Month: August 2024

Independent experts confirmed NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro as the third best out of 35 solutions. Here’s how the provider protects you from fake shops.

TechRadar’s tried and tested best VPN service isn’t just great for boosting your online privacy – it’s also one of the top solutions for combating fake online shop scams.

Independent auditors at AV-Comparatives ranked NordVPN‘s malware and ad-blocker tracker as the third-best tool against online shopping scams out of 35 similar pieces of software.

The provider launched the upgraded version of its tracker blocker, Threat Protection Pro, back in June in order to offer users better protection against ever-more sophisticated cyberattacks. At that time, AV-comparatives certified NordVPN as an anti-phishing tool – the first VPN provider to receive such an award.

How NordVPN protects you from fake shops online

“Fake shopping websites are a growing problem for shoppers worldwide. They look like real e-commerce platforms and often use professional designs, fake customer reviews, and tempting discounts to trick buyers,” said Domininkas Virbickas, head of development at Threat Protection. “We put our greatest effort into protecting our customers from the severe consequences caused by these sites.”

Available on Windows and macOS only at the time of writing, Threat Protection Pro is a boosted version of its old tracker, malware, and ad-blocker integrated directly into the virtual private network software.

While what’s now known as Threat Protection Lite blocks harmful websites, trackers, and ads on a DNS level, and is only active when connected to the VPN, Threat Protection Pro goes the extra mile to fight back more sophisticated attacks like fake online shops, phishing, and other forms of malvertising. The latter works at the network level, scanning all the traffic directly on the client’s device with no need for an active VPN connection.

“This is exactly what market-leading antiviruses are doing,” said the provider.

NordVPN’s new tool has now proved to live up to the provider’s promises against online shopping scams. During the AV-comparatives’ testing, it detected almost 70% of fake shops. Two dedicated browser extensions were the only tools to outdo it.

It’s worth noting that, contrary to Threat Protection Lite which is included with all plans, Threat Protection Pro is exclusive for Plus and Ultimate subscribers only.

This is how Threat Protection Pro looks on NordVPN macOS app. (Image credit: Future)

How to spot online shopping scams

While NordVPN can effectively protect you against most online scams, it’s still worth learning to spot red flags when you’re buying something online from a site you don’t know.

The VPN firm shares then some tips to help you stay vigilant during your online shopping:

Be skeptical of unbelievable discounts. As a rule of thumb, if it’s too good to be true, well, it probably is most of the time. The Nord team recommends comparing prices on trusted sites while being cautious of big discounts on popular items.Check website quality. Despite some cyber attackers getting good at it, many scams can still be easily spotted. You should look for poor grammar, low-quality images, or broken links.Look at the domains. Fake websites usually come with misspelled domains, so make sure to check this before clicking on it. Nord also suggests checking for a valid SSL certificate – it comes as “https://” – and a padlock symbol to ensure that’s a trusted connection. To be extra safe, use a URL checker to verify if the domain is safe – NordVPN has a free one.Background research is key. Everything looks legit and you’re ready to buy? Before clicking on the button, you should do some extra research. Check the reputation of the retailers online to see what other users are saying about it. Take a look at the website’s privacy policies, terms and conditions, and contact info to see if something doesn’t add up.Beware of unusual payment methods. For obvious reasons, scammers generally prefer payments that are harder to be traced like crypto, gift cards, or wire transfers. Offering these methods isn’t necessarily a sign of a scam, but you should be wary if the retailer insists on one of those. 

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B&W has totally rethought the design of its new and still-pricey earbuds, and for me that’s the game-changer.

Another day, another earbuds launch? Not when its Bowers & Wilkins – and not when it is the Pi6 and Pi8. Why? Because I’ve got a pair of the top-tier Pi8 in my ears, and let me tell you, they fit like a dream – but let’s not get ahead of ourselves

Bowers & Wilkins has long prioritized sound quality, and both new models – Pi6 and Pi8 – support aptX Adaptive up to 24-bit/96kHz for high-resolution sound quality. 

So what are the chief differences between the two propositions? Well, audiophiles will want to know that aptX Lossless support is reserved for the flagship Pi8, for CD-quality 16-bit 44.1kHz lossless audio quality over Bluetooth. Also, while the Pi6 features new 12mm bio-cellulose drive units (based on tech used in the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e, B&W’s 2023 upgrade to its really rather good PX7 S2 over-ears), the flagship Pi8 adds an upgraded DAC, DSP and amplifier components from ADI, so it effectively bypasses Qualcomm’s solution within the chipset, plus the Carbon Cone drive unit technology first used in its excellent top-tier PX8 over-ear headphones – so there’s some thoughtful design correlation there. 

Also, with the Pi8 you get the case retransmission function first seen in the Pi7 and January 2023-issue Pi7 S2, which allows listeners to retransmit audio to their earbuds wirelessly from connected analogue or digital sources, (think in-flight entertainment systems, home computers, or newer USB-C-enabled iPhones). It’s not the first case capable of such a thing – see the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 or LG Tone Free T90S for something similar – but B&Ws case can now retransmit in aptX Adaptive, at up to 24-bit/96kHz quality for a valuable performance upgrade over the Pi7 S2… 

Comfort is key 

(Image credit: Future)

But for me, none of these is the biggest selling point in the company’s latest offering. So what is? Well, I knocked the Pi7 S2’s comfort under intense review, writing “Here’s the thing: the shape of the Pi7 S2 is not especially small or ergonomically shaped, to the point that I have to actually stretch my right ear around the main body of the unit and sort of push the earpiece down, wedging it in place.” 

Yes, they were jewel-like and quite beautiful in my hand, but in my ears they felt less than fabulous. And I’m happy to report that this has all changed now. In addition to removing any metallic caps to aid connectivity, the design of the driver housings has been completely reworked, and if I’m honest, it’s similar to the concha design of the splendid Technics EAH-AZ80 – which is no bad thing. Also, the top of each earbud is now a large capacitive touch-surface with more advanced sensors, and in my early tests, on-ear controls are responsive and useful. 

The Pi8 are undoubtedly the most comfortable earbuds the brand has ever made, even at 7g (which sounds heavy in this space, but they don’t feel it) and, because sound quality was never the problem with B&W’s output, I predict a huge hit. Obviously this isn’t a full review, but that’s my early impression. 

(Image credit: Future)

Both sets of B&W buds use the latest Bluetooth 5.4 specification and you get multipoint support for two devices, IP54-rated protection (for the earbuds only) plus improvements to the set-up and user experience, including ‘Made for iPhone’ (MFi) support for seamless integration, with iOS devices and Google Fast Pair (GFP) support promised for shortly after launch. 

Pi8 owners can also access a user-adjustable Bowers & Wilkins five-band Advanced EQ function to fine-tune the sound of the earbuds to their personal taste (bass and treble tone-control adjustments are included for Pi6 users) and both Pi6 and Pi8 feature three carefully positioned microphones in each earbud. 

As you might expect, the Pi6 are built around the same noise-rejection platform used in the outgoing Pi7 S2, while the Pi8 adopt the tech found in the flagship Px8 over-ears. This is teamed with a new noise cancellation ANC algorithm developed by B&W, and the company told me that while they don’t make any huge claims for the active solution (it was already rather good), you’ll get up to 5dB of extra noise-nixing passively thanks to those design upgrades. 

Stamina speaks to us – and cash is king 

(Image credit: Future)

Both the Pi6 and Pi8 offer more battery life than their older siblings – although not much more. The Pi6 promise up to eight hours of listening from the earbuds before charging is required, with the charging case offering up to a further 16 hours of use for a 24-hour combined total playtime. The Pi8 offer 6.5 hours from the earbuds and a further 13.5 hours from the case, for 20 hours of total use – but the good news is that all these figures are quoted with ANC on. For clarity, the Pi7 S2’s stamina was five hours for the earbuds (ANC off) and an additional 16 hours from charging case, for a 21-hour total. 

The Pi6 and Pi8 are available in various different finishes. The Pi6 will be offered in Storm Grey, Cloud Grey, Forest Green and Glacier Blue, while the Pi8 come in Anthracite Black, Dove White, Jade Green and Midnight Blue.

The Pi8 will be available from today (August 21) priced $399 / £349 / AU$599. The Pi6 will be available from September 15, priced $249 / £219 / AU$449. 

When you consider that the 2021 Pi7 also launched at $399 / £349 / AU$699, it’s good to see that Bowers & Wilkins isn’t upping the asking prices – although that’s still top-end money compared to rivals in our best noise-cancelling earbuds guide. Stay tuned for my full, in-depth review of the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8. 

(Image credit: Future)

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