From a certain perspective the last decade seems like a dystopian sci-fi novel come true. Governments spy freely on their citizens, hackers pilfer movie studios with seeming ease, and online death threats have sent people into hiding. All of this is enough to stir a bit of paranoia in even the most optimistic heart.
And some people are acting on that paranoia. Firewalls, proxy services and encryption are big business these days. The later in particular has been a focus for individuals seeking to protect their private data from prying eyes, as it’s the only way to make sure data stays protected even when it’s outside of your hands. Proponents of encryption will argue it’s foolish not to use it.
Related: The best encryption services for the average user
But encryption doesn’t just happen. It requires proper software and can become cumbersome. Do you actually bother, or does it seem more trouble than it’s worth?
Remember to not just vote, but also leave a comment telling us why you voted as you did. The results of the poll, and our pick for best comment, will be published with next week’s topic.
Last week’s results: Will you be going 4K this holiday?
We wanted to know if our readers are planning to go for a 4K monitor, as Digital Trends has reviewed several models over the last few months and has several more reviews planned for the rest of December and January. The results were striking.
About 31 percent of respondents said they plan to buy a 4K monitor, hope to receive one as a gift, or already have one. That’s a much higher number than we expected. Prices have gone down a lot, but it’s still an expensive upgrade to make, and the benefit isn’t obvious until you’ve sat in front of a 4K monitor and used it. The pace of adoption seems rapid, as virtually no one had a 4K monitor at the beginning of this year.
Another 45 percent declared themselves sensitive to price, though, and intend to wait until the displays are less expensive. They probably won’t have to wait long. CES 2015 is right around corner and will be a prime space for launching new monitors. We expect to see at least several new entries and price drops on older models as 2015 goes on. A further 17 percent said they need to upgrade their hardware before making the leap.
And, of course, there were some contrarians. Seven percent said they weren’t interested in 4K at all. There’s always going to be nay-sayers.
Our winner of best comment this week certainly isn’t a skeptic. Abhishek Kylasa wrote that he’d purchased “a high-end gaming desktop with 970 Tri-Sli specifically for the purpose of 4K gaming.” Good call, Abhishek! You’re going to need all of that power, but you’ll be rewarded with an experience that’s truly jaw-dropping.
Image credit: Isak55/Shutterstock
