Windows Central: January 2017

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Grab this great mechanical keyboard at its lowest price yet!

Update: This popular deal is back again with a new coupon code. Use code JPWMM2QA for the savings!

Mechanical keyboards are all the rage these days, and Mpow happens to make an extremely affordable option that is pretty great. Right now you can pick one up for its lowest price ever at just $27, a savings of $7 from its regular price with coupon code JPWMM2QA. This keyboard offers full anti-ghosting on all keys, instantaneous responsiveness and much more, which makes it quite a bargain at this price.

If you are looking to check out a mechanical keyboard without breaking the bank, be sure to pick one of these up before the price goes back up. Remember, you'll need to use coupon code JPWMM2QA for the savings here!

See at Amazon

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Resident Evil 7 guide: How to beat the chainsaw boss in the basement morgue

Resident Evil 7 is a stunning return to form for the classic horror franchise, but it can be quite difficult.

Aside from Resident Evil 7's atmospheric horror gameplay, puzzle solving and tense exploration, it's also peppered with boss fights that are everything from mildly interactive events to fairly difficult duels to the death. The chainsaw fight in the morgue is one of the latter.

Once you finish your exploration of the Baker house's basement, you will have to do battle with a chainsaw-wielding madman. Warning: Spoilers ahead.

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Riptide GP: Renegade will hit Xbox One and Windows 10 on February 24

Following a relatively long wait, Riptide GP: Renegade finally has a launch date for Xbox One and Windows 10.

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HP rolling out yet another firmware update for the Elite x3

HP is rolling out yet another firmware update for its HP Elite x3 running Windows 10 Mobile, featuring more performance and under the hood improvements. HP is yet to release an official changelog for this update, but when they do we'll update this post accordingly.

The new firmware update in question is rolling out as version 0002.0000.0023.0113, up from the previous firmware version 0002.0000.0018.0105, and so far we've noticed Windows Hello feels a tad-faster than previously, which is always welcome. We're still digging for new changes, so let us know below if you notice anything new.

This is HPs 4th firmware update for the Elite x3 in just a few months, which is great news as it means HP is committed to supporting their Windows 10 Mobile device. We suspect today's firmware update will improve the experience when using the HP Lap Dock too, as that device launched with some minor bugs and issues.

Thanks for the tip, [@SilverFoxxx1](HP is rolling out yet another firmware update for its HP Elite x3 running Windows 10 Mobile, featuring more performance and under the hood improvements.)

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The Elder Scrolls Online is headed back to Morrowind with its next expansion

Elder Scrolls Online fans, get ready: you're going back to Morrowind.

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LucidSound gaming headsets sound amazing — and look even better

LucidSound focuses exclusively on premium gaming headsets. At PAX South, we tried its super sexy headsets for Xbox One and other platforms and learned about some Xbox-specific headsets that are in the works.

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January update now rolling out to Office Insiders on desktop

A new Office Insider build is rolling out to members on the Slow ring, bringing a few new features for Office 365 users to check out in the Office 2016 apps.

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Best 2-in-1 Laptops

What are the best 2-in-1 laptops I can buy?

Having a notebook and a tablet in the same device, whether detachable or just convertible, is a very attractive option for many people due to its versatility. We rounded up the best 2-in-1 laptops available now to help you decide which is best for you.

Update 24 January 2017: This list has been refreshed with newer Kaby Lake models of the Lenovo Yoga, HP Spectre x360, and we've also added the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1.

Microsoft Surface Book
Lenovo Yoga 910
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
HP Spectre x360 (2017)
Dell XPS 13 2-in-1
Samsung Galaxy TabPro S
Huawei MateBook
ASUS Transformer 3 Pro

Microsoft Surface Book (with Performance Base)

If money is no option, Microsoft's Surface Book with Performance Base is your best bet when choosing a 2-in-1 laptop.

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Rainbow Six Siege will be free to play this weekend for Xbox Live Gold members

Xbox Live Gold subscribers can look forward to checking out another game for free this weekend on Xbox One, this time with Rainbow Six Siege.

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3 more games head to Xbox One backward compatibility

The list of backward compatible games on Xbox One just grew by 3.

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Satya Nadella addresses employees on Trump's immigration order

Microsoft recently came out in opposition to President Trump's executive order banning immigration from certain countries, and now CEO Satya Nadella has given some more personal thoughts on the matter in a Q&A with employees.

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Colonize the final frontier with Space Settlers Pro, today's myAppFree Deal

Arcade games for Windows 10 are often not very complicated, but they can be enjoyable time wasters.

Space Settlers Pro lets you colonize planets by guiding and landing a series of spaceships on a planet's surface. While this sounds easy, the path is filled with moving obstacles and your landing area is in a constant state of rotation. If your timing and aim are slightly off, your colonization efforts may fall short.

Space Settlers Pro is available for Windows 10 Mobile, and it regularly costs $1.99. However, with the help of this myAppFree promotion, you can pick up Space Settlers Pro free during the next 24 hours. Graphics are colorful, the mechanics simple and overall Space Settlers Pro is a challenging game.

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Microsoft announces new Ocean Shadow and Winter Forces Xbox Wireless Controllers

Microsoft has announced a pair of new Xbox One Wireless Controllers set to hit store shelves in early February.

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Microsoft details new Edge features coming in the Windows 10 Creators Update

Microsoft has today outlined all the new features you can expect to see in Microsoft Edge with the new Windows 10 Creators Update coming in April this year. Microsoft Edge is one app on Windows 10 that could definitely use some attention, and it appears Microsoft is doing just that with the Creators Update.

Edge's new features are highlighted in a video released by Microsoft on its official YouTube page. The video gives a brief overview of new tab organization features, Microsoft Wallet integration, 3D support, extensions and more.

Ebooks are another big deal in the Creators Update for Microsoft Edge, as Edge will be the default app used to read books that are downloaded from the new Windows Store books area. Finally, the video touches on extensions, which are already available on the Anniversary Update but are improved with the Creators Update.

Microsoft has also made improvements under the hood that should improve Microsoft Edge's performance when browsing the web. A big complain with users so far is that Edge can be slow and often lag and crash, so with the Creators Update Microsoft is trying to solve these issues and make Edge a viable Google Chrome competitor.

What are you most looking forward to in Microsoft Edge with the Creators Update? Let us know in the comments!

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This is the kind of Windows 10 app developers will be able to design with Project NEON

You can get an early glimpse of what Project NEON looks like in the latest preview of the Interop Unlock Tools app.

Late last year, we exclusively revealed that Microsoft is working on a new, improved design language for Windows 10, called Project NEON, that aims to bring more fluidity, blur and animation to the OS. Since then, concept images have leaked, and now Insider Preview builds feature some early Project NEON APIs and elements.

Because of this, one eager developer building an app called Interop Unlock Tools has released a preview build that features early Project NEON designs, giving us a good look at what we can expect developers to achieve with their own apps once Project NEON is officially unveiled. Interop Unlock Tools, for those who don't know, is an app that allows you to access the registry, enable tweaks, and more on a Windows 10 PC or Windows 10 Mobile device.

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Madden NFL 17 Super Bowl Edition now available at a heavy discount

We're quickly approaching the pinnacle of the American football season with the Super Bowl on the horizon, and now you can celebrate a little early with Madden NFL 17 Super Bowl Edition on your Xbox One.

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'Silence - The Whispered World 2' is the latest game to sport Xbox Play Anywhere

You can add another title to the growing list of Xbox Play Anywhere games with Silence - Whispered World 2, now available for Xbox One and Windows 10.

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Forza Horizon 2 and ARK: Survival Evolved lead this week's Deals with Gold

Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has taken the wraps off of the games included in this week's Deals with Gold.

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3 easy-to-build mini PCs that can save you money

With just a screwdriver and some determination, you can build a small PC and even save some cash.

Specifically, what we're referring to is Barebones PC, a kit that you can buy that comes with all of the bare essentials required to make a PC. You'll get a case, a processor and a motherboard, and that's about it. Occasionally you might find a kit or bundle from a retailer that also offers storage or RAM, but generally you have to provide those yourself. You'll also need the OS, so you'll have to pick up a copy of Windows 10.

Beyond saving space and money, Barebones PC is also an easy way to break into the world of building your own PC.

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Surface Pro 3 picks up January firmware update

A new firmware update appears to be rolling out to the Surface Pro 3.

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Best room-scale games for the HTC Vive

Get walking in virtual reality with these room-scale titles!

Both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive now support room-scale gameplay, with a recent wave of room-scale titles debut for both platforms. Giving players the ability to roam a significant virtual space, games that implement this feature gain another layer of immersion that differentiates them from the competition.

But where can you get the best experience? These are our favorite HTC Vive titles with the best implementations of room-scale!

Heart Box for Windows 10 lets you solve puzzles and save robots

Heart Box is a physics-based puzzle game for Windows 10 in which you are tasked with saving a small robot from captivity.

The free game is available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, and it offers colorful graphics, simple mechanics and plenty of head-scratching conundrums to solve. Heart Box also include hints should you need a little help getting past a game level. It is ad-supported, with the option to remove the ads through a $0.99 in-app purchase.

Overall, Heart Box is an enjoyable game to pass the time with, and it's a fitting addition to the physics-based game aisle in the Windows Store.

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Save $100 on the HP Envy 13 right now!

Right now you can save $100 on the HP Envy 13 laptop at Amazon, dropping the price down to just $599. Powered by a 2.5GHz processor, this 13.3-inch laptop has 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, which means it will be great for handling multiple tasks at the same time. Sure, it may not be a gaming set up, nor will you want to do heavy gaming or video editing on it, but for daily web browsing, document creating and casual fun, this is a great machine.

This $100 discount is not likely to last long, so if you want to pick one up be sure to grab one now before the price jumps again.

See at Amazon

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Speed up your PC with a lifetime of Windows Care Genius Pro for just $25

Has your computer become slower over the years of using it daily for various tasks? Ever wish you could speed it up without having to replace it with a new one? There are tons of services out there, and people who are willing to do it for you, but that can get super costly, and no one wants to spend more than they have to. Don't get caught paying annually to have your computer run better, there are smarter ways.

Speed up your PC for much less! Learn More

Meet Windows Care Genius Pro, a great way to speed up your computer on your own, right from home. One purchase of a lifetime license will allow you to complete the task without having to leave your house or interact with any repair people, and best of all it's pretty simple. From cleaning up junk files to managing your registry, this software just about does it all without breaking the bank.

Some of the key features of Windows Care Genius Pro include:

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Can I use both of my graphics cards with VR?

Why can't I use multiple graphics cards for VR?

Many people looking at an HTC Vive or an Oculus Rift raise questions about using multiple graphics cards (GPUs) with their headset. How does it work? Is it even possible?

Hitman beginner's guide – How to hone your assassin skills

In this Hitman beginner's guide, we explain how to get the jump on your targets and become the perfect assassin.

Hitman's first season has finally come to a close, following six episodes of content that take place across a range of locales. Although there was a level of skepticism from the outset, Square Enix has successfully shown the series' potential as an episodic franchise.

With the first season all wrapped up, now's a perfect time to jump into the world of assassination. Whether you're a veteran of the franchise or are still yet to perform your first kill, here are eight quick tips to get started.

1. Keep control of the situation

Large-scale operations are a focus in Hitman's latest rendition, offering expansive levels which house hundreds of unique non-player characters (NPCs). Although both remarkable and immersive, the scale also necessitates an entirely different approach to gameplay.

With NPCs freely roaming the world, one of the biggest threats to your mission will be innocent bystanders. Panic can spread quickly and if you're caught committing any crimes, situations can quickly spiral out of control. To prevent widespread chaos, make sure to keep an eye out for potential witnesses when performing any suspicious activities. Most NPCs follow general paths over time, sometimes providing a window for when your actions can go unnoticed. Patience is key in these scenarios, with the best rewards coming to those who wait.

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This $10 gaming keyboard will defy your expectations

Do you still have to spend a ton of cash to get a good gaming keyboard?

As the popularity of PC gaming continues to grow there are more and more choices for accessories. Traditionally an expensive hobby, today it's possible to get started on a much tighter budget.

There's also a lot of stuff out there that's not worth your time. Is the i-Rocks Rock Series K10 PBT Reinforced Mechanical Feel Keyboard, which costs less than $10 bucks, one of the good ones?

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How to sync Edge data between Windows 10 devices

How do you get your favorites and reading list onto all of your Windows 10 devices?

Microsoft Edge has a feature that lets you sync that data between devices as long as you're signed in with a Microsoft account. This keeps you from wasting time searching for the same websites, and it gives you a more familiar experience no matter what device you're using. Let's take a look at how to set Edge to sync.

How to sign into Edge with a Microsoft account
How to make Edge sync between Windows 10 devices
How to change other sync options

How to sign into Edge with a Microsoft account

Before you can start syncing Edge data between devices, you must be signed into your PC using a Microsoft account. When you set up your PC for the first time, if you signed in with your Microsoft account, you can move on to the next section. If not, follow these steps:

Click the Start button.
Click the Settings button. (It looks like a gear.)
Click Accounts.
Click Sign in with a Microsoft account instead.
Type the email address associated with your Microsoft account and hit Tab on your keyboard.

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Grab Ventev's aux cable for just $7.87 today!

Looking for an easy way to connect your phone to your home sound system or even in the car? If so, check out Ventev's 4-foot aux cable for an easy way to connect your phone via a 3.5mm headphone jack to other equipment. Right now you can pick up a cable for just $7.87 and get the music from your phone playing loudly in many more places!

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Microsoft is taking on Chromebooks with Windows 10 'Cloud'

As Windows Central exclusively revealed last week, Microsoft is working on a new Windows 10 SKU under the name "Windows 10 Cloud", but info on what it is were unclear. Now, a report from ZDNet has unveiled that Windows 10 Cloud is actually more like Windows RT, being a UWP-only SKU of Windows with the goal of tackling Chromebooks.

Windows Central can confirm that the Windows 10 Cloud SKU, for the most part will look and feel identical to any normal Windows 10 SKU. The only new thing that Windows 10 Cloud will bring to the table is the fact that it won't be able to run normal apps downloaded from the web, as everything will be routed through the Windows Store, similar to Windows RT.

This is Microsoft's attempt at tackling Chromebooks, and another chance at building a Windows RT that hopefully works. Chromebooks are a serious threat to Windows 10, especially in the low-end portion of the market. Windows 10 Cloud is a great solution for providing a cheap, low-end SKU for hardware makers to bundle on low-end devices, that isn't susceptible to viruses from malware downloaded from the web. Think Windows 8.1 with Bing, but with a Windows RT twist.

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