Why web filtering can be your company's secret weapon to staying protected

Security is one of the most pressing concerns for businesses of all sizes, as no-one wants to be caught out by malware or other risks when trying to grow and expand.

With the number of threats growing all the time, keeping your business protected online has never been tougher, but fortunately there are a number of useful tools and services that can do just that.

Being hit by a cyberattack is not just damaging to your data, but can also have severe financial and reputational effects - just ask Target, Equifax or SolarWinds. Recent research by Mimecast found that over 80% of businesses have been attacked by ransomware, with many having to stave off up to four attacks every day, and the average ransomware demand for a US business coming in at a shocking $6,312,190.

Web filtering may sound like a small step when considering the security landscape as a whole, but the technology can play a vital role in making sure your business is never put at risk.

SafeDNS offers a comprehensive platform aimed at protecting organizations of all sizes from online threats using its web filtering technology.

At its most basic level, web filtering keeps your business safe by monitoring internet traffic for risks such as malware and phishing scams. It can also restrict access to unsuitable or dangerous websites, making sure your employees stay focused on the job in hand.

SafeDNS is a completely cloud-based service, meaning there's no bulky hardware to clog up your office space, and can be set up in just a few minutes, so there's no complicated installation or deployment that requires expensive call-outs.

The platform itself uses powerful AI technology incorporating machine learning and big data services in order to keep your internet traffic safe, blocking 33 million cyberthreats every day.

Built on a network of 13 global data centers, SafeDNS has 109 million sites in its database, sorted into 61 different subject content categories, with its DNS-based filtering blocks unwanted sites before anyone accesses them.

This allows you to create customized policies for your workers, and includes traffic monitoring services and a detailed service dashboard so you can be sure your rules are being adhered to. And as your business grows, your policies can expand too, with no limit on the number of users and extensibility during filtering.

What's more, SafeDNS offers 24/7 support in case you ever run into any issues, and the technology is compliant with CIPA, BPjM, IWF, and HIPAA.

If your business supports hybrid or remote working, you can also ensure your employees stay protected wherever they are thanks to the SafeDNS roaming agent. Available now for Windows, Linux and Android users (with iOS and macOS offerings coming soon) this handy tool uses active filters to make sure workers stay safe online even when they aren’t connected to your business or their own home networks.

So if you want to make sure your employees and your business stay protected, you can sign up for a free 15-day trial with SafeDNS here .

This motorized gaming bed is a step too far, even for us

Furniture brand Bauhütte has revealed a new motorized gaming bed that might just be the most excessive gaming peripheral to ever be manufactured.

The BGB-100FA electric bed is a motorized frame that lets you switch the position of its back, leg-rest, and foot-rest using an inbuilt remote control. Spotted by Gizmodo , it’s not too different from the standard motorized beds used in hospitals or by the elderly – albeit with noticeably worse back support.

But it’s designed to pair with other Bauhütte products, letting you create an entire ecosystem of gaming furniture around the place you lay your head at night. And day, if Bauhütte gets its way. No need to get up to eat, drink, or play video games. You can do it all from the comfort of your BGB-100FA.

Slide the bed under the BHD-1200BD Bed Desk , specifically designed to pair with a mattress and bed frame, and you’ll be able to spring out of sleep directly into an online deathmatch. When you’re done, just pop out that remote control, lower the bed into a sleeping position, and drift off among the comforting memories of your killstreaks.

There’s a bunch of other accessories to add to your gaming setup, too. Slide the BHT-830 clothing rack alongside your bed, and you won’t even need to get up to get dressed. Place the BHS-430 Energy Wagon , which comes with space for an entire carton of soda cans, by your pillow so you can grab those essential Mountain Dews. Don’t forget the BHW-799 Device Wall , unless you want to get out of bed each time you need to put on a pair of headphones – like an absolute chump.

Bauhütte calls it “a dream layout that can integrate all the basic life of a gamer, centred on an electric gaming bed.”

If you do like the look of the bed frame, you’ll have to pay extra for the BMT-100S gaming mattress to put on top of it. The bed alone will cost you $480 – around £368 / AU$ 650 – or comes bundled with the gaming mattress for $670 – around £515 / AU$ 900.

As bed frames and mattresses go, that’s not radically expensive. But we’re not sure it’ll provide the ergonomic support you need. The mattress looks pretty thin and flimsy, the bed itself is topped in a wire mesh instead of slats, and the backrest can only angle up to a maximum of 60 degrees – not great given the lack of lumbar support.

If you’re pressed for space, getting a bed that pairs with a desk isn't such a bad idea. If you struggle with mobility, the motorized back is also useful. But you don’t need to buy a self-styled gaming bed to get those features. It's probably worth shopping around before getting swept up in the gamer aesthetic.

AirPods Max too expensive? These cheap wireless headphones could be the answer

Apple's AirPods Max are a popular pair of wireless headphones for anyone hoping to experience the immersive sound of spatial audio - but a new alternative from Monoprice could be an excellent budget rival for anyone who doesn't want to part with $549 / £549 / AU$899 for a pair of headphones.

The Monolith M1000ANC wireless headphones cost just $129 (about £100 / AU$175) and come with their own version of spatial audio , which is powered by Dirac Virtuo.

According to Monoprice, this technology expands the sound stage "far beyond the physical limitations of the headphones, allowing listeners to hear their music in a more immersive, natural sounding way".

A cheaper way to get spatial audio

While there are lots of headphones that are capable of producing 3D audio (whether its the AirPods Max with Apple's Spatial Audio or the Sony WH-1000XM4 with Sony's 360 Reality Audio), Dirac Virtuo is especially clever - that's because it takes regular stereo content and makes it sound more expansive.

Whether the Monolith M1000ANC will sound as immersive as their pricier rivals remains to be seen. After all, Dirac Virtuo is designed to replicate the sound of a pair of high-end stereo speakers , rather than manually placing different elements of a piece of music in a virtual sphere to make it feel as though sound is coming at you from every angle, as with Dolby Atmos soundtracks.

Still, a great pair of stereo speakers can produce an incredibly engrossing sound; more audio channels isn't always better, and most audiophiles still use a left/right speaker setup for a natural, accurate audio performance.

Plus, stereo content is far more widely available than tracks mixed in Atmos, even if Apple Music and other streaming services are increasingly offering 3D audio versions of their songs.

While we're yet to test the Monolith M1000ANC for ourselves, the specs suggest they have lots going for them. Active noise cancellation should allow you to listen to your music without the sound of the surrounding real-world environment interrupting you, while Qualcomm's Echo Cancelling and Noise Suppression technology should mean your calls sound crisp and clear.

Most impressive of all is the battery life. At 60 hours, it's much longer than most wireless headphones on the market, and three times as long as the AirPods Max, which can only manage 20 hours of playback from a single charge.

If these over-ear headphones do live up to the specs, they could be a great alternative to some of the best headphones on the planet - and we're intrigued to see if Monoprice can rival the likes of Apple and Sony with its latest model.