Sunday, September 30, 2018

Seagate's new Barracuda 500GB SSD is less than $72 today

New, fast, and inexpensive.

The Seagate Barracuda 500GB internal solid state drive is down to $71.69 on Amazon. This is a brand new drive only announced by Seagate back in July. It originally was only available to Prime members, but that's no longer the case. The 500GB capacity of the SSD released at a retail price of $120, has been selling closer to $90 recently, and just dropped down to less than $72 for the first time today.

Seagate's SSD is meant to be a more budget-friendly option for people upgrading from an old hard drive. It won't be as fast as a Samsung 860 Pro or something like that, but it won't be as expensive either. The 500GB capacity is plenty of space for you to install an operating system, all your favorite games, and keep some music or movies on there as well. It has read/write speeds of up to 540 and 520 MB/s respectively. It will work with PC and Mac and comes with a five-year warranty.

See on Amazon



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The 2nd gen Amazon Echo Dot is just $30 today

Historically, the best direct discount ever.

Right now you can get one for just $29.99 in Black or White. That's a price we haven't seen since Prime Day in mid-July.

For the past couple months, the best deals we've seen on the 2nd-generation Echo Dot have generally been in bundle deals... like getting bundled with a smart video doorbell or the Kids Edition that comes with a FreeTime Unlimited subscription. Getting a direct discount is not quite as common. Even during Amazon's big hardware sale in August, the Echo Dot didn't drop this low.

This hands-free, voice-controlled device uses Alexa to do all sorts of stuff. Play music, control smart home devices, make phone calls, read the news, check the weather, hear audiobooks, set timers and alarms, and oh yeah....shop on Amazon. These things are seriously handy. I find myself asking for weather updates when deciding what to wear, and playing music through my Echo Dot to keep my phone battery full. You'll surely find tons of uses for yours, too. Another great feature is that these are updated through the cloud, so everything happens in the background.



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UK esports degree gets underway and FACEIT launches on PUBG

FACEIT has launched on PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, allowing players to compete against one another in ranked matches.

Getting more people involved in esports is the goal of not only game developers, organizations and streaming platforms, but also universities as a new esports degree kicks off in the UK. FACEIT also teamed up with PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds to make it easier for amateur player to turn pro using a fully supported ranked system.



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Stock up on TP-Link's Kasa mini smart plugs for $20 each

Make everything a little smarter.

The TP-Link smart plug mini is down to $19.99 on Amazon, which is a match of its lowest price. It tends to fluctuate a bunch, but seems to bound between like $27 and $30, with the last time it hit this low being back at Black Friday time.

Unlike most other smart plugs on the market right now, this one only covers up a single outlet, meaning you can stack two of them in the same receptacle, or use just one with another plug. The free Kasa iOS and Android apps allow you to control the status of the plug from anywhere, and you can also use a voice assistant, like Alexa on the Echo Dot (down to its lowest price today) to turn it on or off. It can be scheduled and has an away mode to turn devices on and off at random times so it appears as though you're home.

If you've been looking for some extra smart plugs for the house, or want to try one out for the first time, this is one of the best options available.

See on Amazon



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Best 2-in-1 laptops

The Surface Book 2 is undoubtedly the best convertible laptop you can buy on the market right now, with its versatile design, and powerful specifications.

Available in both 13-inch and 15-inch configurations, Microsoft's Surface Book 2 (starting at about $1,200) is our top choice when it comes to Windows laptops.

Our pick

Microsoft Surface Book 2

$1199 from Microsoft

Super powerful, and the most versatile a laptop can be.

The Microsoft Surface Book 2 is the best convertible you can buy thanks to its laptop-first form factor, and detachable display turning it into a great tablet for inking.



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What you missed last week at CordCutters.com

You can spend a fortune on a new TV. But you really don't have to.

You can spend a couple thousand dollars on a TV. And if you have a couple thousand dollars to spend on a TV, by all means do it. You'll get something pretty incredible with an OLED panel.

But for those of us who don't have a couple thousand dollars to spend on a TV, it's not like we have to settle for some kind of lesser class of living. You can get a really good TV for less than $1,000 these days.

I've spent a few months with a 55-inch TCL 6-Series. It's $649 (retail) for the 55-inch model, and $999 for a 65-incher. 4K resolution, Dolby Vision and HD 10, and Roku built in. For a lot of folks — a whole lot of folks, seeing as how Roku TVs make up a quarter of the smart TV market these days — that's going to be plenty.

No, it's not the same as Android TV or Apple TV, though you certainly can plug in a box (and set up the TV to use it by default) if you want to. It's not quite as quick, perhaps, Roku just has a different feel about it. But if your goal is to just watch your shows on a good (again, really good) TV for the price with a smart system that is easy to use, I'd have a hard time recommending something else at this point.

See at Amazon

Read the full TCL 6-Series review at CordCutters.com

Here's what else you missed last week at CordCutters.com:



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eBay is likely your best bet for a replacement Inspiron 15 7000 keyboard

Best answer: You'll have the best luck finding a replacement Inspiron 15 7570 keyboard at eBay. There are different languages to choose from, and you should be able to find an option with free shipping, 30-day returns, and a warranty in case the keyboard is faulty out of the box.

Why replace a keyboard?

If a single key is malfunctioning on your Inspiron 15 7000 — whether it's stuck, lost, or not responding promptly to presses — you might be able to get away with replacing a keycap. With care, you should be able to lift off the old keycap, verify the clip points are still working, and put on a new one that you purchased from a retailer. Individual keys usually cost less than $10, but can be tougher to find.



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Saturday, September 29, 2018

FIFA 19 Ultimate Team Card Pack odds revealed, and they're not great

EA is at it again.

FIFA 19 is a football simulator which strives to give players a realistic experience. Some of the features in the game are the exact opposite though. One example is the "Ones to Watch" cards. Ones to Watch cards are players that have superior statistics over their base versions, and level up as they perform well in matches. These makes them the most coveted items in FIFA 19, but they're very hard to come by. They also give gamers a significant advantage in the game.



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These are the very best sleeves you'll find for Dell's XPS 15

You dropped a bunch of cash on a fancy new Dell XPS 15 and now you're looking at this beautiful notebook and wondering how you're ever going to keep it this way. This is where sleeves and cases come into play, adding vital protection during transport and storage. Not only can they be useful in keeping a notebook safe from dust and other elements while not in use, they're also solid protection in bags. We look at some of the best picks for the Dell XPS 15.

Minimalist design

Lacdo 15.4 Sleeve Case

It's slim, has a nice-looking minimalist design, is water resistant, shockproof, and has ample space for accessories — this sleeve has it all. Supporting the XPS 15 on any journey, the Lacdo sleeve has everything you need in a laptop case at an affordable price. Available colors include gray, pink, and black and it's backed by hundreds of positive reviews from owners.

$14 at Amazon

Smart pockets

Inateck 15.4 Sleeve

Available in both dark and light gray, the relatively inexpensive 15.4-inch sleeve by Inateck is designed and marketed as the ideal sleeve for both a MacBook and Dell XPS 15 (or any other similarly-sized 15.4-inch laptop). The sleeve itself has a main compartment for the laptop, as well as two back pockets lined with flannel. These can hold a smartphone, earphones, a wallet, and other small items.



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The $180 HP EliteDisplay 23.8-inch Monitor offers a built-in webcam and mic

This video conferencing monitor is Certified for Skype.

HP's EliteDisplay E240c Video Conferencing Monitor is on sale today only at Amazon for $179.99. When not on sale, it's more regularly found selling for around $257 on average there; it had never dropped below $199 until today.

This 23.8-inch Full HD monitor comes ready to start video calling your friends and family as it's equipped with an HD webcam, a microphone, and dual-speaker premium stereo sound which connects digitally via USB. It offers adjustable tilt and swivel settings, and its height can be adjusted as well. On-screen buttons allow you to place calls, adjust the volume, and more, while its various ports offer HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, and USB inputs.

See at Amazon



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Microsoft reveals Minecraft: Dungeons, 'Village and Pillage' update

Mojang's "passion project" Minecraft: Dungeons is nearly ready for the spotlight.

At Minecon 2018, Microsoft unveiled Minecraft: Dungeons, a new title from the team behind Minecraft. Minecraft: Dungeons was described to us as a "passion project," inspired by classic dungeon crawlers. Taking place in the familiar, blocky world of Minecraft, Dungeons will allow teams of up to four players to delve through a diverse range of levels on a quest for loot.



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VPNSecure is currently 94% off

Banking information. Mortgage payment history. Your important documents. Nearly all of your life is online these days, and, while convenient, that can be scary. There are many people out there looking to act maliciously, and we need to be sure that is in the back of our brains at all times. While you can't avoid using the internet (in most cases), you can ensure that it is a secure connection when you do use it.

VPNs have become more and more popular as the time passes because people want to make sure that the information they are transmitting is getting to the right places. VPNSecure is a great option, and right now you can score a sweet deal on a lifetime subscription to the service. With it you'll be able to connect up to five devices at the same time, use unlimited bandwidth and more.

Some of the key features include:



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This badboy is THE best wireless mouse available

We're a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe. We live and breathe Windows PCs, and use nearly every mouse available to find the best picks for you.

The Logitech MX Master 2S is a brilliant mouse and is the successor to the excellent original MX Master. What Logitech has achieved is creating the best non-gaming professional wireless mouse.

Our pick

Logitech MX Master 2S

The best wireless mouse for any Windows 10 PC.

The successor to the fantastic MX Master wireless mouse, which was our previous best overall choice, gains a new sensor and vastly improved battery life — along with other useful features that make pointing anywhere on a screen a breeze. Should you need a mouse that isn't bolted down to a device, the MX Master 2S is for you.



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The deals you need to know if you're buying a new graphics card

Buying a graphics card (GPU) right now can be tough, but there are still plenty of deals to be had. Here are the ones you need to know about.

Tiny power

ZOTAC GTX 1050 Ti Mini

This mini version of the 4GB NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti from ZOTAC is perfect for folks gaming in less intensive titles, like Fortnite Battle Royale, CS:GO, League of Legends and some other popular esports titles. It's also a good choice for anyone building a small form factor gaming PC. You get 4GB of GDDR5 memory, a single fan and display outputs for DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort.

$169 from Amazon

Budget AMD

XFX RX 570 8GB RS XXX Edition

This particular card is by XFX and has its own custom cooler and outputs for DVI-D, HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4. It can handle most games perfectly fine at decent quality settings and is a solid shout for 1080p gaming. If you buy right now you can claim a $20 rebate taking the price down even further.

$200 from Amazon



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Friday, September 28, 2018

Forza Horizon 4 details seasonal cars and exclusive rewards for October

There's a lot to do in Forza Horizon 4.

Forza Horizon 4: Ultimate Edition launched this morning, and gamers are loving the open-world racing experience. The user feedback seems to be great, and the title has also garnered a lot of critical acclaim. The game currently sits at a 92 on Metacritic, and may even go higher once more reviews come in.



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Microsoft's Office Mobile apps for Windows 10 not a priority, but not dead

As far as mobile devices go, Android and iOS are the priority for Office going forward.

During its Ignite 2018 conference this week, Neowin reported that Microsoft is shifting its attention away from its Office Mobile apps for Windows 10, treating Android and iOS as the priority going forward.



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The new $30 HyperX Amp can add virtual surround sound to any headset

The new HyperX Amp is a USB sound card you can pair with any wired headset. Consider it an audio upgrade for gamers because it adds features like stereo sound or 7.1 virtual surround sound.

You'll also get better microphone noise cancellation so you can communicate nicely with strangers and yell at your friends without the game's volume getting in the way. The added controls give you easy access to a mute button for your mic, volume controls, and more.

It does not require anything else besides the hardware to start working. Just plug your headphones with a four-pole CTIA plug into the device, and then plug it into a USB port on your computer. While it should work with any headphones, HyperX verified it definitely works with other HyperX headsets like the Cloud II, Cloud Alpha or Cloud Revolver.



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What devices can you connect to NETGEAR Orbi RBK50 USB port?

Best answer: Officially, Orbi only supports connecting a printer to the USB port, and that's for when you want to use ReadyShare network printing. However, there have been users who plugged hard drives into the USB as a storage option for computer backups and FAT32 configuration.

Using Orbi with ReadyShare Network printing

ReadyShare gives you the ability to store things like photos, files, or even backup files for your PC or Mac directly to your router. You can even share files on DNLA (Digital Living Network Alliance) to all your connected TVs, game consoles, and media players. That's a fancy way of saying that any of those types of devices that are connected to your router will be able to access the saved files you're storing on it. If you've downloaded a new movie and stored it to your router you can then pull it right up from your phone and enjoy it anywhere in the house.



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Lenovo's Star Trek Enterprise boldly goes where no PC has gone before

Set phasers to awesome.

At the Tech World 2018 conference in Beijing, Lenovo unveiled the new Tiburn Enterprise Star Trek PC. It's a fully-functional computer fashioned after the Enterprise NCC-1701 starship from the popular franchise. It doesn't look exactly alike because a few liberties had to be taken to get all the pieces to fit inside, especially around the warp nacelles, but the fan service is palpable. This isn't just some collectible model or gimmicky pizza cutter, it's a desktop computer loaded with new and powerful hardware, along with some other great features.



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Forza Horizon 4's VIP membership is definitely worth the price

Best answer: If you're planning to play a lot of Forza Horizon 4, the VIP membership will pay for itself pretty quickly. But pick it up in the Ultimate Edition for the best value.

Amazon: Forza Horizon 4 Ultimate Edition ($100)

VIP members get free credits

This is probably the No. 1 reason to get the VIP membership in Forza Horizon 4. One of the perks is double credit rewards for every completed event. So, for example, if you win a race and earn 5,000 credits, the game will give you 10,000 total.

Credits aren't available to buy with real money, and you need a lot to buy some of the in-game items. You'll need to buy Bamburgh Castle at 10 million credits to unlock one of the barn finds, so maximizing your earnings is critical.

VIP members get free cars, a house, and exclusive vanity items

VIP members will enjoy much more than just mere credits. There are a number of other in-game perks that only come with a VIP membership. And the first is a free house valued at five million credits. So that's worth having.

Horizon 4 VIPs also get three exclusive Forza Edition cars, VIP crown flair, VIP vanity items including a full outfit, a VIP emote and car horn. Half the fun of a Forza Horizon game is collecting the huge amount of items within it, and the VIP membership gives you items you just can't get otherwise.



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Volkswagen partners with Microsoft to keep cars connected to the cloud

The Volkswagen Automotive Cloud will tap Azure IoT, Skype, and other cloud services for its backbone.

Volkswagen and Microsoft are teaming up to make staying connected in your car a breeze.



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Facebook says nearly 50 million accounts impacted by security breach

Facebook has reset access tokens for around 90 million people in response to the breach.

Facebook today revealed that more nearly 50 million accounts have been affected by a "security issue."



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This $138 ultra-quiet garage door opener can be controlled from your phone

Make everything smarter!

Amazon currently has Chamberlain's B550 smartphone-controlled garage door opener kit on sale for $138, which is $61 less than it normally sells for. This is a full replacement for your existing garage door opener, motor and all. It has Chamberlain's MyQ technology built right in, which allows you to remotely control it using just your smartphone from anywhere with the free Android and iOS app.

This kit comes with the motor and belt, an outdoor keypad, two in-car three button openers, a single button in-garage opener, and two sensors to ensure that there are no obstacles in the way when the door is being closed. If you have an existing garage door opener, it should be a pretty straight-forward install, though you may want to seek help from a local handyman while installing it.

See at Amazon



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How Amazon and Alexa are crushing Microsoft’s IoT and Home Hub vision

Amazon is crushing Microsoft's ambitious IoT goal of providing both a platform and front-end for ambient computing with its aggressive Alexa-driven strategy.

Computing is shifting from a device-focused to ambient-computing paradigm. Ambient computing is where computers of various shapes and sizes are part of our environments, as Internet of Things (IoT) devices that can perceive us and respond to our commands.

Many tasks that have historically been done on smartphones are now being done via smart speakers like Amazon's Echo. With 50,000 "skills" and integration with a growing list of apps and businesses, Amazon's digital assistant, Alexa, is the industry-leading ambient computing device. Its position is so pervasive that Microsoft recently began piggy-backing its less-popular digital assistant Cortana on the consumer-focused Amazon Echo.

Ambient computing, via billions of IoT devices on the intelligent edge, is expected to become the norm in the coming years. Thus, Microsoft developed an ambitious two-pronged strategy to secure its future. Via a platform approach, it's providing infrastructure-building industry tools, like Azure IoT Hub and Azure Sphere, that will enable and secure ambient computing. Microsoft's "front-end" to this strategy is the unreleased Home Hub. Home Hub reportedly aims to turn Windows 10 PCs into smart-home-connected, Cortana-powered smart speakers with screens. While we wait for this to show up, Amazon is putting Alexa into everything from microwaves to clocks.

Time may be running out for Microsoft.



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Beam Internet throughout your home with Netgear's $250 Orbi Mesh Wi-Fi

Amazon has Netgear's Orbi Home Mesh Wi-Fi System, three-pack available for $249.99 when you clip the on-page coupon. That'll save you $50 off its regular price of $300. We've seen this 3-pack go as low as $220 in the past but not since July.

The Orbi mesh networking system covers up to 6,000 square feet in high-performance Wi-Fi. It can produce speeds up to 2.2Gbps, and these satellites are designed to be compact so they can be placed conveniently throughout your home. All the satellites share a single name so you won't have any network interruption when you go from room to room. Use the free Orbi app to set it all up in minutes.



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Fix your smartphone all on your own with the $8 AmazonBasics Repair Kit

Pair this with a detailed YouTube video and you'll be good to go.

Finding the opportunity to get your smartphone repaired can be a huge drain on your free time. Instead of waiting around, the AmazonBasics Smartphone Repair Kit is on sale today at Amazon for just $7.96. That marks its lowest price ever and saves you $3 off its average price.

This handy repair kit is suitable to help with your smartphones, game consoles, watches, eyeglasses, and more. It features a precision aluminum screwdriver with a telescopic handle along with two mini pry bars, an opening pick, a SIM card ejector tool, and a suction cup which all come packaged in a durable zippered travel case. Its 1 and 3/4-inch S2 screwdriver bits can fit into extremely tight spaces and a pentagonal size is included for iPhone and iPad repairs.

AmazonBasics backs up this kit with a one-year limited warranty, while over 100 customers left a review resulting in a rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars.

See at Amazon



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Best Windows 10 apps of September 2018

From bringing non-Windows experiences to your PC to powerful weather apps, this month we looked at a wide range of apps.

In September, I looked at a number of apps that replicate experiences from outside of Windows 10 on your PC. From a major update to a popular Android emulator to bringing Mac-style searching to Windows 10, these are the best apps I reviewed during the past month.



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Win an Xbox One X Robot White Special Edition bundle from Windows Central

Fallout 76 is the next major entry in Bethesda's post-apocalyptic role-playing franchise, and it's set to be one of this year's biggest releases. As soon as we saw this game bundled with the long-anticipated Robot White Xbox One X, we knew we had to put together a giveaway for it! Want to win? Keep reading and get yourself entered!

Enter to win!

THE PRIZES:

Grand Prize:

  • Xbox One X 1TB Special Edition console.
  • Xbox Wireless controller.
  • Controller Gear Xbox Pro Charging Stand.
  • Fallout 76.
  • Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 Headset.

Runners-up (2):

  • Xbox Wireless controller.
  • Controller Gear Xbox Pro Charging Stand.

THE GIVEAWAY: Use the widget at the bottom of this page. There are multiple ways to enter, each with varying point values. Complete all of the tasks for maximum entries and your best shot at winning! Keep in mind that all winning entries are verified and if the task was not completed or cannot be verified, a new winner will be chosen.

The giveaway is open through October 15, 2018, and the winner will be announced right here shortly after the closing date. Good luck!

Win an Xbox One X Robot White Special Edition bundle from Windows Central!



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Get all the best goods for your HP Spectre x360 13t

You just picked up a brand new HP Spectre x360 13t and want to grab a few items to complement it. No matter what you're looking for — protection, docks, or peripherals — here are the best accessories you can get for your convertible laptop.

Expand connectivity

CalDigit TS3 Plus docking station

This little Thunderbolt 3 docking station is packing a ton of features, including 15 ports, up to 40 Gbps transfer speeds, and up to 85W charging back to your laptop. Connect two 4K displays at 60Hz and still have five USB-A 3.1, two USB-C 3.1, Ethernet, SD card reader, and 3.5mm audio in and out available.

From $310 at Amazon

Excellent inking

HP Tilt Pen

The Tilt Pen utilizes Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP) and N-Trig technology, giving you full tilt support for shading with Windows Ink. It has 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, it's rechargeable, and the eraser button on top can be set to do whatever you want it to. If you plan on drawing or sketching with your Spectre x360, this extra tool will no doubt be worth the money.



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Is Microsoft Surface Go good without a keyboard?

We love the Surface Go, but as a tablet, it's just not up to snuff.

The 10-inch Surface Go is perfect for productivity on-the-move, sporting unrivaled portability among Microsoft's premium hardware line. While doubling as a full-fledged PC, its form factor, touchscreen, and inking support all establish a strong foundation for tablet users. However, with Windows 10's tablet-focused features in a rough state, the experience still isn't perfect.

As detailed in our review of Surface Go as a tablet, the official keyboard vastly improves the experience. While the hardware is among the best on the market, you can't ignore software limitations. We recently kicked off a thread on the Windows Central forums, asking for your Surface Go tablet opinions.



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Here's what the Moss team has to say about developing for Oculus Quest

This bold new VR headset is going to have some familiar experiences.

One of the many ways Oculus is getting people excited about its new Quest headset is demonstrating how a number of high-quality games on Rift will be available as launch titles when Quest is available this Spring. This is an important message, not only because it helps demonstrate the level of quality Oculus is dedicated to with this new headset, but also because it means existing developers are excited about the new platform.

To learn more about the development process for this headset, I sat down with Tam Armstrong, CEO of Polyarc Games. This team is responsible for Moss, an emotional and exciting VR adventure you can play on nearly every VR headset available today and one of the launch titles for Oculus Quest.

Russell Holly, Mobile Nations editor: You were actually part of the narrative and lore design in Moss. Can you start by talking about the overall world Moss is set in? It's pretty clear something big happened that we don't hear about in the core story.

Tam Armstrong: Something did happen! To the inhabitants of the world, their understanding is there was a race of giants that used to occupy the land they now occupy. That's what leaves behind the artifacts like the swords in the swamp and the statues on the beach. In fact, if you closely you might have noticed the foundation for the castle you're approaching at the end is built on the foundation of much larger stones. One could surmise that it used to be a tower of some kind for the previous individuals that lived there.

So those beings are totally gone now?



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This $10 electronics travel organizer keeps all your cables close by

Get organized.

The Jelly Comb electronics and cables water-resistant travel organizer is down to $9.93 with code FMN7J3YF on Amazon. The organizer normally sells around $14 or so. This price is the best we've seen.

The storage bag has two Nylon layers with enough space for all your cables, USB drives, chargers, mice, and more. It uses six elastic mesh segments, two mesh pockets, 12 elastic loops, one storage segment for SD cards, one big adhesive pocket for a mini tablet, and one detachable hand strap. The outer surface is water-resistant, and the inside is padded for protection. This could also be used to store items like pens or pills, and it's designed to be easy to travel with since it can quickly open and close to make sure everything's in there. Users give it 4.4 stars based on 148 reviews.

See on Amazon



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What Team Windows Central is watching, reading, and listening to this week

Need a good flick or TV show to watch this weekend (or whenever)? How about an album to listen to, or a good book to lose yourself in? Team Windows Central to the rescue.

Fall is officially upon us, and that means the temperatures are dropping fast. For many folks, that means more time indoors, for better or for worse. And more indoor-time often means more movie-, TV-, music- and book-time. We're A-OK with that too. 'Cause we love a book, flick, album or read. Here's a look at what the good writers and editors from Windows Central are into this week.



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Oculus Rift 'Blind' review: Into the darkness to find the light

You're not just battling blindness, you're battling inner demons

WC
Score
3

Blind is a virtual reality game that spans across the PlayStation VR, the Oculus Rift, and the HTC Vive. Tiny Bull Studios developed this title to take you through a story where after a series of unfortunate events, you finds herself blind and locked in a mysterious mansion that you're desperately trying to find a way out of. While I have put a few hours of gameplay in I haven't quite reached the ending yet, but it's very obvious that you're suffering from neurological vision loss due to trauma.



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Should Microsoft make an 'Xbox Classic?' Here are some pros and cons.

Both Nintendo and Sony are creating miniaturized versions of their first-ever consoles. Should Microsoft be next?

In November of 2016, Nintendo released the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Classic console to the world — a miniature version of its original gaming system bundled with several of Nintendo's most popular classic games. This mini console was a massive hit, and it became clear that there was a strong market for them.

Fast-forward to 2018, and Sony has announced the creation of its own mini console, the PlayStation Classic. With both Nintendo and Sony creating a product within this niche, it begs the question: Should Microsoft follow suit and create an "Xbox Classic" based on the original Xbox? Here are some quick pros and cons of such a move.



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Hey artists, utilize your Surface Go with these handy accessories

Surface Go is a sketchpad-sized tablet great for both quick sketches and more grandiose art pieces. While you won't be doing complex 3D modelling on this svelte PC, it's more than capable of handling high DPI pieces in Photoshop. Its small size makes it great as a portable sketchbook, with soft edges designed to feel comfortable in the hand.

If you're getting serious about Surface art, there are some accessories you should consider picking up to improve the experience. One of our favorites is the Surface Pen, which allows for 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, complete with tilt support for shading. Surface Go also has magnets on the side to store your Surface Pen comfortably when not in use. Check out our full Go review for more details.

Essential for inking

Surface Pen

Naturally, the most important tool in any digital artists arsenal is a digital stylus. The Surface Pen is the best option for pairing with your Surface Go since it supports tilt shading, 4096 levels of pressure detection, and has a magnetized strip for storing against the edge of your tablet. Surface Pen supports AAAA batteries, and lasts several weeks on a single cell.



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