How to Fix Common Disney Plus Error Codes

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

You don’t need to wait for another episode of The Simpsons or Star Wars. Disney Play owns an extensive portfolio of amazing content that you can enjoy over and over again. That’s why we’re here – to help you fix the most common Disney Plus error codes.

Both monthly and annual fees are reasonable, and Disney seems promising, but the service is still in its early stages. Until the updates address the growing glitches, sometimes you can tackle the issues you’re experiencing.

Let’s examine how some issues manifest themselves and what solutions may be applied.

How can I fix common Disney Plus error codes?

1. Create a new account

A lot of error codes and other generic issues with your Disney+ viewing experience can be caused by faulty account settings.

Sometimes, there is an issue with your email address, or maybe it is because you have a profile on someone else’s account, or it can even be caused by the location from which you first created your account.

It can even be caused by issues with the credit card you are paying from.

2. Error Code 4: Issues trying to complete your transaction

Well, when getting this error it means that Disney has some issues trying to complete your transaction. First, check your billing details and ZIP code to ensure the transaction succeeds.

Besides this, make sure you own a US-based card. If all card details are correct, try again after a few minutes.

3. Error Code 5: Account information issue

Account information issue

This error is a sign that Disney Plus could not update your account information since there is something wrong with your entered data. Please check that you have entered the correct information and try to update your account details once more.

4. Error Code 8: Invalid email or password

This shows up when you’ve used an incorrect email or password while trying to log in to your Disney Plus profile. This also applies to a password that doesn’t meet Disney’s requirements.

To fix this error code, ensure you have the correct details. Use the email and password you entered while creating your Disney Plus profile, and consider using a password manager.

If you want one of the latest Windows 10 password managers, check out our best picks!

5. Error Code 9: Login or payment issue

Just like error 4, in this error, your transaction is being canceled due to some wrong info about ZIP or postal code, security code, card expiration date, or non-US-based card.

Double-check your details for good measure. Making sure you haven’t been logged out by accident is also recommended.

6. Error Code 11: Content availability restrictions

TV shows and movies in a certain region may not be available in yours. If you attempt to watch one of those titles, you will face error 11. First, try resetting your Internet connection.

If this makes no difference, remember that a premium streaming VPN can provide you with instant access to any content despite your current location.

7. Error Code 13: Device limit issue

Are you trying to download videos on more devices with the same account? Disney is clear about the number of devices you can use at one time to watch content with a premium account.

The service allows up to four devices simultaneously logged in at a time, so you may need to sign out of a few before you can resume streaming past the error code 13. Further, try to remove all downloads from a previously loaded device.

8. Error Code 22: Restricted content

Error Code 22

Disney Plus is available in a limited number of countries for now. If you already have a Disney Plus account, but you are in a country where the service is not available, you may end up running into Error Code 22.

The easiest way to resolve this issue is by connecting to a Disney Plus-compatible VPN. Change your location to the US to evade all these limitations.

9. Error Code 30: Device registration issue

This indicates that your device couldn’t be added to your Disney Plus account. Make sure that you haven’t reached the 10-device limit account and double-check that your device is compatible with Disney Plus.

If the device happens to be already linked, simply try to log in again.

10. Error Code 32: Login or password issue

If you are using an incorrect password, you will most likely face this error. It is essential to keep your password safe and to have the correct login details for your account.

Then, sign out and back in. If you don’t remember your password, feel free to reset it.

11. Error Code 38: Time settings error

When the time and date settings are incorrect on your streaming device, this will lead to issues when you try to access content on Disney Plus. That’s an easy one, though – check the time settings on your clock or set it to Automatic and try again.

12. Error Code 42: Issues connecting to the service

This error message appears when there are connectivity issues like the no valid bitrates error. The quickest fix is restarting your streaming device and ensuring the Internet works fine.

Perhaps it gets disconnected due to the VPN you’re using, or Disney Plus is having issues. For these cases, we’ve got a dedicated guide on what to do when the Internet is disconnected when a VPN connects.

13. Error Code 83: App-related issue

If your device does not pass the compatibility test or is running on unsupported configurations, you may encounter the error code 83 on Disney Plus. this can be resolved by updating the app from official sources.

14. Error Code 86: The account has been blocked

Disney Plus can block your account due to inappropriate usage or if you are somehow violating their policies. Also, make sure the main account holder’s email isn’t associated with someone under the age of 18. You may have to follow up with Disney Support to resolve your issue.

15. Error Code 1026: Authentication issue

Disney Plus may fail to log you into your account if the server is busy, you’ve not updated your subscription, or you’re trying to access content from a restricted location. You’ll see the error code 1026 when you launch the app, and to resolve it, you can enable your VPN.

Before you leave, find out about Disney Plus Error code 14, a simple sign-in issue.

Reinstalling the Disney Plus app is a standard solution to many other issues related to the app, including error code 73.

For additional help, do not hesitate to learn how to fix Disney Plus keeps crashing. Rest assured that our guide offers effective troubleshooting steps.

Feel free to ask any questions and let us know how it goes.

How to get Disney Plus with Verizon [Free / Limited Deal]

Posted on by Matthew Adams

Disney launched the Disney+ streaming service toward the end of 2019. This is a streaming channel exclusively for Disney content.

If you’re a big Disney fan, then Disney+ is the channel for you. In the U.S., it has a $69.99 membership fee that provides access to all the channel’s content.

However, Verizon is offering free one-year Disney+ membership to those subscribed to one of its Unlimited plans. So, Go Unlimited, Above Unlimited, Get More Unlimited, Do More Unlimited, Play More Unlimited, and Start Unlimited subscribers can add Disney+ to their accounts.

If you’re subscribed to an alternative Verizon plan, you can switch to Unlimited to activate Verizon’s subscription offer. Verizon also offers free one-year Disney+ membership to new 5G and Fios subscribers.

Quick tip:
Regardless of streaming service, watching directly through the original provider is always the better option, since it eliminates the possibility of logion issues, account syncing, and more.

Disney+

View Disney+ straight from their app to have the best viewing experience. Create an account and subscribe today!
Check price Visit website

How can I get a one-year Disney Plus membership with Verizon?

1. For current Verizon Unlimited subscribers

  1. If you’re currently subscribed to a Verizon Unlimited plan, click Get Disney+ under the Already have unlimited heading? on the Disney+ offer page.
  2. Next, enter your login details.
    Verizon signin page disney plus verizon
  3. Click the Sign-in button.
  4. Click the Get Disney+ button under the 1st year on the $6.99/month heading.
  5. Select the accept Terms and Conditions option.
  6. Press the Enroll in Disney+ button to get your one-year channel subscription.

2. For Verizon users who need to switch to an Unlimited plan

  1. If you need to switch to an Unlimited plan, click Change your plan on Verizon’s Disney+ offer page.
    Change your plan link disney plus verizon
  2. Next, input your login details in the text boxes.
  3. Click Sign in to log in.
  4. Then you’ll need to switch to one of the Unlimited plans, such as Go Unlimited.
  5. Thereafter, return to Verizon’s Disney+ offer page.
  6. Click Get Disney+ on that page to add the channel to your Unlimited account.

3. With the Verizon app

  1. You can also claim your one-year Disney+ subscription with the Verizon app. To do so, add the Verizon app to your mobile device from its Google Play page.
    My Verizon page disney plus verizon
  2. Open the Verizon app.
  3. Tap Menu to select Account.
  4. Then enter your login details.
  5. Select the Entertainment tab.
  6. Tap the Learn more option for the Disney+ offering.
  7. Tap Confirm to accept terms and conditions.
  8. Tap Continue to proceed with Disney+ enrollment.

Once you’ve added Disney+ to your Verizon account, you can watch a great collection of CGI animated films and TV series for one year! This is an amazing offer from Verizon, so don’t hesitate to take advantage of it.

Disney Plus is not downloading on Xbox One? Try this

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Disney Plus had a bumpy launch with logging-in errors and overloaded servers, but most of these seem to be a part of the past. Sadly, this doesn’t apply to those trying to get to the amazing Disney Plus content on their Xbox One.

Disney Plus isn’t the only streaming service where you can watch Disney content but it’s the most popular one these days.

If you’re an Xbox One owner impatient to start watching your favorite Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Disney Channel, National Geographic, or Star Wars movies no downloading errors should stop you.

When you are troubled by this issue, here are a couple of troubleshooting tips to help you download the app on your Xbox One in no time.

What can I do if Disney Plus is not downloading on Xbox One?

1. Create a new account

Sometimes issues with your login credentials can cause difficulties downloading the app. It can be because of your registered email address, or because of the servers in your area.

As such, create a new Disney+ account using a different email address, while also using a VPN.

Disney+

Starting off with a clean slate is usually the go-to solution for any problem. Create a new account, download the app and start enjoying Disney+!
Check price Visit website

2. Ensure you signed up for the streaming service

First of all, as eager to take a peek at The Mandalorian you might be, note that you need to sign up for this streaming service before downloading it to your console.

There are two plans to choose between: you can either pay $6.99 per month or go for the annual plan that will save you a few bucks.

3. Double-check your download steps

  1. Once you’re signed up, turn on your Xbox and sign in to your profile.
  2. Open search by hitting the Y button.
  3. Type in Disney Plus.
  4. Then, hitting A will direct you to the Microsoft Store where you can find Disney Plus.
  5. In the Apps section, select Disney Plus.
  6. You might need to search it if you don’t see Disney Plus from the start.
  7. Select Install to add the app to your Xbox One.
  8. You’ll be notified as soon as the download is finished.
  9. Open the Disney Plus app by holding the middle button on your Xbox controller.
  10. Next, log-in using your Disney Plus credentials to get access to access to endless movies and TV series.
  11. When you find the video you want to watch, just hit A to start playing.

4. Check Internet download speed

Are you still unable to download Disney Plus on your Xbox One? Check your Internet download speed as soon a possible. If it’s slower than 5 Mbps, that could be your issue.

We don’t want to break you the bad news but after a successful download, there’s a catch with playing the videos in 4K resolution. Unlike Amazon Video, you won’t be able to enjoy this feature on Xbox One as only Xbox One X and Xbox One S support Disney’s 4K for now.

What’s also essential in this case is a good connection speed: it needs to be 35Mbps or more to stream Disney Plus.

5. Disconnect and reconnect from the Internet

Disconnecting the Xbox One from the Wi-Fi Internet connection has often helped users in a similar situation to fix the issue. Wait 30 to 60 seconds, and then reconnect.

Sometimes all you need is to refresh your connection and the download will complete or act fast when your Xbox One doesn’t see Wi-Fi at all. Most users don’t know what to do in a situation like this. Don’t be one of them and read this quick guide to learn how to solve the problem in no time.

6. Switch to a different device

As frustrating as it sounds, you might be getting a device compatibility issue like Error 83. This means the Disney Plus app is having an issue with the specific Xbox One you’re using. To clear out any doubts, you should be able to watch Disney Plus on your Xbox One, Xbox One S, or Xbox One X.

These are the models that support the channel itself, while other models, such as Xbox 360, cannot stream Disney Plus for now. Switching to a smart TV, a PC, or even a different Xbox model should yield a different result.

Follow the steps in this guide and see which one helps you resolve the error. Finally, don’t leave aside the fact that you may watch Disney Plus on other devices at the same time. There’s no need to get involved in a quarrel about your tonight’s movie choice with other family members!

For any other questions and suggestions, reach to the comments area below.

Fix Disney Plus Login Issues [Fool Proof Solutions]

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

Connecting with people all over the world has never been a challenge for Disney. In spite of that, plenty of social media users said they had trouble logging in to Disney Plus the first day when it went live.

Disney failed to anticipate the high level of demand for their service on launch day, yet Disney Plus users are still not able to log in properly. Running into login issues when you’re trying to access Disney’s amazing content can be annoying. One user stated:

I’ve been having issues with logging in, upon login I was given an error code 83 and told to contact support. I don’t know if it’s completely fixed yet or not but my service is back up and running after not working at all.

Whether you are that lucky or not, Error 83 is by far one of the most common errors you come across. Let’s see how you can fix these login issues.

What can I do when I can’t login to Disney Plus account?

1. Delete the app and reinstall

delete Disney Plus and reinstall
  1. Delete your Disney Plus app by following the standard protocol for the device you’re using.
  2. Then, power off your device and turn it back on.
  3. Navigate to your device’s digital app storefront and search for Disney Plus.
  4. Download the app to your device.
  5. Log in with your account email and password.

When all else fails, delete the Disney Plus app, download it from your device’s app store and try to log in again. Fortunately, it’s incredibly easy to do that, so just follow the above steps.

Disney+

A bad app install can cause a myriad of problems, including login issues with your Disney+ app
Check price Visit Website

2. General login fixes

login to Disney Plus
  • Make sure you use the very same email address you used to subscribe and select the option that matches the one you used when you first signed up to Disney Plus.
  • If you’ve previously logged in using Facebook or Google, and haven’t yet switched your login over to your email address, do that as soon as possible.
  • You could be trying to log in without previously proving your payment details. You cannot do that as these details are needed to complete your subscription.

3 Perform a power cycle

turn off the device
  1. Turn off the device you’re using to watch Disney Plus.
  2. Turn off your modem and router at the power button and disconnect it from the power source.
  3. Restart both your modem and router.
  4. Then, restart your streaming device.
  5. Finally, launch Disney Plus back and try to look for your Disney Plus account again.

Note that many users state that the error code appears while being on their university or office Wi-Fi. If they’re on cellular data, then it’s completely fine. Oddly, others report having issues only when they’re on a cellular connection. Switching to Wi-Fi does the trick for them.

This inconsistency leads to one conclusion only. A power cycle is needed. So, shut down your streaming device completely and then, restart it. As often we’re recommending this, you don’t even imagine how a basic power cycle refreshes your connection and solves most of your tech woes.

With so much content to choose from, you cannot stop troubleshooting this. There has also been some limited success in turning off Wi-Fi and streaming over LTE instead at times, but that’s useful only when having an Unlimited plan.

Moreover, Disney Plus doesn’t play so nicely with VPNs. It might be the safest solution for getting access to that enormous content library when Disney Plus isn’t yet available in your country, but don’t hesitate to keep track of the next releases. Also, take a look at the best VPN routers you may use to ease the process.

After resolving login problems, if you encounter inconveniences with the app crashing, our article including simple ways to resolve Disney Plus crashing issues offers additional solutions to enhance your streaming experience.

Did our solutions help you? If you’ve found a solution we haven’t discovered yet, let us know in the comments below. We’ll most likely appreciate it!

Windows 10 news recap: Google acquisition raises hopes of turning Windows 10 PCs into Chromebooks, no more Insider builds for 2020, and more

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

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

Microsoft reportedly designing its own chips for servers, Surface devices

According to a new report, Microsoft is working on creating some independence from Intel, with claims it is working on its own chips, mainly designed for servers, but potential for other devices, such as its Surface lineup.

Surface Device Cropped

No more Windows 10 Insider builds for the rest of 2020 as the team “recharges for what’s in store for 2021”

As 2020 nears its end, it has been announced that there will be no further Windows 10 Insider builds this year, as the team takes a break until 2021.

Windows Insider Program sign

Google may look to turn Windows 10 PCs and Macs into Chromebooks with CloudReady acquisition

Google has quietly acquired a company called CloudReady, a variant of Chrome OS that can be installed on Chromebooks, Windows PCs, and Macs.

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

Igfxtray.exe: what is it and should you disable it?

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Your computer has hundreds of system files, and sometimes you might encounter one of these unknown files and mistake it for malware.

One of these files is Igfxtray, and in this guide, we’re going to take a closer look at this file and explain to you what it actually is and can it damage your PC.

How do I fix Igfxtray exe error?

What is Igfxtray?

what is igfxtray

Igfxtray module is a component of Intel Common User Interface, and it’s developed by Intel. The file is a part of Graphics Media Accelerator Driver.

Igfxtray.exe will display the Intel icon in the system tray that you can use to quickly access the Intel Graphics configuration.

Igfxtray has stopped working

igfxtray has stopped working

If you’re getting a message saying that Igfxtray has stopped working, you might want to try uninstalling and updating your Intel Graphics drivers. This can be a tedious process, but you can speed it up with Outbyte Driver Updater.

The software will scan your system and give you a list of all outdated drivers. Now you just need to select the drivers that you want to update, and they will be downloaded automatically.

The software has over 18 million drivers available, so it should be able to update any driver without issues. With its simplicity, Outbyte Driver Updater is the best choice for your driver-related issues, so be sure to try it out.

Other great features:

  • Fast scanning
  • Download manager for drivers
  • Driver backup
  • Database of 18 million driver files
  • Scheduled updates and scans
Outbyte Driver Updater

Outbyte Driver Updater

To update your drivers quickly and fix problems with Igfxtray, be sure to use Outbyte Driver Updater.
Check priceVisit website

Is Igfxtray necessary at startup?

igfxtray startup

No, Igfxtray.exe isn’t necessary to run at startup. The software allows you to quickly access the Intel Graphics configuration utility, and unless you need to frequently change your settings, there’s no need for Igfxtray to run at startup.

Should I disable Igfxtray?

If you’re low on memory or if your system is slow to start, you can then disable Igfxtray. This isn’t essential software, and it basically works as a shortcut for Intel Graphics configuration software.

To disable this software, do the following:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Go to the Startup tab and locate Igfxtray. Right-click it and choose Disable.
    igfxtray disable startup

After doing this, the Igfxtray won’t start with your PC anymore.

Is Igfxtray EXE safe?

igfxtray remove

Yes, igfxtray.exe file is 100% legitimate and safe. The application is made by Intel, and it’s used to launch Intel Graphics utility software, so it’s perfectly safe to use.

Igfxtray file is associated with Intel Graphics, and as such, it’s completely safe, but unless you’re configuring Intel graphics frequently, you don’t need to have Igfxtray in the startup.

Cisco AnyConnect Failed to Load Preferences: How to Fix

Posted on by Aleksandar Ognjanovic

Using a VPN client like Cisco AnyConnect should allow for unprecedented end-point access for both your employees and you.

The benefits of using a service like this are more than obvious, as you can access the company network remotely from any PC or mobile device.

Nonetheless, even though a rare issue might cast some shade upon the overall functionality, they’re usually simple to sort out.

The one we’re addressing today is the VPN failed to load preferences error. It prevents users from connecting to the VPN.

How can I fix Cisco AnyConnect if the VPN failed to load preferences?

Reinstall Cisco AnyConnect

The first rather obvious step is to try and reinstall Cisco AnyConnect. Some users suggest that a certain version of AnyConnect won’t work, so you might get it working after acquiring a more recent release.

You won’t start from scratch as the ProgramData configuration and profile files will stay untouched.

If reinstalling Cisco AnyConnect won’t fix the VPN failed to load preferences error, proceed to the following step.

Delete the Cisco folder

Possible corruption in the configuration files can lead to issues like this. As the “VPN failed to load preferences” error states, the client is unable to get the preferences by which the client is configured.

In order to resolve this, you can try and delete all involved preference files from a few locations.

Here are the files you should delete:

%ProgramData%CiscoCisco AnyConnect Secure MobilityClientProfile
%AppData%LocalCiscoCisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client

Deleting this folder will remove all settings. Some users suggest reinstalling the client afterward, but you can try it out first and then act accordingly if the issue persists.

If Cisco VPN failed to enable the virtual adapter, find out how to fix this problem.

Change the AnyConnect security settings

There seems to be another possible reason for the “VPN failed to load preferences” error.

Namely, it seems that it plagues only users who don’t have the necessary access permissions enabled. You can correct this and, hopefully, this will resolve the problem.

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Navigate to the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client folder
  2. Right-click on the Profile folder and open Properties
  3. Choose the Security tab
  4. Click Edit (you need admin rights)
  5. Check the Full control box and confirm changes

Remove XML Profile

Finally, if none of the previous solutions proved fruitful in resolving the error at hand, we have another thing you can try.

Of course, there’s always an option to contact the support and send them all the necessary logs in order for them to help you.

Just, before doing that, give these steps a try:

  1. Enable Group-alias or Group-URL for tunnel-groups
  2. Back up the XML Profile and remove it from Adaptive Security Appliance
  3. Now, remove the following files from the affected machine:
    • Preferences.xml
    • preferences_global.xml
    • XML Profile in the Profiles folder
  4. Finally, reconnect the client

Switch to an alternative VPN service

use Perimeter 81

It’s not exactly a solution, but we think it deserves your attention. If you get recurring errors on Cisco AnyConnect, such as the VPN failed to load preferences error, look into alternative VPN solutions.

When it comes to enterprises, we can’t think of a better option than Perimeter 81. It has an intuitive cloud management platform that facilitates access between the server and remote clients.

More about Perimeter 81:

  • Made for 5 or more team members
  • Impressive security features
  • Integrates with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Salesforce, and others
  • 24/7 chat support
  • 30-day money-back guarantee (no free trial)

Perimeter 81

Check out one of the best alternatives to Cisco AnyConnect.
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Conclusion

To sum up, you can fix Cisco AnyConnect if the VPN failed to load preferences by reinstalling the application, deleting its folder, or changing the security settings.

If the problem is still there, go ahead and download Cisco AnyConnect on Windows 11 again.

However, if you’re interested in a great alternative to Cisco AnyConnect, consider using Perimeter 81.

8 best encryption software tools for using free Wi-Fi

Posted on by Elena Constantinescu

It’s dangerous to connect to free Wi-Fi, even when using your personal laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Hackers are always looking for their next target.

If the public wireless network you’re trying to use isn’t protected with a password, then it will expose your to security vulnerabilities, such as man-in-the-middle attacks.

That’s where encryption comes into play. You can take the necessary precautions to defend your computer from account hijackers and identity thieves using security solutions.

What are the best Wi-Fi encryption tools to protect your data?

A premium VPN service

PIA

A VPN service creates a secure tunnel between your unprotected wireless network and the Internet to encrypt all data that passes through. It’s one of the best and easiest ways to protect your online privacy and computer security.

But you shouldn’t use a free VPN service because it has limited functionality and a low server count. Besides, most free VPNs are ad-supported, exposing yourself to malware risks. Some even monitor and sell your data.

Instead, turn to a reliable, paid VPN service like Private Internet Access. It offers 256-bit military-grade encryption through the OpenVPN protocol. Or you can switch to WireGuard to experience a faster Internet connection.

Here’s what you get with PIA:

  • Kill switch
  • Private DNS servers
  • PIA MACE (malware blocker)
  • No logs or leaks
  • 24/7 live chat support
  • 30-day money-back guarantee (no free trial)
Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access

Use this reliable VPN service to encrypt your entire data traffic when connecting to free Wi-Fi.
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Out of all the virtual private network solutions we tested, we think that Private Internet Access is the safest VPN for hotel Wi-Fi.

A secure web browser

use Tor Browser

The next best thing to using a VPN is Tor. It’s a completely free and super-secure anonymity network maintained by a huge community of privacy-concerned individuals.

Tor was specially built as an anti-censorship tool for people living in countries with severe government policies that restrict Internet access.

But Tor is also one of the best ways to protect yourself on free Wi-Fi using multiple layers of encryption.

All you have to do is download the Tor Browser and use it instead of your regular browser when connecting to public hotspots.

An HTTPS enforcer

HTTP websites don’t have SSL certificates, so they create security loopholes.

A cyber-criminal could intercept your connection, set itself in the middle of your PC and the remote server, and steal your email credentials or credit card info.

It’s essential to visit only HTTPS websites because they provide end-to-end encryption. It’s one of the best ways to protect your PC over public Wi-Fi.

Some web browsers have an HTTPS only mode, such as Firefox, so make sure to explore browser settings and turn on that feature.

Otherwise, you can set up extensions that force your web browsers to always load HTTPS pages. We suggest using HTTPS Everywhere.

A secure email service

email privacy software

We’re not saying that Gmail, iCloud Mail or Yandex Mail aren’t secure. But you can do better when it comes to using encryption tools over free Wi-Fi.

ProtonMail is an excellent example. It’s a highly secure email service based in Switzerland, which uses end-to-end encryption to make your emails anonymous.

Here’s what you get from ProtonMail:

  • No logs: zero access to your data
  • Open-source cryptography: AES, RSA, OpenPGP
  • Full disk encryption for storing your data
  • Self-destructing emails
ProtonMail

ProtonMail

Make your emails anonymous when connecting to free Wi-Fi to protect your data from hacker interceptions.
FreeSign up

We think that ProtonMail is the best email service with encryption.

A secure messaging tool

use Signal

Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp provide end-to-end encryption. But privacy-concerned users aren’t too comfortable about sharing their private messages with the world’s biggest social media network.

If you’re one of them, check out Signal. It’s a free instant messenger that uses military-grade encryption to secure your data, even over free, unprotected Wi-Fi.

We believe that Signal is the top messaging tool that uses encryption. And, if you need more convincing, you should know that the service is backed by Edward Snowden.

An antivirus with Wi-Fi protection

tweak antivirus settings to allow emails

You probably don’t need to hear again how important it is to secure your device with a powerful anti-malware service. So we’re going to skip that part.

What you may not know is that a few antivirus solutions feature Wi-Fi protection to keep you safe when connecting to public wireless networks.

Bitdefender stands out in the crowd. It has a special feature called Wi-Fi Security Advisor, which exposes network vulnerabilities and tells you if it’s safe to connect.

Bitdefender has numerous benefits against hackers, including anti-ransomware, an integrated password manager, webcam protection, and an Internet filter.

Bitdefender

Bitdefender

Use the powerful antimalware solutions provided by Bitdefender to stay safe when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks.
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Feel free to check out more antivirus tools with Wi-Fi protection.

A password manager

52% of people reuse the same password across multiple accounts, and only 24% use a password manager, according to an online security survey conducted by Google.

Using a password manager to keep track of all your passwords is essential. Especially if you must often connect to free Wi-Fi.

It stores all those long and elaborate keys in a single place so that you just have to remember a single password to access the manager.

LastPass is arguably the best in the business. It has a free version with plenty of features for most casual users.

Here’s what you can expect from LastPass:

  • Keep track of passwords, credit card data, and other info
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Random password generator
  • Free, Family, and Premium versions
LastPass

LastPass

Keep track of all your passwords to avoid hacker attempts, especially when using free Wi-Fi networks.
Free versionDownload now

If you prefer alternatives to LastPass, check out the best password managers for Windows 10 PC that we picked out.

A file encryption tool

Assuming that hackers breach your computer’s security defenses, it’s important to prepare yourself by encrypting all important files on your PC: photos, work documents, videos, and so on.

You might be surprised by what we recommend using in this case: WinZip. In addition to compressing files and extracting data from archives, the tool supports bank-level encryption.

Furthermore, WinZip integrates with cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive, making it an excellent ally for encrypted file sharing.

WinZip

WinZip

Compress and encrypt your files when connecting to free, unprotected Wi-Fi, thanks to this reliable tool.
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Conclusion

To summarize, you can ensure your computer’s security when connecting to public Wi-Fi and seeing the Other people might see info you send over this network message using dedicated tools.

We recommend arming your device with a premium VPN service, a secure web browser, an HTTPS enforcer, as well as an encrypted email service and messaging tool.

But you should also get a powerful antivirus with Wi-Fi protection, a password manager, and a file encryption progam.

What tools do you personally use to protect your data from hackers over public Wi-Fi? Let us know in the comment section below.

Flight Simulator’s 2020 growth: 2M players in 4 months

Posted on by Sinziana Mihalache

Microsoft’s most recent Flight Simulator version has managed to reach an important benchmark of 2 million players up to date; this also marks an all-time record as the fastest growing entry title in the Xbox games portfolio.

Despite the rough start, with many functionality bugs, the developers managed a good interaction with their community.

This quickly led to stability and final patches meant to bring the game to a steady evolution.

Along with announcing the news, Xbox also gave thanks to all those who have contributed to the achievement:

This was possible thanks to the incredible community of fans, real-world pilots, flight enthusiasts, and virtual travelers who have embraced the new simulation since its arrival on August 18 and made it the biggest game launch in Xbox Game Pass for PC history. 

[wr_responsive_video_embed url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdGB0cv6i8I&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=Xbox”]

What lies ahead for Flight Simulator?

Big plans, surely, for the biggest winner in the Xbox Game Pass history; but first, let’s see some encouraging numbers:

  • Best Sim / Strategy 2020 Award
  • 2 million pilots
  • 50 million total flights
  • Round-the-world tour completed 400 thousand times
  • JFK Airport (New York City) named the favorite destination
  • Airbus A320NEO – most popular aircraft

Plans for 2021

flight simulator plans 2021

First and foremost, on December 22nd, 2020, the developers are planning a VR update launch. So all those looking forward to taking it to the skies during the winter holidays from the comfort of their homes will have the chance to do so even more realistically than before.

Then, Xbox announced that Flight Simulator will be launched on Xbox Series X|S in the summer of 2021. Add to this 3 major game updates, plus 4-5 world updates, and you’ve got a busy upcoming year for Flight Simulator.

What do you think the developer should improve in the simulator? Tell us in the comments.

[Solved] Can’t create Recovery drive on Windows 10/11

Posted on by Milan Stanojevic

Fixing computer problems is always easier if you have the proper tools available. One of the common tools that users like to use is Recovery drive, but it seems that users can’t create Recovery drive on Windows 10.

How do I fix the Recovery drive feature on Windows 10?

Recovery drive can be useful if you need to restore your Windows, however, certain issues with this feature can appear. Speaking of issues, these are the common problems that users reported:

  • Can’t create Recovery drive some files are missing – If this problem occurs, you might be able to fix it simply by performing both SFC and DISM scans on your PC.
  • A problem occurred while creating the Recovery drive Windows 8 – This issue can occur on older versions of Windows as well, but even if you don’t use Windows 10, you should be able to apply some of our solutions.
  • Create Recovery drive stuck – Sometimes the creation process can become stuck. If that happens, be sure to disable your antivirus and check if that solves the problem.
  • Recovery drive not working – According to users, sometimes your Recovery drive might not work at all. If this happens, you might have to fix this problem by using Command Prompt and diskpart tool.
  • Recovery drive a problem occurred – Sometimes this error message can appear if Windows.old directory is still present on your PC. To fix the problem, be sure to remove Windows.old and try to create the recovery drive again.

1. Remove the problematic software

According to users, certain backup software can create issues with the Recovery drive. Users reported that after uninstalling Symantec Ghost 15 or Comodo backup the issue was completely fixed.

It seems that Symantec Ghost 15 uses its own version of VSS that interferes with Recovery drive creation, but after the software was removed, there were no problems with the Recovery drive.

Although these two applications are the common cause of this problem, it’s worth mentioning that almost any backup software can interfere with Recovery drive creation, therefore if you have any problems try removing all third-party backup software from your PC.

If you want to completely remove a certain application from your PC, it’s advised to use uninstaller software. In case you’re not familiar, uninstaller software is special software that can completely remove any program from your PC.

If you’re looking for uninstaller software, we recommend you try CCleaner, a comprehensive and easy-to-use tool to remove leftover files.

CCleaner

Eliminates registry items and junk from the hard disk that are left over after deleting stubborn programs.
Free Visit website

2. Disable your antivirus

Your antivirus tool is important for your security, but sometimes antivirus tools can interfere with Windows and cause various problems to appear. If you can’t create Recovery drive on Windows 10, the issue might be caused by your antivirus software.

If removing the antivirus solves the problem, it’s advised to switch to a new antivirus solution. There are many great antivirus tools available, and when choosing the right fit for your need, make sure it not only does it protect your PC, but also if it is easy to manage, especially when it comes to enabling and disabling it.

3. Disable Secure boot

  1. While your computer boots keep pressing F2 or Del to enter BIOS.
  2. Once you enter BIOS, look for the Secure boot option and disable it.
  3. After disabling this option save the changes and restart your system.

Bear in mind that you can also access BIOS by doing the following:

  1. Open the Settings app and go to Update & Security section.
    Recovery drive a problem occurred
  2. Go to Recovery tab and click the Restart now button.
    Can't create Recovery drive some files are missing
  3. When your computer restarts choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings and click the Restart button.

Secure boot is a useful feature designed to protect your PC from malicious users, but sometimes this feature can interfere with Recovery drive creation, and the only solution is to disable Secure boot.

Alternatively, you can just hold the Shift key and click the Restart button and follow the instructions above.

For more details on how to access BIOS and how to disable Secure boot, we advise you to check your motherboard manual.

4. Disable certain services from running

  1. Press Windows Key + S and enter services. Select Services from the menu.
    A problem occurred while creating the Recovery drive Windows 8
  2. Once the Services window opens you need to locate and disable Application Virtualization Client, Client Virtualization Handler and Application Virtualization Service Agent. To stop a service simply right click it and choose Stop from the menu.
    Create Recovery drive stuck

Apparently, certain services related to Microsoft Word and Excel can cause problems with Recovery drive on Windows 10, therefore you need to find and disable those services.

5. Use third-party solutions

If you can’t create Recovery drive on Windows 10, you might want to consider using a third-party solution. There are many great third-party applications that allow you to back up and restore your Windows in case anything goes wrong.

If you’re looking for tools that can easily clone your Windows installation, you might want to consider using Acronis Cyber Protection Home. All these applications offer similar features, so feel free to use any of them if you can’t get Recovery drive to work.

6. Try using a larger USB flash drive

Users reported that they are unable to create a Recovery drive in Windows 10 due to size of their USB flash drive.

According to users, after using a 32GB or larger flash drive the issue was resolved. Users reported mixed results after using a larger USB flash drive, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t try this solution out.

7. Use Command Prompt

  1. Press Windows Key + X to open Win + X menu. Now select Command Prompt (Admin).
  2. Enter diskpart and press Enter to run it. Now enter list volume and press Enter.
  3. You should see a drive that has the Recovery label assigned to it. Enter select volume X to select that volume.
  4. Once you select the volume, enter detail volume command to see the disk on which the volume is located. In our example, that’s Disk 0, but it might be different on your PC.
  5. Select the disk from Step 4. To do that, enter select disk X command and replace X with the correct number.
  6. You should see the list of all available partitions. Enter select partition X and be sure to select the recovery partition.
  7. Once you confirm that this is your recovery partition, enter exit to exit diskpart.
  8. Now enter the following command:
    • reagentc /setreimage /path ?GLOBALROOTdeviceharddisk Xpartition YRecoveryWindowsRE 
  9. Now run reagentc /enable command.
  10. Lastly, check if everything is in order by using reagentc /info command.

Many users reported that they can’t create Recovery drive on their Windows 10 PC. This can be a big problem for some users, however, you should be able to fix the problem using Command Prompt and diskpart.

This is an advanced solution, and we advise you to be extra cautious while using it. If you find it confusing, be sure to read it once again carefully. If you don’t understand how to use this solution, maybe you should try a different one.

8. Remove Windows.old

If you recently installed or updated Windows 10, it’s possible that you have Windows.old directory on your PC. If you’re not familiar, this directory holds all your files from the previous Windows installation allowing you to return to the older version of Windows if need be.

This is a great feature to have, but sometimes Windows.old directory can prevent you from creating a Recovery drive. If you can’t create Recovery drive on your PC, be sure to remove Windows.old directory from your PC.

9. Convert your drive to FAT32

  1. Open This PC, locate your USB flash drive, right click it and choose Format.
    Create Recovery drive stuck
  2. Select FAT32 or exFAT as File system. Now click on Start to format your drive.
    Recovery drive not working

According to users, sometimes this problem can occur if your flash drive isn’t formatted as a FAT32 device. As you know, there are several file systems, and while NTFS offers better features that FAT32, sometimes recovery drive might need a FAT32 flash drive in order to work.

According to users, if you can’t create Recovery drive on your Windows 10 PC, you might want to format your USB flash drive as a FAT32 device.

Once the formatting process is finished, try to create the Recovery drive again.

Having a Recovery drive is useful if you want to fix problems on Windows 10, but if you can’t create a Recovery drive on Windows 10 be sure to check some of our solutions to see how to fix this problem.

5 Best Agenda Management Software for PC in 2026

Posted on by Tashreef Shareef

Meetings are a part of working culture and whether you like it or not when the boss calls you don’t want to see a Missed Call notification. All the meetings have some agenda to discuss and also a great way to make sure that you and your team are on the same page.

One effective way of conducting a meeting is to make sure that the host comes well prepared with the meeting agenda. However, creating an effective meeting agenda requires the host to organize, communicate and follow up with other members of the team.

This way you can make sure that the conversations are limited to the agenda and everyone knows their part in the meeting room.

In this article, we have tested and listed the best agenda automation software that can help you to plan, organize, and conduct a productive meeting in less time to achieve intended outcomes.

What are the best agenda automation tools for Windows 10?

Efficient Calendar

efficient calendar efficient software

Efficient Calendar is a task scheduler, planner, and reminder that is available for Windows as well as smartphones. It is a cross-platform application which means you can access the task created on PC on your smartphone and vice versa.

Calendar events are easy to create. It also comes with tasks and event modules to help you manage time efficiently. The multiple calendar views allow you to better arrange and track events by Days, Week, Month and Year view. The task reminder can be configured and scheduled to be reminded at the exact time and day.

The mobile application is free to download and it enables you to schedule and manage events from anywhere. The synchronization works in real-time keeping everything synced wherever you need it.

Efficient Calendar uses the First Thing First principle that allows you to prioritize tasks and events based on importance. The built-in document editor can be used to write comments for events and tasks.

In case any of the events are deleted by accident, Efficient Calendar keeps the events in its Recycle Bin that can be restored with a single click. To share the calendar with other team members, the software has a server solution but requires access to Efficient Calendar Network plan.

Efficient Calendar is a simple but solid calendar tool that is best for calendar and task management.

Efficient Calendar

Efficient Calendar

Handy scheduler, planner and reminder that you can use on all your devices.
Free downloadVisit website

OrgScheduler

OrgScheduler

OrgScheduler is a universal task scheduling and agenda meeting software for individuals, offices, business events with flexible features. It is premium software, but you can use the free trial to test the software.

The user interface of OrgScheduler resembles the UI of Microsoft Outlook which gives it a familiar look.

You can import events and reminders from Outlook and export it to Outlook, Text, HTML, XML, and  Excel formats. Unlike Efficient Calendar, OrgScheduler allows you to exchange data with other applications including Apple iCal, Microsoft Exchange Server and Android apps, etc.

Other features in the app include over 149 events coloring to prioritize events based on importance, event start and end time reminder, multiple themes and event recurrence tool.

OrgScheduler allows you to send appointments, reminders, and invitations over e-mail and SMS to colleagues and friends. You can protect the data through an encrypted password and print reports using the Print Designer with elegant designs.

⇒ Get OrgScheduler

MeetingBooster

MeetingBooster

MeetingBooster is a meeting management software used by mid-large size businesses to handle scheduling, agenda editing, time tracking and to streamline meeting procedures.

MeetingBooster offers a free trial; however, there is no clear-cut pricing on the official website. The interested users can begin with a free trial or book a webinar to get pricing details.

It is a cloud-based meeting management system that simplifies pre-meeting, in-meeting, and post-meeting tasks.

For meeting preparation, it offers scheduling features, integration with Outlook and Google Calendar, a professional agenda editor to make last-minute changes as well as the ability to assign preparation tasks to team members.

The software can be used in your office boardroom or remotely for a virtual meeting. You can capture notes quickly, allocate action items that include Outlook task list integration, project tags, task status dashboard, and automated action item reminders.

MeetingBooster is an enterprise solution designed to streamline meeting procedures and drive accountability for your staff without having to follow up consistently.

⇒ Get MeetingBooster

nTask

nTask

If you have used Trello and Asana for task management, try nTask. It is a free cloud-based task and meeting management software that allows you to create checklists and also collaborate with project teams, sharing files and more.

The free plan offers five workspaces, up to 10 members access to per workspace, up to 5MB file attachment, 200 MB of storage, unlimited task and meetings, team timesheets, up to 5 project creation, and more.

If you upgrade to the pro plan, all the features are upgraded to the unlimited plan while the file attachment size is increased to 200 MB.

nTask offers a simple taskboard that allows you to create Calendar events, assign tasks to team members, generate easy reports, set task priority, create once and repeat recurring tasks and color code task for easier classification.

You can share the task list with other people with a public link. The handy to-do checklist allows you to list items that need to be completed with the due date.

You can check the task status, add comments for feedback, create task issues and assign risk and add task reminders to complete the project before the deadline.

nTask is a simple yet powerful task and meeting management software, and the fact it offers a free account with all the features of the premium plan (even though limited to an extent) makes it an ideal choice for small teams and startups. You can always upgrade to the pro plan as your team starts growing in the future.

⇒ Get nTask

Meeting.gs

meeting software

From scheduling and organizing meets to managing meeting materials, agenda and action points, Meeting.gs is probably the user favorite for agenda meeting features and third-party app integration.

The taskboard allows your team members to schedule meeting with you. The personal scheduling page can be shared over email or on a website. With the calendar integration, all the new task and meeting schedules are synchronized with your calendar app.

Being a web-based solution Meeting.gs can be accessed from your computer as well as smartphones, tablet and another device with a modern web browser and Internet connectivity. The team members can receive notifications on meeting updates and respond to meeting requests on the go.

Meeting.gs supports third-party integration including Google Docs apps such as Google Calendar, Google Contacts, and Google Drive, and Microsoft Office 365 that includes Outlook, Live People, and Microsoft OneDrive.

For remote communication, Meeting.gs can be used with live communication tools such as Skype for conference calls, Microsoft Lync calls, Google Hangouts, and other online meeting tools with public links.

All the meeting are organized and divided between Upcoming and Past tabs. You can keep track of meetings and manage them on timeline, view task related to the meeting as well as preview and respond to meeting requests.

The meeting agendas can be edited to add comments and upload attachments by the members. Managers can also view the currently active users and previously visited members profile on the page.

Meeting.gs is said to be the best meeting scheduler solution. However, it offers more than just meeting scheduling and task management features. Take the software for a spin using the free trial to see if this can end your hunt for a meeting agenda software.

⇒ Get Meeting.gs

We have tried to keep the list short and not to confuse you with too many choices but made sure to include enterprise level as well as startup level meeting management software based on their use.

What problem are you trying to solve with task and meeting management software? Do let us know in the comments below.

How to get a full refund for Cyberpunk 2077 on any platform

Posted on by Teodor Nechita

Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that offers a lot when it comes to premise and design, with the only real problem being the hasted execution.

The game already made CD Projekt Red’s revenues soar way past the $1-billion mark, and this is all due to the company’s history of making outstanding games.

Well, this time player anticipation got the better of them, and the continuous pressure of releasing the game sooner and sooner ended with them releasing a half-baked title that is complete from a feature and story standpoint, but faulty from a stability point of view.

That being said, more and more players are going towards getting a refund, with the intend of buying back the game only when it is deemed as being playable.

How do I refund Cyberpunk 2077?

Cyberpunk 2077 on PC

As you may know, Cyberpunk 2077 for PC can be played on 3 different platforms: GOG, Steam and Epic Games.

Well, refunding the game on each of these platforms is possible as long as you fall under certain conditions:

GOG refund policy states that any game can be refunded within 30 days of purchase, even if it was downloaded and played.

This is probably the most flexible of all refund policies, and getting your money back is guaranteed in the case of Cyberpunk 2077, especially since GOG is owned by CD Projekt Red after all.

To apply for a refund, visit this website.

Steam refund policy states that you can get a refund within 14 days of purchase, and only if you played less than 2 hours.

However, Steam noted that in the case of Cyberpunk 2077, they will be more flexible with the terms, especially since many of the bugs are encountered way into the game.

Epic Games refund policy is exactly the same as with Steam, although they noted that:

Products that include virtual currency, skins, or other consumables and products or games that are marked as non-refundable are not eligible for refund

Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox

If you bought Cyberpunk 2077 for the Xbox One, or the Xbox Series X|S, you can refund it within 14 days of purchase.

However, Microsoft does not guarantee a refund just because you made the request.

Nonetheless, the refund request can be made from here.

Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4

In general, Sony has never been great with refunds, and this can be seen from the sheer number of users that tried getting refunds on Cyberpunk 2077 and failed.

Fortunately, this all changed as Sony made an exception for this particular title, and they are offering complete refunds for anyone that bought the game.

Get your Cyberpunk 2077 for the PS4 refund here.

Physical copies of Cyberpunk 2077 (PC, Xbox & PlayStation)

Amazon refund policy states that any game can be returned within 30 days.

However, game boxes that have been opened or user will incur a restoking fee.

Gamestop refund policy dictates that buyers can return any game within 30 days, and they will also get a full refund as long as the game is within its original packaging.

Take note that, if you opened the game, this refund window is shortened to only 7 days.

That pretty much covers up our list of al major game platforms and retailers that you may have bought Cyberpunk 2077 from, and their respective return policy.

If you yourself bought the game, take note that this is merely the current state, and that other previous CD Projekt Red titles had a similar history.

That being the case, if you did see the true potential of this game, try to hold on to it a little longer, since things can only get better.

Let us know where you got your copy of the game from, and how did the refund process go for you by leaving us your feedback in the comments section below.

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Best internal hard drives for Toshiba laptop [SSD & HDD]

Posted on by Tashreef Shareef

Laptops with internal SSDs offer better performance compared to the traditional HDD and SSHD laptops. If you need a storage solution, that is fast, reliable, and durable, then an SSD is an ideal storage drive.

To ensure you can easily carry your data across the globe without issues a 1TB external hard drive will surely come in handy.

HDDs, on the other hands, are cheaper, 7200 RPM drives can be relatively fast (compared to 5400 RPM HDD) and offer multiple storage options, that SSDs usually don’t offer.

Toshiba laptops come with HDDs as the standard storage drive. However, you can use the SATA SSDs to replace the HDDs to gain access to plenty of performance without compromising on the storage space.

In this article, we have listed the best internal hard drives – SSDs and HDDs – for Toshiba laptops to improve app loading time and booting time.

If you’re interested in devices with NAS support, check out our external hard drives with a NAS support guide.

What are the best Best internal hard drives for Toshiba laptop?

WD Blue 3D NAND

  • Good value for money
  • Excellent storage options
  • Good performance
  • Free cloning and backup software
  • TBW varies on storage options
Check price

The WD Blue 3D NAND is one of the best SATA SSDs with multiple storages capacity available today. This variant offers 500GB of storage space for an excellent price.

WD Blue 3D NAND is available in multiple storage options from 250GB to 4TB. This 2.5″ drive can replace your SATA HDD and offers 560 MB/s read speed. For enhanced reliability, it claims an industry-leading 1.75M hrs of MTTF and up to 500 TBW.

Western Digital also offers five years of manufacturer warranty along with free downloadable software to monitor the status of your drive that can also clone your HDD and create a backup.

Samsung 860 EVO 500GB

  • Increased performance
  • Multiple storage options
  • Good value for money
  • Reliable
  • SATA III protocol limits its potential
Check price

Dubbed as the exceptional evolution of Samsung’s budget SSD line, the Samsung 860 EVO improves on its predecessors with faster speeds and greater reliability all while retaining its affordable price tag.

Samsung 860 EVO feature the innovating V-Nand technology, offering optimized performance for everyday computing as well as storage-intensive tasks such as rendering.

The newer version comes with an enhanced read-write speed that goes up to 550MB/s and 520MB/s respectively. Additionally, most of the encryption protocols, including AES 256-bit encryption to protect your data.

Samsung 860 QVO

  • Affordable 1TB SSD drive
  • Comes in multiple capacity options
  • Supports hardware encryption
  • Durable and reliable
  • SATA only
Check price

If you want a bigger storage space, the Samsung 860 QVO offers a lot of fast storage capacity for nominal money. It is an excellent internal solid-state drive for budget upgraders.

Samsung 860 QVO claims the read speed of 550 MB/s and writes speed of 520 MB/s offering exceptional boot time and boost rendering tasks. 

Intelligent Turbowrite accelerates write speeds and maintains long-term high performance with a large variable buffer.

It also supports hardware encryption include AES 256-bit and compliant with TCG Opal and IEEE 1667 protocol.

WD Blue Mobile WD10SPZX 1TB

  • Plenty of storage space for the affordable price tag
  • Multiple storage options
  • Reliable
  • SATA 6.0 Gb/s HI support
  • Slow 5400 RPM speed
Check price

WD Blue Mobile WD10SPZX 1TB internal HDD allows you to store more, compute faster on a gaming computer or work desktop setup. From music to video to photo editing, this internal hard drive offers enough storage for all the applications.

WD Blue Mobile WD10SPZX comes in multiple storage options from 250GB to 2TB and uses the SATA 6.0 Gb/s hardware interface. It also comes included with the Free Acronic True Image WD Editing cloning software.

Seagate BarraCuda 1TB

  • Affordable 1TB HDD
  • Strong performance
  • Quality build
  • SATA 6.0 Gb/s HI support
  • Slow 5400 RPM speed
Check price

Coming in a 2.5″ form factor, the Seagate BarraCuda 1TB drive offers plenty of space to store your music, videos, and large files from video editing or gaming without spending a fortune.

Seagate BarraCuda comes in multiple capacities ranging from 500GB to 2TB. It also features specialized caching technology for optimized data flow and fast loading of applications and games.

All the SSDs and HDDs listed in this article are compatible with Toshiba laptops.

Feel free to share your suggestions and opinions with us by using the comment section found below this guide.

How does Windows know my location accurately?

Posted on by Elena Constantinescu

Starting with Windows 8, Microsoft introduces location services and personalized content, which made a lot of privacy-users angry.

Still, many people wonder how Windows knows their accurate location. It shouldn’t be possible without GPS tools, right?

Wrong. Microsoft is smarter than that.

So, how can Windows track my location?

According to Microsoft, your current location is tracked by taking into account all available services: GPS, nearby Wi-Fi hotspots, cell towers, and your IP address.

To determine its accuracy, just take a look at how modern your computer is.

Basically, if it’s new enough to run Windows 10, then it’s good enough to track you down using all supported services.

Is it dangerous?

Not according to Microsoft.

It says that it removes all personal information that can be used to identify you. It does this before receiving your location details.

But a lot of users don’t buy it, not even after disabling location services.

Why should I let Windows know my accurate location?

  • Setting your time zone automatically
  • Track your stolen laptop
  • Get personalized content based on your browsing history
  • Take advantage of location-aware services, like city navigation
  • Use Cortana with more accurate results

How do I disable Windows location services?

disable Windows location services
  1. On Windows 10, go to Settings
  2. At App permissions, select Location
  3. At Allow access to location on this device, click Change
  4. Set the slider to Off

Using the steps above, you can get rid of the Your location is currently in use message.

Alternatively, you can manage permissions for every app you want to use Windows location services.

What else can I do to improve my online privacy?

We recommend using a reliable VPN service to change your IP address and prevent Microsoft from tracking your true location.

It encrypts your data traffic and helps you bypass firewalls. And we can’t think of a better solution than Private Internet Access.

It’s wrapped in a super-intuitive interface for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. You can even set it up on your router.

PIA allows 10 simultaneous connections. It supports the WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols with up to 256-bit military-grade encryption, private DNS servers, and Shadowsocks proxy.

You can use PIA change your location with a VPN, unblock Netflix US anywhere in the world and stay safe from tracking services like Microsoft when browsing the web.

By the way, you can also use a VPN to change your GPS location, but not on Windows PC.

Conclusion

To sum up, Windows knows your accurate location by taking into account multiple aspects, including your GPS, nearby Wi-Fi towers, and your IP address.

If you’re worried about your privacy, you can turn off the Windows location services but there are no guarantees.

However, you can amp up your security and privacy level by turning to a trustworthy VPN like Private Internet Access. It’s one of the best tools for stopping online tracking.

How to Protect Your Windows 10 Device on Public Wi-Fi

Posted on by Vlad Constantinescu

Public Wi-Fi networks are usually great, as they provide just about everyone with free access to the Internet.

However, public Wi-Fi networks also have a dark side. Even though free Wi-Fi is great, it’s not always safe.

For instance, you may encounter malicious users on the same public Wi-Fi network you use.

These agents can be hazardous to your safety and privacy since most are out to get your personal data.

But enough chit-chat, you’re here to discover how to keep safe on public Wi-Fi networks, and that’s exactly what we’re going to teach you.

How to keep your PC safe on a public Wi-Fi Network?

1. Use a VPN

  1. Download and install Private Internet Access.
  2. Launch it and log in to your account.
  1. Connect to any server you want.
  2. Enjoy private, secure browsing on public Wi-Fi.

A VPN does wonders when it comes to protecting your traffic from various agents who would just love snooping around and through it.

Not only does a VPN such as PIA re-route your traffic through its private servers (secure tunnel), but it also encrypts it.

Thus, even if someone intercepts your traffic from inside the public Wi-Fi network, it would all look like gibberish, thanks to encryption.

Private Internet Access

Looking for a reliable VPN to use on public Wi-Fi networks? Private Internet Access is a great choice.
Free Trial Visit Website

2. Turn off sharing and network discovery

Turning on file sharing and network discovery is not unheard of, especially if you’re on a trusted network.

However, note that this feature should be only used at home/work or wherever you can trust all the users on the network.

With that in mind, we recommend you only use this feature in safe environments and if it’s absolutely necessary.

It goes without saying that you should never ever use it on public Wi-Fi networks. Therefore, we’re going to teach you how to disable it.

  1. Press the Win Key on your keyboard
  2. Type network
  3. Select Network and Sharing Center
    network-and-sharing-center
  4. Click on Change advanced sharing settings.
    advanced-sharing
  5. Locate your current network profile
  6. While using a public network, you should always select the Guest or Public profiles
  7. In the Network discovery section select Turn off network discovery
  8. Select Turn off file and printer sharing in the File and printer sharing section
    file-sharing-off
  9. Click Save changes

It goes without saying that turning off network discovery will make other devices unable to see you on the current network.

3. Enable your firewall

Windows 10 has a built-in firewall, so if you’re not using a third-party solution, you can at least make sure that your Windows one is active.

A firewall’s purpose is to regulate the incoming and outcoming network traffic, thus keeping your computer safe from attackers.

This is how you can check if your Windows Firewall is running:

  1. Press the Win key on your keyboard
  2. Type firewall
  3. Choose Windows Defender Firewall from the list
    firewall
  4. Click the Turn Windows Firewall on or off button
    turn-firewall-on-or-off
  5. Make sure Turn on Windows Firewall is selected in both Private and Public network settings sections
    turn-on-windows-firewall
  6. Click OK to save changes

If you have a third-party firewall installed, Windows Firewall will turn itself off automatically, and there’s no need to enable it.

4. Always use HTTPS

Whenever you interact with your web browser, you’re sending data that malicious users on the same network could intercept.

If you’re not using a VPN to encrypt your whole traffic, you should at least make sure you’re using an encrypted connection in your browser.

It’s really easy to spot an encrypted connection since HTTPS marks it. HTTPS is an extension of HTTP, and it’s used for security purposes.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to apps or any other services where you can’t see what’s going on or whether or not your traffic is encrypted.

However, checking the protocol in your browser is a simple and quite effective thing to do to ensure you’re alright.

Remember, HTTPS – good, HTTP – bad.

5. Turn off your Wi-Fi if you’re not using it

Various apps and services maintain connections and make requests in the background, even if you’re not actively using them.

So, to avoid any accidental data leaks, turning off your Wi-Fi when you’re not actively using it turns out to be a wise decision.

6. Disable automatic Wi-Fi connections

Here’s the thing: over the years, your device got more intelligent and smarter, and all of a sudden it thinks it could decide everything for you.

One example is connecting to any public, unsecured Wi-Fi if the signal is strong enough.

Yeah, that saves you just about 2 precious seconds, but it may also connect to a trick hotspot created by a malicious hotspot.

Those are called Hotspot Honeypots. Do you want to know why? Because they make monitoring traffic of unsuspecting victims look like child’s play.

7. Protect your accounts

There are a lot of reasons why a seasoned hacker or a script kiddie would want to grab your private browsing data.

However, one of the most common reasons is stealing accounts. All of them, if possible: your social media, bank accounts, cloud storage, you name it.

It’s wise to take a step back and consider that these accounts are not fair game. No, they have passwords to protect them.

So, what’s the first step you need to take to protect them? That’s right, choose a strong password that’s generated automatically if possible.

Can’t remember all the mixed characters and symbols? You could use a password manager. But wait, there’s more!

In addition to using strong, uncrackable passwords for your accounts, you could also activate multi-factor authentication.

That way, if the attacker manages to get your password, it will also need an additional confirmation to access your account.

We advise against using your email address as a 2FA for obvious reasons. If the attacker grabs hold of your email address, it has access to everything you linked.

8. Update your security software

You need to keep security software in top shape, whether it’s an antivirus, firewall, anti-malware, anti-ransomware, or all of the above.

They’re responsible for your device’s well-being, after all, especially when you’re connected to a public Wi-Fi network.

Just make sure everything is running smoothly by checking for updates every now and then.

Well, you should do that a lot more often than occasionally, but you get the picture.

Conclusion

All things considered, there are several ways to stay protected while using public Wi-Fi networks.

Without a doubt, using a VPN is just about the best way you can go about it. A VPN will re-route your connection and encrypt your traffic, keeping potential traffic monitoring enthusiasts at bay. The only downside is that you may not be able to bypass captive portals on some networks.

Additionally, you can learn how to deal with rogue Shenzhen devices connected to your network.

However, if you’re not ready to commit to purchasing a VPN plan, there are plenty of other ways you can tackle public Wi-Fi security.

Download Cyberpunk 2077 today [PC]

Posted on by Teodor Nechita

Cyberpunk 2077 has been on the market for only a brief period of time and it already became the talk of the entire gaming community.

Despite being launched with a number of glitches, especially aimed at last-gen consoles such as the Xbox One and PS4, it is still regarded as a very successful game from a financial standpoint.

Brought by the developers of another beloved RPG series, The Witcher, this fantastic Sci-Fi adventure promises you the time of your life in a alternative 2077 timeline, where crime is abundant, and cyber-augmentations are more common than tattoos.

Basically, think of it as GTA meets The Witcher with atmosphere from Blade Runner.

⇒ Amazon

⇒ Kinguin

⇒ G2A

Why should I download Cyberpunk 2077?

In-depth character customization

One of the biggest selling points of Cyberpunk 2077, besides the fact that it was developed by CD Projekt Red, is the sheet number of things you can change about your avatar during the initial character creation.

These features range from the avatar’s voice, face, hairstyles, body type and modifications to things such as his background, and clothing.

Then you have the generic RPG elements that also come into play such as the character stats, although entire Strength/ Agility / Intellect routine was abandoned for much more updated once such as Body, Intelligence, Reflexes, Technical, and Cool.

Familiar gameplay mechanics

Those familiar with RPG games will notice that a lot of the mechanics are present in this game as well, although with a more modern twist.

Gear is partially replaced with cybernetic implants, while weapons are found all over the place, and can even be bought from the black market for the right price.

Consumables are also present, with soft drinks serving as healing potions, player housing is an integral part of the game and vehicle theft is something you’ll be doing daily.

A fantastic story set in the distant future

The core of any RPG is to be the most fantastic version of yourself in a story that makes you feel alive, and that is precisely what Cyberpunk 2077 offers.

You’ll experience love, betrayal, adventure, adrenaline-filled fuel rides, you’ll be able to connect to NPCs at a level that you’ve never thought possible, and more.

Most importantly, your choices do matter, and they have dire consequences in the long run, such as how the story unfolds, who lives and who dies, who you end un befriending and who ends up hating you.

The story is amazing, and offers great replay value, so even if the game is indeed massive to go through that first time, you’ll want to do it again for sure.

Cyberpunk 2077 is currently available on Windows 10 PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Google Stadia. The game has tons of potential, and amazing replay value, so go ahead and give it a try today!

Have you considered giving Cyberpunk 2077 a try? Let us know what your expectations are by leaving us your feedback in the comments section below.

Lenovo Yoga 9i Intel EVO 14 & 15″: Better batteries, better performance

Posted on by Kareem Anderson

Starting at $1,179.99

Intel introduced its Evo laptop specs back in ate 2019 as Project Athena when the company publicly laid out the roadmap for its upcoming chipsets. However, it wasn’t until September 2020, that PC manufacturers began shipping devices with Intel’s famed new Ultrabook base KEI features that include:

  • Consistent responsiveness on battery.
  • Wake from sleep in less than 1 second.
  • 9 or more hours of real-world battery life on laptops with a Full HD display.
  • 4 or more hours of battery life in a 30-minute charge on laptops with a Full-HD display.

With that being said, OnMSFT has gotten its hands on not one, but two Intel Evo powered laptops in the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 & 15-inch PCs. In addition to upgrading the processors in the lineup, Lenovo has also adjusted its naming convention, changing its former title of Yoga C940 to 9i. Whether or not the naming change results in a more streamlined business presentation for customers remains to be proven.

For anyone, who had been acquainted with Lenovo’s Yoga 900 series, both the 14 & 15-inch 9i’s follow a similar industrial design as their predecessors, with the infamous rotating soundbar hinge, slim bezels, built-in Wacom supported pen and tapered chassis for a slim metal notebook feel in the hand.

9i Specs Sheet

Look & Feel (Design)

The Lenovo Yoga 9i remains relatively unchanged from the previous Yoga 900 series. The Slate Grey that OnMSFT was issued, keeps the sleek tapered design and the iconic high polish rotating soundbar. While I would have preferred to try out the black leather top 14-inch version of the laptop, unfortunately, we were sent the very familiar Slate Grey that’s become a customary Ultrabook look these days.

Pxl 20201217 135911242

With an aluminum chassis build the 9i in both models boast a premium feeling weight them. The 14-inch version doesn’t feel too much heavier than the comparable HP Spectre, Dell XPS, or MacBook, but it is noticeable upon the first unboxing.

With this familiar design comes familiar port placements as well for the Yoga 9i, in both variants. Lenovo did not deviate from where it placed its Thunderbolt 3 ports and USB-C connections this go around. On the right-hand side, customers will find a single USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port, the power button, and the pen garage in two places along that side depending on the model. In the 14-inch, the pen garage is tucked away in the back on the righthand side while on the 15-inch is place 2/3 of the way down from the USB-A and power button sitting flush along the chamfered edge. In addition to being conveniently housed in the body of the laptop, Lenovo also makes use of a charging interior setup that keeps the pen recharged when docked. Gone are the days of fiddling with AAA batteries to take notes, sign documents, or draw. With that being said, the downside to its convenient recharging solutions is that when the pen does lose its charge there is a refractory period a user will need to wait as it recharges.

Pxl 20201217 140852346.portrait

On the more exciting left-hand side, there are two Thunderbolt 3 ports supporting display and power. Interestingly enough, the 14-inch model uses USB-C power out while the 15-inch makes do with a proprietary USB-A looking connection as well as the 3.5mm headphone jack and mic combo. With the 15-inch model being a beefier rig, the 153W proprietary power adapter connector makes a bit more sense but still a bit annoying as USB-C use becomes more prevalent.

As is customary of recent Lenovo offerings, its Thunderbolt 3 ports support DisplayPort 1.4 which should enable 8K display connections and/or multiple 4K monitors for those burgeoning home offices.

The Sound

I only highlight this in this review because it’s more than worth mentioning. Usually, my review of laptop sounds includes the word tiny or bass-less, but since Lenovo put so much engineering into its soundbar hinge for the Yoga 9i models, customers will receive a pretty robust soundscape. I’ve written about the soundbar in previous Yoga reviews and I will try not to rehash too many of the same points as the soundbar remains mostly unchanged from previous models, for good reason. Lenovo crammed four 2W speakers, 2 subwoofers, 2 tweeters into and support for Dolby Atmos Audio into a relatively small package.

Pxl 20201217 140938042.portrait

Bottom line, the Yoga 9i’s sound is the best of any laptop of any size. Come at me.

The Display

The display design, like the rest of the laptop, remains relatively unchanged with the reverse notch top, slim bezels, and manual shutter over the 720p webcam. Depending on the model, customers can get either an FHD or UHD resolution display which outputs a crisp visual. With that said, I kind of wish that Lenovo bumped up the display offering just a bit more because I personally like filling my screen with as much content as possible and I would love to shrink down the elements a bit more.

Pxl 20201217 140818806.portrait

Again, that’s a personal preference, most people should find the Yoga 9i’s display with Dolby Vision support more than adequate, boarding on impressive on either model. The 4K resolution paired with flexible viewing modes and unobstructed soundbar makes the 9i a media consumption dream. I personally don’t make use of the ‘tent’ and ‘yoga’ positions but for anyone who does, they are readily available and probably perfect for longer stay-at-home binge sessions.

On the Deck

Lenovo is bringing its legendary U-shaped chicklet keys to both models which seemingly contour around the fingers. Spacing between the keys is nice and on the 15-inch model, users are greeted with a full-size number pad. Both the 14 and 15-inch models make use of dual-stage backlighting that gets pretty bright in very dark settings. However, Lenovo offsets its Precision trackpad on the 15-inch Yoga 9i to the left side, which took some getting used to for me. On the 14-inch model, the deck is designed like most other laptops with the relatively large trackpad front and center of the experience. The speed and responsiveness of both the keys and mouse are nice. Scrolling and flying around the scene were intuitive and enjoyable.

Pxl 20201217 141128635.portrait

Lenovo loves to load its deck with all manner of partnership stickers, and on the Yoga 9i both 14 and 15-inch models don the traditional smattering of stickers to the left of the trackpad, while the right remains bare except for a single fingerprint reader. The fingerprint reader is pretty quick, but is still, no match for IR enabled Windows hello experience on a Microsoft Surface device.

Performance

OnMSFT was given the 16GB DDR4 memory options for both devices which weighs heavy on the particular performance I’m writing about. On the 15-inch model, customers get 2933MHz while the 14-inch pushes 4267MHz. Paired with 11th generation i7 Intel Core chips, things just flew on both machines. The 15-inch model stands out a bit more because of its additional NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU with its own 4GB GDDR6 memory. Where I was able to do some medium weight video and graphics editing on the 14-inch model, I was able to crunch encoding and exporting of videos, multi-channel DAW setups, virtualize and test Windows 10X as well as my normal day to day marketing workflow with ease. I did not do a lot of 4K video editing, so I can attest to the performance of the laptops when handling multiple edits on 4K video streams of any length, but for the 1080p recordings I managed, there were few hiccups or stutters when applying layers or multiple transitions or visual elements.

Pxl 20201217 141118974.portrait

When it comes to drawbacks, there is fan noise associated with this level of performance, and both the 14 and 15-inch can whirl when pushed. However, the engineering of the 14-inch model differs from its larger brother in battery performance. The 15-inch model, for whatever reason, tops out at a modest six hours of mixed-worked use while the 14-inch pushes well beyond eight hours routinely. Presumably, the additional NVIDIA horsepower is putting a bit of strain on the 135W battery.

Not everything done on the Yoga 9i was work. I managed to get some gaming done on both devices, but as expected with only Intel Iris X graphics, the 14-inch 9i was limited in what it could push out. Games such as State of Decay 2 hit 38fps with medium to high settings while Rainbow Six Siege struggled at 24-30fps when multiple enemies were on screen.

On the flip side, the 15-inch with its GeForce GPU handled most games on medium settings with decent outcomes. CoD Warzone was playable but did present some stutters during congested onscreen elements. Neither of the 9i models are gaming PCs and as such, shouldn’t be bought with those ambitions. For the occasional game, the 15-inch does an excellent job of handling most graphics requirements, the 14-inch can provide some respite from work but only for select titles.

Summary

Intel’s EVO spec push has made an already nice laptop from Lenovo, that much nicer. There weren’t huge leaps in performance and Lenovo seemingly played it safe with a design framework that’s a proven commodity in the latest of its Yoga 900 series.

For anyone in the market for a new laptop, there aren’t many other choices that top this year’s offering from Lenovo. I would also recommend getting the black leather option of the 14-inch if available because it just looks amazingly different in a sea of slate grey laptops.

 

The Witcher 3 patch history: Clues to Cyberpunk 2077’s future

Posted on by Teodor Nechita

Cyberpunk 2077 has managed to solidify a legacy of not only being one of the most anticipated games in recent years, but also being one of the biggest let-downs in recent years as well, as proven by the rocky start that its been through since the December 10 launch.

The games was still a financial success due to the initial expectations, and it managed to become profitable since day 1, but that was soon to change after players got a taste of the final product.

Cyberpunk 2077 had already been delayed twice so that developers can polish out the bugs, which only begs the question as to what exactly would the state of the game have been if it were launched when it was first promised.

The Witcher 3’s patch history may give clues as to what to expect

For those of you that are familiar with CR Projekt Red’s past title, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, you may remember that it didn’t start out too well either, being just as a bug riddled mess as Cyberpunk 2077, only with a fantasy theme.

Users haven’t forgotten that either, and  are considering that CD Projekt Red use the same scheme they did in the past in order to fix Cyberpunk 2077.

  • 05/18/2015 – Witcher 3 released with day 1 patch

  • 05/21/2015 – 1.03 – performance/bugs

  • 05/25/2015 – 1.04 – performance/bugs

  • 06/05/2015 – 1.05 – performance/bugs, but now also many gameplay rebalances, QoL, and easy to develop content

  • 07/18/2015 -1.07 – performance/bugs, QoL , content (player stash)

  • 08/07/2015 – 1.08 – performance/bugs

The list goes on and on, but the main idea is that patches where being rolled out on a monthly basis for well over a year, and they all focused on fixing bugs, with the occasional DLC or new features thrown in here and there.

Players want to know CD Projekt Red’s plans with the game

Comparing Cyberpunk 2077 to Witcher 3 came in light of yet another player request, as many users are asking for CD Projekt Red to release a roadmap of the upcoming patches and fixes.

This would be a great incentive for players, especially those that haven’t yet considered the possibility of refunding the game:

A roadmap needs to be given to the public, Not talking about another 3 release dates or whatever. I want to know what CDPR priorities are for the future of this game.

  • Which patches are coming first?
  • What content is getting revamped?
    • (AI / multitude of other unpolished game features)
  • What bugs are getting addressed?

All in all, this is merely what the public wants, but CD Projekt Red has shown in the past that customer satisfaction is a pillar of their work etiquette, so hopefully they will take this into consideration.

However, if you do want your money back with the intent of purchasing the game later when it is finally done (again), know that you may encounter some difficulties getting your money back, especially if you’re playing on certain platforms.

What do you think the future holds for Cyberpunk 2077? Let us know by leaving us your feedback in the comments section below.

[wl_navigator]

 

Microsoft Flight Simulator crosses over 2 million PC players since launch

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The new Microsoft Flight Simulator game released on PC in August is officially the fastest growing entry in the series, Microsoft announced today. Over 2 million PC gamers have played Microsoft Flight Simulator since launch, and that also represents the biggest game launch in Xbox Game Pass for PC history.

“The community have piloted more than 50 million flights and have logged more than 3.5 billion miles flown to date – the equivalent of flying 19 times roundtrip from the Earth to the Sun, or around the world over 400 thousand times. It’s been humbling to see the positive reactions to Microsoft Flight Simulator and we feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to have such a highly engaged community that continually helps us improve the simulation with their ongoing and insightful feedback,” wrote Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Microsoft Flight Simulator Numbers December 2020

Along with Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of Microsoft’s biggest PC games in recent years, as well as one of the most impressive from a technical standpoint. The game combines a custom engine from Developer Asobo Studio, Bing data, and the power of Microsoft’s Azure Cloud to deliver some truly amazing graphics on high-end PCs with a solid Internet connection.

For Xbox gamers, Microsoft Flight Simulator will make its debut on Xbox Series X and Series S consoles in Summer 2021, and we hope the game will be able to truly demonstrate what Microsoft’s next-gen consoles are really capable of. Unlike 343 Industries’ Halo Infinite which will ship in Fall 2021, Microsoft Flight Simulator apparently isn’t coming to Xbox One consoles, and that’s probably for the best.

If you have yet to try Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription service, you can get your first 3 months for just $1 for a limited time and get access to Microsoft Flight Simulator for free on PC. Over 100 other games will also be available for you on Xbox, PC, and Android devices thanks to Microsoft’s new Xbox Cloud Gaming technology.

Microsoft Flight Simulator: Standard Edition
Microsoft Flight Simulator: Standard Edition
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QR-Code

Microsoft Flight Simulator: Standard Edition
Developer:
Xbox Game Studios
Price:
Free


Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Download
QR-Code

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Developer:
Microsoft Corporation
Price:
$1.00

You can uninstall Chrome PWAs from the Windows 10 Settings app with a flag in Edge

Posted on by Kareem Anderson

Microsoft’s Edge team continues to make transitioning from Google’s Chrome browser over to their new Chromium-based browser easier. A tip from Redditor u/Leopeva64-2 shows that further customizations and functionality for the new Edge have been baked into the native Settings app in Windows 10, even for Chrome PWA apps.

Chrome Edge Settings App

In Chromium Edge, the installed PWAs appear in the control panel and in the Settings app and therefore you can uninstall them like any other program or app, this is an option that has been available in Edge for more than a year and since then, the Chromium developers have been working to implement that same option in Chrome (as I explained in this post), well, this new feature is now available in the Dev and Canary versions:

Even as Chrome Dev and Canary testers, enabling this new functionality isn’t as straightforward as updating to the latest version.

Edge Settings App Command Line

Unlocking this new accessibility should be left to people who are comfortable navigating a command line. Information about the merging of this new Settings App integration and a walkthrough on how to apply it can be read on the Chromium Gerrit documentation page.

However, once set up properly, the functionality of uninstalling PWAs from Chrome in the Settings page should be as easy as uninstalling any other UWP app from Windows 10.

Thank you, u/Leopeva64-2 for the tip!

How to add Zoom to Microsoft Teams, and why you might want to

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Zoom and Microsoft Teams are two of the most popular video conferencing solutions right now. However, despite their differences, did you know that the two play nicely together?

It recently became possible to integrate Zoom right into Teams, allowing you to manage all your Zoom Meetings, start, schedule, join meetings, or screen share from the persistent Zoom Meetings tab in Teams. That’s why, in our latest Microsoft 365 guide, we’ll show you how you can add Zoom to Teams.

Step 1: Check the Prerequisites

Before even thinking about adding Zoom to Teams, you’ll need a couple of things. Of course, you’ll need an active Zoom account so you can add the Teams plugin to configure things in your actual Zoom account to begin. You’ll also need to add Zoom to your Teams account too. Just be aware, that Zoom for Teams is not supported for Microsoft Teams in Microsoft 365 Government GCC.

Finally, you’ll also need a zoom email account such as a work email, or a Google login. In some cases, you’ll also need pre-approval of the Microsoft Teams integration in the Zoom Marketplace.

Please be aware, though, that a lot of this is up to your IT Admin. It’s not generally something you can do yourself, unless you have the right permissions, of course. Zoom also notes that you’ll need a paid Pro, Business, Education, or API plan to use the Zoom bot in a Team channel. Any other account, including free plans, will work with the  Zoom bot in a one-on-one.

In our testing, though, we managed to add a free-tier Zoom to our Teams account and into a Team channel. It works for us, but it’s best to check with your IT Admin to see if your accounts are truly compatible.

Step 2: Configuring Zoom for Teams

Zoom Pre Req

Next up in this process, you’ll need to configure Zoom for Microsoft Teams. To do this, log in with your Zoom account and navigate to the Zoom Marketplace. Search for Microsoft Teams, and then click the app. In some cases, the Teams app will need to be pre-approved. If it’s not, please contact your IT admin. Anyway, you’ll then want to click the Install button to confirm the permissions for the app and then choose Authorize. You’ll then be taken to your Teams account.

Step 3: Configuring Teams for Zoom

Teams Zoom Pre Req

With Zoom configured for Teams, you can now move on to configuring Teams for Zoom. Head into Microsoft Teams, and click the Apps button in the sidebar. Where it says Search all apps you can type in Zoom. If you’re not finding it, then you can click this link here to visit the Microsoft App Source, followed by Get it now. This should open the listing in Teams.

Anyway, once you have the Zoom listing open in Teams, click the Add button. Or, you can click the down arrow and choose to Add to team or Add to chat so you can add it to a specific channel or chat in Teams. If you want to do this, then search and select the channel or team you would like to use with the Zoom Meeting integration. Then, choose Set up a bot and this will install both the Zoom Tab and the Zoom Bot for Microsoft teams.

Be sure to follow the Bot’s instructions, and once finished, you’ll be able to use the integration. You might be prompted to log in again with both your Office 365 and Zoom accounts.

Using the integration

Zoom In Teams

To use the Zoom integration in Teams, you can do a couple of things. First off, you’ll want to click the Zoom Meetings icon in the left toolbar. If you don’t see it, click the . . . and then choose Zoom. Then, click My Meetings. From there, you can sign in with your credentials.

With My Meetings, you’ll be able to schedule or start a meeting with anyone in your Teams organization that also has the Zoom app installed. Just click the My Meetings and then click Start a Meeting to set it up. Your Zoom meeting will then be started from your web browser. Your participants will then receive a notification that you have started a meeting and will give them the option to join.

In addition to starting meetings, you also can schedule meetings, too. Just choose to Schedule a Meeting. Once scheduled, you’ll be able to see the meeting on the upcoming meetings page in the Zoom tab, and the meeting will also be added to your Exchange calendar, too.

Zoom Meeting

Some other functions of the Zoom integration with Teams will let you share your screen. Again, you’ll input the meeting ID to share, and then the meeting will start via the web browser. Any meetings that you have scheduled or been invited to will show on the My Meetings page in the Zoom Tab.

We also want to touch on the Zoom Messaging Extension. The messaging extension is the Zoom button in the textbox toolbar next to any 1:1 chat, group chat, and channel chat. This button allows you to start or schedule a Zoom Meeting with participants in the chat.

Finally, there’s the Zoom Meetings Bot. Navigate to a channel with the bot installed, and you can type various commands. @zoom logout will log you out of your Zoom Account. @Zoom will show all commands. You can start an Instant meeting with @Zoom, and then Start. A full list of commands is available here, at Zoom.

Why you might want to zoom the Zoom meeting extension

If your company is using both Zoom and Teams, or you use Zoom for certain clients, and Teams internally, then this integration is great. Your Microsoft Zoom Meetings tab in Teams will be your personal notification hub, without having to go directly to the Zoom app or the web. It’s a nice integration that’s quite convenient.

6 Heavy-Duty Laptop Stands that are Adjustable & Ergonomic

Posted on by Tashreef Shareef

Laptops are great portable computers offering excellent power and performance in small portable chassis. However, most of us end up using our laptops on the desk or bed for better comfort.

Keeping your laptops on the desk does come with its own issues. One of them is overheating. Due to the lack of breathing space, laptops on desks and beds get hot in no time.

The best way to fix this issue is to invest in heavy-duty laptop stands that are adjustable and ergonomic.

In this article, we have listed the best heavy-duty laptop stands that are adjustable and ergonomically excellent to reduce neck and shoulder pain.

What is the best laptop stand with keyboard support?

Roost Laptop Stand

  • Fully collapsable laptop stand
  • Durable and sturdy construction
  • Supports all sizes of laptops
  • 6-12 inch lift reducing neck and shoulder pain
  • Expensive
Amazon Product Check price

Roost Laptop Stand can hold nearly all weights of laptops. Unlike our first feature, this stand is all rubber and polycarbonate material making it lightweight without compromising the build quality.

It comes with rubber insets to secure your computer, and you can fully collapse it and carry it around when traveling in your backpack.

The universal fit on this laptop stands to support laptops of all sizes. It also offers from 6-12 inches of lit, elevating the laptop to your eye level.

UGREEN Laptop Stand

  • Smart and elegant design
  • Can accommodate laptops of up to 17.3 inch
  • Adjustable 360-degrees rotating base
  • Made of premium aluminum alloy
  • May be harder to carry with you on a trip
Amazon Product Check price

With a great design and build, the UGREEN Laptop Stand will make the perfect support base even for 17.3-inch screen laptops.

We tested the product and it felt sturdy, without wobbling motions. The grip strips hold the laptop in place while the swiveling movement of the base is smooth, allowing you to share the screen with anyone in the room.

You may tilt and raise the laptop so it can meet any possible viewing need and the venting holes allow the laptop to cool down perfectly.

The high-grade aluminum alloy makes the UGREEN stand very durable, yet light enough to be carried around when needed.

Soundance Laptop Stand

  • Fits laptops of all sizes
  • Detachable stand requires no tools for installation
  • Aluminum alloy construction
  • Durable and lightweight
  • May not support thin-base device
Check price

With its aluminum alloy construction, the Soundance Laptop Stand is a heavy-duty laptop stand suitable for laptops from 10″ to 15.6″. The solid metal construction means the stand is sturdier and has less wobble.

The rubber on the holder’s hands sticks tightly and ensures your laptop is stable on the stand. The rubber feet prevent the stand from slipping on your desk.

Moreover, the stand is detachable, making it easier to install and carry around without any tools. The ergonomic design elevates your laptop by 6 inches to your eye level and reduces neck and shoulder pain.

Rain Design mStand360

  • Suitable for laptops and MacBook
  • Can hold up to 8 pounds
  • Keyboard stash underneath
  • Anti-skid rubber protection offers good grip
  • Can be wobbly
Check price

Rain Design mStand360 is an ergonomically designed laptop stand that offers high screen height. It also brings the tilt design to improve airflow around laptops.

A super-slim 360 degrees rotating comes in handy if you want to quickly share your screen with your colleague or client without having to turn the laptop around.

Rain Design mStand360 features a single-piece aluminum design providing solid stability. Included cable outlet keeps your desk neat and organized.

AIRUIHE Tripod Stand

  • Sturdy metal frame
  • Multiple adjustable angles
  • Easy to organize cables
  • Sturdy tray with enough protection
  • Inconvenience placed keepers
Check price

AIRUIHE Tripod Stand is a laptop tripod stand that is perfect for studio and stage use. This metal stand can handle 11″ to 15.6″ laptops with its 9.5 x 7.5 platform.

The ergonomic design features a heavy-duty tray with support lips, sponge gasket, and elastic bands to protect electronics. You can adjust the height in multiple positions up to 42 inches as needed.

This rugged laptop desk works well as a portable laptop or notebook computer, projector, or audio equipment holder and can be used for various tasks.

Starument Laptop DJ Tripod Stand

  • Small desk footprint
  • Excellent air circulation
  • Minimal and good looking design
  • Easy to assemble and disassemble
  • A little wobbly at times
Check price

The Starument Laptop Stand is a laptop and mixer stand. It can elevate the laptop screen up to 52″, providing valuable real estate for the keyboard and mouse.

This all-in-one tripod stand can be used for laptops as well as projectors. It offers a sturdy, practical, and space-saving stand mixer for the equipment.

Working on a laptop by keeping it on your lap or desk can cause discomfort after a few hours. To get the best ergonomics, it is important to set-up the laptop at the right angle and height level.

All the heavy-duty laptops standard listed in this article are height adjustable, comes with good ergonomics and portability. Explore the list and let us know your pick in the comments.

Google may look to turn Windows 10 PCs and Macs into Chromebooks with CloudReady acquisition

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Google has quietly acquired Neverware, a company developing CloudReady, a variant of Google’s Chrome OS to install on Chromebooks, Windows PCs and Macs. The acquisition was announced on Neverware’s website earlier this week (via ComputerWorld), and the company says that it has now joined Google’s Chrome OS team.

CloudReady is currently free to install for consumers on select devices certified by Neverware, but the Chromium-based OS is also available as a subscription with management capabilities for Education and Enterprise customers. Prices start at $20 per device annually for education customers and $49 per device per year for Enterprise customers.

“CloudReady will continue to be available as-is, and we’re committed to supporting and maintaining existing customers. Over the long term CloudReady will become an official Chrome OS offering, and existing customers will be upgraded seamlessly as that happens,” the company explained in an FAQ.

Since it’s based on Chromium OS, the open-source version of Google’s Chrome OS running on Chromebooks, CloudReady provides a familiar Chrome OS-like experience free of all the Google software you usually find on Chromebooks, including the Google Play Store. However, the “CloudReady will become an official Chrome OS offering” part of the announcement suggests that things could change in a pretty big way.

What if Google is planning to eventually turn CloudReady into a feature-complete version of Chrome OS that can be installed on Windows PCs and Macs? As of today, the only way to use Chrome OS is to purchase a Chromebook from Google or its hardware partners, but CloudReady could soon evolve into Chrome OS for everyone, complete with millions of Android apps to install from the PlayStore and the same management capabilities already provided by ChromeOS and CloudReady.

Chromebook Running Chrome Os
Chrome OS is no longer a glorified web browser.

In recent years, Chrome OS has been enjoying some real momentum in the US Education market, giving a real challenge to Windows PCs, Macs, and iOS devices. Microsoft is still working on its own alternative to Chrome OS with Windows 10X, a lightweight version of Windows 10 that will only ship on new devices starting next year. Windows 10X won’t support legacy Win32 apps at launch to focus on web and UWP apps, though Microsoft is still working on making Win32 apps run in containers on Windows 10X.

According to Windows Central, the first Windows 10X devices may launch in Spring 2021 for commercial markets, with consumer devices to follow in 2022. The new OS was expected to make its debut on Microsoft’s dual-screen Surface Neo this year, but this device has now been delayed and still has no release date. Windows 10X is reportedly being built for Chromebook-like devices, but again, it’s not something that consumers will be able to install on existing Windows 10 PCs, according to Windows Central.

 

windows 10x
Windows 10X will introduce a new Start menu and desktop experience.

It’s too early to tell if Google is planning to take over the PC world with Chrome OS and CloudReady, but there’s certainly a demand for a lightweight OS that includes Google Chrome and Android apps, is secure by design and easy to manage for IT admins. This Neverware acquisition by Google could be a pretty big deal in the long run, and it suggests that Google is getting really serious about Chrome OS and the PC market.

Microsoft has been trying for years to compete with Chromebooks with initiatives like Windows 10 in S Mode, and it remains to be seen if Windows 10X can really appeal to commercial customers and the Education market. We’ll see what happens, but it took literally years for Chromebooks to really take off, and Google could finally speed up Chrome OS adoption with the help of CloudReady. With Windows 10X only shipping on new devices coming next year, Microsoft may have a difficult time convincing customers to adopt this new version of Windows 10 that will lack the huge ecosystem of apps that made Windows a real juggernaut in the PC market.

Best heavy duty laptop cases for extra protection

Posted on by Tashreef Shareef

Laptop OEMs usually bundle their computers with a protective case. However, these cases usually don’t offer the extra protection that you need when travelling with your laptop.

Whether you have top-of-the-line high-end gaming or video editing laptop, or a basic word processing system, having a heavy-duty laptop cases goes a long way offering protection to your work tool.

In this article, we have listed the best heavy-duty laptop cases that are best for different types of users all offering excellent protection for your laptop.

What is the best heavy duty laptop case with pick foam?

Nacuwa Protective Case

  • 4 player protection for your laptop and accessories
  • Water, Dust, and Shockproof
  • Plenty of internal sleeves
  • Secure zip closure
  • Zipper close can be smooth
Check price

Nacuwa Protective Case is a computer carrying sleeve that is compatible with the new MacBook Air, Pro, Microsoft Surface and Chromebooks. It is a well-padded case that is also water-resistant.

Note that this case works with any 13.3″ laptop or below. The hard shell on top provides shock resistance form accidental drops, collisions and other impacts. It is also water and dustproof.

Nacuwa Protective Case features internal sleeves to carry your laptop, mouse, notepads, and other accessories in their own pouch. It comes with four layers of protection that include soft-touch coating, PU leather layer, heat-molded crush-proof layer, and shock-absorbing layer.

DOMISO Laptop Case

  • Multi-zipper closer
  • Shockproof and waterproof
  • Good for large size laptops
  • Plenty of storage space
  • Strap installation can be tricky
Check price

This DOMISO laptop case offers similar features as the Nacuwa case, except that you can fit in up to a 17-inch laptop in this case. Large screen laptops from Dell, MSI, Lenovo, LG and HP can fit in easily.

DOMISO comes in multiple patterns and colours. It is a shockproof and waterproof case where the outer shell is protected by premium thickened EVA material.

Inside the case, you have plenty of space. You can not only keep your laptop, but it also has sleeves and straps to keep your smartphone and laptop accessories. The multi-zipper design offers durable and smooth access to your laptop.

Pelican 1085

  • IP67 rated for water and dust protection
  • Removable shoulder strap
  • Easy open latch
  • Excellent foam protection
  • Latch feels flimsy
Check price

Pelican 1085 is a hard shell laptop case that can protect your laptops from accidental drops, dust, and water spills. It comes with an interior O-ring gasket that keeps it dry and free.

Pelican 1085 features Pick N Pluck cushioned foam that you can configure for a precise fit to your laptop for safe travel. The easy-open Throw Latch will keep the case shut even if the case is dropped.

It can fit a notebook computer up to 14 inches and comes with an automatic pressure equalization valve that keeps water and dust out. The included Shoulder strap is detachable as well.

Pelican 1095

  • Hardshell case for 15.6 inch laptops
  • Convoluted lid foam protection
  • IP67 rating for water and dust protection
  • Easy latch opening
  • Included straps are flimsy
Check price

Pelican 1095 is another foam coated laptop case that comes with IP67 water-resistant and dust protection rating from the company. It is designed to fit 15.6″ notebooks with ease with Pick N Pluck with convoluted foam.

The case creates a tight seal when it is shut using the Waterlight Gasket. Other features of the case include an automatic purge valve to keep water and dust out while balancing air pressure, a removable shoulder strap, and an easy-open latch that remains shut under pressure or after impact.

Casematix Waterproof Case

  • Hard and crushproof shell
  • Multiple protective foam layers
  • Water and dust resistant
  • Can fit large size laptops
  • Average foam quality
Check price

Casematix Waterproof Case is a hard shell laptop case that offers crushproof protection for 15″-17″ laptop and accessories including chargers, keyboards, mice, tablets and more.

Casematix case features a shock-absorbing foam interior that offers ultimate protection during accidental drops and collisions. It is also water-resistant.

Case’s hard shell is constructed from durable hard polymer composite plastic that offers maximum protection for your laptops and accessories.

Laptops are usually an expensive investment, so having a heavy-duty case can prevent damages due to accidental drops, collision or water spills to your laptop.

All the heavy-duty cases listed above offer shockproof and waterproof casing with plenty of space to carry your laptop and related accessories in one case. Go through the products and let us know what you pick in the comments below.

Refunding Cyberpunk 2077 may not be as easy as it sounds

Posted on by Teodor Nechita

It’s no longer a secret that Cyberpunk 2077 was the most anticipated game release in recent years, and neither is the fact that the launch managed to fall extremely short of expectations.

After being delayed and launched with a number of bugs under the belt, the game developers took action so that their customer’s satisfaction could still be (somewhat) guaranteed.

This ranged from urgent patch fixes such as update 1.04, to a reconsidering of their refund policy whereas they offered players the option of refunding the game on any of the platforms should they not be satisfied with the product.

Cyberpunk 2077 players are having trouble getting a refund

A few days ago CD Projekt Red officials stated that:

We would appreciate it if you would give us a chance, but if you are not pleased with the game on your console and don’t want to wait for updates, you can opt to refund your copy.

Unfortunately, CD Projekt Red most likely forgot that each individual store has different refund policies, and platforms such as Sony have a much different approach when it comes to the matter compared to Microsoft.

As an example, Microsoft refund policies for the Xbox platform state that:

Most purchases are not eligible for a refund after 14 days.

While the time frame is mentioned, there is no mentioning about wether the game can be refunded or not, and that the possibility of refund is open for debate from case to case.

On the flipside, Sony’s official refund policy states that:

If you have started to download or stream the purchased content you will not be eligible for a refund unless the content is faulty.

While this may make it sound like things are pretty clear, there have been posts on the Internet where users claimed that they got refunds from Sony even after playing a good couple of hours:

I had to file a support claim online and sit on hold for over an hour to speak with someone, however they were quick to issue the refund and then delete the game off my library.

They added that Sony was issuing a business complaint to CD Projekt Red about the issues, and that they weren’t the first ones to call for refunds.

On the other hand, there are those that have been refused a refund, and they even posted the conversations they had with Sony representatives.

Physicals copies of the game will be treated differently

However, this confusing situation is only for the digitally-purchased copies, since the refund policy for the boxed copies is controlled by the store that you’ve purchased it from.

That being the case, those of you that have boxed copies will need to visit your store‘s website and check out whether you’re eligible for a refund or not.

All in all, no one has a clear answer as to how the refunds for this game should be treated at a global scale, not CD Projekt Red, nor Microsoft, or even Sony.

Fortunately, you don’t have to feel sorry for CD Projekt Red, since they made more than enough revenue to compensate for the incoming refunds.

Have you tried refunding Cyberpunk 2077? If so, let us know how your refund request was treated by leaving us a message in the comments section below.

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Windows 10 Insiders get Alarms & Clocks in-box app design refresh

Posted on by Kareem Anderson

Microsoft’s in-box Alarm Clock app is getting a new UI design. Earlier today, images of the new design began surfacing on the internet with reports that version 10.2012 is bringing a more organized segmentation of functions.

A Medium post from ChangeWindows was among the first sites to start circulating images of the updated UI. The update appears to be part of rollout to Windows 10 Insiders and thus, some have had the update long enough to review the new updates while others (ourselves) are still waiting for it to hit their machines via a Microsoft Store update.

According to ChangeWindows, there is more than just a visual update to the app such as “Microsoft has added a few new default timers; 1, 3, and 5 minutes join the 10-minute timer in fresh installations.”

Other new niceties include:

  • The “Edit” button that you can see in the bottom right will allow you to quickly delete existing timers. Previously you’d have had to open them or right-click on them.
  • the alarms now show how long it takes before they go off (previously, you could only see this when editing an alarm
  • the edit and create UI has been condensed into a small and well-designed modal pin got a redesign, and their popups now show you if its night or day through an icon.
  • The light theme doesn’t use white as a background color anymore, it’s now light grey

Today’s update appears to be in line with reporting from a couple a months ago about Microsoft’s big Windows 10 redesign codename ‘Sun Valley.’

“I understand that this refreshed design will be an evolution of Fluent Design, and likely still called Fluent Design. Microsoft isn’t introducing a new design language with Sun Valley, it’s simply refreshing and refocusing the current one on desktop, and trying to apply it more consistently throughout the OS, a big feat for the legacy Windows desktop,” Bowden wrote.

As mentioned, the update is gradually hitting Insider devices so, be patient if you don’t see it immediately.

How to hide your IP address while browsing the Internet

Posted on by Vlad Constantinescu

There are countless reasons why someone would consider changing their IP address while navigating the Internet.

One obvious one is to avoid being detected by various malevolent agents.

Another good reason is that your online whereabouts should remain your own private business, and not available for anyone with an itch to see.

The bottom line is that nowadays it makes a lot of sense to cloak your digital identity from just about anyone, and the best way you can do that is by hiding your IP address.

Seasoned privacy veterans may already have a batch of tools and methods to achieve this, but less tech-savvy users need privacy too.

For that reason, we’ll carefully explain to you how IP addresses work, why you may want to change yours, and how to achieve this quickly and without effort.

What is an IP address?

To put it simply, an IP address is but a number that’s used to identify your device (e.g. computer, smartphone) on a network.

All Internet-enabled devices have two sets of IP addresses: a public address, and a private one.

The private one is used to identify your device on your local network, while the public one is available for a wider clientele.

Picture these IP addresses as parts of your physical home address:

  • Private IP address – the name of the recipient, which is ideally only known in the local network (neighborhood) and used for identification purposes
  • Public IP address – the actual address part which is used to pinpoint the recipient on the map

If you want to learn more about IP addresses and the way they work, you should take a look at our comprehensive guide.

Why should you change your IP address?

Changing your IP address may turn out to be a wise decision nowadays, what with all the privacy violations and cyber-attacks on the rise.

Mainly, you should change your IP address if you care about your privacy and security.

Privacy because not sharing your real IP address with anyone online gives you the upper hand.

Trust us, if done right, your IP spoofing could make even your ISP scratch their head when asked about your online whereabouts.

Now come security: if you play a game, or join an IRC chatroom, or do something that might expose your IP address, this piece of info could be easily exploited by a skillful hacker.

Thus, changing your IP address will basically redirect the attacks toward another machine.

How do I hide my IP address while browsing?

VPN

  • Purchase a VPN subscription plan (we recommend PIA)
  • Download the VPN client to your PC
  • Install the VPN and launch it
  • Log into your account
  • Connect to just about any server
  • Enjoy private, secure online browsing

A VPN is often deemed as the best way to spoof your IP address.

It requires minimum technical knowledge; after you deploy the VPN client and log into your account, all you have to do is select a server.

The VPN will route your connection through a secure tunnel and encrypt your traffic to protect you against traffic monitoring.

Additionally, a VPN does more than simply changing your IP address. It also unblocks geo-restricted content, changes your virtual location, and even blocks ads, malware, and trackers.

Private Internet Access (PIA) is one of the most popular and effective VPNs on the market.

It has a huge network of servers (over 22,000 and growing), so even if one server is full or doesn’t work as intended, you can easily switch.

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access

Looking for a VPN that can hide your IP easily? PIA is exactly what you need.
Check priceVisit website

Proxy servers

Proxy servers are quite effective when it comes to changing your IP address, away from prying eyes.

Their operation mode is quite similar to that of VPNs. Meaning that using a proxy will route your traffic through the server you chose.

However, there are a few key differences. Most important, proxy servers work as gateways, which makes them ideal for browsing.

More often than not, a proxy server will only encrypt and hide the traffic for the apps you configure it with (e.g. your web browser, your torrenting client). Unless you configure a system-wide proxy, that is.

By comparison, VPNs encrypt all of your network traffic, regardless of your online activity (e.g. playing online games, browsing the Internet, streaming videos).

On the bright side, there are a lot of free proxy servers online, so if you need to change your IP quickly and without paying a dime, they’re a good alternative.

On the other hand, since they’re free, there’s a good chance that these proxy servers are already overcrowded and might slow your connection speed down to a pulp.

Tor

Tor is a popular way to anonymize your Internet browsing by changing your IP address.

Probably the best part about Tor is that it’s completely free and doesn’t require any rocket science degree to operate.

You just deploy the Tor Project kit on your computer, connect to the Tor network, and use the bundled browser to access the Internet.

However, note that Tor has gained some notoriety for letting users access forbidden content, which is why it’s probably (still) under surveillance.

Our suggestion is go ahead and try it, but make sure to steer away from any shady-looking website that hosts questionable content.

Psiphon

use Psiphon

Psiphon is not exactly popular among those who seek to change their IP address, and we keep wondering why.

You can download it and use it completely free, there’s no hidden fee associated with this service.

To some degree, its functionality resembles that of a VPN, but in reality, Psiphon has a slightly different operating mode.

Meaning that it combines various technologies, such as SSH, proxy servers, and VPNs to hide your real identity and bypass geoblocking.

On the other hand, Psiphon is subject to the same limitation as free proxy servers: overcrowded servers, which usually translates into slow connection speeds.

Furthermore, it also has a narrow network of servers, but that could be easily overlooked, considering it’s a free service.

Conclusion

All things considered, if you’re in need to change your IP address in a quick, effective manner, feel free to try any of our suggested methods.

Both paid and free alternatives we’ve depicted above work great at IP spoofing.

However, it’s worth mentioning that only a premium VPN service such as PIA will provide you with the maximum level of privacy and security you’re looking for.

FIX: VPN client unable to create interprocess communication

Posted on by Vlad Constantinescu

Cisco AnyConnect is a complex VPN tool that helps remote workers access enterprise resources in a secure, effortless manner, from any supported device.

This software utility also integrates advanced protection in order to block malware at endpoints, thus ensuring a safe work environment.

Despite Cisco AnyConnect’s straight-forwardness, certain users reported having a difficult time while trying to install or launch the program.

To be more specific, during installation or while trying to launch Cisco AnyConnect, users would be prompted with an error message:

VPN client agent was unable to create the interprocess communication depot.

As it turns out, this issue is not uncommon and has a couple of easy-to-follow fixes. Check them out below:

How can I fix the VPN client agent interprocess communication error?

Disable ICS (Internet Connection Sharing)

  1. Press the Win + R key combination on your keyboard
  2. Type control.exe /name Microsoft.NetworkAndSharingCenterRun accessory VPN Client agent was unable to create the interprocess communication depot
  3. Press Enter on your keyboard or click the OK buttonThe Network and Sharing Center VPN Client agent was unable to create the interprocess communication depot
  4. Click the Change adapter settings button
  5. Right-click the shared network connection and select Properties
    Network Connections VPN Client agent was unable to create the interprocess communication depot
  6. Navigate to the Sharing tabconnection sharing options VPN Client agent was unable to create the interprocess communication depot
  7. Uncheck the Allow other users to connect through this computer’s internet connection box
  8. Click the OK button
  9. Repeat the steps above for every shared network connection
  10. Restart your Windows PC when you’re done

The Internet Connection Sharing feature is not compatible with Cisco AnyConnect.

Therefore, trying to run or install the VPN client on a system with shared network connections may end up prompting you with the error above.

Can’t install Cisco AnyConnect on your Windows 10 PC? Check out our guide and learn how you can fix this issue.

For that reason, make sure you’ve disabled ICS on all of your active network connections before installing/launching Cisco AnyConnect.

If the method above doesn’t seem to work for you, proceed to our second suggested fix below.

Disable the ICS Service

  1. Press the Win + R key combination on your keyboard
  2. Type services.msc and hit Enter on your keyboardServices window VPN Client agent was unable to create the interprocess communication depot
  3. Locate the Internet Connection Sharing service
  4. Right-click the service and select Stop from the context menu
  5. Double-click the Internet Connection Sharing serviceInternet Connection Sharing properties window VPN Client agent was unable to create the interprocess communication depot
  6. Select the Disabled option from the Startup type drop-down menu
  7. Click the Apply button then click OK
  8. Restart your Windows 10 PC after performing the steps above

Conclusion

All things considered, it’s easy to see that both solutions revolve around disabling the Internet Connection Sharing feature.

Most of the time, disabling the ICS straight from the shared connection should restore Cisco AnyConnect’s functionality.

However, if the issue has deeper roots, you may need to get your hands dirty and disable the ICS service altogether.

You can now enjoy Windows 10 Conexant audio drivers again

Posted on by Loredana Harsana

Conexant or Synaptics audio devices often fail to install correctly when updating your Windows 10 computer.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise the fact that Microsoft has partially addressed these known issues. The Conexant audio driver is an essential part of a software program that gives instructions to the operating system.

The instructions basically allow the operating system to process sound outputs and inputs from your sound card to the speakers and microphone.

Here’s what Microsoft reveals when it comes to these latest changes:

To safeguard your update experience, we have applied a compatibility hold on Windows 10 devices with affected Conexant or Synaptics audio drivers installed from being offered Windows 10, version 2004 or Windows Server, version 2004 until the driver has been updated.

Is there a resolution for safeguard IDs 25702617 and 25702660?

audio drivers

Windows 10 PCs with affected Conexant or Synaptics audio drivers usually received a stop error with a blue screen. This happens during or after updating to Windows 10, version 2004.

A corrupt driver will eventually stop sound from working. That’s why it’s great to hear that Microsoft partially fixed Windows 10 Conexant audio driver issues.

To be more precise, the problem was resolved for safeguard IDs 25702662 and 25702673. If there are no other safeguards that affect your PC, it can take up to 48 hours before the update to Windows 10, version 2004/version 20H2 is offered.

Moreover, Microsoft and Synaptics are working on a resolution for safeguard IDs 25702617 and 25702660 as well. We expect an update in an upcoming release.

In the meantime, to avoid further issues, you must not manually update using the Update now button. However, you can take a look at this quick guide on how to Conexant HD audio not working in Windows 10.

With these being said, let us know if you’re excited about this fix coming from Microsoft and if you’re ready to enjoy the update to Windows 10, version 2004/20H2 as well.

8 best tech Christmas gifts for parents [Creative ideas]

Posted on by Madalina Dinita

Are you still looking for a nice Christmas gift for your loved ones? If the answer is yes and the recipients are your parents who also happen to be retired, then look no further.

In this quick buying guide, we’ll list a few great gift ideas for tech-savvy parents. We carefully selected these items to compile a list that’s as helpful as possible.

What tech gifts would suit your parents?

A multifunctional Bluetooth speaker

Retired people have an awful lot of time to do whatever they want. Many choose to spend long quiet mornings listening to their favorite music.

In order to enjoy the best possible audio experience, they need a top-notch speaker. And this is a really good Christmas gift idea for your retired parents.

We did the heavy lifting work for you and found a few speakers that your parents will love:

  • 100ft wireless range
  • 10+ watt volume booster
  • 14hrs playtime
  • Flimsy USB charging port
Check price
  • Waterproof
  • 20 hrs of playtime
  • Powerful bass
  • The sound rendering is not very accurate
Check price
  • 30ft wireless range
  • 8 hrs of playtime
  • Bose technology
  • A wide variety of design colors
  • No set-up instruction provided in the package
Check price

A nice tablet for watching movies

Everyone wishes they had more time to watch movies. So a nice tablet that your parents can carry around and binge watch some series might be a good gift for this Christmas. 

Here are four Windows 10 tablets with top-notch displays that are perfect for watching video content:

  • 8'' HD display
  • 32/64GB internal storage
  • Up to 12hrs of battery life
  • Poor customer service
Check price
  • 10.1'' FHD display
  • Strong Wi-Fi connection
  • 64GB expandable memory
  • Short charging cable
Check price

A compact camera to snap quick photos

Offer your parents a reliable camera so that they can take pictures wherever they go. This gift will remind them of their first film camera and will bring back fond memories.

  • 180-degree flip screen
  • 32GB microSD card included
  • Cheaper than similar products
  • Poor picture quality
Check price
  • 4.2x optical zoom
  • Wi-Fi enabled
  • Touch tilt LCD screen
  • Video autofocus issues
Check price
  • Waterproof, shockproof, dustproof
  • 4x optical zoom
  • Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Poor quality for zoomed pics
Check price

There you have three Christmas gift ideas for your parents. If you have any suggestions or gift ideas, let us know in the comments below.

New features ease adding SharePoint content to Teams

Posted on by Sinziana Mihalache

Microsoft has announced that they have made further steps into a deeper integration of their two main collaboration tools. As a result, it is now possible to bring Teams into your SharePoint site, as well as the other way round – pin certain documents or lists to be added to the Teams channel separately, via the improved SharePoint tab.

All these recent changes focus on a stronger collaboration experience and ease team members’ access to all the important files that are work-in-progress in one application or the other.

This is not only making it more comfortable for team members to collaborate on the same resources, but it also encourages organizations to adopt the Microsoft suite on a larger scale, given such transparency and clarification features.

How to add Teams to your SharePoint space?

  1. While logged into SharePoint, select the lists, files, or pages that you want to add to Teams as tabs.
  2. Click the Add Teams button.
  3. Your team site home page will be selected by default, but you can change it according to your needs.
  4. If you need to navigate through the document library for selection, use the breadcrumbs.
  5. To collaborate in Teams on the recently added resources, make sure that all team members open the same document.

Using the SharePoint tabs into Teams

In addition to the mentioned new feature, same-team members can also pin  pages, library news, or lists to their Teams channel by clicking the “+” button and choosing SharePoint and the content.

Users will also see a new Recommended tab which contains the most relevant SharePoint content their team is working on, for a more direct access and selection.

add sharepoint content to teams

On this occasion, the SharePoint pages app in Teams also brings a few changes. Namely, users can now add a page from any SharePoint site link and then paste the URL of the page or news post that has to be added as a tab. Upon permission verification, users will either be taken to the respective page or offered the possibility to request access.

With such useful options, it is likely that SharePoint will become even more popular than the benchmark 200 million daily users announced recently.

The Gears 5: Hivebusters campaign DLC is now available on Xbox consoles and PC

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Gears 5 is getting its first campaign DLC today, a little more than a year after the game’s release on Xbox One and PC. The new Hivebusters DLC adds a 3 hours campaign featuring Lahni, Mac, and Keegan, the three new characters first introduced in Gears 5’s Escape mode last year.

“Set in the Galangi islands, your adventures will take down treacherous lava flows, into dense jungles, and across sandy beaches all while fighting the Swarm and the Wakaatu, a deadly and never before seen predator. And to ramp up the action even further, each of our three heroes gets to use their Ultimate Abilities from Escape – yes, it’s time for some of Lahni’s sweet Electroblade action,” developer The Coalition explained today.

This new expansion adds 16 new achievements to Gears 5, and it takes advantage of the recent Xbox Series X|S optimizations including reduced load times, Quick Resume, and 4K HDR Ultra visuals on Series X. The Hivebusters campaign also supports 3 players co-op as well as cross-play between Xbox consoles and PC.

If you’re an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, you can play this new campaign DLC for free on Xbox or PC with your subscription. For everyone else, the Hivebusters DLC can be purchased for $19.99 USD in the Microsoft digital store and Steam.

Gears 5: Hivebusters
Gears 5: Hivebusters
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Gears 5: Hivebusters
Developer:
Xbox Game Studios
Price:
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FIX: Can’t install my language in Cyberpunk 2077 [Xbox]

Posted on by Teodor Nechita

In terms of gaming, few titles have ever had as much hype as Cyberpunk 2077, and even if the launch was plagued by all sorts of bugs and issues, it still managed to maintain a solid player base on all platforms.

However, many players have reported having issues with the game, meaning that they reportedly cannot install their regional languages on the Xbox console, especially those from Brazil.

Since Cyberpunk 2077 is a game of international proportions, we have taken it upon ourselves to create the below guide that will help you with your trouble.

How do I install my language on Cyberpunk 2077 properly?

Make sure you’re in the right region

By default, Cyberpunk 2077 will download and install itself based on the region you are currently it.

To install other than the primary language available to your region of the game, you’ll have to download it manually.

  1. Start your Xbox
  2. In Main Menu access Settings
  3. Go to Language
  4. Choose a language appearing as Not Installed
  5. Select the icon next to it
    • Make sure you have enough storage space

Remember that you can only download languages that are available to a given region, and that languages from other regions will not be available.

If that seems to be the case with you, then carry on to the next step for an instant fix.

On that note, here is a language breakdown for both physical and digital download versions of the game on Xbox One:

  • Americas
    • VO – English, Brazilian Portuguese, French
    • Text – English, Brazilian Portuguese, Latin American Spanish, French, Polish
  • Europe + Asia + Africa + Middle East 
    • VO – English, Russian, Polish
    • Text – Russian, Czech, Hungarian, English, Polish, Arabic, Turkish
  • Europe + Oceania + South Korea
    • VO – English, French, Italian, German, Spanish
    • Text – English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Polish, Korean
  • Japan 
    • VO – English, Japanese
    • Text – English, Japanese
  • Asia
    • VO – English, Chinese
    • Text – English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Thai

Use a VPN

If you realize that your Xbox‘s region is the reason why you have issues with the language packs, then the obvious solution would be to change your Xbox region.

However, using a VPN is much easier than instantly traveling a thousand miles, so we recommend that you give Private Internet Access a shot.

This VPN is developed and maintained by Kape Technologies, the same developers that brought your other great VPNs, such as CyberGhost.

With over 23000 servers available in all regions around the world, PIA offers unparalleled coverage, and it will give your Xbox everything it needs in order to download the language packs your desire.

Simply install PIA on your Xbox, select a region that will allow you to download the language pack that you desire, and start downloading.

Private Internet Access

Change the region of your Xbox instantly with the help of a VPN that has near-global coverage. Take advantage of this amazing offer now!
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By following these steps, you should be able to install any language of Cyberpunk 2077 without any further issues.

Let us know how helpful this article was for you by leaving us your feedback in the comments section below.

Microsoft has been using Windows Insiders to test the Windows 10X code base, according to report

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft released yesterday the Windows 10 build 20279 for Insiders in the Dev channel, which was a rare Monday flight from the Windows Insider team. The new bits bring no new features or bug fixes, and the team said that it just “wanted to test our ability to quickly follow-up a flight with another flight.”

Build 20279 is coming from the fe_release branch, which will soon disappear once all Dev channel Insiders start receiving builds from the rs_prerelease branch after the holidays. The Windows Insider team has never really explained the purpose of these two separate branches, and kept saying that builds coming from them were not tied to a specific Windows 10 release. However, Windows Central’s Zac Bowden is now reporting that Dev Channel Insiders have yet to test the upcoming 21H1 update for Windows 10 coming in the first half of next year.

According to Bowden, Microsoft has been using the fe_release branch to test the “Iron” codebase for Windows 10X, even though Dev Channel Insiders are currently not aware of it. “Microsoft is finalizing Windows 10X (and ultimately, the Iron codebase) with build 20279, so they’ve been pumping out bug fixes and changes big time internally, but none of that really translates to the desktop builds,” Bowden wrote.

Windows 10X, which Microsoft is testing internally, is expected to launch on new devices in the first half of 2021. In the meantime, the Windows Insider team has reportedly used the “Iron” fe_release branch to test builds for the new OS, but Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel have yet to test 21H1 builds for the next Windows 10 update to be released in the first half of 2021.

“Windows 10 desktop will get its own 21H1 release, but it won’t be based on the Iron codebase. Instead, 21H1 for desktop will be based on the Vibranium codebase (version 2004) just like the 20H2 update released a few weeks ago,” Bowden explained yesterday. If 21H1 should be another minor update for Windows 10 next year, Microsoft could be planning bigger changes for 21H2 with a big design update codenamed “Sun Valley.”  

It’s not clear why the Windows Insider team isn’t being more transparent about what’s happening in the background, but shipping a series of builds with very minor changes for several months surely doesn’t help to keep Insiders engaged in the long run. Maybe the Windows Insider team has good reasons for keeping some of its secrets under wraps, but we hope it won’t be too long before Microsoft explains what’s happening with Windows 10X and future Windows 10 updates.

Microsoft’s Yammer app gains new image gallery and live event improvements with latest update

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

The Android and iOS versions of the Yammer app both received updates recently. Both versions included a redesign of the way multiple images are displayed in communications while the Android version also received support for a new fullscreen experience for live events.

Here’s the Android release notes:

  • We have updated the multiple image gallery layouts to improve the viewing of image previews on a post.
  • Ready to watch your live event in full screen? Now you can with our latest Android experience! Click fullscreen when watching your live event to see an immersive view!

And here’s the iOS release notes:

  • We have updated the multiple image gallery layouts to improve the viewing of image thumbnails in a conversation.
  • This update also has other improvements and fixes.

Do you use Yammer? Let us know what you think of this latest update in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest and Twitter for more Microsoft app content.

Viva Engage
Viva Engage
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Viva Engage
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Viva Engage – Microsoft Corporation
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‎Viva Engage
‎Viva Engage
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‎Viva Engage
Developer:
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Price:
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Xbox app updates on Android and iOS with new chat media functionality

Posted on by Radu Tyrsina

Microsoft’s official Xbox app updated on both iOS and Android smart devices today. The update, which brought it to Version 2012.1207.2321 on iOS and Version 2012.1207.2233 on Android, didn’t make anywhere near as many changes as its recent major design revamp update but it did add some extra functionality to the direct messaging feature which users had been wanting for a very long time now.

Here’s the full release notes which are identical on both platforms:

Send custom images in Chats! You can now send photos from your device or directly from your camera to your Xbox friends via a Chat message.

Do you use the Xbox app on your iPhone or Android smartphone? Will you use this new image feature in chats? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below and then follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more Xbox gaming news.

‎Xbox
‎Xbox
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‎Xbox
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Xbox
Xbox
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Xbox
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Microsoft Corporation
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