HP is continuing to improve the Elite x3 running Windows 10 Mobile. A new firmware (it's fifth) is now available 0002.0000.0026.0118 and there is even a changelog to go with it. That's a jump from the current 0113 version that came out just a few weeks ago.
Here is what's new.
Just a few days after pushing a previous build, Microsoft is now rolling out Windows 10 build 15046 to Fast ring Insiders.
The slate of unique upcoming Xbox One and Windows 10 games with Play Anywhere support only keeps getting longer, and the latest addition will definitely scratch an itch if your a fan of classic turn-based tactical games.
Does someone keep changing your desktop background on Windows 10? Here's how to stop them and lock down some specific wallpaper.
There could be many good reasons you may want to prevent users from changing the desktop background on Windows 10. Perhaps you work for a company that wants devices (or guest computers) only to display a custom wallpaper with a company logo. Or at home, if you share your computer with other people, you may want to see a particular desktop background, but someone keeps changing it.
Windows 10 offers a few ways to keep users from changing the desktop background on a computer, including using Group Policy and modifying the Registry.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to restrict users from changing the current desktop background using the Local Group Policy Editor and Registry.
You can keep users from changing the current desktop background in multiple ways, but the quickest method is to use the Local Group Policy Editor, as long as you're running Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education.
Record video and enjoy Skype calls in 1080p with the best webcam available today: the Logitech C922.
Updated February 28, 2017: Say hello to a new category for 4K webcams and its first entry, the Logitech BRIO.
The Logitech C922 records crisp 1080p video that can be saved for later viewing, uploaded to YouTube, or sent to a friend. Improved from its predecessor, the C920, the new version also does 720p video at 60 frames per second (FPS). Dual microphones pick up your voice rather than the ambient sound around you. A strong mounting clip keeps the webcam in place, or you can use the included mini tripod. The party piece is the smart background-removal software that comes with it to act as a virtual green screen. Perfect for streamers without the budget or the space for a real one.
Bottom line: The Logitech C922 is the best webcam you can buy, and it has some neat tricks for streamers.
One more thing: The C920 is mostly the same if you don't want the fancy software tricks at a lower price.
My webcam is on, but nobody's home — how do I identify the app that's using it?
If you've already experienced the unease of seeing your webcam light come on when you aren't using it, you might be one of the countless people who covers the little camera with a piece of a sticky note or sticky tack. Some malicious programs that hijack your webcam can disable the LED that lets you know when it's turned on.
Less fear mongering and more solutions, you say? OK. First, if you see your webcam light is on and you don't know why, cover it up. Now that it's covered, let's take a look at how to find out which app is controlling your webcam and how to regain your privacy.
Microsoft has a neat little tool that is sort of like a task manager working on a deeper level. It allows you to search by device, to see which process is using it. Microsoft explains it well:
Process Explorer shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.
Check out a complete list of all the games currently offered by Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox Game Pass is still in its very early days, but there are already some great titles to play inside the program.
If you're looking to see exactly what's available right now, you've come to the right place! Here's a full A-to-Z list, along with details on Xbox-360 and Xbox-One backwards compatibility.
If you've been eager to get your hands on Fable Fortune, the time has almost arrived — if you're lucky.
Microsoft's take on EA Access is available now to Alpha ring members of the Xbox Insider Program. Here's how it all works.
The announcement of Xbox Game Pass is a huge deal for both Microsoft and Xbox gamers. Along with EA Access, it's a serious differentiator between Xbox and the competition and will help folks discover new games without the need to fork out cash to buy them.
Unlike Sony's subscription service, PlayStation Now, Xbox Game Pass allows you to download and install the games locally on your console, so you won't have to stream them from the cloud. It'll also offer a mix of Xbox One and Xbox 360 games, an extra dose of awesome.
We fired it up to take a quick look.
What happens when you jam a powerful gaming PC into a tiny box with some aggressive styling? The Lenovo IdeaCentre Y710 Cube happens, that's what.
Late last year, Lenovo announced the IdeaCentre Y710 Cube with an aggressive design meant for use in the home and entertainment centers. It's the first mini tower gaming PC with a handle on top that's meant to help easily move it around the home.
I spent the past week with this "small-and-mighty" PC, and there little not to love about it. It's packed with up to a NVIDIA GTX 1080, quad-core Intel processor, and Killer Ethernet and Wireless, and it satisfies all of your gaming and virtual reality (VR) needs.
Here's what to look out for in 2017 for Oculus Rift!
Following last year's launch of the Oculus Rift and the subsequent release of Oculus Touch controllers, 2017 is looking to be a big year for owners of the headset. With a huge range of innovative titles in the pipeline and new hardware also on the way, virtual reality experiences will continue getting better than ever.
As a part of its GDC offerings, we got the opportunity to get hands-on with some of Oculus' biggest upcoming releases. Each sporting their own unique take on motion controls, these titles are among the second wave of experiences to hit the platform.
From the titles on offer, it's instantly clear that the approach to Touch differs wildly between developers. While some use the controllers as traditional hand-replacements, we're also seeing applications in real-time strategy experiences and musical environments. Here's a closer look at the games coming to Oculus Rift in 2017.
Fifth Third Bank is the latest to now support Microsoft Wallet on Windows 10 Mobile.
The Elite x3 is a phone for business, according to HP, and the addition of a new barcode scanner case unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 expands the feature set for businesses. It's a simple accessory built on the legacy of decades of barcode scanners, and it brings that old-school tech to a decidedly new-school format.
The unit essentially consists of two parts: a case that attaches to the Elite x3 and connects to the five pogo pins on the lower back, and a pop-on scanner module that sits near the top with a cut-out for the phone's rear camera and fingerprint scanner.
Which laptops support Windows Hello for secure authentication?
Windows Hello is a security system designed by Microsoft that uses biometrics to log you into your Windows 10 laptop. To take advantage of facial recognition, your device needs a special kind of camera that can scan your face, so not all laptops with webcams are compatible. However, most fingerprint readers, when given the right drivers, are compatible with Windows Hello.
The number of laptops that are compatible with Windows Hello continues to grow, and we compiled a list to keep you in the know. If you see an omission, be sure to let us know, and we'll add it.
Alienware
Another pretty big update is rolling out to the Movies & TV app for Windows 10 Insiders on the Slow ring.
Waves of Zombies is a post-apocalyptic game of survival for Windows 10 in which you command a team of defenders who must battle waves of Zombies, seek out other survivors and rebuild their homeland.
The game combines elements of a role-playing game, tower defense game and interactive story to deliver a feature rich Windows 10 title. Available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, this free game sports detailed graphics and animations, and it has plenty of weapons to buy and upgrade, as well as a host of characters to develop. Game controls are simple and gameplay offers a nice strategy challenge as the zombie waves become more difficult to defeat.
The free game is a fun way to spend a little downtime with an addictive pull that makes it easy to lose track of time with. Waves of Zombies is an excellent addition to this Windows 10 game genre.
If you've been wondering why nobody has messaged you on WhatsApp this morning, they probably already have and you just didn't know. It appears WhatsApp on Windows Phone is suffering from an issue that has stopped all notifications coming in until you open the app, essentially making the platform useless for Windows Phone users on Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10 Mobile.
It's unclear what's caused the issue, but the issue itself appears to be widespread on both the production WhatsApp and WhatsApp Beta apps, making us believe it may be a server issue. It's also unclear if this is a global issue or regional one. Sending a message to someone using WhatsApp on Windows Phone right now will see that message not get delivered until they open the app, which is why Windows Phone users aren't receiving notifications.
Windows Central has been able to confirm that notifications are not working on Windows 10 Mobile using both WhatsApp and WhatsApp Beta apps in the UK, on both the Anniversary Update and Creators Update. Reinstalling the app does not appear to fix the issue. We've reached out to WhatsApp for comment, and will update this article when we know more or if the issue gets mended. In the meantime, are you still receiving notifications from WhatsApp on Windows Phone?
Update: This offer ends at midnight tonight (Feb. 28), so be sure to act now if you are interested!
Our current, tech-obsessed world demands a storage solution for your multimedia data, the most convenient being cloud-based storage which you can access from anywhere. Most cloud-based storage services charge a monthly fee, which, over time, adds up to quite a fee. Those of you sick of subscription fees need a storage solution that requires a single payment for a lifetime of access. More importantly, you need cloud storage that is encrypted and can be accessed from all your devices.
Don't miss your last chance to save big! Learn More
Right now, Windows Central Digital Offers has a deal on 1TB of cloud storage from Zoolz — a single payment of $39 gives you lifetime access. Does this seem cheap? It is! This is 98% off the regular price of $3600.
Following the runaway success of EA Access, it seems Microsoft itself is now keen to get in on the action.
Announced via Xbox Wire today, the new Xbox Game Pass will provide subscribers with over 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 backwards compatible games, from publishers like 2K, 505 Games, Focus Home Interactive, and more.
The Xbox Game Pass will cost $9.99 a month, and will be available to Xbox Alpha testers today with a small subset of titles to gather feedback.
We recently caught up with composers Brian Lee White, Brian Trifon and Gordy Haab to discuss how they created Halo Wars 2's incredible soundtrack.
Gordy Haab teamed up with Finishing Move, comprised of Brian Lee White and Brian Trifon, to compose Halo Wars 2's soundtrack. Halo Wars 2's musical score is as majestic as it is dynamic. In Halo Wars 2, the music adapts to the flow of battle, ramping up as the action intensifies and subsiding as combat ends. The team composed a whopping 150 minutes of music, including the score for the mesmerizing Blur cinematic cutscenes.
In this in-depth interview, we discuss the team's origins, the experience of working with 343i and Creative Assembly on Halo, and much more.
The BBC micro:bit is a tiny little motherboard designed in partnership with Microsoft, and it is a wonderful way to get kids into coding.
The BBC micro:bit is not unlike the Raspberry Pi, at least in concept. It is a tiny little computer that has been distributed to schools and is now sold to the public, with the mission of helping kids learn to code.
It's not as advanced as the Raspberry Pi, and it takes a very different approach to how you use it, but the ideals are the same. If your kid wants to start coding, this is definitely something he or she should have.
Defense Zone 3 Ultra HD is an action-packed strategy game for Windows 10 that tests your skills at defensive strategy.
The game offers plenty of time-tested turrets to dispatch your enemies, a variety of landscapes and special defensive attacks to draw upon. Graphics are full of detail, and if gameplay is too easy, Defense Zone 3 has four difficulty levels to keep you challenged.
Available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, Defense Zone 3 Ultra HD normally costs $2.99. However, with the help of a myAppFree promotion, you can pick up Defense Zone 3 HD free during the next 24 hours. It is an intense tower defense style game and a challenging way to pass the time. The myAppFree deal only adds to the game's appeal.
If you're tempted by Halo Wars 2 but aren't sure about dropping the money on it, then good news! Microsoft has launched a demo of the newest entry in the Halo universe on Xbox One, with a Windows 10 version coming "soon."
If you need some extra power during various days and don't have time to sit tethered to the wall, Ventev's Powercell is what you need. It is a 10000mAh portable battery that allows you to charge from anywhere, and right now you can pick one up for just $44.87.
This week's Deals with Gold is a rather special promotion as an EA publisher sale is also underway. Not only will you have the discounted collection from Microsoft, but also a catalog of titles from the massive gaming brand. Microsoft's Larry Hryb revealed which Xbox One and Xbox 360 titles are covered in this week's promotion.
Microsoft is rolling out a new build to Xbox Insiders on the Alpha ring this evening.
The update contains no new features, instead focusing on fixes for the System Update engine, audio, Games & Apps, and Twitch. As usual, the update will drop at 6 PM PST today.
Here's everything that's fixed, and broken, in the latest Xbox Insider Alpha build.
Thimbleweed Park, a curious little indie title that's been in the works for a while, has finally gained a release date.
This week on the Windows Central Podcast: We talk new app updates, upcoming updates to Windows 10 Mobile, the new Dell Latitude and more!
With Twitter releasing updates to its UWP app, and Minecraft coming to Windows 10 Mobile, you'd be hard pressed to think Windows 10 Mobile was actually dead. We talk new updates, reviews and future OS updates to Windows 10 Mobile in this weeks episode!
Panasonic's Toughbook line has a reputation for ruggedness, and the new CF-33 2-in-1 tablet is absurd in all the best ways.
Is your Windows 10 tablet guaranteed to survive a fall from more than a meter up? Does it have twin hot-swappable batteries? Or a 12-inch 1200nit QHD display? How about an Ethernet port?
I didn't think so. The Panasonic Toughbook CF-33 has all of that and more.
I'll be honest: This is not a 2-in-1 tablet for everybody, most people, or even more than a select market that needs a fully ruggedized PC. Panasonic's Toughbook line has always been beastly and expensive, and the CF-33 is no exception. It is built to take the abuse of life out in the field that your typical Windows 10 portable, even the most solidly-built laptops, just can't take. Panasonic's been making Toughbooks for more than a decade, and the CF-33 is the natural evolution of the brand.
Let's talk about the Toughbook CF-33 like it's a typical Windows 10 tablet for a bit. It's running Windows 10 (or Windows 7 if you choose the corporate downgrade option so it will work with ancient corporate apps) on top of a seventh-generation Intel Core vPro i5-7300U processor with up to 16GB of RAM and up to a 512GB solid state drive (SSD). The 10-point multitouch LCD display measures 12-inches diagonally with a crisp 2160 x 1440 resolution on a comfortable 3:2 aspect ratio. The screen is eye-poppingly bright at 1,200nits, making it a breeze to use in even direct sunlight.
