Changing how consumers experience products, brands

In this followup piece from a two-part feature, we explore how the global pandemic has impacted the way products are showcased and brands engage consumers as well as opened up new doors for some online players.

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Traditional businesses finally embrace digital, but still face limits

In this first piece from a two-part feature, we look at how businesses once resistance to digital are finally turning to such tools to address challenges brought about by the global pandemic, but the devil's in the application and there are limits to how much they can gain from going online.

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AWS and NZ's Vector launch IoT-connected energy platform

The New Energy Platform aims to change how energy is managed, delivered, and consumed across Australia and New Zealand.

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When will the IRS send new stimulus checks? The dates the second payment could come - CNET

The Senate's HEALS Act proposal would expand who is eligible for stimulus money. Here's why you won't get it right away.

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These are the best cheap Alienware deals for August 2020

Here's a handful of the best Alienware deals on laptops, desktops, and accessories for your battle station.

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The best iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) cases

The iPad Pro 12.9 is powerful, but it's not invincible. Protect it with one of the best iPad Pro 12.9 cases.

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These are the best cheap Dell XPS deals for August 2020

If you want the best ultrabook on the market, these are the best Dell XPS 13 and XPS 15 deals available now.

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How to watch NASA launch its new Perseverance rover to Mars live online

It will search for evidence of ancient life on the planet

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Pokémon Go Fest 2020 actually worked as a virtual event!

Pokémon Go Fest 2020 has wrapped up. Although this was the fourth year for the event, Pokémon Go Fest 2020 was the first of its kind due to the pandemic and featured a completely virtual, global experience. Niantic sought to make this event accessible for every player, including the many of us who are still unable to leave our homes for anything other than the essentials.

Although there were a few technical hiccups, overall the event seems to have been a huge success. While Niantic has made clear that it plasn to eventually get back to live events, there is a lot the company could implement in the future to make this game more accessible.

Pokémon Go Fest 2020

By and large, Pokémon Go Fest 2020 was a huge success. Although I spent a fair bit of the weekend in my roommate's car, the time spent playing at home still felt engaging and enjoyable. For a game built around the idea of getting out and exploring the world around you, Niantic has had to reimagine gameplay and events over the past several months. This started with minor adjustments to gameplay, but has extended to new features, like Remote Raid Passes and events like Community Day: Play at Home. All of that work clearly paid off with the implementation of Pokémon Go Fest 2020.

Global Challenges

Probably the biggest success of the whole event, the Global Challenges, were spot on. Even though many players bought tickets well in advance, it has to be difficult to gauge what participation will look like for an event of this scale and how best to implement them.

Niantic was able to set realisitic challenges that weren't too difficult for the global community to meet, but also weren't so easy that players were left feeling like they didn't contribute. Completing the hourly challenges not only unlocked a bonus for the remainder of the hour, but also contributed to upcoming Ultra Unlock bonus events, which provided a rewarding experience for players.

Although a handful of the challenges were completed in less than 10 minutes, the challenges took an average of about 20 minutes to complete, leaving players with the remaining time in each hour to enjoy whatever bonus was unlocked. While Niantic included progress by team in both the Team Lounges and on the app, it was measured in average per player contributions, something this Instinct player really appreciates! In case you're curious, here's the breakdown for each challenge by team:

Habitat	Challenge	Completion	Instinct	Mystic	Valor
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	2 minutes	39.0	37.8	40.0
Water	Great Throws made	16 minutes	26.9	28.4	32.8
Grass	Berries used	7 minutes	17.5	17.7	17.8
Battle	Raids battled	13 minutes	2.1	2.1	2.2
Friendship	Gifts sent	10 minutes	9.1	9.1	9.2
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	6 minutes	37.2	37.1	37.3
Water	Great Throws made	18 minutes	22.1	22.2	22.1
Grass	Berries used	29 minutes	16.5	16.8	16.8
Battle	Raids battled	43 minutes	1.9	1.9	1.9
Friendship	Gifts sent	12 minutes	9.6	9.4	9.4
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	15 minutes	31.7	31.6	31.5
Water	Great Throws made	28 minutes	16.4	16.4	16.2
Grass	Berries used	27 minutes	15.2	15.4	15.2
Battle	Raids battled	39 minutes	1.8	1.8	1.8
Friendship	Gifts sent	29 minutes	8.7	8.6	8.6
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	12 minutes	39.9	39.9	40.4
Water	Great Throws made	17 minutes	20.3	20.3	20.3
Grass	Berries used	30 minutes	15.1	15.6	15.3
Battle	Raids battled	38 minutes	1.8	1.8	1.8
Friendship	Gifts sent	56 minutes*	5.5	5.7	5.6
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	17 minutes	30.8	31.2	31.3
Water	Great Throws made	12 minutes	18.2	18.4	18.3
Grass	Berries used	14 minutes	15.5	15.9	15.9
Battle	Raids battled	23 minutes	1.9	1.9	1.9
Friendship	Gifts sent	7 minutes	9.5	9.6	9.5
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	11 minutes	27.1	27.3	27.3
Water	Great Throws made	15 minutes	14.7	14.9	14.8
Grass	Berries used	17 minutes	10.9	11.1	11.1
Battle	Raids battled	23 minutes	1.8	1.8	1.8
Friendship	Gifts sent	6 minutes	7.1	7.2	7.2
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	11 minutes	23.2	23.2	23.1
Water	Great Throws made	37 minutes	16.4	15.7	16.0
Grass	Berries used	32 minutes	11.6	11.5	11.6
Battle	Raids battled	17 minutes	2.0	1.9	1.9

It should be noted that the only challenge that came close to the wire for completion was the fourth Friendship challenge, during which Niantic had to disable social interactions temporarily. Even with that pertitent technical issue, players were still able to complete the challenge before the hour was up.

Keeping busy

In addition to the Global Challenges, the Special Research lines Go Fest Welcome and Rocket Straight to Victory took a good amount of time, but were also achievable. Incense worked incredibly well at keeping a steady stream of Pokémon appearing. Raids were happening almost constantly, so even if there were only a couple Gyms on the map, there was almost always a Raid to participate in.

Raid Invitations had a few technical hiccups during the event, but when they worked, it felt just like Community Day and Raid events before the pandemic. During Day Two, there was never a time where I found myself waiting for Team GO Rocket to show up. Plain and simple, this event had enough to keep players busy both days for the entirety of the event.

Social media engagement

Before Pokémon Go Fest even kicked off, Niantic set up Virtual Team Lounges to engage with the community. On this website, players could watch a keynote from CEO John Hanke, behind the scenes and making-of videos, engage with tutorials, and other fun for the community.

The page also had a live feed to Pokémon Go's Twitter and a selection of Pokémon Go Trainer's snapshots. All weekend long, Niantic's social media team did a fantastic job interacting with the community, sharing snapshots, and really making it feel like we were all working together — even for those of us doing this event from home or solo.

This is something Niantic has had a bit of practice with since the first Community Day: Play at Home back in April, but even after having been so impressed with the company's efforts for Community Day, I was amazed at how this event managed to bring the global community together. Because of where I live, I've spent the vast majority of the last six months at home. Even during this weekend, I didn't get out of the car. However, I felt the community togetherness anyway.

The storyline

Between the pair of Special Research lines, the "vandalism" of the Team Lounges, the social media posts, and the updated dialogue for Team GO Rocket, the storyline for this years Pokémon Go Fest was engaging and fun. While part of that was in the weeks building up to Go Fest, with the Anniversary Challenge Event, it definitely felt more engaging than previous virtual only events. Over the weeks leading up to the event, Team GO Rocket's plans became clearer and clearer. Alhough many weren't shocked when the villains took over for Day Two, it was still a fun surprise, and the balance between gameplay and story was spot on.

Technical difficulties

As huge of a success as this event was, there were obvious technical issues. For one, there were issues with Remote Raid invitations. I ended up losing a Remote Raid Pass from one such hiccup. While I didn't expect to hear back quickly, I put in a support request and within just a few hours, I had a new Remote Raid Pass in my inventory. You can't ask for a better response time during a massive, global event like this.

The issues were also resolved very quickly. When players were unable to send out gifts — something necessary for the hourly challenge — Niantic managed to get the issue fixed with enough time that players still met the goal. While timing out in Raids was a real issue, the Raids kept showing up at practically every gym through the end of the event.

You cannot expect an event like this not to have technical issues, but how a company handles those issues speaks volumes. The message sent this weekend was that Niantic puts the community first. Plus, Niantic promised to hold make-up events for players who were affected by some of these issues.

Value

Another thing that made this event so successful was the value for your money. Even before tickets went on sale, Niantic announced that all proceeds from Go Fest would be donated at a minimum of $5 million, split between Black gaming and AR creators, and U.S.-based nonprofits working to rebuild communities in the wake of the pandemic. Tickets weren't overly expensive either at only $15 USD or the local equivalent. However, even for players who didn't buy tickets, there was still a lot of fun to do this weekend.

For those who wanted to spend a little more (or happened to have a few extra PokéCoins saved up), there were valuable boxes in the PokéShop that really helped. My personal favorite was the GO Rocket Box, which had four Rocket Radars (normally 200 PokéCoins a piece), 20 Max Potions, 20 Max Revives, and two Star Pieces all for 480 PokéCoins. I ended up buying an extra box just before the event ended so I'd have the extra Rocket Radars next month.

I've spoken with numerous Trainers, some who spent a fair bit and others who spent nothing at all, and everyone I spoke to had a great time. I even spoke with a few players who hadn't played in months, and they still found themselves enjoying this event.

The future of Pokémon Go Events

I was a longtime Ingress player before Pokémon Go was even announced and I was always worried that the way Niantic hosted its live events would be prohibitive for most players. Between tickets selling out and the cost of travel to get to one of the few cities around the world lucky enough to host a live event, I've never been able to make it to a Pokémon Go event and was only able to attend a handful of live Ingress events. There are also many more who struggle with these games because of a physical disability or having an atypical work schedule.

While Hanke has spoken at length about the future of live events for Pokémon Go and other Niantic games, I hope that everyone at Niantic looks to the success of Pokémon Go Fest 2020, as well as the Play at Home Community Days, and considers incorporating the accessibility of virtual events into future live events. The pandemic has forced Niantic to evolve Pokémon Go and its other games, but I hope that the creators can see the massive benefits this sort of accessibility brings to everyone playing even after the pandemic has passed.

I still hope to be able to attend a live event for Pokémon Go eventually, but if Niantic can balance its live events with virtual events like Pokémon Go Fest 2020, I won't feel as though I've completely missed out on an important aspect of the game.

Pokemon Go

• Pokémon Pokédex
• Pokémon Go Events
• Pokémon Go Alolan Forms
• Pokémon Go Shiny Forms
• Pokémon Go Legendaries
• Pokémon Go Best Cheats
• Pokémon Go Tips and Tricks
• Pokémon Go Best Movesets
• How to find and catch Ditto
• How to find and catch Unown

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Biden’s staff must delete TikTok from their personal and work phones

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Staffers from Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential campaign must remove TikTok from personal and work phones, a campaign official told The Verge. That’s because of security concerns around the popular app.

TikTok can access users’ clipboard content on iOS — potentially a problem for anyone using a password manager to log into secure accounts. Some politicians are particularly wary of TikTok because the video-sharing app is owned by Chinese internet company Bytedance.

The White House is threatening a ban too

The Biden campaign’s policy — first reported by Bloomberg — echoes that of other US government officials. The US departments of State and Homeland Security, the US Army, and the US Navy have already banned TikTok on government...

Continue reading…

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Samsung Unpacked: What to expect video - CNET

It's time for Samsung to introduce a lot of new gadgets. The company released a teaser showing off five devices in shadow -- most likely the new Note, the new Fold, a new Galaxy Watch, earbuds and a tablet. Here's what you should know!

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The best Wi-Fi range extender for almost everybody - CNET

A range extender can help you eliminate those pesky dead zones -- and some are a lot better than others.

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The 15 best TV shows to watch on Amazon Prime Video - CNET

From superhero thrillers to musical comedies, here are some of the best shows Amazon has to offer.

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The Stranger creator Veena Sud's very first story starred a dying pony - CNET

In a new episode of the I'm So Obsessed podcast, Sud implores Hollywood to: "Start hiring black and brown people to make the decisions for which stories get green-lit."

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Trump pushes a TikTok ban: Everything you need to know - CNET

Legislators are moving to bar the app on government-issued devices.

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The HomeKit-enabled Yobi B3 Video Doorbell is now available on Amazon

The first HomeKit-enabled doorbell for North America can now be purchased on Amazon.

What you need to know

• Yobi's HomeKit-enabled B3 Video Doorbell is now available on Amazon.
• Video doorbell is the first HomeKit option for the North American market.
• Doorbell does not include recording capabilities, and only works with HomeKit.

It appears that the wait for a HomeKit-enabled video doorbell for the North American market is finally over. After a reveal earlier this year and a subsequent Kickstarter pre-order campaign, the Yobi B3 Video Doorbell has made an appearance on Amazon, and is available for shipping now.

Meet Yobi B3, our first smart doorbell security camera that's Apple HomeKit enabled, giving you an easier, faster, and more convenient way to secure your home.

• The Yobi B3 provides two kinds of notifications: Movement and that the doorbell rang. When the doorbell rings, the notification on the lock screen shows a still from the video and tapping on it opens Home to the camera view.
• Two-way Audio Speakers with echo noise cancellation: Tapping to unmute the microphone engages the 2-way audio, so you can speak to the person at the door.
• Full HD 1080p video: The video has infrared lights making it suitable for night vision. The video becomes black and white at night, versus color during the day.
• The camera lens is a wide-angle / fisheye type, which gives a pretty wide view of the front door area. Even with the sun beating down behind the person at the door, the face is seen pretty clearly, even though they're backlit.

The Yobi B3 Video Doorbell keeps an eye on the front porch providing a live view in 1080p high definition resolution, with an 180-degree wide field of view. The doorbell features staples such as two-way audio through a built-in microphone and speaker, as well as infrared night vision, and motion detection.

Notifications from the doorbell are sent through Apple's Home app, which can be set to deliver when the on-device button is pressed, or for motion events. Notifications include a small image of the action, and will lead users to a live view when tapped.

Before jumping in though, the Yobi B3 does have some limitations to be aware of. First and foremost, the doorbell does not include the ability to record video at this time. There is no local storage, and Yobi does not offer cloud storage through the Yobi app, as it is meant to be used primarily with HomeKit. The doorbell does not support HomeKit Secure Video, and it is not currently known if the company plans on supporting it in the future. Also, the Yobi B3 requires existing doorbell wiring for installation, as there is no internal battery.

While HomeKit integration is rather limited at the moment, Apple has announced additional features for the category coming later this year in iOS 14. Features include the ability to use the HomePod as a doorbell chime and notifications with a live view through the Apple TV.

The Yobi B3 Video Doorbell is available now through Amazon for $199. The doorbell is listed as shipping via Prime, although stock appears to be limited. Additional information about the doorbell can be found at meetyobi.com.

HomeKit-enabled

Yobi B3 Video Doorbell

$199 at Amazon

See and hear who is at the door

The Yobi B3 Video Doorbell a live view of your front porch with 1080p HD resolution, and an 180-degree wide field of view. Notifications can be sent directly to all of your iOS devices when visitors arrive, when the button is pressed or when it detects motion.

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Eight antivirus programs to protect your Mac

Using one of the best Mac antivirus software programs can keep your computer safe from attacks. There are a whole bunch of really good options out there, but each one of them is created a little different, and offers a slightly different set of features. Our top pick for the best antivirus software for Mac is Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac. It quickly and securely stopped 99% of threats without creating drag, plus it comes with some extra security tools and multiple user licenses.

Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac: Best Mac Antivirus software overall

Bitdefender is the best Mac antivirus because it does a great job stopping malware before it has a chance even to start downloading. Plus, most threats are instantly scrubbed without ever hitting the quarantine folder. This is because Bitdefender taps into several malware databases to keep tabs on what's out there and block it quickly.

It also recognized traits in new threats, known as zero-day malware, that haven't been identified yet and stops them. Bitdefender also recognized and stopped more Windows threats than other Mac antivirus programs. This ensures you don't accidentally send a threat to family or friends using a PC.

On top of great protection, Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac includes a vulnerability scanner and a VPN. It also both blocks and removes adware, which reduces how often you'll see targeted ads. There are a few missing tools, though. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac doesn't come with either a personal firewall or a password manager. It also doesn't include extra security for banking and shopping online.

But overall, Bitdefender is a very secure and reliable program that works without causing noticeable drag or slowdown of your computer. Plus, it comes with multiple user licenses to protect more than one device for about the same cost as other solutions that only give you a single license.

Pros:

• 99% protection score
• VPN
• Blocks malware
• Vulnerability scanner

Cons:

• No firewall
• No password manager
• Tricky to use

Best Overall

Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac

• $30 from Bitdefender

Lots of protection without the drag

This software stops Mac malware without slowing down your computer. It has a VPN and adware blockers for more online protection.

Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac: Best affordable Mac Antivirus software

Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac is one of the few programs to earn a perfect, 100% score for malware detection and protection for Mac computers. And since it has secure delete, threats are permanently scrubbed from computers, so there isn't any chance of being infected from remnants left behind.

I was impressed with how quickly my Macs continued to run even during deep virus scans. I easily sent emails, attached files, downloaded programs, navigated the web, and even watched videos online with noticing any drag or buffering. Kaspersky also did an excellent job stopping Windows malware, reducing the risk of accidentally sending these on to PC users.

For the price, Kaspersky includes an impressive amount of security features most other basic Mac antivirus programs don't. You get a password manager that keeps your login credentials shielded while you access online accounts. Plus, it has additional shields and protections, specially designed for banking and shopping transactions, including an in-browser, virtual keyboard that's harder for keyloggers to trace.

But the most prominent security tool included with Kaspersky is webcam monitoring. This keeps an eye out for any program or person trying to access your webcam without your permission. The only feature that I would have liked to have seen in Kaspersky's Mac program is a vulnerability scanner to help strengthen weak points where ransomware and hackers can sneak in.

Pros:

• Password manager
• Webcam blocking
• Safe banking tools

Cons:

• No vulnerability scans

Best Value

Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac

• $24 from Kaspersky

More security for less money

Kaspersky stops malware from infecting your computer but also monitors your webcam from being accessed without your permission.

AVG Antivirus for Mac: Best free antivirus for Mac software

Though AVG Antivirus for Mac is free, it doesn't skip on security features. This program stopped 100% of Mac threats and 95% of Windows threats during testing. I was really impressed with how well AVG recognized the zipped test file as containing malware during the decompression process. It quarantined the entire folder instead of waiting for each file to download.

Even when I allowed some threat to download completely, AVG was able to find them quickly. While it doesn't have a lot of extras, this free Mac antivirus impressed me with including a vulnerability scanner. This tool looks for outdated programs and drivers - where ransomware tends to sneak in - and gives suggestions on where to download a legitimate patch or updated version.

This free antivirus program is super easy to install and use. Each function is represented by a large icon that glows red when it isn't set up and green when it's ready to use. However, because AVG is a free program, I experienced a lot of pop-up ads.

While this is very common among free software programs, it does become frustrating having to close these at the most inopportune times. There are moments when these ads become bothersome, like interrupting while watching videos or while downloading programs and sometimes during online chats. But overall AVG Antivirus for Mac is a great program for stopping malware.

Pros:

• Free program
• Excellent malware protection
• Easy to use

Cons:

• In-program pop-up ads
• No password protection
• No firewall

Best Free Antivirus

AVG Antivirus for Mac

• Free from AVG

Top security without paying a penny

AVG has good malware protection, includes a vulnerability scanner, and has dashboard icons that are green when tools are activated.

Avast Premium Security: Best premium Mac antivirus option

Avast has always been one of my favorite programs because of how quickly and accurately it stops malware without causing my computers to slow down. In my tests of Mac antivirus, Avast stopped all threats in record time. This program is easy to install and figure out how to use it. Tools and functions are clearly marked or easy to find from the user dashboard.

Plus, Avast Premium Security includes a personal firewall for monitoring anything trying to sneak in through your internet connection. Its Webshield keeps you from accessing fake sites, which is essential when you're shopping or banking online. It ensures you land on a legitimate page instead of one designed to look correct, but is really a phishing scheme to collect personal information and steal your identity.

There are a few other tools available for Avast Premium Security users, like the VPN, password manager, anti-tracking tools, and system cleaner. However, these are programs that need to be downloaded, set up, and used separately from the antivirus program. Each of these tools is very useful, and I recommend using them. However, it does make it more difficult toggling between programs compared to those Mac antivirus solutions. Those can be easily accessed from the user dashboard.

Pros:

• Perfect malware protection score
• Fake website detection
• Personal firewall

Cons:

• Download some tools separately

Best Premium Protection

Avast Premium Security

• $48 from Avast

Premium tools for premium protection

Avast blocks fake sites, stops malicious files from downloading and filters threats and phishing schemes from email messages.

Intego Mac Premium Bundle X9: Best option specifically made for Mac

This Mac antivirus program is a group of individual programs specifically designed for Mac computers. It includes VirusBarrier, NetBarrier, ContentBarrier, WashingMachine, and Personal Backup, and the VirusBarrier program is the primary antivirus software. It recognized 98% of the malware threats in my tests.

Intego's other programs include a personal firewall and great parental controls that both manage time and block inappropriate content. Intego's WashingMachine looks for junk files, outdated software programs, and files you haven't accessed in a while and helps you dispose or update them to help your Mac run faster.

Intego takes a long time to download and install, and when the program is fully up and running, it does create a noticeable slowdown to your computer. Because each tool is a separate program, you do have to open and toggle between them rather than having access to them from a single dashboard. Also, Intego Mac Premium Bundle doesn't recognize Windows malware at all. You'll need to be extra vigilant when sending attachments and links to PC users to ensure you're not passing a threat on to them.

Pros:

• Mac exclusive
• Firewall
• Vulnerability scanner
• Parental controls

Cons:

• Causes drag
• Not easy to use
• Doesn't stop Windows threats

Best Mac Exclusive

Intego Mac Premium Bundle X9

• $35 from Intego

Antivirus exclusively made for Mac machines

Intego bundles all its top security programs together for ultimate Mac protection, including a firewall and parental controls.

McAfee Total Protection: Best Mac antivirus for families

McAfee has gotten a bad wrap in the past because it didn't do well when it came to blocking threats. Plus, it used a lot of system resources, which created lag on computers. But it has worked hard over the last few years and now is an industry leader. While testing McAfee Total Protection on Mac, I was impressed with how fast it stopped malicious downloads, blocked dangerous websites, and warned of phishing schemes. It earned a perfect score for stopping all threats.

McAfee Total Protection is one of the best antivirus for Mac options for families that have multiple devices to protect. It works on PCs, and both Android and iPhones with all devices and settings managed from a single online account. Plus, McAfee has some of the best parental controls that both block inappropriate content and control when and how long children can be online.

Because McAfee Total Protection is a premium security program, it includes an impressive number of extra tools, including a personal firewall and safe banking tools. McAfee is one of the only antivirus programs that monitor cryptocurrency accounts to keep ransomware and other threats from hacking into them and illegally mining your money.

It is missing a vulnerability scanner, which is a little disappointing since this is a vital tool for keeping malware at bay and is typically included with even basic antivirus programs. Also, while McAfee does have a VPN and identity theft protections, both are only included with your package if you click the option to renew your subscription every year automatically. Once you opt-out, the benefits of these two programs are blocked.

Pros:

• Compatible with multiple devices
• Parental controls
• Fast, accurate protection
• Cryptocurrency protection

Cons:

• No vulnerability scans
• VPN only available with automatic renewal

Best for Families

McAfee Total Protection

• $45 from McAfee

Protection for all your family's devices

McAfee works on all your family's devices and includes parental controls for a good family solution to cybersecurity.

Norton 360 w/ LifeLock: Best Mac antivirus with identity protection

Norton 360 with LifeLock is an impressive program that monitors the dark web where your personal information is bought and sold or even simply shared with identity thieves. It also keeps tabs on when your identity may be used to create credit card accounts, used as an alias by a criminal, or used to apply for healthcare. If your identity is compromised, LifeLock will help you through all the steps to regain your identity and ensure it doesn't negatively impact your credit.

I've found that Norton works a little better on Mac than PC, though it has the same impressive feature list. Norton stopped 100% of Mac threats without a problem, though it did struggle a bit recognizing Windows threats downloaded to Mac computers. This isn't a problem for your computer, but these threats can be sent on to Windows users who will become infected. Also, during my testing, I didn't experience the same slowdown on my Mac test computer as I did on my Windows PCs, and other third-party test labs, like AV-Test, show the same results. However, this changed a bit when I installed Norton on my home computers, where more software is installed and used. Here there was a noticeable lag that at the time became problematic.

Overall, Norton 360 protects well and performs decently, especially if you don't have a lot stored locally on your computer. Plus, Norton includes a firewall, password manager, webcam monitoring, and unlimited VPN access.

Pros:

• High protection score
• Firewall
• VPN
• Dark web monitoring

Cons:

• Some slowdown
• Doesn't stop all Windows threats

Best Identity Protection

Norton 360 w/ LifeLock

• $108 from Symantec

Dark web monitoring protects your identity

Norton protects your identity with dark web monitoring and unlimited VPN access. It also has a firewall and webcam monitoring.

Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac: Best Mac antivirus with social protection

The tool I was most impressed with Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac is the social media protections. This monitors your accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms. It warns you when something shared or displayed will lead to a dangerous website, phishing scheme, or download a threat. During my testing of the best Mac antivirus programs, Trend Micro stopped every threat from downloading. Some of these were instantly scrubbed, but most of them were sent to the quarantine folder.

The most frustrating part of using this program was figuring out how to delete malware sitting in quarantine permanently. After some trial and error, and a Google search, I learned there is a padlock icon at the bottom of the viewing screen. Clicking this unlocks the folder so you can then select and permanently delete infected files.

Trend Micro includes an impressive list of security features with its Mac solution. These include a password manager, a vulnerability scanner, and some of the best parental controls. One tool missing is a firewall. Trend Micro also doesn't have a VPN or banking tools that other programs include. This program does use a lot of system resources. You will notice some slowdown, and both vulnerability and virus scans take much longer than most other Mac antivirus.

Pros:

• Social network protection
• Vulnerability scans
• Password manager
• Parental controls

Cons:

• No firewall
• Long scans
• Creates drag

Best Social Protection

Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac

• $30 from Trend Micro

Keeps tabs on social media

This antivirus program monitors social media accounts for malicious links that are posted to look innocent.

Bottom line

Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offers the best overall protection. It stops 99% of Mac malware threats and a decent amount of Windows threats, so you don't accidentally pass on malware to PC using family and friends. Bitdefender has a VPN and adware removal to give you a better, private, and more secure online experience. Plus, does it without using too much of your computer's resources. This basic antivirus program includes a few upgraded tools, like a vulnerability scanner, and comes with three user licenses to protect multiple Mac computers at once. I'm especially impressed with how Bitdefender stops threats before the download process even starts rather than waiting for the infect folder to start downloading, fully open, or deploy before permanently deleting the threat.

How we test Mac antivirus software

The most significant risk in testing antivirus programs is ensuring other devices on your network don't become infected with the live malware samples used for testing. For this to work, I tested Mac antivirus programs on computers connected to a designated network. During testing, only the test computer was connected to the internet with all other devices, including mobile devices, safely disconnected.

Test computers were factory set with only default programs installed, and reset to these settings after testing each antivirus program. After installing each antivirus software, all security features were disabled both on the Mac computer and within each of the web browsers used for testing.

A large, compressed file of several hundred Mac malware files was downloaded and opened. It was easy to see as antivirus programs either stopped the download process or captured the threat as each malicious file opened. Threats were generally sent directly to the antivirus program's quarantine folder. After the initial download, I then used the installed antivirus program's virus scanner. Sometimes this found some of the threats that weren't stopped during the download process. These, too, were sent to the quarantine folder. While some credit is due when a program can successfully find a threat that has infected a Mac, it is more critical that infections don't happen in the first place.

After testing with Mac malware, I duplicated these tests using Windows malware. While Windows threats won't affect your Mac, they can accidentally be forwarded on, usually through an infected IM or email file, to Windows users, who then become infected. I also checked out each program's browser extensions, again with browser security settings disabled, to see how well each antivirus Mac program recognized and blocked dangerous websites, especially phishing schemes.

My final test was installing these programs on my home computers, and on lab computers with a lot of programs on them. I didn't attempt to download malware in these cases. Instead, I looked at how well each antivirus program performed in a natural setting. I wanted to see if any slowdown or lag occurred while the security program was installed during updates and while performing virus scans. The most frustrating element of any antivirus program is slowing down your computer and interfere with your work.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Nicole Johnston writes for multiple Future Publishing brands, including iMore, covering primarily internet security and privacy programs. She has over 13 years of research and writing experience in both the public and private sector, including seven years of testing and reviewing consumer products and five evaluating antivirus software, parental controls, VPNs, and identity theft services.

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