If you weren’t already aware of what the Redmond tech giant has planned for its Flight Simulator game, we’re here to spill the beans.
Through a recent developer Q&A blog post, Microsoft actually announced that it’s preparing an update for the highly-popular game, which will add NVIDIA’s DLSS support.
We don’t know for sure when this is going to happen, but it will sometime later in the year, according to Redmond officials.
DLSS support coming for Flight Simulator
Specially crafted by Nvidia for their RTX-series GPUs, the technology would in fact allow players to enjoy flying while experiencing framerates that are closer to actual cruising altitude.
Having spent that much time developing it, creators inadvertently ensured that the detailed landscapes and models will seriously test even some of the best graphic cards out there.
Thus, the addition of DLSS, about which Nvidia says it can improve framerates by over 70% when enabled, should provide either increased performance or higher levels of detail.
If you are a Flight Simulator player, then you know that the title has received many performance-enhancing updates since its debut in August 2020, among which is support for DX12 rendering.
Asobo Studios also usually keeps a clean roadmap of progress and upcoming updates, though the DLSS addition announcement does stop short of an actual hard release date.
Some of the other updates to be deployed for the latest Flight Simulator throughout 2022 include a “new digital elevation model” and updated satellite imagery for Australia through Update 7, dropping on January 31st.
The addition of new Portugal and Spain maps with the World Update 8 should drop around the end of March. A free Top Gun: Maverick expansion pack will arrive in May 2022.
Excited about the new changes being added to your favorite game? Share your experience with us in the comments section below.
Mac users that have grown accustomed to having Microsoft’s Lists app on their devices need to take some new changes into consideration.
The Redmond-based tech company recently updated Lists to version 1.58.1 on Apple’s iPhones and iPads, which means that another end of support milestone has been reached.
Apple users have to upgrade in order to keep using Lists
Yes, besides the usual bug fixes and stability improvements, this update also included a reminder for users that Lists would soon be ending support for Apple devices running iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 or lower.
You guessed it, this actually means that anyone who wants to continue using the Lists application on their Apple devices will need to update their firmware to at least iOS 14 or iPadOS 14.
As most of you already know, Lists is a Microsoft 365 app that helps you track information and organize your work. Lists are simple, smart, and flexible, so you can stay on top of what matters most to your team.
It gives you the ability to track issues, assets, routines, contacts, inventory and more using customizable views to keep everyone in sync.
Also, you can create, use, and share your information with anyone, anywhere while on the go with a personalized, mobile-first experience.
So, if this software is something you rely on and you are using it on an Apple gadget, you have to update your firmware in order to keep using it.
Have you upgraded your iOS to the latest possible version? Share your experience with us in the comments section below.
Minecraft is a sandbox game where users can create 3D worlds by combining various building blocks. It’s the highest-grossing game of all time, and it’s available on Windows 11. However, users reported their Minecraft settings are not saving.
If you haven’t previously enjoyed the game, this might be a good time to try it and see what it offers, as well as fix the saving issue in case you encounter it too.
We have prepared below a list of solutions you can implement when your settings aren’t saving right after we see what the different Minecraft versions are available for Windows 11.
Why are Minecraft settings not saving?
When your Minecraft settings are not saving, it may be due to any of the following reasons:
Corrupted game files – Corrupt files have been known to trigger many issues and are often responsible for errors in saving games.
Permission issues – If the account trying to save does not have the correct privilege, you may run into errors.
Outdated or incompatible game version – For your game to save settings, you must use the correct version.
Antivirus or firewall – Users have noticed that the antivirus software may block file access. This may result in an inability to save game files.
We will now consider some effective solutions for this problem.
What can I do if Minecraft settings are not saving?
1. Create an Options.txt file
Navigate to your .Minecraft folder directory, then search for an Options.txt file.
If you don’t have it, create a new file by right-clicking anywhere in the window and choosing New, followed by Text Document File.
Now copy and paste the following text inside the newly created file, then save it and start the game to test whether saving the settings is working now:music:0 sound:0 invertYMouse:false mouseSensitivity:0.5 fov:0.0gamma:0.0 viewDistance:0 guiScale:0 particles:0 bobView:true anaglyph3d:false advancedOpengl:false fpsLimit:1 difficulty:2 fancyGraphics:false ao:trueclouds:true skin:DefaultlastServer: key_key.attack:-100 key_key.use:-99 key_key.forward:17 key_key.left:30 key_key.back:31 key_key.right:32 key_key.jump:57 key_key.sneak:42 key_key.drop:16 key_key.inventory:18 key_key.chat:20 key_key.playerlist:15 key_key.pickItem:-98
A poor installation or a Windows-related error can result in the loss of the Options.txt file at any time. Fortunately, you may quickly establish a new one without difficulty.
2. Reset the app
NOTE
All previously stored data in the Minecraft application will be lost if the application is restarted after being reset. As a result, we strongly advise creating a backup of any important data before resetting your device to factory settings.
Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings window and click on Apps followed by Apps & features.
Once you’re inside the Apps & features window, search for the Minecraft app by typing it in the search bar and click on the three-dot menu, followed by Advanced options.
Scroll down until you find the Reset section, then click on the Reset button.
And lastly, users have been mentioning a sudden black screen during the game, so we put together an article on how to fix Minecraft black screen issues on Windows. Take a peek at it if you get the same issue.
In the comments section below, let us know which solution worked best for you and how often you play Minecraft.
Several users have reported that their AirPods are not working in Windows 11. If there are problems with the connection, or an outdated driver is installed, you might encounter issues with it.
Apart from that, running an older version of the OS is just as likely to cause the error. Many a time, it’s the selection of the audio output device that can lead to issues with AirPods in Windows 11.
What can I do if the AirPods are not working in Windows 11?
1. Reconnect the AirPods
Press Windows + S to launch the Search menu, enter Device Manager in the text field at the top, and click on the relevant search result.
Double-click on the Bluetooth entry to expand and view the devices under it.
Locate all the devices that start with AirPods, right-click on them, and select Uninstall device from the context menu.
Click Uninstall in the confirmation box that pops up.
Now, open the AirPods case, and hold the button on the its back for around 10 seconds until the amber light appears and then turns white.
Now, restart the computer. Once it’s turned on, press Windows + I to launch the Settings app, and select Bluetooth & devices from the tabs listed in the navigation pane on the left.
Click on the Add device option.
Next, select Bluetooth from the three options listed here.
Wait for your AirPods to appear here, and then click on them to connect.
2. Set AirPods as default device
Press Windows + S to launch the Search menu, enter Control Panel in the text field at the top, and click on the relevant search result that appears.
Click on Hardware and Sound from the options listed here.
Next, click on Sound.
Now, under the Playback tab, select AirPods (likely listed as a headphone) entry and click on Set Default.
Finally, click on OK at the bottom to save the changes and close the window.
If you have the AirPods connected in Windows 11 but there’s no sound, it could be likely that the playback device selection is misconfigured. Setting your AirPods as the default device should fix the issue.
3. Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter
Press Windows + I to launch the Settings app, and click on Troubleshoot on the right in the System tab.
Next, click on Other troubleshooters.
Locate the Bluetooth troubleshooter and click on the Run button next to it.
Follow the on-screen instructions and make the recommended changes, if any, to eliminate the problem.
Whenever facing a problem in Windows, it’s recommended that you look for a built-in troubleshooter. Microsoft offers several of these to diagnose and eliminate problems with the system and connected devices.
4. Update Bluetooth drivers
Press Windows + S to launch the Search menu, enter Device Manager in the text field at the top, and click on the relevant search result that appears.
Double-click on the Network adapters entry.
Right-click on the Bluetooth adapter, and select Update driver from the context menu.
Next, select Search automatically for drivers from the two options in the Update Drivers window.
Wait for Windows to scan for the best available driver and install it for the Bluetooth adapter.
Drivers are extremely critical for the effective functioning of any device since these are primarily responsible for the relay of commands between the OS and the hardware. Also, it’s imperative that you have the latest version of it installed.
Now, the Device Manager method listed above only scans for the driver versions available on the computer, and in case you haven’t downloaded one previously, the chances of it being updated are bleak.
Several users find the process of updating drivers monotonous and tricky, and that’s where third-party apps come to your rescue.
We recommend using Fortect Driver Updater, a dedicated tool that scans all available sources for updates and keeps the installed drivers up-to-date. After updating the Bluetooth driver, check if the AirPods are now working in Windows 11.
Press Windows + I to launch the Settings app, and select Windows Update from the list of tabs in the navigation pane on the left.
Click on Check for updates on the right to scan for any available newer versions of the OS.
If any are available and listed after the scan, click on Download & install.
Running an older version of Windows 11 is just as likely to affect the working of AirPods. With each update, Microsoft releases patches for bugs along with various features and performance enhancements. And that’s why we recommend keeping the OS updated.
6. Verify if the Bluetooth Support Service is running
Press Windows + R to launch the Run command, type services.msc in the text field, and either click on OK or hit Enter to launch the Services app.
Locate and double-click on the Bluetooth SupportService. The services here are listed either in the alphabetical or reverse-alphabetical order, so it shouldn’t be difficult finding one.
Click on the Startup type dropdown menu, and select Automatic from the list of options.
Now, click on the Start button under Service status.
Finally, click on OK at the bottom to save the changes and close the Properties window.
7. Disable Wireless iAP service
Press Windows + S to launch the Search menu, enter Control Panel in the text field at the top, and click on the relevant search result that appears.
Click on Hardware and Sound.
Next, click on Devices and Printers.
Right-click on the AirPods entry under Devices, and select Properties from the context menu.
Navigate to the Services tab.
Untick the checkbox for Wireless iAP and click on OK at the bottom to save the changes.
The Wireless iAP service makes it possible for you to use voice commands in Windows using AirDods, however, it is also known to affect its functioning.
Therefore, if none of the fixes listed above work, disable the service and your AirPods would now be working just fine in Windows 11.
Do AirPods work better in Windows 11?
Yes, Microsoft has been working on the wideband speech feature to enhance the AirPods experience, and it’s finally released for users. The feature works for all available models of AirPods and has gotten users all enthusiastic.
Wideband speech offers a much wider frequency range when it comes to audio output, thus enhancing the sound quality. If you have a pair of AirPods and a Windows PC, you are in for a treat.
At the time of writing this article, the feature was still in the Dev channel, and we expect it to be released in the coming months for all users. Make sure to keep checking for updates and not miss out.
Here are some other AirPods issues encountered by users:
AirPods not connecting to Windows 11 – follow the solutions below to reconnect and troubleshoot.
AirPods keep disconnecting from Windows 11 – this is due to faulty drivers, and can be easily fixed by updating Bluetooth drivers (solution below). Find out more about audio drivers for Windows 11.
These are all the ways you can eliminate issues preventing your AirPods from working in Windows 11, along with the other relevant information that might come in handy during the troubleshooting process.
If you notice that sound only comes from one earbud, check our detailed guide on why one AirPod is not working and learn how to restore full functionality.
Tell us which fix worked and your experience of AirPods in Windows 11 thus far, in the comments section below.
We believe games have limitless potential, and that to do anything worthwhile in entertainment, we must bet big on our vision, on our studio, and on our incredible team of trusted creators who build unforgettable worlds that truly matter to people.
In SIE, we have found a partner who unconditionally supports us in all we are and who wants to accelerate our vision to create generation-spanning entertainment, all while preserving the creative independence that beats in Bungie’s heart. Like us, SIE believes that game worlds are only the beginning of what our IPs can become. Together, we share a dream of creating and fostering iconic franchises that unite friends around the world, families across generations, and fans across multiple platforms and entertainment mediums.
Today, Bungie begins our journey to become a global multi-media entertainment company.
The remainder of the announcement addresses “creative freedom”, “being in charge of our destiny” and an “acceleration in hiring talent across the entire studio to support out ambitious vision.”
While the acquisition is a magnitude smaller than Microsoft’s grab of game publisher Activision Blizzard, Sony’s deal to purchase Bungie is relatively as seismic for both the studio and Sony as a competitor.
Last week Microsoft gobbled up a Sony staple in Crash Bandicoot in its deal to acquire Activision Blizzard, and a few days later, Sony will own Xbox’s Halo creation studio Bungie as two of the gaming industry titans’ jockeys for exclusives and gamers future dollars.
However, unlike Microsoft’s proposed deal, Sony’s acquisition of Bungie should be fly under the FTC’s radar due to its less bombastic standing and could allow Sony and Bungie to begin hashing out titles much sooner than the proposed year-long purchase date of Activision Blizzard.
As of now, there has only been a price tag associated with the deal and to-date Bungie’s main revenue generating game Destiny is currently multiplatform and when asked about it and future games, Bungie indicated that it will remain “self-published, creatively independent, and will continue to drive one, unified Bungie community.”
Sony's Bungie acquisition feels more like an Activision deal, as Bungie will remain independent inside SIE. This means Destiny doesn't go PlayStation exclusive, or any future Bungie games. "We will continue to independently publish and creatively develop our games." pic.twitter.com/wZJkUIlBQJ
“Both MLB The Show 22 Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S Standard Editions will be included with Xbox Game Pass so members will be able to play the best version of the game regardless of which console they are on. And with cross-platform play and progress, you can play against others online, and earn and use content across the platform and generation you choose,” said Ramone Russell, San Diego Studio.
Last year was actually the first time MLB The Show, a sports franchise closely associated with PlayStation, finally made its debut on Xbox consoles. MLB The Show 22 will also be available on Xbox Cloud Gaming on launch day, which is a pretty great way to make a sports franchise of this caliber accessible to more gamers.
MLB The Show 22 will star the promising Los Angeles Angels player Shohei Ohtani on its cover. The game is already available for pre-order on the Microsoft Store, and the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game are priced at $59.99 and $69.99, respectively.
The Xbox Series X is one hard-to-find console. Even during the holiday season, it was out of stock in many key retailers, and Microsoft confirmed that it’s likely to be that way even in the new year. That’s one of the reasons I put out a guide on how you could try to find one for yourself. Yet, lo and behold, a couple of months later, I finally ended up purchasing one, but it didn’t involve any of those methods on that list. Here’s a look at the trick I used to finally buy an Xbox Series X.
It all started with an email
We reported back in November that Microsoft was giving valued customers the opportunity to buy an Xbox Series X. This is exactly how I ended up buying my console. I signed up for promotional emails from the Microsoft Store, and in one of those emails, I was targeted as a “valued customer.” In that email, I had a link to buy an Xbox Series X bundle directly from the Microsoft Store.
Note that the link is a customized link. Microsoft mentioned that it only could be used once in order, and I only could buy two bundles per 30-day period. The link is also linked to my Microsoft Account, and clicking it takes me to my Microsoft Account login page. Forwarding the email to someone else to buy their own bundle will not work.
Anyway, I got that email on January 25 at 4:10 PM. A short hour later, my order was placed. Then, on January 26, the order shipped. Two days later, on Friday, the order was delivered.
Loving my new Xbox
My colleague Laurent Giret already offered his professional thoughts on the Xbox Series X when it initially launched, so I won’t be doing a review, but I do think it’s a huge upgrade from anyone who has an original “fat boy” Xbox One like myself. Games load much faster, look beautiful on a 4K display, and the system boots up so much faster thanks to the SSD inside the Series X.
Originally, I was depending on Xbox Cloud Gaming on my Xbox One to play next-gen games like Forza Horizon 5, Now, the game runs natively, and with its intended resolution and performance targets on my Series X. Not to mention, I can finally play Microsoft Flight Simulator on my console, too. I’ve been playing on my Surface Laptop Studio, and though the console version is locked to 30 frames per second, it definitely performs solidly.
All in all, I never thought that the emailed link from the Microsoft Store would work, but long behold, it did, and I’m quite happy. Of course, though, it is best to act fast if you get one of these emails. Microsoft does warn in the email message that Xbox Series X consoles are available on a first-come, first-served basis and will sell out quickly.
Do you like to dabble with words on your computer? Whether you are a professional writer or just like to scribble once in a while as a hobbyist, keeping track of the number of words you’ve put in is crucial to do a good job.
In the Windows environment, Microsoft Word (despite its few shortcomings) is the default choice for doing the writing work for most Windows users. And, as it turns out, Word in itself is more than enough to handle all the tracking for you. In this article, we’ll go over all the ways you can count the number of words in your Microsoft Word document.
Let’s jump right in.
How to check word count in MS Word
Majorly, there are four ways to count the number of words in Microsoft Word. You can either use the Review tab built into the Word processor, or you can glance at the words as you type into your processor through the Status Bar.
Let’s go over all of them one by one.
1. Count word count from Review tab
The Ribbon tab is located at the top of the word processor. To get started, follow the steps below:
Click on the Review tab.
Now select the Word Count… option.
The dialog box with word count will pop open.
In this way, the word count will be available in your dialog box. When you’re done, click on Close.
Alternatively, check the Show Word Count option to get an estimate of your word count right in the bottom-left corner of your document.
2. Check the word count through the Status bar
Another simpler method to check your word count is through the Status Bar, located in the bottom-left corner of your screen. By default, the Status Bar gives a count of the total number of words on a page.
You can also count the number of words in a specific paragraph. To get the count status, select the text you’d like to get counted; as soon as you do that, you will see the word count of the selected portion displayed below.
3. Use a shortcut
Why go through the hoops of dealing with a GUI, when you can get the job done through a straightforward keyboard shortcut?
If you’re anything like most Windows power users, we believe you’d prefer to use the keyboard shortcuts. To get started, press Ctrl + Shift + G keys together, and you’ll see the word count.
4. Use Page Statistics
The different methods we’ve discussed above are more than enough to give you the accurate word count in MS Word.
But, if you’d like a more detailed overview, you’d be left handing in this case. And this is where the Statistics feature can help. To get started, follow the steps below:
In the Word document, click on the File tab.
Now click on Info.
Under the Properties section in the top-right corner, you’ll see a host of different data about your page. Apart from words, it includes things like size, page, comments, etc.
To go more detailed, select the Advanced Properties section until a dialog box appears.
Then click on Statistics tab.
This page will give you a host of information that you can help you out. When you’re done, click on OK and the dialog box will be closed.
Checking the word count in Microsoft Word
Getting a clear idea about the number of words in your document is crucial, especially if you’d like to be conscientious about your writing tasks. If you’re a regular Microsoft user, MS Word is sufficient to meet almost all of your writing demands.
With the methods we’ve listed above, you hopefully didn’t find any trouble with getting a correct estimate for your work.
The popular Windows PDF app, Xodo PDF, updated to Version 5.0.31 this week. This app update added the ability for Pro users to convert PDF files to both Excel and PowerPoint file formats and also made several important bug fixes for both free and paid users.
Here’s the full release notes for the app update:
Xodo version 5.0.31
New features
PDF to Excel conversion (Pro)
PDF to PowerPoint conversion (Pro)
Fixes and Improvements
Fixed freezing related to app’s suspension after sleep mode
Fixed for app startup crash
Lots of stability fixes
Save dialog will be prompt when closing a modified document tab
Varies UI/UX enhancements
Xodo PDF has a solid reputation for being one of the best PDF apps in the Microsoft Store app store due to its strong PDF editing and creation tools and frequent updates with new features.
Microsoft news recap is a weekly feature highlighting the top Microsoft news stories of the past week. Sit back, grab some coffee, and enjoy the read!
Microsoft entices enterprises to switch to Teams by launching new device trade-in program
A new device trade-in program has been launched by Microsoft, aimed at encouraging enterprises to switch to Teams. It allows businesses to essentially sell back their video conferencing equipment, removing the need for independent recyclers.
Microsoft is making its Xbox subscription practices more transparent for consumers
Microsoft Account service now reaches 1 billion users
Microsoft’s user system, Microsoft Account, has crossed 1 billion users. Microsoft Account is used as a single sign-on across Microsoft products, such as Outlook, Windows, Xbox, and more.
Microsoft Teams has now exceeded 270 million monthly active users
Originally released in 2017, the Predator Helios 300 is a great value gaming laptop that Acer updates with new models.
To ensure tip-top gaming performance from a Helios 300, you should at least keep its graphics, sound, game support (Visual C++ & NET Framework), and network device drivers updated.
How do I update the drivers for Acer Helios 300?
There are various ways you can update device drivers for an Acer Predator Helios 300 and any other Windows 10 PC.
Helios 300 also comes with a few pre-installed apps so you can update its device drivers. You can update the drivers for a Predator Helios 300 laptop in six different ways.
This guide will help you get the Acer Predator Helios 300 drivers for all the models, including PH315-51, N17C1, and how to perform a drivers update.
How do I install drivers in Acer Predator Helios 300?
1. Manually update drivers for the Helios 300
You can use the official website to get the latest drivers for Acer Predator Helios 300 manually. When you download drivers from a manufacturer’s website, you ensure they are up to date and perfectly safe to use.
1. First, bring up the Windows 10 search box by clicking the magnifying glass taskbar button.
2. Next, type system information within the search text box.
3. Click System in the search findings to open the Control Panel applet shown directly below.
4. Note down the system model detail for your PC, which will be something like Predator PH315-51.
6. Click the Drivers and Manuals link near the bottom of the page to access the Acer drivers download section.
7. Then enter the Helios 300 model you noted down from the System Control Panel applet in the device serial number text box.
8. Press the Find button to open the Drivers and Manuals page for your Predator Helios 300 laptop.
9. Click the All link.
10. Then click Driver to expand a list of drivers you can download from the Acer website.
11. Press on the Download link.
12. Next, unarchive the file and follow the instructions to install the Acer Predator Helios 300 driver.
Acer’s website doesn’t include all device drivers for the Predator Helios 300. You’ll also need to download drivers from other company websites, such as NVIDIA and Intel, for certain PC devices.
You can also look on Google for queries like Acer drivers Windows 10 and Acer Predator Helios 300 drivers Windows 11, but we don’t recommend downloading the drivers from unknown websites or sources.
Look for the download sections on the device manufacturers’ websites to download the latest drivers.
2. Update drivers via Device Manager
Right-click your Start button to select Device Manager on the WinX menu.
Then double-click a device category you want to update drivers for.
Right-click a listed device and select the Update driver option to open the window in the snapshot directly below.
Select the Search automatically for drivers option on the window. Windows will then install a newer driver for the selected device if its search discovers one.
3. Check for the Windows 10 updates
First, open Settings by clicking the cog button on the left side of Windows 10’s Start menu.
Select Update & Security to open a Windows Update tab in Settings.
Click Check for updates to find available patch updates. Select to download and install any available patch updates.
Also, click View optional updates option within the Windows Update tab to open the window shown directly below.
Click Driver updates to view a list of device drivers you can choose to install.
Select the drivers’ checkboxes and click the Download and install button.
Updating drivers with driver updater software is the most straightforward method.
A driver updater utility will scan your Helios 300 laptop and list all its devices with outdated or faulty drivers. Then you can select to update drivers for specific or all devices listed automatically.
5. Update drivers with Acer Care Center
The Acer Care Center is a pre-installed app on Predator Helios 300 laptops with which you can update drivers. To find that app, click Windows 10’s Start button.
Then click Care Center on the Start menu’s app list.
Click the Update box to open the utility shown directly below.
Press the Check now button.
Thereafter, click Update all to install available updates.
6. Update Nvidia drivers with GeForce Experience
GeForce Experience is another pre-installed app on Predator Helios 300 PCs, which is ideal for updating Nvidia GPU device drivers. You can open that app by clicking the NVIDIA Corporation folder and GeForce Experience on the Start menu.
Press the Get Started button within the GeForce Experience window.
Then click the Log in with NVIDIA button.
If you don’t have an NVIDIA account, you’ll need to click the Create Account option to set one up.
Enter your email address and NVIDIA account password in the required boxes and click the Login button.
Click Drivers near the top left of the GeForce Experience window.
Press the Download button for an available GeForce GameReady Driver.
Finally, select the Express Installation option.
You can only update NVIDIA device drivers with GeForce Experience.
7. Update Acer Predator 300 drivers via BIOS
First of all, you need to access the BIOS on your Acer device. To do that, press the F2 key as soon as the screen logo appears.
Go to the Acer website and select Support, then Drivers and Manuals.
Make sure you fill in your specs from the previous step and expand the BIOS/Firmware section.
Download the latest BIOS or UEFI file available.
Unzip it and copy it to a USB flash drive (Note that it should not contain any other files).
Insert the USB drive into your device, restart it and enter the BIOS, where you will use the menus to perform the update.
As you probably know, flashing your BIOS is not an action to be performed often, especially since Windows can also update BIOS if newer versions with signific improvements are available.
While the menu and options can be different according to your PC model, motherboard, and chipset, you can follow these general guidelines to easily update your BIOS.
So, you can update a Predator Helios 300’s device drivers much the same as any other Windows 10 PC. However, some of the apps that come with Acer Predator PCs provide additional options for updating drivers.
Select whatever driver update method suits you best, and let us know your choice in the comments area below.
Exploit acquisition platform Zerodium has increased its payout for zero-click RCEs in Microsoft Outlook from $250,000 to $400,000.
Zero-click exploits let attackers compromise PCs and networks without requiring user interaction. One company that buys such exploits, Zerodium, outlines the change on its limited-time bug bounties page.
Set off the exploit
Some cyberattacks, such as phishing emails or instant messages, require people to interact with an attack in order to set off the exploit. Zero-click exploits do not require interaction, making them even more dangerous.
“We are temporarily increasing our payout for Microsoft Outlook RCEs from $250,000 to $400,000,” indicated Zerodium. “We are looking for zero-click exploits leading to remote code execution when receiving/downloading emails in Outlook, without requiring any user interaction such as reading the malicious email message or opening an attachment. Exploits relying on opening/reading an email may be acquired for a lower reward.”
Zerodium is a security company specializing in acquiring and reselling zero-day exploits and vulnerabilities. Its primary customers are government agencies in North America and Europe.
Increased payout
Microsoft increased the payout for Outlook zero-click RCEs on January 27, 2022. They will continue until a date undisclosed.
Microsoft offers bounties from $5,000 to $250,000 for reports of vulnerabilities in its software. The company paid $13.6 million for bug bounty rewards between July 2020 and July 2021.
Microsoft’s bug bounty payout is less than that of Zerodium; the bounty values vary based on the severity of the discovered vulnerability.
What is your take on Microsoft’s way around the bugs? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
Microsoft’s intention is to bring all Windows 10/11 systems up to date with the latest updates. To achieve this, it has to make sure that the new features introduced with each update are compatible with all existing software and devices.
Microsoft has updated its support document for Windows 11 to explain why PCs with the latest versions of the operating system may not automatically receive future security updates.
The explanation comes as many users are complaining about older PCs running Windows 10 being unable to install some updates in recent weeks. Microsoft has made it clear that it is the responsibility of PC makers and users themselves to install new versions of the operating system and keep them up to date.
WIndows updates are necessary
Windows Update doesn’t always install every available update for your PC. It often only installs updates for critical and security issues, and sometimes it skips optional updates.
Microsoft uses Update Connectivity to measure how Windows devices are being updated. The measurement only includes devices that have automatic updating enabled, and excludes devices that are turned off, in standby mode, or otherwise not being used.
Not every PC meets system requirements
Reports from Microsoft’s data analysts show that many Windows users are not keeping their devices current with respect to both quality and security updates. In fact, one out of two devices are not receiving the most important security updates for the device which leaves them vulnerable to malicious attacks.
Another 25% do not bother to keep up with the updates because they do not meet the system requirements are more than two months behind in the updates.
Microsoft does not recommend “forcing updates on devices.” Instead, the company recommends that organizations try to ensure that devices meet the minimum Update Connectivity measurement “by communicating with device owners”; this may include suggesting to owners to leave devices plugged in and connected instead of “powering them off overnight”. They also suggest that IT administrators should communicate with users about updates through their “end user experience,” such as by using tools such as Microsoft Intune, System Center Configuration Manager, or Windows Update for Business.
Microsoft advises users to modify their power settings to give their devices time to install security updates.
Home users may also be affected, although to a lesser degree. Users of Windows computers who use their computers for brief or light activities might find their systems not up-to-date. These users might have to run manual checks and install updates on the computer if they want to keep their computer updated.
Do you keep up with Windows updates as soon as they are released or do you hold off for a while? Share with us your thought process in the comment section.
Albeit unintentionally, Microsoft broke a new record when it managed to curb a 3.47 Tbps DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack that happened last November.
Consequently, the company has shared the Azure DDoS data for Q3 2021 in a blog post where Microsoft said it experienced an increase in the amount of DDoS attacks in the latter half of 2021.
Attack services are available for cheap, so a lot of people use the hacker method called Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) when they want to mess with websites.
Increased mitigation
Microsoft mitigated an average of 1,955 attacks per day in the second half of 2021, a 40% increase from the attacks happening per day in the first half of that year.
However, that was dwarfed by the 4,296 attacks mitigated on August 10, 2021. The company blocked 359,713 unique attacks during the second half of the same year.
While Microsoft was setting a new record with Azure servers, the company also defended against a DDoS attack that reached a peak of 3.47 Tbps and an average of 340 million packets per second.
The cyberwarfare attack originated from over 10,000 sources globally and included countries such as Taiwan, Indonesia, Iran, Vietnam, India, Thailand, Russia, South Korea, China, and the United States.
Additionally, the company experienced two more attacks in December with a combined throughput of 2.5 Tbps. Both attacks were in Asia.
More attacks in Asia
Microsoft also said it saw a sharp increase in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in East Asia last year, including India and Hong Kong.
As gaming has become more popular, particularly in countries such as Hong Kong and South Korea, the increase in attacks can be viewed as a direct response to this growing trend.
Meanwhile, in India, the rise in digital adoption has exposed the country to cyber risks.
Microsoft now holds the record for mitigating the most damaging DDoS attack, but there have been other large-scale DDoS attacks in recent years that are worth noting.
Some of the attacks include the 2017 attack that was curbed by the reliability team from Google with a 2.54Tpbs throughput and the Amazon Web Service’s 2020 attack with a 2.3Tbps throughout.
What do you think about Microsoft’s cyber attack mitigation power? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
It has been a big year for Facebook. The social network has solidified its messaging strategy around Messenger, a standalone mobile app with more than 900 million users. If we include Facebook messages in this chat app, then it becomes even more popular.
The reason behind its increasing popularity is that it is compatible with almost all smartphones and operating systems like Android, iOS, and Windows Phone.
With a lot of the focus in messaging being on end-to-end encryption and privacy, it’s easy to think of Messenger as the place you can freely discuss anything with anyone without needing to worry about security, but that’s not entirely true.
While there are some features built in to help you protect your privacy on Facebook’s messaging platform, and it’s very easy to chat securely with people who have Messenger and are also on an encrypted messaging service like WhatsApp, there are still some limitations.
Finally, end-to-end encryption is here
Following a multi-month beta testing period, the company finally announced the availability of E2EE on the Messenger platform for everyone.
This means that all your conversations on Messenger are end-to-end encrypted, including messages you send and receive as well as the audio calls you make and video chats you have. The encryption is built into the app and applied automatically, without any action required by you or the people you’re communicating with.
The company first started testing E2EE with a limited set of users last year, when it also introduced the ability to have group voice calls on Messenger.
More features
With this new update, if you’re in a group chat, you will first have to opt-in to make a voice call or send a disappearing message to every member in that chat. When you do so, all of your messages will be end-to-end encrypted. In addition, if someone takes a screenshot of disappearing messages, Facebook will tell you about it.
The new capabilities are available to anyone on Android, and iOS users can also now enjoy these features. While using E2EE chats, you can now send messages while offline, edit and personalize photos before sending them, as well as see when someone is typing a response.
What do you make of these new features for Facebook? Does it make Facebook worth an app having? Let us know in the comment section below.
It appears that Microsoft might be looking to capitalize on the success of Monster Hunter: World by creating its own Monster Hunter game.
You may not be aware of it, but a little-known studio called Certain Affinity has been behind some of your favorite games for years now.
The Xbox One is a powerful gaming system and if Microsoft wants to make a splash in this constantly growing market they will need to have big games available for the console.
Inspired by Monster Hunter Game
Certain Affinity is maybe best known for its work on the Halo series and other AAA brands like Call of Duty.
Microsoft is reportedly working on a game called Project Suerte, which may be an Xbox One version of Capcom’s Monster Hunter series. The reports were confirmed by Windows Central and could involve multi-player gameplay.
We don’t know anything else about Project Suerte (not even whether it will be called that when it comes out), but we can infer a few things from this announcement. From the name, which suggests that the game, codename Project Suerte, is “a ‘Monster Hunter’ inspired game,” implying big monster battles with multiplayer gameplay. If you’re going for Monster.
The cat’s out of the bag now, though, it is not clear when the official release date will be. It could be in 2023 or 2024 but will see how things progress.
In other news, feel free to use the best VPNs without lagging so you can continue enjoying Monster Hunter Game.
What do you think of the new game set to be released soon?
Microsoft is constantly tweaking Windows 11, adding new features and revamping cosmetic parts of it, so that it can rise up to a certain standard.
However, the latest update Microsoft has released to the Dev Channel, which is Insider Preview Build 22543 brings with it something nobody really expected.
The Redmond-based tech company is continuing to improve Voice, only this time with two new voice narrations by Jenny and Aria.
But don’t think that these are the only new additions coming with this build. Insiders are getting more visual tweaks with the media controls flyout on the lock screen, as well as microphone muting
Lots of new features have made their way to the Dev Channel
These two new voices are part of Microsoft’s accessibility features for Windows 11’s built-in Narrator screen-reading app that can be used to read out text from websites, emails, and documents.
As you might already know, this feature relies on Microsoft’s work on neural text-to-speech synthesis for on-device processing.
Now, once you open it, Narrator will announce that more natural voices, Jenny and Aria, are available.
If you decided that you want to add them to your collection, click the Install now button to go to Narrator Settings and actually add the new voices.
In addition, Microsoft has made it easier for Narrator users to switch between voices to better support common tasks like reading and navigating.
Newly added Narrator keyboard commands include:
Narrator + Alt + the Minus key – Move to the previous voice in Narrator’s voice settings combo box.
Narrator + Alt + the Plus key – Move to the next voice in Narrator’s voice settings combo box.
Updated keyboard commands include:
Narrator + Alt + the Left Bracket key – Move to the previous punctuation reading mode.
Narrator + Alt + the Right Bracket key – Move to the next punctuation reading mode.
Other changes and improvements
The two new Narrator voices aren’t the only new addition that the Redmond tech giant is bringing via this latest Insider update.
In the recent blog post, Microsoft also highlighted other new features that are making their way toward stable release.
Building on the recent changes to the flyout design for the hardware indicators, Microsoft has updated the media controls which appear on the Lock screen when playing music in a supported app. It more closely matches the design shown for the media controls in Quick Settings when signed-in to your PC. The media controls will always use dark theme to complement the rest of the Lock Screen visual style.
Updated the experience of resizing app windows in snap layouts by overlaying the relevant app icon on top of the acrylic background. Snap some windows using the snap assist, resize the snapped window layout using the buffer and watch the other snapped windows go out-of-focus overlaid with their app icon.
Using the WIN + ALT + K keyboard shortcut to mute your call will now show a confirmation flyout.
The input switcher improvements announced with Build 22518, including updated design with an acrylic background, is now available to all Insiders in the Dev Channel.
When doing a full build upgrade, the progress ring animation has been updated, aligning with the updated boot screen animation.
Updated the design of System > Storage > Disks & Volume and Storage Spaces in Settings to align with the overall design of Settings in Windows 11. Certain options for the drive, volume, and space, like properties, are also now directly available inline on these pages as buttons without having to click that entry first.
Fixes
[General]
Task Manager shouldn’t crash when switching to the Performance tab.
Fixed an issue where certain characters (like characters with umlauts) weren’t allowed when naming your PC in OOBE, even though it was allowed in Settings after finishing OOBE.
Addressed an issue which was leading to OneNote crashing in recent builds when trying to open pages with inserted PDFs.
Mitigated an issue that was leading to unresponsive UI after enabling HDR.
[File Explorer]
Fixed an issue that could lead to explorer.exe crashing when dragging and dropping a file out of a zipped folder in File Explorer.
The context menu in File Explorer now shows a CTRL + Shift + C keyboard shortcut next to Copy as Path.
[Input]
Fixed an issue which was leading to the cursor unexpectedly disappearing in certain apps.
Fixed a crash in Quick Settings when opening the input switcher from there.
Addressed an issue which was leading to the candidate window customization being unexpectedly missing from Personalization > Text Input for Chinese Simplified IME users sometimes.
[Taskbar]
We fixed the issue causing two arrows to appear for the hidden icon flyout and the Quick Settings icons, and the date and time were misaligned.
[Settings]
Mitigated an issue leading to Settings getting stuck in a suspended state and couldn’t be launched.
If you’ve opted to turn off the startup sound, that setting should persist upgrades going forward.
Fixed the icon in the notification that shows if you have chosen to postpone finishing setting up your device.
Tabbing through Quick Settings should no longer set focus to an invisible element.
Fixed an issue that was sometimes causing the media controls above Quick Settings to be off-screen.
[Windowing]
The underline indicating the active desktop in Task View will now follow your chosen accent color instead of being blue.
Mitigated a WER issue which was leading to DWM crashes in recent flights.
Known issues
[Taskbar]
The taskbar will sometimes flicker when switching input methods.
[Search]
After clicking the Search icon on the Taskbar, the Search panel may not open. If this occurs, restart the “Windows Explorer” process, and open the search panel again.
[Input]
On a UAC prompt, the IME candidate window doesn’t show up.
[Widgets]
With the taskbar left-aligned, information such as temperature is not shown. This will be fixed in a future update.
[Narrator]
Restart Narrator if the voice is not automatically switched after downloading Microsoft Aria (Natural) from voice selection combo box.
Remember that not everyone gets to fiddle around with these new features, only Windows Insiders on the Dev Channel, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t see them on your System.
It won’t be long until they find their way toward the Release Preview Channel, and our PCs, so we might as well just wait a bit more.
Have you gotten to test out the new Narrator voices on the latest build? Share your experience with us in the comments section below.
Going to the office is only happening in some cases, or not at all, nowadays. This is due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, which totally derailed the way companies used to conduct their business.
Thus, numerous enterprises and firms have been migrating to online communication software, such as Teams, for their collaborative needs.
But it’s also true that not all companies can rely on modern devices that can facilitate remote communication, making it harder for them to synchronize and compete in this hybrid work era.
Microsoft helps firms adapt to the hybrid work environment
However, all is not lost, as Microsoft launched a new device trade-in program, in collaboration with Network-Value, giving customers an opportunity to ethically sell their aging hardware.
How does this work, you ask? Basically, Network-Value buys your organization’s old hardware at competitive prices and provides environmentally responsible options for also getting rid of it.
One of the other benefits includes in this awesome deal is the global coverage where a company of any size is eligible for this program.
Furthermore, the Redmond tech giant has also emphasized that the price you get for your traditional communication hardware is dependent upon a number of factors.
Among these factors that the campaign hinges on is market demand, the age of your device, and of course its condition.
Microsoft also noted that some hardware may actually be so old that it has no resale value at all, but you can take comfort in the fact that Network-Value will responsibly dispose of it for you and free up your inventory space.
It’s important to know that any quote offered by Network-Value is valid for 45 days only and the company will also cover costs for return shipping.
However, if you would rather have their technical experts visit your company on-site for decommissioning, the cost for that will be deducted from your total trade-in value.
Owning an official, up-to-date copy of the Windows operating system gives us a certain degree of safety, considering that we get security updates on a regular basis.
But have you ever thought, that the updates themselves could be used against us one day? Well, it seems like that day has finally come, and experts warn us about the possible implications.
Recently, North Korean hacking group called Lazarus managed to use the Windows Update client to execute malicious code on Windows systems.
North Korean hacker group compromised Windows Updates
Now, you’re probably wondering in what circustances this latest ingenious cyberattack scheme was uncovered.
The Malwarebytes Threat Intelligence team did, while analyzing a January spearphishing campaign impersonating the American security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin.
Attackers instrumenting this campaign made sure that, after the victims open the malicious attachments and enable macro execution, an embedded macro drops a WindowsUpdateConf.lnk file in the startup folder and a DLL file (wuaueng.dll) in a hidden Windows/System32 folder.
The next strep is for the LNK file to be used used to launch the WSUS / Windows Update client (wuauclt.exe) to execute a command that loads the attackers’ malicious DLL.
The team behind uncovering these attacks linked them to Lazarus based on existing evidence, including infrastructure overlaps, document metadata, and targeting similar to previous campaigns.
Lazarus keeps updating its toolset to evade security mechanisms and will surely continue to do so, by employing techniques such as the use of KernelCallbackTable to hijack the control flow and shellcode execution.
Couple that with the usage of the Windows Update client for malicious code execution, along with GitHub for C2 communication, and you have the recipee for a complete and utter disaster.
Now that you know that this threat is real, you can take more safety precautions and avoid falling victim to malicious third parties.
Has your machine ever been infected with dangerous malware through a Windows update? Share your experience with us in the comments section below.
There are a lot of reasons why your computer might be unable to connect to the domain. When you try to connect to the server, you may come across this error: The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted.
When you encounter it, this means that the specific domain that you are trying to access is not responding to the request. This may be because it does not exist or because there is a problem with the DNS servers.
It is responsible for mapping domain names to their IP address. When you type www.google.com in your browser, it uses DNS to find out the actual IP address of google servers and connects to it.
If you have a domain name that isn’t resolving, there are a few things to check. The most common issue is that you have typed the URL incorrectly.
Can an invalid URL cause The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted error?
Having the right URL is essential in order for the website to load properly. If you are using a bookmark or typing it in manually, make sure you’ve copied and pasted it correctly without any typos.
First of all, if you’re using your web browser’s address bar, then you need to make sure that the website address is entered correctly.
Sometimes, it may become broken or contain an invalid syntax, and therefore cause an error when accessing the site.
If possible, try correcting the URL so that it is spelled correctly and has no missing punctuation marks or any other characters which might make it invalid.
Why does The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted error occur?
Although DNS addresses are a common cause of this error, there are many other possible causes. Many people experience the error and the instinct is to run through a series of troubleshooting steps.
Unfortunately, most of these are futile and can end up wasting an hour or two before you realize that the problem is something else entirely.
Some of the common reasons the error occurs include:
The DNS you are currently using is not functioning properly and it might be a sign that it is getting corrupted. If your computer is not working as you expect it to, or if you have some problems with your connection, then don’t hesitate and try to fix the issue by changing your current server.
IPv6 protocol may have failed for your network so you may want to disable it. The problem that you might be facing is that your router does not support it.
You may have misconfigured network settings. Check your network settings to make sure that nothing is wrong with them. If there is, fix it. Make sure that the computer or router you’re trying to access the files from has the correct IP address, and that they match what’s in your PC’s network settings.
Misconfigured registry keys could also be the cause of the error. Sometimes, if one of these keys gets corrupted and the system fails to fix it automatically, then manual editing of the system files might be required.
What can I do to fix The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted error?
1. Use a different DNS address
Press the Windows key, type cmd, and click Open.
Enter the following command prompt and take note of the Default Gateway and DNS addresses:ipconfig /all
Next, press the Windows key and search for Device Managerto open.
Right-click the Network Adapter and click on the Properties button.
Find the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) item and click on the Properties button.
On the General tab, change the Preferred DNSserver address to match the Primary Domain Controller’s IP Address andpress OK.
2. Disable IPv6 and run several useful commands
Press the Windows key, search for Device Manager,and click on it to open.
Once the Device Manager window opens, right-click on Network adapter to select Properties.
Locate Internet Protocol Version 6, disable the checkbox, and click OK.
Restart your device for the changes to take effect.
Hit the Windows key and type cmd in the search bar.
Run the following commands by pressing Enterafter each one: ipconfig/flushdnsipconfig/releaseipconfig/release6ipconfig/renew
Try connecting to the domain again.
3. Change the WINS Server’s IP Address
Press the Windows key and search for Device Manager to open.
Right-click Network Adapter and click on the Properties button.
Find the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) item on and select the Properties button.
On the General tab, change the Preferred DNS server address to match the Primary Domain Controller’s IP Address.
Click on the Advanced button.
Go to the WINS tab and click Add.
Fill in the Preferred DNS server address and tap on Add.
Save all the changes and try connecting again.
4. Tweak the Registry Editor
Press the Windows + R keys simultaneously to open the Run window.
Type regedit and hit Enter.
Navigate to the following location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Netlogon\Parameters
Locate SysvolReady and right-click then Modify.
Under the Value data field put 1 and press OK.
Save the changes and restart your device.
Could my domain be expired?
There are some things to check if you think your domain is expired. If you’re not sure whether or not it is, the most common reason is that it’s been inactive for a number of years.
If the domain has expired then the website associated with it will not be available and there may be a new owner. In this case, you can either attempt to contact them to see if they will renew it, or register a new one.
Provided your domain is still registered to you and you have made changes to your website but they have not yet gone live, then these changes may not have been lost.
However, if you have just changed your DNS settings through your registrar or web host, this won’t cause an expired status unless the change has been fully propagated through the internet’s DNS system.
All domains have an expiration date when they can be deleted from the name registry. The normal length of time for registration is two years, but there are tiers for different lengths of time that vary from registrar to registrar.
If the registration is not renewed within the grace period, it will go through the normal process of being released for new ones.
We hope that if you were experiencing this error, one of our solutions in this guide was able to solve your issue. Also, we have more on what to do if your domain is expired so feel free to check out our linked article in that regard.
Open-source simply means software that can be modified and shared due to the fact that its design can be accessed by the public.
If you’re looking for the best open-source privacy software to use with your computer or PC, there are many tools available from encrypted instant messengers, to secure operating systems and browsers, all of which protect you online and offline.
Why do I need Open-Source Privacy Software?
The advantage of open-source software is that it is public and open for inspection, so there’s no way it can easily include secret backdoors for surveillance.
It’s also great for developers that can build upon these tools and add more functionality or features to them.
As for privacy, its threat is the number one concern right now. The privacy vulnerability ranges from simple online tracking to stealing your data or your identity.
The tools below will help you in any aspect of privacy security, from enterprise networking to simple VPNs.
Private Internet Access, or PIA for short, is one of the top VPN providers in the world. Owned by Kape Technologies, they continue improving their servers and expanding their network.
They have always supported causes and taken actions to defend the privacy of their users. They are investing in the latest technologies such as OpenVPN and Wireguard – both open source.
In addition, all of the software they develop is open source as well. This includes their iOS and Android apps, their desktop clients, and also their browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.
The top reasons we recommend PIA are:
Over 3300 servers available in 48 different countries
No-logs policy
Compatible with a wide range of devices
1 license can be used by the entire family
Ability to pay anonymously
Private Internet Acess
Get PIA VPN at this discounted price to enjoy the benefits of the open-source software and reclaim your anonymity online.
Surfshark uses OpenVPN (UDP) and OpenVPN (TCP) protocols. You can easily access each of them from the app.
UDP is generally faster and suitable for video streaming, games, or conference calls. TCP is more stable, but a bit slower. It delivers every single pack of information that you send from your device.
Surfshark is a budget-friendly VPN service created by Surfshark LTD. It provides exclusive DNS on each VPN.
The app is compatible with all popular platforms, and you can access OpenVPN from any device, including mobile.
A great benefit that comes with Surfshark is that it places no restriction on the number of devices you can connect to one account.
It comes with split tunneling that helps you isolate traffic and boost speed rates. Plus, it has anti-tracking and anti-phishing security features, plus basic anti-malware protection.
Surfshark
Connect to OpenVPN with any device and browse securely and privately.
This open-source privacy software is good for cleaning up every trace of your online activities.
It cleans browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox but includes Windows Media Players, Adobe Acrobat, and Flash Player, as well as Google toolbar.
It picks after apps like Microsoft Office and comes with a cleaner for your registry plus an uninstaller.
CCleaner
Keep your PC clean and secure, remove trackers and delete suspicious apps and folders.
This is a great VPN if you want privacy at its best. It re-routes your data via a remote proxy server and is available as a free ad-supported app, as well as a paid service with better performance and more features.
For daily or occasional use, this VPN service is adequate, with a simple configuration, and in a single click, it is activated and you feel like you’re browsing from a different country.
You also get to see how much traffic you have transferred through CyberGhost via a handy graph, however, there are limited spaces on the servers so you have to wait a bit to gain access.
CyberGhostVPN
Keep your browsing data private and hide your identity with this secure VPN that gives you access to virtual locations across the globe.
This is a search engine provided as an open-source privacy software that doesn’t store your data, nor does it send your search terms to other sites, plus it treats every user equally.
It is what is known as the first privacy-conscious search engine of the modern day.
This open-source privacy software, also known as the ‘onion router’ is one of the most popularly used ways of browsing the internet without leaving your online activity open for snoopers. Its network makes it hard for tracking your identity or activity, and you can browse anonymously on almost every website.
It protects your anonymity by taking all your communications, including instant messaging and apps, and sending them to a large network of routers that make Tor servers, so it’s hard for sites or people to invade your privacy. It also has Privoxy, a proxy program that maintains your privacy.
This is an open-source privacy software in the VPN client arena that works with any VPN provider which supports OpenVPN protocol.
It lets you automate, control, optimize, and troubleshoot your VPN connections, plus you can use it with your current VPN or replace it altogether.
Experienced VPN users gain more, as this open-source VPN is smaller, simpler, and gives full control over the server list with fallback connections, plus you can import your connections from each VPN, and combine them to launch from a single menu.
It also helps you run custom scripts and lets you see how a connection has been set up, plus make advanced connection tweaks.
You know more about OneDrive, iCloud, and Dropbox, which all offer encrypted cloud storage, but these don’t keep your privacy protected as such because if compelled, they can give the government access to your files.
With SpiderOak, however, it will not and cannot because its users have the encryption keys.
This cloud storage provider is the best open-source privacy software for cloud storage as its service revolves around your privacy, plus it delivers similar functionality to mainstream cloud storage service providers.
One of the biggest thorns in today’s world is uncrackable email. However, there is open-source privacy software like PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) which actually provides uncrackable encryption.
This tool was released first in 1991, but today, the Gnu Privacy Guard or GPG, which can be used with Windows and other operating systems and machines helps here.
GPC is an open-source privacy software that’s been tried and tested by security software communities and is the only one trusted as a secure encrypted email system, so it can work with yours too.
Most of the time, you can restore back these files, or undelete them. However, with open-source privacy software, you can get file shredders that securely remote important and sensitive data from your PC forever.
Eraser is one of the top file shredders available as open-source software so you can use it for free!
This is an anti-tracking open-source privacy software tool that you can add to your browser, and it’ll show you how much you are being tracked online, and who exactly is tracking you.
This tool is available for modern browsers both desktop and mobile, and it just tells or informs you how many companies are tracking your online activities such as your popularly visited sites, plus which companies are gathering your data so as to serve you ads.
AdBlock Plus – Ideal for blocking ads and tracking
This is an open-source privacy software that blocks ads thus reducing the number of tracking cookies that are installed on your PC, significantly.
It is also available for the most popular and widely used modern browsers, and today, more than 50 million people use it. Being an open-source program, its code can be inspected by developers too.
Because it blocks ads, it improves the loading speed of any website that you visit. But it doesn’t hide your identity. You might consider using a proxy for that.
These are free open-source antivirus for Windows with high detection rates, a scheduler, automatic download of virus database updates, plus an Outlook plugin.
ClamWin antivirus has no real-time scanner, but you can use it with Winpooch for that added feature.
Clam Antivirus integrates with mail servers for scanning attachments, and automatic updates via the Internet.
It is based on a shared library, and you can use it with your own software, but the best thing is it keeps the virus database updated.
This is an open-source password manager that gives you only one master password which you’ll use to unlock the database.
But you can make a disk key to unlock the program, and for extra security, you can open both with the master password and disk key.
The databases have the most secure encryption algorithms i.e. AES and Twofish, so it would take ages to break into your database.
It is portable (you can carry it on a flash drive), runs on Windows without installation, stores nothing on your PC, and doesn’t create new registry keys or initialization files in your computer’s directory.
You can also group your passwords, assign icons to them, and set up auto-paste functions. If you want to access the password, there’s a search function for it.
This open-source privacy software is simple and straightforward. It also tells you how safe your passwords will be, and lets you export hard copies of important passwords via TXT, HTML, CSV, or SML files.
NordVPN is one of the best VPNs on the market you could use for Roobet for a bunch of reasons. For once, it has an impressive record of bypassing geo-restrictions.
It offers a dedicated IP address plan you could purchase to avoid any suspicions caused by too many requests coming from the same IP. It will cost you more, but it’s definitely worth it.
Furthermore, NordVPN also offers obfuscated VPN servers, which mask VPN traffic as regular traffic to decrease your chance of being detected.
If you don’t want to use dedicated IP servers, obfuscated VPN servers are your next best choice.
NordVPN’s key features:
Strict zero-logging policy
Military-grade encryption
Dedicated IP address servers
Obfuscated servers that mask VPN traffic
Has a built-in Internet kill switch
Multi-hop VPN called Double VPN
NordVPN
Want to access Roobet but it’s not available in your country? You should try using NordVPN, for a change.
Therefore, you won’t need to worry about your device’s geolocation capabilities interfering with the VPN’s location-spoofing features.
It doesn’t collect any logs from you while you’re connected to its servers, includes an Internet kill switch, and lets you use it on unlimited devices.
On the other hand, it doesn’t offer any dedicated IP addresses, but its unique GPS-spoofing capabilities should make up for this lack.
Surfshark’s key features:
Zero-logging policy
Military-grade encryption
Includes a VPN kill switch
Unique GPS spoofing features
Multi-hop VPN
Surfshark
Is Roobet banned in your country? Surfshark’s unique GPS spoofing could help you fix it in no time.
ExpressVPN may be the best choice for you if you want to register for Roobet from its plethora of covered locations and servers.
With its ability to never log IP addresses, browsing history, metadata, and DNS queries, this VPN giant has everything you need to be invisible while gambling on Roobet.
Available for any device and operating system, ExpressVPN has a lightspeed performance, for both download and streaming. It can be downloaded on unlimited devices, but can only be used on 5 devices simultaneously.
Let’s have a look at ExpressVPN’s security features:
Kill switch function whenever the internet connection is interrupted
Split tunneling to protect connected devices
Private encrypted DNS to securely register an account
24 hours customer service support
256-bit AES encryption
ExpressVPN has a 30-day refund guarantee.
ExpressVPN
Make yourself invisible and stay safe while gambling on a plethora of fast servers.
Although we wouldn’t recommend any of them for Roobet, there are a certain few free VPNs you can trust from a security/privacy standpoint.
Meaning that our recommendations won’t steal your data and sell it to the highest bidder.
However, you must keep in mind that free VPN services are free for a reason. Most of them are extremely limited, which makes them really poor candidates for Roobet usage.
Remember, Roobet can detect VPN usage, especially if the VPN doesn’t have a lot of advanced features.
Sure, you can try bypassing Roobet’s geo-restriction with a free VPN, but keep in mind that you’d risk your account balance.
Where is Roobet banned?
Aruba
Austria
Bonaire
Curacao
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Germany
Guernsey
Gibraltar
Hungary
Isle of Man
Jersey
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Martinique
Reunion
Slovakia
Mayotte
Netherlands
United States
United Kingdom
Denmark
Turkey
Poland
According to Roobet’s ToS, if you live or have a permanent/temporary residence in one of the countries above, you’re not entitled to use the service or even register an account.
Residents from the aforementioned territories are prohibited from opening an account or in any way use the gaming services offered by roobet.com.
Furthermore, there’s a short list of countries that fall under NetEnt’s Absolute Restriction category.
Absolute Restriction – United States of America, United Kingdom, Spain, France, and Italy.
If you try to access Roobet from any of the abovementioned countries, you’ll be prompted with an error message, denying your access to the website. Specifically:
Sorry, Roobet isn’t available in your region. Due to our gaming license, we cannot accept players from your jurisdiction. If you’re using a VPN, please deactivate it and refresh.
Is it legal to use a VPN on Roobet?
As many pointed out, using a VPN to access Roobet is one of the methods that still work, despite its caveats.
But before we get any further, you must understand that Roobet forbids using a VPN, and even bans detected players, who subsequently lose all their balance.
You have no right to use the services as an anonymizing proxy, VPN or the like in order to bypass the law resulting from the blockade by roobet.com countries. In case of violation of these principles, roobet.com reserves the right to block and/or immediately close the account and you lose all winnings/balance.
Note that there are a few techniques you can apply to minimize the chance of detection.
They should work flawlessly, but there’s no 100% guarantee, so proceed at your own risk.
Bonus: How to play Roobet with a VPN without getting detected
Purchase a VPN subscription plan with dedicated IP addresses (we recommend Surfshark)
Disable geolocation services on your browser
Install the VPN on your PC
Launch the VPN and log into your account
Make sure the kill switch feature is enabled
Choose an appropriate server location** (not on the list above)
Create a Roobet account (avoid using your personal details)
Start playing
* Surfshark is one of the best VPN services that offer dedicated IP addresses and obfuscated (stealth) servers ** If the VPN service offers obfuscated VPN servers and you’re not using a dedicated IP, make sure to use them instead of regular ones, to improve your chance of not being detected
When purchasing a VPN, make sure to include a dedicated IP plan to avoid suspicions caused by too many players playing from the same IP address.
Second of all, make sure your browser doesn’t have any geolocation features enabled. If it does, disable them.
Last, but not least, try staying below the radar by depositing and withdrawing small amounts of crypto, and not too frequently.
If you accidentally trigger residency proof requests from Roobet’s staff, your account is pretty much done for.
Unless you know someone you trust in a non-banned region that could complete the location verification procedure and withdraw the amounts for you, that is.
Conclusion
All things considered, even if Roobet is not available in your region, using a VPN could definitely help you change that. However, there are some drawbacks to this plan.
Firstly, not all VPNs may be able to stay off Roobet’s radar, especially not free ones.
Secondly, Roobet clearly prohibits VPN usage in its ToS. So that will result in your account being banned and your balance cleared.
Learn more about Cryptocurrency and discover the best tools that can help you along the way.
Join our Unblocking section to learn more about unblocking services and websites with VPNs.
If you installed January’s KB5008353 optional preview update for Windows 11, then you’re getting a new feature that should make managing accounts easier. As many have pointed out, the update adds a new Microsoft Account panel to the Settings app, to put you in control of your subscriptions.
The new Microsoft Account settings panel doesn’t add too many additional controls, but it does help make keeping an eye on your Microsoft 365 subscriptions easier. Previously, you had to click a link that would take you out to your web browser to manage Microsoft 365. Now, with the update, you can see when your subscription expires, and how much space is being shared across your OneDrive.
There are also links to see more about Microsoft 365, when your next charges will be, and what benefits are covered under your account. Of course, there are links out to manage Microsoft Rewards, Payment options, order history, and even get account support. These all link you out to the Microsoft Account online experience.
Other than this new Microsoft Account page, this optional update addresses the issue where image editing programs might not properly render colors correctly on certain high dynamic range (HDR) displays. You can see the full changelog over on Microsoft’s website. And, you can go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update to check for it. In the Optional updates available area, you’ll find the link to download and install the update.
When it comes to the lock screen, you may customize it by going to the Windows Settings panel and selecting the Personalisation option. You can customize the settings to meet your own needs even though the choices are limited.
There are also other ways to customize the interface, which we’ll present to you right after we show you what’s new in Windows 11 regarding this feature alone.
The operating system includes an uncluttered lock screen with only the bare minimum of information, similar to its previous iteration. In addition to a backdrop wallpaper, a clock, and the current date, it also displays other crucial details.
Note that the best part is that the background of the lock screen can be customized to meet your specific needs, and the status may be changed, among other things, as needed.
Consequently, if you are looking for an alternative, this article may be of assistance to you. Follow along!
What’s new with the lock screen in Windows 11?
Windows 11 includes an improved lock screen version, which preserves the familiar look and feel of the classic experience available in Windows 10 but with some new visual changes and iconography to reflect the new design language introduced in the operating system.
The information displayed on the screen has perhaps seen the most profound transformation. On Windows 10, the time and date were displayed in the screen’s bottom-left corner.
However, on mobile devices, the time and date are displayed centered at the top of it, with a bold typeface.
The first time you sign in to Windows 11, a new background image will be displayed that is comparable to the default wallpaper on the desktop.
The Sign-in screen appears when you click or swipe up from the bottom of the screen, and it is nearly identical to the one seen on Windows 10, with a few minor design differences.
Examples include the addition of rounded corners and a solid underline to the box where you type your password or PIN.
The settings for the lock screen remain the same, with the background image being refreshed every time the machine is restarted by default (using Windows spotlight), but you may always choose to display a custom image or slideshow.
You can continue to display the statuses of several apps, such as the weather, mail, and calendar if you choose. In addition, you can disable the lock screen background for the Sign-in screen, allowing a solid color background to be displayed instead.
How can I customize the lock screen in Windows 11?
1. Access Settings
Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app, and navigate to Personalisation in the left panel followed by Lock screen from the right side.
Now expand the Personalise your lock screen section and choose Windows spotlight, Picture, or Slideshow depending on what you wish to display. More options will appear once you choose one of those options.
Next, expand the Lock screen status section and choose which app you want to be shown in detail.
Lastly, toggle the Show the lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen button to turn it on or off as you wish.
If you choose the Picture option, you will be able to choose an image from a predefined list or from your computer’s hard drive. This can be accomplished by selecting an image you like from the Browse photographs option.
On the other hand, you can also toggle on or off fun facts, tips, and tricks, from being shown on the lock screen. For that, remove the tick from the Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen checkbox.
2. Right-click on Desktop
Another way to access the personalisation panel is to right-click anywhere on your Desktop, then choose Personalise.
From here you can follow the same steps from the first solution, the interface being exactly the same one.
What is the purpose of a lock screen?
Lock screens are a type of security feature that can be used on a computer, smartphone, or tablet that helps prevent unwanted access to the device. It’s an interface with a start-up view, as the name implies. When a device is locked, the apps that can be run on it are severely restricted.
Unwanted users’ data can be saved with the help of a locked unit. Anyone seeking to access the system is required to complete a certain activity or series of actions in order for the system to be considered secure.
When a computer is locked and the password is entered, the only thing that is available is the correct password or biometrics. There are several icons on your computer’s desktop, including the home screen and program icons, thus if you open a window, you can utilize the window for no charge.
The user’s password or passphrase must be typed, the biometric reader must be accessible, or the computer must be unlocked by making a certain motion or gesture on the screen, which scans the user’s eyes or analyses its fingerprint, among other things.
Microsoft Surface and other hybrid tablets or laptop computers have become increasingly popular, and Windows has moved closer and closer to the locking displays that we are familiar with on our laptops and smartphones.
Its functionality does not compare to that of a tablet, but it will display a snapshot of information, such as the number of unread emails we have waiting for us, in addition to keeping unpleasant visitors out of a computer. In most cases, the Windows lock screen requires a password to be unlocked.
The question of whether or not it should be protected by a security scan or require a password to be entered on your computer cannot be answered categorically.
Even though many of us are adept at logging out of our home computers without performing this verification, it is important to remember that everyone can quickly log into many important websites, such as Facebook, simply because the account information is always saved in our browsers.
For Honor and Valkyria Chronicles 4 are both now playable in full for free for all Xbox console owners with an active Xbox Live Gold subscription.
Each game can be played on either of Microsoft’s Xbox One or Xbox Series X console families until the end of Sunday at 11:59 PM PST with all progress being saved to the cloud for future access should the game ever be bought in full or unlocked during another free play campaign.
To encourage players to buy Valkyria Chronicles 4 and For Honor, both games have had their prices reduced for a limited time.
Are you planning on playing Valkyria Chronicles 4 or For Honor on your Xbox console this weekend? Let us know which one in the comments below and then follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more Xbox news.
Teams bring together people, conversations, and content to help teams be more productive. It offers a chat-based workspace, modern meetings, and calling, alongside shared notebooks to keep everyone on the same page and a Files tab to store all your documents in one place.
Whereas Microsoft has made headway over the past year with the Teams app with numerous updates and new improved features such as automatic music detection and noise suppression, it now seems that the app no longer supports 365 accounts.
It seems like it is not a problem with Teams per se but that business accounts are not supported. Whether it is because there’s no dedicated “business” client or because Microsoft is treating business users as individuals that use their personal accounts.
Work or school version
Microsoft Teams on Windows 11 is the future of workplace collaboration, and it’s likely to become a central component in how many businesses operate. By providing a single, unified workspace for all your team to communicate, Microsoft Teams is designed to make it easier for teams to work together.
Users gathered on a Reddit thread as they were somewhat confused when they could no longer access the application.
While there is only one Android app for teams, it supports both personal and work accounts.
The Teams Admin was prompt to respond and clarified the confusion. The version you need depends on the kind of school or business you’re involved in. The personal/home version is not intended to be used with educational institutions, so you will have to install the work/school version if your school uses it.
This is only a temporary situation as Microsoft plans to unify both sometime later.
Tell us what you think of the distinction between Teams personal and work accounts in the comment section below.
Epic Games announced today that the Opera browser will soon have an Epic Games Store dedicated Opera GX browser as part of a new partnership.
This news comes as the Epic Games Store app is also now integrated into Opera’s mobile browser, and players can use the store to buy titles on both PC and mobile.
The market for gaming is going to continue growing. However, it’s not just about the games. If you use an app like Discord to play with your friends, then that is something that needs support and Opera understands this fully.
Key features
One of the key features of Opera GX, which has led to its popularity, is that it allows you to easily play games from your favorite sites and stream them on Twitch. As both a store and a browser, Opera is already home to a large community of gamers.
GX is a simple and fun way to browse the web while playing games. It’s designed with gamers in mind, featuring features like RAM and CPU usage limiters, which optimize your gaming experience by prioritizing the most important processes, effectively reducing lag.
In addition, GX comes with a sleek and customizable interface to match your gaming style. It also supports RGB lighting effects on Razer Chroma and Corsair RGB peripherals, so you can make your browser as unique as you are.
Opera says that it wants to give gamers more choice when they play their favorites games and do other things online, essentially making competition between the Epic Games Store and Steam more intense.
Opera users will also get access to GX Corner, a new feature within the store that surfaces GAMES content such as game releases, publisher news, and more. GX Corner currently has a game release calendar, notifications for games on sale, and links to further information about games.
More variety in stores
The Epic Games Store is a great addition to the Opera GX portfolio. The Epic Games Store has already become a great place for PC gamers to purchase games. It has opened up new opportunities for developers to reach customers on multiple platforms.
If you’re an online gamer, it means your favorite titles are now available to buy on one convenient storefront. And if you’re a developer or publisher, it means your content is now in front of even more players.
Opera GX is already available for download on the Epic Games Store via this link.
What games are you hoping to see now with the integration of Opera and Epic Games Store? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
If attackers are able to access an organization, they will launch a second wave of the campaign, which consists of sending more phishing emails to targets outside the organization as well as within.
Target areas
The Microsoft 365 Threat Intelligence Team has been tracking a malware campaign targeting organizations in Australia and Southeast Asia.
To get their targets’ information, the attackers sent out phishing emails that looked like they were from DocuSign. When users clicked on the Review Document button, they were taken to a fake login page for Office 365, already pre-filled with their usernames
“The victim’s stolen credentials were immediately used to establish a connection with Exchange Online PowerShell, most likely using an automated script as part of a phishing kit. Leveraging the Remote PowerShell connection, the attacker implemented an inbox rule via the New-InboxRule cmdlet that deleted certain messages based on keywords in the subject or body of the email message,” the intelligence team highlighted.
The filter automatically deletes messages containing certain words related to spam, phishing, junk, hacking, and password security, so the legitimate account user will not receive non-delivery reports and IT notification emails they might otherwise have seen.
The attackers then installed Microsoft Outlook on their own machine and connected it to the victim organization’s Azure Active Directory, possibly by accepting the prompt to register Outlook when it was first launched.
Finally, once the machine became part of the domain and the mail client was configured like any other regular use within the organizations, the phishing emails from the compromised account fake Sharepoint invitations pointing again to a fake Office 365 login page became more persuasive.
“Victims that entered their credentials on the second stage phishing site were similarly connected with Exchange Online PowerShell, and almost immediately had a rule created to delete emails in their respective inboxes. The rule had identical characteristics to the one created during the campaign’s first stage of the attack,” the team indicated.
How to bypass
The attackers relied on stolen credentials; however, several users had multifactor authentication (MFA) enabled, preventing the theft from occurring.
Organizations should enable multifactor authentication for all users and require it when joining devices to Azure AD, as well as consider disabling Exchange Online PowerShell for end users, the team advised.
Microsoft also shared threat hunting queries to help organizations check whether their users have been compromised via this campaign and advised that defenders must also revoke active sessions and tokens associated with compromised accounts, delete mailbox rules created by the attackers, and disable and remove malicious devices joined to the Azure AD.
“The continuous improvement of visibility and protections on managed devices has forced attackers to explore alternative avenues. While in this case device registration was used for further phishing attacks, leveraging device registration is on the rise as other use cases have been observed. Moreover, the immediate availability of pen-testing tools, designed to facilitate this technique, will only expand its usage across other actors in the future,” the team advised.
Loopholes to lookout for
Microsoft’s threat intelligence analysts recently flagged a phishing campaign that targeted hundreds of businesses, this one an attempt to trick employees into granting an app named “Upgrade” access to their Office 365 accounts.
“The phishing messages mislead users into granting the app permissions that could allow attackers to create inbox rules, read and write emails and calendar items, and read contacts. Microsoft has deactivated the app in Azure AD and has notified affected customers,” they indicated.
Attackers can also bypass Office 365 Multi-Factor Authentication by using rogue applications, stealing authorization codes, or otherwise obtaining access tokens rather than their credentials.
Have you fallen victim to these attacks by hackers before? Share your experience with us in the comment section below.
The Battlefield franchise has been a mainstay of the Xbox Live charts for years but it seems the luck is changing if the latest reports are anything to go by.
However, the recent release of Battlefield 2042 has not only been a disappointment for fans of the Battlefield franchise but it’s also brought down the series’ ranking in the top 50 played games on Xbox Live.
The game suffered from technical issues at launch, including rampant crashes and memory leaks. The game also featured a revamped progression system that turned off many fans of the classic Battlefield experience.
Drop from the top
Battlefield 2042 is not in the top 50 most-played games on the system, despite releasing just about three months ago. Battlefield 2042 has been on a downward trend for months, with many users complaining about bugs, glitches and boring gameplay.
This is pretty surprising, considering that Battlefield 2042 was once the most played Xbox game on Steam. Now, Battlefield 5 seems to be progressing at a faster rate leaving Battlefield 2042 behind.
In fact, according to data from Steam Charts, Battlefield 5 is now more popular than Battlefield 2042 on PC. Server issues aren’t the whole story here, though. The game’s retention numbers are also low, with about half of all players who try the game giving up after just one match.
A fall from grace
Battlefield 2042 is no longer being played by many people and has fallen off a major leaderboard that tracks the most popular multiplayer games on the Xbox One. The slip from charts is not a good sign as reports also indicate the numbers on Steam are also not doing so well.
This isn’t a good sign for the game’s future, because if there aren’t that many people playing it, then it’s probably on its way towards going free-to-play.
A quick glance at the top 50 most-played games on Xbox includes; Halo Infinite, Apex Legends, Grand Theft Auto 5, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and Fortnite, with the number 50 slot going to Call of Duty: Black Ops 3.
Free or not, problems are still there
EA hasn’t made any official announcements about Battlefield 2042 going free-to-play, but this move would make a lot of sense for them.
If Battlefield 2042 is going to make a comeback, it’s going to need to do more than just make its premium content free – it will need to overhaul the game’s core mechanics.
EA has been under a lot of pressure recently due to the loot box debacle and some other decisions that upset their customers. This is mostly because the last Battlefield game did not meet expectations within the company.
Do you think there is anything that can be done to salvage Battlefield 2042 dwindling fame among gamers? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Microsoft has altered its practices in how it handles the automatic renewal of contracts for online gaming services.
The company offers the Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass products, which allow customers to access a library of games and play together online.
Memberships are billed on an automatic renewal basis. If you do not cancel your membership, your credit/debit card will be charged at the end of your initial contract period unless you contact them to cancel your membership.
As part of an investigation into the online console video gaming sector, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority issued a statement regarding its concerns with Microsoft’s auto-renewing subscriptions. The concern was that consumers did not fully understand the implications of signing up for this service.
Agreeable terms
The CMA has secured undertakings from Microsoft which address these concerns. The new terms include:
Better upfront information: Microsoft will provide more transparent, upfront information to help customers understand their Xbox membership – making clear, for example, that the subscription will auto-renew unless the customer turns off auto-renewal; when the subscription will auto-renew; how much it will cost; and how the customer can receive a refund after an accidental renewal
Refunds: Microsoft will contact existing customers on recurring 12-month contracts and give them the option to end their contract and claim a pro-rata refund
Inactive memberships: Microsoft will also contact existing customers who haven’t used their memberships for a long time but are still paying. These customers will be reminded how to stop payments, and if they continue not to use their memberships, Microsoft will ultimately stop taking further payments
Better information about price increases: Microsoft will give clearer notifications of any future price rises, and will ensure people know how to turn off auto-renewal if they don’t want to pay the higher price.
Here’s what Michael Grenfell, the Executive Director of Enforcement had to say at the CMA:
“Gamers need to be given clear and timely information to make informed choices when signing up for auto-renewing memberships and subscriptions. We are therefore pleased that Microsoft has given the CMA these formal undertakings to improve the fairness of their practices and protect consumers, and will be offering refunds to certain customers.“
“Other companies offering memberships and subscriptions that auto-renew should take note, and review their practices to ensure they comply with consumer protection law.”
What are your thoughts on the new auto-renewal policies in place? Let us know in the comment section below.
But it seems that Microsoft is planning to put a stop to the current free upgrade situation soon, leaving the users that haven’t already upgraded to purchase it.
Free upgrades to Windows 11 could end by mid 2022
Although this is not yet official information, the speculations that Microsoft may end the free upgrade offer come from something Panos Panay, chief product officer for Windows and devices, actually said.
He inadvertently suggested that this free upgrade offer could end before the summer of 2022, in a recent Microsoft blog post.
Today, we’re excited to share that the upgrade offer to Windows 11 is beginning to enter its final phase of availability putting us ahead of our initial plan of mid-2022.
This statement also included a footnote indicating that it applies to devices that have a Microsoft Account (an MSA for Home edition) and have eligible releases and compatibility.
Even though we can’t know for sure if that’s what he intended to announce, it could actually mean that Microsoft is considering ending the free upgrade offer for Windows 10 Home users.
However, there’s no reason to be alarmed, even if you were planning to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 later this year.
Even if the context suggests that the free availability for Windows 11 could end by mid-2022, information available on the official Microsoft upgrade page suggests otherwise.
Under the FAQ section at the bottom of the web page, there is an answer, provided by the tech giant, which sheds more light on this matter.
Redmond officials stated that the free upgrade offer does not have a specific end date for eligible systems, but, Microsoft reserves the right to eventually end support for the free offer.
It is also mentioned that this will not happen sooner than the 5th of October, which will mark a year since the operating system has been officially launched.
But, knowing Microsoft, anything can happen, so betting money on something they said could prove to be more of a risky gamble.
We’ll just have to wait and see what the tech company has planned for its latest OS, and how many users have managed to upgrade until the free offer expires, whenever that is.
And if it does, it will be interesting to see what price tag Microsoft will put on it. Have you already upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11?
Share your experience with us in the comments section below.
NFT technology has landed on video games not too long ago. There are games on your smartphone, PC, or even consoles that use this technology.
Since the beginning of BlockChain technology, we have got the cryptocurrency and later NFT, however, there’s a difference between the two.
In recent years, many titles have incorporated this, and in today’s guide, we’re going to show you the best NFT Xbox games that you can get.
How does NFT works in gaming?
These types of games are like any regular one we play every day, but they have NFTs in their mechanisms and rules. Such mechanisms differ and it’s up to developers how will they implement this feature.
You can think about those where you earn different digital items and achievements based on your performance. In both regular and NFT games, you can sell these digital items on the marketplace.
However, each of these items will be unique and there won’t be any equivalent items. As a result, there is a high chance to get a decent amount by selling the items. This is a common difference between regular and NFT games.
Also, your character, avatar, weapon stickers, etc., can be unique. In some cases, there may be an in-game mining system where players will earn cryptos and can purchase different unique items to boost performance.
Mainly, NFT games work in two models; play-to-earn and pay-to-earn. You can start with play-to-earn games with or without paying/investing anything. While playing, you will earn native currencies or other digital items.
On the other hand, they don’t allow you to enjoy the game unless they invest something in it. Each of these models may work differently, as you’ll see by yourself.
If you are a big fan of puzzle adventure titles, there is no better title than The Gardens Between as an NFT game for Xbox. With artistic low poly graphics, this single-player game can attract those who have a deep interest in this type of genre.
The Voxel Agents is behind the development and publishing of The Gardens Between, and they are one of the first developers who introduced NFT in their mechanisms. Right now, this popular title is available on many other platforms, along with Xbox.
You will have to help your friend to solve some interesting puzzles. For this, you’ll need to manipulate time in the correct way. After completing each particular task/level, you will earn NFT achievements.
The Stormrite is an open-world RPG NFT game developed by Kelechi Apakama, and it’s available on Xbox, Steam, and other platforms. If you want a high-end video option where blockchain technology is used, Stormrite is the best choice.
It is story-based, where a player can explore the world of Stormrite, reveal the secrets, twisted history of the kingdom, and fight the enemies.
Stormrite has multiple endings like we usually see on modern RPG games. NFT items are available too and you can purchase them using Enjin’s platform and redeem them in Stormrite.
You may also sell digital items in Enjin’s marketplace, where you can make a profit, get your money back, or even lose some money.
Are you a racing game fan? The 22 Racing Series developed by GOATi Entertainment is probably the best NFT game you can play. It is available on multiple platforms, including Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam.
22 Racing Series is an RTS racing title where you will need to apply real-time strategy to win while doing high-speed racing. You can play it with enjoyment because of its simple graphics on your Xbox as well as a low-end budget gaming PC.
This is an extreme example of a game that uses blockchain technology. There are various digital items available and a player can get an NFT car each month if they are lucky enough.
Except for this, you can explore many other exciting things once you start playing it.
ChainMonsters is another excellent NFT Xbox game. It’s an online RPG multiplayer one developed by B-Side Games where the player will have to explore the map, find various items, catch monsters and do battle.
There is a huge list of unique monsters and the gameplay can be more fun than you expect because of story-based campaigns.
The player can earn resources, upgrade their monsters, modify them, and turn them into digital items for sale. Some of the resources like gemstones, flowers, or any other rare items that you often find on the map can be NFT. You can also earn items rewards based on performance.
The HeroCatGamefi is an NFT game available on multiple platforms, including the Xbox. It’s a Metaverse where a player can use Hero Cat to fight battles.
You can say it’s a play-to-earn NFT+DEFI mining game. You may easily earn crypto by playing or spending time in the game. There are a lot of rewards and items, including the mining pet that everyone talks about.
The mining pet is an important part to take into consideration. Every player can purchase just one mining pet. Over time, it will mine HCT (Hero Cat Tokens) that you can use to buy items, including Hero Cats.
Alpha Kombat is a play-and-earn NFT game available on Xbox and some other platforms. The gameplay is similar to Capcom’s legendary Street Fighter. But, It is a global blockchain tournament game where you can get NFT rewards.
This may not be as enjoyable as Street Fighter, but it unlocks the ability to earn money by just playing. The developer claims that Alpha Kombat can be a good source of passive income for those who are passionate.
The term money machine is a bit inappropriate here. Of course, you can earn a lot from play-to-earn games. But, there is no guarantee that you can make money by just playing this type.
Sometimes, the outcome can be zero. It depends on many things, including the time you are willing to spend and the demand for items.
In most cases, you will earn money by selling the NFT items you got. There are times when they may come free, and sometimes you may need to purchase these items. If you choose to purchase, there is also a chance of losing money.
This type of game earns by cutting transaction fees from the players and also by selling NFT items. For example, In the HeroCatGamefi, the player will have to pay a fee to acquire a Mining Pet.
However, if the main motive of either the developer or the player is to earn money, the quality of the gameplay may drop, and later that can be a problem for both parties.
This type of NFT game should be seen as just a video game where money-making is just a bonus.
The play-to-earn is a relatively new gaming business model that has been shaking the industry in recent years. We can expect it will grow further within the next few years. Who knows, some games can be a real money machine. Only time will give us the final answer.
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Let’s say you are a Windows 11 user and you are in need of some text files that are located on a device that uses a different operating system, like macOS, for example.
Trying to send those files on your Microsoft-powered PC via Bluetooth sounds like a great idea, until you realize that what you are trying to do won’t actually work the way you imagined.
And by that, we mean that it won’t work at all. Recently, users that tried to perform the above-mentioned process, found that the task is impossible for the time being.
Bluetooth transfer issue stops Windows 11-Monterey exchange
Today, one displeased macOS Monterey 12.1 user took to an Apple community forum to share his latest situation with the rest of the mac-heads.
Basically, he tried sending some text files from his iMac to his Windows 11 PC, but couldn’t go through with the process, for no apparent reason.
I am unable to send text files from iMac via BlueTooth to a Windows 11 computer. The iMac is able to receive text files via Bluetooth from the Windows 11 computer. The iMac is a Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020 running Monterey 12.1 with Bluetooth firmware v75 c4194. Apple Support has investigated this (Case Number: 101590561315) without resolution as of this posting (Wednesday 26 January 2022).
This issue has even been put in a ticket, apparently, and the developer team over at Apple Support is supposedly currently investigating it.
Even though there are a few ways that you can transfer files from one operating system to another, the Bluetooth path is simple and fast, provided you are planning on sending small files, such as text.
However, as of right now, this feature isn’t working, and all you can do is wait for Apple to provide a fix patch, along with an explanation.
The big problem here is the fact that iMac Monterey Bluetooth software does not provide the ability to send files to a Windows 11-powered machine.
However, the iMac will successfully receive text files from the Windows 11 PC via Bluetooth. We’re hoping the companies will soon fix this annoying issue.
We’ll keep an eye out for any changes on this subject and keep you informed once new details are made available.
Have you also encountered this issue while trying to use Bluetooth and transfer files between the two operating systems? Let us know in the comments section below.
One of the worst feelings a computer user can have is when he/she accidentally deletes some important files or folders.
For most users, once the program is removed from the Recycle Bin, it’s treated as lost forever. But, that doesn’t have to be the case anymore.
Even though Windows doesn’t offer built-in options for recovering lost data, there’s still something that can be done.
You’ve guessed it right, third-party software! There are quite a few programs for recovering your lost data, and each one of them offers something worth mentioning.
What can deleted file recovery software do for me?
We’ve all probably been in a situation where we accidentally deleted something we weren’t supposed to, or simply thought we don’t need it anymore, discarded it, and then realized that we did, in fact.
Such mistakes are pretty common, so don’t be alarmed if you too have erased anything, as there are ways in which you can recover the lost data.
And you don’t even have to leave the house and take the device to some sort of expert or PC service. All you have to do is download and install the appropriate software for the job.
We’re about to show you the best apps for recovering lost files, leaving you with the task of choosing whichever is more suited to your needs for both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Even if you deleted some precious files recently, you can still get them back entirely if you use Wondershare’s Recoverit Data Recovery.
As its name suggests, the tool helps you recover a lot of types of files including images and other multimedia files, documents, and even archives.
And you can even preview them before recovering so that you know exactly if you really want to get them back or not.
Of course, the tool is not only effective for your PC drives but it also works on any external storage devices like USB sticks, memory cards, and digital cameras.
You shouldn’t worry about the file systems. Recoverit Data Recovery handles FAT16 and 32, NTFS, and exFAT without any problems.
We need to highlight a great feature called Resume Recovery. As a recovery process can take a while, you can always stop it whenever you need and resume it without any losses.
Let’s take a look at some of its most important features:
Restore all your data from any PC or Mac from all your internal or external storage devices
Over 1,000 file formats supported
High recovery success rate
Simple, three-step recovery process
Trusted by over 5 million users worldwide
Recoverit Data Recovery
Retrieve your deleted files quickly and safely from all your memory storage devices with this great tool.
Stellar Data Recovery is one data recovery tool that scores high in both simplicity and efficiency. It can retrieve all types of data, from text documents to full-length movies.
This program also doubles as an email recovery tool, so you don’t need to get a license for a program specifically for that scenario.
Undeleting lost photos, emails, videos, and documents with DoYourData Recovery Pro is no complicated task. Quite the opposite, millions of users around the world confirm that recovering data is done in mere seconds.
Even if you’re not tech-savvy, rest assured that it’s very easy to use this tool. It packs a few advanced options as well, just in case you want to further explore its features.
After scanning, you can even review the results and choose to recover only certain files. Moreover, DoYourData Recovery Pro is fully compatible with Windows 10, Windows 8.1/8/7/Vista/2000/XP, Windows Server, and not only.
DoYourData Recovery Pro key features that you are about to enjoy:
Full Windows 10 recovery
Formatted recovery (HHD, SSD, storage device)
Includes deep scan mode
Intuitive preview option
Extended compatibility
DoYourData Recovery Pro
Try DoYourData because is the very best file recovery software tool available.
Kernel Data Recovery is a powerful tool for recovering lost, deleted, and inaccessible data from corrupt FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, and NTFS5 partitions of Windows systems.
Aside from local use on any PC, the tool also supports recovery from removable drives like USB, IDE, EIDE, SCSI, SATA, PEN, and even ZIP drives.
Kernel Data Recovery can be used to fix Windows corruption errors from both logical and physical devices and recover your songs, photos, documents, etc. without any alteration.
Let’s quickly look at its key features:
Recovers lost and permanently-deleted files and folders without limitations on file size
100% assured data recovery from corrupt FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, and NTFS5 partitions
Easy data recovery from removable drives
Free Demo version available to instantly view your lost files and folders
Kernel Data Recovery
Kernel Data Recovery ensures data recovery from almost any corrupt partition and fixes corruption errors.
Recuva is one of the most famous and most popular recovery software tools for Windows, that almost everyone heard about. And it’s like that for a reason.
The main advantage of this program is the fact that it makes recovering very easy, and almost effortless.
Once you open Recuva, the recovery wizard will pop up automatically, asking you about a file type you want to recover (document, image, compressed, etc.).
When you choose the file type, it will start looking for all deleted files of that kind. You can also set up a specific location where you want Recuva to search for your file, for even more accurate results.
Depending on how hard it is for Recuva to get your files back, you can choose between a quick or deep scan. So, if you’re unable to retrieve your file with a quick scan, try the more complex solution.
Once the search is done, all potential files will be listed, along with condition ratings. If your file is available, you may then recover it without any problem.
Recuva
Team up with Recuva and recover your deleted files quickly and effortlessly.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery is a staple of what it means to provide a powerful yet efficient software solution.
The user interface is extremely simplistic, allowing users of all experience levels to make quick work of this program.
It is a read-only data recovery utility that helps you in recovering your all-important data, regardless of the circumstances that lead to their loss in the first place.
This includes accidental formats, virus problems, software malfunction, file or directory deletion, or even sabotage by a third party.
It works by scanning all volumes in a local machine and then builds a directory tree of all lost and deleted files.
Note that it supports the following formats: FAT 12/16/32 and NTFS. The recovered files can then be exported anywhere, including network drives, removable media, etc.
All in all, if you are looking for a quick and hassle-free recovery solution, then MiniTool Power Data Recovery is the one for you.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery
Recover all your important data safely and try this excellent tool.
If you have in mind the idea of finding a highly-responsive data recovery software to completely recover deleted files, then let us tell you that there is no better option than iBeesoft Data Recovery.
As expected, it can recover files lost due to almost any reason – you can do so from a memory card, disk/partition, RAW drive, USB drive, and other storage devices.
Besides its incredibly easy-to-use menu, do keep in mind that we are talking about getting back all commonly used file types, including documents, photos, graphics, videos, emails, archives, and more.
Let’s take a closer look at its key features:
Accessible wizard-style interface
Deep Scan feature to scan every drive sector
Preview option for photos and other files
Quick recovery of files, formatted drive recovery in Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP/Server
Efficient results from devices based on FAT, exFAT, NTFS, NTFS5, ext2, ext3, and HFS+ file systems
iBeesoft Data Recovery
Give a try to iBeesoft Data Recovery and you’ll see that all deleted files are fully recoverable.
Rest assured that Paragon Backup & Recovery is one of the best backup and recovery tools available on the market.
With advanced restore features, this software does not compromise on ease of use, making it incredibly simple for individual users to protect files and folders, partitions, disks, or the entire system.
Let’s quickly look at its key features:
Schedule automated backup operations and repetitive processes
Fully customizable backup parameters (type, event, interval, and so on)
Define new scenario-based strategies
Run backups quickly in manual mode
Assistance to prepare bootable environments on a USB drive or an ISO image
Paragon Backup & Recovery
Restore your important files without compromising them and try Paragon Backup&Recovery software.
To give you a short answer right off the bat, yes, it is totally safe to use such software if you are in need of recovering some deleted files.
The procedures performed by these apps aren’t going to change, steam, or render any other files on your PC unusable, so you don’t have to worry about that.
Millions of users have, at one point in their lives, downloaded, installed, and used one of the software solutions we listed above, and none have reported any problems.
The only issue you could have with such a program would be that it doesn’t work on your current setup, either because it’s bugged or incompatible, but the chances are pretty slim.
So, this means that you don’t need to sleep with one eye open after using one of these applications.
Nowadays, we’re all connected as we browse websites, share pictures and videos, have fun on social networks, watch videos, buy items, download music, and so much more.
Sometimes, you may need to access the Internet from a public place like a café or a library. For that purpose, you need a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
It will help you gain remote access to another machine through the Internet and become part of its LAN. Thus, you’ll be able to use shared resources such as files, printers, and even its web camera.
However, there can be some issues when you try to connect with a VPN provider. The most common problem that users face is that they cannot connect at all or they cannot connect properly due to various reasons.
One of the common errors users are getting reads: The user system dialed a connection named which failed. This problem occurs when your VPN server fails to respond. It could be because of a network issue but other times, other factors may play a part.
Is VPN error code 809 related to The user system dialed a connection named which failed error?
If you are using a VPN to connect to your office network and the connection is established successfully but you receive an error 809, it could be that the firewall between the client and server is blocking the ports used by the VPN tunnel.
The problem calls for using a native VPN rather than a manual VPN. You should be able to fix the error on Windows 10 by visiting our guide on the same.
When getting The user system dialed a connection named which failed error, you can try our solutions below.
How can I fix The user system dialed a connection named which failed error?
1. Uninstall WAN Miniport drivers
Hit the Win key and search for Device Manager.
Navigate to Network adapters.
Uninstall all of the WAN Miniport (XXXX) devices or at least the one related to your VPN connection.
Right-click on Network adapters and select Scan for hardware changes.
The WAN Miniport adapters should have re-created themselves.
Try connecting to your VPN again.
2. Remove other VPN connections
Hit the Windows key and open Settings.
Click on Network & Internet.
Select VPN.
Click the Remove button for the VPN service you are not using.
You will now be connected to only one server.
Now try connecting to your VPN again.
3. Disable the firewall temporarily
Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
Click on Privacy & security.
Select Windows Securityand click Open Windows Security.
Click on Firewall & network protection.
Select Microsoft Defender Firewall and toggle to turn it off.
Now try connecting to your VPN again and see if the problems persists.
Can I change my VPN server?
It is easy to change a server. If you use a VPN service to connect to the Internet, then you have a lot of options. You can select a different one from a different country if the one you are using has issues.
You may also change your IP address by selecting a different country for your VPN connection. This will help you to create an anonymous IP address and hide your real identity from data and websites that are trying to track your personal data.
To change your server, log in to your VPN account management panel and change your current VPN server location.
You will be prompted to accept the new server choice, and after accepting it, your connection will be automatically switched to the newly selected location.
Here are some more details about how the process works:
Navigate to your browser and log in to your acount.
Click on See VPN Locations.
Pick one from the list of available locations, i.e. USA, United Kingdom, Sweden, and so on.
Click on the Power button to turn your new server location On.
Once you start digging into VPN services, you’ll find that many of them are either overloaded or underpowered. Most free VPN services won’t offer the kind of bandwidth or security features needed to protect your data in the long run.
They might track your IP address and sell that information to third parties without your knowledge or permission. We have a guide on a VPN that won’t snoop on your activities if you would like the extra layer of security.
The best VPNs use military-grade encryption, have no bandwidth limits, and don’t keep logs of your IP address or browsing history.
They also offer a variety of servers so you can change locations as often as you like. If you are looking for a VPN service that will mask your identity, visit our guide on the best untrackable VPNs.
We hope this guide was able to help you solve your issue if you encountered this particular problem. We’d also love to hear from you on other solutions that you may have tried. Feel free to share down below.
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