Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Star Wars: Commander is being retired on Windows devices

If you still like to jump into Star Wars: Commander on your Windows phone or PC, your time with the game is coming to an end.



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Rivals of Aether's Dan Fornace talks ID@Xbox, Game Preview, and indie development

Rivals of Aether is a tremendous fighting game inspired by classics such as Super Smash Bros., and it's available now on Xbox One in Game Preview.

Rivals of Aether has a strong cult following on PC and Xbox, for its tight recreation of Nintendo's Smash Bros.-style fighting gameplay. It also has robust online matchmaking, great customization and multiplayer features, and a whimsical cast of element-based contenders.

We recently caught up with designer and Rivals of Aether lead developer Dan Fornace to talk ID@Xbox, game development, early access, and more.



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How to set up a home file server using FreeNAS

Setting up FreeNAS, a popular open-source network attached storage (NAS) solution, is not a difficult task. Here's how to get started and configure a working home server.

FreeNAS offers a stable platform for home and office use. From a simple file server to a connected media hub, it's possible to configure FreeNAS to perform a variety of tasks on behalf of other PCs on the same network. Thankfully, to install the OS, it doesn't require much time or knowledge.



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7 powerful charging gadgets for Xbox One controllers

Xbox One controllers are powered by AA batteries, but if swapping out alkaline cells isn't your thing, some awesome rechargeable battery options exist.

There is a wide array of charging solutions available on the market for Xbox One controllers, ranging from cheap and cheerful to premium. Here are some of the best.



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Immersive Reader comes to Outlook on the web, OneNote for Windows 10

Microsoft has announced that it is bringing Immersive Reader to both Outlook on the web and OneNote for Windows 10.



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Windows 10 Creators Update starts rolling out to Surface Hub with slew of new features

A little over a month after the Windows 10 Creators Update began its general rollout, Microsoft has announced the update is now rolling out to the Surface Hub.



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7 easy ways to sell an old Surface PC so you can buy a new one

Where can you sell your old Surface PC to get some cash for a new one?

With the announcement of a couple of new Surface devices from Microsoft, including the Surface Laptop and Surface Pro, many people are wondering how they can offload their old device in order to make room (and funds) for a new one. We have some good news! Surface devices are built exceptionally well and hold onto their value for quite some time.

Here are the best places you can sell your old Surface before the new one arrives.

Selling your old Microsoft Surface



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Seeing Microsoft's mobile future requires big-picture perspective

Does Microsoft have a mobile strategy? Yes, but to see it you must look beyond the yearly cycle governing the smartphone industry.

I've often contemplated how artists who create large works, like the 60-foot sculptures of Mount Rushmore, maintain perspective. As they work on the details of the piece, they're far too close to (essentially engulfed by) the enormous "canvas" to see how each detail relates to the larger whole. It's a very different perspective than a sketchpad drawing where the entire picture is always in view.

In the case of Mount Rushmore, the artist rigged a flat-panel projector on the heads of each president. A model of the sculpture had a similar rig. Thousands of measurements were taken from the model, multiplied by twelve, taken to the mountain by the sculptor's crew, and facial expressions and carving points and depths were marked off in red paint. Thus, workers could confidently give composite parts of the whole the required attention, knowing their work would ultimately culminate in what was modeled.



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HP's Cortana speaker makes brief appearance at Computex

Up until now, Harman Kardon's Cortana speaker is the only one we've gotten a look at, but Computex just changed that.



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Wacom announces new Bamboo Ink stylus built for Windows Ink

Wacom has taken the wraps off of a new digital stylus, the Bamboo Ink, built to take full advantage of Windows Ink on most Windows 10 devices.



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Star Trek: Bridge Crew - Our favorite cheats and tricks

The Federation is counting on you, so it's ok to break the rules a little.

As long as you and your crewmates communicate well and execute on your combined strategies, most of Star Trek: Bridge Crew is a breeze. Where you'll run into the most trouble is if your ship isn't ready to spring into action when you need it to, or if your plan turns out to have some serious flaws. Not to worry, we've been playing for a while and found some clever tricks and cheats to help get you where you need to go.

Read more at VR Heads!



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Tokyo 42 for Xbox One review: A sleek and stylish shooter you don't want to miss

Tokyo 42 is a sleek twin-stick shooter for Xbox One, but it's the game's stylish city that really steals the show.

Tokyo 42 is a game that's hard not to be drawn into. From its reveal early last year, its miniature isometric world has been the center of attention, painting a futuristic look at modern-day Tokyo. This shooter doesn't look like your everyday open-world game, and on top of its unique art style it manages to introduce some unique twin-stick mechanics.



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How to tell if your mini PC supports 4K — and why that matters

Most mini PCs support 4K these days.

The technology to enable true 4K has been around for years, but as is often the case, it takes a while for the tech to filter through and become more affordable. That's where we're at right now.

Today, 4K TVs are common and so are 4K PC monitors, and we're getting more and more ultra HD (UHD) content to use with these displays. But a display isn't any use without something to actually push that 4K content to it. Thankfully, that doesn't require a high-end gaming PC.

There's a pretty wide range of PCs that can push 4K video output, from the very big to the very small. And in the case of a mini PC, you're looking at a good option for a living-room-based Home Theater PC (HTPC).



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Big 8 Zip update adds touch of Fluent Design, lots of new features

Hints of Microsoft's new Fluent Design language are showing up in all kinds of third-party apps on the Windows Store, and popular file archiver 8 Zip is the latest to get the treatment.



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How to set up your HTC Vive base stations without drilling holes

Put the drill down, and back away slowly.

HTC's guidelines for the Vive makes mounting its magic tracking boxes incredibly easy, as long as you're cool with drilling holes. The mounting brackets included with the kit get the job done, but what if drilling holes either isn't an option or something you want to do?

Don't fret – using the mounting brackets isn't a requirement. In fact, HTC designed the Vive lighthouses with this in mind.

Read more at VR Heads!



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SoundCloud now beta testing an app for Windows 10

SoundCloud fans on Windows 10 are in for a treat, as the company has begun testing a new app on the Windows Store.



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Share your favorite Windows 10 wallpaper and Start menu!

Do you have a favorite desktop design? Why not share it with the Windows Central community?

We love desktop designs, and we want to see your Windows 10 wallpapers and Start menus! With the Creators Update, you can customize your Windows 10 desktops in even more ways, with custom accent colors, Live Tile folders, and more.

Some people like to keep their desktops super clean and minimal (like me), and others keep their desktops nice and messy and chaotic. Regardless of your desktop design, we want to see it. We promise we won't judge! (Well, maybe a little ...) There's a forum discussion going on right now that's a great place to share.



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Best Cooking Apps for Windows 10

One of the convenient uses for a Windows 10 device is to help you find your way around the kitchen and there is a host of apps available to aid your culinary adventures.

Whether you are trying to impress your date with a home-cooked meal or hosting a holiday feast, many find themselves in the kitchen hoping to cook things up just right. While these Windows 10 apps may not turn you into a Bobby Flay, they can point you in the right direction.

These apps can help you develop the basic cooking skills or expand the skills you already possess. Let's take a look at the best cooking apps the Windows Store has to offer.

Updated May 30, 2017: We made a few changes to this article based on new releases, reader input or staff discussion. There are some new titles in the mix, as well as those that we continue to view as the best from the Windows Store.



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Everything you need to know about Oculus Rift

What is an Oculus Rift?

Three years ago, a guy named Palmer Luckey launched a Kickstarter campaign to build the next great Virtual Reality headset. The idea was to make a headset using modern technology to eliminate problems found with VR headsets in the past — specifically nausea and general discomfort when wearing the headset. Oculus Rift was pitched to the world as the future of VR, and it was going to accomplish this goal by being more immersive, more comfortable, and more capable than any other headset available at the time.

Read more at VR Heads!



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Take a deep dive into Python with this $49 programming bundle!

Python is one of the most popular programming languages out there thanks to a fast edit-test-debug cycle and wide versatility. Jumping into Python from a beginner's standpoint isn't exactly easy, as there are many routes you can take. The training required to become a Python expert is also generally quite expensive.

Become a Python master with this $49 bundle! Learn more

What if there was a bundle of courses that included teaching for beginners as well as advanced users? What if, instead of paying more than $1,000, you could pay under $100 and have access to the bundle for a full year?



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Why now's the time to finally take the VPN plunge

A good virtual private network (VPN) isn't as complicated as it used to be, but it's still a pretty big step for a "regular" user to take. Still, I decided it's time to get my family used to VPNs, because their data may depend on it.

During the past year, I've been slowly moving my family to more secure options for their phones and computers. Password managers — to promote the use of longer and stronger passwords — were the first step. Then we all moved to more secure messaging.

Now it's time for the big one, the one I'd been dreading: VPNs.

I've been using VPNs for years. Almost exclusively for work, but I was plenty familiar with the principle. While I'm certainly no expert in networking, I wasn't looking forward to trying to explain all of this to my wife and kids. And it's still a work in progress.

The main questions:



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Tablo Dual just might be the next big thing in cord cutting

Announced today, Tablo Dual is a connected two-tuner DVR for over-the-air (OTA) TV that also boasts internal storage.

That internal storage is one of the most interesting additions to this new product from Tablo, because it overcomes one of the less consumer-friendly parts of getting rid of your cable box. While 64GB isn't a lot of storage, it's enough to start recording live TV shows without having to resort to your PC.



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Photos of Microsoft's canceled "Lumia 960" flagship leak

Photos of what appears to be the canceled Lumia "Northstar" Windows phone have leaked, revealing what could have been for Microsoft's successor to the Lumia 950.

As we all know, Microsoft decided to retrench its mobile efforts at some point during the last two years. Because of this, several of Microsoft's planned phones were canceled internally, including the Lumia 750 and Lumia 850. Today, photos of what appears to be the successor to the Lumia 950 have leaked, revealing what Microsoft may have had planned for a "Lumia 960".

Windows Central understands that the codename for this device is Northstar, and is still used internally as an engineering prototype for building Windows 10 Mobile. It features a metal design, and looks similar to a 950 on the front, with a few small differences such as front facing speakers. The leaked photos and info say the prototype included a Snapdragon 820 and a QHD screen.

While not officially referred to as the Lumia 960, it's not hard to imagine this is the kind of name Microsoft would have went with had they not decided to retrench their mobile efforts and cancel its Lumia line of devices. Now, we understand Microsoft is working on yet another new device, that'll likely be released under the Surface branding instead of Lumia.

We'll have more to share regarding the future of Windows phone soon, but in the meantime, what are your thoughts on the canceled Lumia 960? Let us know below.



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Amazon's one-day networking and storage sale is full of big price drops

Our friends at Thrifter are back again, this time with some great deals on popular networking and storage brands!

Amazon Gold Box Deals of the Day is offering up to 40% off top network and storage brands like NETGEAR, TP-Link, ASUS, and more. Whether you are in need of a new router to replace your aging one, or a network extender to get a better signal in areas of your house, you won't want to miss out on this deal. You probably have a bunch of random flash drives laying around your house, but likely none of them can store 128GB and are the size of your fingernail. Pick up SanDIsk's super popular Ultra Fit USB 3.0 Flash Drive in today's sale for only $25.

Here are some of the best deals from the sale:



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Should you buy the Surface Laptop or Surface Book?

Torn between the new Surface Laptop or the Surface Book? We can help.

With the recent announcement of the Surface Laptop, Microsoft now has two premium laptops to choose from. In one corner is the Surface Book, Microsoft's "ultimate" laptop that can also be a tablet. And in the other corner, the Surface Laptop, a traditional laptop for the wider market. I've already had lots of people ask me which they should go for, so if you're the market for a new laptop, here are some things to consider.



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How to change Windows 10's Game DVR Captures folder location

You can change the Windows 10 Game DVR feature's Captures folder location to avoid running out of space on your system drive. Here's how.

On Windows 10, Game DVR is a feature that allows you to quickly and easily capture the best moments in your games by recording clips and taking screenshots, which you can then share on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks.

The only caveat is that by default Game DVR saves all your screenshots and clips in the Captures folder inside Videos in your account, and Windows 10 doesn't include an option in Settings, or in the Xbox app, to change this default location.

If you rarely play games on your PC, you probably don't need to worry, but gamers who often record clips will notice that their system drives will fill up quickly, especially people who run Windows 10 on a Solid-State Drive (SSD), which are quite fast but also expensive and limited on capacity.

Fortunately, it's possible to change and move the content of the Captures folder to another location to prevent running out of space on your primary system drive using this simple workaround.



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Eve V hands-on: Quirky crowd convertible

Eve promises a Surface-beating tablet at a disruptive price. And so far the signs are very promising indeed.

We've been keenly following the crowdfunded, community-developed Eve V convertible tablet since the first specs and images emerged late last year, and now it's hands-on time! The Finnish company was present at the Microsoft booth at Computex 2017 today, showing off their creation alongside more established brands. (Microsoft, among Intel and others, is one of the company's backers.)



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Microsoft rolls out Windows Mixed Reality headsets from Dell, ASUS, and Lenovo

Mixed Reality is about to get much more exciting.

Microsoft announced Windows Mixed Reality developer kits from Acer and HP earlier this month at Build, and the company is now introducing headsets from Dell, ASUS, and Lenovo. Microsoft's VP for Partner Devices and Solutions Peter Han showcased the new headsets during the company's Computex 2017 keynote.



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HP, Lenovo and ASUS aim to release first Snapdragon 835 Windows 10 PCs

ASUS, Lenovo, and HP want to be the first companies to release "cellular PCs" later this year.

Microsoft and Qualcomm just announced at Computex that Lenovo, HP, and ASUS are expected to be the first companies with devices that feature the Snapdragon 835. Powered by Windows 10 on ARM, the ultra-thin and always-connected devices are said to usher in a new era of mobile computing.



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New video showcases the power of Windows 10 ARM on the Snapdragon 835

A new video from Qualcomm gives us a quick overview of all the benefits from Windows 10 running on a Snapdragon 835 processor.

Qualcomm has today released a new video that gives us a quick overview of Windows 10 on ARM, showcasing programs like Microsoft Office running on a device powered by the Snapdragon 835. Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 835 will power a new generation of Windows 10 PCs starting this holiday.

The quick video overview shows us Word, PowerPoint and Excel working much like you'd expect on a PC, except this PC is powered by an ARM chip. The video also shows us a full HD movie playing super smooth in the Movies & TV app, highlighting gigabit LTE for super fast downloading.

HP, Lenovo and ASUS aim to release first Snapdragon 835 Windows 10 PCs

Qualcomm is calling these new Windows 10 devices powered by the Snapdragon 835 the "next generation of PCs", with ultrafast networking, fast wake and sleep, and super long battery life. We can't wait to see what kind of devices OEMs announce over the next few weeks and months leading into the fall.



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