Availability of Non-Smart TVs in the Market
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Dumb TVs, which are often referred to as non-smart models, are simpler versions of smart TVs that lack apps or intelligent features. Non-smart TVs are challenging to find, and those that are available tend to be underwhelming. Dumb TVs not only miss essential modern functionalities but often serve as budget-friendly options that offer little beyond basic viewing. These models may feature poor picture clarity, sluggish response times during gaming, and inferior audio quality. Although they might be priced attractively, the compromises may not justify the choice.
Instead of stressing over locating a non-smart TV, it might be advisable to avoid connecting a smart TV to the internet if you’re concerned about privacy and internet connectivity. Alternatively, if the TV is already online, you can simply remove it from Wi-Fi settings, effectively turning it into a dumb TV.
However, if you’re still interested in acquiring a dumb TV, there are a few possibilities available to you.
Dumb TVs remain available for those who seek them
How AI Web Browsers Track User Behavior
**AI Web Browsers: A Double-Edged Sword in Privacy and Personalization**
In a pioneering study showcased at the 2025 USENIX Security Symposium, researchers revealed the complex dynamics of AI-driven web browsers, featuring well-known names such as ChatGPT for Google, Sider, Monica, Merlin, MaxAI, Perplexity, HARPA, TinaMind, and Microsoft’s Copilot, in their handling of user data. The results provoke substantial concerns regarding privacy, as these AI browsers scrutinize, retain, and retrieve user information in potentially obscure ways.
**The Experiment: Real-World Scenarios and Privacy Tests**
The research group recreated a range of real-world browsing situations, including reading news articles and viewing YouTube videos, alongside more sensitive endeavors like accessing adult content and completing tax forms. These scenarios took place in both private and public environments to assess the strength of privacy protections. The outcomes were disturbing, showing that numerous AI extensions recorded not just visuals and textual information but also sensitive data, such as medical histories, social security numbers, and preferences on dating platforms.
One of the most troubling discoveries was that the Merlin extension sent out banking information and health records, while others like Merlin and Sider AI logged activity even in private browsing modes. This raises doubts about how much users can trust these applications with their personal data.
**Data Transmission and Storage: A Closer Look**
By decoding data traffic, researchers found that multiple AI assistants sent webpage content to their own servers and external trackers. Specifically, Sider and TinaMind sent user prompts and identifying details, including IP addresses, to Google Analytics, facilitating cross-site user tracking. Microsoft’s Copilot was observed to save chat histories from earlier sessions in the browser’s background, implying that these records could remain across various browsing sessions.
Additionally, AI tools like Google, Copilot, Monica, ChatGPT, and Sider employed user activity data to create profiles based on age, gender, income, and interests. This profiling was leveraged to tailor responses during browsing sessions, emphasizing the compromise between personalization and privacy.
**Perplexity: The Most Private Option?**
Among the AI assistants examined, Perplexity emerged as the most privacy-aware choice. It could not remember past interactions, and its servers did not access private data. However, it continued to assess page titles and user location, suggesting that even the most private options are not entirely devoid of data collection.
**Conclusion: Navigating the Privacy-Personalization Trade-Off**
The research highlights the necessity for enhanced transparency and user command over data collection within AI web browsers. As these tools become further embedded in our digital lives, users need to recognize the potential privacy hazards and make well-informed decisions regarding which tools to adopt. The findings also advocate for more stringent regulations and standards to guarantee that AI technologies uphold user privacy while providing the advantages of personalization and improved browsing experiences.
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Comprehending the Essential Icon on Your Android Device’s Display and Ways to Turn It Off
N icon on your Android display appears when utilizing the integrated NFC feature, and a rectangle with a Wi-Fi icon shows up during screen mirroring sessions. Another icon in the status bar you might see is one that resembles a key.
The key icon on your Android display signifies that you are connected to a VPN service. VPN — which stands for Virtual Private Network — provides a secure connection that protects you from online tracking and permits access to websites restricted by region. This is facilitated by concealing your actual IP address and utilizing the IP address of the VPN server. Every occasion you activate the VPN service on your Android device, a key icon will be displayed in your status bar. However, you can easily turn it off as well.
How to disable the key icon on Android
If you installed a complimentary VPN application on your Android device, such as Windscribe or ProtonVPN, and enabled it, it is quite simple to remove the key icon from your status bar. Just open the third-party VPN app and press the off or Disconnect button on the main screen.
If you configured a VPN directly through your phone’s settings and connected to it, you can also turn off the key icon on your Android using the Settings app. Open Settings, input VPN in the search field, and choose the result that appears. After that, deactivate the active VPN service you are connected to.
Some Android devices like the Google Pixel 7 and newer models also offer a built-in VPN service. To deactivate VPN on Pixel devices, follow these steps:
- Access the Settings app.
- Choose Network & internet from the
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Top 4 Budget-Friendly Smart TVs Strongly Endorsed by Costco Members
differentiating between affordable and expensive televisions is a different topic altogether. Generally speaking, selecting the premium models is straightforward since you merely need to choose a flagship product from leading smart TV manufacturers and that’s it. On the contrary, if you are working with a tight budget, the process becomes quite challenging as opting for a lower price on a smart TV might result in acquiring a subpar device.
Fortunately, you can depend on user reviews from Costco to determine what to select and what to steer clear of. To assist you in making a well-informed decision, we’ve curated a list of the best inexpensive smart TVs, as ranked by Costco patrons. These models feature brands such as LG, TCL, and Hisense, all boasting solid ratings and priced between approximately $100 to $350.
TCL 55-inch Q77K
The TCL 55-inch Q77K QLED is a budget-friendly smart TV that is the top-rated choice among Costco members, and upon examining its specifications, it becomes evident why. The Q77K features a QLED panel that supports multiple HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG, and HDR10 for enhanced picture quality. Being a QLED, the panel also provides good viewing angles. It operates on Google TV, thus granting access to a range of applications to begin with and the option to install additional ones.
Although it is an economical television, it comes equipped with several gaming-oriented functionalities that can be useful when you wish to play on a PC or gaming console. To begin with, the panel boasts a native refresh rate of 144Hz, and in addition, the TV features TCL’s Game Accelerator 240, which allows for variable refresh rate (VRR) to minimize screen tearing. The Q77K also incorporates features such as auto-low latency mode and four HDMI 2.1 ports, with one port supporting HDMI eARC.
The HDMI eARC port is crucial for enabling the television to connect directly to a soundbar and
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Relive Windows 3.1 Right in Your Browser for a Trip Down Memory Lane
GitHub page, allowing anyone interested to take a deeper dive.
If you’re looking to extend your 3.1 emulation experience with additional PC nostalgia, these five websites from the 1990s are still operational and ready for your exploration. Here’s to CERN for enlightening us about the World Wide Web.
A desktop preserved in history
As soon as Windows 3.1 completes its boot sequence, you find yourself back in the classic Program Manager — that arrangement of boxes and icons that was once “the desktop” before the Start Menu emerged. The Main group contains all the essentials: File Manager for browsing the drive, Control Panel for adjusting system configurations, and a variety of other selections. The Accessories folder is well-equipped as well,
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The Final Destination of Returned Amazon Products: An In-Depth Examination
from Amazon’s process overview, items either re-enter inventory post-inspection, become warehouse deals, or are liquidated, donated, or recycled.
Following drop-off, items are grouped with other returns and dispatched to an Amazon return center, which the company labels as facilities designed to handle “various types of products” ranging from apparel and electronics to furniture. Each item undergoes evaluation and inspection, and if they meet certain criteria for damage or signs of use, they may be relisted; either as a new product when suitable, or through Amazon Resale. Items that fail to fulfill Amazon’s “high bar for sale” can be repaired and liquidated via specialized vendors, donated through Good360, or recycled, according to Amazon’s sustainability reports.
Moreover, Amazon pallets consist of collections of returns, overstock, or liquidated goods, some of which originate from standard product returns from its customers. In summary, items you return might reappear for sale, or they could be discarded using one of several methods, including liquidation, donations, or recycling. However, it remains uncertain where returns from Amazon’s new Haul discount store go — you can return any of its extremely low-cost items if they are damaged, defective, or not-as-described, within 15 days, provided you pay more than $3.
