Adult entertainment site PornHub has launched its own VPN service with free and unlimited bandwidth. Aptly named VPNhub, the virtual private network is meant to encrypt and secure data connections to protect users' personal information. It essentially keeps your browsing data confidential and makes it easier to bypass censors. The new VPN service works on smartphones as well as on desktops.

PornHub's VPNhub is available for download on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS devices. Notably, the mobile apps offer a free ad-supported version with unlimited bandwidth. Also, the VPN encrypts information that users send across the Internet, essentially meaning that the tool can cover tracks when users watch or browse PornHub's content.

"A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a private network you can connect to over a regular Internet connection. When you connect to a VPN, all the data you send and receive becomes encrypted, protecting your privacy online. Another benefit of a VPN is that your virtual location can be modified, which can allow you to access geographically restricted content," PornHub said in a statement, describing its service.

The VPN service will be available in several countries, but it will be banned from countries the US does not do business with, such as Myanmar, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria. Pornhub says that it has "had reports that our VPN might be blocked in" countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and China.

Naturally, there is a premium option called VPNhub Premium and it is available in India. It is priced at Rs. 720 per month or Rs. 3,950 per year and you will not get any ads and will have faster connections. Notably, the site is providing a free 7-day trial. If you choose to create a VPNhub account after your purchase, then you can use your VPNhub Premium subscription on up to 3 devices, including iPhone, iPad, Android phones, and Android tablets. Notably, the Windows version and macOS desktop version are only for premium subscribers.

To use VPNhub, open it and tap on the lock icons in the middle of the screen. You will be virtually connected to the location of the server of your choosing and your data will be encrypted, PornHub says. You can then open your browser of choice and surf the Web securely.

In a quick testing by Gadgets 360, we found VPNhub to work as mentioned, as it successfully hid the IP address and enables access to sites blocked in the country. It is worth noting that users will be restricted to a US-based proxy, meaning as of now you cannot choose nodes globally.

A group that campaigns for data protection rights in Europe says it's filed legal complaints against Google, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp over the way they obtain users' consent under new EU privacy rules - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Starting Friday, companies that collect or process the personal information of EU residents must comply with new rules that protect the privacy of people's data.

The group NOYB.EU - which stands for "none of your business" - claims its action could force the US Internet giants to pay up to EUR 7 billion ($8.2 billion). In a statement Friday, the group argued that the companies are making users' consent to their new terms of service a requirement if they want to continue using the service. Those who object have to delete their account.

Max Schrems, a veteran of legal fights against Facebook and chair of the privacy group, said this amounts to "forced consent," prohibited by the EU's GDPR rules.

The rollout of the General Data Protection Regulation has been welcomed but is also causing confusion. Companies are trying to understand what level of protection different data needs, whether this could force them to change the way they do business and innovate, and how to manage the EU's 28 national data regulators, who enforce the law.

That uncertainty, together with stiff penalties for violating the law, has convinced Internet-based businesses such as Unroll.me, an inbox management firm, and gaming company Ragnarok Online to block EU users from their sites. U.S. retailer Pottery Barn said it would no longer ship to EU addresses.

In Finland, the government says it has been contacted by households asking whether the law means they can no longer email invitations for a child's birthday party.

The Finnish Justice Ministry's Anu Talus told broadcaster YLE that the data privacy rules do not affect private households. The law only affects data that is intended for professional or commercial activities.

The broadcaster listed on Friday another case that had citizens puzzled. Should timetables for users of Finnish saunas, which show residents' names, be removed from the facility? Finland's Data Protection Ombudsman Reijo Aarnio said that was a "typical issue of interpretation," adding it was probably fine to assume that a sauna schedule can be visible.

Separately, the Los Angeles Times is freezing readers in parts of Europe out of its website as new privacy rules come into force across the European Union.

Web users in Germany who visited the site Friday got a notice saying the L.A. Times is "engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to the EU market."

It adds that the company is trying to "identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism."

Companies worldwide have been sending their customers notices in recent days informing about changes to their terms of service, as part of efforts to comply with the new European rules, known as the General Data Protection Regulation

WhatsApp for iPhone is said to have started receiving group audio calls functionality. This means that you'll soon be able to make voice calls to your multiple contacts directly through the instant messaging app. For Android users, on the other hand, WhatsApp has added a 'Select All' option that lets you easily mark all the new messages as read or archive all your chats with a single tap. The new change for iPhone users is apparently rolling through a server-side update, while Android devices need to have WhatsApp beta version 2.18.60 or above. The latest developments come just after WhatsApp for Android added a Media Visibility feature to let users hide or show their WhatsApp media content in the gallery. The Android version also received a new contact shortcut that was previously available for iPhones to help users easily add a new contact directly through the instant messaging app.

As reported by folks at WABetaInfo, the interface of group audio calls looks similar to what you presently have for individual audio calls. There are buttons to enable speaker, video call, and mute just below the profile pictures of the participants. The limit of participants for group audio calls hasn't been revealed. Reportedly, it is available to only a handful of users a present, and we weren't able to verify its existence from our end.

Having said that, the tweet posted by the WABetaInfo team claims that it is rolling out on the WhatsApp for iPhone version 2.18.60. This is the same version that received the 'Request Account Info' feature earlier this week to let you download all your data that has been collected by WhatsApp, including your account information and settings.

First discovered back in October last year, the group calling functionality for WhatsApp was announcedat Facebook's F8 developer conference earlier this month. "Voice and video calling are very popular on WhatsApp, and we're excited to share that group calling will be coming in the months ahead," Facebook had said in a blog post following the F8 keynote by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Moreover, group video calling was spotted on WhatsApp for iPhone just days ago.

Alongside the group audio calling for iPhone users, WhatsApp beta for Android has received a new update that brings the useful Select All option. This new option lets you quickly mark all your unread messages as read or archive them at once. Further, you can also mute all the contacts from whom you've talked on WhatsApp using the Select all option. You can also quickly delete all the chats with this new feature.

To avail the latest experience, you need to get the WhatsApp beta version 2.18.160 or above on your Android device. Once you have the compatible version, select one of your chats on WhatsApp and then tap the action button from the top-right corner. After that, hit the Select all option. You can thereafter use actions such as Pin chat, Delete chat, Mute notification, Archive chat, or Mark as unread/ read.

You can download the latest WhatsApp beta for Android by signing up for the beta programme on Google Play. Alternatively, you can receive its APK file directly from APK Mirror.

Egypt's top administrative court ruled on Saturday that regulators must block the video file-sharing site YouTube for one month over a video that denigrates the Prophet Mohammad, a lawyer who filed the case told Reuters.

A lower administrative court had ordered that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology block YouTube, owned by Google, in 2013 over the video, but the case was appealed and its ruling stayed during the appeal process.

The ministry at the time said it would be impossible to enforce the ruling without also disrupting Google's Internet search engine, incurring potentially huge costs and job losses in the Arab world's most populous country.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology was not immediately available for comment. YouTube appeared to be working in Egypt on Saturday as of 1250 GMT.

The film "Innocence of Muslims", a low-budget 13-minute video, was billed as a film trailer and made in California with private funding. It provoked a wave of anti-American unrest in Egypt and other Muslim countries when it appeared in 2012.

Mohamed Hamid Salem, a lawyer who filed the case in 2013, said the ruling also orders that all links that broadcast the film be blocked.

The ruling is considered final and cannot be appealed.

Last week Valve claimed that its Steam Link app for iOS was rejected by Apple due to "business conflicts". Now it seems that Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller has weighed in on the matter in an email that made its way to Reddit. In it he stated that the company cares "deeply about bringing great games" to the App Store and wants Valve's games and services to be on iOS and Apple TV. In addition to this, he shed light on the reasons behind Steam Link's rejection from the App Store.

"Unfortunately, the review team found that Valve’s Steam iOS app, as currently submitted, violates a number of guidelines around user generated content, in-app purchases, content codes, etc. We’ve discussed these issues with Valve and will continue to work with them to help bring the Steam experience to iOS and Apple TV in a way that complies with the store’s guidelines," Schiller's email reads.

Previously Valve issued a statement on the issue.

"On Monday, May 7th, Apple approved the Steam Link app for release. On Weds, May 9th, Valve released news of the app. The following morning, Apple revoked its approval citing business conflicts with app guidelines that had allegedly not been realized by the original review team. Valve appealed, explaining the Steam Link app simply functions as a LAN-based remote desktop similar to numerous remote desktop applications already available on the App Store," the companysaid.

"Ultimately, that appeal was denied leaving the Steam Link app for iOS blocked from release. The team here spent many hours on this project and the approval process, so we're clearly disappointed. But we hope Apple will reconsider in the future."

And while Schiller's email hints at the possibility of Apple reconciling with Valve, users have taken to Change.org with a petition to show Apple how much interest there is around bringing Steam Link to iOS.

Google on Monday said it will host its first-ever Demo Day for Asian startups in China's Shanghai city on September 20.

Since 2014, Google for Entrepreneurs has organised Demo Days in the US and Europe for startups to connect with investors and scale globally.

"As our CEO Sundar Pichai announced earlier this year, this is the first time we're doing this in Asia Pacific, and we're excited to see some of the best ideas from the region," said Michael Kim, Partnerships Manager, Google for Entrepreneurs.

The Demo Day will bring together "investible" startup founders in Asia to pitch their business ideas on a global stage and connect with top regional and global investors, Google said.

The tech giant said that Demo Day Asia will give regional startups the opportunity to showcase and highlight their innovative technologies and drive investment.

The selected startups will receive mentorship and coaching from Google to deliver their pitch to a panel of distinguished investors in Shanghai.

If the startups are able to impress a panel of globally accredited and active investors, they will stand a chance to get funded and take up to $100,000 (roughly  Rs. 67 lakhs) in Google Cloud Platform credits.

The platform will also give an experience of an immersion into the Chinese startup ecosystem by connecting with successful founders and community players, Google said.

To become eligible to participate in the Demo Day in Asia, the startups must be at least legally incorporated and headquartered in Asia, must have raised at least $50,000 (roughly Rs. 33.67 lakhs), and must be seeking to actively raise $1 million to $5 million within six months of the event.

The deadline to apply to participate is July 1, Google said.

Russia's communications watchdog said Monday it had requested Apple help it block the popular messaging app Telegram which has been banned in the country for refusing to give the security services access to private conversations.

Roskomnadzor said it had requested that Apple both block push notifications for Telegram users in Russia, which would mean users would not receive alerts for new messages and thus render it less useful, as well as no longer make it available for download in the country.

"In order to avoid possible action by Roskomnadzor for violations of the functioning of the above-mentioned Apple service, we ask you to inform us as soon as possible about your company's further actions to resolve the problematic issue," said the regulator.

Roskomnadzor's director Alexander Zharov later told the Russian news agency Interfax that Apple had one month to reply and declined to speculate about what actions it could possibly take against the US firm if it refused to comply.

Last month a Moscow court banned popular app following a long-running battle between authorities and Telegram, which has a reputation for securely encrypted communications, as Moscow pushes to increase surveillance of Internet activities.

The app was created by maverick Russian programmer Pavel Durov, who has long said he will reject any attempt by the country's security services to gain backdoor access to the app.

The free app that lets people exchange messages, stickers, photos and videos in groups of up to 5,000 people has attracted more than 200 million users since its launch by Durov and his brother Nikolai in 2013.

Following the court ruling Roskomnadzor has moved to block the functioning of Telegram, but has acknowledged it has only succeeded in disrupting its operations by 15 to 30 percent.

It has also ended up disrupting other services, with Zharov last week accusing Telegram of using other online services as "human shields" by using their servers.

Zharov was also quoted by Russian news agencies as saying the ban against Telegram was justified as it had been used in the planning of all the latest terror attacks around the world.

Roskomnadzor told the TASS state news agency on Monday that discussions were still underway with Google about implementing the ban