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The Apple TV is one of the best streaming devices you can get right now that can add Netflix, Disney+, Max and other streaming apps to your boring old TV. But you may not know that, with a VPN, you can use your Apple TV to access even more content. By downloading one of several VPN apps directly to the Apple TV, you can spoof your IP address, tricking your system into thinking you’re in a different country. And because most streaming services license different shows in different territories, flipping the VPN to an international location lets you access a wider array of content. Here’s how to use a VPN on your Apple TV and why you might want to install one.

How to use a VPN on Apple TV

Setting up a VPN on your Apple TV is easy; just follow these steps (these may vary slightly between VPNs):

In the Apple TV App Store, search for the VPN you want to download or search for the keyword “VPN” to see your options.

Download and install your chosen VPN.

Sign up or log in.

We have a comprehensive guide on how to stream video to your TV using a VPN, which covers Apple TV installation and provides alternative methods for connecting a VPN to your Apple TV.

Why you should use a VPN on Apple TV

As previously mentioned, using a VPN on your Apple TV allows you to change your IP address to make it seem like you’re browsing from a different country. This happens as the VPN encrypts your connection and tunnels it through the VPN’s digital or physical servers located in other countries. So if you’re in the US and tunnel to a UK VPN server, you’ll be able to access the UK Netflix content library and watch shows on UK-only services like BBC iPlayer.

VPNs can also be essential security tools, although their features apply best when you’re using them on a smartphone or PC where you do most of your internet browsing. If you purchase a VPN subscription with your Apple TV in mind, we recommend using it on your smartphone and laptop, too. A VPN can help keep you anonymous online and protect your data from malicious parties or advertising networks. If you care about digital privacy and anonymity, it’s good practice to use a VPN across all devices with internet connectivity.

Choosing the right VPN

Apple TVs only work with a limited number of VPNs. Although that seems like a hindrance, Apple vets the VPNs it allows on its App Store, and you can feel reassured knowing they’re trustworthy options. Every one of the top picks on our best VPNs list is on the Apple TV app store.

We encourage you to do your own research when choosing a service. Although each VPN has the same basic functionalities, their price and extra features vary. Before deciding which one is right for your needs and the devices you have, take some time to look at what each one offers and see what other users have to say.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/how-to-use-a-vpn-on-your-apple-tv-113345557.html?src=rss 

Meta’s Oversight Board has weighed in on the company’s content moderation policies in Venezuela amid violent crackdowns and widespread protests following the country’s disputed presidential election. In its decision, the board said that Facebook users posting about the state-supported armed groups known as “colectivos” should have more leeway in making statements like “kill those damn colectivos.”

The company asked the Oversight Board for guidance on the issue last month, noting that its moderators had seen an “influx” of “anti-colectivos content” in the wake of the election. Meta specifically asked for the board’s input on two posts: an Instagram post with the words “Go to hell! I hope they kill you all!” that Meta says was directed at the colectivos, and a Facebook post criticizing Venezuela’s security forces that said “kill those damn colectivos.”

The Oversight Board said that neither post violated Meta’s rules around calls for violence and that both should be interpreted as “aspirational statements” from citizens of a country where state-supported violence has threatened free expression. “The targets of aspirational violence are state-backed forces that have contributed to the longstanding repression of civic space and other human rights violations in Venezuela, including in the present post-election crisis,” the board wrote in its decision. “By contrast, the civilian population has largely been the target of human rights abuses.”

The Oversight Board also criticized Meta’s practice of making political content less visible across its services. “The Board is also deeply concerned that in the context of Venezuela, the company’s policy to reduce the distribution of political content could undermine the ability of users expressing political dissent and raising awareness about the situation in Venezuela to reach the widest possible audience.” It recommended that Meta adapt its policies “to ensure that political content, especially around elections and post-electoral protests, is eligible for the same reach as non-political content” during times of crisis.

The case isn’t the first time the board has waded into the debate surrounding the role of political content on Meta’s apps. Earlier this year, the board accepted its first case related to a post on Threads, which is also expected to weigh in on Meta’s controversial decision to limit recommendations of political posts on the service. The board has yet to publish its decision in the case.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/metas-oversight-board-separates-death-threats-and-aspirational-statements-in-venezuela-100050434.html?src=rss 

X’s advertising woes are about to get a whole lot worse, according to a new report from Kantar, details of which were published by Advanced Television. The market research firm found that 26 percent of marketers plan to cut their spending on X in the coming year, and that advertisers’ trust in X is “historically low.”

Kantar’s report, which is based on interviews with 18,000 consumers and 1,000 marketers from around the world, underscores just how far X’s advertising business has declined since Elon Musk took over the company. Over the last year and a half, the platform has seen numerous high-profile advertisers halt or slow down their spending amid concerns about hate speech and other toxic content.

Musk has also antagonized major advertisers, saying that brands worried about hate speech should “go fuck yourself.” he’s also accused advertisers of “blackmail,” and recently sued an industry group and several global companies for conducting an “illegal boycott” of the platform. Of note, Kantar found that only 4 percent of marketers believe X is safe for brands.

X didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The company told the Financial Times that “advertisers know that X now offers stronger brand safety, performance and analytics capabilities than ever before, while seeing all-time-high levels of usage.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/report-a-quarter-of-x-advertisers-plan-to-cut-spending-next-year-235447747.html?src=rss 

In case the many books and films from the Twilight universe haven’t provided enough fodder for your fandom, there’s a new TV project in the works about the love-em-or-hate-em sparkly vampires of the Pacific Northwest. An animated series adaptation of Midnight Sun is currently in development at Netflix. Published in 2020, Midnight Sun is a companion to the original Twilight novel, telling the same events of that book from the perspective of Edward Cullen. Yes, the sick, masochistic lion gets to share his side of the story of how he falls for the stupid lamb known as Bella Swan.

The announcement from Netflix doesn’t share much beyond the show’s existence and the production team. Author Stephanie Meyer will be an executive producer for the series, as she has been for most other projects in the Twilight realm. The only other notable behind-the-scenes news is that Sinead Daly will be the series’ writer as well as an executive producer. Daly’s past writing credits include Tell Me Lies, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and The Get Down.

The art team can make or break an animated show’s success, so I’m very curious to find out what studio will be brave enough to try recapturing the classic image of Robert Pattinson nearly losing his lunch at his first contact with Kristen Stewart and her intoxicating blood. That and other details about cast and release date will be revealed closer to the show’s debut.

Netflix has been putting a lot of resources into its animated programming slate. The streaming service has picked up several series inspired by video game franchises, such as Arcane, Tomb Raider and Minecraft.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/netflix-is-working-on-an-animated-twilight-tv-show-based-on-midnight-sun-204052491.html?src=rss 

Verizon is reportedly near a deal to buy fiber provider Frontier Communications. On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal said that an announcement could come as early as this week, provided discussions don’t “hit any last-minute snags.”

Frontier has a market value of over $7 billion and provides broadband to around three million locations in 25 states. The company would help Verizon boost its Fios fiber network and better compete with AT&T. The carrier has seen slowing wireless revenue and views fiber investment as a growth area. Acquiring companies with existing infrastructure, like Frontier, is potentially less expensive and time-consuming than rolling out its own network.

Based in Dallas, Frontier is currently upgrading its copper landline system to fiber — enabling it to offer a 5Gbps symmetrical plan. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020. It pivoted to a “leaner business,” as the WSJ describes, before running into concerns that it would run out of money before it finishes its current upgrades.

The FTC sued the company in 2021 for misrepresenting its speeds. Under a 2022 settlement, Frontier was required to stop lying about its internet performance, dole out over $8.5 million and install fiber service in 60,000 California homes over four years.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/verizon-is-reportedly-near-a-deal-to-buy-broadband-provider-frontier-communications-210317747.html?src=rss 

The Department of justice (DOJ) has indicted two employees of the Russian state-owned broadcaster RT over an alleged pro-Russia influence scheme on social media platforms. Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva have been accused of being involved in a plan to pay an unnamed Tennessee company almost $10 million to spread nearly 2,000 videos (most of which included disinformation and/or pro-Russia propaganda) in English across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and X. The DOJ says the videos had been viewed more than 16 million times on YouTube alone.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press conference that, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “RT’s editor-in-chief said the company had built an ‘entire empire of covert projects’ designed to shape public opinion in ‘Western audiences.'” As part of that goal, RT and employees (including the two defendants) “implemented a nearly $10 million scheme to fund and direct a Tennessee-based company to publish and disseminate content deemed favorable to the Russian government.”

“To implement this scheme, the defendants directed the company to contract with US-based social media influencers to share this content and their platforms. The subject matter and content of many of the videos published by the company were often consistent with Russia’s interest in amplifying US domestic divisions in order to weaken US opposition to core Russian interests, particularly its ongoing war in Ukraine,” Garland said.

The Tennessee company didn’t inform the influencers or their millions of followers of its links to the Russian government, Garland added. It instead claimed to be sponsored by a fictitious “private investor,” according to the DOJ. 

Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva have been charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Both are at large. However, the charges do not signal the end of the case. Galand pointed out the investigation is ongoing.

The DOJ unsealed the indictment amid a broader push by the government to clamp down on Russian propaganda and disinformation ahead of November’s general election. In a separate action, the DOJ seized 32 websites “that the Russian government and the Russian-sponsored actors have used to engage in a covert campaign to interfere and influence the outcome of our country’s elections,” Garland said.

The campaign, which Russia is said to have called “Doppelganger,” included the creation of websites that “were designed to appear to American readers as if they were major US news sites, like The Washington Post or Fox News, but, in fact, they were fake sites,” Garland said. “They were filled with Russian government propaganda that had been created by the Kremlin to reduce international support for Ukraine, bolster pro-Russian policies and interests and influence voters in the United States and in other countries.”

Meanwhile, the Treasury and State departments announced parallel actions. The Treasury Department sanctioned ANO Dialog, a Russian nonprofit that’s said to help orchestrate the Doppleganger campaign, along with RT editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonyan and other RT employees.

The State Department sanctioned RT and four other state-funded publishers. It is also offering a $10 million reward for information regarding to foreign interference over an American election.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/us-charges-russian-state-media-employees-over-a-social-media-influence-scheme-200028302.html?src=rss 

Over three years after saying it would sell only electric vehicles by 2030, Volvo has lowered its EV ambitions. The automaker now says it will aim for 90 to 100 percent electrified vehicles (including full EVs and plug-in hybrids) by the decade’s end, with the remaining 0 to 10 percent being mild hybrids. Volvo chalked up its revised ambitions to “changing market conditions and customer demands.”

Volvo says it’s still committed to long-term electrification. The automaker has launched five fully electric models since laying out its (now aborted) 2030 goal three years ago: the EX40, EC40, EX30, EM90 and EX90.

The company cites the slower-than-expected rollout of EV charging infrastructure as one factor in its decision. Despite the passage of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, which allocated $7.5 billion to support the creation of 500,000 EV charging stations, only seven stations in four states had been built as of March. Reasons for the slow rollout allegedly include a lack of experience in the state transportation agencies in charge of execution and various government requirements (submitting plans, soliciting bids, awarding funds).

The Biden Administration said earlier this year it still expects the US to reach 500,000 charging stations by 2026.

Volvo also cited “additional uncertainties created by recent tariffs on EVs in various markets.” That likely refers to the hit the automaker is taking from manufacturing some models in China. Earlier this year, the White House announced new levies on EVs made in China and batteries sourced from China. (Volvo’s parent company, Volvo Car AB, is majority-owned by China’s Geely Holding.) Forbes reported in May that the China-made EX30, expected to start at around $37,000, would be pushed to over $50,000 after tariffs.

The automaker adjusted its CO2 reduction expectations alongside the tweaked timeline. It now says it aims for 65 to 75 percent reduced per-car emissions (compared to a 2018 baseline) by 2030; its previous goal was a hard 75 percent. In addition, it also changed its previous 40-percent per-car reduction (also compared to 2018) by 2025; that goal is now a 30 to 35 percent drop.

“We are resolute in our belief that our future is electric,” Jim Rowan, Volvo Cars CEO, wrote in a press release. “An electric car provides a superior driving experience and increases possibilities for using advanced technologies that improve the overall customer experience. However, it is clear that the transition to electrification will not be linear, and customers and markets are moving at different speeds of adoption. We are pragmatic and flexible, while retaining an industry-leading position on electrification and sustainability.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volvo-scales-back-its-ev-goals-will-no-longer-be-fully-electric-by-2030-201059287.html?src=rss