about websites that offer products for downloading, such as videos, games, images, or music? rev·amp provides internet-based solutions for anyone downloading or installing content from your site. It adds to the user’s journey while creating more opportunities for publishers and advertisers.

Relevance is another crucial factor for publishers. Nothing is more annoying to users than seeing ads on the page that have nothing to do with what’s listed on the page. That’s why taking a human-centric approach is much better than simply relying on technology. rev·amp makes sure the ads are customizable by publishers so that the design and content remain relevant.

What Problems Does rev·amp Solve?

While we’ve already explained many of the tools and features, rev·amp focuses explicitly on some of the fundamental problems experienced by publishers and advertisers alike. We’ve touched on a few of these before, but let’s take a holistic look at the solutions this platform provides.

Human-Centric Approach

As we’ve mentioned, many platforms are purely tech-driven. You may have noticed a rise in artificial intelligence lately, but even the best technology can’t know what adverts and placements will work best for so many viewers worldwide. That’s why rev·amp takes a more human-centric approach, ensuring that the ads look more natural without interfering with the actual page content. Not only that but clients of rev·amp get access to a dedicated Account Manager who is backed up by our internal Yield and Ad Tech team to continuously optimize the sites performance.

High-Quality Ads

Have you noticed how many sites have low-quality ads that basically serve no purpose other than to place adverts on pages? That’s the by-product of a tech-only approach. rev·amp offers programmatic and affiliate marketing, while also providing partnerships with some of Softonic’s direct clients. That means you’ll see high-quality ads that are actually relevant to the user intent. The system has already shown 750 million monthly ad impressions, revealing just how well they perform.

Compliance with Policy Changes

There are so many policy changes online that some platforms struggle to keep up. We’re not only referring to Google core updates but other systems too. When these changes come about, they can interfere with your current monetization strategies and placements. rev·amp has an in-house team of experts that ensures your website stays compliant with any policy updates.

Global Traffic

Are you tired of your advertising platform only affecting US or UK visitors? With rev·amp, you have a global player known worldwide that offers products to everyone, regardless of location. That means that if a brand’s product suddenly becomes popular in Portugal, you’ll benefit from those viewers visiting your site and clicking on the ads. As a matter of fact, the platform already delivers to 272 countries where there’s a direct demand.

A Balance Between SEO and User Experience

SEO has been in the optimization game for several years now. While it helps to increase traffic to and clicks on your site, many publishers only focus on this factor alone. Sadly, it leaves readers disappointed, knowing that the content was only delivered for clicks. Pages take a long time to load, images are all over the place, and it makes the audience leave quickly and never come back.

rev·amp has the ideal solution that strikes a balance between SEO and the user experience. Not only will they arrive due to a trending topic, but they’ll enjoy their stay on your site so much that they’ll want to come back for more.

Premium Brands Working with rev·amp

If you’re still wondering if rev·amp is worth it, you don’t need to take only our word for it. We have several premium brands we work with that hold testimony to how well the system works. And we’re ready for new challenges!
Here are some top brands we work with:

Ghacks.net
Filehorse
Aptoide
Adobe
ExpressVPN
Avast

Case Studies

Are You Ready to Ramp Up Site Monetization?

We’ve already helped over 50 brands reach real potential when it comes to ad monetization. As an example, Aptoide has reported a 319% overall increase on its site and affiliated pages. Filehorse has shown a 67% increase in revenue thanks to the rev·amp solution. The list goes on and on, but we think you get the picture.

The rev·amp is ready to help you grow ad monetization on your site so that you don’t have to struggle with any of those other platforms out there. You won’t have to just deal with a tech solution, but you’ll have at hand a human-centric approach that actually caters to the reader’s needs.

Be sure to visit the rev·amp site and contact our team to see how they can help grow your ad revenue.

Experience Professional Video Editing Power with VEGAS Edit 20

It’s time to up your game with VEGAS Edit 20 video editing, providing you with a full library of tools and effects. Read more about it here!

Do you love making videos or want to become a professional videographer? MAGIX & VEGAS Creative Software have recently released Update 3 for its powerful video editing program, VEGAS Edit 20. With the tools, filters and subscriptions available, there’s so much you can do to make your next visual content compete with the best.

Let’s take a look at what VEGAS Edit 20 has to offer, the latest update to the video editing software, and what the upgrade packages look like if you’d like to unlock more tools. While you can start using it for $12.99 per month, you can test it out with a 30-day free trial with no obligations.You can also subscribe annually at a lower monthly cost and buy the software outright with a perpetual version.

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VEGAS Edit 20: Inspire your Audience

It’s time to create a brilliant masterpiece with your next vlog or gameplay video. While many settle for standard content and hope for the best, it’s only those who genuinely put some effort into their videos that become successful. That’s where VEGAS Edit 20 comes in with pro-level video editing tools that are easy to learn and fast to use.

The program supports a wide range of formats, which means you can share your content on multiple platforms. It automatically detects scenes to save you some time, while you can also edit specific events. Some of the tools available include slip, shuffle, trim, time stretch, slide, reverse, and much more.

Powerful Effects and Filters

VEGAS Edit 20 grants you the power to adjust your scenes with over 390 effects and filters. You can change how the images or events look, making them more stunning for your viewers to enjoy. Some of the effects include lens flare, blur, glitch, and mesh warp. You can also play around with Bézier masking, motion tracking and cropping. The program fully supports the OFX standard for video plug-ins and thus makes hundreds of third-party filters and effects available to you for your projects. With powerful color grading panel, you have access to saturation, hue, and luminance curves, color wheels, LUTs, and more,

Repairs Videos with VEGAS Edit 20

You’ll come across many occasions where your video doesn’t turn out as well as you planned. There may be a disturbing flickering, or you don’t like the noise in the background. The video may also be shaky or unusual in the raw format. Fortunately, VEGAS Edit 20 lets you repair all these issues and more, quickly and easily.

Capturing Live Videos for Streams

Do you want to play video games and stream them live for others to watch while you chat with them? Perhaps you want to make a video tutorial with a guide. VEGAS Edit 20 includes a record and capture feature where you place video and audio sources for live recordings. Also, you can indicate multiple sources, which is handy if you want to show your face while recording the screen or game.

Editing Audio

The ability of VEGAS Edit 20 to remove unwanted noises isn’t the only audio feature. You can play around with sounds and music with powerful digital audio workspace editing tools. There are reverb and echo tools, a multichannel mixer, equalization features, and more. It even has VST3 support so you can use thousands of third-party audio plug-in tools.

Over 350 Subscriptions to Royalty Stock Content

You can add more value to your video with a subscription version of VEGAS Edit which gives you access to royalty-free stock content that you download directly to your timeline. The library has over 1.5 million items, giving you more variety for your professional video masterpiece. It means you don’t have to pay for several stock subscriptions yourself for stunning visual content, as these will all be included in your VEGAS Edit 20 subscription package.

The Latest VEGAS Edit 20 Update 3

One of the recent updates to VEGAS Edit 20 includes multiple smart masking driven by AI technology (still in beta). You can apply mask layers to several objects in your video separately, letting you work on them individually or carry them over to a new background. It also lets you transfer text changes from one event or scene to another, while there are various improvements to window docking.

The new update improves the RAW processing time when you want to view the video preview. VEGAS Edit 20 uses the NVidia CUDA API to assist with this process, reducing the time you wait for the rendering to complete.

What VEGAS Pro Has to Offer

While all of the features of VEGAS Edit 20 are remarkable, you can upgrade to the VEGAS Pro subscription for even more at $19.99 per month. If you do, you’ll receive the stock content we already mentioned, cloud storage/backup space, cloud collaboration tools, and more.

Here are some of the software packages included with the professional version:

ActionVFX Starter Subscription
VEGAS Stream
Boris FX Primatte Studio
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio

Are You Ready for a New Realm of Video Editing?

As you can see, VEGAS Edit 20 by MAGIX & VEGAS Creative Softwarehas some outstanding tools that make a mark above the rest. With 365 subscriptions and over 390 filters and effects, you can do so much more with your video content.

If you’re ready to begin your journey towards professional videography, test VEGAS Edit 20 with a free trial today!

Dangers of AI Images Related to Security and Data

While AI images have their uses, there are also security threats that go along with them. Read more about them here and how to avoid them!

While ChatGPT has become popular for generative text in the AI world, many AI security dangers have arisen in the meantime. In the same way, the innovation of visual tools like Midjourney has caused controversy in its own way. With deepfakes and plagiarism running wild on the internet, you need to make sure your browser and identity remain secure.

In this article, we’ll provide a quick overview of Midjourney and how it works while also discussing some of the possible benefits. We’ll follow this with the dangers to security and date with the inherent risks to your device. In the end, you’ll see how Avast Secure Browser can keep your PC or smartphone safe from malicious files.

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What is Midjourney?

Midjourney is an artificial intelligence system that uses machine learning to find visual content on the internet related to a prompt, which it then uses to make new images. It’s especially helpful for science fiction or fantasy environments where humans need to imagine what a possible environment, landscape, or new type of people would look like.

While Midjourney used to have a free trial, you now have to pay for a subscription. DALL-E 2 is still a free program you can use, while Adobe Firefly is now in Beta testing. You can request access to the latter, but the demand is high.

The benefit of visual AI tools like Midjourney

There are several advantages to using AI tools like Midjourney. While we’ll cover some of the more controversial uses later, here are some benefits of the system:

Enhanced experience: AI systems can learn from historical art to create new designs and themes that humans haven’t thought of as yet. Also, what would usually take humans hours, maybe days, to complete, AI can do within seconds.
Driving innovation: Tools like DALL-E and Midjourney are leading to new innovations, such as Adobe Firefly creating new templates within seconds instead of relying on outdated stock templates.
More affordable option for content creators: Some authors, for example, pay high rates for cover designers to make striking images to their books can become bestsellers. Now, AI can do that at a fraction of the cost, if not free.
Quick editing features: Another benefit of Adobe Firefly will be that the AI system can do the image editing for you. When you supply an image, you can tell it what you would like changed. It even works on its own AI-generated visuals.

What are the security risks and vulnerabilities of using visual AI tools?

Now that you’ve seen some of the benefits of AI image tools, you must be wondering what possible risks there could be. Here are just a few of them, which may increase depending on how hackers learn to use these technological systems.

Lack of support

Some Image AI systems end up becoming abandoned or no longer receiving support when outdated. Many people don’t realize this, but this opens the gateway for click bait, phishing, and other malware issues to arise. Image downloading what you believe is an official version of Midjourney, only to discover it’s a malicious file being used to steal your information.

Data security

You need to keep in mind that AI tools search the internet and any open sites to find information based on the prompts. That means hackers can do the same to break the security of your devices and obtain your data. The same applies for any of your websites, especially if you use malicious images on your WordPress site.

Plagiarism

One of the top risks of AI image systems has to do with plagiarism. There’s a chance that any images you use for your books or websites copy the artwork of other artists due to machine learning. Not only can this take income away from those artists, but you may end up with a lawsuit on your hands.

Malicious intent

Some hackers use images to hide malicious code that then infects your system when you download the files. Once they are in your system, they can then use cyber attacks to bully you or ask you for a sum of money to save your files.

Deepfake scams

Another alarming risk that’s appeared is the danger of deepfakes. They cause misinformation, presenting fake news about someone by displaying them in a situation that they never were in. This form of attack is harassment, and it can cause massive problems for the person in question. Also, it can be used for identity theft, creating fake IDs that look convincing.

Good example of Deepfake use: The Mandalorian Luke Skywalker Deepfake

If you’re a Star Wars fan, you may have been excited when a younger version of Luke Skywalker appeared at the end of The Mandalorian Season 2. Usually, film studios would use CGI to make this possible, which is what everyone initially thought.

However, some design flaws made observers think twice. YouTuber Shamook tried to create a Luke Skywalker deepfake, with inspiration taken from Return of the Jedi. The results were superb. Thanks to posting the video on YouTube, the renowned visual effects company Industrial Light and Magic contacted him to hire him for future projects in the Star Wars universe. This is an incredible example of how using deepfake technology can benefit someone in a positive way.

Dangerous example of Deepfake use: Presidents used in Russia-Ukraine war

The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia has also played victim to deepfakes, but in a negative way. These images have been used to spread misinformation and propaganda, fuelling the war instead of finding ways to stop it. Even fake events have appeared thanks to AI systems, which went viral on social media.

Since there are not many ways you can detect deepfakes, it’s challenging to know what’s real or not. If not careful, even political powers can use these tools to influence public opinion or make opponents look evil. This is, unfortunately, a malicious use of what should be beneficial technology.

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Sadly, the opposite can also happen, where someone tries to get out of a criminal situation by saying that an image is a deepfake and not real.

Dangers of AI Images Related to Security and Data

How can Avast Secure Browser protect you from harmful AI?

With all this advance in technology comes a rise in cybersecurity threats. Avast Secure Browser has powerful security protocols in place to help protect your identity and stop anyone from stealing your data or infecting your device.

Security & Privacy Center: This dashboard has several features to manage your online activity. It’s on by default, which means your device is immediately secure. However, you can change some of the settings to suit your browsing needs.
Web Shield: When you’re working online with images to see which ones will suit your needs, you don’t have to worry about anyone stealing your banking details or data. Clicking on images or links with malware with trigger an alert to warn you. That means you won’t have to worry about viruses or phishing attacks.
Bank Mode: Avast Secure Browser has a separate system that acts as a virtual desktop for your banking needs. When you press the button combination, the new incognito window makes sure you enter your password and finance information without anyone watching online.
Anti-tracking: Websites save cookies and dates on your browser so that the pages load faster when you revisit them. Some companies use tracking systems to watch your activity online, sometimes for advertising and other times for more malicious reasons. Avast has an anti-tracking system to make sure this doesn’t happen.
Anti-fingerprinting: Have you ever heard of browser fingerprinting? That’s when sites track your browser’s settings and preferences so that they can target you for adverts. Now, all your activity and configurations are hidden thanks to Avast Secure Browser.
Secure Browser Pro (VPN): When you upgrade to Avast Secure Browser Pro, you receive the top-of-the-line VPN service called Secureline. You can navigate to sites usually blocked in your country while ensuring that no one can see your I.P. address. You won’t have to worry about someone contacting you about your personal information.
Privacy Guard (AdBlock): Adverts can also contain AI-generated images that may cause harm to your devices. To be more secure, Privacy Guard automatically blocks ads on all sites, preventing them from causing any issues. You can toggle this setting on and off with the Avast Chromium extension.

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Avast Secure Browser: Protect your Device from AI threats

It doesn’t matter what AI threats appear in images. Avast Secure Browser will continue to grow and find new ways to combat these risks. By changing from your usual browser to Avast, you’ll have plenty of improved security free of charge. When you upgrade to the Premium package, you’ll have even better security from malware or hackers online trying to steal your information. Now you can browse, watch movies, and play online games in peace.

Dangers of ChatGPT and other AI related to security and data

Make sure your device is protected from any potential AI related security issues. Read more about how Avast Secure Browser can defend your data.

ChatGPT has become incredibly helpful for various aspects, such as creating outlines for topics, researching for school work, assisting with social media text, and so much more. While the relatively new AI technology has taken the world by storm, there are several security aspects that many users aren’t aware of.

In this article, we’ll give you a quick overview of what ChatGPT is in case you haven’t tried it out yet. We’ll show you some of the benefits of the AI system before explaining the inherent risks that you need to know about. Finally, we’ll explain how Avast Secure Browser can protect your device and data from these dangers.

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What is ChatGPT?

Open AI developed ChatGPT AI technology as an open-source model so that anyone can use it in creating applications using the same protocols. In essence, it learns from online sources, books, and articles in an effort to understand human language. When you ask it a question, it uses the stored information to supply you with an answer.

There are many actions it can perform. It can search for the top keywords for a topic, create an outline of an article, write an ebook, summarize text, translate content, and much more. It also understands speech recognition and different language models. If you need specific social media text, it can create it for you with relevant trending hashtags.

Dangers of ChatGPT AI related to security and data

The benefit of AI tools like ChatGPT

Now that you know what ChatGPT is and what it does, there are several benefits if used the right way. Here’s a general idea of some of the more prominent advantages of this AI tool:

Enhance experience: While delivering accurate information in a conversational way, it enhances the user experience better than more search engines can. You won’t have to wade through hundreds of page results to find the best answer or solution.
Driving innovation: The AI language model has the potential to inspire innovation when it comes to developing new tools and apps, delivering improved insights into user preferences and behavior
Advancing accessibility: Information is now more readily available, no matter what the reader’s ability or language is. With translations and detailed concept explanations in more layman’s terms, it makes the internet more inclusive. It can also assist those who are visually impaired.
Personalized recommendations: AI technology is able to search your browser history, personal data, and search queries, and it even remembers past conversations you’ve had with it. Not only can it provide personalized recommendations based on your preferences, but it also helps you discover new things aligned with your projects or goals.
Predictive browsing: Thanks to analyzing your browsing history and search results, the AI tool is able to predict what you’ll be searching for next. It will also give you suggestions for other search terms in case it helps you with your research.
Cybersecurity: In many cases, developers have used AI tech to detect cyberattacks, phishing, and many other malicious attacks while also preventing them from happening.
Content moderation: AI has also helped admins of social groups moderate harmful comments and content, by not only identifying them but also automatically removing them.

What are the security risks and vulnerabilities of using AI tools?

After reading about the benefits of AI tools like ChatGPT, you might be wondering how there can be any danger or risk. The problem is that there is no regulation on how this technology obtains and uses the information it collects.

Here are some of the more prevalent security risks of using AI tools.

Lack of support

Some AI tools run without any support from the developers. Others are completely abandoned without further updates, which means you might be working with outdated software. These have high risks of being used by hackers as security vulnerabilities to steal your data or infect your device with malware.

Data security

The way AI technology works is by relying on massive amounts of data; that’s effectively what machine learning is. Without it, it can’t make predictions or suggest content based on your preferences. If you aren’t taking measures to secure your data, you may be vulnerable to hacking or identity theft.

Discrimination

Since AI learns from different sources online, some of the information may be complete or one-sided. This can lead to discrimination against race or gender, especially if someone is using the tool as part of a recruitment process.

Malicious intent

One of the biggest problems at the moment is when people use AI for the wrong reasons. For example, deepfakes are becoming a massive problem at the moment, which is being used for cyberbullying and creating fake news about celebrities and other online personalities.

How can Avast Secure Browser protect you from harmful AI?

Avast Secure Browser is one of the top browsers available on the market, and personally, one that I prefer. Whenever I get a new device, the first thing I do is download ASB and make sure all the security settings are in place, and bookmarks synced. While other browsers ask you to get a separate VPN, this one has it already installed by default.

Here are some ways that Avast Secure Browser protects your device from harmful AI:

Security & Privacy Center: You’ll find plenty of tools and features in this console where you can manage your online activity. While many are activated by default, you can personalize and change many of the Avast Secure Browser settings.
Web Shield: This tool prevents malicious websites using AI tools to steal your information or banking details. When you click on a download link, it will first check if the file is safe before you can save it.
Bank Mode: If you want even more security when banking, you can quickly open a virtual desktop to access your account. In this way, you won’t have to worry about hackers spying on your credentials or account information.
Anti-tracking: Did you know that many browsers and sites track your activity and data while you’re surfing the web? With Avast Secure Browser’s anti-tracking system in place, it will notify you when a site has tried to track you, blocking them in the process.
Anti-fingerprinting: Some sites and adverts try to track your browser’s configuration and preferences, also known as browser fingerprinting. With this Avast tool, it disguises your settings, making sure no one uses the details against you.
Secure Browser Pro (VPN): The Pro version of Avast Secure Browser includes Secureline, which is the VPN you can use for accessing content in other countries or hiding your location. If you have Avast Security Premium, it will already be included in your anti-virus package.
Privacy Guard (AdBlock): If you’re tired of adverts, this tool will block them from appearing on websites while you’re reading. There’s a handy Avast Chromium extension where you can select on which sites you want to disable the feature, especially if you need pop-ups to appear.

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Avast Secure Browser: Protect your Device from AI threats

In conclusion, Avast Secure Browser is one of the few solutions to ensure your data remains safe while you’re online. Even if you’re gaming with friends, you’ll want to make sure no one gets access to your accounts. With all the right tool in place, you can enjoy a wonderful browsing experience without worrying about AI stealing your data.

Bayern Munich vs Man City live stream: How to watch Champions League game online

Bypass geo-restrictions to watch Bayern Munich vs Man City from anywhere in the world! Don’t miss the quarter-final action.

SAVE 63%: Stream the Champions League 2023 from anywhere in the world with a subscription to NordVPN. Get a yearly subscription to NordVPN for just €88.83, and this includes an extra three months for free — 63% off for a limited time.

Man City might have a convincing lead in the Champions League 2023, but German team Bayern Munich is hoping to turn the tables in tonight’s Bayern Munich vs Man City match. The second-leg match will determine who goes through to the semi-finals. You’ll be able to watch all the action no matter where you are with a VPN, such as NordVPN, Surfshark, or ExpressVPN.

Thomas Tuchel hasn’t had it easy as the Bayern Munich team boss. During the first-leg match against Man City, the English team outwitted and outplayed them for most of the game. However, the German team may just show how much of a comeback they can make, so make sure you don’t miss out in today’s match!

Bayern Munich vs Man City for the Champions League 2023 takes place April 19, 2023, at 8 p.m. BST // 3 p.m. ET // 12 p.m. PT.

Bayern Munich vs Man City Champions League

Where to watch Bayern Munich vs Man City live stream online?

If you live in the US, you’ll be able to watch the Bayern Munich vs Man City match on Paramount Plus. For UK viewers, it will be available on BT Sport if you have a subscription. South Africans can enjoy the Champions League 2023 match on DSTV on one of the Supersport channels if you have an account.

Of course, you also have the option to watch the game anywhere in the world if you have access to a VPN provider. It connects you to overseas servers, which means you can watch the game from the US while sitting in Spain. All you need to do is get yourself a VPN account, such as NordVPN, and you’ll have fast streaming speeds with an I.P. address in a different country.

What you should expect from the Bayern Munich vs Man City Champions League 2023 match?

The match today between Bayern Munich and Man City is the second leg of the quarterfinals of the Champions League 2023. Once a winner is determined, that side will go through to the semi-finals. It will be an intense match between the German and English teams, with fans cheering from all around the world.

In the first leg, Man City took a decisive 3-0 victory against Bayern Munich. While they will be playing in Germany this time, fans are speculating that the English team will once again be victorious. If they are, they may be set for the treasured treble, which includes the Champions League, Premiere League, and FA Cup.

In the meantime, Bayern Munich has a lot to prove to overturn their 3-0 loss. Since it will be on home ground, they will be more determined than ever to stop Man City from reaching the treble. It will be one tense match, so make sure you don’t miss it by using one of the suggested VPNs.

Disclaimer: Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.

NYC’s Rat Czar Needs Much More Than “Killer Instinct” to Succeed

With NYC having major rat issues, it has appointed a general to take care of these vermin once and for all. Will her techniques work? Read more here!

If you’ve ever been to or heard tales of New York City, I’m sure you’re familiar with the current rat issue roaming the streets, quite literally. While they appeared to have started vanishing a few years ago, the pandemic saw the vermin crafting new shelters and increasing in numbers again. Now, the city has appointed what’s been called a Rat Czar by some (Rat Huntress by me), named Kathleen Corradi. She has an idea on how to tackle the problem, but many residents are doubtful.

Today, I’m going to give you some insight into Corradi’s proposed initial plan, why many think it won’t work, and my suggestion for dealing with rats based on similar issues we have in my area.

What is the problem with rats in New York City?

For those of you who have never heard of this issue before, let me break it down for you. There’s a reason Hollywood loves putting rats in their American movies, followed by someone screaming, “Ah! A rat!” New York City has always been a haven for these vermin, and it’s not always due to the fault of the residents.

These little critters seem to love NYC almost as much as the inhabitants and fans of the Friends TV Show. As a matter of fact, some tourists get excited when they see rats scurrying around the streets into sewers, as they’re quite famous for living there already. However, the mayor and citizens have had enough, and feel that it’s time for these small neighbors to go.

The main concern revolves around several issues for the dear old rat. Thanks to the bubonic plague, it has the stigma of carrying diseases. These guys can chew through almost everything thanks to the iron plating on their teeth, which is why there’s the risk of food going bad. Also, Hollywood has painted the perception that these are disgusting, ugly animals, despite some people actually keeping them as pests.

Of course, the rats can’t cause diseases to appear. They can be carriers, but then the disease needs to exist in the first place. There is one disease that lives in rat urine, but it mostly affects dogs. Thankfully, you can vaccinate them against it.

I think the greatest concern is seeing homes overrun with rats, destroying food and other items in their path. Also, there have been known to be rats biting children in the past, but it may have been a defensive mechanism.

Whatever the reason for hating rats in NYC, plans are now being put into place to get rid of you with the newly appointed Rat Czar, Kathleen Corradi.

What are the Rat Czar’s plans?

New York City is pumping in $3.5 million in an effort to buy supplies so that Corradi can effectively deal with the rat issue. At the moment, this includes rat ice, baits, traps, poisons, fumigation equipment, and better waste-handling vehicles, such as tilt trucks. They want to target the three elements that rats thrive on: food, water, and shelter.

What’s caught everyone’s attention is the new time slot for taking out the trash. A new directive has gone out for New York City citizens to please only put the trash out after 8 pm. The idea is that the rats will have less time to investigate the trash, which means they’ll have less access to food.

Will it work?

So, there are a few issues with this proposed plan. First, rats are nocturnal, so you’re actually just giving them trash food at the best time of the day for them. If trash management actually stuck to a time schedule for various zones in the city, it might have been easier to know when to put your trash out just in the nick of time.

The people that rats are mostly a problem for are the homeless or those living in poor housing. If trash isn’t taken care of properly in these areas, the issue will continue for years to come. There need to be more effective trash management protocols put in place for them, or some form of education. Telling them to put their trash out after 8 pm isn’t going to cut it.

When it comes to baits, traps, poisons, and similar items, rats sometimes develop a resistance to them or learn to avoid them by watching other rats die. While it does work in some circumstances, this is more of a passive-aggressive approach to eradicating them from the streets of NYC. They are putting the poison down, hoping it will eventually solve the problem. In my upcoming case study, I’ll explain more about why this ultimately doesn’t work.

What other solutions to the rat problem have been proposed?

While reading about the new Rat Czar and initiatives online, I saw some other proposals. One was called containerization. The concept is being used elsewhere with some moderate success, having seen a reduction in rats. Yet, it does come with its own problems.

The idea is to use massive metal bins that are sealed until the truck comes along to empty them. It’s so big that it takes up an entire parking space, which is why it’s not ideal. NYC would have to have hundreds of these all over the place just to cater to everyone.

Also, these bins quickly become full if there isn’t a fast schedule for cleaning them. It results in trash bags being left outside the bins, causing the rats to appear anyway. While it sounds like a nice idea, it won’t solve the issue.

A Case Study of Similar Problems

Here were I live, we have similar problems to NYC has with rats: vagrants and roaches. They both need food, water, and shelter, and they tend to cause similar issues if not taken care of. Specifically, the vagrants just shack up on fields and streets near settlements so they can dig through your trash or steal from your backyard while you’re sleeping.

Since we can’t poison the vagrants (or rather, we shouldn’t), the common solution is to send in law enforcement and transport them to shelters where they can be looked after without causing us problems. The issue is, they don’t want that lifestyle and return to the streets and fields.

Transporting rats to a different location doesn’t help, either. As they said in council where I worked before, transferring a problem isn’t the solution. If NYC simply collected and moved the rats elsewhere, they would become someone else trouble. Also, they would just come back.

As for roaches, it’s the same dilemma. You can have your house as clean as a whistle, but if they smell food, they’ll be living in your home shortly. No matter how many traps, bait, or poison you use, there’s always more hiding around your home to take their place.

So now I want to address the 8 pm and containerization issues with regard to the same roach problem. These critters also come out at night, so they will just go have a feast on the trash anyway. The metal containers actually cause a bigger problem for roaches and rats that I don’t think anyone has considered yet.

Rats won’t just go away because you hide the trash. They are hungry; they will find food, come hell or high water. That means, they’ll probably resort to breaking into homes, gnawing through pantry doors, and finding bags of sugar and other food to eat. You’ve stopped them from eating the trash, so now they’re going to come for your food in your house.

The Ultimate Solution: Destroy the Rat Nests

I’m going to call your mind to a classic science fiction horror movie series called Alien. When the monsters started killing everyone, did Ripley place bait or traps and just hope that they would go away? No. She became infuriated, hunted down the nests, and burnt the SOBs to hell.

That’s why I brought up the roach case study. One very effective way we’ve learned how to deal with them is to hunt down the nests and kill them with any means necessary. Many households use this approach, relentlessly checking for new nests daily and killing them until they are gone.

Yes, the traps and poison are also used as supplementary weapons against these critters, but it’s not the only means. If the Rat Czar is to use killer instinct against the rats in NYC, she needs to become the Rat Huntress. Teams of flamethrowers need to patrol sewers and other areas that are well-known to hold rat nests. From there, it’s a case of exterminating them, or even chasing them to a pre-determined location that’s a literal deathtrap.

Sure, this approach may seem intense to some people, but being passive against the problem isn’t going to help. The only issue is that once you exterminate the rat nest in NYC, you need to make sure to keep the neighboring ones from nearby cities taking up the vacancies.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way

At the end of the day, it boils down to how serious NYC and the Rat Czar are about destroying the rat population in the city. If they just want to passively put down traps and deal with trash management to try and reduce the vermin, so be it. Ultimately, it isn’t the ideal solution, and the rats will find new ways to locate food.

Radio DJ Adele Roberts explains how Great British Bake Off helped with cancer treatment

While filming for the Great British Bake Off, Adele Roberts had plenty of support during her battle with cancer. Read more here!

Stand Up to Cancer is hosting the Great British Bake Off event, which you can watch on Channel 4 every weekend on Sundays. One of the participants had a personal battle with cancer during filming, dealing with chemotherapy and then wearing a stoma bag. Yet, radio personality Adele Roberts says taking part in it is what helped her through the hard times.

It was the heartwarming atmosphere with other participants that really made her feel alive. Talking to them really inspired and motivated her, while making the cake also gave her further encouragement. It hasn’t been an easy road, but she was glad to have supportive people around her.

As explained in Hello! Magazine:

“It gave me something to look forward to. When you’re going through treatment, you need things to keep you motivated and focused on mentally because otherwise you can go to a very dark place. Even practicing kept me motivated and inspired. The whole team and crew also really looked after me. They even made sure I had an ice machine because at the time I was overheating a lot.”

The members of the show were allowed to communicate, which meant they often shared ideas or asked for advice. Adele found this comforting, meaning she didn’t need to feel overwhelmed with the challenge while also fighting against cancer.

It’s so great to see humans show their humanity when they care for one another. It’s something we need to see more often.

Cigarettes After Sex UK Concert Dates: How to get Tickets

Make sure you don’t miss Cigarettes After Sex in the UK with our guide on how to get tickets.

Who’s ready to see their favorite dream pop band perform in the United Kingdom? Cigarettes After Sex have officially announced its tour dates around the UK, starting at Manchester, then heading to Glasgow, making a turn at Dublin, and then ending in London.

If you’re interested in going, you can buy Cigarettes After Sex concert tickets online from TicketMaster. There’s one event in July, but it has limited availability. You’ll have a better job of enjoying the American band in November with four set dates.

Here are the details of the Cigarettes After Sex UK tour:

Saturday 18 November: Manchester, O2 Apollo
Sunday 19 November: Glasgow , O2 Academy,
Tuesday 21 November: Dublin, 3Olympia Theatre
Friday 24 November: London, Eventim Apollo

Just for the record, I’m not calling them a dream pop band because I find them dreamy. For those who don’t know music terminology of the modern age, a dream pop band is an alternative form of rock that uses sonic and atmospheric music in an almost neo-psychedelic way.

If this is the first time you’re hearing about Cigarettes After Sex, it’s an American band that started in 2008. While they began in Texas and became popular in the US at first, they have fans from all over the world. The debut song appeared in 2012, with the first album released in 2017 and the second in 2019.

So, if that sounds like your cup of tea, listen to some of their songs on YouTube Music. You never know; it may be a concert you might enjoy.

Post-Nashville Active Shooter Protocol: FBI Run, Hide, Fight tactics don’t work anymore

After several US shootings, security experts are looking for alternatives to the outdated FBI Run, Hide, Fight tactic. Read more here!

Only moments ago, I wrote an article about the Nashville school shootings and what we know so far from police surveillance and reports. It prompted a question: what is the protocol for victims in active shooting scenarios? According to an FBI guideline, you should run, hide, or fight as a last resort. However, security experts say this Run, Hide, Fight (RHF) tactic is outdated.

Ok, so let’s discuss what the RHF protocol is. Basically, if there’s an active shooter, the FBI says the first thing you should do is run. Once you’re in the clear, you need to hide. If the shooter finds you, you need to fight for your life.

A few months ago, a CNN National Security Analyst wrote how this tactic isn’t working anymore. By the time you run, you’re probably shot down already. Hiding is just a delay until the shooter finds you, which isn’t ideal. Instead, communities are now employing an ADD tactic: Avoid, Deny, Defend.

It’s becoming more prevalent in shootings now that people are taking down the shooters during the incidents. This helps prevent any or further killings while the police are on their way to help. Basically, you try to avoid being shut, but you also try to deny the shooter access to you. You can do this by barricading doors or simply just find a way to stop them from getting to you. If these options are already out the window, you confront them.

There are two sides to this coin. One, you’ve got to be pretty brave and have nerves of steel to pull this off. Also, communities need to be trained how to confront and disarm a shooter. The problem is that you may get shot trying to take them down.

The other side of the coin is that using RHF might get you shot anyway, so you might as well try and fight for your and others’ lives.

There are a few examples of the ADD approach working, such as Brandon Tsay disarming a shooter who killed eleven people at Monterey Park, California. That doesn’t mean we can all become vigilantes now. You still need to make sure you’re safe and in a position to take them down before making a move.