How does a VPN (virtual private network) stand out from the crowd today? With privacy concerns and a sheer number of quality options, even great VPNs may not get the attention they deserve.

Perhaps the best approach is a minimalist design with a bit of flair and backed by advanced security features. That way, the newcomer will feel at home using the default setting and know they are getting the privacy they seek. As they get comfortable, they can learn how to switch servers or experiment with other options.

Advanced users can tailor their experience right away and turn on any features they need to feel secure. The flair is just there because we’re all suckers for a bit of personality with our apps.

IPVanish eschews most of that for a basic experience. There’s value in the service and the actual VPN service works, but will you give IPVanish a chance?

A throwback

All VPNs need to do one thing and one thing well. Everyone connecting to the internet needs to do so through an Internet Service Provider (ISP). However, that means all of our online activity is in some way recorded by our ISP, and the door is wide open for those companies to use it for marketing purposes.

A VPN, however, will route your internet traffic through their servers instead of your ISP’s. This effectively masks your activity and location — perfect for anyone seeking a bit of true privacy. 

The first thing I notice when using IPVanish is the almost retro feel of the app. It’s rocking a dark theme of green, black, and gray. There are hints of white and the Disconnect button is distinctly red. Good calls, color-wise.

No fun map greets you to let you know where your VPN server is located. No cute naming conventions. Just vanilla drop-down menus and country flags. The only visual flair comes in the form of an active graph of your VPN activity. It feels dated, but I don’t mind that. And you shouldn’t either if you’re seeking a VPN that just works.

I do give credit to IPVanish for a brief tutorial. It’s minimal in detail, but provides the gist of what the app has to offer. You’ll learn about what a VPN is, how it routes your IP address through a server to mask your location, and how to select different servers. Simple, yet effective.

Everything you need can be found in the main menu. IPVanish defaults to a Quick Connect option to find the fastest server available. If you want to be specific about it, heading to the Server button reveals the global network of available servers. Some countries are better represented than others, which is standard for VPN services. The bulk of IPVanish’s servers are located in the United States with the UK a distant second, just ahead of the Netherlands.

While I mostly want a lightweight VPN service on my phone, I want a similar, seamless app experience for my Chromebook. I know it’s not the coolest device around, but it’s a solid and cheap workhorse. I can open it up, surf the web or edit some Google Docs. As my faithful web browsing device, I definitely want to cover my tracks on my Chromebook. 

Most VPN services have an app for a Chromebook, but it’s not the same as the one you may download for a PC or Mac. VPN services typically use a proxy system to mask your web activity on a Chromebook. There’s a subtle, but distinct, difference between the two offerings. 

VPNs do everything to mask your IP address by encrypting your data and funneling it through their server. Proxies don’t encrypt your data and act more as a relay system so you can quickly bypass any regional restrictions.

Instead of an app, I was greeted by a visual guide. I was told to head to my settings and change my connection to a default IPVanish server. It was simple and took no time to connect to IPVanish. There were even screenshots in case you were uncertain of the next step.

While everything worked, it was still a little underwhelming. This is how you set up your printer at work, not a VPN at home in 2018. We’ve gotten spoiled with the plethora of VPN services with minimalist apps and a simple button to turn the whole thing on. When there are so many options out there, having to manually install your VPN may be a non-starter for Chromebook users.

Private enough

I’ve been spoiled by features on other VPNs. Both TunnelBear and NordVPN have multiple options within their respective Android apps.

IPVanish has just one additional security feature: Scramble. You can toggle the option to make your VPN activity look more like regular internet activity. This is a great feature to bypass stricter regulations and should be used by anyone in a country with restrictive internet laws.

And that’s it, feature-wise. There are a few additional security options, but they’re limited to auto start and connection preferences.

There are other major considerations when finding the right VPN for you. First, you need to look for leaks. If any data escapes from the VPN’s encrypted tunnel, you’re exposed. Any website you visit requests your IP address and the website should receive the new IP address from the VPN and not from your ISP. If that happens, you have a domain network service (DNS) leak.

PVanish has just one additional security feature: Scramble.

Finding a DNS leak requires a quick online test. If the DNS leak test reveals two servers, you’re leaking data. I found there were no DNS leaks while using IPVanish across all my devices. 

Another important privacy feature is the company behind the service. All VPNs have a privacy policy and some are way better than others. IPVanish claims to have a no logs meaning they don’t store any personally identifiable data.

Diving further into the policy, IPVanish states the only data collected from the website is used to verify a user’s account and payment method. That’s all great with one caveat. IPVanish’s parent company is headquartered in the United States, which has intelligence agreements with other countries. The Five Eyes Alliance is an agreement between the U.S., the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to share intelligence. If a VPN service is located in one of these countries, it could be compelled to send any data it has.

There are also conflicting reports of IPVanish handing over data despite the no-log policy. This was the result of a criminal complaint that was first surfaced on . StackPath, IPVanish’s parent company, states this occurred in 2016 and before StackPath acquired Highwinds Network Group. StackPath reiterated IPVanish follows a strict no-log policy, and it’s apparently been run as a new company since the acquisition, for whatever that’s worth.

We need to talk about speed

Better privacy and security are the primary purposes for any VPN service, but speed counts, too. If your website is loading slower than molasses, what’s the point? IPVanish touts itself as the best VPN and the world’s fastest VPN.

Well, about that.

I pay for 50Gbps download speed from my ISP. Using IPVanish, I noticed significant speed drops on two different servers for my Chromebook. After seeing download speeds in the teens for the default server, I switched to another server in the U.S. Download and upload speeds were better, but still a significant drop from my standard service.

I experienced the same disappointing speeds on my MacBook Air. I was sent to a server in Las Vegas and experienced a massive drop in download and upload speeds. I switched to their Ashburn location and speeds were better, but still lower than my regular download speed. 

UK download speed was fine, but it was another 30+ Mbps drop in upload speed. The Netherlands server fared worse. 

What about Netflix? You can usually forgive all VPN sins if it lets you bypass Netflix’s security. Unfortunately, IPVanish was unable to slip through.

Just another VPN

To be sure, IPVanish did its job and provided a VPN option. The app was minimal, but intuitive. The services were all there. It just fell short of other services. There’s just so much competition out there that when you’re figuring out if IPVanish is worth its monthly fee, the service will leave many wanting more.

Having thousands of available servers, P2P availability, and a no-log policy are all worthwhile features. IPNVanish is a good place to start your search for a quality VPN, but it might not your final choice.

The tiger, which features prominently in the video, is a sacred animal in Korean culture, symbolizing the country and its people. It’s also thought of as a brave guardian against foes.

A shark also makes an appearance in the visual, aggressively trying to attack the members as they dance in a glass box. Fans made the connection to an old post on the group’s fan page, when eldest member Jin asked the question, “Tigers are even stronger in water. So who would win if tigers come in and fight with sharks?”

Meanwhile, the image of the rabbit in the moon is a reference to a famous Korean folktale, in which a god honored a selfless rabbit by placing it in the moon. The rabbit also symbolizes immortality. And according to YouTuber David Kim, there is a Korean saying that translates to “the more you are cursed at, the longer you will live.” In this case, BTS could see themselves as the rabbits, indirectly referring to the criticism they’ve faced since their debut.

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Friday’s funeral service for Aretha Franklin at Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple will bring her week of tributes to a close with a live-streamed, all-day ceremony starting at 10 a.m. ET.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, former Detroit Pistons star and coach Isiah Thomas, 1960s R&B star Martha Reeves, Ariana Grande, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Hudson and Oscar-winner and “The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg were among the first of an expected crowd of celebrities arriving Thursday morning for an hours-long celebration of the forever-reigning Queen of Soul’s life.

Jackson and Thomas are scheduled to speak. Stevie Wonder, Grande, Hudson and Khan are among the many performers lined up to sing at the funeral, with other names including Faith Hill, Ronald Isley and Fantasia.

Franklin will be honored by various high-profile speakers, including former President Bill Clinton, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Motown star Smokey Robinson. Another NBA great, LeBron James is expected to attend.

Shortly before 10 a.m., Clinton, accompanied by Hillary Clinton, the former first lady, U.S. senator, secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, arrived for the funeral; the former president was looking over his notes after climbing out of a maroon mini-van.

Later, Grande was spotted, her long hair pulled up in a fashionable ponytail, hugging and chatting with a smiling Hillary Clinton, and then posing with her fiance, Pete Davidson of the “Saturday Night Live” cast, with the grinning former president. 

More: Aretha Franklin funeral: A list of all the celebrities in attendance

Other famous names among the arrivals: Isley, Robinson, Hill, Omarosa Manigault Newman, Tyler Perry, Gladys Knight, Jennifer Holliday, Big Sean, Cicely Tyson, and the gospel group, The Clark Sisters.

Prominent African-American politicos also were in attendance, including Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer. Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan was there, as were Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, current Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, and local Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich.  

Although Franklin famously performed at former President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, he and former first lady Michelle Obama won’t be in Detroit for the funeral; likely because he was asked to give a eulogy at Sen. John McCain’s memorial service in Washington this weekend. The couple did send a letter, which the Rev. Al Sharpton will read during the service.

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How to watch the funeral

Franklin’s funeral is limited to invited guests – but the world will be able to watch.

The Friday service will be made available for viewing live online and on television. National broadcasters including HLN and the Word Network plan to air the lengthy funeral in its entirety, though HLN will occasionally break in for headline updates.

Franklin’s funeral will also be live-streamed, including on usatoday.com and by USA TODAY on Facebook.  

For TV viewers in Detroit, the service will be broadcast live by several stations. Nationally, Fox News, MSNBC and CNN plan to air portions of the service live, representatives of those networks confirmed.

The funeral service will also be aired in its entirety on SiriusXM satellite radio’s Channel 49, the soul-music station that’s been temporarily dubbed “The Aretha Franklin Tribute Channel.” The channel will take calls from listeners after the service.

Contributing: Detroit Free Press

Aretha Franklin funeral details:  A week of remembering the Queen of Soul

More: Aretha’s best pop culture moments, from ‘Blues Brothers’ to ‘Murphy Brown’

Aretha outfit change: Queen of Soul dressed in rose gold for final church viewing

 

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Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel set the pace in second practice at the Italian Grand Prix despite a high-speed spin.

The German, 17 points behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in the championship, lost control at the famous Parabolica corner at the end of an impressive run.

Hamilton was third fastest, behind Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and 0.287 seconds slower than Vettel.

There was a huge accident for Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson, who somersaulted several times at the first chicane.

His DRS overtaking aid did not shut as intended when the Swede hit the brakes. Ericsson was uninjured but the DRS continued to be an intermittent problem for his team-mate Charles Leclerc for the first part of the session.

Vettel was trying to get one more timed lap when he spun off, lightly tapping the wall.

Hamilton also made errors on his fastest laps, running slightly wide at the second chicane a couple of times, so the absolute pace of the Mercedes was not revealed.

Form at the top

Vettel’s advantage over Hamilton suggested that Mercedes are again on the back foot.

And the race simulation runs in the second part of the session strengthened that impression, with Vettel on average just under 0.2secs quicker than Hamilton on high fuel on the super-soft tyres on which most teams will start the race.

If that form continues, Mercedes will be concerned, because they already expect to struggle at the next race in Singapore in two weeks’ time.

On Friday, Hamilton was fighting a lone fight against the Ferraris – his team-mate Valtteri Bottas was nearly 0.7secs off the pace and just over 0.4secs off the Briton.

The Red Bulls are next best, but Max Verstappen in fifth was a second off the pace.

USA TODAY

Published 10:34 a.m. ET Aug. 31, 2018 | Updated 10:51 a.m. ET Aug. 31, 2018

Image: Raymond Wong/Mashable

Lenovo has brought a new version of its Yoga Book laptop/tablet/e-reader hybrid to the IFA technology conference in Berlin, and I now realize I’ve been looking at it all wrong. As a laptop, it’s not great: I don’t think I could type on its E Ink-based keyboard without throwing the laptop out the window in frustration. 

But as a tablet/e-reader hybrid, it might actually be good — if you can swallow the price. 

The Yoga Book C930 is an improvement over its predecessor in every way, but it’s conceptually the same thing: A laptop which has an E Ink screen instead of a keyboard. 

This secondary screen can be turned into a virtual keyboard and be used for typing. It can also be a surface for drawing (a pen is included), or it can simply be an e-reader. The device is extremely thin and has a hinge that lets you flip the screens 180 degrees, in which case it basically turns into a two-sided tablet. 

The Yoga Book’s main problem is that it looks like a laptop. I spent a few minutes with it, and it was immediately obvious that the Yoga Book can actually be a laptop replacement for only the most undemanding of users. Its flat, virtual, E Ink keyboard just doesn’t cut it for fast typing. 

However, if you compare it to something like the iPad…well, Lenovo might be onto something here. The device is thin and light enough to pass as a tablet and as an e-reader, and if you really must bang something on the keyboard, the option is there. It comes with Windows (there’s no Android variant), which can be a blessing and a curse, depending on your preferences. Windows-based tablets do exist, so it can’t be that bad, right?

Lenovo has addressed several issues with the Yoga Book C930’s design with some cool features. For example, the device is hard to open with one hand, but if you knock on it, it will open on its own. It’s a little thing, but it makes the $999 price a bit easier to swallow. 

Image: Raymond Wong/mashable

If that price sounds like a lot, consider the Yoga Book’s specs: A 10.8-inch QHD IPS screen and a 10.8-inch FHD E Ink display, an actual laptop processor (up to 7th gen Intel Core i5), and over 9 hours of battery life according to Lenovo. All of that comes in a package that’s less than 9.9mm (0.39 inches) thick and weighs less than 775 grams (1.7 pounds). 

So, a good deal? It’s hard to say. I’d need more time to test it properly, but its value definitely depends on your perspective: If you’re looking for an ultraportable, secondary PC for light work, media consumption and reading, the Yoga Book might just hit the spot. 

The Lenovo Yoga Book C930 is arriving in October, a Lenovo rep told me. The $999 is only the starting price, though — the more powerful models will be more expensive. 

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The letter arrived two days after Sen. John McCain died.

Navy Ensign Sam Bongiorno opened it in shock.

“It gives me great pleasure to congratulate you on your graduation from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy,” McCain wrote in the letter, which he signed by hand. “This is a momentous achievement of which you and your family should be proud.”

The letter was dated Aug. 20 and sent from his Phoenix office Aug. 25, the day McCain died.

It may have been one of the last letters McCain signed.

Photo courtesy Sam Bongiorno

Bongiorno, an Arizona native stationed at Luke Air Force Base as he awaits pilot training, said it was a bittersweet moment for him. He has looked up to McCain his whole life and will treasure the letter, he said, but he also knew it was probably one of the last letters to leave McCain’s office.

“It was a way for him to pass the baton on from him as a Naval aviator to me and my peers as people going into that profession,” Bongiorno said.

‘Special place in his heart’ for aviators

The letter was probably dictated or written by McCain himself, said James “Rusty” Mitchell, director of community initiatives team at Luke Air Force Base.

McCain often sent letters to those stationed at Luke, Mitchell said.

“His personality was such that he took special note and care, specially for people who had interaction with his office,” said Mitchell, who had closely worked with McCain since starting at the base in 2003. “He had a special place in his heart for Naval aviators.”

McCain, a Navy pilot, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1958 and retired from the Navy in 1981 as a captain. He flew attack aircraft during the Vietnam War and was shot down over Hanoi in 1967, injured, and spent more than five years as a prisoner of war.

Bongiorno has lived in Arizona his entire life besides the five years he recently spent at U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. He graduated from the academy in June, and then came to Luke.

He will be at Luke until November, when he will go into pilot training in Pensacola, Florida.

Bongiorno said he has wanted to be a pilot since he was 2 years old. He broke his arm, and when he went under sedation during his surgery to fix it, the doctor told him the mask was a jet pilot’s mask. “My parents told me I wanted to fly ever since.”

He has wanted to serve his country since 9/11.

Bongiorno said McCain has been one of his role models from a young age. He never met him, but admired how honorable and respected he was.

McCain and Luke Air Force Base

McCain was a staunch supporter of Luke Air Force Base, Mitchell said.

In 2003, development in the Valley was booming and quickly encroaching on the base, which needs to have lots of buffer room for security reasons. The base was lacking support from local leaders in the West Valley, Mitchell said, and there was a chance it wouldn’t have much of a future there.

McCain was instrumental in changing that, Mitchell said. At a meeting with local officials, he strongly emphasized their need to get on board and the economic importance of having the base in the West Valley.

“He was emphatic about the need for that support,” Mitchell said.

McCain also supported Luke in Washington, Mitchell said, where he served as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

He advocated to secure the F-35 fighter jet pilot training at Luke, while, at the same time attempting to keep the cost of the jets low, Mitchell said.

“It was incredible,” he said.

McCain’s work coalescing support among local elected officials and securing the F-35 mission was instrumental in securing the base in the West Valley for at least the next 50 years, Mitchell said.

Reach reporter Jen Fifield at 602-444-8763 or jen.fifield@azcentral.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenAFifield.

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