Author: Brian Murray

Feed: Cloudwards. Author: Brian Murray; If you’ve ever shopped for a smart TV or streaming dongle, you know that there’s an overwhelming number of options including Google Chromecast, numerous Roku devices and arguably the most well known, the Amazon Fire TV. However, which is the best Firestick? Find out in this Firestick comparison. We’ll be focusing on all of the Fire TV devices — including the Fire TV Sticks, original Fire TV and the rarely seen Fire TV Cube — to see which one is best for your needs.  Key Takeaways: The Amazon Fire TV Stick is a great way ... Read More

Feed: Cloudwards. Author: Brian Murray; ExpressVPN and NordVPN are the cream of the crop in the overcrowded VPN industry. They have all the VPN features you’d want in a virtual private network, and their performance is almost faultless. However, as you’ll learn in this ExpressVPN vs NordVPN comparison, the VPNs have subtle differences and one might be better suited to your personal needs than the other.  Key Takeaways: Both ExpressVPN and NordVPN are an equal match on the features, security and privacy, user-friendliness and server locations front. ExpressVPN offers the fastest speeds and the best streaming performance, but NordVPN doesn’t lag ... Read More

Feed: Cloudwards. Author: Brian Murray; If you’ve ever been streaming something on your phone or computer and wished you could watch it on your TV, you’re certainly not alone. Today, a number of smart TV options on the market offer just that, but there’s a way to turn any TV into a versatile smart TV: with a streaming device called a Fire TV Stick. If you’ve never heard of this and are wondering, “what is a Fire Stick?” then read on to learn more. Key Takeaways: The Amazon Fire TV Stick is a great way to turn almost any TV ... Read More

Feed: Cloudwards. Author: Brian Murray; If you’ve ever sold or disposed of an old computer, the thought probably crossed your mind that your data on that drive could still be vulnerable, and you’d be correct. Depending on how you cleared the drive, there could be huge amounts of recoverable data left behind. That’s why in this article we’re going to look at how to wipe a hard drive.  Key Takeaways: To protect your information, you should always wipe your hard drive before disposing of it or selling it.It’s important to make a backup before you wipe your drives because after ... Read More

Feed: Cloudwards. Author: Brian Murray; Whether you’re already using cloud storage or not, most people can relate to at least one of the main reasons that people have become so fond of it in recent years. Either you’re looking for more free storage space, or are trying to backup precious files like family photos or critical work files. Regardless of what your reason for wanting cloud storage is, using the best personal cloud storage device is often a better option than going with a subscription-based cloud storage service. Key Takeaways: Personal cloud storage is a great way to break free ... Read More

Feed: Cloudwards. Author: Brian Murray; NordVPN is a VPN that we give a lot of attention to, and it’s earned it. If you look at our NordVPN review, you’ll see we love it for a number of reasons, including its very competitive pricing, its user-friendly design and the ease with which it gets into streaming services.  Windscribe, on the other hand, has spent much less time in the spotlight of the VPN world. We noticed, though, that Windscribe had been making its way onto many of our top lists, including some of our top streaming and top free VPN roundups ... Read More

Feed: Cloudwards. Author: Brian Murray; The privacy and openness of Ireland’s internet is somewhat hit or miss. While its limitations aren’t as bad as some, such as China’s great firewall, there are still a number of issues driven mainly by large copyright holders such as Sony and Universal that want certain parts of the internet blocked by ISPs in Ireland. This is just one of the reasons why we’re looking at the best VPN for Ireland. Key Takeaways:  Ireland has respectable online privacy laws, but heavy lobbying from a number of companies has caused some Irish internet service providers to ... Read More

Feed: Cloudwards. Author: Brian Murray; Setting up a virtual private network (VPN) on your router has a number of benefits, and we’ve already looked at the best VPN for routers, but a big part of what you’ll be able to get out of your router comes down to what kind of router it is. For that reason, today we’re specifically looking for the best VPN for Asus routers. Key Takeaways: Asus routers are versatile right out of the box and can be used with a wide variety of VPN services without the need for new firmware.There are a few providers, ... Read More

Feed: Cloudwards. Author: Brian Murray; We’ve looked at the benefits of using a VPN on a router before. Only having to set up the VPN a single time on your home network makes protecting all of your devices a breeze. However, many VPN providers don’t support all models of routers. So today we’re out to find the best VPN for Netgear routers. Key Takeaways: Unfortunately, Netgear routers do not work with most VPNs out of the box, so you will likely need to flash a third-party firmware onto your router. Despite the lack of native support, firmware like Tomato and DD-WRT ... Read More

Feed: Cloudwards. Author: Brian Murray; Using a VPN has become easier and easier over the years. A VPN with a good user interface — like the one we looked at in our ExpressVPN review — can make it as easy as pressing a single button to get securely connected to the internet through your VPN. However, it’s possible to make it even easier by skipping the VPN client entirely and setting up your VPN right on your router. Key Takeaways: Using a VPN on your router is a great way to protect all of your devices at once.While not all ... Read More