Here’s how Vantablack, the darkest material ever, can take gaming to a new level

Have you ever gotten up to use the restroom during a movie screening, then struggled to find your seat when you re-enter the darkened theater? Now imagine how much tougher it would be if the theater wasn’t just dark, but literally the blackest black you’ve ever seen. Or not been able to see, in this case.

That’s the kind of disorienting effect that a major games developer recently turned to the U.K. company Surrey NanoSystems to create. And, boy, did Surrey NanoSystems deliver!

Whereas light normally bounces off surfaces, in the case of Vantablack it actually becomes trapped in it.

Surrey NanoSystems is the company behind Vantablack: a carbon nanotube material that’s capable of absorbing virtually all of the light that touches it. Whereas light normally bounces off surfaces, in the case of Vantablack it actually becomes trapped in it; continually deflected amongst a forest of vertical carbon nanotube until it finally surrenders and dissipates into heat. Approximately 99.965 percent of all visible light succumbs to this fate.

Since its invention in 2014, Vantablack has expanded beyond its original mission brief as a material for use in calibrating the cameras for satellites in orbit. Earlier this year, a version of the material called VBx2 was used to paint the outside of a large pavilion in South Korea for the Winter Olympics. This marked a major turning point.

“A few years ago it wouldn’t have been possible because of the huge complexity in making some of these materials,” Ben Jensen, Chief Technology Officer at Surrey NanoSystems, told Digital Trends. “But VBx2 is a material specifically designed for wide area application.”

That’s where the games publisher, Activision, comes into play. Literally. For the launch of its latest Call of Duty game, Black Ops 4, Activision decided that it was going to set up a warehouse in London. The idea was to give gamers the chance to try out the title in a setting unlike any that they had experienced before — and Activision knew exactly which company to call in for help.

“We had never previously done a room that was coated internally with Vantablack,” Jensen continued. “It’s long been a question that people have asked on social media. What would it be like to be in a room covered in Vantablack? As a result, when Activision approached us about this, the idea was very attractive.”

As requested, the warehouse was equipped with an additional indoor structure, painted with VBx2. Jensen noted that the process of doing this was somewhat different to the typical experience of painting an indoor space. “When you spray the material, it doesn’t spray down like a paint; it sprays down like a nanostructured coral,” he said.

The effect, though, was jaw-dropping. “If you have a look at a conventional matte black paint that you might have at home, its reflectance is typically between 4-7 percent in the visible spectrum,” he said. “The very best ones would be 4, and your typical one is more likely to be 6-7 percent. While these normal paints may look matte from head-on, however, when you look at them from sharp angles, they’re very reflective. Our coatings don’t visually change their reflectance from any angle. What that means is that when you coat objects with them, the objects lose a sense of shape and dimensionality. Your sense of it changes completely. It appears flat and two-dimensional, which isn’t something we’ve grown up experiencing.”

Activision

Transposed into a warehouse setting, with no lights other than the screen, he said the experience was akin to gaming in virtual reality. Players see only the large screen in front of them, floating in a blackness so intense that it’s not so much a color or shade as it is a hole in existence. Plus, without the benefit of wearing a headset, of course.

“It hadn’t been done before, so we didn’t know what the impact would be,” he explained. “We didn’t know if it would be a comfortable environment to play a game in, or whether it would prove too distracting. Based on all the feedback we’ve heard from people, they really enjoyed it. It’s totally different to anything they had experienced before.”

Players see only the large screen in front of them, floating in a blackness so intense that it’s not so much a color or shade as it is a hole in existence.

Don’t expect this to remain technology that’s trotted out only for one-off game launches, either. “[The success of this project had led] us to consider that there may well be applications in the wider gaming area,” Jensen said.

No, you probably won’t be getting an easy application VBx2 formula for painting your living room any time soon, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see more widespread examples of this technology, either.

A truly dark movie theater, for example? The next generation of ultra-immersive video arcades? Heck, a hotel room with real blackout blinds?  “[We’re interested in clever applications in different areas where it’s designed to deliver maximum impact for people to experience,” Jensen said. “I think this has a whole lot of potential.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Samsung’s 34-foot Onyx LED TV looks to change movie theaters forever
• How laser projection is taking IMAX even further over the top
• QLED vs. OLED TV: What’s the difference, and why does it matter?
• What is ray tracing, and how will it change games?
• ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’ review

Sony WH1000XM3 vs. Sony MDR-1000X: Should you upgrade?

We’re a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe. We love audio just as much as we love phones, and we test out as many headphones as we can to find the best options for you.

Sony WH1000XM3

ANC at its best

$348 at Amazon

Pros

• Unrivaled noise canceling
• Intuitive gesture controls
• USB-C charging
• Google Assistant-compatible

Cons

• Bulkier than Bose QC35
• Assistant replaces Ambient Sound onboard control

The WH1000XM3 puts all of Sony’s expertise on headphones to use, combining the best active noise canceling we’ve ever heard with great sound quality, excellent battery life, and convenient gesture controls.

Sony MDR-1000X

Still holds up

$345 at Amazon

Pros

• Still offers great sound.
• Compact and easy to travel with.
• Easy to find for cheap used
• NFC for easy Bluetooth pairing

Cons

• Noise canceling not as good as the 1000XM3
• Micro-USB

The original 1000X headphones may not be quite as good as the M3, but they still sound great and provide good enough noise canceling for frequent travelers.

Consider the upgrade

The original MDR-1000X over-the-ear headphones established Sony as a player in the active noise-canceling space, taking on Bose’s wildly popular QC35 headphones in the same category. A few revisions later, the new WH1000XM3s improve upon nearly everything that made the MDR-1000X great, and in many people’s eyes (and ears) have finally earned the claim of being the very best noise-canceling headphones on the market.

Two excellent pairs of noise-canceling headphones differentiated by years of iteration and improvement.

On top of having great active noise-canceling, the MDR-1000X introduced a variety of intuitive new features that made them easier and more convenient to use. You could tap your Android phone to the side of the left cup (denoted by an NFC logo) to instantly pair with the headphones without having to dig through Bluetooth settings. You could pause or skip through tracks with swiping gestures on the right cup.

In addition, the MDR-1000X knew when to let sound back in. With noise-canceling engaged, you could place a hand over the right cup to instantly filter certain frequencies back into the headphones using built-in microphones, allowing you to carry on a conversation without taking the headphones off. There was also a separate Ambient Sound mode that allowed you to let those frequencies in without holding the right cup.

Two years later, the WH1000XM3 improves on the original headphones in nearly every way. Sony has included its new QN1 processor, which adds support for 32-bit audio processing and improves noise-canceling — Sony claims the 1000XM3 performs 4x better than the XM2, which was already a significant improvement over the MDR-1000X.

Buy the newer model if you’re a frequent traveler who will get the most out of the improved noise-canceling.

They’re more comfortable than previous models as well, thanks to a lighter, sturdier construction and thinner earpads. That construction, while still mostly plastic to retain its lightweight, is also less prone to cracking over time — an issue the MDR-1000X was known to have. The WH1000XM3 also now support USB-C charging, rather than Micro-USB, and can provide up to 5 hours of playback from just a 10-minute charge. With a full charge, you can expect about 30 hours of playback with ANC.

Both headphones can be adjusted through Sony’s Headphones Connect software, but only the newer WH1000XM3 allows you to adjust how much surrounding noise comes in with Ambient Sound mode, as well as how much to block out noise-canceling. You can also use Google Assistant on the 1000XM3, activated by pressing the Ambient Sound toggle button (enabled through software).

Even if you already have the original MDR-1000X, it’s worth considering the upgrade to the 1000XM3 — assuming you’ll make use of the improved noise-canceling and USB-C charging. For frequent travelers, it’s a no-brainer. The MDR-1000X certainly still hold up great, though, and while they haven’t gone down in retail pricing, you can easily find a good deal on them through resale sites.

Sony WH1000XM3

ANC exemplified

$348 at Amazon

The very best noise-canceling headphones on the market.

Sony improved nearly every aspect of its 1000X headphones with the M3, from sound quality to noise-canceling, assistive controls, and USB-C charging. These are well worth the money.

Sony MDR-1000X

Still holds up

The originators are still a fantastic option.

$345 at Amazon

For home use and the occasional flight or train ride, the MDR-1000X is still a fantastic offering — but you’ll want to find a good deal on a used pair.

iFixit: Google Pixel 3 maakt nog steeds gebruik van LG-scherm

Google maakt voor de Pixel 3-serie gebruik van twee schermfabrikanten zo blijkt uit een teardown van iFixit. Zit er in de Pixel 3 XL een AMOLED-paneel van Samsung, in de kleinere Pixel 3 zit juist een scherm van LG. De pOLED-schermen van LG konden bij de Pixel 2 nog op stevige kritiek rekenen.

Het LG-paneel in de reguliere Pixel 3 komt als een verrassing, eerder nog bleek Google in de Pixel 3 XL van een Samsung-paneel gebruik te maken. Die kreeg van DisplayMate juist alle lof. Zij hebben het paneel in de kleinere Pixel 3 (nog) niet getest dus ‘wetenschappelijk’ vergelijkingsmateriaal hebben we nog niet. Maar omdat diverse testers al met beide toestellen aan de slag zijn gegaan hebben we wel een subjectief oordeel; het paneel lijkt op het oog meer dan prima.

Google Pixel 3 heeft wederom LG-scherm

Google maakt voor de Pixel 3 XL gebruik van een 6,3 inch groot scherm met een resolutie van 2960 bij 1440 pixels, in de Pixel 3 zit een 5,5 inch scherm met 2160 bij 1080 pixels resolutie. Daarmee valt weliswaar de pixeldichtheid lager uit maar in de praktijk valt dat niet op. Dat komt omdat het grotere Samsung-paneel van een andere subpixelstructuur gebruik maakt. Kijken we naar het totaal aantal subpixels dan verschilt het namelijk niet zoveel. Afgaande van de positieve geluiden van vroege reviewers heeft LG afgelopen jaar flinke stappen gezet met haar OLED-panelen. Iets wat ook Apple opgevallen is; voor de iPhone XS worden naast panelen van Samsung ook LG-schermen gebruikt.

(via)

Spotify App Update Brings Personalized Artist Radio Stations and Better Search to Premium Subscribers

Spotify has announced a major update to its mobile apps for users with a Premium subscription to the service, including an overhauled radio feature and changes to the onscreen navigation controls and search functions.

Paying Spotify users can now search an artist and song to generate a unique radio station that can be saved for offline listening.

Like the service’s Discover Weekly and other user-tailored playlists, Spotify says the endlessly playing radio streams are personalized to the user’s own musical tastes.

But unlike the old radio stations, the new Artist Radio playlists don’t have thumbs up/thumbs down buttons as they rely more heavily on Spotify’s personal listening algorithms, and Spotify says they will be regularly updated to keep things fresh.

As for the other changes, the navigation controls at the bottom of the interface now consist of Home, Search, and Your Library. While Home is where recommendations live, the redesigned Search screen opens with Top Genres at the top and Browse All buttons below.

Spotify says users can also expect a better song search experience, with the app now able to generate unique playlists based around searched songs, rather than just returning a list of tracks with the same name.

The mobile app update is a global update rolling out today to all premium subscribers on both iOS and Android devices.

Tag: Spotify
Discuss this article in our forums

Pixelmator Pro Gains Full Support for macOS Mojave, Light Mode and New Core ML 2-Powered Auto Enhance Feature

Popular image editing app Pixelmator Pro was today updated to version 1.2, which adds full support for macOS Mojave, a new light mode, faster machine learning tools, and more.

The update introduces compatibility for Continuity Camera and Quick Actions, two macOS Mojave features. Continuity Camera support is designed to let you import a photo into Pixelmator Pro directly from an iPhone, while Quick Actions let you edit images using Finder.

Batch processing functionality has been added to Automator for white balance, auto enhance, color adjustments, effects, and file conversions, and Automator is what powers the new Quick Actions you’ll find in Finder. There are also tools for creating your own Pixelmator Pro Quick Actions that can be executed without opening the Pixelmator app.

macOS Mojave brought Core ML 2, which is now powering Pixelmator Pro features like Auto Layer Naming, ML Color Adjustments, ML Hue & Saturation, ML White Balance, ML Lightness, and a new ML Enhance feature that’s designed to let Apple’s neural network analyze and improve the colors of an image in just a few seconds.

ML Enhance is an auto enhance feature that was trained on 20 million professional photos, which lets it tweak 37 color adjustments all at once for the best possible automatic color tuning.

The updated version of Pixelmator Pro includes a new light appearance and a revamped dark appearance, both of which are designed to work with the Light Mode and Dark Mode in macOS Mojave. Pixelmator Pro will automatically activate one of these modes based on your macOS settings.

SVG fonts are also supported in Pixelmator Pro 1.2, and several bug fixes have been included.

Pixelmator Pro 1.2 can be downloaded from the App Store for $29.99, a 50 percent discount off of the regular Pixelmator Pro price. Customers who have already purchased Pixelmator Pro will get the update for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Pixelmator
Discuss this article in our forums

How to Enable and Disable Critical Alerts in iOS 12

In iOS 12, Apple added several new ways for users to control how and when they receive app notifications, including the ability to group notifications and change their behavior on the fly with Instant Tuning. A lesser known feature in this subset of options is called Critical Alerts. So what are they exactly?

The idea behind Critical Alerts is that if specific apps have crucial information that shouldn’t be ignored – notifications related to health, home security, or public safety, for example – then you’ll be alerted regardless of your other device settings.

To that end, Critical Alerts override the Do Not Disturb feature if you have it enabled on your iPhone or iPad, and will even arrive with an audio alert when your device is muted.

Naturally, the Critical Alerts feature is going to have limited use – you’d only want appropriate apps to have access to it (think glucose monitoring or weather warning apps) which is why Apple requires that developers apply for an entitlement to support them.

For that reason, there aren’t a whole lot of apps that support these alerts just yet, but if you do come across one that advertises Critical Alerts, you still get to choose whether to enable them or not. Here’s how.

How to Disable or Enable Critical Alerts in iOS 12

Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.

Tap Notifications.
Select the app from the list that you want to enable/disable Critical Alerts for.
Toggle the Critical Alerts switch on/off.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
Discuss this article in our forums

Skydio’s self-flying drone now has an Apple Watch app for flight prep

As if Skydio’s R1 camera drone wasn’t already cool enough, it’s now launched an app for the Apple Watch that takes the drone experience to a whole new level.

This, don’t forget, is the drone that comes sans controller because its impressive self-flying software — powered by 13 on-board cameras, artificial intelligence, and advanced computer vision software — takes care of pretty much everything.

It works like this: Once the R1 is in the air, the new Apple Watch app lets you select the person that you want your quadcopter to track. Then it’s simply a case of choosing one of the flight modes — Lead, Orbit, Dronie, and Boomerang among them — and away you go.

Up to now, R1 owners could only use their smartphone to prep their bird for flight, but transferring the process to a smartwatch app adds extra convenience by moving the power of flight control to your wrist. A couple of taps on your Apple Watch and the app and the R1 springs into action — no more fumbling about with your smartphone every time you want to select a new subject or flight mode.

Skydio’s drone shoots 4K at 30 frames per second, or 1080p at 30 or 60 frames per second. It has a top speed of 25 mph, flight time of 16 minutes on a single charge, and tips the scales at 2.2 pounds. The device itself comprises a lightweight anodized aluminum fuselage and carbon fiber rotor guards that help to protect both you and the machine.

Tying in with this week’s launch of the Skydio’s Apple Watch app, the drone will also start selling at U.S. and Canadian Apple Stores, marking its first availability beyond the company’s own online store.

Skydio

Skydio’s founders gained much of their experience working on Google’s drone delivery initiative — Project Wing — and also spent time at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developing autonomous flight systems. The company, based in California, garnered a lot of interest when its autonomous quadcopter the market at the start of this year.

So, any downsides? Well, for many it’ll be the price tag. At $2,000, the R1 isn’t cheap, especially when you compare it to some other pretty smart drones currently on the market.

But if you have the cash to splash and like the idea of ditching the controller and letting the drone do all the work, Skydio’s R1 drone — and its new Apple Watch app — could well be what you’re looking for.

Editors’ Recommendations

• WatchOS 5: All our favorite new features
• The best drones of 2018
• Apple’s September 12 Event: Everything Apple announced
• WatchOS 4.0: Everything you need to know
• Here are all the Apple Watches getting updated to WatchOS 5

Apple’s 2020 MacBooks could ditch Intel processors, arrive with ‘ARM Inside’

Apple’s custom A-series chips, which are found on the company’s iPhones and iPads, could be making their way into the Mac in a few years. Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo echoed an earlier Bloomberg report in predicting that Apple could abandon Intel processors and its “Intel Inside” branding on the current crop of MacOS computers in favor of custom silicon by as early as 2020 or 2021. Apple’s move to supplant processors using Intel’s x86 architecture with ARM-based designs would mirror Microsoft’s partnership with Qualcomm in delivering always-connected PCs that run Windows 10.

Yet, despite the move to custom Apple silicon, not all members of the Mac family will be making the transition, at least initially. It’s believed that Apple will begin the migration to its in-house chip starting with laptops, like the MacBook, according to a report on AppleInsider, as it may take some time before Apple’s ARM-based processors could scale up to match the performance of Intel’s chipsets on high-powered desktops, like the iMac, iMac Pro, and Mac Pro.

But by creating its own processors for Macs, Apple would own complete control of the hardware and software, similar to its mobile strategy on phones and tablets. This, in theory, could allow Apple to further optimize MacOS to get even more performance without requiring additional hardware overhead. As an example, iPhone models generally match or beat the performance of competing high-end Android smartphones despite coming with less RAM and a smaller battery.

Apple could also benefit by not having to rely on Intel’s launch schedule. Additionally, it would also free up the Mac-maker from being affected by chip shortages or supply constraints on Intel’s part; The Oregonian reported that Intel is looking at splitting up its manufacturing into three separate groups after delays with launching 10nm chips. Kuo believes that Apple’s current chip manufacturer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, will continue as the sole supplier of Apple’s silicon when it launches.

In addition to making ARM-based processors that would power MacOS, Kuo reported that TSMC will also help Apple make chips to power the Apple Car. Like the A-series processors for phones and Macs, the chips for Apple Car Advanced Driver Assistance Systems would use a custom design and could launch by 2023 or 2025. Kuo speculated that the silicon would deliver either Level 4 highly autonomous or Level 5 fully autonomous driving capabilities utilizing a miniaturized 3nm or 5nm design process. Ahead of Kuo’s report, Apple rival Samsung also announced that it is entering the automotive space with its custom ARM-based Exynos Auto processors.

The Verizon GizmoWatch puts a quick-communication device on your kid’s wrist

Today’s smartwatches may be largely tailored to adults, but that doesn’t mean that kids have to be left out completely. In fact, Verizon has announced a new addition to its lineup of smartwatches for kids — the Verizon GizmoWatch.

The GizmoWatch is the first device in the lineup to offer 4G LTE connectivity, meaning that your child should have decently fast connectivity most of the time, especially if they stay within the limits of a city. Apart from the 4G connectivity, you will find a basic user interface that shows the time and allows kids to message their parents quickly and easily.

Parents also have a lot of control over how the watch is used. Parents can pick up to 10 phone numbers that can call kids — and any other phone number won’t go through at all. Parents can also pick up to 20 pre-approved messages that can be sent. On top of that, parents can choose when the watch turns on and shuts down. All of this can be controlled through the accompanying iOS or Android app.

Under the hood, the device features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 processor, which is the chip found on most flagship Wear OS smartwatches from last year.

When it comes to price, the watch is priced at $180, which is pretty expensive for such a basic device. There are plenty of fully featured Wear OS smartwatches that do a whole lot more but come at the same price, though of course, parents probably won’t want their kids to use one of those devices. You will also have to pay an extra $5 per month to cover the data costs of the device.

Of course, just because the GizmoWatch is a decent device, there are plenty of questions about whether or not you should be strapping a GPS to your kids 24/7. With the device, parents can track their kids’ movements at all times but whether parents actually want to, or feel the need to do so, is another question altogether.

According to Verizon, the GizmoWatch is built for kids between the ages of 3 and 11 years old. It’s available now from the Verizon website.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Which Verizon plan is best for you? We check out family, individual, and prepaid
• Palm (2018) hands-on review
• The best unlimited data plans of 2018
• Palm (2018): Everything you need to know
• We tried Visible’s $40 unlimited data plan for two weeks to see how it fares

CyberGhost VPN review – just shy of truly elite

CyberGhost VPN’s ownership changed hands last year, but that hasn’t affected its easy to use apps, privacy-friendly policy, and excellent security features. CyberGhost has consistently ranked among the top VPN services around.

What exactly does it offer? Find out in this comprehensive CyberGhost VPN review!

Getting Started

CyberGhost makes it very easy to get started. Just select your subscription type, payment method, and provide an email address. Once the payment is complete, a username and password are sent to that email.

If you set the account up from the website, the Windows or Mac OS app will automatically be downloaded. You can download the mobile apps from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. There are also useful guides available to help you manually set up GhostVPN on Linux, Chrome OS, directly on routers, and more.

If you want to test out CyberGhost without paying first, your best bet is to download the Android or iOS apps. These give you a free seven-day trial and don’t require any account registration or payment information. You only get a one-day trial with the Windows and MacOS app after you create an account on the website.

Payment and pricing

CyberGhost VPN’s subscription periods range from monthly to as long as three years. Unsurprisingly, the discount and savings grow exponentially when you opt for longterm subscriptions. It starts at a relatively expensive $11.99 per month, but the price can drop to just $2.75 per month (billed at $99 for a three-year subscription). The annual and 2-year plans are priced at $59.98 ($4.99 per month) and $90.96 ($3.79 per month) respectively.

Special Offer: For a limited time, you can avail the special $2.75 rate for an 18-month plan (billed at $49.95) and enjoy a new half-yearly plan priced at $4.99 per month (billed at $29.94 every 6 months).

Get CyberGhost now

CyberGhost VPN accepts American Express, Visa, and Mastercard credit and debit cards, Paypal, and Bitcoin. These options should be more than enough for most, though some VPN services like NordVPN include a slew of regional payment options as well. Even after you’ve paid, you can cancel your subscription by taking advantage of the company’s 30-day no questions asked money-back guarantee.

Setup & settings

CyberGhost’s apps are easy to install, available for Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS, along with guides to manually set up the VPN on Chrome OS, Linux, gaming consoles, and more. In this review, we will take a closer look at the Windows and Android apps.

Windows

Logging into the app, you are greeted with six tiles with different privacy, security, and accessibility options. The tiles completely take the guesswork out of selecting the correct server for the right purpose — the app chooses for you. These are the tiles:

• Surf anonymously – If you want to simply keep your online activity private, the “surf anonymously” option is the way to go. The app will connect to a server that provides the fastest speed and lowest latency. Keep in mind accessing streaming sites and torrenting may not be possible with some of the servers it connects to.
• Unblock streaming – This is pretty self-explanatory. The app selects the correct server required to access Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Sky, and a slew of others. Just pick the service you want to use and tap on the play icon. The app also automatically launches your browser and opens the streaming service you want to access, which is a nice touch.
• Protect Wi-Fi – This mode helps keep your data and activity safe when connected to a public Wi-Fi network. You can also have this mode automatically turn on whenever your device connects to an unknown network.
• Torrent anonymously – Unlike some VPN services, CyberGhost doesn’t allow torrenting from every server. With this option, the app selects the best server that will let you download torrents safely.
• Unlock basic websites – This mode is needed in regions where various websites, particularly of the social media variety, are blocked. Using this mode lets you access these sites without issue.
• Choose my server – Of course, you can manually select a server to connect to if you know what you’re doing. You can sort through the server and country list with filters like load, speed, privacy, torrenting-friendly, and other extra features.

This is an ideal setup for first-time users who don’t know how to use a VPN. Just pick a mode and tap connect. Other VPNs like PureVPN have a similar approach. However, the UI of the CyberGhost app just seems more user-friendly. Not everything is perfect though.

CyberGhost gives you the ability to access not only the U.S. catalog of Netflix but also those of France, Germany, Denmark, and the U.K. While this worked well enough — particularly for Netflix U.S. — it required multiple attempts when connecting to other regions because of really slow speeds. In some cases, like with the BBC iPlayer, the streaming service identified a proxy in use and needed a few more attempts to find the right server.

When connected to a server, the page gives you a lot more information that most other VPNs do. Apart from the expected server location and new IP address, you can also toggle through screens that show the total connected time, current download speed, total download amount, and even the number of malware, ads, and trackers blocked.

The Settings menu is pretty simple. You can set up startup behavior, choose the type of VPN protocol, and set Wi-Fi rules. Advanced options include the ability to set proxy settings and add host and IP exceptions. A nice feature to have is App Protection, that will let you automatically connect to the VPN (you can even choose a particular mode) when a certain app is launched. For example, you can make the app automatically connect to a “torrent anonymously” server when you launch your BitTorrent client.

Android

At first glance, the Android app seems quite different from the Windows one, but it can do all the same stuff. The main difference is it uses slides instead of tiles and better background art. You also don’t get all six modes with the Android app, with the option to “unlock basic websites” and “torrent anonymously” unavailable. You can still do both as long as you know the right server to connect to (for torrenting). The “choose my server” mode doesn’t have many sorting options or filters either. Basically, the Android version is much simpler than the Windows app, but you should still be able to easily get everything done. 

Security & privacy

This service comes with a lot of security and privacy features. Most of these options are available on other competing services and are generally what you’d expect from a good VPN service. These include IP and DNS leak protection, a VPN kill switch, zero activity logging, and the best encryption protocols.

CyberGhost makes it very easy to pick the right server based on your needs with specialty servers for P2P and modes that let you access various other services. A network kill switch is available, and App Protection is another really useful security feature to have.

We tested for IP leaks, WebRTC detection, and DNS leaks using ipleak.net and found no issues. CyberGhost is based in Romania, where there are no mandatory data retention directives. However, being an EU member, Romania follows the mandatory data retention laws implemented in the European Union. That shouldn’t be an issue though, CyberGhost has a zero logging policy and many security and privacy features.

Speed

CyberGhost VPN isn’t the fastest VPN I’ve tested, with a significant drop of around 60 to 70 percent even with the servers closest to me. However, the drop in speed stays in the same range regardless of which location I was connected to, which is pretty impressive. I got similar speeds connected to Mumbai, Australia, or the U.S.

All modes work as expected. Unblocking streaming sites required multiple attempts in some cases, but eventually connected to the streaming service. The one issue I had with using the different modes was the lack of consistency. Unless you use the “choose my server” mode, you don’t have any control over which specific server you connect to.

While the app is supposed to pick the best server for you, I sometimes found the speed to be far too slow, with a drop of around 90 percent even when connected to servers close to me. Disconnecting and reconnecting to the VPN and a new server brought the speed up to the mark though.

CyberGhost VPN also takes around 20 seconds to connect to a server, which is comparatively quite slow. Weird though is the fact that it takes almost as long to disconnect. With most other VPNs, disconnecting from a server is usually nearly instantaneous, so this definitely surprised me a little.

Key features

• Allows up to seven concurrent connections, the most I’ve seen so far.
• Over 3000 servers in more than 60 countries and growing every day.
• Zero activity or connection logging.
• Torrenting works fine but doesn’t on every server. Luckily, it is easy to identify the correct server via the “torrent anonymously” mode. Remember to respect your country’s copyright laws. We do not condone or encourage any illegal activities.
• One of the best VPN services for access to media streaming.
• Useful security features like network kill switch, app protection, and Wi-Fi protection.
• Comparatively expensive monthly rate but significant discounts are available with long-term plans.
• One of the few premium VPN services to offer a free seven-day trial (with mobile apps), as well as a 30-day no questions asked money-back guarantee.

CyberGhost VPN – Final thoughts

CyberGhost does everything we’ve come to expect from the best VPN services around. The easy-to-use and self-explanatory UI is a positive, its zero logging policy is a huge plus and, at least with its long-term plans, it’s extremely affordable. Unfortunately, as good as everything appears at first glance, CyberGhost VPN falls just short of being perfect.

The speeds could definitely be faster, especially when connected to nearby servers. However, it was nice to see the speed remain about the same regardless of which location you are connected to. Multiple attempts are sometimes required to get something to work (like unblocking a particular streaming service) or to get the speed up to the mark. The built-in ad blocker isn’t particularly aggressive. More recently, I’ve noticed the Windows app tends to get stuck for 20-30 seconds before working again when trying to connect to a server for the first time.

CyberGhost VPN is continuously adding more servers and locations around the world and it is only going to get better. It may not be the absolute best right now, but it’s only a few key upgrades away from being one.

Special Offer: For a limited time, you can avail the special $2.75 rate for an 18-month plan (billed at $49.95) and enjoy a new half-yearly plan priced at $4.99 per month (billed at $29.94 every 6 months).

Get CyberGhost now

We’ll be bringing you even more quick review looks at some of the best VPN services in the weeks and months to come. If there is a particular VPN you would like us to review, do let us know in the comments section below!

Other VPNs worth checking out:

• ExpressVPN
• NordVPN
• SaferVPN
• PureVPN
• IPVanish
• StrongVPN