In last week's newsletter about the apps you don't need, I almost put VPNs on the list.

As a way to protect your privacy and security, the benefits of a virtual private network are often overblown. VPN providers present them as cure-alls that magically make you invisible on the web, and VPN reviewers can be too eager to play along, as they earn a commission from the sales their sites generate.

But while I'd like to say that you don't need a VPN, the reality is a little more nuanced, and I thought it was worth discussing in-depth given how often folks ask me about the topic.

Here then, is a rundown of what VPNs actually accomplish, what they don't, and the pitfalls you might run into while using one.

Looking past all the hype, VPNs provide two simple functions: They encrypt your data before it leaves your phone or computer, then they route that data through a remote server on the way to the actual website or app you intended to visit. That's it.

Those simple functions, however, provide a handful of specific benefits:

These are all fine benefits, but on their own they're not the privacy panacea that VPN providers make them out to be. More on that shortly.

Meanwhile, the Wi-Fi protection element is increasingly redundant, as all reputable websites now use HTTPS encryption to handle personal data. As the EFF notes, public Wi-Fi just isn't that dangerous anymore now that encryption is built into so many sites.

Because VPNs merely route your encrypted data through a remote server, their privacy and security protections still have limits:

Given that VPNs do have some privacy and security benefits, is there any harm in using them? That depends on which VPN you're using.

Free VPN services tend to have usage limits, so you may run into slower speeds or data caps. Proton VPN is a notable exception, as its free tier has no data caps, and I've found that it matches the 200 Mbps download speed of my home internet connection, but even that limits you to one device connection at a time.

Even worse, some free VPNs can inject ads into your browser or share your data with third parties, defeating the purpose of using them. (I'm also extremely wary of VPNs with "lifetime" service, which can have similar drawbacks.) They might also just lose your personal information in a data breach. Launching a VPN service isn't difficult, and unscrupulous providers abound.

Meanwhile, reputable paid VPN services can be pricey. Proton's paid service starts at $10 per month, and NordVPN, another well-regarded provider, charges $12 per month unless you opt for yearly billing.

On top of all that, VPNs represent yet another thing to manage. You have to install it on all your devices, run it in the background at all times, and tend to it if your connection falters.

If jumping through those hoops gives you a stronger sense of privacy and security online, that's great. VPNs are a useful tool to that end, provided you understand their limitations. But I'm not going to insist that you need one, and I'm glad to finally have an article I can link to that explains why.

T-Mobile's travel perks: T-Mobile is making a few major upgrades to its travel data offerings:

By comparison, AT&T only offers unlimited data in Canada, Mexico, and 19 Latin American countries (and charges $10 per day elsewhere) on its priciest plan, while Verizon offers just 0.5 GB of high-speed data per day in Canada and Mexico. Competition in the wireless space has seemed a bit lethargic lately; perhaps T-Mobile's moves will prompt the other major carriers to revisit their travel offerings.

And yes, I have expanded my unlimited data plan comparison chart to include these travel perks.

More Matter messiness: Google has informed users of its Nest Hub Max smart display they’ll lose control over their Nest x Yale smart locks without a separate bridge device, which Google plans to send out for free.

I imagine this means nothing to most of you, but it's another example of the short-term mess we’re seeing as the tech industry rallies being a new smart home standard called Matter. Ironically, Matter is supposed to reduce the number of bridges and hubs people need, and the Nest Hub Max is getting an update to work as a Matter hub. But because the Yale lock won’t be getting Matter support, it will need its own separate hub to maintain connectivity once that update happens.

Don't feel bad if none of this makes any sense, as I'm barely achieving comprehension myself. Just know that my repeatedly-stated advice still stands: Avoid making any major smart home investments until this transition to Matter fully shakes out.

An extra-private web browser: Librewolf is a free web browser for Windows, Mac, and Linux that's basically a stripped-down version of Firefox with uBlock Origin's tracker blocker pre-installed. As a result, it offers stronger privacy protection than Firefox alone, and it eliminates some clutter, such as Firefox's search bar ads and the "Add to Pocket" button.

Although Librewolf has been around for a couple of years now, I only discovered it through PrivacyTests.org, a site that compares the anti-tracking features of various web browsers. Seeing Librewolf fare better than practically every other major browser—including Chrome, Edge, and Safari—made me want to check it out.

The closest alternative is Brave, which uses the open-source code behind Google Chrome to build a much more privacy-centric browser with built-in ad blocking. But like Firefox itself, Librewolf has a more customizable interface, plus it doesn't have any weird cryptocurrency schemes attached.

By default, Librewolf does make some big trade-offs to maintain its privacy focus. For a more traditional browsing experience, I suggest making some tweaks:

Having to make those tweaks means that Librewolf won't be for everyone, but it's a compelling option for when privacy is paramount.

Free music downloads: While I already knew about Kanopy and Hoopla for streaming video with your library card, I also recently discovered Freegal, which provides librarygoers with free music. In addition to streaming, Freegal lets you download a limited number of songs in the MP3 format. (My library allows seven downloads per week.)

While the catalog is much more limited than the likes of Spotify and Apple Music, I also found some a few gems (such as the jazz album pictured above, which Spotify only has part of). If you're not already a streaming music subscriber, or you maintain a personal music collection, Freegal might help round out your catalog.

We're in a bit of a black hole for deals with Prime Day approaching, but here a handful of notable ones:

Also, I'm not sure how many of you have a Micro Center nearby, but I swung by the Cincinnati location on Sunday and found Aukey's tiny 20W chargers on sale for just $3.

I bought a couple, plus a three-pack of canned air for $8, and got a free 128 GB MicroSD card through a coupon in the mail. Never change, Micro Center.

If you haven't visited the Advisorator website lately, swing by the newly spruced-up landing page, where you'll find the latest newsletter, featured guides, and a persistent search bar at the top. You'll also note that the archives for my Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter have moved to their own website, so you can search for streaming and over-the-air TV topics separately.

Next on the agenda: Improving the archives page to make browsing a bit more efficient, and of course adding more free-standing guides. If there's anything else you'd like to see from the website, let me know! And of course, don't hesitate to reach out with any tech questions you might have.

Until next week,

Jared