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OpenAI recently launched ChatGPT Atlas, which is “a new web browser built with ChatGPT at its core.” It’s based on Chromium—which is true of pretty much all browsers these days except Firefox and Safari—and its unique selling point is that it integrates ChatGPT right into the browser, allowing users to chat with their search results and use a side panel that automatically provides ChatGPT with on-screen context. ChatGPT Atlas also has access to your browsing history, allowing the AI assistant to customize its responses based on your activity. For paid ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Business users, Atlas also has an “agent mode” where the AI can perform simple web-based tasks on your behalf. ChatGPT Atlas is currently only available for macOS, but support for Windows, iOS, and Android is on the way. The browser will be available to all free users at launch with some paywalled features. Furthermore, head of ChatGPT Atlas team Adam Fry posted on social media a list of “post-launch fixes” that will be addressed “over the coming weeks,” including multiprofile support, tab groups, opt-in ad blocker, and various user experience improvements. Read...

I always thought the idea of a 5G laptop was little more than a gimmick. Public Wi-Fi is everywhere these days, plus you can always tether your laptop to your phone’s 5G hotspot in a pinch. That’s enough, right? But after doing a hands-on review of an HP laptop with built-in 5G—the HP EliteBook 6 G1q, if you’re curious what it was—I have to confess that I was wrong. 5G laptops are actually amazing! Here’s a quick explainer on HP Go and 5G laptops, plus what made me change my mind on 5G laptops and why I hope to see manufacturers start putting out a wide range of 5G models soon. What is HP Go? There are some things you need to know about 5G laptops before getting one, such as the fact they’re still pretty hard to find. Whereas tablets with cellular connectivity are common, you have to go out of your way to hunt down a laptop with 5G hardware—and even if you do find the right machine, not all 5G plans support laptops. 5G laptop plans are expensive, and they’re often just sold to businesses. Microsoft Surface Laptop 5GMicrosoft Such is the case for HP Go, which is a 5G service plan provided by HP for businesses, and it’s built right into their 5G laptops. Under the hood, HP’s 5G laptops have multiple eSIMs that can connect to AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon networks. The laptops automatically choose the strongest network without any input needed from you. Conceptually, this reminds me of Google’s original plan for Google Fi—a multi-network cellular plan that automatically switches between networks. The first version of HP Go is designed strictly for businesses, but I asked HP about a consumer version and one representative hinted they were also thinking about 5G laptops for consumers. What makes a 5G laptop so amazing? A 5G laptop transforms how you use your laptop on the go. That’s easy to say, but it actually feels unreal in the real world. I went to downtown Boston, sat on a park bench, and pulled the laptop out of my bag. As soon as I opened it, I had an active internet connection. I later drove to the beach, got out of the car, and opened the laptop. Right away, the 5G was ready to go. Chris Hoffman / Foundry It’s the speed and convenience that wowed me. You can pull out your laptop, check your email and shoot a reply, then close it in under a minute. (It beats typing the email on your phone!) You don’t have to hunt down public Wi-Fi and click through a portal while wondering if you should be using a VPN for public Wi-Fi security. You don’t have to pull out your phone, tether it to your laptop, and drain your phone’s battery to power your laptop’s internet. 5G on a laptop just works. No need for Wi-Fi or Ethernet When I was setting up the HP EliteBook 6 G1q, I took it out of the box, turned it on, signed into my Microsoft account, and configured Windows per usual… except I never connected it to Wi-Fi. In fact, I didn’t even have to set up the 5G connection! The laptop came pre-configured with a cellular profile (a feature HP offers to businesses as part of HP Go). Chris Hoffman / Foundry The experience of setting up a Windows laptop and being able to jump right into using it without connecting to Wi-Fi is surreal. The 5G laptop experience feels like magic. More than that, an always-on cellular data connection provides better anti-theft capabilities for a laptop as well as remote manageability. Like a 5G phone or tablet, you can remotely track a 5G laptop even when it isn’t connected to Wi-Fi. 5G laptops can compete with tablets I remember being at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, which was branded “the year of 5G.” Now, over five years later, it’s still difficult to get your hands on a laptop with 5G. Want a portable device with a keyboard that has 5G? You’re nudged towards an iPad or Android tablet instead. But I want a PC, not an iPad or Android tablet. For real, 5G is a feature that PCs desperately need to steal from tablets—all popular laptop models should offer the option to pay a little extra for 5G. Chris Hoffman / Foundry If PC manufacturers want to compete with iPads in a world where Apple is increasingly offering more desktop-style features on iPadOS, then they need to get serious about 5G laptop models. I want my portable productivity machine to run Windows. How many people have switched to using a 5G iPad as a “laptop” just for the connectivity alone? Cellular laptops are awesome, period I’ve previously argued against 5G laptops, and some of those arguments still hold water: you only have a few hardware options; 5G cellular plans are expensive; you can make do with a dedicated 5G hotspot device. Those are still reasons to avoid buying a 5G laptop right now. But those problems could be fixed by the industry at large, and this HP laptop powered by HP Go hints at such a future. A 5G laptop will never need to drain your phone’s battery via mobile hotspot.Chris Hoffman / Foundry Later on, when 5G laptops are easily accessible and cellular plans are reasonably priced, I’m sure most people would prefer 5G laptops. The idea of having a cellular connection everywhere is a killer business feature, so it’s no surprise that HP is mainly marketing this to businesses to start—but many consumers and individual knowledge workers (like me) would also love this in our day-to-day portable laptops. That day is still a few years away at least, so maybe don’t rush out to buy a 5G laptop just yet. But definitely keep the tech on your radar. I want to see more 5G-powered laptops from other manufacturers soon, and I look forward to the day when opening a laptop is just like taking out a phone. The only question is, which manufacturer is going to take this seriously and be the first to offer 5G laptops to consumers? Read...

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For one reason or another, we’ve all become very familiar with Zoom calls in recent years. Although we thankfully don’t need to use them quite as much as we used to, they’re still an important part of many people’s work and socializing. Unfortunately, Zoom isn’t 100% private and there are ways in which nefarious individuals and organizations can use your calls to steal your information, identity, or private data. Foruntately then, there are ways in which you can protect yourself and make Zoom more of the secure platform it can be. Here are some of our top tips. Use a meeting password Jon Martindale The most important safeguard you can have in place to protect you, your meeting participants, and any information and data shared there, is to put a password on your meeting room. This ensures no one can just wander in unexpected, shutting down Zoom-bombing opportunities. It also means that no one can enter without your knowledge and snoop on what you’re discussing. Passwords are enabled by default on all meetings for free users, as well as licensed users, so it should be enabled, but it never hurts to check. Similarly, when setting up your meeting, you can set a custom password in the meeting settings if you prefer. Use a waiting room Enable a waiting room in Zoom for enhanced security. Jon Martindale A password ensures no one can just enter your room uninvited, but if that password leaks, someone shares it without realizing it, or someone’s system is compromised, it can still be possible for troublemakers to enter your meeting. The best way to ensure that doesn’t happen by surprise and disrupt your proceedings, is with a waiting room. This means anyone wanting to join the meeting has to receive your approval to enter. If they don’t belong, you can boot them easily. You can add a waiting room to a meeting using the toggle option when you set up the meeting under the “Meeting Security,” heading. Alteratively, if you’ve started a meeting already and want to add a waiting room to it, select Host Tools and then tick the Waiting room setting. Enable End-to-End encryption Use end-to-end encryption to hide meeting contents from outsiders, including Zoom itself.Jon Martindale Zoom’s standard “Enhanced encryption” is pretty good at securing your data, but if you want to make it so that no one but the meeting participants can see you or what you’ve talked about (even Zoom itself) enabling End to End encryption is a more secure solution. When it’s enabled, your devices store your private encryption keys locally, so any intercepted data will be garbled and illegible. To enable end-to-end encryption, when you’re setting up the meeting, navigate to the Encryption section and toggle on the End-to-end encryption. Note: The end-to-end encryption is not supported by the Zoom web client, so all meeting participants will need to use the Zoom app to take advantage of it. Video recording is also not possible when end-to-end encryption is enabled. Other disabled features include AI companion, live streaming, polling, and companion Zoom apps like Whiteboard and Notes. Use a random Meeting ID When you set up a meeting you have the option of using your own personal meeting ID or a random one. Although using your own ID can be useful for repeat meetings with friends, family, or select colleagues, it does let people enter your personal meeting space even after the meeting is over. Instead, use a randomly generated meeting ID for each meeting. If you can, use 2FA If you have a Pro, Business, Education, or Enterprise account, or your work administrator has enabled Two-Factor-Authentication (2FA) you can use it to better secure your account. It means that when you login you’ll have to input a code from an authentication app as well as your username and password, making it much harder for someone else to break into your account. Sign in to your chosen authentication app, and tap the option to scan a QR code. Sign in the Zoom web portal and navigate to Profile > Sign In and then toggle Two Factor Authentication to On. Once it’s enabled, select Set up and scan the QR code using your phone in the Authentication app. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete setup. Don’t share meeting links in public When you’re inviting people to a meeting, make sure to only share the links with each participant directly. That way you reduce the chance of someone you don’t want in the meeting from trying to get in – they can’t if they don’t have the meeting ID and/or password. There are range of ways you can share meeting IDs or links with people you want to join. Private messages, emails, individual messaging apps are all fine ways to distribute the details of the meeting. Manage participants As the person who set up the meeting and its host and administrator, you are in charge of the meeting and its participants, and can set the tone for what is acceptable. Make sure everyone conducts themselves in a manner that respects other users and the privacy. Restrict file sharing and screen sharing in the meeting if you have any concerns over malware or information theft. Equally, watch out for phishing scams. Although they’re unlikely in pre-arranged meetings, any unauthorized participants could use fake login screens or requests for personal information to steal the identities of participants. Each user should exercise strong personal caution in this regard, but as the meeting administrator you can also play a role in keeping everyone safe. Turn off optional data gathering Turn off “Optional Diagnostic Data” to keep any personal data from being shared with Zoom. Jon Martindale Zoom does gather some data on its users. It’s anonymized and nothing to do with the actual content of your meeting, but if you want to cut out any extra data Zoom has on you, you can disable the collection. Navigate to the Zoom web portal and login to your account. Then navigate to My Account > Data & Privacy and toggle off Optional Diagnostic Data. Keep Zoom up to date Zoom, like every app and program out there, gets updates from time to time and some of them improve security and privacy, or fix a bug in the system that might allow your data to be leaked. Keeping your Zoom client up to date and using the latest version for all your meetings, rather than the web client, is a good way to make sure your meetings are as secure as they can be. Real world OPSEC This doesn’t relate to Zoom itself, but operational security that you and your meeting participants should consider as part of the meeting. They’re the kind of things you can do to enhance your privacy and that of everyone in the meeting by adjusting the way you conduct it. Only participate in meetings in a private place where no one else can look at your screen. Use headphones and a headset microphone to limit what anyone else can hear. Use a mute switch on your microphone, rather than the mute function in Zoom itself (or as well as). This way you can be doubly sure that no one can hear what you’re saying. Consider using a camera cover when you don’t want to be seen. This ensures that even if you accidentally enable your camera, no one can see you. If you have to conduct a meeting using Wi-Fi that you aren’t sure is 100% secure, such as in a hotel or public space, consider using a VPN to hide your data from anyone else on the network. Read...

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