Best Windows 10 apps this week

Two-hundred-and-seventy-two in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days. Microsoft is still working on getting the next feature update for Windows 10 ready for release this month or the next. The company released two new Windows 10 Spring Creators Update builds this week alone. As always, if I missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email. Discounts this week… [Continue Reading]

Privacy: Xbox One gamers upset after Microsoft reveals their real names

A thread appeared on Reddit yesterday in which Xbox One users say Microsoft is revealing their real names online, despite the fact they have configured their settings to block this from happening. The thread has already gained large number of comments. Microsoft got involved saying that it was actively investigating the issue which some gamers are describing as a serious breach of privacy and security. Almost 24 hours later, the matter may be resolved. While the matter gained a lot of traction on Reddit, there has also been a great deal of interest on Twitter. The head of the Xbox… [Continue Reading]

Dropbox partners with Google Cloud for integration with Docs, Gmail and Hangouts Chat

Dropbox has joined forces with Google Cloud to bring integration with G Suite. The move comes out of a recognition that people tend to use more than one cloud service, and it can be problematic having to deal with files and tools in different locations. The partnership means that users will be able to open and edit G Suite files from within Dropbox. Ultimately, there will be support for Docs, Sheets, Slides, Hangouts Chat and Gmail, making it far easier to work with the cloud services from Dropbox and Google together. See also: Google's Slack alternative Hangouts Chat exits beta… [Continue Reading]

Facebook admits its News Feed experiment was a failure and pulls Explore Feed

Facebook is far from immune to tinkering with its News Feed, but its recent experiments has been deemed a complete failure. Last year, the Explore Feed received a limited public launch following a period of beta testing, effectively separating news from friends and posts from pages. Several months later, Facebook has realized what we probably could have told it from the offset: "People don't want two separate feeds." The company was heavily criticized by those living in the countries where the experiment ran, as they said it was harder to find important information. See also: Europe threatens Facebook with fines… [Continue Reading]

D-Link launches affordable DIR-867 AC1750 MU-MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi Router

A wireless router is probably the most important piece of technology in any household. After all, it is what connects devices to the internet. Hell, a recent study found that consumers consider the wireless router to be an essential product. Unfortunately, choosing a wireless router these days can be quite hard. Not only are there many makes and models from which to choose, but they are available at many different price points. For the most part, expensive routers offer more speed and features than the average consumer truly needs. Ultimately, many people end up spending more money than necessary. As a… [Continue Reading]

Google 'Song Maker' can turn any nincompoop into a musician

Many people have dreams of becoming a famous musician. As a teenager, I took some guitar lessons, found out I had no talent, and ultimately gave up. Thanks to computers, however, any nincompoop can become a musician -- including me. Don’t have a good voice? Auto-tune, baby! Can’t play an instrument? No worries. Google has a new web app called "Song Maker" that can turn you into the next Tom Jones. "We started Chrome Music Lab to make learning music more accessible to everyone through fun, hands-on experiments. And we’ve loved hearing from teachers who have been using it in… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft details steps being taken to address Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities

The Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities affected millions of processors around the world, and the "fixes" that followed compounded the problems with reports of the patches bricking AMD PCs, and Ubuntu systems, and causing major slowdowns. Intel even told customers to stop installing the patches due to 'unpredictable' reboot issues. In a new blog post, Microsoft provides an update on the state of the situation, and has some good news for Windows 1o users. SEE ALSO: This is the easiest way to check if your Windows PC is vulnerable to Spectre and Meltdown John Cable, Director of Program Management, Windows Servicing… [Continue Reading]