Passport Photo Software for Professional IDs: 5 Best to use

Posted on by Teodor Nechita
In a world where traveling is easier than ever before, documentation has to evolve too. This includes the good old passport that you need to carry when you travel between countries, as it has to follow certain guidelines in order to be valid. Of course, the centerpiece of any passport is your photograph, and you want to make sure that it is impeccable if you don’t want issues at the border. That being said, if you want to provide your own photo when creating the documentation, then at least make sure that it looks good. That being said, here are some software tools that we consider to be the best when it comes to creating your own passport photos.

What are the best software to create passport photos?

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe photoshopAdobe Photoshop is the ultimate photo editor on the market, and while it is not specifically designed to create passport photos, its versatile toolset allows you to also do that.

More so, you don’t have to prepare beforehand, since you can pretty much take any photograph where your face appears, and manipulate it to the point where it can be a valid ID photo.

This includes changing the lighting, deleting background, editing the clothes, and more.

More so, you won’t feel limited with Adobe Photoshop at all, since the license will give you the freedom to do pretty much anything you can think of, not just create ID photos like the dedicated tools.

Finally, those of you that are skeptical regarding the product’s quality are free to test it before they buy it by going for the free 7-day trial that each Adobe account can benefit.

Here are some of Adobe Photoshop’s main features:

  • Can manipulate any image file
  • Great at creating ID photos
  • A world-class image editing tool
  • Intuitive UI for Adobe veterans
  • Works with well-known file formats

⇒ Download Adobe Photoshop free

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator can be described as Adobe Photoshop, but with a few extra twists. While admittedly it does have a lot of Adobe Photoshop’s tools, Adobe Illustrator is a vector-based image editor.

This allows the images created to be expanded indefinitely without fear of quality loss. However, this particular trait is almost useless when it comes to ID photos since there is a limit to how much you can expand the photo of someone’s face.

However, if you have a very good camera, and you want to use your ID photo on something else as well, like a banner or billboard, then you can’t go wrong with Adobe Illustrator.

Here are some of Adobe Illustrator’s main features:

  • Can manipulate any image file
  • Great at creating ID photos
  • The world’s best vector-based image editor
  • Compatible with all other Adobe products
  • Can be tested for free for 7 days

⇒ Download Adobe Illustrator free

Passport Photo Maker

Unlike the previous entries on our list, Passport Photo Maker is a dedicated tool specifically designed for those that want to create and edit ID photos.

This means that the program has all the basic tools needed for this particular task, but it also means that it is useless for anything else. However, if you work as a professional photographer and you create ID photos for a living, a dedicated tool like this one can be extremely handy.

The UI is extremely simplistic to the point of being almost entry-level.

Here are some of Passport Photo Maker’s main features:

  • Can handle ID formats for US, UK, Australia, and 130 other countries
  • Comes with Auto crop and biometric features detection
  • Supports several convenient printing layouts
  • Comes with a built-in photo editor
  • Features a clothes and background replacement tool

⇒ Download Passport Photo Maker

ID Photos PRO

Yet another lightweight software tool for creating ID photos made it on our list. It comes with a similarly simplistic UI just like the previous entry, while still maintaining the toolset necessary to create professional ID photos.

It boasts formats from several different countries in the form of photo crop-out templates, so you don’t have to google each country’s size. More so, the editing process is greatly simplified thanks to the built-in facial recognition.

More so, it supports several ePhoto formats with electronic signatures, so it isn’t limited just to printed IDs.

Here are some of ID Photos PRO’s main features:

  • Supports formats from different countries
  • has a built-in automatic face recognition feature
  • Enhanced with several controlled security settings
  • Your photos are safe thanks to secure cloud storage
  • Detailed interface adjustment to suit your taste

⇒ Download ID Photos PRO

ID Photo Creator

Last but not least is yet another dedicated ID photo editor called ID Photo Creator. The great part is that it features all the tools that you would expect from a dedicated tool like this one, but you can also export photos to other image editors, like Photoshop.

More so, it manages to perfectly balance simplicity with complexity, as it features an intuitive UI while still being capable of more complex tasks, such as orders management, print shop logos and creating new ID types.

Here are some of ID Photo Creator’s main features:

  • ID types from over 200+ countries
  • Comes with automatic background replacement
  • Built-in basic photo editor
  • Easy navigation between files
  • Good for business and homeowners

⇒ Download ID Photo Creator

Thanks to the programs listed above, you should be able to create professional-looking passport photos that will give you no problems when crossing the border.

More so, if you own a business that makes money out of ID photos, all of the entries mentioned below are just as useful.

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Chromatic Aberration Filter: 5 Best Software to use

Posted on by Teodor Nechita

Chromatic aberrations are a common phenomenon in photography and video recordings. Fortunately enough, there are plenty of software tools that can handle imagery that has this issue, without having to repair or buy new camera lenses.

That being said, we have compiled a list of the best software tools that can handle this problem, and we will be ranking them based don multiple criteria.

These include the software’s availability, how easy it is to use, how efficient the end-results are, and more.

What are the best software to remove chromatic aberrations?

Adobe Photoshop

When it comes to image editing, no software tool is as recognizable as the best of the best: Adobe Photoshop.

This professional raster-based image editor has all the tools you may ever need to manipulate, enhance, or fix digital photos.

That being said a common lighting issues such as chromatic aberrations are easy to handle, especially since the program has a dedicated menu for it.

As you tweak your photos, you can preview in real-time what the photo will look like post-editing, so that you always know you will be getting the best result.

More so, you can try out this professional tool before you buy it by getting a free 7-day Trial for all Adobe products.

Here are some of Adobe Photoshop’s main features:

  • Professional raster-based image editor
  • Adobe users will get used to the UI fast
  • Has a dedicated section for removing chromatic aberrations
  • Can be tested during a 7-day trial
  • Compatible with most other image editors
Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop

Save potentially great shots with the advanced editing tools provided by this full-feature image editor.
Free trial Visit website

Aurora HDR

Aurora is the first on our list to not be part of the Adobe family, and among all entries, it is alose probably the newest. However, this tool has proven itself that you don’t need to be a bulky program in order to get the job done.

It does this by being extremely lightweight in both looks and feel while being perfectly capable of producing fantastic digital results.

In fact, Aurora HDR is so good at removing chromatic aberrations, that it can do it on HDR photos where even the slightest color variations are noticeable.

You can also use the extensive filter library to create beautiful results within seconds. Aurora HDR has basic filters, color filters, glow filters, and more.

This software doesn’t compromise picture quality. It can help you rescue shots with all sorts of problems, including chromatic aberrations, lack of clarity, lack of depth, and more. All these can be fixed by using the HDR Enhance tools within the UI.

Here are some of Aurora HDR’s main features:

  • An entry-level image editor
  • Works well with complex HDR images
  • Removes chromatic aberrations without an issue
  • Lightweight
  • Has both layer and mask support

⇒ Get Aurora HDR

Adobe Lightroom

If you’re a fan of the Adobe family, then this entry will overjoy you. Lightroom is a program that you use together with Adobe Photoshop in order to produce fantastic photographic results.

That being said, Lightroom’s UI is a bit more simplistic, but its use is also greatly reduced compared to Photoshop.

However, the entry made it on our list primarily because it can handle chromatic aberrations quite easily, especially if you know how to fix them using Photoshop.

All in all, the program is quite good for this particular task, and you can also try it out during the 7-day trial mentioned earlier.

Here are some of Adobe Lightroom’s main features:

  • Works well with Adobe Photoshop
  • The UI is easy to handle
  • The program is great for professionals
  • Easily takes care of photo issues such as chromatic aberrations
  • Can be tested out for 7 days before you buy it

⇒ Get Adobe Lightroom

Luminance HDR

If your main concern is your budget, then you’ll be glad to know that you don’t need to pull any money out of your pocket if you want to fix your photos.

Luminance HDR’s main highlight of this tool is that it is extremely easy to use and that it is also free of charge.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that the program’s capabilities are lacking, just that the number of features that it brings considering that it is free is amazing.

While processing the images is a bit slower compared to the other entries, the pros more than outweigh the cons.

Here are some of Luminance HDR’s main features:

  • Completely free
  • Easy image manipulation
  • Intuitive controls
  • Great results for a free program
  • Can handle chromatic aberrations if handled properly

⇒ Get Luminance HDR

Photomatix Pro

Even though it makes the last entry on our list, Photomatix Pro is still one of the best software that you can use to fix chromatic aberrations.

The program earned its position thanks to the long history that it has in which it never failed to deliver great results. The UI is extremely well arranged and intuitive, and you never feel like anything is too cluttered.

More so, there is nothing bad that we can say about the program as far as sheer results are concerned, as it can remove chromatic aberrations as if they were never there.

This software has a very simple UI which makes it suitable for beginners. Despite the simplicity, it can help you create high-quality pictures.

It has HDR features that ensure great clarity, lightning, and color. You can use them for multiple picture HDR merging, but it works on single pictures as well.

Other key features of Photomatix Pro include:

  • Exposure adjustements
  • Tone blancer
  • Contrast optimizer
  • HDR presets
  • Brush tools
  • Lightroom plugin
  • Multiple HDR styles

The software has a free version that never expires. It is however limited and places watermark on top of your images. The licensed version is a one-time purchase with free upgrades.

⇒ Get Photomatix Pro

Conclusion

We hope these software suggestions can help you enhance the quality of your pictures. Feel free to let us know what you think in the comments below.

For more similar guides, check out our dedicated Graphic and Design page.

Apple TV to get support for more Xbox controllers with tvOS 14 update

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

During Apple’s WWDC 2020 conference, Apple announced that their Apple TV streaming boxes would be gaining support for Microsoft’s Xbox Adaptive Controller and the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 in the new tvOS 14 operating system update coming later this year.

Apple TVs already support regular Xbox-branded video game controllers for playing video games on the platform.

While this added support may seem odd to the casual Apple TV owner who may not play that many video games, it’s important to remember that the Xbox Game Streaming (Project xCloud) app is already being tested for iOS devices and that it will likely become available for Apple TVs too. Once it does, Xbox controllers will be getting a lot more usage by Apple TV owners.

Do you use Xbox controllers with your Apple TV or are you waiting for something like Project xCloud to rollout? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest and Twitter for more Xbox gaming news.

How to use Python in browser

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Python is a popular programming language, but did you know that you can run and test your Python code in a web browser?

That’s right, there are various websites that will compile your Python code, and in today’s article, we’re going to show you how to use them.

Quick Tip:

If you want to run Python on your browser, you probably want the choice that is the fastest and most efficient.

As far as those criteria are concerned, Opera is your best bet, especially since you can automate the Opera browser with Selenium WebDriver and Python.

The browser uses the Chromium engine, so you have guaranteed speed and frequent updates to come.

Opera

Write Python code in Opera without any major headaches thanks to its unique design and Chromium build that allows easy automation.
Free Visit website

How do I run Python in the browser?

1. Trinket.io

Python browser trinket.io

Trinket.io allows you to compile your Python code and run it in your browser with a single click. On the left side, there’s your code and on the right, you can see the rendition of your code.

For debugging, you can open the console or pause the code. Of course, you can easily share your creations with others.

2. Skulpt

Python browser skulpt

Another website that can easily run Python is Skulpt. The website offers a simple interface, and you just need to enter your code and press the Run button.

Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut. The website is minimalistic and simple to use, so it’s perfect for running Python snippets.

3. Repl.it

Python browser repl.it

Repl.it is an online IDE for Python and it comes with advanced features. The web app allows you to create multiple files and folders, as well as add various packages.

Debugging and version control is also there, as well as a quick preview of your rendered code. Of course, file sharing is available, so you can easily collaborate with others.

Compiling and running Python code can be demanding on your resources, therefore it’s advised to use a browser with low resource usage, such as Opera for example.

Opera is quite humble when it comes to system resources, so it should handle any website without issues.

The browser has its own tracking protection, so it will block all tracking cookies and scripts and make your browsing experience faster.

Opera also has its own ad blocker, so you won’t have to deal with ads anymore. It’s worth mentioning that Opera is based on Chromium, so it works with Chrome extensions.

Opera is available on all desktop and mobile platforms, and with browser synchronization, you can easily continue browsing on any other device.

Editor's choice
Opera-browser
Opera browser
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  • Includes Messenger Apps
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Python is a great programming language, and if you want to try it out from your web browser, we strongly suggest using one of the websites from this article.

Before running Python online, it’s always good to confirm that your local setup works properly. You can easily do this by following this guide on how to check Python version in Windows CMD.

Adventure Sync not working – Pokemon GO [Fixed]

Posted on by Teodor Nechita

Who said you can’t get fit by playing video games? You can. And Adventure Sync does just that. It encourages you to walk for miles to get exclusive rewards in Pokemon Go.

Adventure Sync is a feature in Pokemon Go that connects to Google Fit on Android or Apple Health on iOS, depending on your device. From there, it pulls data about your walking distance.

However, there are times when Adventure Sync is not working. We are going to see in the next article what you need to do when Adventure Sync is not working in Pokemon Go.

How can I solve Adventure Sync not working in Pokemon Go?

1. Make sure that Adventure Sync is enabled in Pokemon Go

  1. Start Pokemon Go app on your smartphone.
  2. Touch the Poke ball icon.poke-ball-icon-pokemon-go
  3. Go to Settings and check the Adventure Sync button.settings-pokemon-go
  4. Tap Turn it on when the message requesting confirmation pops up.enable-adventure-sync-pokemon-go
  5. Now, you should receive a message that Adventure Sync is enabled.enabled-adventure-sync-pokemon-go

2. Check that Adventure Sync has all the permissions needed

  1. In iOS, go to Apple Health and in Sources and verify that Adventure Sync is allowed. 
    • Also, in Settings-> Privacy-> Motion&Fitness turn ON Fitness tracking option.
  2. For Android, install Google Fit and allow it to access Storage and Location.
  3. After, allow Pokemon Go to pull Google Fit data from your Google account.

    Want to try out some new games?? Here are 14 new titles for you to try.

3. Battery Saver enabled for Android users

This fix is only for devices running on Android. Adventure Sync doesn’t run if Battery Saver is active. So, disable Battery Saver in Pokemon’s Go Settings. pokemon go-battery-saver

By following these steps, you should be able to make Adventure Sync work again, and therefore gain its benefits withing the Pokemon Go game.

Let us know which troubleshooting steps mentioned above helped you by leaving us a message in the comment section below.

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Microsoft Teams mobile app now supports video calling

Posted on by Don Sharpe

The Teams mobile app is getting a couple of consumer-focused features, starting today. These include the ability to chat and make video calls.

In the recent past, Microsoft has added multiple features to Teams, especially to empower remote workers worldwide. For example, the functions below either exist in or are coming to Teams:

  • Pop-out apps: The ability to pop out apps into separate windows is soon coming to Teams.
  • Meeting participants: Currently, Teams supports up to 250 meeting participant. That limit is set to change to 300 according to some reports.
  • Asana integration: Asana users can now access Teams conversations to track tasks.

But most of these upgrades are either enterprise-oriented or not available on the Teams mobile app altogether. That’s going to change with the incorporation of more consumer-centered features into the application.

Microsoft Teams mobile app gets new features

Microsoft is rolling out the new Teams mobile app features in preview over the next few weeks, starting today.

According to the company, Teams will now be offering some of its core features to individual users instead of just enterprises.

Whether you’re a busy parent managing daily family life or just trying to stay connected and in sync with those who matter most, the new features are designed to alleviate the need for disparate tools and instead offer one central hub for individuals, groups, and families to collaborate and stay connected and organized.

In brief, the new updates to the Android and iOS versions of Teams include:

  • Enhanced communication: The app lets friends, families, and loved ones communicate via video, text massages, and chat.
  • Collaboration: You can now collaborate on Office-365-powered documents, including Word and Excel in the Teams mobile app.
  • Location sharing: You can now share your physical location via the app.
  • Personal task management: The new Teams mobile app lets you organize your life and share your to-do lists, docs, and even calendars.

What do you think of the consumer-oriented features that the Microsoft Teams mobile app is getting? Kindly share your opinion or any user concerns via the comments section below.

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Edge for Windows 7 update doesn’t alter your default browser

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Microsoft Edge for Windows 7 and 8.1 is now available. It’s about two weeks since Microsoft released the new Chromium-based browser for the more recent versions of the OS, including, theWindows 10 May 2020 update.

The Redmond-based tech giant acknowledges that Edge may not be the most popular Windows 10 browser right now. So, it has been shipping it without forcing it to users as the default browser.

This policy continues, according to the release notes for the Edge update.

So, if you’re a Windows 7 or 8.1 user, you can install Edge without having to replace Chrome or your favorite browser.

The new Microsoft Edge for Windows 7 and 8.1

The new Microsoft Edge for older versions of Windows automatically creates taskbar and desktop shortcuts after installing on your PC. Also, the update doesn’t interfere with Internet Explorer.

In addition, you have to manually make Chromium Edge your default browser since the update doesn’t support automatic transition.

Here are the changes that the Edge update for Windows 7 and 8 brings:

  • The new Microsoft Edge will be pinned to the taskbar and add a shortcut to the desktop. If your current version of Microsoft Edge already has a shortcut, it will be replaced.
  • The new Microsoft Edge will not replace Internet Explorer.
  • This update will not change your default browser.

Microsoft is pushing Edge on Windows 8 and 7 PCs via Windows Update. This version became available after Microsoft announced that it had deprecated the old Edge on Windows 10.

Windows 7 already reached end of support on January 14, 2020. As such, the OS is no longer receiving free security updates from Microsoft.

Also, while you may receive security fixes for Edge on Windows 7, the OS itself may expose your entire browsing experience to threats. That’s why Microsoft still recommends that users move to Windows 10.

Are you still using Windows 7, and do you like the new Microsoft Edge for the OS? You can always leave your feedback in the comments section below.

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Google Chrome experiment warns of malicious add-ons

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Browser extensions should enhance your browsing experience every day, from password managers to VPNs. But some are malicious, as the Google Chrome extensions checkup experiment currently warns.

For example, when you install a VPN extension, you expect it to guarantee your privacy and protect your anonymity online. However, some of these tools can share your information to other entities.

Quick Tip:

If browsing the Internet privately is your main priority, then switching to a browser that features built-in security features is the next logical step.

As such, we recommend you give Opera a try. It comes with an ad and tracking blocker as well as a VPN service.

These security features can be further enhanced by the wide selection of extensions that are available thanks to the browser’s Chromium-based engine.

Opera

An excellent web browser that offers many useful tools, including the ability to save and print your web pages.
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Google Chrome experiment warning

Google Chrome recently added an extensions checkup experiment that may warn you about the possibility of some extensions compromising your security and browser performance. You have to enable the feature to get the warning, though.

In addition, the feature gives you multiple warning message options depending on how it’s enabled.

For example, the Enable on Startup setting can offer a neutral, performance, or privacy-focused message.

So, depending on the setting you choose, you may receive the warning that some extensions can monitor your browsing activity. Also, the warning messaging advises you to deactivate any add-on you didn’t install.

It appears that some malicious extensions may also cause your browser to behave abnormally. You should consider turning off the extension in question in such a case too.

Google takes down malicious Chrome extensions

The extensions checkup warnings are joining Chrome’s list of experimental features a few days after reports that Google took down about 106 malicious Chrome add-ons.

Before this move, cybersecurity firm Awake had uncovered 111 illegitimate Chrome extensions. Users had downloaded these malicious browser add-ons about 33 million times.

According to the firm, the extensions were part of a broader privacy breach. The now-removed apps could take screenshots of the user’s device or read user input.

In addition, some of the extensions delivered malicious payloads.

Google Chrome uses numerous security techniques, including sandboxing, to prevent malware from affecting the user’s PC. However, it seems that the bad extensions bypassed all these features.

What do you think Google Chrome should do to enhance browser privacy and security? You can always let us know via the comments section below.

For Honor packet loss: How to fix high packet loss?

Posted on by Vlad Constantinescu

For Honor is a popular action video game released by Ubisoft in 2017. The game gathered quite some traction in the past few years thanks to its intuitive combat system that took fighting games to a whole nother level.

In For Honor you can pick a hero from various factions (knights, Vikings, and samurais), and wreak havoc to your enemies. Imagine a medieval fighting game that uses a third-person perspective.

Add a bunch of objectives, an awesome combat system, perks, and AI minions, and you got For Honor.

What is packet loss in For Honor?

Like many other online games, For Honor is subject to certain technical issues including high ping, network congestion, jitter, and packet loss. The latter is what we’re going to focus on today.

Packet loss occurs whenever some of the packets that you send and/or receive never make it to their destination. Thus, instead of receiving the full set of data, the destination (you or the server) retrieves only a part of it.

This situation triggers a series of subsequent issues, depending on the gravity (i.e. how high the packet loss count is).

Some of them include high lag/latency, rubberbanding, in-game slowdowns, no responsiveness, and even crashes or connection timeouts.

More often than not, network congestion is the main culprit when it comes to packet loss. In which case, the wisest way to tackle this challenge would be simply waiting it out.

However, if you can’t afford wasting time waiting for the packet loss situation to fix itself, here’s how you can take care of it yourself.

How to fix high packet loss in For Honor?

1. Use a VPN

  1. Download Private Internet Access and install it on your PC
  2. Launch it and log into your account
  3. Connect to a server of your choice (make sure it’s a low ping one)
  4. Relaunch For Honor
  5. Check if the problem still persists

Experiencing issues with For Honor? Our comprehensive guide can help you fix common errors.

Private Internet Access is an excellent VPN service from Kape Technologies that can help you improve packet loss in no time. Usually, all it takes is launching it and connecting it to a random server.

Private Internet Access

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Experiencing For Honor packet loss? PIA could be of help.
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However, note that if the packet loss issue doesn’t occur on your ISP’s side, using a VPN won’t do much. Thus, it won’t work if you’re the one leaking packets or if the game server has high packet loss.

It’s worth mentioning that using a VPN can also improve your ping, boost your privacy, secure your connection, and even circumvent geoblocking.

Therefore, even if it doesn’t solve packet loss, it’s still a wise decision to invest in a trustworthy VPN.

2. Troubleshoot the connection manually

  • Run a packet loss test using the pathping x.x.x.x (replace x.x.x.x with the server’s IP address) commandCMD pathping
  • Call your ISP if the tests show that they’re leaking packets
  • Contact the For Honor server host if they’re the ones with high packet loss
  • Switch to wired instead of Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi leaks packets more often)
  • Check and replace/update/repair/upgrade any faulty component of your network (PC, drivers, software, cables, router)
  • Restart your router and/or modem
  • Try connecting straight to your home line or modem (bypass the router)
  • Avoid peak hours if possible
  • Upgrade your Internet subscription if it’s a low bandwidth one
  • Try closing any other bandwidth-consuming processes on your PC

These suggestions aren’t guaranteed to solve your packet loss situation since leaking packets can have an awful lot of causes. However, it can’t hurt trying them all and ruling them out one by one.

More often than not, packet loss is caused by network congestion. However, sometimes even something as little as upgrading your CAT 5 cables to CAT 6 can improve packet loss dramatically.

For Honor packet loss can be fixed

All things considered, if you’re experiencing packet loss in For Honor, it would be a wise thing to see where exactly does this leak occurs by running a pathping test.

Once you got that out of the way, you can start considering the best approach.

If you’re the one leaking packets, try checking every component of your network and repair or replace it if necessary. Even outdated drivers or older Ethernet cables can play a huge role in triggering high packet loss.

If, on the other hand, the leak seems to be on your ISP’s side, try using a VPN. Sometimes your ISP might throttle your bandwidth.

Using a VPN re-routes all your traffic through its private servers, away from your ISP’s malevolent bandwidth limitations.

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BF4 packet loss: How to test and get rid of it?

Posted on by Vlad Constantinescu

BF4, short for Battlefield 4, is a popular first-person game developed by EA DICE. This game was released in late 2013 and followed the 2011 Battlefield 3 title.

Maybe the most popular trait of Battlefield 4 was, and still is, its multiplayer mode. As far as its singleplayer campaign goes, it wasn’t so well received by the series’ fans.

That’s why it’s safe to say that BF4 was heavily-focused on online playing. While that’s not inherently bad, the game was and still is subject to a series of technical challenges that many other online services face.

Namely, these issues are high ping, jitter, network congestion, and the dreaded packet loss.

What is packet loss in BF4?

Packet loss is the same regardless of where you encounter it. It occurs whenever data packets you transmit (send/receive) never make it to their destination.

As a result, it triggers other issues such as rubberbanding, slowdowns, and even connection timeouts.

In Battlefield 4, packet loss can make the difference between glorious victory and crushing defeat.

You might be familiar with placing your enemy right in the middle of your crosshairs and pulling the trigger, only to discover it rubberbanded and you missed the shot.

That can be frustrating or downright infuriating. More often than not it’s caused by packet loss. This issue is usually caused by network congestion, which means that the best way to fix it is often waiting for it to pass or avoiding peak hours.

How to test for packet loss in BF4?

  1. Locate the IP address of the server you suspect of packet loss
  2. Launch an elevated (Administrator) CMD instance
  3. Run the pathping x.x.x.x (replace x.x.x.x with the BF4 server’s IP address) commandCMD pathping
  4. Wait for the test to come to an end
  5. Locate the hop that’s leaking packets

This test will run a traceroute to the BF4 server while also pinging each hop along the way and returning the values back to you, along with packet loss percentage.

If you want to log the results to a file on your PC instead of displaying them within the CMD window, simply add > C:packetloss.txt (replace packetloss with a file name of your choice) at the end of the pathping command.

Thus, the full command should look like this:

pathping x.x.x.x > C:packetloss.txt

How to get rid of packet loss in BF4?

1. Use a VPN service

  1. Download Private Internet Access and install itPIA BF4
  2. Run it and log into your account
  3. Connect to a fast server (low ping ones are best)
  4. Launch BF4 and check if the problem still persists
  5. Run the test above and check if packet loss improved

Private Internet Access is an excellent VPN service brought to you by Kape Technologies. It can cover a lot of ground regarding connectivity issues, ranging from reducing packet loss, to even improving ping or eliminating jitter.

However, it can take care of even more such as safekeeping your privacy, securing your connection, or helping you circumvent geoblocking.

Private Internet Access

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Note that using a VPN might not work every time. In fact, if you leak packets on your end, or the game server does, using a VPN won’t do any good.

Therefore, for this fix to work, the packet loss must occur on your ISP’s side (bandwidth throttling or improper routing).

2. Troubleshoot your connection manually

  • Restart your router and/or modem
  • Try connecting straight to your modem or home line
  • Switch to wired instead of Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi packet loss happens more often)
  • Check and replace/update/upgrade/repair any faulty component on your side (PC, cable, drivers, router)
  • Call your ISP if you pick up something wrong on their side and ask them to look into it
  • Contact the BF4 server owner if there’s something wrong on its side of the connection
  • Try to avoid peak hours if possible
  • Switch the BF4 server if it’s possible

BF4 packet loss can be improved

All things considered, even using a VPN can improve packet loss, but only if the issue is on your ISP’s side. Other times it might just be the byproduct of network congestion and fixes by itself.

Last, but not least, you might want to try some of our manual troubleshooting suggestions.

They might not help you improve packet loss all of the time (especially if the leaks occur on your ISP’s side or the game server’s), but keeping your home network in top shape never harmed anyone.

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3 best VPNs for Dying Light to fix lag and reduce ping

Posted on by Elena Constantinescu

If you have Dying Light lag and high ping, you can easily fix it with a VPN.

Dying Light is a first-person shooter and survival horror game that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. You can freely roam the open world, look for supplies, build weapons, and do everything you can to escape the zombie invasion.

The game features a single-player mode together with online PvP and co-op for multiplayer. You can play it on Steam, Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

However, many players have trouble with Dying Light lag in the multiplayer mode. If you’re one of them, you can use a VPN to improve your ping and get back to enjoying the game with your friends.

What you need is a premium Dying Light VPN with a vast network of servers, superior connection speed, and excellent security features. Besides, you can also minimize packet loss with a VPN.

What are the best VPNs to fix Dying Light lag and ping?

Private Internet Access

PIA is the best Dying Light VPN

If you’re looking for a quick Dying Light lag fix, choose Private Internet Access (PIA). It’s a superior VPN service created by Kape Technologies, which can help you bypass geoblocks and access blocked sites using an extensive network of VPN servers.

You can quickly connect to the recommended server of PIA to get the best speed. Furthermore, the tool keeps your device safe from DDoS attacks during gameplay. You can set up an ad and malware blocker, as well as host game servers for you and your friends.

In addition, PIA is one of the few virtual private network solutions that support port forwarding and 24/7 live chat, so that you can get help as soon as you need to deal with Dying Light lag.

More about PIA to reduce Dying Light high ping:

  • Works with Windows, macOS, Linux, PS4, Xbox One
  • +3,300 VPN servers in 48 locations
  • 10 connections at once
  • No logs
  • 30-day money-back guarantee (no free trial)

Private Internet Access

If Dying Light is running slow on PC, use PIA to quickly fix this issue.
Check price Visit website

CyberGhost VPN

use CyberGhost VPN to fix Dying Light lag

Whenever Dying Light starts lagging on your PC or PS4, you can turn to CyberGhost VPN for assistance. Owned by Kape Technologies, this VPN service offers you a huge network of servers to reduce jitter and boost your gaming experience.

If you don’t know how to begin, simply connect to the VPN server recommended by CyberGhost VPN to test your new Internet connection speed. It’s one of the best Dying Light VPN apps that can not only fix latency and lag issues but also handle network congestion.

Moreover, CyberGhost VPN supports split tunneling, a practical feature for managing your bandwidth resources in case you don’t want to redirect all network traffic through VPN.

More about CyberGhost VPN to lower Dying Light ping:

  • Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, PS4, Xbox One
  • +6,500 VPN servers in 89 locations
  • Up to 7 connections at the same time
  • Zero logs
  • Up to 45-day money-back guarantee (1-day free trial)

CyberGhost VPN

If you need a Dying Light lag fix on low-end PC, use this powerful VPN tool.
Check price Visit website

NordVPN

use NordVPN to lower Dying Light ping

NordVPN offers a fast and easy Dying Light lag spike fix to help enhance your gaming experience. Operated by Tefincom & Co., NordVPN is one of the fastest VPN apps on the market that can also fix Wi-Fi packet loss.

Besides connecting you to the nearest VPN server, the tool adds security to your browsers by keeping your safe from malware (CyberSec). You can also use it to get around VPN blocks by connecting to obfuscated servers, as well as to repair Xbox packet loss.

What makes NordVPN a great Dying Light VPN is the fact that it can not only speed up your Internet connection but also protect your device from hackers. And, whenever you want to go back to your regular connection, you can quickly turn off the VPN.

More about NordVPN to fix Dying Light lag:

  • Install it on Windows, macOS, Linux, PS4, Xbox One
  • +5,100 VPN servers in 59 countries
  • Supports 6 simultaneous connections
  • No identifying logs
  • 30-day money-back guarantee (no free trial)

NordVPN

Get rid of Dying Light multiplayer lag and high ping using this dependable VPN app.
Check price Visit website

Dying Light is an awesome game that can be best enjoyed with your friends in PvP or co-op mode. But it can be impossible to do so when you have to handle lag issues.

You don’t need to switch back to the single-player mode when you can get rid of Dying Light lag and high ping with a trustworthy VPN service. It’s also a great way to fix packet loss in games.

Surface Duo to support PC syncing via Your Phone

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Microsoft has in the past published the design principles it wants developers to follow when creating apps for its upcoming dual-screen devices. We all know that, for example, applications on the Surface Duo should support multiple screen modes.

Apart from that, the tech giant should be done developing the hardware aspects of the device by now. So, it’s currently concentrating on building pre-installed apps for the futuristic form factor.

Well, it appears that Microsoft is now working on a dual-screen version of the Your Phone app. If the application comes pre-installed on the Surface Duo, the device will have the ability to pair with a PC, out of the box.

Surface Duo could get the ability to sync with PC

According to images that Twitter user Alumia shared recently, Your Phone is getting multi-screen support.

The images showcase the app’s frame in single-screen and two-screen modes.

While the tweet does not categorically state that this version of Your Phone is coming to the Surface Duo, it would be unimaginable for the device to ship without PC syncing support.

Logically, if Surface Duo can sync to a PC, it has to use Your Phone, the only Android application Microsoft has for this function.

The Surface Duo isn’t the typical smartphone, so all the other apps it’s getting support multiple screen modes too.

For example, it recently emerged that a two-screen version of Microsoft Edge will be the default browser for the device. As such, the Chromium-based app will have the ability to span across the two displays of an open Surface Duo.

It shouldn’t be long before the device finally ships, according to the expectations of many. Holiday 2020 is the official release date for the device, though. Unsurprisingly, Microsoft remains tightlipped as to whether this has changed.

What are your expectations of dual-screen user experiences on the Surface Duo? Feel free to let us know via the comments section below.

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Windows 10 version 2004 defrags your SSD too often

Posted on by Claudiu Andone

There’s nothing wrong with defragmenting your drive once in a while to optimize your system’s speed.

However, if you updated to Windows 10 version 2004 and you’re using an SSD, you will notice that the system defragments your disk every day if you restart your computer.

It’s not recommended to defragment your SSD too often as it might result in shortening its life.

Why is Windows 10 defragging my SSD every day?

If you check the Automatic Maintenance feature in Windows 10, you will see that the OS performs some maintenance tasks based on a schedule. 

And these include, of course, checking the drives for optimization (defragging and trimming) and other diagnostics.

You can check that for yourself by going to Control Panel, then System and Security, and then clicking on the Security and Maintenance.

Security and maintenance options

As you can see from our example, the Automatic Maintenance just run in the morning.

After it optimizes the drives, Windows 10 records the last time it did that so that it doesn’t perform the process too often.

However, as the members of WilderSecurity realized, after the release of Windows 10 2004, the Optimize Drives feature simply doesn’t remember the last time a drive has been optimized.

The drive needs optimization

And the proof is that when you go into Windows Defragger, you will notice that our SSD drive clearly points out that it needs optimization even though the optimization already run this morning.

Drive needs optimization again

Microsoft stated that with the Insider Preview Build 19551 they have fixed this issue:

Thank you for reporting that the Optimize Drives Control Panel was incorrectly showing that optimization hadn’t run on some devices. We’ve fixed it in this build.

Well, it seems that it hasn’t been fixed yet, so Windows 10’s automatic maintenance will defrag an SSD drive more often than once a month, as it should.

There is a slight workaround for this. If you launch an optimization directly from the Optimize Drives, the SSD will only perform the Trim function and not defragging.

To learn more about this feature, we have a guide that answers if trimming SSD is safe, so don’t miss it.

Did you experience this problem? If so, let us know in the comments.

CrossfireX closed beta is now available on Xbox One, with open beta to follow on June 25

Posted on by davew

CrossFireX is now available on Xbox One for Xbox Insiders with Xbox Live Gold subscriptions as a closed beta. The game will be available for everyone else as an open beta starting on June 25, 2020. CrossFireX offers gameplay similar to Counter Strike, and is a massively popular online PC game title throughout Asia.

Here’s a look at the CrossFireX Open Beta Announcement Trailer.

As noted in a post on Xbox Wire, the CrossfireX open beta is available starting June 25, 2020, with the closed beta available starting today for Xbox Insiders with active Xbox Live subscriptions. CrossfireX is available exclusively on Xbox One.

Here is how you can install the CrossFireX closed beta:

  1. On Xbox One, sign-in and launch the Xbox Insider Hub app.
  2. Navigate to Insider content, select Games, then search for/select the CrossfireX BETA.
  3. Select Join.
  4. Wait for the registration to complete to be directed to the Store and install the CrossfireX Beta.

Remedy Entertainment, the game developer behind Alan Wake and Quantum Break, is currently working on a single player campaign for CrossFireX. Xbox Insiders can join the closed beta today via the Xbox Insider Hub app on Xbox One. Act fast, there are limited spots available!

Fix: Error 111 ‘insufficient memory available to run setup’

Posted on by Tashreef Shareef

When installing a game or software on your Windows machine, you may encounter the error 111 insufficient memory available to run setup error.

This error can occur due to several reasons, including permission issues as well as compatibility issues.

Users were able to resolve this error by running the game in compatibility mode, as an administrator or simply by extracting the content of the file to a folder and running the setup.exe file.

In this article, we explore the best solutions to help you resolve the insufficient memory available to run setup error in Windows.

How do I fix error 111 insufficient memory available to run setup error

1. Run the program as administrator

insufficient memory available to run setup

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the location where the game or program file is saved.
  2. Right-click on the .exe file.
  3. Select Run as Administrator.
  4. Click Yes if prompted to confirm by UAC.
  5. Wait for the installation to complete.

Programs and games developed for the older version of Windows may run into permission issues during installation. The best way to troubleshoot this problem is to run the program in administrator mode.

2. Extract the CD/ISO file to C drive

Error 111 Windows

  1. If you are trying to install from a CD or ISO, do the following.
  2. Right-click on the CD drive or ISO.
  3. Select Extract.
  4. Extract the contents of the package to C drive.
  5. Open the extracted folder.
  6. Run the setup.exe file.
  7. If it fails, run the setup.exe file as administrator.

Several users have reported that extracting the contents from the ISO file or CD to a new folder, and then running the .exe file has resolved the error.

3. Install in compatibility mode

insufficient memory available to run setup

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the location where the installer is saved.
  2. Right-click on the installer and select Properties.
  3. Open the Compatibility
  4. Click Change settings for all users button at the bottom.
  5. Check “Run this program in compatibility mode for” box.
  6. Click the drop-down menu.
  7. Select an older version of Windows OS.
  8. Also, check Run this program as an administrator under Settings.
  9. Click Apply and OK to save the changes.

Close the Properties window. Run the installer and check if the error is resolved.

4. Run Memory Diagnostic tool

insufficient memory available to run setup

  1. Press the Windows key.
  2. Type memory diagnostic
  3. Click on Windows Memory Diagnostic tool.
  4. Click on Restart now and check for problem option.

The system will restart and detect any issues with the memory. At times, you may face issues when installing programs or even Windows OS if one of the memory sticks on your system is defective.

Windows Memory Diagnostic tool will scan the system’s memory for issues and show the results. If you miss the result, you can view it from Even Viewer.

Error 111 Windows

  1. Press the Windows key.
  2. Type Event Viewer and open the Event Viewer app.
  3. Go to Windows Logs > System.
  4. Open the most recent log with MemoryDiagnostic-Results.

If there no errors, then the error is occurring due to other reasons. However, if there is an error you may need to replace your memory stick or run without the spare one.

The insufficient memory available to run setup error can occur if there is a bug in the program, or due to compatibility and permission issues. Follow the steps in the article one by one to fix the error. Do let us know which method helped you resolve the issue in the comments.

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GoG Galaxy blurry text / vision [Full FIX]

Posted on by Teodor Nechita

GOG Galaxy is the gaming client for the GOG platform. Gamers like it mostly because it has a simple and lightweight design.  For all it’s simpleness, it’s not clear of issues.

One of them is the blurry text. So, if you’ve come across GOG Galaxy’s Blurry text/vision problem, you are in the right place. In this article, we give you solutions to get rid of this drawback.

How can I remove the blurry effect on GoG Galaxy?

1. Verify what version of GOG Galaxy are you using

gogo-client-logo

Sometimes, updating GOG Galaxy is enough to solve this issue. Updates come with all sorts of patches for reported problems. However, if the problem persists, check our other solutions.

2. Disable display scaling on high DPI settings in Windows 10

  1. Go to the GOG Galaxy installation folder.
  2. Find the Galaxyclient.exe file, right-click on it and go to Properties.
  3. Now, in the Compatibility tab, click on the button that says Change high DPI settings.compatibility-tab-for-gog-galaxy-client
  4. Check the Override high DPI scaling behavior box. In the list below the box leave Application selected.disable-dpi-for-galaxyclient
  5. Click OK, then Apply.

This is a common and well-known fix for issues related to blurry images or fonts in applications. It works very well for GOG Galaxy, too.

Having issues launching GOG Games? Check out this guide to solve all your issues.

3. Disable FXAA in Nvidia Control Panel for GOG Galaxy Client

  1. Open the Nvidia Control panel and go to Manage 3D Settings.nvidia-control-panel-image
  2. Position yourself in the Program settings tab. Select GOG Galaxy client in the applications field, make sure the Nvidia processor is selected, and then turn off FXAA in the Settings area.disable-fxaa-nvidia-control-panel However, this works only for those who own a system with an Nvidia GPU.

We hope that you find in this article a way to get rid of GOG Galaxy’s Blurry text/vision issue once and for all.

Try the solutions above and tell us what you think in the comments section below.

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Amazon checkout Rewards Points not showing up [2 Solutions]

Posted on by Vlad Turiceanu

If you’re a frequent Amazon user, you probably know already about the rewards program they have with Chase.

Using the Chase Ultimate Rewards points might seem an easy thing to do, but those who are really into reward programs insist that at the end of the day your points have a monetary value that shouldn’t be used for less than they are worth.

That’s when your reward points show up on the payment page, of course…

Because after enrolling in the Amazon rewards program, there’s a lot of doubt about how to see the points balance, how to redeem the points, or how to use the points.

Why can’t I see any Amazon Rewards Points at checkout?

1. Make sure you are still enrolled in the program

As you might know, if you are enrolled in the rewards program, you should be able to use your Rewards Points on the payment page, when ordering on or off Amazon.com.

That is, when you choose your credit card, you’ll also be prompted about using your available points.

At this stage, make sure that the card linked to the purchase is the same as the one registered in the program.log in to amazon account

If you don’t see your Rewards Points, refresh the page. If there’s still no change, check the Shop with Points page on your account, to make sure you can see your credit card registered.

It is possible that your bank has not updated Amazon on the existing reward points balance or that your closing statement for the respective card has not been updated.

Your card issuer, and not Amazon, will deal with any trouble with the respective credit card. Actually, according to members of the program that have had the same issue, mentioned that Amazon advised them to call their bank.

2. Keep the score of your pointsamazon reward program

According to the Rewards Program rules, your Rewards account points balance reflects your points balance as of your last billing cycle.

As mentioned above, points earned in a billing cycle are available for use once the billing cycle has ended and your card issuer has sent this information over to Amazon.

On the other hand, if you use your points to shop at Amazon.com, your points are deducted from your account when the order ships.  And if you redeem points on Chase.com, these are immediately deducted from your points balance.

While you might not play around with your Rewards Points that much, it is useful to always know how the balance around specific dates.

Last but not least, keep in mind that when you share the rewards program details with other family members, they might also use the points. More than once customers were asking about recent points only to find out that their partner had already used them all.

Have you got any other ideas on this topic? We’d like to hear from you so use the comments section below.

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Retriable error on DoorDash [Solved]

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

DoorDash is frequently listed among the top food delivery services in North America and Australia due to the good variety of collaborations they have with local and national restaurants, as well as for the in-app recommendation feature that allows customers to discover new eateries.

As far as the service functionality is concerned, it seems that customers frequently report problems with the DooDash website, but mostly with their app.

DoorDash app users often get very general errors – unknown error or retriable error – that don’t necessarily have a specific solution, but rather a set of troubleshooting steps. Customers are advised to take them in turns, and see which one works.

What’s more, both customers and Dashers (delivery workers) have complained about the app.

What can I do if I get a retriable error on DoorDash?

1. Uninstall and reinstall the appuninstall doordash

Although this might be a last resort, a lot of users recommend uninstalling the app to get rid of all the possible in-app glitches and also to make sure you get the latest version available upon reinstalling.

Additionally, both the service and the users recommend that after uninstalling the app, you turn off the phone for a few minutes. Reinstall the DoorDash app from App Store or Google Store after powering the phone on.

2. Force quit the apptroubleshoot doordash

To force quit the app, you have to double-tap the home button and swipe up on the Dasher app.

If there’s no home button on your phone, just force swipe up on the screen and swipe up on the Dasher app.

3. Check Internet connectionfix error with doordash app

To efficiently use the DoorDash app, you need a very good Internet connection.

So turn off and on the WiFi option on your phone to force reconnection. If you’re not using WiFI, make sure the mobile data is working.

To test the connectivity, try to log into your DoorDash account from a browser instead of using the app. If it’s working, the problem might be with the app, so check for updates in the App Store or Google Store, or uninstall as mention above.

4. Mind the area or time of daydoordash app error

According to DoorDash, the app is overloaded at certain times of the day such as around lunchtime or dinnertime, so it’s possible that the app crashes.

Also, the service recommends that if you are a Dasher, you try and go to areas that are not marked as hotspots, as those attract a large number of Dashers, again making the app perform badly.

5. Check DoorDash social media accountsdoordash on social media

DoorDash has proved quite responsive on social media, especially on Twitter, when it comes to problems related to their platforms. So take a look there to see if the problem is on their end.

Hopefully, one of these solutions will help you bypass the error you have encountered. However, if you’ve used another method, feel free to share it with us.

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MTG Arena ‘invalid command line’ error [Solved]

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Magic: The Gathering Arena, also known as MTG Arena, is the digital adaptation of the hugely popular card game Magic: The Gathering (MTG).

It’s a rather new-comer to the digital world; the beta version of the game was launched in 2017, and the final version for Windows users was released at the end of 2019.

Ever since the launch of the repeated testings, users complained about a recurring error. Namely, after each update, when they were trying to run the game they got an invalid command line error.

The publisher, Wizards of the Coast (WotC), acknowledged the error and launched patches that were supposed to fix the problems. However, they still persist.

How can I fix the invalid command-line error on MTG Arena?

1.Uninstall and reinstall the game

  1. Open the Start menu.
  2. Go to Settings, then to App.uninstall mtg arena app
  3. Find Magic: The Gathering Arena in the app list, click on it and hit Uninstall.

Some users noticed that even after uninstalling and reinstalling the game, the issues persisted. Therefore, a more thorough uninstall process was necessary. This can be done using the Registry Editor. If you’re not sure how to do this, check out our detailed guide for cleaning the Windows 10 Registry.

While this is a useful method to truly clean everything related to an unwanted or faulty app, it is also a risky process, so make sure that you know what you are doing.

  1. Click the Search bar and enter Regedit. You can also open the Search bar by using the Windows Key + S shortcut.
  2. Using the left side navigation panel, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER and then to Software.fully delete mts arena
  3. If any registries are left from the app that you have uninstalled, you will find them here. If that is the case, right-click on the file and hit Delete.

This is a method that WotC repeatedly recommended to all users complaining of the invalid command line error. It is also a solution that seemed to work for most players.

However, there were some that mentioned that the error reappeared after a few weeks. So it might only be a temporary fix.

If that is the case, try the next solution.

2.Run the installer from Temporary folder

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the run dialog box.
  2. Now type %temp%  to access AppData temporary folder.how to open mtg arena from temporary folder
  3. Find MTGA and run the MTGAinstaller located there.

This proved to be a solution that worked all of the time.

Hopefully, you’ll find at least one of these solutions helpful so that you can fully enjoy the game. As annoying as the mentioned error might be, the game is still new, and the publishers have proved quite responsive to the community’s feedback.

So to help them out, you should report any issues here to let the MTGA team know of any ongoing problems.

On the other hand, we’d like to hear your feedback as well, so if there was any other thing that you tried to bypass this problem, please let us know in the comments section below.

Before you leave, don’t miss our latest guide on MTG Arena network error to see how to fix it. We also have an article on Asset error detected in MTG Arena so you might want to check it out.

Letter recognition games online [Best selection]

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Letter recognition games or alphabet games are useful for pre-school or primary school children to help them recognize letters and how they sound. Additionally, they can be used as an alternative to similar educational activity books, workbooks, or coloring books.

The aim of such games is to improve children’s reading and writing skills.

You will find plenty of games online. They come in various difficulty levels, they can be static or with more action, and some are focused on specific letters or letter types.

Most of them don’t just train the recognition skills, but also the hearing and matching capabilities, and even digital tracing skills. One can even say that some games resemble certain word games that adults play online.

Note that these games can expose your child to a longer period of time in front of a computer/tablet/phone screen.

 

Best letter recognition games online

Abcya

alphabet games

Abcya.com is a website with a good variety of letter recognition games for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children.

For each game, in the right-upper corner of each thumbnail, you can see the recommended grade. Many games are suitable for more stages.

Most of them are puzzle-type games.

The owners of the site even included strategy or skill games for all ages they address, including pre-kindergarten.

⇒ Try some games on Abcya

ABC Match

abc match

ABC Match is a letter-matching game offered by ReadWriteThink, in which children have to match letter cards and picture cards that begin with the same letter.

The purpose of the game is to accelerate the learning process for how letters sound, and so to also create the path for better reading skills.

The game comes in two player modes – with or without timer.

What is interesting is that kids can’t turn upwards all cards in a category. They can only see an object card and then a letter card. This way they can also memorize where they’ve seen a certain letter.

⇒ Play ABC Match

Alphabet Tracing Game

alphabet tracing game

Alphabet Tracing Game on Learningapps.com is exactly what its name says – kids train their digital drawing or tracing skills, using both capital and lowercase letters.

The board is wide and clean enough to keep them focused. Children can use various colors and an eraser, in case something doesn’t come out as it should.

There’s no background music or any type of sound when the letters are finished or upon turning the page.

⇒ Play the Alphabet Tracing Game

Alphabet Games

letter recognition games for free

The Alphabet Games on Education.com are an excellent resource of all kinds of letter recognition games for various ages, similar to our first suggestion, but perhaps cleaner in terms of design and arrangement.

Games are grouped by grades, by subject, and by core. Inside the Alphabet category, you can find games grouped by letters. This way, you can direct kids to certain games as they are learning the alphabet.

⇒ Play some Alphabet Games

With such a good selection, it will be hard to unglue kids from the computer.

We’d like to hear your opinion on this selection; use the comments section below.

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5 Rummy card games online [Best choices]

Posted on by Vlad Turiceanu
Rummy and its other popular variant Gin Rummy are some of the most popular casino games. While nothing compares to the adrenaline felt while sitting up at a real rummy table, when you don’t have such an option, taking part in an online game might do the thing. You can pick from the many options available online that will help you either sharpen up your skills or experience the real deal from behind a screen. So let’ take a look at some of the best options to play rummy online. All for free.    

What rummy games can I play online?

Rummy on VIP Games

rummy on vipgames

This platform not only offers the classic rummy game,  but they have also built a community of rummy fans.

First, you can try out your hand in a game against 3 computer opponents. You don’t have to create an account or anything.

But if you want to join the community and look at the ranking, perhaps even be part of the leaderboard, you have to sign up.

⇒ Play rummy on VIP Games

Gin Rummy on MSN Games

rummy on msn games

Microsoft’s official Game Zone is one of the first platforms with free online games. Gin Rummy was among the first card games to be introduced along the more popular Solitaire or Spades.

Playing doesn’t require an account, but if you have a Microsoft account and want to use it, you can personalize your experience a bit more.

Once you open the game, you can either observe or play. You can select from a couple of themes and you can also pick your opponent if somebody from the Microsoft community that you know is online.

⇒ Play Gin Rummy on MSN Games

Gin rummy online

gin rummy online

A click-and-play option to play a quick round of Gin Rummy.

It is suitable for beginners since it has a very clean board and written instructions. You always play against a computer.

From the Appearance option in the Menu, you can change the board color or theme, as well as the card design.

It’s a bit challenging since you never see the opponent’s melds and they don’t see yours, so neither of you can lay off cards on an existing meld.

⇒ Play Gin Rummy online

Rummytastic

free gin rummy online

Yet another easy-to-access Gin Rummy table, also suitable for beginners. In this one, you actually see the melds, unlike in the previous option.

Game options are simpler here,  or rather you have none. You just play.

⇒ Play Gin Rummy on Rummytastic

Cash Rummy

indian rummy

Indians are avid rummy fans and they are usually playing Indian Rummy, a variation of Gin Rummy.

A lot of websites where you can play rummy are Indian. RummyCircle is the second most popular such site, with one of the largest communities of rummy fans.

A particular aspect of this site is that you can play (legal) cash rummy. After a mandatory account creation, you will join the community and you can enter a rummy lobby. Here you can observe or play, cash-free at first.

When you are ready, you can invest some money, using one of the payment options. The minimum contribution starts at  Rs. 25 (about $0.33). The platform sets default monthly and daily cash limits (in terms of cash addition).

⇒ Play Cash Rummy on RummyCircle

So these were our recommendations for the best options to play rummy online. If you found this helpful, share your comments with us.

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Looking to play a Clue-like game online? 4 Best web games

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Clue/Cluedo is a classic murder mystery board game, with a history that spans over 70 years, and that has been played by millions. The storyline includes a horrible murder, a grand mansion, and a gathering of suspicious characters. The aim of the game is to find the murderer.

In the digital era, it was only natural that given the popularity of the game a web game should be released.

While the original game has been substantially altered by owner Hasbro, fans wanted to keep exploring the mystery-game genre in online games similar to Clue.

For copyright reasons, similar games thrive on the murder plot, but the characters, the setting as well as the name of the game are different. Note that most of the games don’t come for free.

Best Clue games to play online

Clue/Cluedo: The Classic Mystery Game

clue official game online

This is the official digital adaptation of the classic board game of the same name.

The aim of the game is to determine who killed the game’s victim, with what weapon and in which room. This version can be played by up to 6 players (also the number of the characters).

The game is available for Nintendo, as well as for Android and iOS devices.

⇒ Get Clue/Cluedo on Steam

Mysterium

clue like games online

Mysterium is an official adaptation of the famous board game of the same name. It’s also a cooperative deduction game in which a ghost guides a group of psychics to solve a murder mystery.

The group has to uncover the murderer, as well as the weapon and location of the murder, using only visual clues. It comes in three play modes: solo, local multiplayer, and online multiplayer, the number of possible payers being from 1 to 7.

The game is available for Windows, Android and iOS.

⇒ Get Mysterium

Cluedo in Java

java clue

This is an open-source alternative to the classic game, developed in Java.

It includes several maps (and mapping tools), AI players, configurable cards, and sounds. In the pipe-line: networking support, improved graphics, and advanced artificial intelligence.

⇒ Play Clue in Java

Agatha Christie – The ABC Murders

the abc murders

This is an adventure and investigation game adapted from Agatha Christie’s detective stories with Hercule Poirot (just as Clue/Cluedo bears a striking resemblance with Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None).

It is a single-player game, in which you embody Hercule Poirot, and you have to explore many crime scenes in various cities across the United Kingdom.

The game is available for Xbox, PC, PlayStation 4, Android, and iOS.

⇒ Get Agatha Christie – The ABC Murders on Amazon

And that’s about it. Actually, you can find a lot of detective games, spiced up with a horrible murder, but most of them are not multiplayer and you only get to play the detective. With each game, the storyline is farther away from the multiplayer idea.

We’d like to hear your opinion on these alternatives, though, so if you have any suggestions, please use the comments section below.

Windows 10 news recap: May 2020 Update gets printing bug fix update, Microsoft Edge sees memory usage reduce, and more

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Welcome back to our Windows 10 news recap, where we go over the top stories of the past week in the world of Microsoft’s flagship operating system.

Microsoft touts reduced memory usage for Microsoft Edge on the Windows 10 May 2020 Update

Following the release of the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, Microsoft Edge is said to use up to 30% less memory, thanks to some under-the-hood improvements, making the browser run more efficiently.

Surface Go 2 gets June firmware updates with pen performance improvements

A new firmware updated has been released for the Surface Go 2 that improves the performance of pen input.

Windows 10 May 2020 Update gets new patch to fix printing issues

If you were facing issues with printing since updating to the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, Microsoft has released a new update that aims to fix these printing issues.

That’s it for this week. We’ll be back next week with more Windows 10 news.

Microsoft Outlook gets a pre-installed polling tool

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Microsoft Outlook is more than just an email client. Over time, it’s grown into a multi-purpose resource that supports task management, note-taking, and calendar functions.

It even promotes workforce collaboration, thanks to its integration with Office 365 tools like Teams Meetings.

As the email client continues to evolve, Microsoft Outlook now offers a pre-installed polling tool.

Poll in Microsoft Outlook

The ability to create polls within Microsoft Outlook has existed for a while now.

Thanks to its existing integration with Microsoft Forms, you can insert a poll into an email in Outlook and distribute it to employees across your organization. But the Poll feature was only available as an add-in, previously.

Now Microsoft says that Poll comes pre-built into your Outlook mailbox. As such, the feature is ready for use without any extra configurations.

As usual, respondents can vote within the email you sent them. Or they can open the poll in a separate browser tab to participate.

Now you can create a real time poll in seconds when composing an email in Outlook. Once sent, recipients vote directly in email or click on an included link and vote in a browser window. You can then check poll results in real-time using the voting card. Poll is now pre-installed to your Outlook mailbox so you no longer need to install the add-in yourself.

Moreover, the voting card in the body of the email displays poll outcomes in real time.

The latest Microsoft Outlook update should help you get started with online surveys a bit faster.

In other related news, Microsoft Forms now supports the sharing of survey form design and results with specific users. The feature minimizes the risk of survey content falling in the wrong hands within your organization.

To organizations that use Microsoft Outlook, do you find the pre-installed Poll feature particularly useful? As always, you can leave your feedback or any questions in the comments section below.

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You can now let specific users edit your Microsoft Forms

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Microsoft Forms is increasingly becoming useful to organizations unable to carry out in-person polls in recent times. It’s an Office 365 app based in the cloud, making it ideal for conducting surveys among remote workers.

The polling tool, which boasts integrations with apps like Teams and Outlook, received new features recently. Notably, the application now lets you collaborate on Forms with specific users, rather than your entire organization.

Microsoft Forms sharing with specific users

Now you can choose a specific user or group in your organization with whom to share any Form, Microsoft has revealed.

As such, you may involve an individual or several workmates in creating a Form. Similarly, you can pick out specific colleagues to include in the analysis of poll results.

The new feature is something of a survey confidentiality or privacy measure in Microsoft Forms. It should make it more difficult for the wrong persons to view your poll contents (questions/responses).

Before this change, Microsoft Forms offered general access restrictions, such as to only people in your organization.

Similarly, the app let you limit Form viewing and editing privileges to persons with Office 365 school or work accounts. This generalization changes with the ability to pick your collaborators based on their email addresses.

There’s now a new option available to let you specify Specific Users or Groups within your organization to collaborate with.  You can specify one or more co-authors using their email address.  As this is more restrictive than existing collaboration styles, this setting is optimal for forms with more sensitive content.

So, if you’re handling sensitive poll content, the risk of the wrong person in your organization seeing or changing it is now minimal.

Besides enforcing survey confidentiality, Microsoft Forms includes automatic anti-phishing features. These make it more difficult for scammers to use the platform to collect your private, sensitive information.

Do you think Microsoft Forms is a secure tool for conducting online surveys? Kindly share your views via the comments section below.

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Microsoft Teams conversations plug into Asana app

Posted on by Don Sharpe

There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 situation is responsible for the spike in remote working in recent times. And Microsoft Teams is one of the leading providers of SaaS collaboration tools that have cranked up innovation in response.

Unlike rival Slack, Teams’ growth and success depend more on the depth and breadth of Office 365 than third-party app integration. But that’s not to say that Teams isn’t integrating with solutions from other tech firms.

Little wonder, then, that Asana announced a new integration with the Office 365 SaaS tool.

Microsoft Teams integrates with Asana

Asana’s integration with Microsoft Teams should enable teammates to automate workflows even as they collaborate remotely, the company said.

At a time when teams around the world are physically apart, a shared sense of clarity, transparency, and accountability is needed now more than ever. We’re thrilled to deepen our integration with Microsoft to deliver tools that streamline and automate workflows, empowering teams to stay connected and achieve their most important initiatives.

Microsoft Teams/Asana integration should deliver the following perks:

  • In particular, the new integration gives Asana users visibility into Teams conversations. It enables them to streamline task management as a result.
  • Another benefit is the incorporation of a bot that auto-generates notifications about Asana task changes. Teams users can receive and personalize that information accordingly.
  • The Teams user interface lets teammates track and share info on the status and progression of Asana tasks.
  • Within Microsoft Teams, colleagues can find and share Asana tasks.

Plugging a workflow automation tool into Teams should make latter a little more powerful than it is already.

Don’t forget that the Office 365 solution is soon receiving an RPA injection, thanks to Power Automate integration. Microsoft announced that during the recently concluded Build 2020 event.

What do you think about the new Microsoft Teams/Asana integration? Kindly share your views or ask any questions via the comments section below.

How to Check and Fix Smite Packet Loss

Posted on by Vlad Constantinescu

Smite, as any other online game, can sometimes face technical challenges. Namely high ping/latency, jitter, and the much-dreaded packet loss. Leaking packets in Smite happens whenever data packets you transmit never make it to destination. As a result, you might experience some issues such as slow movement, rubberbanding, slow responsiveness, or connection timeouts.

More often than not, packet loss in Smite is caused by network congestion. Top that by the fact that Smite is a free-to-play game, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for disaster. Our best advice is to avoid playing Smite during peak hours altogether, if possible.

However, sometimes you might notice a pattern in packet loss occurrence. Times like these are the perfect opportunity for you to step in and try to fix it yourself.

How to fix Smite packet loss?

1. Check packet loss in Smite

  1. Run Smite and let it connect to the game server
  2. Launch CMD with administrator rights
  3. Run netstat -aNetstat results
  4. Locate the IP address that’s connected to the 9000 port
  5. It should look like x.x.x.x:9000
  6. Note down the IP address and close the CMD instance
  7. Launch another elevated CMD instance
  8. Run pathping x.x.x.x (x.x.x.x is the IP you’ve noted down before)
  9. Check each hop for packet loss percentage

2. Use a VPN

  1. Download Private Internet AccessPIA Smite
  2. Install it on your PC
  3. Launch it and log into your account
  4. Connect to the server of your choice
  5. Check if the problem still persists

Private Internet Access is an excellent VPN from Kape Technologies. It can help you lower packet loss percentage in Smite, but there’s a catch. It only works if your ISP is the one causing the packet loss.

However, improving packet loss isn’t the only reason why you’d turn to a VPN. They’re also great for giving you a much-needed privacy boost, circumventing geoblocking, and securing your connection.

3. Troubleshoot your connection manually

  1. Run the pathping test above and see where the packet leak occursCMD pathping
  2. Try switching to wired instead of Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi packet loss is more often)
  3. Restart your router and/or modem
  4. Try connecting straight to your modem or home-line
  5. Call your ISP and ask them to look into the situation if the issue is on their side
  6. Contact Smite’s support team and inform them if there’s something wrong on your side
  7. Check and repair/replace/update/upgrade any faulty component on your network (PC, drivers, cables)

Packet loss in Smite can be easy to fix

The bottom line is, packet loss is natural and happens to everyone. Sometimes it’s more severe, other times it’s not, but waiting has proved to be the most effective way to tackle it.

Mainly because it’s caused by network congestion, and if you’re not some sort of wizard or network administrator, there’s little to nothing you can do about it.

Using a VPN works like a charm most of the time, but only if the ISP caused your packet loss to begin with, whether by throttling your bandwidth or routing their network improperly.

However, in those rare times that your ISP is not guilty, you might have to get your hands dirty by troubleshooting manually.

We also have a complete guide on how to fix FPS drops, lag and stuttering in Smite that may come in handy.

Did you manage to fix packet loss in Smite using our solutions? Tell us in the comments below.

Attackers used Office 365 voicemails as phishing bait

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Reports from multiple cybersecurity firms show that Office 365 users are increasingly being targeted with phishing emails.

The phishing attacks are sometimes too sophisticated to detect or stop even using advanced anti-spam filters. That’s partly because cyber criminals are using legitimate domains to send their malicious emails.

An Office 365 phishing campaign that Check Point uncovered recently is enough proof that organizations need to deploy smarter cybersecurity tools to thwart such attacks.

Office 365 voicemail attacks

In this particular Office 365 phishing campaign, targets received email notifications about missed voice messages. The emails prompted them to click a button under the impression that it would take them to their legitimate Office 365 accounts.

But clicking the link redirects the user to a phishing page disguised as the genuine Office 365 sign-in page. This is where the attackers steal the victim’s Office 365 login credentials.

What’s surprising here is the fact that anti-phishing tools should usually detect email links with patterns like that. So, you may wonder how exactly these attackers deploy such malicious redirects and payloads undetected.

The answer is simple: the bad actors include legitimate platforms in their plans. In this case, the attackers sent harmful emails from addresses belonging to genuine servers in the University of Oxford (UK).

Using legitimate Oxford SMTP servers allowed the attackers to pass the reputation check for the sender domain. In addition, there was no need to compromise actual email accounts to send phishing emails because they could generate as many email addresses as they wanted.

However, there are several steps you can take to protect your employees from phishing attacks:

  • Educate your staff about phishing and password safety.
  • Install email-scanning software that can detect messages with malicious payloads.
  • Keep your operating system update. Most importantly, always install Patch Tuesday security updates from Microsoft (they’re free of charge).
  • Install an up-to-date antivirus solution.

Does your organization use Office 365? How do you deal with the ever-growing phishing threat? Feel free to share your tricks and methods via the comments section below.

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GW2 packet loss: What is it and how to fix it?

Posted on by Vlad Constantinescu

GW2, short for Guild Wars 2, is a popular MMORPG published by NCSoft and ArenaNet. It gathered a lot of traction in the past few years and still has it going on pretty good, considering it’s been released eight years ago.

The environment of the game is vividly colored, vibrant, and encourages you to explore it. Compared to other MMORPGs, the combat system also feels like a breath of fresh air.

Also, GW2 has an interesting life state system. You can be either alive, downed, or defeated. If your character’s health points drop below zero, it doesn’t immediately die but enters the downed mode.

You get a special set of skills (downed) that you can use to fight for your life. If you succeed, you’ll regain your life. So much blabbing about GW2’s life state system for a packet loss-based article, but guess who got excited?

What is packet loss in GW2?

In GW2, packet loss behaves the same as for any other similar online game. It happens whenever the packets that you send/receive never make it to their destination. It sounds worse than it actually is since packet loss usually fixes itself.

As a byproduct of network congestion, packet loss is more often than not no more than a nuisance. It triggers other issues such as high ping, jitter, rubberbanding, trouble interacting with your inventory, and even disconnections.

If you can take some time off, that’s the best way to tackle packet loss, especially if it’s occasional and doesn’t last for long. However, if you start to notice a pattern, that’s when things get complicated.

How to check packet loss in GW2?

  1. Navigate to your GW2 folder
  2. Right-click the GW2.exe file and select Create Shortcut
  3. Rename the shortcut to something relevant (e.g. GW2 Diagnostic)
  4. Right-click the shortcut
  5. Choose Properties from the context menu
  6. In the Target field, append -diag at the end of the text
  7. The end of the field should look like GW2.exe -diag
  8. Click OK
  9. Run the GW2 Diagnostic shortcut (or however you renamed it)
  10. Click the View Results button to see the test results

Note that even if you close the results, the Diagnostics tool creates a NetworkDiag.log file and saves it automatically to your PC. It’s in the same place where you can find your GW2 screenshots.

Results of pathping

The test results should look something like the screenshot above. Note that you’ll have hops along with their ping value and packet loss percentage. If there’s any packet loss, the Diagnostics will reveal it.

Normally, you can check for packet loss with Windows’ built-in pathping tool. However, GW2 made it all easy for you by embedding the diagnostics tool within the game files.

Important note: GW2 must be running in order for the test to run successfully.

GW2 packet loss fix

1. Use a VPN

  1. Download Private Internet AccessPIA GW2
  2. Install it on your computer
  3. Launch it
  4. Log into your PIA account
  5. Connect to a fast server of your choice
  6. Launch GW2
  7. Run the test above to see if the problem still persists

Private Internet Access is a great VPN service brought to you by Kape Technologies. It can easily bypass any packet loss situation you encounter, but there’s a catch.

Using a VPN will only work if the packet loss is caused by your ISP. Whether from improperly routing the network or limiting your bandwidth, if it’s ISP-related, VPNs can improve packet loss in this situation.

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access

Leaking packets in GW2? PIA might come in handy.
$2.85/mo. Buy it now

On the other hand, even if it’s not 100% able to fix your packet loss issue, having a VPN is useful in so many other ways. For instance, it can circumvent geoblocking, boost your online privacy, and secure your connection.

2. Troubleshoot your connection manually

  • Reset your router and/or modem
  • Switch to wired instead of Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi causes packet loss frequently)
  • Reboot your computer
  • Try connecting straight to your modem/home line
  • Make sure software isn’t blocking the game server’s attempt to communicate with your computer
  • Check/replace/update/repair any faulty components on your home network (PC, router, cables)
  • Call your ISP if there seems to be an issue on their side
  • Contact GW2’s support team if there’s something wrong with the game server
  • Avoid peak hours

GW2 packet loss can be easily detected and fixed

To sum it up, if you’re having issues with packet loss in GW2, you can easily perform a check by using the game‘s diagnostic tool. This tool performs a traceroute and shows you ping and packet loss for each hop in the connection.

Packet loss is usually triggered by network congestion, which can be bypassed by merely waiting it out. However, if the underlying cause is not congestion, you might want to perform some manual troubleshooting or turn to a trustworthy VPN.

Keep in mind that using a VPN won’t work all the time. In fact, in order for this fix to work, the packet loss situation must be caused by your ISP, whether by improperly routing the network or throttling your bandwidth.

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3 best VPNs for Fallout 76 to fix lag and reduce ping

Posted on by Elena Constantinescu
If you’re experiencing Fallout 76 lag spikes, high ping, latency, stuttering, and other connectivity issues, you can use a VPN to fix this. Fallout 76 is an action role-playing game that you can play exclusively online. It’s available for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. You can find it on Steam. A lot of players report Fallout 76 lag which interferes with their gameplay. If you’re one of them, you can use a VPN to improve your ping. Although a VPN is primarily designed to spoof your IP address and encrypt your data traffic, you can also use it to speed up your Internet connection for gaming. Furthermore, it’s possible to improve your packet loss with a VPN. What you need is a powerful Fallout 76 VPN service that provides you with high-speed VPN servers and gaming features, such as custom DNS servers and anti-DDoS protection.

What are the best VPNs to fix Fallout 76 lag and ping?

Private Internet Access

PIA is the best Fallout 76 VPN

The best way to get rid of Fallout 76 lag spikes is by using Private Internet Access (PIA). Operated by Kape Technologies, this VPN app gives you access to more than 3,300 VPN servers across 47 locations worldwide. It’s great for minimizing jitter.

PIA features exclusive DNS servers that you can use to optimize your Internet connection for gaming. You can forward ports, encrypt your data traffic using OpenVPN or WireGuard, and protect your browsers with an integrated malware blocker.

You can set up PIA on Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, enable a kill switch and split tunneling, bypass geoblocks, as well as defend your router from hackers. And it’s one of the few VPN services with 24/7 live chat support.

More PIA features:

  • Allows 10 simultaneous connections
  • Strict zero-logging policy
  • Works great with Fallout 76 mouse lag
  • 30-day money-back guarantee (no free trial)
Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access

Easily reduce Fallout 76 lag using this fast and secure VPN.
$2.85/mo. Buy it now

CyberGhost VPN

use CyberGhost VPN to fix Fallout 76 lag

Whenever Fallout 76 starts to lag and freeze on your PC, you can fix it with CyberGhost VPN. Also a product of Kape Technologies, this VPN solution can not only optimize your network connection for gaming but also fix Wi-Fi packet loss.

CyberGhost VPN gives you the possibility to connect to over 6,400 VPN servers across 89 countries. You can use it to minimize network congestion and protect your Wi-Fi from hacker attacks.

You can install CyberGhost VPN on PS4, Windows, and Xbox One to redirect all network traffic through its VPN servers, connect to the nearest VPN server to get the best possible speed, as well as turn on DNS leak protection.

More CyberGhost VPN features:

  • Permits 7 simultaneous connections
  • No identifying logs
  • Offers a quick and easy Fallout 76 lag fix
  • 45-day money-back guarantee (1-day free trial)
CyberGhost VPN

CyberGhost VPN

If you need a powerful VPN for Fallout 76, you can't go wrong with this VPN service.
$2.75/mo. Buy it now

NordVPN

use NordVPN to reduce Fallout 76 ping

An alternative solution to deal with Fallout 76 lag on PC and console is by using NordVPN. Owned by Tefincom & Co., this VPN app lets you connect to more than 5,400 VPN servers across 59 different locations worldwide. And it’s great for fixing Xbox packet loss.

NordVPN is the only VPN app on this list that comes with obfuscated servers. You can connect to them if your VPN connection gets blocked by the remote host, in order to get around this issue. You can also use NordVPN to host game servers.

The app secures your browsing sessions using CyberSec, an exclusive anti-malware feature. It has VPN servers optimized for gaming, streaming, and torrenting. Besides, you can easily turn off your VPN connection to reroute all network traffic directly to the Internet.

More NordVPN features:

  • Up to 6 connections at the same time
  • No data logs
  • Swiftly fixes Fallout 76 lag on PC and console
  • 30-day money-back guarantee (no free trial)
NordVPN

NordVPN

Whenever you start having Fallout 76 multiplayer lag, turn to this reliable VPN service for help.
$3.49/mo. Buy it now

In conclusion, your Fallout 76 lag spikes and high ping issues can be easily resolved by downloading and installing a trustworthy VPN that can optimize your Internet connection for gaming and fix packet loss.

If you can’t decide between the three virtual private network solutions we presented above, we suggest going with PIA.

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Windows 10 update calendar helps IT departments to plan ahead

Posted on by Claudiu Andone

Windows 10 has over 1 million users and most of them use it inside companies all over the world. It’s easy to understand why Microsoft needs to work with the IT departments.

So it’s no surprise that with the latest changes on the update process and schedule, and the Insider channels switching to rings, Microsoft issued a new rapid deployment calendar for enterprises.

How can I use the Windows 10 update calendar?

This new calendar approach creates a single view of Windows, Office, and Configuration Manager release cycles to help reduce the complexity of updating an operating system (OS) for any business, regardless of size, and provides flexibility for using multiple calendars across various user scenarios.

Microsoft update calendar

Of course, if you’re an IT manager, you can schedule the deployment to your own plans but that can give you an idea about the releases of the Microsoft updates.

The rapid deployment calendar or Windows 10 update calendar also comes with Microsoft Learn courses on how to plan, prepare, and deploy the updates for Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 apps.

That’s not all. Microsoft also recommends you to download the Update Baseline, a set of tools for IT administrators to handle Microsoft policy configurations for Windows 10.

How to transform Windows feature updates with a servicing calendar

Microsoft also published a table on how organizations can expect to update infrastructure dependencies.

Update release calendar

For  organizations that plan to apply one or both Windows feature updates each calendar year, investments should be made across compatibility, deployment, capability, and modernization.

For  organizations looking to reduce the amount of effort needed to apply updates by only maintaining supportability, the majority of effort should be focused on compatibility and deployment activities when feature updates are deployed

 explains Microsoft on the Tech Community Blog.

The Windows 10 update calendar is also very useful for developers and those who follow all the news about Windows 10 and Microsoft 365.

Are you an IT manager? What do you think about Microsoft’s schedule? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

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Microsoft’s Brad Smith says app stores need to be regulated

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

A couple of days ahead of Apple’s annual developer conference, the iPhone maker is currently in hot water. Not only has the EU announced earlier this week an antitrust investigation into Apple’s restrictive App Store rules, but iOS developers who saw their apps being refused on the App Store have also started to speak up.

It’s quite fascinating to see how Apple and Microsoft’s situations have reversed in 25 years, with Apple now getting closer to Microsoft’s situation at the end of the nineties. As you may know, Microsoft went through a much-publicized antitrust battle due to Windows’ dominance on the PC market, and now Apple owns one of the most popular app stores in the world that iPhone and iPad owners are forced to use to install any apps on their devices.

This week, Microsoft President Brad Smith had interesting comments about how big tech companies are managing their app stores. Speaking at an event hosted by Politico (via Bloomberg), Smith said that some regulation may be necessary when app stores owners enforce rules that are not fair to developers.

“They impose requirements that increasingly say there is only one way to get on to our platform and that is to go through the gate that we ourselves have created,” Smith said. “In some cases they create a very high price per toll — in some cases 30% of your revenue has to go to the toll keeper.”

“The time has come — whether we are talking about D.C. or Brussels — for a much more focused conversation about the nature of app stores, the rules that are being put in place, the prices and the tolls that are being extracted and whether there is really a justification in antitrust law for everything that has been created,” Smith said.

While Smith didn’t explicitly mention Apple in his comments, a Microsoft spokesperson later confirmed to Bloomberg that Smith was indeed referring to Apple’s App Store. Microsoft can’t afford not to release its apps on the iOS App Store, and by doing that the company also agrees to let Apple take its 30% cut on app sales and in-app purchases, including Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

It’s worth noting that Smith also didn’t mention the elephant in the room, which is Microsoft’s own Microsoft Store that made its debut with Windows 8 back in 2012. Microsoft is also taking its 30% cut on apps and in-app purchases on the Microsoft Store, and these Store fees have pretty much become a standard practice pioneered by Apple and Google on mobile devices.

Microsoft’s situation is different as Windows remains an open platform, though the 30% tax also applies to the Xbox Store, which is the only way to purchase apps and digital games on the console. However, walled garden on consoles are probably a whole different story.

Anyway, all eyes are going to be on Apple and how it chooses to address (or not) the App Store controversy when WWDC kicks off in June 22. In the meantime, more and more iOS developers are starting to speak up, and the bad PR comes at the worst time possible for Apple.

https://twitter.com/marcoarment/status/1273792094050684928

Again, who would have imagined 30 years ago that Apple would one day be accused of monopolistic practices? It’s true that iPhones remain far less popular than Android phones, and Apple is free to do what it wants on its own platform, but it really seems that iOS developers have become fed up with Apple’s inconsistent App Store policies. What’s really problematic is that Apple is competing with third-party developers on productivity, gaming, music, as well as video services, and in some cases, Apple won’t allow other companies to compete at all.

Earlier this week, the New York Times revealed that Facebook saw its Facebook Gaming iOS app being rejected at least five times in the past couple of months. Microsoft likely has similar issues with its own Project xCloud app on iOS, which “due to App Store policy” only supports one game (Halo: The Master Chief Collection) as of today, compared to dozens on Android. That may well have something to do with Apple launching its own Arcade game subscription service on iOS devices last year, which Apple is promoting heavily on the iOS App Store.

How low can it go? Data shows Mixer rarely gets more than 70K concurrent viewers

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft has been trying for years to compete with Twitch and other video game streaming services, but the company’s Mixer platform seems to be getting nowhere. Despite signing exclusive contracts with popular Twitch streamers such as Ninja and Shroud, those personalities have undoubtedly lost a big part of their audience by moving to Mixer.

T.C. Sottek, Executive Editor at The Verge pointed that out in a series of tweets earlier this week, emphasizing that Mixer rarely gets more than 60K concurrents viewers on the platform.

https://twitter.com/chillmage/status/1273475929969496066

If everyone can easily see viewing statistics for the most popular games and streamers on Mixer, you have to look elsewhere for global viewing statistics. The website MixerStats.com is probably the most popular open analytic platform that tracks all kinds of data using the Mixer API. Looking at the global stats, you can see that the number of concurrent viewers usually reach a p and the global stats for the past 10 days show that the peak number usually varies between 60K and 70K viewers. As for active channels, they vary from below 10K to above 20K every day.

Source: Mixerstats.com

There were two exceptions this week when that number rose to 90K, and that was during the PlayStation event on June 11 and the Fortnite event on June 15. Overall, 70K concurrent viewers and extremely low compared to Twitch’s massive viewership numbers. According to the tracking platform Twitchstats.net, Twitch has an average number of viewers of 1.9M in 2020, with an average of 75K active channels.

There’s no denying that compared to Twitch, YouTube, or even Facebook gaming, Mixer is pretty much a ghost town. A recent report from StreamElements and Arsenal showed that all game streaming platforms except Mixer saw massive growth in April, with 98% more hours watched year-over-year for Twitch. For Mixer, that YoY growth number dropped to a barely noticeable 0.2%.

As we’re getting closer to the launch of a new generation of consoles, Mixer is sitting in an incredibly weirder position. It’s backed by one of the richest companies in the world, and it also managed to sign some of the most popular streamers, but that didn’t make any difference in recent months. And this won’t get any better with no Mixer apps on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, two platforms that are obviously more popular than Xbox.

This certainly has been said before, but Mixer’s situation is really similar to what happened with Google+, or Microsoft’s own Windows Phone mobile platform. In both cases, Microsoft and Google both wasted tons of resources to catch up with their competitors, but this was just way too late. The ship had already sailed, and it doesn’t look that Microsoft can prevent Mixer from slowly sinking.

Earlier this week, partnered streamer TheNinjaWolf asked Mixer streamers on Twitter their top three requests for the platform. His tweet got a lot of traction, as well as comments from streamers who left Mixer over frustration. A more stable platform was one of the top requests, along with an increased focus on non-anglocentric markets. It actually seems almost impossible to meet the requirements for reaching Partner status if you don’t speak English, and becoming a Mixer Partner is pretty much the only way to get promoted and make some decent money from streaming.

Among rumors of low morale at Mixer, a video leaked earlier this year showing Mixer general manager Shilpa Yadla trying to re-motivate her troops in what are certainly difficult times for the streaming platform. Microsoft stills appears committed to Mixer, but it’s not clear if it’s still sustainable for the company to maintain a platform that’s not getting any traction. Maybe Microsoft can find synergies between Mixer and its upcoming Project xCloud game streaming service, similar to Google’s planned Stadia/YouTube synergies, but the Redmond giant hasn’t said anything about that so far.

We’ll continue to follow what’s happening on Mixer in the coming months, but after signing Ninja and a couple of other big names last year, Microsoft seems no longer interested is getting more popular faces on Mixer. In the meantime, it’s not unusual to see big Twitch streamers like Dr Disrespect making fun of Mixer.

If you’re regularly streaming on Mixer or watching other streamers on the platform, we’d love to hear your thoughts about it. Do you think Mixer will end up like Windows Phone or Google+, or do you think Microsoft can’t afford to give up so early while game streaming is becoming increasingly popular? Sound off in the comments below.

 

New UEFI scanner a shot in the arm for Windows Security

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Microsoft has launched the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), adding a much-needed boost to Windows Security. That’s to be expected of Microsoft.

In recent times, the Redmond giant has shared a lot regarding how it feels about firmware and hardware-backed PC security. It, therefore, proposes baked-in anti-malware solutions that prevent hackers from turning system drivers and the kernel into their playground.

You may also have heard about secured-core PCs. Enter the new UEFI scanner, and you can see that Microsoft means business when it comes to reinforcing firmware security.

UEFI scanner a boost to Microsoft Defender ATP

Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection helps to detect, prevent, and resolve PC security threats. But it lacks in the inherent capacity to scan and stop attacks that leverage system drivers or firmware. That changes with the incorporation of the UEFI scanner into the Windows 10 antivirus tool.

What this means is that Microsoft Defender ATP can now scan firmware files for any imminent threats. As such, it can detect malicious code executed to tamper with the functionality of any system firmware.

The UEFI scanner is a new component of the built-in antivirus solution on Windows 10 and gives Microsoft Defender ATP the unique ability to scan inside of the firmware file system and perform security assessment. It integrates insights from our partner chipset manufacturers and further expands the comprehensive endpoint protection provided by Microsoft Defender ATP.

The new UEFI scanner for Windows 10 PCs is an idea whose time has come. It’s launching at a time when hackers are increasingly taking advantage of firmware and driver vulnerabilities to strike IT systems.

In the vast majority of firmware exploits, bad actors spy on system files, steal data, or even remotely take control of hardware. It’s such a shame that these threats are too low-level for most third-party antivirus solutions to detect and neutralize.

Do you think Microsoft Defender ATP is any better with the new UEFI scanner? Feel free to share your opinion via the comments section below.

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Office 365 users target for calendar invite attack

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Many organizations around the globe have turned to cloud-based productivity and workforce collaboration tools to support remote working. Unfortunately, these platforms, for example, Office 365, have become an easy target for hacking and email phishing.

The cybersecurity firm Abnormal Security recently uncovered how malicious players built an Office 365 phishing site targeting remote workers that use the platform. Today, the company exposes a similar attack that exploits calendar invites.

As always, phishing attackers impersonate credible authorities, such as your employer, bank, or the government, to gain your trust. If you’re an Office 365 user, they could target you via any app or resource available on the platform.

Office 365 users a target for credentials theft

In this case, the attacker poses as personnel from the Wells Fargo security company. If you’re a target, the impersonator sends you an email stating that you need to update your account’s security key.

They have one objective: to steal sensitive information from you.

Financial institutions are always common targets for attackers. Access to a user’s sensitive information would allow an attacker to commit identity theft as well as steal any money associated with the account.

Next, the attacker warns that you have to update to the new combination to keep your account active. Of course, they say that to create a sense of urgency and get you to follow through with their malicious plan.

So, now you have to read an email attachment and follow the provided instructions.

But this attachment is actually a calendar invite (.ics file).Usually, these files hold scheduling data for calendar events. As an Office 365 user, the calendar invite may not initially look strange.

Apart from that, the invite includes a SharePoint page, which has a link you have to click to secure your account. Clicking on the link takes you to a fake Wells Fargo site instead.

The phishing page captures your account numbers, username, password, pin, and other sensitive personal info.

While Office 365 has multiple built-in security features, these can’t always catch all the threats to your personal information. So, it’s always good to exercise discretion and consult with your internal IT security team before responding to emails requiring sensitive information.

Have you dealt with any Office 365 security incident amid the COVID-19 crisis? Feel free to share your experience in the comments section below.

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Revamped Edge add-ons site lets you find extensions faster  

Posted on by Don Sharpe

Pretty much every extension that works in Chrome is perfect for Edge. That’s because both browsers share the same Chromium code or engine. But it doesn’t mean that a Microsoft Edge add-ons store would be unnecessary.

So, if you’re an Edge user, you can start exploring the newly redesigned Edge extensions website that Microsoft announced. It offers a simpler and more user-friendly interface that gets you to the add-on you’re after much quicker.

The new Microsoft Edge add-ons store

The revamped Edge add-ons website, which offers 1500+ apps, is still a work in progress.

Earlier this year, an update to the site enabled users to start providing feedback and ratings for add-ons. It also received an editor’s pick page to help visitors find the best solutions available.

Well, the Edge add-ons store transformation continues. And now, you get an improved UX that lets you quickly discover extensions that suit your browsing needs.

To help users easily discover and find extensions for their needs, we’ve introduced a carefully curated storefront with an array of inviting new collections. The search page was also redesigned to offer more insights into the search results while significantly improving navigation.

The new site puts apps in specific categories so that you always know where to look to get what you’re after.

On top of that, it introduces an improved search. The feature lets you apply filters to any category to narrow down your add-ons search.

Microsoft’s efforts toward making Edge and the web more inclusive and accessible via the Chromium-based browser are no secret. You can tell that from features like the Immersive Reader that makes online reading a breeze.

Little wonder accessibility improvements are also coming to the Edge add-ons website. Microsoft has employed a blend of techniques to make that happen.

For example, high contrast and assistive tech like Narrator should help visually impaired persons navigate the store with less difficulty.

Have you visited the beta version of the new Edge add-ons store yet? Feel free to head on over there and let us know what you think via the comments section below.

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