Smart Home

Even though some new online safety brands have appeared on the scene since we first published our round-up, Bark is still our favorite parental control app. Bark can’t be beat in terms of email and social media monitoring, and our testers thought Bark was the easiest app to set up and use.We prefer other parental control apps for specific features—like location tracking and speed tracking—and for more comfortable price points. Learn more about the differences between our top picks, and discover why other apps didn’t make the cut. Best parental control apps Bark: Best overall Boomerang: Best for younger kids...

NordVPN Delivers Security and SpeedNordVPN stands out in hands-on tests for both speed and advanced security features, making it our best overall VPN provider. NordVPN is located in Panama, which puts it out of the reach of the “14 Eyes” countries (an international surveillance alliance that works to collect and share data). That means its no-logging policies are more legitimate than VPNs that operate in countries with surveillance agreements (like the US).This VPN provider also comes loaded with leading security features like Double VPN (your data is encrypted twice) and DNS (Domain Name System) leak protection. That means if your...

While many identity theft protection companies save the bonus features like monthly credit scores, social media monitoring, and account activity monitoring for their top-tier plans, IdentityForce puts these features in its lowest-tier—but aptly named—UltraSecure Plan.At about $18 a month, the UltraSecure Plan includes protection services that other brands reserve for higher-tier plans, like instant access to credit reports, sex offender alerts, payday loan alerts, and court records monitoring.   Top 5 identity theft protection services IdentityForce: Best overall coverage ReliaShield: Best individual coverage Identity Guard: Best family coverage Zander: Best budget coverage LifeLock: Best insurance coverage

By a slim margin, Google Assistant wins as our top virtual-assistant pick. As much as Google Assistant† and Amazon's Alexa try to differentiate themselves from their rivals, they're getting more similar with every update.But each platform has its strengths. For a better virtual assistant and smart displays, we think Google's the one to beat, but Alexa dominates in terms of music quality and smart home prowess. Despite these strengths, the one you choose ultimately boils down to personal preference. Google Home vs. Amazon Alexa Pros and cons Compare devices Differences Unique capabilities Similarities Winner: Google Assistant