In the inter war years, there was a war between two rival camps for urban planning, the highdensity housing with lots of communal space, or low-density with lots of private space. One group was known as The Modern Architectural Research Group (MARS), founded in 1933, with luminaries as varied as Morton Shand, Wells Coates, Maxwell Fry, F. R. S. Yorke, Ove Arup and John Betjeman.
As an organization though, it is probably most famous for a radical plan for the redevelopment of London, the details of which were published the Architectural Review in June 1942. They pretty much planned to rebuild London in its entirety – the entire city was to be rebuilt from scratch. Away with haphazard layouts they provided with an organized “herringbone” arrangement of homes, factories and facilities.
Although the report was presented in terms of preventing the further expansion of the built-up area of London and planning for new growth, it was suggested that redevelopment might extend the linear city corridors inwards as well, slowly stripping away the mass of buildings that had built up over centuries to create a utopian linear city.
MARS plan
The plan included a “vertebra” of the herringbone that comprised the areas of administrative and commercial buildings, with the docks and industries at its ends. The “bones” are the residential areas with the local industries at their ends. Between the residential ribbons are parks and recreation grounds would have been where the schools and playing fields were to be located. All parts of the city would have been then connected by a railway, whose stations were to be within walking distance even from the remote parts of the residential area. The long-distance railways were then to be connected by means of a belt which forms a traffic ring to the north and south, meeting in a central line where the main passenger stations are located.
One of the main criticisms of the plan wasn’t just how utterly bonkers it was, but that the finer details were less than ideal. For example, placing factories at the ends of the spines meant more travel was needed to go between residential and work zones within the city. Blending them more closely would reduce travel times the critics argued.
The plan was overshadowed by the release of a much more famous planning document, Abercrombie’s County of London Plan which came out two years later, in 1944 and was seen as a blueprint for post-war rebuilding, not just of London but also other bomb damaged cities. The welcoming of Abercrombie, and the rejection of MARS pretty much signed the death warrant for MARS, and its direction changed in subsequent years. The group finally disbanded in 1957.
Bhagat Singh was a prominent freedom fighter of India. The courage with which Bhagat Singh fought the mighty British government for the independence of the country is a great role model for the youth of today. He also refused to run away by throwing a bomb in the Central Parliament (Central Assembly). As a result of which he was hanged on 23 March 1931 along with his two other companions, Rajguru and Sukhdev.
The whole country remembered his sacrifice very seriously. First the Saunders-Slaughter in Lahore and then the Explosion of the Central Assembly in Delhi with Chandrashekhar Azad and other members of the Party gave rise to an open rebellion against the British Empire. Bhagat Singh was interested in anarchist and Marxist ideology.
Early Life:
Bhagat Singh was born on 27 September 1907. His father’s name was Sardar Kishan Singh and mother’s name was Vidyavati Kaur. It was a Sikh family. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre that took place in Amritsar on April 13, 1919 had a profound effect on Bhagat Singh’s thinking. Leaving the National College of Lahore, Bhagat Singh founded the Naujawan Bharat Sabha for the independence of India. Bhagat Singh was so agitated by the hanging of 4 revolutionaries including Ram Prasad ‘Bismil’ and the imprisonment of 16 others in the Kakori incident that along with Pandit Chandrashekhar Azad, his party joined Hindustan Republican Association and gave it a new name Hindustan Socialist Republican Association.
His family was politically active. His grandfather Arjun Singh was a follower of Dayanand Saraswati in his campaign for the reconstruction of the Hindu Arya Samaj. This had a great impact on Bhagat Singh. Bhagat Singh’s father and uncle were also members of the Ghadar Party run by Kartar Singh and Har Dayal Singh. Arjit Singh was exiled due to many legal cases, while Swaran Singh died in Lahore in 1910 after being released from jail.
In 1919, when he was only 12 years old, thousands of unarmed people were killed in Singh Jallianwala Bagh. When he was 14 years old, he was one of those people who used to kill the British for their defense or for the defense of the country. Bhagat Singh never adopted the element of non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi, he believed that it is very important to be violent to get freedom. He always opposed Gandhiji’s campaign of non-violence, because according to him, the reason behind the killing of the villagers in the Chauri Chaura massacre of 1922 was to be non-violent. Since then, Bhagat Singh, along with some youth, started a revolutionary campaign whose main objective was to violently end the British Raj.
Bhagat Singh had the inspiration to serve the country since childhood. He always opposed the British Raj. And at that age, he did a revolutionary movement at that age. We will get to see many stories of Bhagat Singh’s bravery in history. He himself was brave but he had made his comrades also brave and the British had to be washed away even in his short life. He is the role model of Indian youth and today’s youth should also try to be like them.
Bhagat Singh first joined the Naujawan Bharat Sabha. When his family members assured him that they would no longer think of their marriage, Bhagat Singh returned to his home in Lahore. There he interacted with the people of Kirti Kisan Party, and started working for their magazine “Kirti”. He used to convey his message to the youth of the country through this, Bhagat ji was a very good writer, who also used to write for Punjabi Urdu paper, in 1926 Bhagat Singh was made secretary in Naujawan Bharat Sabha.
After this, in 1928, he joined the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), a fundamental party, which was formed by Chandrashekhar Azad. The whole party together opposed the Simon Commission which came to India on 30 October 1928, in which Lala Lajpat Rai was also with him. They stood at the Lahore railway station, shouting “Go back Simon”. After which there was a lathi charge, in which Lala ji was badly injured and then he died.
To avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh, along with revolutionary partner Batukeshwar Dutt, threw bombs and pamphlets to escape the British government on 8 April 1929 in the Parliament House, the auditorium of the then Central Assembly of British India in present-day New Delhi. . After throwing the bomb, both of them also gave their arrest there. And he was also jailed for 116 days. Bhagat Singh did not believe in the non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi. On 23 March 1931, Bhagat Singh and his two companions Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged at around 7.33 in the evening. And even while dying, he had happily welcomed death by kissing the noose of the gallows.
On 8 April 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw a bomb in the Legislative Assembly building during the Central Legislative Assembly session. No one was harmed by the bomb. Instead of fleeing from the scene, he deliberately gave the arrest. During his hearing, Bhagat Singh refused to appoint any defense counsel. In jail, he went on a hunger strike to protest against the inhuman treatment being meted out to fellow political prisoners by the jail authorities. On 7 October 1930, Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Raj Guru were sentenced to death by a special court. Bhagat Singh and his companions were hanged early in the morning on 23 March 1931, despite immense pressure and many appeals by all the political leaders of India.
In 1921, when Mahatma Gandhi called for non-cooperation movement against British rule, Bhagat Singh left his studies and became active in the movement. In the year 1922, when Mahatma Gandhi called off the non-cooperation movement after the violence at Chauri-Chaura in Gorakhpur, Bhagat Singh was very disappointed. His faith in non-violence weakened and he came to the conclusion that armed revolution was the only useful way to achieve freedom. To continue his studies, Bhagat Singh took admission in the National School established by Lala Lajpat Rai in Lahore. This school was the center of revolutionary activities and here he came in contact with Bhagwati Charan Verma, Sukhdev and other revolutionaries.
Bhagat Singh wrote many letters during his nearly two years in jail. And in many of his articles, he had strongly condemned the exploitative policies of the capitalists. In the prison, the prisoners were kept in raw food and unclean exile. Bhagat Singh and his comrades called for a fast unto death against this atrocity – a hunger strike. And continued the hunger strike for almost two months (64 days). In the end the British government surrendered-And he was forced to accept the demands of Bhagat Singh and his companions. But revolutionary Yatindranath Das was martyred due to hunger strike.
Out of all the accused arrested in the Kakori incident, four were sentenced to death and, the other sixteen accused were given life imprisonment. This news turned Bhagat Singh into the blazing embers of revolution. And after that Bhagat Singh called for the new party “Hindustan Socialist Republican Association” by merging his party “Naujawan Bharat Sabha” with “Hindustan Republican Association”.
Interesting Facts about Bhagat Singh:
• In childhood, when Bhagat Singh used to go to the farm with his father, he used to ask why we cannot grow guns in the ground.
• At the time of Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Bhagat Singh was only 12 years old. This incident made Bhagat Singh a revolutionary forever.
• Bhagat Singh had established ‘National Youth Organization’ during his college days.
• Bhagat Singh was also a good actor during his college days. He took part in many plays. Bhagat Singh was also fond of wrestling.
• Bhagat Singh was also a good writer, he used to write regularly for many newspapers in Urdu and Punjabi language.
• Saddened by the Hindu-Muslim riots, Bhagat Singh declared that he was an atheist.
• Bhagat Singh loved watching movies and eating Rasgulla. He used to go to see films with Rajguru and Yashpal whenever he got a chance. I loved Charlie Chaplin movies.
• The slogan of ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ was given by Bhagat Singh.
• Bhagat Singh’s last wish was that he should be shot to death. However, his wish was also ignored by the British government.
Ideas:
• I am a human and I mean anything that affects humanity.
• The sanctity of the law can be maintained only as long as it expresses the will of the people.
• Revolution is an indispensable right of mankind. Freedom is a never-ending birth-right of all. Labor is the real sustainer of society.
• Life is lived on its own… Only funerals are raised on the shoulders of others.
• Evil does not increase because evil people have increased, but evil increases because people who tolerate evil have increased.
• Every particle of ashes is moving with my heat. I am such a lunatic who is free even in prison.
• My pen is so full of my feelings that whenever I want to write love, It always writes Inquilab.
Swami Vivekananda was a renowned and influential spiritual teacher of Vedanta. His real name was Narendra Nath Dutt. He represented Sanatan Dharma on behalf of India in the World Dharma Mahasabha held in 1893 in Chicago, USA. The Vedanta of India reached every country in America and Europe only because of the oratory of Swami Vivekananda. He had established the Ramakrishna Mission which is still doing its work. He was an able disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa. He is best known for opening his speech with “My American Brothers and Sisters”. This first sentence of his address won everyone’s heart.
Early Life:
Narendra’s primary education took place at home, after which he went to study at many places. Swami Vivekananda was fond of wrestling, boxing, running, horse racing, swimming, his health was very good, due to his beautiful and attractive personality, people would keep looking at him mesmerized, the house upper father would have a discussion with the wise men, Narendra participated in that discussion. Taking and surprising everyone with his thoughts, he got the education of B.A, by this time he had studied Indian culture after him.
With the study of philosophical thoughts, the desire to know the truth started awakening in his mind. After some time, Narendra realized that he could not get the right guidance without a qualified guru, because while on the one hand he had an innate tendency towards spirituality, he had an equally intelligent logical nature, in such a situation he was attracted towards the Brahmo Samaj. Narendra’s question was whether God exists, for the solution of this question, he met many people but could not get the solution.
The atmosphere of Swami Vivekananda’s house was very religious. In the afternoon, all the women of the house would sit and talk about the story, Narendra would listen to this story with great interest. In childhood, Narendra had memorized many episodes of Mahabharata, Ramayana and some hymns. walked .
Guru:
Once a foreign friend of Swami Vivekananda requested to meet his Guru Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and said that he wanted to meet the great man who created a great personality like you. When Swami Vivekananda introduced that friend to his guru, that friend was surprised to see the outfit of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa and said – “How can this person be your guru, he does not even have a way of dressing.” So Swami Vivekananda said with great humility – “Friend, a TAILOR builds CHARACTER in your country, but in our country CHARACTER is built by ETHICS.”
As a young man, he had to go through a deep conflict because of the atheistic materialism of the Western philosophers and the firm Indian belief in the existence of God. A jeweler like Paramhans ji tested the gem. The touch of that divine great man changed Narendra. It was around this time that he met his guru, Ramakrishna, who first convinced him that God really exists and that man can find God. Ramakrishna guided Narendra in attaining the supreme realization of God as the all-pervading Absolute Truth and taught him that service should never be a charity, but the conscious worship of the God inherent in all humanity.
This sermon became the main philosophy of Vivekananda’s life. It is said that because of that shaktipat, Narendra remained frantic for a few days. He was given self-realization by the Guru. At the age of twenty-five, Narendra Dutt wore Kashayavastra. Inspired by his guru, Narendranath took initiation to lead a sanyasi life and became known as Swami Vivekananda. He had to present the light of life to the creatures wandering in the darkness of the world. Swami Vivekananda traveled all over India on foot.
Love for the Country:
After Ramakrishna’s death, he tried to immerse himself in the ocean of contemplation in the Himalayas, but soon he left it and set out on a tour across India to interview India’s crippling poverty and rebuild the country. During this he also had to starve for several days. During these six years of travel, he was the guest of both the kings and the Dalits.
His great journey culminated in Kanyakumari, where the meditative Vivekananda came to know that only by awakening the dormant divinity of the new Indian recluse and all souls, especially the common man, who are inclined towards national reconstruction, life can be infused in this dying country. His passion for the reconstruction of India eventually led him to attend the Chicago Parliament of Religions in 1893, where he had gone uninvited, making it difficult for him to be allowed to enter the council. Every effort was made to ensure that they do not get time.
The work that Swami Vivekananda accomplished in his short life span of forty-nine years will continue to guide generations for many centuries to come. At the age of thirty, Swami Vivekananda represented Hinduism at the World Conference of Religions in Chicago, USA and brought it universal recognition. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore once said, “If you want to know India, read Vivekananda. In them you will find everything positive, nothing negative.
Romain Rolland said of him, “It is impossible to even imagine that he is second. Wherever he went, he was the first. Everyone would refer to their leader in them. He was the representative of God and it was his specialty to achieve sovereignty over all. Once in the Himalayan region, an unknown traveler stopped by seeing him and shouted in amazement, ‘Shiva!’ It was as if the deity of that person had given his name. written on his forehead.
Ideas:
1. Tell people what is true, boldly and boldly – do not pay attention to whether it hurts anyone or not. Never give shelter to weakness. If the light of truth seems to the ‘intelligent’ man to be too bright, and drives them away, let them be carried away—the sooner they are carried away, the better.
2. Only God can achieve God. All are living Gods – look at all with this attitude. Study man, man is living poetry. All the Jesus or Buddhas in the world are astrologers with our light. If you leave this flame, all of them will not be able to live any more for us, they will die. You stay on your soul.
3. The human body is the supreme body, and man is the supreme being, because it is only in this human body and in this birth that we can be completely out of this relative world—certainly we can attain the state of liberation, and this Liberation is our ultimate goal.
4. One after the other appears in all these great men – in the end, the ultimate result of their power emerges such a powerful person who imparts education to the world.
5. Apart from the liberation-benefit, which higher state can be availed? Angels never do any bad deeds, so they never get punished, so they cannot be free. It is the worldly push that wakes us up, it helps in breaking this world-dream. It is such constant trauma that awakens our desire to get rid of this world, that is, to gain liberation.
Demise:
Vivekananda’s eloquent and succinct lectures are famous all over the world. On the last day of his life he explained the Shukla Yajurveda and said – “One more Vivekananda is needed, to understand what this Vivekananda has done so far.” According to his disciples, even on the last day of his life, on July 4, 1902, he did not change his meditation routine and meditated for two to three hours in the morning and took Mahasamadhi after breaking his Brahmarandhra in the meditative state itself.
He was cremated on a sandal pyre on the banks of the Ganges at Belur. On the other side of this Ganges, the last rites of his guru Ramakrishna Paramhansa were performed sixteen years ago. His disciples and followers built a temple there in his memory and established more than 130 centers to spread the messages of Vivekananda and his guru Ramakrishna all over the world.
He was born between 483 and 563 AD in Lumbini, Nepal, near Kapilvastu, the then capital of the Shakya Republic. The Lumbini forest was located in the Terai region of Nepal between Kapilvastu and Devdah, 8 miles west of Nautanwa station, near a place called Rukmindei. Mahamaya Devi, the queen of Kapilvastu, on her way to Naihar Devdah, experienced labor pains and gave birth to a child there. The child was named Siddhartha.
He was also called Gautam because of being born in Gautam Gotra. His father was Suddhodhana, the king of the Shakyas. According to the traditional legend, Siddhartha’s mother Mayadevi, who belonged to the Koli clan, died seven days after his birth. He was brought up by his maternal aunt and Shuddhodhana’s second queen Mahaprajavati (Gautami). The infant was named Siddhartha, which means “He who is born to achieve Siddhi”. During the birth ceremony, the sage seer Asit announced from his mountain abode—the child would either become a great king or a great holy guide.
Siddhartha was of a compassionate and serious nature since childhood. Even after growing up, his attitude did not change. Then his father got him married with a beautiful girl named Yashodhara. Yashodhara gave birth to a son who was named Rahul. But Siddhartha’s mind did not rest in the household. Went out for a day’s excursion. On the way, the patient saw the old and the deceased and the truth of life came to know. They got restless thinking whether this is the speed of man. Then one night when everyone was sleeping in the palace, Siddhartha got up secretly and left his wife and children sleeping and left for the forest.
Slowly, there was a change in the mind of Mahatma Buddha. Prince Buddha expressed his desire to roam the city. He was allowed to tour the city. The king gave a message to the guards of the city that they should not bring any such scene in front of the prince which would create a feeling of detachment in his mind towards the world. Siddhartha went for a walk in the city. He saw the old man in the city. On seeing him, he asked the charioteer, who is this? Why has this situation happened? The charioteer said- This is an old man. In old age this condition occurs in almost all men.
One day Siddhartha saw the patient. Seeing the patient, he asked the charioteer about him. The charioteer told- He is a patient and the disease leads to such a condition of a human being. These incidents increased Siddhartha’s disinterest. His mind turned away from worldly pleasures. He decided to leave the world to know the secret of life. He started severe penance in the forest. His body became weak due to penance but the mind did not get peace. Then he chose the middle path, leaving severe penance. Finally he reached a place called Gaya in Bihar and sat meditating under a tree. One day he attained enlightenment. He became ‘Buddha’ from Siddhartha. That tree became famous as ‘Bodhi tree’.
The teachings of Mahatma Buddha were simple. He said that the world is full of sorrows. The cause of sorrow is desire or craving. By giving up desires, one is freed from sorrows. He told the people that by right-seeing, right-feeling, right-discourse, right-behavior, right living, truth-observing, right-thinking and true meditation, man’s cravings are quenched and he remains happy. The teachings of Lord Buddha are very relevant even in today’s times.
Education:
Siddhartha not only read the Vedas and Upanishads with Guru Vishwamitra, but also took education in politics and warfare. No one can match him in wrestling, horse racing, archery, chariot driving. At the age of sixteen, Siddhartha was married to Yashodhara, a Koli girl. He started living with Yashodhara in a palace built by his father to suit the seasons, where his son Rahul was born. But after marriage, his mind went in dispassion and he left his family for the sake of proper happiness and peace.
The path of nirvana that he suggested to mankind is as relevant today as it was two and a half thousand years ago, he himself renounced the royal pleasures and suffered many types of physical tortures to find the way to the salvation of humanity. It was only after deep contemplation and rigorous spiritual practice that he had attained philosophy under the Bodhi tree in Gaya (Bihar). And he had given initiation to the first five disciples. After that many majestic kings also became his followers. His religion spread rapidly outside India. Even today Buddhism is the main religion of many countries like China, Japan etc.
Ideas:
1. Time that has passed does not come back – We often think that if a work is left unfinished today, it will be completed tomorrow, although the time that has passed now will not come back.
2. “Just as a candle cannot burn itself without fire, so a man cannot live without spiritual life.”
3. “Don’t get caught up in the past, don’t get lost in the dreams of the future, focus on the present, that’s the way to be happy.”
4. “There are only two mistakes a person can make while walking on the path of truth, either not going the full way or not starting at all.”
5. Every human has the right to discover his own world.
6. Understand the importance of every day – Every day a new person is born, every day is for fulfilling a new purpose, so understand the importance of each day.
7. Time elapsed does not come back – We often think that if any work is left unfinished today, it will be completed tomorrow, although the time which has passed now will not come back.
8. Happiness is in our mind – Happiness is not in things bought with money, but happiness is in how we feel, how we behave and how we respond to the behavior of others, so the real happiness is in our brain.
9. There is no distinction between East and West in the sky, people create discrimination in their mind and then believe it to be true.
10. Think of the good things – We become what we think, so think positive things and be happy.
Demise:
Mahatma Buddha continued to propagate the religion throughout his life. In the end, while preaching it, he died at the age of eighty in Kushinagar. He became immortal even after his death. Even today millions of his veterans worship him like a god.
The best VPN – short for ‘virtual private network’ – is software traditionally used to help keep you anonymous online and virtually change your location. As they’ve become more well-known, though, countless users are discovering there’s much more to VPNs than just staying private online.
From securing your sensitive information and avoiding trackers to circumventing content blocks on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and sports streaming sites, you don’t have to be a hardcore techy to appreciate their potential. Plus, the top providers have apps for just about any device, so even if you’re mobile-first or use your PlayStation for everything, you can stay secure and stream more with ease.
The only difficulty is choosing the best VPN for the job – and we’re here to help you find a balance between speed, streaming, security and, of course, value for money.
What is a VPN?
The primary function of VPNs is to encrypt and anonymize anything and everything you do online by rerouting your traffic through its own secure servers and hiding it from your ISP. Good security credentials and proper logging practice should be at the top of your list.
Many people also use VPNs for unblocking websites on restricted networks like schools and workplaces, while others use them to avoid government censorship in countries like China. For this, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got plenty of servers to choose from, dotted around the globe.
However, one of the most popular uses for the best VPN is to access geo-blocked streaming content on sites like Netflix, and to watch live sports for cheap, or even for free, by changing your location. If you’re a big streamer, you’ll want to ensure your chosen VPN will be able to access every streaming site you need, as well as making sure connection speeds are up to scratch.
What is the best VPN available today?
The competition to be crowned best VPN gets tougher every day, but there’s still a clear winner that’s head and shoulders above the rest – ExpressVPN.
One of ExpressVPN’s main assets is that it’s incredibly easy to use on any platform – be it your phone, PC, or even PlayStation and you can enjoy using Warzone VPN. It also performed well in our streaming tests, easily getting around the geo-restrictions of Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video – and, because it provides such swift connections, you’ll be able to watch in HD or 4K just like usual.
To top it off, you’ll also be covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee which means you can effectively test-drive the service and its 3,000+ servers for a whole month before you buy – you can find out all the details in our full independent ExpressVPN review.
1. ExpressVPN – hands-down the best VPN available
In our testing, ExpressVPN came out on top in just about every area. Not only does it provide stellar security features, but it’s unrivalled when it comes to connection speeds and unblocking streaming content. Its 30-day money-back guarantee lets you trial the service risk-free, and Tom’s Guide readers can claim three months free – plus 1 year free of backup software Backblaze.
2. NordVPN – big name offers serious security
Arguably the biggest name in the VPN industry, it’s quite likely you’ll have heard of NordVPN. Thankfully it’s not all hot air, as Nord delivers a premium service that’s hugely secure and great for streaming – and at just $3.30 a month plus three months free, it’s decent value
3. Surfshark – best-value VPN on the market
If you’re after a premium service for as little money as possible, Surfshark is perfect. With top streaming performance and intuitive apps on just about every device, it’s the best VPN on a budget at just $2.49 a month – and its unlimited connections policy will cover all your devices.
The best VPN services today at a glance
ExpressVPN– Excellent privacy, streaming and simplicity make ExpressVPN the best VPN today
NordVPN– Impressive security features that can rival the very best VPN services
Surfshark– The best VPN if you’re looking for premium performance on a budget
Hotspot Shield – If you’re after a superfast, no-frills service, Hotspot Shield is a good choice
CyberGhost– Some of the best VPN features when it comes to streaming, but can’t unblock everything
Private Internet Access– Great features like port forwarding make for one of the best VPNs for P2P
IPVanish– Unlimited connections and cheap short plans make for a very flexible service
VyprVPN– Chameleon protocol makes this one of the best VPN services for using in China
Best VPN FAQ
How do I choose the best VPN service?
Choosing the best VPN for can be a tricky process – that’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide. However, for most people, we’d recommend our #1 VPN ExpressVPN as the best choice.
It works great as a Netflix VPN, a torrenting VPN, and even a China VPN, so whatever you need your VPN to do, it’s got you covered – all the while keeping you protected with its rock-solid encryption.
When testing VPNs, we check every aspect that might be of concern. To begin with, we look at what personal details a service needs, and any essential features like encryption. Then we consider pricing, and whether money-back guarantees are on offer, and whether it works on other operating systems as a Mac VPN or Linux VPN as well as on Windows.
During the physical testing, we test speeds over a number of servers, check for DNS leaks, test kill switch functionality plus any and all other additional features, and measure connection time and if the apps crash.
Finally, we review how easy the apps are to use, and test the services on desktop and mobile devices.
Is it illegal to have a VPN?
Short answer – no.
Using a VPN is not illegal, and it’s perfectly legitimate to want to protect your data and activity. Having one on your computer and using it regularly in pursuit of watertight web security and location spoofing is in no way unlawful.
However, using a VPN to hide illegal activity doesn’t make you above the law, so downloading copyrighted material is still illegal even with a VPN. Similarly, using a VPN goes slap bang against Netflix’s Ts&Cs, and the provider has the right to terminate your subscription if they catch you – although that’s never actually happened.
Countries like China and the UAE have made laws against VPN use, but due to their use in business it’s impossible to outlaw VPNs outright. However, in those cases it’s well worth reading up on what you may or may not be permitted to use a VPN for, and consider if the very small risk is worth taking.
What are the VPN dos and don’ts?
The best VPN can make it look like you’re located somewhere you’re not. It’s a well-worn practice to evade online censorship, as is done in some countries, or to tap into US streaming services while in Europe or Asia. We’ve used VPNs to read the New York morning paper in Beijing, and watch US TV in London.
But there are some caveats. A VPN will give you more privacy, but not more security. If you end up on a website harboring malware, the VPN can’t prevent you from being infected.
If you just want to evade geographical restrictions on streaming content such as BBC iPlayer or Hulu, you don’t necessarily need a VPN to do so. You just need a proxy service that will make it look like you’re in the right country. There are many free proxy services available, but do your homework before choosing one – some are a bit dodgy.
Finally, Netflix and the BBC are cracking down on VPNs and proxy services. There are no guarantees that a particular service will evade geographical restrictions on a particular day.
What makes a great VPN?
The most basic qualities you should look for are speed, privacy and ease of use. These might seem like basic attributes, but in reality few providers have found a happy medium.
Connection speed relies on having a wide range of well-maintained servers. This allows the VPN to provide excellent speed and bandwidth to everyone using its servers.
Having excellent security is a fairly basic requirement, but hard to get right. If you’re concerned about that, make sure your VPN has an airtight privacy policy, and a no-logging policy is even better. Some services like ExpressVPN and NordVPN have also been independently audited to prove their claims.
Finally, although many users might be au fait with tech, more and more newbies are looking to start using VPNs. If that’s you, it’s definitely worth making sure that your provider has well-designed apps on all the devices you expect to use with the service.
Are no-fee VPNs any good?
Naturally, free services are very popular products because everyone likes to save their money. And, they can be handy bits of software if you’re not somebody that’s likely to keep their VPN turned on all the time and just want it for occasional use for staying safe on public Wi-Fi. Oh, and if you don’t mind ads…
For most people, though, free services provide a false economy. They tend to have limited servers in just a handful of locations, often restrict you to a single device and almost always have a limit on the amount data you can use per day or month.
Those data limits rule out using your VPN for streaming or torrenting, and if you want to keep your VPN running 24/7 for a permanent privacy layer, a no-fee VPN just isn’t going to work.
What VPN protocols are there?
There are several different VPN protocols, not all of which are used by all of the VPN services we reviewed. Most operating systems have built-in support for at least one of these protocols, which means you can use that protocol – and a willing VPN service – without client software. The full-fledged VPN services have online instructions for how to do this, as well as how to set up routers to connect directly to the services.
OpenVPN: OpenVPN is very secure, open-source and widely used. Most VPN services support it, but except for Chrome OS and Linux, few operating systems do. This protocol can be used in either TCP (web) or UDP (streaming) mode; the latter is sloppier but faster. You’ll need either the VPN service’s client software or one of the many free alternatives. Either way, you’ll still need to pay for the VPN service.
L2TP/IPsec (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol with Internet Protocol Security): L2TP is not secure itself, so it’s generally paired with the IPsec secure-networking standard. The combination of the two was once thought to be very secure when properly implemented, but some VPN services suggest that you use OpenVPN instead. L2TP/IPsec has native support in Windows, OS X/macOS, Android, Chrome OS and iOS. Most VPN services support it.
IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange version 2, generally with IPsec): This is a new-ish standard that is very secure when properly implemented. It has native support in Windows, iOS and recent versions of OS X/macOS.
SSTP (Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol): SSTP is a Microsoft protocol with native support on Windows Vista and later versions. It’s thought to be quite secure, but only Microsoft knows for sure.
PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol): This standard is largely obsolete, with many known security flaws, but it’s fast. It has native support built into Windows, Android and older versions of Mac OS X and iOS; Apple dropped support with macOS Sierra and iOS 10. Use PPTP only for streaming content, as it won’t protect your data.
WireGuard: The newest of these protocols, WireGuard combines reportedly excellent security with great speeds. Developed from the ground up, it uses far less code than its predecessors, meaning a better, simpler user experience. However, it’s not yet supported by many VPN services, although as it gains traction more and more are beginning to implement it. Some, like Mozilla VPN, solely use WireGuard.
Entering the twenty- first century, six billion people inhabit the earth. A number that is expected to double in a hundred and twenty years, yet only 4% of that world population lives in the Untied States. Even though the Untied States is only 4% of the population of the world, it still uses 25% of the world’s resources. This statistic is most important with the argument of food consumption, with so many countries starving, but it also means that the United States uses 25% of the world’s energy resources. Coal and oil are a major energy provider around the world, particularly in the US. (See figure 1) Many countries without these abundances have turned to nuclear energy, due to its supreme effectiveness. Nuclear energy produces more energy per unit weight than coal and oil, releases no pollutants into the atmosphere and is less cancer causing than the burning of coal and oil. Yet nuclear power has been attacked in the US since the day that it was instituted as being a non-safe and environmentally non-friendly form of energy.
Right now the United States does not have to worry about running out of fossil fuels for a long time, even though they generate 51.7% of the US’s power, and power almost all forms of modern transportation. But what happens down the road, when all of the natural resources are gone? In many countries, such as France, nuclear power is accepted and welcome. Why is this not the same way in the US? The media and all forms of entertainment have misconstrued the facts of nuclear energy. Most people are sacred of nuclear power, the word unsafe is synonymous with nuclear power in this country, but time has shown that there is so reason for this feeling. Americans do not hold the facts on this issue. They have the unwarranted fears of a mass and free speaking culture. Nuclear energy is safe, clean, and effective.
There exists within the developmental psychology realm several cases of severely neglected, abused and socially isolated children. These children have been for the duration of their short lives kept in inhumane conditions. Such children when eventually found, are often suffering severe physical and psychological deficits. This essay will discuss the effects of severe social isolation, neglect, and abuse on the development of children subjected to such conditions. The areas of physical, emotional, cognitive and social development will be carefully scrutinized by examining both literature and case studies in this field. The essay will also discuss the possible mitigating factors of isolation and examine whether recovery of affected areas is possible.
Both the theory of attachment and the modern view of nature versus nurture debate emphasise the importance of a stable, stimulating the home environment for the normal development of children. This, therefore, suggests that a child subjected to a severely negative, hostile or unstimulating environment for prolonged periods of time where the normal attachment is not cultivated may be severely impaired, and suffer from numerous adverse developmental effects. The nature versus nurture debate has long played a pivotal role in the field of developmental psychology. Extensive research into both genetic and environmental influences on the development of an individual has led to the modern, widely held belief that both nature and nurture are critical in examining development. The maturation and physical and mental progress of an individual is greatly influenced by not only biological predisposition but also exposure to the external environment and other forms of stimuli (Cole & Cole 2001).
We tend to think of water in terms of a particular purpose: is the quality of the water good enough for the use we want to make of it? Water is fit for our own use but may be unfit for another’s. We may, for instance, trust the quality of lake water enough to swim in it, but not enough to drink it. Along the same lines, drinking water can be used for irrigation, but water used for irrigation may not meet drinking water standards. It is the quality of the water, which determines its uses.
There are many causes for water pollution but two general categories exist: direct and indirect contaminant sources. Direct sources include sewage outfalls from factories, refineries, waste treatment plants etc. that emit fluids of varying quality directly into urban water supplies. In the United States and other countries, these practices are regulated, although this doesn’t mean that pollutants can’t be found in these waters. Indirect sources include contaminants that enter the water supply from soils/groundwater systems and from the atmosphere by means of rainwater. Soils and ground waters contain the remains of human agricultural practices (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) and improperly disposed of industrial wastes. Atmospheric contaminants are also resulting from human practices (such as gaseous emissions from automobiles, factories and even bakeries. Contaminants can be broadly classified into organic, inorganic, radioactive and acid/base. Examples from each class and their potential sources are too numerous to discuss in great detail in this paper. The effects of water pollution are varied. They include poisonous drinking water, poisonous food animals (due to these organisms having bioaccumulated toxins from the environment over their life spans), unbalanced river and lake ecosystems that can no longer support full biological diversity, deforestation from acid rain, and many other effects.
Human interference with our environment is excessive, and the situation is rapidly worsening due to our population growth. Policies must therefore be changed. These policies affect basic economic, technological, and ideological structures. The way to these policy changes is in the
“Deep Ecology” ecosophy (110). Deep ecology is a philosophical way of looking at our environmental problems that was founded in 1972 by Norwegian Arne Naess, a former head of the philosophy department at the University of Oslo. Naess’ writings show us what is wrong with the world and give us a blueprint by which we can bring about change. In its most basic form, deep ecology is a necessary wisdom, requiring humans to see themselves as part of the bigger picture. That picture is our sacred relationship with Earth and all beings. Many believe overpopulation, the greenhouse effect, global warming, and loss of habitat are no cause for alarm. Some, in fact, claim media and politicians perpetuate the hysteria regarding our environmental decline because they have something to gain by painting such a bad picture. Countless studies I have read or am personally involved with, however, have convinced me these problems are real and can be resolved if the following are supported: 1. Continued inquiry into the appropriate human roles on our planet. 2. Root cause analysis of unsustainable practices. 3. Reduction of human consumption. 4. Conservation and restoration of ecosystems. 5. A life of committed action for Earth. (Oslo 1973) The solution to our ecosystem mess is through the principles Dr. Naess has developed. These principles begin with a statement that all life, human and nonhuman, has intrinsic value. This means everything about life is valuable, including individuals, cultures, species, habitats, and populations.
Life is a precious element to a broad range of creatures. When a chemical toxin invades life’s environment, we should all be concerned. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of chemical compounds that are invading and polluting the environment. They cause severe health problems in humans and affect many creatures in nature. Scientist found high PCB levels in two orca whales that washed up dead last February near the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Ko, 2002). The United States Environmental Protection Agency claims they are quick to act on all PCB discoveries, but it may be too late. There are some remedies to remove PCBs from the environment, but it doesn’t take care of the entire problem.
Polychlorinated biphenyls are a group of chemicals compounds that have no molecular breakdown. They were used by the industrial manufacturing industry between 1930-1970. They were primarily used as electrical insulators in transformers and other electrical equipment. They were also used in a variety of products such as: power saws, typewriters, cereal boxes, and bread wrappers (Heimlich, 2002). They were released into the environment during their use by smokestacks, leakage of old equipment, leaching from landfills, and other polluted sediments. In 1976 after growing concerns and findings of high levels of PCBs in the environment; Congress banned all uses including the processing and distribution of PCBs (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2002). These chemicals have filtered into every aspect of the environment. It has seeped into the soil and been carried down streams into our oceans. The toxic effects of PCBs include the death of animals, low growth rate in plants, and severe health problems in humans (Heimlich, 2002). According to an EPA study that was completed in 1987; chronic exposure to PCBs can cause cancer .
Eduindex 
You must be logged in to post a comment.