Technology

Norton Neo Raises the Bar on Security and Privacy for the AI-Native Browser

Published

4 months ago

May 4, 2026

With a built-in VPN that adapts automatically, alongside anti-phishing, anti-fingerprinting and smarter ad-block controls, users get the full power of AI browsing without compromise.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Norton, a global leader in consumer Cyber Safety and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), today released a major update to Norton Neo, its AI-native browser. The upgrade embeds integrated VPN, anti-phishing, and anti-fingerprinting protection into the browsing experience. No extensions, no separate tools, no manual set-ups. Norton Neo ensures that AI is not only embedded into a streamlined browsing experience that unifies search and chat, but that protection is built-in by default.

According to the Gen Threat Labs, roughly 83% of attacks blocked in early 2026 were web-based, including phishing and spam ads. Gen is also tackling a newer category: indirect prompt injections that hijack AI features through malicious page content. Norton Neo handles these at the browser layer rather than asking users to bolt on protection.

“People can get a lot done on a browser, but digital threats, including spam and phishing, are rampant. Every AI feature added to a browser is another attack surface, and people shouldn’t need to be security experts to feel safe online” said Howie Xu, Chief AI and Innovation Officer at Gen. “With Norton Neo, protection isn’t a setting you turn on, it’s the foundation. The VPN adapts on its own, phishing is caught before you click, and your AI queries can’t be turned against you.”

Protection That Adapts as You Browse

Adaptive VPN. Norton Neo’s built-in VPN encrypts traffic and lets users control their location without a separate install. This built-in VPN intelligently adapts to sensitive sites, like banking or healthcare, and steps back during everyday browsing. By leveraging VPN for Agents, the industry’s first consumer multi-channel agent-native VPN service released by Gen on April 30, Norton Neo is able to intelligently apply protection when it’s needed without requiring users to turn it on or off.

Advanced anti-fingerprinting. To further strengthen privacy, Norton Neo now helps prevent websites and trackers from uniquely identifying people through their device and browser characteristics. This reduces persistent tracking and enhances anonymity online. Incognito mode now delivers true anonymity, not just the perception of it.

Safe browsing and phishing defense. The browser proactively detects and blocks phishing and malicious websites before people land on them, helping safeguard against credential theft and deceptive online content. Norton Neo extends the same protection to webmail through Norton’s Scam Analyzer engine. In addition, the browser defends against indirect prompt injection attacks, so AI features cannot be manipulated by instructions hidden in web content.

Together, these defense layers formed a built-in intelligent protection, backed by the expertise of the Gen Threat Labs and powered by Norton and its decades of security expertise.

More Control, Less Friction

In addition to core protections, Norton Neo has expanded its ad blocking capabilities to offer more granular control over what is blocked and when, allowing customization based on browsing preferences and regional requirements. Cookie consent has also been streamlined to cut down on banner fatigue without giving up control. These updates are designed to simplify privacy management while maintaining strong protection in the background.

To make the browsing experience seamless, Norton Neo extends across platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, ensuring consistent privacy and protection wherever and however people browse. Norton Neo protects people’s data and stores all chats locally by default. Queries within the browser are processed under strict, binding contractual safeguards that prevent any AI providers from retaining data or using it for model training. AI providers do not have access to sensitive identification such as IP address or location.

AI That Does More, on a Foundation You Can Trust

Alongside its privacy and security enhancements, Norton Neo continues to expand its AI-native capabilities to help people get more done, more efficiently.

Norton Neo’s chat experience now supports deeper reasoning and more complex tasks. With fewer limitations and a more responsive experience, users can explore ideas, refine outputs, and take action without interruption. Unified search lets users find anything they’ve browsed or discussed in chat using plain language, instead of exact keywords. Features like vertical tabs, better tab management, and a customizable newsfeed round out the experience. As part of this update, Norton Neo also gives its users early access to a new agentic AI assistant; a private, always-on helper for managing online activities, and a step toward Norton’s vision of secure AI assistance for everyone.

Learn more and try Norton Neo at neobrowser.ai

About Norton
Norton is a leader in Cyber Safety, and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted consumer brands. Norton empowers millions of individuals and families with award-winning protection for their devices, online privacy, and identity. Norton products and services are certified by independent testing organizations including AV-TEST, AV Comparatives, and SE Labs. Norton is a founding member of the Coalition Against Stalkerware. Learn more at https://us.norton.com.

Media Contact:
Brittany Posey
Gen
Press@GenDigital.com

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Technology

He Sold Everything and Moved to Colombia for Her. Then Built the Translator They Needed and Named It After Her.

Published

22 minutes ago

August 25, 2026

Nayerly, a patent-pending iPhone app, is the first translator both people can talk over at once. Fully offline, 22 languages.

EDMONDS, Wash., Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Michael Wilson sold everything he owned and left the US for Colombia to be with the woman he loved. They did not share a language.

Every translator they tried forced them to take turns: one speaks, stops, waits for playback, and only then can the other answer. It worked. It also turned every conversation into a transaction.

So he built his own, alone, and named it after her. Nayerly is now on the App Store.

Nayerly is full duplex, meaning it listens and speaks at the same time instead of taking turns. The app keeps listening while it is speaking, so you can talk over the translation, and it keeps listening when more than one person talks, so two people can talk over each other and it still works. No phone passed back and forth. It works like a personal interpreter sitting between you.

“Every other translator is a walkie-talkie. You talk, you stop, you wait,” Wilson said. “I built this so I could speak better with someone I love. That is the only way you make a real connection. It works so well you forget you are using it and start talking over each other.”

Everything runs on the device. All 22 language models download during setup, so it works with no Wi-Fi and no signal – on a plane, abroad, off the grid – and no audio ever leaves the phone. Hands-free works with any AirPods, not just the premium ones.

Key features:

– Full duplex: listens and speaks at the same time, so you can talk over the translation and over each other
– 100% offline in 22 languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi and Ukrainian
– Hands-free with any AirPods
– Private by design: audio is never recorded or stored
– Free to download, 10 minutes of translation daily

Unlimited use is $1.99 per month during launch, billed annually. A one-time lifetime option includes Apple Family Sharing. New languages will be added in future updates at no additional cost to existing users.

Videos of Wilson and his girlfriend using Nayerly in Colombia, both speaking at once in English and Spanish, are on Instagram at instagram.com/nayerlyapp and TikTok at tiktok.com/@nayerlyapp.

Availability

On the App Store for iPhone now: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6762064110
More: https://nayerly.com

About Nayerly
Nayerly is an independent iPhone app built alone by Michael Wilson and named for the woman he built it for. It exists so two people without a shared language can just talk.

Media Contact
Michael Wilson
Founder, Nayerly
421311@email4pr.com
425-220-5237

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SOURCE Nayerly

Technology

Eleven GovTech Startups Named to Pitch at State of GovTech 2026

Published

22 minutes ago

August 25, 2026

Companies from across the country will pitch live to government and investor judges in Montgomery County, Maryland, September 9–10. Registration is free for government employees.

SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CivStart today announced the eleven startups selected to pitch at State of GovTech 2026, the organization’s seventh annual national govtech summit, taking place September 9–10 at the Silver Spring Civic Building in Montgomery County, Maryland.

The selected companies span permitting, public safety, emergency management, grant administration, constituent services, and civic infrastructure finance. They will pitch live on the main stage to a judging panel drawn from local government, county technology leadership, and the govtech investment community.

The 2026 Startup Cohort

Appellate (Bentonville, AR) — system of record for police towing and vehicle custodyAyla (Washington, D.C.) — public-sector recruiting on a live government labor-market data engineCODICE (Washington, D.C.) — no-code permitting, licensing, and inspections platformGostly (Westminster, MD) — real-time command center for urban infrastructureGrantwell (Los Angeles, CA) — AI grant management across the full lifecycleGreen Stream Technologies (Wake Forest, NC) — flood and weather early warning systemsGovstream (Seattle, WA) — AI-driven permitting intakeLabrynth (US, Australia, EU, UK) — AI-native regulatory intelligence for permittingManyBond — crowdfinancing for community-supported local investmentReadyly (Connecticut) — agentic AI resolving resident inquiries across every channelSamora AI (Bellevue, WA) — multilingual voice AI for citizen information lines

The Judging Panel

Hillary Orr, Deputy Director of Transportation, City of Alexandria, Virginia Rita Reynolds, Director of Public Sector, CAI Thao Hill, Co-Founder and CEO, Govinity Tom Spenger, CEO, SOVRA Eyal Feder-Levy, CEO, Zencity

The pitch competition is one part of a two-day agenda built around working sessions rather than passive programming. Attendees draft AI use policies, run live cybersecurity breach simulations, and bring unresolved problems from their own jurisdictions to work through with peers.

State of GovTech 2026 is expected to draw more than 200 attendees, split roughly evenly between public sector leaders and the entrepreneurs, investors, and industry practitioners who serve them. The venue sits directly on the Washington Metro, and registration is free for government employees. Full agenda and registration at civstart.com/sogt26.

About CivStart

CivStart is a govtech organization connecting government leaders with the technology solutions and entrepreneurs solving public sector challenges. Through its accelerator programs, industry events, and products including Clarity and GovFit, CivStart helps state and local governments define their challenges and find partners equipped to solve them. State of GovTech is CivStart’s flagship annual summit, now in its seventh year. Learn more at civstart.com.

Media Contact:

Nick Lyell

Co-Founder & COO

421351@email4pr.com | 608.234.2166

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SOURCE CivStart

Technology

Goodix Unveils New Generation Touch Screen Controllers for Medium and Large Displays

Published

22 minutes ago

August 25, 2026

SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Goodix has launched its new-generation GT9976 series of high-performance touch screen controllers for medium and large displays, targeting premium flexible OLED tablets, foldable smartphone main screens, and other smart devices. Delivering major upgrades in gaming control, touch performance in challenging environments, and active stylus support, the series enables device makers to create differentiated large-screen products for gaming, work, and learning.

As an early commercial deployment of the series, Lenovo’s latest Legion Y700 Wuji gaming flagship tablet and Tab Pen Pro 2 integrate Goodix’s innovative portfolio, including the GT9976N touch screen controller, an active stylus driver chip, and an ultra-narrow side-key capacitive fingerprint sensor, to deliver a more responsive and immersive user experience.

Faster Response for Smoother Large-Screen Interaction

High-refresh-rate displays used in competitive gaming place greater demands on touch response and data processing. The GT9976 series features Goodix’s proprietary full-screen parallel sensing architecture, which achieves a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) within a shorter scan time — significantly accelerating finger-signal capture and processing efficiency.

Supporting 7- to 9.5-inch flexible OLED displays, the new series delivers industry-leading touch report rates and instant sampling rates. From everyday browsing and app switching to sudden stops, sharp turns and rapid multi-taps in high-frame-rate games, the GT9976 series ensures smooth, precise, and highly responsive touch interaction.

Reliable, High-Precision Touch Performance in Demanding Conditions

To address the noise interference from flexible OLED panels under heavy system loads, the GT9976 series adopts an industry-leading high-noise-suppression analog front end (AFE) sampling architecture that doubles SNR over the previous generation. Combined with Goodix’s proprietary gaming algorithms, the controllers accurately identify valid touch signals even in complex noise environments, delivering stable, precise coordinate data at all times.

In demanding scenarios such as FPS, MOBA and rhythm games, the GT9976 series combines a higher SNR, high-speed scanning and sampling, and enhanced real-time noise monitoring with frequency-hopping technology to enable faster tap response and stable multi-finger control without jitter or drift. This improves responsiveness and tracking accuracy for pixel-level actions such as flick aiming, recoil control, combo execution and movement.

The series also integrates advanced dual-mode self- and mutual-capacitance sensing with complementary algorithms to improve palm rejection, effectively reducing false touches caused by grip and edge contact. Dedicated optimization for sweaty hands, wet fingers and gaming finger sleeves helps maintain sensitive and stable touch performance under challenging real-world conditions.

Enhanced Active Stylus Support for Productivity and Creativity

For mobile productivity, education and professional drawing, the GT9976 series also delivers significantly enhanced active stylus performance. When paired with Goodix active stylus driver chip, the solution supports a 360Hz pen report rate. Together with Goodix’s proprietary stylus anti-interference algorithm, it achieves outstanding linearity and precision — accurately reproducing every stroke for tasks such as note-taking, fine annotation, sketching, and handwriting practice.

For flagship OLED tablets with large screens, Goodix also offers the GT7A series, which supports display sizes ranging from 10 to 14 inches while delivering the same high overall performance, further strengthening its portfolio for mid- to large-size touch applications. Both the GT9976 and GT7A series have been validated by leading device brands and display panel manufacturers, and are set to be adopted in foldable smartphones, gaming tablets, and slim flagship tablets — enabling smoother, more precise, and more reliable large-screen interaction.

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SOURCE Goodix