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Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a great way to maintain your privacy online. However, there are several different ways to set up a VPN. In this article we’ll show you how to set up a VPN in several different ways, some easy, some more complex.

1. How to Set Up a VPN Using Third-Party Software

The quickest and easiest solution if you’re wondering how to create a VPN is to use the software that comes with your VPN subscription.

When you purchase a personal VPN service from a company like ExpressVPN or CyberGhost, you’ll get a link to download its software. Usually you visit your VPN provider’s website and it will have links to download the software for all of your devices, including your desktop.

You download and install the VPN software as you would any other piece of software. Once installation is complete you enter your VPN username and password and you can start using the VPN.

The software differs between companies but most will have options to select a server from locations around the world, to connect to and disconnect from a server, to toggle automatic connections on or off, and other features including a kill switch.

2. How to Set Up a VPN at Home Using a Router With VPN Support

If you have lots of people in your home using your network, it can be a hassle to install VPN software on every single one of their devices. Instead, you can set up a VPN at home by installing software directly onto your router.

There are several reasons to set up a VPN on your router, and the main advantage of this method is that any traffic that passes over your network will be encrypted by your VPN, no matter what device you use. This will even protect Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Your VPN is always on and you won’t need to configure it.

The easiest way to get VPN software on your router is by purchasing one of the best VPN routers which have software support for VPNs. TRENDnet routers, for example, allow you to configure VPN connections within their software.

To use your home VPN, log into your router by entering its IP address into your web browser. Find the option saying VPN or similar and add in your VPN username and password. You should be able to enable the VPN across your whole network from here.

3. How to Set Up a VPN by Installing VPN Software on Your Wi-Fi Router

What if you already have a router you’re happy with and you don’t want to buy a new one to set up your VPN? In that case, you can still install VPN software onto compatible routers. However, it will require a little more work.

Two popular options for adding VPN capabilities to your router are DD-WRT (which can turn your router into a super-router) and Tomato.

Both of these options are open source and can add all sorts of new capabilities to your router. This includes monitoring bandwidth usage, increased wireless coverage, and better security. But let’s take a look at how to use the software to add a VPN to your router.

Upgrade Your Router’s Firmware

First, check if your particular router model is supported by DD-WRT or supported by Tomato. If it is, you can go ahead and download the right firmware for your router from the relevant website. Now make sure your computer is connected to your router via Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi, so you can still connect to the router once you change the settings.

Open up the web interface to your router. If you know your router’s IP address already, just type it in. If you don’t know it, use the ipconfig command to view your IP address. Log in to your router using your username and password.

You should find a menu option saying Administration or something similar, depending on your particular router. Choose this option and look for an option that says Upgrade Firmware or Upload Firmware. Use this option to upload the new firmware you just downloaded.

Once the firmware upgrade is complete, you’ll need to restart your router. To be certain the old settings are cleared, turn off your router and wait for 30 seconds before turning it on again.

When the router restarts, go back to the web interface by typing the IP address into your browser again. You should set a username and password, and your new software is ready to use.

Set Up a VPN on an Upgraded Router

You’ll need to know your VPN provider’s settings to use the VPN on your upgraded firmware. You can usually find these settings on your VPN provider’s website. For example, here is ExpressVPN’s instructions for setting up Linksys routers.

In your router firmware, go to VPN Tunneling in Tomato or Services > VPN on DD-WRT. Turn on OpenVPN Client and add the information you got from your VPN provider. Now, save your changes and your VPN should be up and running for your whole network.

4. How to Set Up Your Own Custom VPN Server

Finally, if you’re really dedicated and you want more control over your VPN, you could create your own VPN server. You can create a VPN on Windows if you have an old PC you’re not using any more, or you could use a Raspberry Pi. You can install software called OpenVPN to create your own VPN server.

The downside to this method is that the device will need to be on all the time for your VPN to function. The upside is that you don’t have to pay a subscription to a VPN provider and you know that you are in complete control of your data.

To create a VPN server you’ll need to download the OpenVPN software and install it on your chosen device. There’s an installer available for Windows users, but if you’re using a Raspberry Pi and having difficulties with installation, you can try an installer script like PiVPN.

Then, you can configure your VPN by following the instructions on the OpenVPN website.

Alternatively, another option is to use a software bundle for VPN hosting such as Algo VPN hosted on a Virtual Machine on a cloud provider like DigitalOcean.

How to Set Up a VPN at Home

These methods will let you set up your own VPN at home. The easiest way is to pay for a VPN subscription and use the software from your VPN provider to access the VPN. If you want more control, you could try installing a VPN on your router or even hosting your own VPN server.

And if you’re not yet convinced that you need a VPN, here are the reasons you should be using a VPN.

Read the full article: 4 Ways to Set Up a VPN at Home

via MakeUseOf.com
4 Ways to Set Up a VPN at Home

Prescription omega-3 fatty acid medications are a safe and effective option for reducing high triglycerides, which increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a new study.

Every 38 seconds, a person dies from cardiovascular disease. To put that in perspective, that’s 2,303 people every day.

“High triglycerides are becoming increasingly common because they often occur in people with insulin resistance and elevated blood sugar. Omega-3 fatty acids are effective and safe for reducing high triglycerides, but clinicians often use other medications,” says Ann Skulas-Ray, an assistant professor in the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and first author of the paper in Circulation.

When most people think of cardiovascular disease, blood pressure and cholesterol immediately come to mind, but triglycerides are another important part of the picture.

What are triglycerides?

Triglycerides are a type of fat, or lipid, found in the blood. In fact, triglycerides are the most common type of fat in our bodies. One source of triglycerides is our food, but our liver also produces them. If our bodies produce or we consume too many triglycerides, they are stockpiled within our fat cells.

Research has demonstrated that higher levels of triglycerides, above 200 ml/dL, can lead to damaging deposits in the arteries, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Very high triglyceride levels, above 500 ml/dL, can lead to additional issues, such as pancreatitis, or acute inflammation of the pancreas.

By compiling and analyzing the results of 17 randomized, controlled clinical trials on high triglycerides levels, researchers found that prescription omega-3 fatty acid medication reduced triglyceride levels by 20-30% among those receiving prescription treatment.

“We concluded that treatment with 4 grams daily of any of the available prescription choices is effective and can be used safely in conjunction with statin medicines that lower cholesterol,” Skulas-Ray says.

Fish oil supplements

Prescription omega-3 fatty acid medications come in two formulations, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) with and without DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). As there have been no clinical comparisons between the two different formulations, the scientific advisory panel does not make a specific recommendation of one over the other.

As part of the national panel, Skulas-Ray and postdoctoral research associate Chesney Richter specifically sought to assess the efficacy of prescription omega-3 fatty acids. The advisory stresses that people with high triglyceride levels should not try to treat the condition themselves with over-the-counter fish oil supplements.

“Dietary supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids are not regulated by the FDA. They should not be used in place of prescription medication for the long-term management of high triglycerides,” Skulas-Ray says.

As many as 18.8 million adults in the US take fish oil supplements in hopes of decreasing their risk of developing heart disease. While there is a lack of scientific consensus regarding the use of fish oil supplements to prevent heart disease, recently completed clinical trials have been more promising, and a large body of research supports fish oil in maintaining general health.

Eating oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, and albacore tuna, at least two times per week is a good source of beneficial omega fatty acids. However, most Americans consume very little dietary omega-3 fatty acids and, for those people who never eat oily fish, supplements could be very beneficial, Skulas-Ray says.

“Supplements can be a practical and inexpensive option for people interested in maintaining their health. Omega-3 fatty acids are important to many aspects of human physiology.”

Skulas-Ray’s lab is now beginning to study how certain omega-3 metabolites in the blood might be used to predict how older adults will recover from the physical stress of surgery.

“This builds on our ongoing research focus on omega-3 fatty acids and inflammation,” Skulas-Ray says. “We get excited about opportunities to better understand the potential of omega-3 fatty acids to improve human health.”

Source: University of Arizona

The post Prescription omega 3s keep triglycerides in check appeared first on Futurity.

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Prescription omega 3s keep triglycerides in check

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The Sub-$25 Digital Games That Belong On Every Switch

We’ve talked ongoing about how ridiculous and aggressive many universities are becoming on trademark matters. Now colleges and universities do many, many annoying things, but their tendency towards trademark bullying certainly ranks up there near the top of the list. Not as high, of course, as Ohio State’s neverending insistence that everyone call it "THE Ohio State University." The school likes to point out that the "the" (sigh) is actually part of the school’s legal name, when the reality is that the school is simply being haughty and pedantic.

Well, now these two worlds are colliding in what might just be the dumbest trademark application I’ve ever seen. You’ll never guess what single word OSU wants to trademark.

Application No. 88571984, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday, was discovered and publicized Tuesday by Josh Gerben, a prominent trademark lawyer in Washington. The application seeks a trademark on the single word "THE" for use on T-shirts and baseball caps and hats.  

For years, the university’s demand that it be called "THE Ohio State University" has rankled sports fans and journalists, who’ve called it "pompous and stupid," "ridiculous" and "arrogant."

Partisans, including the university, point out that "the" is part of its name under state law. And Chris Davey, a spokesman for the university, told The Columbus Dispatch on Tuesday that it’s important to "vigorously protect the university’s brand and trademarks."

This, simply, is absurd. Trademark law is written in such a way to be wide open for abuse, but even this is a bridge further than the law will allow. Trademarks require original identifiers that indicate the source of a good or service and the bar for approval by the Trademark Office goes up the shorter and less original the identifier is. The idea that someone might apply for a trademark on the single most commonly used determiner in the English language is the sort of thing reserved for jokes in our comments section. But THE Ohio State University went ahead and did it anyway.

Other schools took notice, of course, and some of them are having fun at OSU’s expense.

Michigan getting a trademark on the word "of" makes every bit as sense as OSU’s application. Fortunately, despite all of the madness we see from the USPTO on a frequent basis, nobody seems to think this application is going to be approved.

Gerben predicted on Tuesday that Ohio State was "likely to receive an initial refusal of the application."

For a trademark to be registered for a brand of clothing, the trademark "must be used in a trademarked fashion," he said on Twitter. "In other words, it has to be used on tagging or labeling for the products. In this case, just putting the word ‘the’ on the front of a hat or on the front of a shirt is not sufficient trademark use," he said.

That careful analysis is almost certainly correct, but I much prefer to simply point out that this is all very, very crazy and be done with it.

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THE Ohio State University Applies For THE Stupidest Trademark In THE World

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