Pipes Feed Preview: gHacks Technology News

1. The GOM Mix Max launch is on its way

   2021-11-27 08:00:02 UTC

   GOM Mix Max is the name of a new video editing software developed by GOM & Company that is due to launch on November 30th. With its launch right around the corner, […]

   Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post The GOM Mix Max launch is on its way appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

   <p>GOM Mix Max is the name of a new video editing software developed by GOM &amp; Company that is due to <strong>launch on November 30th</strong>. With its launch right around the corner, many are excited about the wealth of features teased by the developers lately. GOM Mix Max is made with the intention of bringing premium-level video editing software to the market for a fraction of similar software’s price.</p> <p>I’m lucky enough to have the opportunity to <strong>test the software early</strong>. Soon I’ll be receiving a copy of GOM Mix Max to test for myself in order to review it and give everyone a sneak-peek of what GOM plans to bring to the table.</p> <h2>Who are GOM &amp; Company?</h2> <p>The reason why GOM has my (and I believe many others’) interest in this new software is <strong>mainly due to their prior reputation</strong>. GOM &amp; Company has been in the game for quite some time now. Their developers have 23 years of software experience at this point and are known around the world for their previous applications, such as GOM Player, GOM Cam, and the predecessor to video editor GOM Mix Pro, GOM Mix Max.</p> <p>They tend to take a very balanced approach with their software, trying to find the <strong>sweet spot</strong> between a wealth of features to experiment with, while still giving a user experience that’s very easy to get comfortable with. All of their programs are designed with the intention of bringing their function to the average user. A user who doesn’t want to have to read a dense hand manual just to figure out how to edit a video or MP3.</p> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175600 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/The-GOM-Mix-Max-Launch-Is-On-Its-Way-2.jpg" alt="The GOM Mix Max Launch Is On Its Way" width="1068" height="678" /></p> <h2>What’s New With GOM Mix Max?</h2> <p>GOM has taken its philosophy and turned it up to 11 for GOM Mix Max. While all of their <strong>prior programs had accessible interfaces</strong> to maneuver, GOM promises a stylish UI that will go toe-to-toe with some of the most recognizable high-quality editing software out there for GOM Mix Max. You can customize the locations of your menus, set custom hotkeys, and search for effects, and save overlays to your favorites. There will also be an in-program tutorial guide to get your feet on the ground if you don’t feel like exploring.</p> <p>The editing features are highly customizable, and the<strong> limits of GOM Mix Pro</strong> are done away with for GOM Mix Max. There are also some completely new features as well, such as the Chromakey effect and a neat addition that allows you to see the audio track in a video when you insert the video clip into an audio track.</p> <p>GOM Mix Max is also completely optimized compared to its predecessor. Encoding time is drastically reduced, file size is minuscule in comparison, and your effects and resources library is rich with options to mess around with.</p> <h2>Why is the Launch Special?</h2> <p>GOM &amp; Company is hitting the ground running with <strong>special launch offers</strong> and discounts. We mentioned that the software plans to bring high quality at a bargain price, but it gets even better with the launch sale.</p> <p>You can download GOM Mix Max for free, and will be able to enjoy the software for 14 days without any feature restrictions (except watermark).</p> <p>When you register as a member, you will be able to enjoy the software for free for 14 days. When entering your card information, you’ll even get 2 months of free trial without any software restrictions whatsoever. Afterward will be your only chance to grab GOM Mix Max for a 60% discount price (from $100 all the way down to $39.99).</p> <p>There’s also a giveaway event on the <a href="https://www.gomlab.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">GOMLab website</a> to celebrate the launch of GOM Mix Max. All you need to do is sign up for an account on the site. You can then download GOM Mix Max and get an Amazon Gift Card up to $100. If you enter purchase details, you’ll get the 2-month free trial of GOM Mix Max, and a 60% discount. And finally, you can review GOM Mix Max on TrustPilot to receive a GOM Cam 6-month free coupon.</p> <p>All of this preparation leading up to the launch is a lot to get excited about. I’ll be waiting with anticipation for my early copy of GOM Mix Max in order to get a review out once I’ve gotten a proper taste of the features. Until then, we’ll all have to wait and see what GOM can deliver on the bold promises of this fascinating, innovative new video editing tool.</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/27/the-gom-mix-max-launch-is-on-its-way/" data-wpel-link="internal">The GOM Mix Max launch is on its way</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

2. How to turn off "Search the Web" results in Windows 11

   2021-11-26 16:32:43 UTC

   When you run searches on Windows 11 from the operating system's Start Menu, you will get local results as well as web-based results powered by Bing by default. Microsoft introduced web search […]

   Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post How to turn off "Search the Web" results in Windows 11 appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

   <p>When you run searches on Windows 11 from the operating system's Start Menu, you will get local results as well as web-based results powered by Bing by default. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2015/06/23/how-to-disable-web-search-in-windows-10s-start-menu/" data-wpel-link="internal">Microsoft introduced web search functionality in Windows 10</a> and has kept the feature in Windows 11.</p> <p>Many Windows 11 users see web searching as a way for Microsoft to promote its Bing search engine, and not as something that adds value to the search functionality. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2020/02/05/need-another-reason-that-current-web-search-integration-is-bad-in-windows-10/" data-wpel-link="internal">Web Search integration broke Windows Search at least once on Windows 10</a>, and there is the chance that this is going to happen again.</p> <h2>Disable Search the Web on Windows 11</h2> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175730" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-11-web-search-example.png" alt="windows 11 web search example" width="1024" height="768" /></p> <p>Windows 11 comes with an official option to turn off web searching in the Start Menu. It is not an option in the Settings application. While there is an option to manage cloud content search in the Settings application, it does not affect Internet search in the Windows 11 Start Menu but content of the Microsoft Account, e.g. form OneDrive, that may be returned.</p> <p>Just turn off the options on the page and run a search; you will notice that results from Bing web searches are still included.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175731" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/search-permissions.png" alt="search permissions" width="1024" height="768" /></p> <p>The official option is available in the Group Policy Editor and Registry. The Group Policy Editor is only available in professional and Enterprise editions of Windows 11. Home users need to make the change in the Registry to get rid of "Search the web" in the Start Menu.</p> <h3>The Group Policy option</h3> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175732" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/do-not-allow-web-search-windows-11-group-policy.png" alt="do not allow web search windows 11 group policy" width="1024" height="768" /></p> <ol> <li>Open Start, type gpedit.msc and select the Group Policy Editor item to launch the Local Group Policy Editor. Note that you need elevated rights to access the tool.</li> <li>Use the sidebar on the left to navigate to Computer Configuration &gt; Administrative Templates &gt; Windows Components &gt; Search.</li> <li>Double-click on the policy "Do not allow web search".</li> <li>Set the status of the policy to Enabled.</li> <li>Click ok.</li> <li>Double-click on the policy "Don't search the web or display web results in Search".</li> <li>Set the status of the policy to Enabled.</li> <li>Click ok.</li> <li>Restart the PC.</li> </ol> <p>Note that it is possible that you may still web-based results after making the change. If that is the case, you will need to make the edits in the Registry to stop web search results in Windows 11's Start Menu.</p> <h3>The Registry option</h3> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175733" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-11-disable-bing-search.png" alt="windows 11 disable bing search" width="1024" height="768" /></p> <ol> <li>Select Start, type regedit.exe and select the Registry Editor to launch it. Accept the UAC prompt that is displayed.</li> <li>Navigate to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search</li> <li>Right-click on Search and select New &gt; Dword (32-bit) Value.</li> <li>Name the value BingSearchEnabled.</li> <li>Double-click on the new Dword and set data to 0.</li> </ol> <p>The change should be visible right away. Just run a search from the Start Menu to verify that no web search results are displayed anymore on the Windows 11 PC.</p> <p>Just delete the Dword value again if you want to restore the default functionality.</p> <p><strong>Now You:</strong> do you find web search results useful in Windows 11's Start Menu?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/26/how-to-turn-off-search-the-web-results-in-windows-11/" data-wpel-link="internal">How to turn off &quot;Search the Web&quot; results in Windows 11</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

3. Waterfox G4.0.3.1 update released with fix for bootstrapped extensions, menu bar issues

   2021-11-26 11:32:42 UTC

   Waterfox has been updated to version G4.0.3.1. This release fixes some issues that users had reported in the previous build. Version G.4.0.2 of the web browser, which shipped at the beginning of […]

   Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Waterfox G4.0.3.1 update released with fix for bootstrapped extensions, menu bar issues appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

   <p>Waterfox has been updated to version G4.0.3.1. This release fixes some issues that users had reported in the previous build.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175721" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Waterfox-G4.0.3.1-update.jpg" alt="Waterfox G4.0.3.1 update" width="671" height="387" /><br /> Version G.4.0.2 of the web browser, which shipped at the beginning of this month, had a bug that prevented the installation of bootstrap add-ons. Waterfox would throw out an "addon is corrupt" error message, when users tried to install the legacy extensions. Waterfox G4.0.3.1 update resolves the issue. The latest version also patches a bug that was preventing previously installed bootstrap add-ons, from loading upon the next restart, they were getting disabled by the application.</p> <p>You may have come across an issue in Waterfox G 4.0.2, that caused the menu bar to be displayed partially off the screen, in maximized mode. It also resulted in tabs listed on the menu bar. Both of these issues have been fixed in Waterfox G4.0.3.1. Users who wish to use bootstrap extensions, can find forked versions of some popular add-ons at <a href="https://github.com/xiaoxiaoflood/firefox-scripts/tree/master/extensions#readme" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">this page</a>. The update introduces a patch for a problem that was preventing the Copy Tab Link option from working. There is still no option to toggle the menu bar icons.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175720" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Waterfox-G4-menu-bar-icons.jpg" alt="Waterfox G4 menu bar icons" width="589" height="298" /></p> <p>The <a href="https://www.waterfox.net/docs/releases/G4.0.3.1" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">release notes</a> for the update state that the web browser will hide the title bar and buttons correctly, when you have chosen a different location for the tab bar. Prior to this fix, Waterfox kept resetting the option, when the user restarted the program after changing the setting.</p> <p>And now to some other fixes. Users who wish to view Flash media can enable the plugin, but Waterfox will not play the media by default, for security reasons. So, you will have to allow the content on web pages. The address bar now makes it more obvious when a website is secure or insecure. Here's what it looked like in the previous build.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175719" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/waterfox-g4-old-secure-connection-warning.jpg" alt="waterfox g4 old secure connection warning" width="743" height="447" /></p> <p>And this is what the new warning looks like.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175718" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Waterfox-G4.0.3.1-insecure-connection-warning.jpg" alt="Waterfox G4.0.3.1 insecure connection warning" width="737" height="459" /></p> <p>The new version of the browser colorizes the icon for secure sites, while insecure pages will display a text-based warning which makes it a bit easier to notice the message.</p> <p>Some users have reported that the latest version introduces a new bug related to the Bookmarks toolbar. If you use the right-click menu, you may notice that a few options in it are greyed out. According to the developer, Alex Kontos, this problem can be resolved by disabling the toolbar and re-enabling it.</p> <p>You may update to the latest version from the Help &gt; About Waterfox menu. Or, if you'd prefer to download the full installer, you can get Waterfox G4.0.3.1 from the developer's website. There are a couple of known issues from the previous version, that this release does not address. The browser does not display the add-on version numbers in about:addons. Shortcuts for zoom, full screen mode, and screenshot are not included by default in the status bar. You can add these shortcuts manually by using the Customize Toolbar options.</p> <p>The developer had released G4 with new hardware requirements a month ago, you can read more about it here. Waterfox Classic continues to be under development, it now has a new home on the <a href="https://classic.waterfox.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">official site</a>, and its own GitHub page.</p> <p>What issues have you faced with Waterfox G4? Share your experiences and workarounds with us.</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/26/waterfox-g4-0-3-1-update/" data-wpel-link="internal">Waterfox G4.0.3.1 update released with fix for bootstrapped extensions, menu bar issues</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

4. Windows 11 Debloater is a powerful but confusing tweaker

   2021-11-26 07:38:57 UTC

   Windows 11 Debloater is a free portable tweaker for Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system. It is a general purpose tweaker, unlike specialized tools that focus solely on privacy and security. All you […]

   Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Windows 11 Debloater is a powerful but confusing tweaker appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

   <p>Windows 11 Debloater is a free portable tweaker for Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system. It is a general purpose tweaker, unlike <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2015/08/14/comparison-of-windows-10-privacy-tools/" data-wpel-link="internal">specialized tools that focus solely on privacy and security</a>.</p> <p>All you have to do to get started is to download the application, provided as a zip file, from the <a href="https://freetimetech.com/windows-11-debloater-tool-debloat-gui/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">developer website</a>. The file size is low, currently 113 Kilobytes.</p> <p>Extract the file after completion of the file download and run the Windows11Debloater executable from the directory.</p> <p><strong>Note</strong>: Windows 11 may <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2012/11/03/turn-off-windows-protected-your-pc-windows-smartscreen/" data-wpel-link="internal">display a SmartScreen warning</a> when the program is launched. Also, an UAC prompt is displayed after you accept the warning.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175724" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-11-debloater.png" alt="windows 11 debloater" width="1024" height="768" /></p> <p>The interface can best be described as overloaded. The startpage, EZ Debloater, displays quick actions that users can perform with just a few clicks. These range from uninstalling OneDrive to applying essential tweaks and enabling the Clipboard History feature.</p> <p>Tweaks are displayed as scripts when selected on the same screen, but most users will have a hard time figuring out what these scripts do. Some entries have tooltips, but these reveal little information about the changes that will be applied when the script is executed on the device. Select "run script" to execute what is displayed on the screen.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175725" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-11-essential-tweaks.png" alt="windows 11 essential tweaks" width="1024" height="768" /></p> <p>It is usually not a good idea to execute this, as changes may be made to functionality that may be needed. In any event, is is highly recommended that you create a backup before any change is made using the application. Windows 11 Debloater comes with options to undo tweaks, which is good, but users may want another restore option in case things go wrong.</p> <p>The Windows 11 tweaker includes a good dozen tabs with tweaks that make single changes to certain features of the Windows 11 operating system.</p> <p>Take Privacy &amp; Telemetry as an example. The page, when selected, displays 14 tweaks that can be applied or restored. These range from disabling the Advertising ID to disabling the main Telemetry service DiagTrack.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175726" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/privacy-telemetry.png" alt="privacy telemetry" width="1024" height="768" /></p> <p>The tooltips are more useful here, as they provide a short description of what a tweak does on the system. The interface is still somewhat confusing on first glance, as you get five selection options for each of the entries. The letters display the PowerShell scripts that are executed when a tweak is selected in the interface, and the three selectors define the actual action that is executed when you run the entire output.</p> <p>Some tabs list just a few tweaks, some a lot of them. Tweak titles may sometimes be difficult to understand, but tooltips are available that help users find out about a particular tweak. Another option that users have is to look at the script code and run a search for a Registry key, Scheduled Task or other identifier to find out more about it.</p> <p><strong>Closing Words</strong></p> <p>Windows 11 Debloater is a powerful tool that suffers from usability issues. A different list view of items, one that is less confusing, would certainly help in that regard.  All in all, it is something to keep an eye on to see if it improves in future releases.</p> <p><strong>Now You:</strong> do you use tweak tools on Windows 11? If so which?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/26/windows-11-debloater-is-a-powerful-and-confusing-tweaker/" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows 11 Debloater is a powerful but confusing tweaker</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

5. Windows 11 Enterprise Virtual Machine images downloads

   2021-11-25 13:53:31 UTC

   Windows 11 Enterprise virtual machine images are now available. You can download the images for several popular virtualization applications directly from Microsoft's Developer website. Note that the virtual images include more than […]

   Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Windows 11 Enterprise Virtual Machine images downloads appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

   <p>Windows 11 Enterprise virtual machine images are now available. You can download the images for several popular virtualization applications directly from Microsoft's Developer website.</p> <p>Note that the virtual images include more than just a Windows 11 Enterprise installation. They are designed for developers and include several applications, e.g. Virtual Studio 2019 and Visual Studio Code. Developer Mode is also enabled automatically on these installations.</p> <h2>How to download Windows 11 Enterprise</h2> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175715" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-11-enterprise-virtual-machine-image.png" alt="windows 11 enterprise virtual machine image" width="1800" height="1140" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-11-enterprise-virtual-machine-image.png 1800w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-11-enterprise-virtual-machine-image-1536x973.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px" /></p> <p>Note that the title of the page is mentioning Windows 10 --Get a Windows 10 desktop environment -- but that the downloads are for Windows 11; this is likely something that Microsoft has overlooked and will address in the future.</p> <p>To download the virtual machine images, do the following:</p> <ol> <li>Visit the Microsoft Developer website. The downloads are listed directly on the site that opens.</li> <li>Select one of the available Windows 11 Enterprise virtual machine images. All have a size of about 20 Gigabytes. The latest is the VMWare image, the smallest the Parallels image The following virtual images are provided: <ol> <li>VMWare virtual image Windows 11 Enterprise.</li> <li>Hyper-V virtual image Windows 11 Enterprise.</li> <li>VirtualBox virtual image Windows 11 Enterprise.</li> <li>Parallels virtual image Windows 11 Enterprise.</li> </ol> </li> <li>The download of the file starts immediately after one of the buttons is activated on the page.</li> </ol> <p>The virtual machine images are set to expire on January 9, 2022 automatically. They contain a Windows 11 Enterprise installation with Windows Subsystem for Linux (Ubuntu) and Developer Mode enabled.</p> <p>Windows Terminal, Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio 2019 and Windows 10 SDK version 2004 are installed as well.</p> <p>The virtual machine images are designed primarily for developers, but none developers may use them as well to run Windows 11 Enterprise. Unless Enterprise is required specifically, it may be faster to download another edition of Windows 11 instead and create a virtual machine image manually using the downloaded ISO file.</p> <p><strong>Tip</strong>: <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/24/how-to-download-any-windows-11-iso-from-microsoft/" data-wpel-link="internal">check out our guide on downloading Windows 11 ISO images here</a>.</p> <p><strong>Closing Words</strong></p> <p>The evaluation period feels rather short, considering that the images do expire in early January of 2022. Add the Holiday period of part of the globe to that, and you end up with just a few weeks in which the environment can be used in organizations.</p> <p><strong>Now You:</strong> what is your favorite Windows edition, and why? (via <a href="https://www.deskmodder.de/blog/2021/11/22/windows-11-enterprise-als-virtuelle-maschine-fuer-vmware-hyper-v-virtualbox-und-parallels/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Deskmodder</a>)</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/25/windows-11-enterprise-virtual-machine-images-downloads/" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows 11 Enterprise Virtual Machine images downloads</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

6. Gog, Steam and Epic start Black Friday Game Sales: our top 3 picks

   2021-11-25 06:20:25 UTC

   There has been a huge increase in sales in recent years, especially so in gaming. Black Friday game sales have started on many gaming platforms, including Gog, Steam and Epic Games. Here […]

   Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Gog, Steam and Epic start Black Friday Game Sales: our top 3 picks appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

   <p>There has been a huge increase in sales in recent years, especially so in gaming. Black Friday game sales have started on many gaming platforms, including Gog, Steam and Epic Games.</p> <p>Here is the rundown on what you can expect:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.gog.com/promo/20211122_weekly_sale" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Gog:</a> Gog's sale runs until November 30, 2021.</li> <li><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Steam:</a> Valve's Steam platform runs until December 1, 2021.</li> <li><a href="https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Epic Games</a>: The sale on the Epic Games Store runs until November 30, 2021.</li> </ul> <p>Gog is the only one of the three that is running time-limited flash sales. Game sales are not time-limited during the Black Friday sale on the other two platforms.  Below are our top 3 picks for each of the stores.</p> <h2>Gog Black Friday Games Sale</h2> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175703" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/cyberpunk.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/cyberpunk.jpg 1920w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/cyberpunk-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></p> <p>Let's get started with the Gog offering.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.gog.com/game/cyberpunk_2077" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Cyberpunk 2077</a> -- After a botched start, especially on consoles, the game is finally getting into shape. Expect the first major DLC next year, and continued improvements throughout. The game is available for $33.84 on Gog currently.</li> <li><a href="https://www.gog.com/game/stellaris" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Stellaris</a> -- If you want an epic 4x space game, Stellaris is certainly one that you may want to check out. It suffers a bit from DLC overload, but that is true for most Paradox Interactive games. This is the base game, which gives you hundreds of hours of playtime. The game is available for $11.27 during the sale. DLCs are also discounted, may be worth a look.</li> <li><a href="https://www.gog.com/game/a_plague_tale_innocence" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">A Plague Tale: Innocence</a> -- The game is a beautiful adventure game with action elements that plays in 1349 in France. You follow the story of two siblings who are hunted by the inquisition. The game is available for $11.27 currently.</li> </ul> <h2>Epic Games Store Sale</h2> <p>Here are the three suggestions from the Epic Games Store.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/p/hitman-3" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Hitman 3</a> -- I always enjoyed games in the Hitman series. While the AI is arguably not the brightest, it is still a fun game to play, especially since you get lots of options to complete your assassination missions. It is a game for adults, because of the theme. Note that there are add-ons available that add more missions and content to the game. It is available for €23.99 during the sale.</li> <li><a href="https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/p/red-dead-redemption-2" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Read Dead Redemption II</a> -- Rockstar Games' second Western-style game offers everything that you come to expect from GTA-style games. A wide open world, lots of choices and options, and an interesting story that you follow. The game is available for €29.99 currently.</li> <li><a href="https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/p/world-war-z" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">World War Z Aftermath</a> -- I enjoyed the first World War Z game, which you could play with human players in coop or alone with the AI. This new game in the universe plays just like the first.  Lots of zombies in this one. Get if for €29.99 during the sale.</li> </ul> <h2>Steam Store Black Friday Sales</h2> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175704" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ftl.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="337" /></p> <p>Here are my top three choices from this year's Steam Sale on Black Friday.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/236850/Europa_Universalis_IV/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Europa Universalis IV</a> -- Play four centuries in this grand strategy game. Lead a nation, master diplomacy, trade and war. The base game can be expanded with lots of DLCs. The base game is available for €9.99 during the sale.</li> <li><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/212680/FTL_Faster_Than_Light/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">FTL: Faster Than Light</a> -- FTL is probably the game that I played the most in this year. It is a strategy game in which you command a spaceship that is trying to escape pursuers, and defeating the enemy mothership in the end. Get different ship designs, alien crewmembers, weapons and enhancements for your spaceship. It can be very frustrating at times, but it is still fun to play. Available for just €2.49 during the sale.</li> <li><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/63910/Kings_Bounty_Crossworlds/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">King's Bounty: Crossworlds</a> -- Arguably the best King's Bounty game. It is an enhanced version of King's Bounty: Armored Princess. It is a turn-based combat game, not unlike Heroes of Might and Magic games. You explore the world, find treasure, equip your character, spend skill points, get good at magic, or not, and more. If you like this kind of game, you can spend hundreds of hours playing it. It is available for just €3.74 currently, and definitely the better choice when compared to the new King's Bounty II game that just came out.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Now You:</strong> have any game recommendations? Let us know in the comments below.</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/25/gog-steam-and-epic-start-black-friday-game-sales-our-top-3-picks/" data-wpel-link="internal">Gog, Steam and Epic start Black Friday Game Sales: our top 3 picks</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

7. WhatsApp Web gets a Custom Sticker Maker; Desktop version to follow next week

   2021-11-25 05:35:43 UTC

   WhatsApp has announced a new way that allows you to personalize your chats. One feature that has grown quite popular among IMs is stickers. Today, the Meta-owned messaging service has released a […]

   Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post WhatsApp Web gets a Custom Sticker Maker; Desktop version to follow next week appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

   <p>WhatsApp has announced a new way that allows you to personalize your chats. One feature that has grown quite popular among IMs is stickers. Today, the Meta-owned messaging service has released a Custom Sticker Maker tool for its service.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175687" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/How-to-create-a-custom-sticker-in-Whatsapp-web.jpg" alt="How to create a custom sticker in Whatsapp web" width="435" height="398" /></p> <p>The option is currently live for WhatsApp Web users. When you access the page, you will be prompted to update the web app, following which the sticker creation tool will be ready to use.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175691" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-Web-update.jpg" alt="WhatsApp Web update" width="420" height="238" /></p> <h3><strong>How to create a custom sticker  in WhatsApp Web</strong></h3> <p>1. Open <a href="https://web.whatsapp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">WhatsApp Web</a> in your computer's browser, and switch to any chat.</p> <p>2. Click the attachment button (paperclip icon) to the left of the text box, and a number of options will pop up on the screen. Select the penultimate one, that's the Create Sticker button.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175690" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-Web-Custom-Sticker-Maker-Image-Editor.jpg" alt="WhatsApp Web Custom Sticker Maker - Image Editor" width="830" height="819" /></p> <p>3. The web app will prompt you to select an image from your computer. Make your choice and WhatsApp Web will display an image editor, that you can use to personalize the picture.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175695" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-Web-Custom-Sticker-Maker-outline.jpg" alt="WhatsApp Web Custom Sticker Maker - outline" width="655" height="817" /></p> <p>4. The toolbar at the top of the screen has various options that you could find helpful. The first tool is called, Outline, and lets you draw a freehand or straight outline that determines the shape of your sticker.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175694" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-Web-Custom-Sticker-Maker-Add-Emojis-and-Stickers.jpg" alt="WhatsApp Web Custom Sticker Maker - Add Emojis and Stickers" width="415" height="569" /></p> <p>The next button, you know what this does, it can be used to add emojis to your sticker. Or, you can add existing WhatsApp stickers too. That's a bit wacky.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175693" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-Web-Custom-Sticker-Maker-Add-text.jpg" alt="WhatsApp Web Custom Sticker Maker - Add text" width="727" height="719" /></p> <p>Use the text tool to add a message or a cool caption to your sticker. The web app allows you to change the text color, font type, and the alignment.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175692" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-Web-Custom-Sticker-Maker-draw-stuff.jpg" alt="WhatsApp Web Custom Sticker Maker - draw stuff" width="566" height="709" /></p> <p>If you are skilled at free hand drawing, you can get creative with the pen tool. It has a few color options, and 4 brush sizes that you can choose from. Adjust the angle of your sticker or resize it with the crop and rotate tool.</p> <p>Made a mistake while editing the sticker? The Undo and Redo buttons will take you a step back or forward, as required.</p> <p>When you are done editing your sticker, send it to your contact, and it will appear in the conversation, like a normal sticker does, i.e., tapping the image will not cause it to open in the picture viewer, so you can't zoom in either. You can find your created stickers in WhatsApp's stickers panel, for future use. Oddly, the Custom Sticker Maker does not allow you to edit saved stickers, so you will need to start over in case you want to make some changes to it. The tool does not support animated GIFs, so you'll have to make do with JPG, PNG, etc.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175689" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Whatsapp-web-custom-sticker.jpg" alt="Whatsapp web custom sticker" width="313" height="237" /></p> <p>The Custom Sticker Maker is not available in WhatsApp Desktop yet, but according to <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/24/22800242/whatsapp-web-native-sticker-maker-desktop" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">The Verge</a>, the feature will arrive sometime next week. It is unclear if the option will be added to <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/18/whatsapp-beta-for-windows-10-and-11-is-now-available-on-the-microsoft-store/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">WhatsApp Beta for Windows</a> 10 and 11, there is no reason it shouldn't, but my point is we don't have an ETA for it. If you haven't tried it already, try the new app from the Microsoft Store. It's a lot snappier than the old desktop client, and displays notifications even when the program is closed.</p> <p>What do you think about the WhatsApp Web Custom Sticker Maker? I think it might be useful to import stickers from other services, though it will undoubtedly be used for creating memes.</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/25/whatsapp-web-custom-sticker-maker/" data-wpel-link="internal">WhatsApp Web gets a Custom Sticker Maker; Desktop version to follow next week</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

8. How to download any Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft

   2021-11-24 14:05:24 UTC

   Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system is available as an update for Windows 10 systems, provided that the system requirements are met. An alternative to updating systems directly is to download an ISO […]

   Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post How to download any Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

   <p>Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system is available as an update for Windows 10 systems, provided that the system requirements are met. An alternative to updating systems directly is to download an ISO image to burn it on a DVD, create installation media on USB devices, or install Windows 11 in a virtual environment.</p> <p>Microsoft's own tool, the Media Creation Tool, gives access to a particular ISO image only. Once the next feature update gets released, in late 2022, the tool will automatically give access to that new version as an ISO image, and not the initial version of Windows 11. Sometimes, that is not what is wanted.</p> <p>Another thing that needs to be considered is that Insider ISO images are also provided, but not via the Media Creation Tool.</p> <p>This guide describes three options that users have to download Windows 11 ISO images from Microsoft.</p> <p>Check out Ashwin's <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/10/05/how-to-download-windows-11/" data-wpel-link="internal">general guide on downloading Windows 11 here</a>.</p> <h2>Option 1: The Media Creation Tool</h2> <p>This option works if you want the latest stable ISO image of Windows 11 that Microsoft has created. It does not work for any other use case, e.g. if you want to download the latest Insider build ISO image or an ISO image of Windows 11 that Microsoft published earlier.</p> <p>Here is how it works:</p> <p><strong>Step 1:</strong> Open <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Microsoft's official website</a> for downloading Windows 11 ISO images</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175677" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/download-windows-11-iso.png" alt="download windows 11 iso" width="1196" height="1007" /></p> <p><strong>Step 2:</strong> Select "Download now" on the page that opens. This downloads the Media Creation Tool to the local system.</p> <p><strong>Step 3:</strong> Run the Media Creation Tool. Note that you need to be signed-in to an administrator account to download the ISO image using the tool.</p> <p><strong>Step 4:</strong> Accept the notices and license terms.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175678" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-11-media-creation-tool-license-terms.png" alt="windows 11 media-creation tool license terms" width="702" height="555" /></p> <p><strong>Step 5:</strong> Uncheck "Use the recommended options for this PC" to unlock all languages and editions that you can download using the tool.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175679" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-11-select-language-edition.png" alt="windows 11 select language edition" width="702" height="555" /></p> <p><strong>Step 6:</strong> Select the desired language and edition using the pulldown menus, e.g.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175680" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/download-windows-11-language-edition.png" alt="download windows 11 language edition" width="702" height="555" /></p> <ul> <li>Language: English (United States)</li> <li>Edition: Windows 11</li> </ul> <p>Note that the only Edition that is provided is Windows 11. It includes Home and Pro editions that you may install later on using the ISO.</p> <p>Select Next.</p> <p><strong>Step 7</strong>: Select ISO file on the next screen to download the Windows 11 ISO image to the local system.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175681" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Windows-11-ISO-file.png" alt="Windows 11 ISO file" width="702" height="555" /></p> <p><strong>Step 8:</strong> Select a Save directory on the local system for the ISO image.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175682" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/save-directory.png" alt="save directory" width="946" height="533" /></p> <h2>Option 2: Using TechBench</h2> <p>The official ISO downloading option is limited in several regards. You need to run the tool on Windows, need to be signed in with an administrator account, and can only download the latest official stable ISO image of Windows 11 that Microsoft provides.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2017/03/13/adguard-website-download-windows-and-office-iso-images/" data-wpel-link="internal">The third-party site TechBench</a> takes care of all of that. It is browser-based, meaning that you can access it using any browser or operating system. It does not require special user rights, as it is just a file download. Lastly, it gives users access to additional ISO images.</p> <p>Two ISO images are provided for Windows 11 currently, but if Windows 10 is anything to go by, you will be able to download any final feature release as an ISO as well without losing access to previous ISO image downloads.</p> <p><strong>Step 1</strong>: Open the <a href="https://tb.rg-adguard.net/public.php" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">TechBench website here</a>.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175683" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/techbench-website-download-windows-11.png" alt="techbench website download windows 11" width="1397" height="831" /></p> <p>Step 2: Make the following choices using the menus on the site:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Type</strong>: Windows (Final)</li> <li><strong>Version</strong>: pick the desired Windows 11 version that you want to download.</li> <li><strong>Edition</strong>: select Windows 11 or Windows 11 Home China.</li> <li><strong>Language:</strong> select the desired interface language. Note that you can <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/09/18/how-to-change-the-windows-11-display-language/" data-wpel-link="internal">change the Windows 11 interface language</a> later on as well.</li> <li><strong>Architecture</strong>: select the desired architecture, usually x64.</li> </ul> <p>Activate the download button once you are done to download the ISO image to the local system. Downloads come from Microsoft's server.</p> <h2>Option 3: Media Creation Tool Bat</h2> <p>MediaCreationTool.bat improves Microsoft's own Media Creation Tool. It adds more download options to the tool and includes some other options, e.g. to bypass Windows 11 system requirements during installation.</p> <p>Step 1: Open the official MediaCreationTool.bat file on <a href="https://github.com/AveYo/MediaCreationTool.bat/blob/main/MediaCreationTool.bat" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">GitHub</a>. Select the RAW button on the page and use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-S to save the batch file to the local system. Make sure that the filename is MediaCreationTool.bat, not MediaCreationTool.bat.txt.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175684" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/media-creation-tool-bat.png" alt="media creation tool bat" width="1010" height="645" /></p> <p>Step 2: Run the batch file after it has been downloaded. Windows may display a SmartScreen warning, which you need to ignore by selecting run anyway from the options.</p> <p>Step 3:  Select the desired ISO image of Windows 11 that you want to download. Currently, there is only one by default. You may use the tool to get BETA or DEV builds as well, as described by the developer:</p> <blockquote><p>Step 1: use <a href="https://github.com/abbodi1406/offlineinsiderenroll" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">OfflineInsiderEnroll</a> to subscribe to the channel you want<br /> while on 10, use BETA for Windows 11 22000.x builds (release), DEV for Windows 11 225xx.x builds (experimental)</p> <p>Step 2: use <a href="https://github.com/AveYo/MediaCreationTool.bat/blob/main/bypass11" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Skip_TPM_Check_on_Dynamic_Update.cmd</a> to automatically bypass setup requirements<br /> It's a set it and forget it script, with built-in undo</p> <p>Step 3: check for updates via Settings - Windows Update and select Upgrade to Windows 11</p></blockquote> <p><strong>Step 4:</strong> Select "Make ISO" from the options that are displayed. Continue the process to download the ISO image of Windows 11 to the local system.</p> <h3>Closing Words</h3> <p>The TechBench option works best for users who don't run Windows or don't have access to an administrative account.</p> <p><strong>Now You:</strong> how do you download Windows ISO images?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/24/how-to-download-any-windows-11-iso-from-microsoft/" data-wpel-link="internal">How to download any Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

9. Mozilla bans the FVD Speed Dial extension and removes it from Firefox; but users are furious after losing their bookmarks

   2021-11-24 12:43:41 UTC

   Mozilla has banned the popular new tab extension, FVD Speed Dial, from its Firefox add-ons repository. A discussion on Mozilla's Discourse portal sheds some light behind the drama. The full name of […]

   Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Mozilla bans the FVD Speed Dial extension and removes it from Firefox; but users are furious after losing their bookmarks appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

   <p>Mozilla has banned the popular new tab extension, FVD Speed Dial, from its Firefox add-ons repository. A discussion on Mozilla's Discourse portal sheds some light behind the drama.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175670" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Mozilla-bans-the-FVD-Speed-Dial-extension-and-removes-it-from-existing-Firefox-installs.jpg" alt="Mozilla bans the FVD Speed Dial extension and removes it from existing Firefox installs" width="1299" height="828" /></p> <p>The full name of the add-on is Speed Dial [FVD] New Tab Page, 3D Start Page, Sync. The developer was Nimbus Web.</p> <p>About a year ago, Mozilla discovered that the add-on was using a shady way to collect user data. FVD would intercept search queries made by users, and redirect these web requests to a third-party search engine.</p> <p>Having being caught red-handed, the extension's developer was told by Mozilla, to cease the practice. The developer disabled the feature, and FVD Speed Dial was allowed to be hosted on the AMO. Fast-forward to the present, and it appears someone didn't learn their lesson. The controversial feature was re-added in FVD Speed Dial. Since the developer had been warned earlier, this was a repeated offense, Mozilla decided that that was the last straw, and blocked the add-on.</p> <p>If you had FVD Speed Dial installed in Firefox, you may find that it has automatically been removed. For those curious, here is the FVD Speed Dial listing on the AMO, which when visited shows an error that says the page cannot be found. This is the <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20211006111737/https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/fvd-speed-dial/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Web Archive version</a> of the page, for reference.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175672" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Speed-Dial-FVD-New-Tab-Page-3D-Start-Page-Sync.jpg" alt="Speed Dial [FVD] New Tab Page, 3D Start Page, Sync" width="1244" height="396" /></p> <p>Here's the message that is displayed on the add-on's <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/blocked-addon/pavel.sherbakov@gmail.com/77.5.7/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">page</a>.</p> <blockquote><p>This add-on violates Mozilla's policies as search functionality provided or loaded by the add-on must not collect search terms or intercept searches that are going to a third-party search provider. The add-on has repeatedly violated these terms despite Mozilla explicitly pointing them out.</p></blockquote> <h4><strong>FVD Speed Dial users are furious after losing access to bookmarks</strong></h4> <p>Now, while Mozilla banning the extension is good, it does pose some difficulties for users who relied on the add-on. Many users have lost access to all the bookmarks they had saved via FVD Speed dial. And now that the add-on has automatically been removed from the browser, and banned from the store, there is literally no way to install it again. This leaves the user in the lurch, as they have lost their priceless data. Some users are <a href="https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/speed-dial/88960" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">outraged</a>, and are blaming Mozilla for blocking the add-on without warning. They believe that remote disabling of the add-on, is censorship, and that users should have been given the choice whether to use the extension or not.  To make matters worse, Mozilla has locked the discussion with a dry apology.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175671" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Mozilla-statement-about-FVD-Speed-Dial.jpg" alt="Mozilla statement about FVD Speed Dial" width="840" height="523" /></p> <p>I'm all for security and privacy, and banning the add-on is the right call, but I empathize with the users who lost their data. Have you ever been locked out of accessing your data? Your office work, studies, hobby projects, etc., could be affected by this. I experienced a slightly similar issue when <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2020/09/23/how-to-fix-onetab-not-working-in-firefox/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">OneTab stopped working</a> out of the blue, it was frustrating, but the developer was quick to fix the problem with an update.</p> <p>Perhaps Mozilla could have handled this FVD Speed Dial ban in a better way. Maybe, by displaying a warning that educates the user about the malicious add-on, and prompt users to export their data, and then remind them to remove the extension manually. Well, it's too late for that, I suppose. But maybe this is something that they should look into for the future.</p> <p>At the time of writing this post, FVD Speed Dial is still available on the <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/speed-dial-fvd-new-tab-pa/llaficoajjainaijghjlofdfmbjpebpa?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Chrome Web store</a>. If you were relying on the Firefox add-on, and want your data back, the next section may help you.</p> <p><strong>DISCLAIMER:</strong> I personally haven't tried this, but some users on <a href="https://old.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/r0kztr/fvd_speed_dial_blocked/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">reddit</a> claim that they installed FVD Speed Dial on Edge/Chrome, and used it to export their speed dials to the clipboard. You can use this to import them into another add-on, such as Group Speed Dial. This, of course, will only work if you had synced your data to the cloud, using Eversync. If you desperately need to recover your data from FVD, this seems like a good idea, actually it maybe the only solution for the problem. Don't forget to remove the add-on when you're done with it.</p> <p>If you read my article about the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/09/01/new-tab-extensions-chrome" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">top 10 New Tab Extensions for Chrome</a>, you may have noticed I had criticized FVD Speed Dial's privacy policy. Speaking of which, most of the add-ons that I recommend in that post are available for Firefox, so you may want to try one of those if you are looking for an alternative.</p> <p>Were you an FVD Speed Dial user? How do you feel about the add-on being removed?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/24/mozilla-bans-the-fvd-speed-dial-extension-from-firefox/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mozilla bans the FVD Speed Dial extension and removes it from Firefox; but users are furious after losing their bookmarks</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

10. Here is what is new in Microsoft Edge 96

    2021-11-24 08:25:41 UTC

    Microsoft released Microsoft Edge 96 last week and a small bug fix and performance update on November 23, 2021. The new version of Microsoft Edge includes several improvements for users of the […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Here is what is new in Microsoft Edge 96 appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Microsoft released Microsoft Edge 96 last week and a small bug fix and performance update on November 23, 2021. The new version of Microsoft Edge includes several improvements for users of the stable channel.</p> <p>Existing users may check the installed version on edge://settings/help. Opening the page checks for updates; any update found will be downloaded and installed automatically. Edge is set up to update automatically by default.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175667" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/microsoft-edge-96.png" alt="microsoft edge 96" width="1921" height="1423" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/microsoft-edge-96.png 1921w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/microsoft-edge-96-1536x1138.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1921px) 100vw, 1921px" /></p> <p>Edge improvements can be divided into consumer and administrative groups. Consumers get a number of new features in Edge 96, including the ability to view Office documents directly in the browser.</p> <p>Edge opens the Office document in a new tab in the browser when you click on supported Office documents, e.g. an Excel XLSX spreadsheet file or a Microsoft Word document. It is still possible to download the files, either by right-clicking on the link and selecting the save option, or by selecting the "download file" option on the Office Apps website that Microsoft Edge opens when Office documents are accessed.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175668" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/microsoft-edge-office-files-open.png" alt="microsoft edge office files open" width="1921" height="1423" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/microsoft-edge-office-files-open.png 1921w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/microsoft-edge-office-files-open-1536x1138.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1921px) 100vw, 1921px" /></p> <p>Edge users who don't want the functionality can turn off the feature in the following way:</p> <ol> <li>Load edge://settings/downloads in the browser's address bar.</li> <li>Toggle "Open Office files in the browser" so that it is set to off.</li> </ol> <p>The following screenshot shows the setting. Note that it is enabled on the screenshot.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175669" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/open-office-files.png" alt="open office files" width="1921" height="1423" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/open-office-files.png 1921w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/open-office-files-1536x1138.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1921px) 100vw, 1921px" /></p> <p>Here is the list of the other improvements in Microsoft Edge 96:</p> <ul> <li>Math Solver is now available in Microsoft Edge. It helps solve "a wide range of mathematical concepts", including elementary arithmetic, quadratic equations and calculus. It supports taking pictures of math problems to get them solved with step-by-step instructions provided by Edge.</li> <li>Edge's Immersive Reader feature has a new Dictionary icon. It may be used to look up word definitions and spelling information.</li> <li>New warning if so-called Typosquatting sites are accessed (sites that look similar to legitimate sites). Typosquatting sites usually use an URL that is very similar to another, often by changing a single letter or number, or making use of typos.</li> <li>Progressive Web Apps can be launched via protocol links now.</li> <li>The built-in PDF Reader supports Freeform highlighting.</li> <li>Control-flow Enforcement technology, which makes the browsing mode safer according to Microsoft. Only supported on Intel 11th Gen or AMD Zen 3).</li> </ul> <p>The following administrative improvements are made in Edge 96:</p> <ul> <li>Cloud Site List Management for IE mode in Public Preview.  Option to manage IE mode site lists in the cloud, instead of "eeding an on-premises infrastructure to host your organization's site list".</li> <li>Handoff between Microsoft Edge and IE Mode has been improved. Form data and additional HTTP headers are now included. The new policy InternetExplorerIntegrationComplexNavDataTypes can be used to define the data types that should be included.</li> <li>Microsoft Edge WebView2 can be updated using WSUS.</li> <li>Microsoft Edge WSUS updates for Server, including Server 2022.</li> <li>New AutoLaunch Protocols component that " contains lists of scheme-origin dictionaries to automatically allow or block".</li> </ul> <p>New polices:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#applicationguarduploadblockingenabled" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">ApplicationGuardUploadBlockingEnabled</a> Prevents files from being uploaded while in Application Guard</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#audioprocesshighpriorityenabled" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">AudioProcessHighPriorityEnabled</a> Allow the audio process to run with priority above normal on Windows</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#autolaunchprotocolscomponentenabled" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">AutoLaunchProtocolsComponentEnabled</a> AutoLaunch Protocols Component Enabled</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#browserlegacyextensionpointsblockingenabled" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">BrowserLegacyExtensionPointsBlockingEnabled</a> Enable browser legacy extension point blocking</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#crossoriginwebassemblymodulesharingenabled" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">CrossOriginWebAssemblyModuleSharingEnabled</a> Specifies whether WebAssembly modules can be sent cross-origin</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#displaycapturepermissionspolicyenabled" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">DisplayCapturePermissionsPolicyEnabled</a> Specifies whether the display-capture permissions-policy is checked or skipped</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#efficiencymode" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">EfficiencyMode</a> Configure when efficiency mode should become active</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#forcesynctypes" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">ForceSyncTypes</a> Configure the list of types that are included for synchronization</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#internetexplorerintegrationcomplexnavdatatypes" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">InternetExplorerIntegrationComplexNavDataTypes</a> Configure whether form data and HTTP headers will be sent when entering or exiting Internet Explorer mode</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#internetexplorermodetoolbarbuttonenabled" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">InternetExplorerModeToolbarButtonEnabled</a> Show the Reload in Internet Explorer mode button in the toolbar</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#internetexplorerintegrationwindowopenheightadjustment" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">InternetExplorerIntegrationWindowOpenHeightAdjustment</a> Configure the pixel adjustment between window.open heights sourced from IE mode pages vs. Edge mode pages</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#internetexplorerintegrationwindowopenwidthadjustment" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">InternetExplorerIntegrationWindowOpenWidthAdjustment</a> Configure the pixel adjustment between window.open widths sourced from IE mode pages vs. Edge mode pages</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#intranetfilelinksenabled" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">IntranetFileLinksEnabled</a> Allow intranet zone file URL links from Microsoft Edge to open in Windows File Explorer</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#newsmartscreenlibraryenabled" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">NewSmartScreenLibraryEnabled</a> Enable new SmartScreen library</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#printpostscriptmode" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">PrintPostScriptMode</a> Print PostScript Mode</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#printrasterizepdfdpi" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">PrintRasterizePdfDpi</a> Print Rasterize PDF DPI</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#rendererappcontainerenabled" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">RendererAppContainerEnabled</a> Enable renderer in app container</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#shadowstackcrashrollbackbehavior" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">ShadowStackCrashRollbackBehavior</a> Configure ShadowStack crash rollback behavior</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#sharedlinksenabled" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">SharedLinksEnabled</a> Show links shared from Microsoft 365 apps in History</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#typosquattingcheckerenabled" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">TyposquattingCheckerEnabled</a> Configure Edge TyposquattingChecker</li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployEdge/microsoft-edge-policies#visualsearchenabled" data-linktype="absolute-path" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">VisualSearchEnabled</a> Visual search enabled</li> </ul> <p><strong>Now You</strong>: do you use Microsoft Edge?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/24/here-is-what-is-new-in-microsoft-edge-96/" data-wpel-link="internal">Here is what is new in Microsoft Edge 96</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

11. How to enable file delete confirmations on Windows 11

    2021-11-23 17:42:42 UTC

    Files that you delete on Windows 11 PCs are deleted without a delete confirmation prompt. The default configuration sends the selection of files to the Recycle Bin. Users may restore accidentally deleted […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post How to enable file delete confirmations on Windows 11 appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Files that you delete on Windows 11 PCs are deleted without a delete confirmation prompt. The default configuration sends the selection of files to the Recycle Bin. Users may restore accidentally deleted files from the Recycle Bin, unless it is has been emptied already manually or automatically.</p> <p>Windows 11 comes with options to enable delete confirmation dialogs. These are displayed whenever files or folders get deleted by the user, e.g. by right-clicking on files in File Explorer and selecting the delete option, or by using the Delete-key on the keyboard while files or folders are selected.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175646" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/delete-confirmation.png" alt="delete confirmation" width="482" height="257" /></p> <p>Some users may prefer these confirmation dialogs to avoid deleting files or folders accidentally. It is a second safeguard that can be enabled, with the Recycle Bin being the first.</p> <p><strong>Tip: </strong>some users prefer to <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2012/07/24/how-to-bypass-the-windows-file-delete-confirmation-dialog-in-windows/" data-wpel-link="internal">disable the Recycle Bin completely, or use the Shift-Delete shortcut to bypass it manually</a>.</p> <h3>Enable Delete Confirmations on Windows 11 using the Recycle Bin</h3> <p>The process of enabling confirmation prompts when files get deleted is identical to the process on previous versions of Windows, including Windows 10.</p> <p><strong>Step 1:</strong> Right-click on the Recycle Bin icon that is displayed on the desktop by default and select the Properties context menu option.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175648" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-11-recycle-bin.png" alt="windows 11 recycle bin" width="371" height="268" /></p> <p><strong>Step 2:</strong> The Recycle Bin Properties window displays all Recycle Bin locations and the available space on each. Locate and check the "Display delete confirmation dialog" option at the bottom of the window. Select Apply and then OK to complete the process. Note that the setting is a global setting, meaning that prompts will be displayed for all delete actions on all connected drives from that moment on.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175647" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/enable-delete-confirmation.png" alt="enable delete confirmation" width="340" height="394" /></p> <p><strong>Step 3:</strong> Test the new functionality. Just open File Explorer and delete a file, e.g. by right-clicking on it and selecting the Delete icon or by using the Delete-key on the keyboard.</p> <p>You may undo the change at any time by removing the checkmark from the preference again in the Recycle Bin properties.</p> <h2>Enable Delete Prompts on Windows 11 using the Group Policy Editor</h2> <p>The Group Policy Editor is only available on professional and Enterprise versions of Windows 11. Here is how you enable delete confirmation dialogs on systems for users.</p> <p>Here is the description of the policy:</p> <blockquote><p>Allows you to have File Explorer display a confirmation dialog whenever a file is deleted or moved to the Recycle Bin.</p> <p>If you enable this setting, a confirmation dialog is displayed when a file is deleted or moved to the Recycle Bin by the user.</p> <p>If you disable or do not configure this setting, the default behavior of not displaying a confirmation dialog occurs.</p></blockquote> <p><strong>Step 1:</strong> Open Start, type gpedit.msc and select open from the menu; this loads the Group Policy Editor on the system.</p> <p><strong>Step:2</strong> Use the left sidebar tree to navigate to User Configuration &gt; Administrative Templates &gt; Windows Components &gt; File Explorer.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175649" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/policy-file-delete-confirmation.png" alt="policy file delete confirmation" width="1004" height="630" /></p> <p><strong>Step 3:</strong> Double-click on the policy "Display confirmation dialog when deleting files".</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175650" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/display-confirmation-dialog-when-deleting-files.png" alt="display confirmation dialog when deleting files" width="686" height="636" /></p> <p><strong>Step 4.</strong> Set the state of the policy to Enabled. Select Apply and the OK to complete the process and close the policy window again.</p> <p>The PC needs to be restarted before the change takes effect.</p> <p>You may undo the change at any time by setting the policy to Disabled or Default.</p> <h2>Turn on delete prompts on Windows 11 using the Registry</h2> <p>If the Recycle Bin icon is not displayed on the desktop or if you prefer using the Registry or need to use it, e.g. on Home editions of the Windows 11 operating system.</p> <p>Step 1: Select Start, type regedit.msc, and select the open options from the menu. Windows displays an UAC prompt that you need to accept. The Registry Editor is started afterwards.</p> <p>Step 2: Paste the following path into the address field at the top: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175651" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/confirmfiledelete.png" alt="confirmfiledelete" width="1214" height="558" /></p> <p>Step 3: Right-click on Explorer and select New &gt; Dword (32-bit) Value from the context menu.</p> <p>Step 4: Name the new Dword ConfirmFileDelete.</p> <p>Step 5. Double-click on the new Dword and set its value to 1. A value of 1 means that file deletion prompts are displayed.</p> <p>A restart is required before the change takes effect.</p> <p>You may undo the change at any time by deleting the Dword Value in the Registry.</p> <p><strong>Now You</strong>: how do you handle this on your machines?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/23/how-to-enable-file-delete-confirmations-on-windows-11/" data-wpel-link="internal">How to enable file delete confirmations on Windows 11</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

12. Windows Update KB5007262 Preview for Windows 11 brings a ton of fixes and Fluent 2D Emoji style

    2021-11-23 08:57:29 UTC

    Microsoft is rolling out Windows Update KB5007262 for Windows 11 users. This is a preview update for the stable version of the operating system, you don't need to be in the Insider […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Windows Update KB5007262 Preview for Windows 11 brings a ton of fixes and Fluent 2D Emoji style appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Microsoft is rolling out Windows Update KB5007262 for Windows 11 users. This is a preview update for the stable version of the operating system, you don't need to be in the Insider Preview Program to test it.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175632" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Windows-Update-KB5007262-Preview-for-Windows-11.jpg" alt="Windows Update KB5007262 Preview for Windows 11" width="460" height="423" /></p> <p>This is not a security update, instead it brings a boatload of fixes for problems reported by users.</p> <h3><strong>What's new in Windows Update KB5007262 Preview for Windows 11</strong></h3> <h4><strong>File Explorer</strong></h4> <p>A bug that prevented the File Explorer and Desktop menu from appearing has been patched. The change log says that the issue was more noticeable when files were set to open with a single-click.</p> <p>The update also fixes an issue that caused File Explorer to stop working after an Explorer window was closed. I'm not really sure what this is supposed to mean, from the wording I can only assume that Explorer wouldn't open after an instance was closed, but I've never encountered the issue. File Explorer's performance is still flaky, everything seems to take a split-second more than it should take to open.</p> <p>On the other hand, the Taskbar icon animation performance has been improved. From what I can see, the mouse-over indicator, and the fly-out context menus seem to be snappier, as in they appear instantly.</p> <h4><strong>Display</strong></h4> <p>Users with high contrast themes should no longer experience flickering problems when hovering over icons on the taskbar. Task View, Alt-Tab and Snap Assist will display the keyboard focus rectangle correctly. An issue that removed the Serbian (Latin) language from Windows has been fixed.V ideos should no longer display incorrect closed-caption shadows.</p> <p>If you changed the screen resolution after installing many apps, the Start Menu would not display the icons. This update fixes the issue, and also improves the display of the Start Menu with multiple monitors and mixed resolutions.</p> <h4><strong>Audio</strong></h4> <p>Bluetooth audio devices should no longer have volume control issues. The latest Windows Update Preview sorts out a bug that was causing temporary loss of audio. The audio performance of Xbox One and Xbox Series Audio peripherals with spatial audio has been improved, and audio distortion with these devices should no longer be an issue.</p> <p><strong>Input</strong></p> <p>Internet Explorer will no longer freeze or stop working, when you use the Input Method Editor (IME), and copy and paste text. The firmware patches an annoyance that was causing some apps to not responding to input properly, this affects devices with a touchpad. A new option is available that will allow you to enable Focus Assist for the first hour automatically, after a Windows feature update has been installed. A display problem that was preventing variable fonts from rendering correctly has been solved.</p> <p>Vertical fonts such as Meiryo UI font that were displaying letters or characters at the wrong angle prior to this update, will now work correctly. The icon for the iFLY Simplfied Chinese input will display the correct background in the notification are.</p> <p><strong>Devices</strong></p> <p>If you plugged in a printer, but Windows 11 didn't recognize it, you may want to install this update as it fixes the bug. Windows Mixed Reality was starting automatically when users put on a headset, even though the option to start the portal was disabled. The option will now respect the user's preference.</p> <p>Devices which had problems waking from hibernation, should now work correctly. This bug affected some processors. Volmgr.sys will not cause a stop error when you delete a volume. Users should not no longer see an unexpected “bad image” error message dialog at startup. The update addresses an issue that was causing Searchindexer.exe to stop responding while accessed via remote desktop. An issue related to SearchFilterHost.exe opening has also been fixed. Enabling Hyper-V caused some systems to stop working, this update resolves the issue.</p> <p>Remote Printers shared on Windows Print Server will no longer experience connection errors 0x000006e4, 0x0000007c, or 0x00000709. USB Printers which support Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) Over USB can be installed, after a problem that was preventing the installation was found and patched. Likewise, the devices will now be detected when you plug them in, Microsoft Defender for Endpoints has been enhanced to identify and intercept ransomware and advanced attacks.</p> <h4><strong>Fluent 2D Emoji style replaces Segoe UI Emoji font</strong></h4> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175634" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Windows-11-Segoe-UI-Emoji-font.jpg" alt="Windows 11 Segoe UI Emoji font" width="365" height="410" /></p> <p>Fans of emojis will be glad to know that the KB5007262 Update brings the Fluent 2D emoji style to the OS, including Emoji 13.1. It also introduces for Emoji search in all supported languages.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175633" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Windows-11-Fluent-2D-Emoji-style.jpg" alt="Windows 11 Fluent 2D Emoji style" width="368" height="406" /></p> <p>That was a long list of fixes, but I haven't included all of them. For the full list of improvements and fixes, please refer to the official <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/november-22-2021-kb5007262-os-build-22000-348-preview-7f3e18d7-4189-4882-b0e9-afc920253aee" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">patch notes</a>. The announcement says that Microsoft is not aware of any known issues in this release, which is to be expected, since this is a Preview release. This should change once users start using the latest build, run into bugs and provide feedback about it.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175631" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Windows-Update-KB5007262.jpg" alt="Windows Update KB5007262" width="819" height="707" /></p> <p>The update bumps the firmware version from Build 22000.318 to Build 22000.348. Windows Update KB5007262 will be the final preview release of 2021, a security release will be made available next month, as Microsoft will have minimal operations during the holiday season. The company aims to resume normal monthly servicing for preview releases in January 2022.</p> <p>You may download KB5007262 for Windows 11 from the <a href="https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5007262" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Microsoft Update Catalog</a>. Alternatively, you can use the Settings app &gt; Update &amp; Security &gt; Windows Update, and choose the Optional Updates option to download the update. It will appear as a Cumulative Update. You will need to restart the computer to install the patch.</p> <p>I have been using the new version for a few hours, and have not run into any issues. Hopefully, it stays that way.</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/23/windows-update-kb5007262-for-windows-11/" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows Update KB5007262 Preview for Windows 11 brings a ton of fixes and Fluent 2D Emoji style</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

13. Unpatched Windows vulnerability allows attackers to gain admin rights

    2021-11-23 05:41:59 UTC

    Security researcher Abdelhamid Naceri published a public exploit on GitHub yesterday that allows anyone to gain administrative rights on Windows devices using an unpatched exploit. The exploit works on all supported client […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Unpatched Windows vulnerability allows attackers to gain admin rights appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Security researcher Abdelhamid Naceri <a href="https://github.com/klinix5/InstallerFileTakeOver" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">published</a> a public exploit on GitHub yesterday that allows anyone to gain administrative rights on Windows devices using an unpatched exploit. The exploit works on all supported client and server versions of Windows according to Naceri, including Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022 with the latest patches, <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/09/microsoft-windows-security-updates-november-2021-overview/" data-wpel-link="internal">November 2021 security patches</a> at the time of writing, installed.</p> <p>We confirmed the exploit on a Windows 10 version 21H2 test system. Executed locally on a standard user account, we managed to gain elevated privileges using the exploit. <a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/new-windows-zero-day-with-public-exploit-lets-you-become-an-admin/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Bleeping Computer</a> did test the exploit as well and found it to be working.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175625" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/local-zero-day-windows-scaled.jpg" alt="local zero day windows" width="2560" height="720" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/local-zero-day-windows-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/local-zero-day-windows-1536x432.jpg 1536w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/local-zero-day-windows-2048x576.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></p> <p>Microsoft did patch <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-41379" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">CVE-2021-41379</a> in the November 2021 patches, a Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability, which was discovered by Naceri as well.</p> <p>Naceri found a variant of the patched exploit "during analysis of CVE-2021-41379", noting that the initial issue was not patched correctly. He decided against publishing a bypass for the patch that Microsoft released, stating that the new variant that he published instead "is more powerful than the original one".</p> <p>The researcher describes the proof of concept in the following way:</p> <blockquote><p>I have also made sure that the proof of concept is extremely reliable and doesn't require anything, so it works in every attempt. The proof of concept overwrite Microsoft Edge elevation service DACL and copy itself to the service location and execute it to gain elevated privileges.</p> <p>While this technique may not work on every installation, because windows installations such as server 2016 and 2019 may not have the elevation service. I deliberately left the code which take over file open, so any file specified in the first argument will be taken over with the condition that SYSTEM account must have access to it and the file mustn't be in use. So you can elevate your privileges yourself.</p></blockquote> <p>Running standard user accounts, instead of accounts with administrative privileges, is considered a good security practice as doing so may limit what successful exploits and attacks may do on a system.</p> <p>Naceria notes that his exploit is not affected by a policy that may prevent standard users from performing MSI operations.</p> <p>He plans to drop the bypass to the vulnerability patched in November 2021 after Microsoft produces a patch for the vulnerability discussed in this article.</p> <p>Windows administrators and users should wait for a patch nevertheless according to Naceri, as "any attempt to patch the binary directly will break windows installer".</p> <p>Bleeping Computer asked Naceri why he did not report the vulnerability to Microsoft before publication. Naceri responded that it is a reaction to Microsoft cutting bug bounties for reported vulnerabilities.</p> <p><strong>Now You:</strong> do you run standard or admin accounts by default?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/23/unpatched-windows-vulnerability-allows-attackers-to-gain-admin-rights/" data-wpel-link="internal">Unpatched Windows vulnerability allows attackers to gain admin rights</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

14. How to Get Chrome Extensions on Android

    2021-11-22 10:38:39 UTC

    Whether you’re a student or work from home or an office, Chrome has some great extensions that help with organization, productivity, learning, and entertainment. You’ve probably discovered quite a few of these […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post How to Get Chrome Extensions on Android appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Whether you’re a student or work from home or an office, Chrome has <strong>some great extensions</strong> that help with organization, productivity, learning, and entertainment. You’ve probably discovered quite a few of these handy extensions and plugins on your computer. So, how can you get these extensions on your Android device as well? Is it even possible?</p> <p>The good news is that it’s possible and relatively easy to get your <strong>favorite Chrome extensions</strong> on your Android device, and we’ll show you how. In this article on Chrome extensions for your Android device, we’ll be covering the following topics:</p> <ul> <li>Why should you get Google Chrome Extensions for Android?</li> <li>Is there a difference between Chrome mobile extensions and PC extensions?</li> <li>Steps to get Chrome extensions on Android</li> <li>Steps to remove Chrome extensions from Android</li> </ul> <h2>Why Should You Get Google Chrome Extensions for Android?</h2> <p>For most of us, our Android devices are so much more than just a phone. It’s also a work tool, diary, day planner, source of inspiration, meal planner, exercise planner, and more. It just makes sense that with the wide range of extensions available to help with all these, we’d want it available on our mobile device as well.</p> <p>Think about how many times you have to <strong>type emails from your device</strong>. How many of these emails are professional? If you had the Grammarly Chrome extension on your Android phone, you’d be assured that your emails are written correctly. Perhaps privacy is your main concern, and you’d like to have the Privacy Badger extension for Chrome on your Android device to also offer its protection there? These are just a few of many examples as to why you should get Chrome extensions on your Android device.</p> <h2>Is There a Difference Between Chrome Mobile Extensions and PC Extensions?</h2> <p>There is a significant difference when it comes to Chrome Android extensions and those available on PC. Google Chrome is one of the <strong>most popular browsers</strong> on Android and Windows devices. It is one of the fastest, securest, and easiest to use. You also have the added benefit of having a wide range of extensions and add-ons available so that you can completely personalize your browsing experience.</p> <p>These Chrome extensions are <strong>readily available</strong> on your PC Chrome browser, but for some reason, they are not yet available on the Android Chrome version. This is odd considering that Google created both Chrome and Android. One would think they would’ve made it possible to install Chrome extensions on your Android device. This is especially true when you consider that Firefox users have been able to install and use Chrome extensions for a while.</p> <p>The only way that you’ll be able to use Chrome extensions on your Android device is by using another Chromium browser. Luckily for you, there are many good chromium-based browsers available for Android that also support Chrome extensions. Here are a few of our <strong>favorite chromium browsers</strong> to look at:</p> <ul> <li>Yandex (most popular option)</li> <li>Kiwi Browser</li> <li>Bromite Browser</li> <li>Dolphin Browser</li> </ul> <h2>Steps to Get Chrome Extensions on Android</h2> <p>Now that we’ve covered a bit about why you’d want to use extensions on Android, and the key difference between Chrome on PC and Chrome on Android, let’s get into the actual steps you need to take to install Chrome extensions on your Android device.</p> <h3>Step 1: Download New Browser</h3> <p>First, you’ll have to download a new chromium browser that is able to access the Chrome Webstore and install extensions. To do this, you can go into your Play Store and download one of the browsers mentioned above. Yandex seems to be one of the favorites, especially when it comes to also using Chrome extensions.</p> <h3>Step 2: Make the New Browser Your Default</h3> <p>Once the new browser has been downloaded and installed on your Android device, you need to make it the default browser. Open the phone settings on your Android device and tap on ‘Apps and Notifications’. Next, tap on ‘Advanced’ and then tap on ‘Default App’.</p> <h3>Step 3: Go to the Chrome Webstore</h3> <p>Now you can go into your new browser and type in chrome.google.com/webstore to go to the Chrome Webstore.</p> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175585 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/chrome-extensions-on-android.png" alt="chrome extensions on android" width="290" height="512" /></p> <h3>Step 4: Search for the Extension</h3> <p>In the search bar, type the name of the extension you want. You can also search for the type of extension you want if you don’t know the exact name. Once you see the extension you’d like in the search results, you can click on it to get more information and proceed with installing it should you wish to.</p> <h3>Step 5: Install the Extension</h3> <p>Click on the extension in the search results; you will be taken to a page with more information and reviews of the extension. If you want to download it, tap on ‘Install’ at the bottom of the page. Once the extension has been installed on your Android device, it will automatically be added to your browser.</p> <p>Tip: Be aware that not all extensions will work on your new browser. There are still limitations to the types of Chrome extensions that will work on your mobile device. However, there are a few that generally work well. This might take some trial and error to find the right mobile Chrome extensions.</p> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175586 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Install-the-Extension.png" alt="Install the Extension" width="289" height="512" /></p> <h2>Steps to Remove Chrome Extensions on Android</h2> <p>Since there is a bit of trial-and-error with Chrome extensions on Android devices, you may have to remove extensions after installing them. This could be because they don’t work on your device, or perhaps they don’t do what you hoped they would. Here are the steps to disable and remove extensions and add-ons.</p> <h3>Step 1: Open Your Browser</h3> <p>Open your browser that has the extensions or add-ons you want to remove.</p> <h3>Step 2: Open Your Browser Settings</h3> <p>Now, tap on your browser settings. This is usually represented by three vertical dots.</p> <h3>Step 3: Navigate to Your Extension</h3> <p>Once in your browser’s settings, tap on ‘Add-ons and Themes’ or similar (this title may vary between different browsers) and then tap on ‘Extensions’.</p> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175587 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Navigate-to-Your-Extension.png" alt="Navigate to Your Extension" width="289" height="512" /></p> <h3>Step 4: Disable Extensions</h3> <p>Scroll through the list of installed extensions until you find the one you want to disable or remove. If you want to disable the extension, you can tap on the toggle.</p> <h3>Step 5: Remove Extension</h3> <p>If you want to completely remove the extension, you’ll need to tap on the three vertical dots next to the extension and then select ‘Remove’.</p> <h2>Bottom Line</h2> <p>Having access to your favorite Chrome extensions on Android can make all the difference between an ok browsing experience and a great one. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to do this with your Chrome browser. Luckily there are many other chromium browsers such as Yandex or Firefox that allow you to install Android Chrome add-ons.</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/22/how-to-get-chrome-extensions-on-android/" data-wpel-link="internal">How to Get Chrome Extensions on Android</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

15. Paint.NET 4.4 will only support 64-bit versions Windows 10 and 11

    2021-11-22 10:14:25 UTC

    The next major version of the image editor Paint.NET 4.4 won't support the Microsoft operating systems Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 anymore. Paint.NET 4.3.3 was released for all supported operating systems this […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Paint.NET 4.4 will only support 64-bit versions Windows 10 and 11 appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>The next major version of the image editor Paint.NET 4.4 won't support the Microsoft operating systems Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 anymore.</p> <p>Paint.NET 4.3.3 was released for all supported operating systems this week. The new version of the image editor is now using .NET 6, which has improved rendering and startup performance according to the author.</p> <p>Paint.NET 4.3.3 includes several improvements and fixes besides that. The ARM64 version has seen a download size reduction of about 33%, installation performance has been improved by "migrating away from Nullsoft Scriptable Installer System", and Dark Theme support has been improved for Windows 10 version 1809 and newer. Three new interface languages, Thai, Corsican and Catalan, have been added as well in the new release version.</p> <blockquote><p>In this release, Paint.NET has been migrated to the just-released .NET 6. This comes with additional improvements for both rendering and startup performance, as well as ensuring that myself and plugin authors can develop using the latest version of the platform, including C# 10.</p></blockquote> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175616" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/paint.net-4.3.3.png" alt="paint.net 4.3.3" width="986" height="793" /></p> <p>You can check out the <a href="https://www.getpaint.net/roadmap.html" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">full changelog</a> on the official website. Paint.NET 4.3.3 is available as an in-application upgrade, as an upgrade through Microsoft Store, if the Store version is installed, and as a direct download from the official website.</p> <p>Paint.net displays the installed version when you launch it. You may also select the question mark icon and then About to display it.</p> <h2>Paint.NET 4.4 outlook</h2> <p>A new blog post on the official Paint.NET blog provides insight on the upcoming Paint.NET 4.4 version. The upcoming version of Paint.NET makes the following changes to the program's system compatibility:</p> <ul> <li>Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 won't be supported by Paint.NET 4.4; this means, that only Windows 10 and Windows 11 will be supported going forward.</li> <li>Only 64-bit versions will be supported; this means that there won't be a 32-bit version release anymore starting with the release of Paint.NET 4.4.</li> </ul> <p>New Paint.NET 4.3.x versions may be released until version 4.4 is released officially.</p> <p>The main reason given for the change is that development of Windows 7 and 8.1 versions of Paint.NET has " become significantly more difficult and time consuming to support" according to the developer. Other reasons include that usage is low and that the cost of development can't be justified anymore to continue support for the operating systems.</p> <p>It is unclear if pre-Paint.NET 4.4 versions will continue to work, but it seems likely that this will be the case. Bug fixes or security updates won't be released anymore though once Paint.NET 4.4 has been released.</p> <p>Alternatives such as <a href="https://www.gimp.org/downloads/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">GIMP</a>, which support Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, are available.</p> <p><strong>Now You</strong>: which image editor do you use?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/22/paint-net-4-4-will-only-support-64-bit-versions-windows-10-and-11/" data-wpel-link="internal">Paint.NET 4.4 will only support 64-bit versions Windows 10 and 11</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

16. Winamp is set for a comeback, you can sign-up for the beta now

    2021-11-22 08:56:50 UTC

    The official website of Winamp has been updated. It says that a new version is coming. We have heard this before, so if you are a fan of the classic music player, […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Winamp is set for a comeback, you can sign-up for the beta now appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>The official website of Winamp has been updated. It says that a new version is coming. We have heard this before, so if you are a fan of the classic music player, I'd suggest not getting your hopes up too much.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175609" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/new-Winamp-website.jpg" alt="new Winamp website" width="1369" height="769" /></p> <p>This isn't the first time the company has teased a new version is "coming soon". It happened in 2016, and later in 2018, shortly after Winamp 5.8 got leaked. But, for fans who were expecting good news, nothing came to fruition with regard to version 6.</p> <p>Winamp has had a pretty rough journey. AOL acquired the music player from Nullsoft in 1998. That's when it became popular. A decade and a half later, Winamp's ownership changed hands when Belgian online radio aggregator, Radionomy,<a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2014/01/01/new-owner-winamp-radionomy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal"> acquired it</a> in 2014. French media conglomerate, Vivendi, infamous for its hostile takeovers, <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2015/12/19/winamp-vivendi-becomes-major-radionomy-stakeholder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">acquired</a> a majority stake in Radionomy in 2015.</p> <p>There has been little to no development related to Winamp for quite a while. The music player last received an update in the Winter of 2013, i.e., Winamp version 5.666. A leaked version of the player, <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/09/16/winamp-5-8-beta-leak-appears-on-the-web/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Winamp 5.8 beta</a> surfaced in 2018, and was later officially released to the public. Ever since then, there has been barely any word about its development. So it comes as no surprise that its cult following keeps pestering the devs about an update for their beloved music player.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-147620" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/winamp-5.8-beta.png" alt="winamp 5.8 beta" width="813" height="615" /></p> <p>That might change soon, strong emphasis on both <strong>might</strong> and <strong>soon</strong>. <a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/software/winamp-prepares-a-relaunch-new-beta-version-almost-ready/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Bleeping Computer</a> reports that Jeremy Scheppers, Winamp's Head of Product development, said they were excited for the re-launch of the music player. That's pretty cryptic, actually, that tells nothing.</p> <p>The new Winamp portal, spotted by <a href="https://vosveteit.sk/legendarny-winamp-vola-pouzivatelov-aby-sa-stali-beta-testermi-novej-verzie-aplikacie/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Vosveteit</a>, says that the next-gen version of the music player will be a remastered one. It also goes on to mention that the program will connect your music wherever you are, including podcasts and radio stations. Fair warning, the website seems to chug, especially while scrolling. The old version of Winamp is available for download near the bottom of the page.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175610" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Winamp-new-version-teased.jpg" alt="Winamp new version teased" width="1673" height="802" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Winamp-new-version-teased.jpg 1673w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Winamp-new-version-teased-1536x736.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1673px) 100vw, 1673px" /></p> <h3><strong>Sign up for the Winamp beta</strong></h3> <p>There is no new version available just yet, but you may <a href="https://audiovalley.typeform.com/betatester" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">opt in</a> to the Winamp beta program to test it when it is released. Did you notice the new Winamp logo in the top corner?</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175612" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Winamp-beta-version.jpg" alt="Winamp beta version" width="1667" height="693" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Winamp-beta-version.jpg 1667w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Winamp-beta-version-1536x639.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1667px) 100vw, 1667px" /></p> <p>The <a href="https://www.winamp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">landing page</a> mentions that artists and creators will be able to release their music, control their content, make money and connect with the fans through the service. The message is clear and obvious, Winamp will offer some sort of streaming service of its own. There are several job listings that outline the company's plans to monetize the service, through ads and sales. And given the location requirements for the postings, the service should be available globally, or at least in the US, Canada, and Europe.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175611" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Winamp-job-listings.jpg" alt="Winamp job listings" width="1095" height="881" /></p> <p>Darren Owen, a former Winamp and SHOUTcast developer, and the current developer of <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/02/23/new-winamp-community-update-project-wacup-preview-released/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">WACUP</a> (Winamp Community Update Project) shared his views on the upcoming version on <a href="https://old.reddit.com/r/winamp/comments/qx0x5g/winamp_to_relaunch_soon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">reddit</a> (u/thedoctor_0). He says that the new Winamp may offer a streaming service, potentially similar to Spotify. The client software might just be web-api wrappers, like Electron. While the official page claims a remastered application is coming, Owen thinks the focus may be on a web-based client, and a mobile app, and not on the desktop program. If true, old <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/10/04/internet-archive-releases-winamp-skins-collection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Winamp skins</a> may not be compatible with it.</p> <p>That's an interesting take on the music player from a former developer, or does that sound like a recipe for disaster?  A Spotify rival from a radio aggregator does make sense, and so does ads in the stream for monetization, or at least to push users to subscribe to a premium service for the ad-free experience. But none of this sounds like the Winamp we know and love.</p> <p>I don't think it is fair to judge it before it has been released, so let's keep our fingers crossed and hope it really whips the llama's ass.</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/22/how-to-sign-up-for-the-winamp-beta-version/" data-wpel-link="internal">Winamp is set for a comeback, you can sign-up for the beta now</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

17. Mozilla launches Firefox Relay Premium

    2021-11-22 05:59:37 UTC

    Firefox Relay Premium, a subscription-based version of Firefox Relay, is now available in select countries. Firefox Relay is an email forwarding service that I reviewed back in 2020 when it first launched. […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Mozilla launches Firefox Relay Premium appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Firefox Relay Premium, a subscription-based version of Firefox Relay, is <a href="https://relay.firefox.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">now available</a> in select countries.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2020/08/22/firefox-relay-create-email-aliases-to-combat-spam-and-improve-privacy/" data-wpel-link="internal">Firefox Relay</a> is an email forwarding service that I reviewed back in 2020 when it first launched. It makes use of aliases that act as a proxy between a user's email address and sites and services on the Internet. The main idea is to block spam by using the alias email address and not the user's email address for communication.</p> <p>Instead of leaving the "real" email address on a site, e.g. when leaving a comment, signing up for a service, or buying something, a user of Firefox Relay would use an email alias that is provided by the service for that. Firefox Release forwards emails to the user's email address automatically.</p> <p>The concept that is behind Firefox Relay is not new. Disposable Email Services have offered similar functionality for a long time. Some allow the creation of throwaway email addresses, others support accounts and email forwarding just like Firefox Relay.</p> <p>The free version off Firefox Relay requires a Mozilla Account. It allows users to create up to 5 email aliases, which are created randomly using the *.relay.firefox.com hostname.</p> <h2>Firefox Relay Premium</h2> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175604" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/firefox-relay-premium.png" alt="firefox relay premium" width="1800" height="1140" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/firefox-relay-premium.png 1800w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/firefox-relay-premium-1536x973.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px" /></p> <p>Firefox Relay Premium is a commercial version of Firefox Relay. Like most commercial versions off services, it is offering more functionality to the user.</p> <p>The three core differences compared to the free version of Firefox Relay are:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Unlimited aliases</strong> -- Aliases are not limited anymore, users of Firefox Relay Premium can create as many aliases as they require.</li> <li><strong>Custom email domains</strong> -- Users get the option to create a subdomain alias in the form @yourdomain.mozmail.com when they sign-up for Firefox Relay Premium.</li> <li><strong>Replay to forwarded emails</strong> -- Firefox Relay Premium allows users to replay to emails using the Firefox Relay email address.</li> </ul> <p>The introductory price is 0.99 Dollar, 0.99 Euro, 1.00 CHF. The service is available in the following regions at the time of writing: Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland).</p> <p>Mozilla has not revealed when and by how much it will increase the price of the subscription.</p> <p><strong>Closing Words</strong></p> <p>The premium version of Firefox Relay adds much needed features to the email forwarding service. It is still limited, especially when it comes to custom domain use and other features, e.g. catch all email addresses or support for larger email attachments.</p> <p>A service like <a href="https://simplelogin.io/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Simple Login</a> is available for $20 for the first year currently, and $30 thereafter, and it does support unlimited custom domains, which may be provided by the user, 5 subdomains, catch-all domain and support for PGP encryption.</p> <p>Mozilla needs to add more features continuously to Firefox Relay Premium before it starts increasing the price of a subscription. Especially the one-custom domain limitation needs to be lifted, as services on the Internet could simply block mozmail.com from being used to interact with sites and services.</p> <p><strong>Now You</strong>: do you use a disposable email service / email forwarding service?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/22/mozilla-launches-firefox-relay-premium/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mozilla launches Firefox Relay Premium</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

18. 7-Zip 21.05: first stable version of 2021 released

    2021-11-21 19:24:51 UTC

    The developer of the open source archiver 7-Zip, Igor Pavlov, released the first stable version of the application of 2021, 7-Zip 21.05. The new version is already available on the official website. […]

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    <p>The developer of the open source archiver 7-Zip, Igor Pavlov, released the first stable version of the application of 2021, 7-Zip 21.05.</p> <p>The new version is already available on the <a href="https://www.7-zip.org/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">official website</a>. You can check the installed version by selecting Help &gt; About 7-Zip in the application interface.</p> <h2>7-Zip 21.05</h2> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175596" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/7-zip-file-manager-21.05.png" alt="7-zip file manager 21.05" width="917" height="479" /></p> <p>7-Zip 21.05 is the first major stable version in a while. The last release dates back to <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2019/02/22/7-zip-19-00-released/" data-wpel-link="internal">version 19.00</a>, released in February 2019. Several alpha and beta versions have been released since then, but 21.05 is the first new stable version of the archiver. <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/03/11/7-zip-21-0-alpha-introduces-native-linux-support/" data-wpel-link="internal">Alpha builds for Linux</a> and Mac OS X were released.</p> <p>Here is the list of important changes when compared to the last stable version, 7-Zip 19.00:</p> <ul> <li>Support for unpacking b64 files (Base64 encoding).</li> <li>7-Zip supports new hardware instructions for SHA-1 and SHA-256 which new AMD Ryzen and Intel CPU's support; this improves the performance of certain operations, including encrypting and decrypting ZIP AES, hash value calculations, and the speed of key derivation for encryption and decryption in 7z, ZIP and RAR archives.</li> <li>ZIP AES encryption and 7z, RAR and ZIP AES decryption improved.</li> <li>Improved compression ratio for fast and fastest compression levels.</li> <li>Default number of LZMA2 chunks per solid blocks increased in 7z archives, which improves the compression speed for large 7z archives on devices with a large number of CPU cores and threads.</li> <li>The -ssp command line switches prevents that the system modifies the "last access time" property of source files for archiving and hashing operations.</li> <li>ARM64 version speed improvements for AES, CRC-32, SHA-1 and SHA-256.</li> <li>Maximum dictionary size for LZMA/LZMA2 compression operations was increased to 4 Gigabytes.</li> <li>Decompression speed of LZMA and LZMA2 archives in ARM64 versions for Mac OS and Linux improved by 20-60%.</li> <li>7-Zip writes an additional field for the filename in UTF-8 encoding in ZIP archives.</li> <li>The number of working CPU threads is removed for compression if the RAM size is not enough for compression operations with large LZMA2 dictionaries.</li> <li>7-Zip may create the text file file.sha256, which contains all file names and SHA-256 checksums. The program may also check the file to verify files.</li> <li>Add to Archive window supports setting a memory usage limit.</li> </ul> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175597" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/7-zip-memory-usage.png" alt="7-zip memory usage" width="626" height="628" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/7-zip-memory-usage.png 626w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/7-zip-memory-usage-300x300.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 626px) 100vw, 626px" /></p> <p>Interested users can check out the <a href="https://www.7-zip.org/history.txt" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">full changelog here</a>.</p> <p><strong>Now You:</strong> which archive software do you use, and why?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/21/7-zip-21-05-first-stable-version-of-2021-released/" data-wpel-link="internal">7-Zip 21.05: first stable version of 2021 released</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

19. Barbados to Become the First Nation With a Virtual Embassy in the Metaverse

    2021-11-21 17:23:48 UTC

    Barbados has announced that they are extending their diplomacy to the virtual world of the metaverse. As the first nation to establish a virtual embassy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign […]

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    <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Barbados has announced that they are <strong>extending their diplomacy to the virtual world</strong> of the metaverse. As the first nation to establish a virtual embassy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade has signed an agreement with Decentraland, a metaverse platform. The agreement with the Ethereum user-based digital platform, Decentraland, was approved in August and will be launched officially in January 2022. This transition from real-world diplomacy to a virtual embassy may come as a surprise to some. Still, Barbados is thrilled to extend its outreach to the “cultural diplomacy” of the metaverse.</span></p> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175592 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Barbados-to-Become-the-First-Nation-With-a-Virtual-Embassy-in-the-Metaverse-2.jpg" alt="Barbados to Become the First Nation With a Virtual Embassy in the Metaverse" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <h2><b>Why Did They Choose Decentraland?</b><span style="font-weight: 400"> </span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Decentraland is known as the most popular and one of the <strong>largest metaverse platforms around</strong>. The Ethereum-based metaverse platform, Decentraland, is a leading metaverse ecosystem above any other virtual platforms. Decentraland allows users to buy virtual land to build upon and sell. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">However, Barbados isn’t stopping there; the Ministry plans to complete agreements with other blockchain platforms, like Superworld, Somnium Space, and other platforms. As the first nation to establish virtual sovereign land, Barbados plans to create a virtual embassy architecture that is transferable across the metaverse. </span></p> <h2><b>What is the Purpose of a Virtual Embassy?</b></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The agreement between <strong>Decentraland and Barbados</strong> enables the design of virtual embassies and road mapping land acquisition. The plan is to expand the agreement to develop virtual infrastructure for “e-visas” to travel across metaworlds and a “teleporter” that affords players to travel across the different blockchain worlds. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, this opens up diplomacy into the technological and cultural realms of digital art and trade. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Since the discussion of a virtual Barbados embassy, governmental bodies, including the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, have evaluated the agreement in detail. The embassy has also received legal counsel to ensure that the agreement complies with the Vienna Convention and international law. </span></p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/21/barbados-to-become-the-first-nation-with-a-virtual-embassy-in-the-metaverse/" data-wpel-link="internal">Barbados to Become the First Nation With a Virtual Embassy in the Metaverse</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

20. New Microsoft Authenticator features for organizations

    2021-11-21 09:14:08 UTC

    Microsoft announced four new features for the company's Microsoft Authenticator application for organizations. The new security features improve Microsoft Authenticator's capabilities in several meaningful ways. Two feature additions improve the sign-in experience. […]

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    <p>Microsoft <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-active-directory-identity/new-microsoft-authenticator-security-features-are-now-available/ba-p/2464386" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">announced</a> four new features for the company's Microsoft Authenticator application for organizations. The new security features improve Microsoft Authenticator's capabilities in several meaningful ways.</p> <p>Two feature additions improve the sign-in experience. The first, Additional context in Microsoft Authenticator approval requests, adds more information to the confirmation prompt. The feature uses the device's IP address to display location based information and a map. It will also display the application that is requesting access.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175576" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/microsoft-authenticator-additional-context.png" alt="microsoft authenticator additional context" width="374" height="666" /></p> <p>Administrators need to enable push notifications for some users or groups using the new Authentication Methods Policy API.</p> <p>Administrators may combine the new security feature with number matching, yet another new feature that is available in public preview. Number matching requires users to enter a number in the Microsoft Authenticator application that is displayed on the sign-in screen.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175577" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/microsoft-authenticator-number-matching.jpg" alt="microsoft authenticator number matching" width="1600" height="1026" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/microsoft-authenticator-number-matching.jpg 1600w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/microsoft-authenticator-number-matching-1536x985.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></p> <p>Number matching can be enabled individually, or in combination with the extended context feature.</p> <p>The third feature addition adds options to restrict access to "the boundaries of a specific country by using the GPS signal from the Microsoft Authenticator". Countries can be blocked using the device's IP address or GPS coordinates, which the Microsoft Authenticator application provides. Authentication is denied automatically if the phone is rooted or jailbroken.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175578" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/microsoft-authenticator-block-countries.png" alt="microsoft authenticator block countries" width="918" height="571" /></p> <p>The fourth and final new feature may be used to encourage users to enable two-factor authentication and the use of Microsoft Authenticator.</p> <p>The third and fourth feature is already available.</p> <p>Administrators may check out the following support pages for additional details:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/how-to-mfa-number-match" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">How to use number matching in multifactor authentication (MFA) notifications (Preview) - Authentication Methods Policy</a></li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/how-to-mfa-additional-context" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">How to use additional context in multifactor authentication (MFA) notifications (Preview) - Authentication Methods Policy</a></li> <li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/conditional-access/location-condition" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Using the location condition in a Conditional Access policy</a></li> </ul> <h3>Closing Words</h3> <p>Three of the four new security features would make good additions to Home editions of Microsoft's Authenticator application. It would probably not be difficult to add extra context to the confirmation prompts, enable the number matching experience, or country blocking.</p> <p><strong>Now You:</strong> do you use an authenticator application or 2-factor authentication?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/21/microsoft-authenticator-features-organizations/" data-wpel-link="internal">New Microsoft Authenticator features for organizations</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

21. Mozilla is ending support for Firefox Lockwise

    2021-11-20 12:50:10 UTC

    Mozilla announced this week that it will end support for the Firefox Lockwise applications for Android and iOS. The standalone applications are replaced by Firefox itself, which takes the role as the […]

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    <p>Mozilla announced this week that it will end support for the Firefox Lockwise applications for Android and iOS. The standalone applications are replaced by Firefox itself, which takes the role as the system-wide password manager.</p> <p>Mozilla launched Firefox Lockwise under the name Lockbox back in <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/07/10/mozilla-launches-lockbox-and-notes-for-fios-android/" data-wpel-link="internal">2018 for iOS</a> and in <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2019/03/26/first-look-at-firefox-lockbox-for-android/" data-wpel-link="internal">2019 for Android</a>. Lockbox was renamed to Lockwise in 2019 and also released as an extension for Firefox in that year.</p> <p>Support for both applications ends on December 13, 2021 <a href="https://support.mozilla.org/de/kb/end-of-support-firefox-lockwise" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">officially</a>. End of support means that Mozilla won't release updates for the applications anymore and that it can't be installed or reinstalled anymore from Apple's App Store or Google's Play Store.</p> <blockquote><p>Mozilla will end support for the Firefox Lockwise app on Android and iOS, effective December 13, 2021. You will no longer be able to install or reinstall Firefox Lockwise from the App Store or Google Play Store. iOS version 1.8.1 and Android version 4.0.3 will be the last releases for Firefox Lockwise. The application may continue to work on your device, but it will no longer receive support or security updates.</p> <p>After December 13, 2021, you can continue to access your saved passwords and your password management in the Firefox desktop and mobile browsers.</p></blockquote> <p>Users who have the applications installed may continue using them to access saved content and use the functionality that the applications provide. Mozilla advises against this as there won't be any support or security updates going forward.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-155437" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/firefox-lockwise.png" alt="firefox lockwise" width="960" height="513" /></p> <p>Firefox users who use the mobile version of the web browser on Android can use it <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/10/02/firefox-93-for-android-becomes-system-wide-password-manager/" data-wpel-link="internal">as a system-wide password manager already</a>. Mozilla rolled out the functionality in Firefox 93 for Android, which it released as a stable version in October 2021.</p> <p>Firefox needs to be set as the auto-fill service on the Android device to use the functionality.  Users may then sign-in to other applications on the device using Firefox's password storage.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-173982" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/firefox-93-android-passwords-autofill-system-wide.png" alt="firefox 93 android passwords autofill system wide" width="948" height="1912" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/firefox-93-android-passwords-autofill-system-wide.png 948w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/firefox-93-android-passwords-autofill-system-wide-762x1536.png 762w" sizes="(max-width: 948px) 100vw, 948px" /></p> <p>Mozilla plans to introduce the same system-wide password manager functionality in Firefox 39 for iOS. The version is scheduled for a release in December 2021.</p> <p>Firefox users may sync credentials between desktop and mobile versions of Firefox. Mozilla suggests to sync Firefox Lockwise data using a Firefox account to synchronize the credentials with the account.</p> <p>Firefox is not the only web browser that may be used as a system-wide password manager. On Android, Chromium-based browsers such as Chrome or Edge may also be used for that.</p> <p><strong>Now You:</strong> which program do you use to manage passwords (via <a href="https://www.soeren-hentzschel.at/firefox-lockwise/firefox-lockwise-unterstuetzung-endet/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Sören Hentzschel</a>)</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/20/mozilla-is-ending-support-for-firefox-lockwise/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mozilla is ending support for Firefox Lockwise</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

22. What are the top NFT coins? See our list here!

    2021-11-20 09:42:38 UTC

    What are NFT coins? With the rapid growth and popularity of NFTs, there are many NFT coins available on the market. NFTs (non-fungible tokens) provide you ownership of any digital artwork, music, […]

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    <h2>What are NFT coins?</h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">With the rapid growth and popularity of NFTs, there are many NFT coins available on the market. NFTs (non-fungible tokens) provide you ownership of any digital artwork, music, videos, collectibles in games, and sports collectibles. Depending on the marketplace, different coins are used on different platforms. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">I've compiled a list of the top NFT crypto coins. </span></p> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175475 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/What-are-the-top-NFT-coins-2.jpg" alt="What are the top NFT coins" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2><b>Decentraland (MANA)</b></h2> <p><b>Price: $2.99289</b></p> <p><b>Market cap: $5.44 billion</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">At the top of the NFT coins list, there's the MANA NFT coin. Users can use MANA NFT coins to make payments for purchases on the Decentraland Marketplace. Decentraland is powered by Ethereum, a leading blockchain. This Marketplace offers artworks, social games, apps, 3D art, and challenges. Users can purchase and sell digital game assets such as avatar wearables, land, estates, and more. The Decentraland Marketplace is governed by the DAO, so a smart contract governs the organization. MANA is one of the two NFT crypto coins used on Decentraland. MANA is considered an ERC-20 token which requires it to be burned to acquire the NFT ERC-721 LAND coins. </span></p> <h2><b>Chiliz (CHZ)</b></h2> <p><b>Price: $0.48984</b></p> <p><b>Market cap: $2.9 billion</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Chiliz, an NFT coin designed for sports and entertainment, was first generated in 2018 with 8.8BN. This digital currency is used to purchase Fan Tokens to make payments on Socios.com. These Fan Tokens are utility tokens that can be used to purchase VIP rewards, participate in voting polls, access AR-enabled features, forums, and exclusive promotions. It also enables users to compete in global leaderboards. Socios.com is currently the world’s biggest non-exchange blockchain apps. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">CHZ is also listed on Coinbase and Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. CHZ coins are used by fans that support popular sports teams from around the globe. Chiliz has partnered up with some of the most prominent sporting organizations in the world. Each sporting organization that uses the Chiliz technology only has a limited amount of fan tokens referred to as FTO or Fan Token Offering.  Every sporting organization using the Chiliz technology has a limited supply of fan tokens offered at an initial FTO (fan token offering). </span></p> <h2><b>The Sandbox (SAND)</b></h2> <p><b>Price: $2.55670</b></p> <p><b>Market cap: $2.28 billion </b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">SAND is a utility token that is used to make payments on the blockchain-based Sandbox platform. Sandbox is a virtual world with a “play-to-earn model” where you can be both a gamer and a creator. Users can buy and sell and create and build digital game assets. Users can use NFTs to create digital voxel assets, upload them onto the Marketplace, and use the Game Maker to merge them into the game. They can also purchase land from the virtual Sandbox metaverse to increase its value by populating it with digital assets and games. The SAND coin is also used as the governance of the platform.</span></p> <h2><b>WAX (WAXP)</b></h2> <p><b>Price: $0.76262</b></p> <p><b>Market cap: $1.4 billion</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">WAXP is the primary token used on WAX. WAX (Worldwide Asset eXchange ecosystem) is a purpose-built NFT blockchain. This means that WAX provides blockchain-based tools for brands to launch an NFT collection, including Marketplaces, dApps, exchanges, and games. WAX is a decentralized network of digital entertainment and games used to create, store, buy, and sell NFTs. WAX prides itself explicitly as a carbon-neutral blockchain. </span></p> <h2><b>Chromia (CHR) </b></h2> <p><b>Price: $1.07161</b></p> <p><b>Market cap: $460.6 million </b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The Chromia Platform was first launched with 1 billion CHR tokens generated. According to Chromia, they will create no tokens in the future, so this is the limit of the token supply. CHR is the native token of Chromia, which is used between developers, users, and investors on the platform. CHR is also listed on several of the major cryptocurrency exchanges. CHR is used on the Chromia platform for staking on ecosystems and as payment for hosting fees. Chromia is an independent public blockchain focused on games and decentralized social networks.</span></p> <h2>Are you ready for the NFT revolution?</h2> <p>With so many NFT coins on the market, it's time to enter the Metaverse and start bidding on some items or auctioning them on various marketplaces. I hope this guide has helped you see which coins work best. Please note that the prices indicated as subject to change.</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/20/what-are-the-top-nft-coins-see-our-list-here/" data-wpel-link="internal">What are the top NFT coins? See our list here!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

23. DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser for Android is getting an App Tracking Protection feature

    2021-11-20 09:02:15 UTC

    DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser is an open source web browser for Google's Android operating system by DuckDuckGo. The company, best known for its privacy-focused search engine, developed the Android application as a companion […]

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    <p>DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser is an open source web browser for Google's Android operating system by DuckDuckGo. The company, best known for its privacy-focused search engine, developed the Android application as a companion app for Android.</p> <p>First launched in 2018, the Android application has since then several important feature additions and improvements. At its core, it is a web browser that uses WebView, the rendering engine that is provided by Android.</p> <p>Some of the application's core features include encryption enforcement, better control over browsing data, blocking of website tracking and of course, use of DuckDuckGo as the search engine.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/07/20/duckduckgo-is-launching-an-email-protection-service/" data-wpel-link="internal">DuckDuckGo launched an email tracker blocking recently</a>, which is also available as a beta service in the application.</p> <p>The latest release, version 5.102.3 of DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser for Android, introduces an App Tracking Protection feature.</p> <blockquote><p>New! DuckDuckGo App Tracking Protection BETA — block trackers lurking in your apps. Join the private waitlist (in settings) and your invite will arrive soon.</p></blockquote> <p>DuckDuckGo discovered that over 96% of free Android applications that it tested included trackers. Of these, 87% sent data to Google and 68% to Facebook, often without the user seeing any of that in the application.</p> <p>The new version of the browser can be downloaded from the official <a href="https://github.com/duckduckgo/Android/releases/tag/5.102.3" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">GitHub repo</a>, rollout via Google Play is slow as always.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175569" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/duckduckgo-privacy-browser-app-tracking-protection.png" alt="duckduckgo privacy browser app tracking protection" width="1600" height="1644" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/duckduckgo-privacy-browser-app-tracking-protection.png 1600w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/duckduckgo-privacy-browser-app-tracking-protection-1495x1536.png 1495w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></p> <p>The feature is labeled as beta and users need to join a waiting list and receive an invitation based on the waiting list position to start using it.</p> <p>Here is how that is done (in the app):</p> <ol> <li>Open the DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser application. Make sure it is at least version 5.102.3.</li> <li>Select Menu (three-dots) &gt; Settings.</li> <li>Scroll down to the Privacy section.</li> <li>Tap on "App Tracking Protection".</li> <li>Select to join the wait list.</li> </ol> <p>You may enable notifications to get one when you receive the invite to start using the new protection.</p> <p>DuckDuckGo's tracking protection feature for applications <a href="https://spreadprivacy.com/introducing-app-tracking-protection/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">uses</a> the "VPN-method" to block trackers system-wide on Android. The method is not new, but very effective when it comes to the blocking of trackers. Unlike "real" VPN solutions for Android, traffic is not routed through servers on the Internet but handled on the device locally.</p> <blockquote><p>After enabling App Tracking Protection, the DuckDuckGo app will detect when your Android apps are about to send data to third-party tracking companies found in our app tracker dataset, and block those requests. You can enjoy your apps as you normally would and App Tracking Protection will run in the background and continue to block the detected trackers throughout your apps, even while you sleep. We are continually working to identify and protect against new trackers, so you can rest easy knowing you’re getting the most up-to-date protection.</p></blockquote> <p>If you have turned on notifications, you will get regular summaries of the application's Tracking Protection activity, revealing the number of tracking attempts that were blocked by it and the total number of applications that tried to communicate with the trackers.</p> <p>The beta version excludes "a small number of apps" because they "rely on tracking to work properly" according to DuckDuckGo.</p> <p><strong>Now You:</strong> do you use tracker blockers on your mobile devices?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/20/duckduckgo-privacy-browser-for-android-is-getting-an-app-tracking-protection-feature/" data-wpel-link="internal">DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser for Android is getting an App Tracking Protection feature</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

24. Xbox PC app now lets users in the Insider Program to install games in any folder, here's how to do it

    2021-11-20 08:14:35 UTC

    About a week ago, Microsoft announced that it would start allowing users to install games in any folder of their choice. The feature was teased to arrive soon, and now it has. […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Xbox PC app now lets users in the Insider Program to install games in any folder, here's how to do it appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>About a week ago, Microsoft <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/12/xbox-app-will-soon-let-you-choose-where-to-install-your-games/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">announced</a> that it would start allowing users to install games in any folder of their choice. The feature was teased to arrive soon, and now it has.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175560" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Xbox-PC-games-install-folder.jpg" alt="Xbox PC games install folder" width="1200" height="932" /></p> <p>Prior to this, games were installed in the hidden Windows folder called WindowsApps, which was otherwise inaccessible by users. You will need to be in the Xbox PC Insider Preview Program, to access the custom install location option.</p> <h4><strong>How to opt in to the Xbox PC Insider Preview Program</strong></h4> <p>1. Install the <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/store/productId/9PLDPG46G47Z" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Xbox Insiders Hub</a> app from the Microsoft Store.</p> <p>2. Run the app, and opt in to the Xbox PC Insider Preview Program.</p> <p>3. On the sidebar to the left, select the Previews tab, and click on Windows Gaming.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175561" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Xbox-Insider-Hub-opt-in.jpg" alt="Xbox Insider Hub opt-in" width="1200" height="932" /></p> <p>4. Close the app.</p> <p>5. Open the Microsoft Store app and hit the check for updates button.</p> <p>6. Wait for the Gaming Services app to be installed.</p> <h3><strong>How to install Xbox PC games in any folder</strong></h3> <p>1. When you have completed the above steps, open the Xbox app.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175562" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/xbox-pc-app-interface.jpg" alt="xbox pc app interface" width="1200" height="932" /></p> <p>2. Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the interface. If it shows a generic icon, you may not have signed in to your account. Sign in before proceeding to the next step.</p> <p>3. The drop-down menu, that appears when you click your display picture, lets you access the Xbox PC app Settings. Head to the page.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175559" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Xbox-PC-app-settings-menu.jpg" alt="Xbox PC app settings menu" width="396" height="302" /></p> <p>4. Switch to the General Tab on the sidebar.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175558" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Xbox-PC-Insider-Preview-Program.jpg" alt="Xbox PC Insider Preview Program" width="1200" height="932" /></p> <p>5. You should see an option that is labeled "Use advanced installation and management features". If you don't see it, you may have either not signed in to the app or opted in to the Insider Preview Program.</p> <p>6. Toggle the option, and a new setting will appear. It will point to C:\XboxGames as the new folder where games will go in to.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175557" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/How-to-install-Xbox-PC-games-in-any-folder.jpg" alt="How to install Xbox PC games in any folder" width="1200" height="932" /></p> <p>7. Click the Change Folder button next to the option, and select a different directory. This is the global folder for Xbox games, so you can't choose a new one for each game.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175556" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Xbox-PC-games-change-installation-folder.jpg" alt="Xbox PC games change installation folder" width="1200" height="932" /></p> <p>8. Go to any game's page and click the Install button. It should show your new folder as the destination.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175555" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Install-xbox-games-in-different-folder.jpg" alt="Install xbox games in different folder" width="1200" height="932" /></p> <p>This is a welcome move for users with limited storage space on their C: drive. And even if you only have a single drive in your computer, you may still find it useful to have the option to choose where the games get installed. When the game gets installed, you can manage it from the Xbox app, and click the Browse button to open its folder in File Explorer.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175564" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Xbox-pc-games-browse-files.jpg" alt="Xbox pc games browse files" width="579" height="667" /></p> <p>With the addition of this feature, users of the Xbox PC app can now access all game files including the EXE files. This allows you to mod the games. The Xbox PC app will indicate whether a game supports mods or not, so keep an eye out for that before downloading a game.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175565" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Xbox-pc-games-directory-and-files.jpg" alt="Xbox pc games directory and files" width="842" height="636" /></p> <p>Of course, this may not seem like groundbreaking features, if you compare it with the like of rival storefronts such as Steam, GOG or Epic Games, but it is great to see that Microsoft is listening to feedback from gamers. I think it has largely to do with <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/05/18/how-to-share-your-xbox-game-pass-pc-subscription-with-your-family/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Xbox GamePass</a> for PC. The Redmond company has been nailing it with the subscription, which boasts a sizeable collection of AAA and Indie gems. Many games arrive day one on the subscription service, which means you can play $60 games for as low as $1 per month. As a result, there has been an influx of new players on the service. This in turn means more feedback and feature requests from users.</p> <p>Even the new <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/10/27/how-to-install-the-new-microsoft-store-on-windows-10-right-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Microsoft Store</a> has been impressive, having opened access to Win32, .NET, UWP, Xamarin, Electron, React Native, Java and Progressive Web Apps. For instance, the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/09/mozilla-firefox-is-now-available-on-the-windows-store/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Mozilla Firefox</a>, Epic Games Store apps are available on the Windows Store.</p> <p>Note: I tested this on Windows 11.</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/20/xbox-pc-app-now-lets-users-in-the-insider-program-to-install-games-in-any-folder-heres-how-to-do-it/" data-wpel-link="internal">Xbox PC app now lets users in the Insider Program to install games in any folder, here&#039;s how to do it</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

25. Distrowatch Top 5 Distributions Review: Pop!_OS

    2021-11-20 08:09:03 UTC

    Pop!_OS is rated as number five on the popular rankings site, Distrowatch, based on number of hits to the Distrowatch page for the OS, not based on actual downloads / user-base. You […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Distrowatch Top 5 Distributions Review: Pop!_OS appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p><span style="color: #43414e;">Pop!_OS is rated as number five o</span><span style="color: #43414e;">n the popular rankings site, <a href="https://distrowatch.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Distrowatch</a>, based on number of hits to the Distrowatch page for the OS, not based on actual downloads / user-base. You can check out my reviews of the other four top spots by following these links: <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/19/distrowatch-top5-linux-mint/" data-wpel-link="internal">Linux Mint</a>, <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/15/manjaro-os-review/" data-wpel-link="internal">Manjaro</a>, <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/10/29/endeavour-os-review/" data-wpel-link="internal">EndeavourOS</a>, and <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/10/25/distrowatch-top5-mx-linux-review/" data-wpel-link="internal">MX Linux</a>.</span></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-175492" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/pop_OS-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></p> <p><span style="color: #43414e;">There aren’t many Linux distributions that I haven’t tried...But Pop!_OS is one of them, and so doing this review is literally my first time ever touching the OS...And I both liked it, and had serious issues with it.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #43414e;">For those unfamiliar with Pop!_OS, it’s an Ubuntu based distribution created by System76, a popular manufacturer of Linux-centric prebuilt computers. The distribution is widely regarded as stable, modern, filled with features, and beginner friendly, as well as fairly minimalist in regards to bloat.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #43414e;">Pop!_OS only comes in a single flavour, GNOME, and the OS is built specifically with that in mind as a result.</span></p> <h3 class="western"><span style="color: #43414e;">My Specs:</span></h3> <ul> <li>Ryzen 5 3500X</li> <li>NVIDIA GTX 1660 Super</li> <li>16GB DDR4 3000Mhz</li> <li>System installed on a SATA SSD</li> </ul> <h2 class="western"><span style="color: #43414e;">Installation</span></h2> <p><span style="color: #43414e;">I wish I could say that I didn’t have issues during installation, as that would make Pop!_OS sound a lot less daunting at the beginning of this article like this...However, such was not the case. First, I opted to install Pop!_OS 20.04 LTS, using their version specific to NVIDIA GPU’s so that I wouldn’t have to have Nouveau mess around; however, upon attempting the installation, I got an installation failure that occurred no matter what I did. Googling the issue did not produce any meaningful or helpful results, either. I made the Live-USB using dd from within another Linux system, so I knew it wasn’t the tool/utility making the USB break things. So, then I decided to try 21.04 (NVIDIA) instead, despite it not being the LTS and therefore having less long term support...And voila! It worked. </span></p> <p><span style="color: #43414e;">The installation utility is one I haven’t seen before, so I assume it’s custom made for Pop!_OS, and I have to say that it was very well designed. It was attractive, organized, easy to understand, and had plenty of options available within it. The installation itself, once I got it going, was painless and very, very fast.</span></p> <h2><span style="color: #43414e;">Included Software and Features</span></h2> <p><span style="color: #43414e;">This is where PopOS is both minimal, and fully-featured. In terms of included software, there really isn’t all that much...LibreOffice was installed, as well as Firefox </span><span style="color: #43414e;">and the Geary email client...but that was pretty much it aside from basic utilities, a dock, and the Pop!_Shop (software installation utility). Even proprietary multimedia formats such as MP3 and DVD decoders are not included by default. </span></p> <p><span style="color: #43414e;">This makes </span><span style="color: #43414e;">Pop!_OS </span><span style="color: #43414e;">attractive for those seeking a super minimal system to build from the almost ground up...However, don’t mistake this for a lack of features. </span><span style="color: #43414e;">Pop!_OS </span><span style="color: #43414e;">does come with Full-disk encryption </span><span style="color: #43414e;"><b>enabled by default </b></span><span style="color: #43414e;">which is very rare (their website claims they are the only Linux distribution to do so, but I can’t confirm this), the ability to perform an OS refresh which reinstalls the OS quickly and easily while preserving your home folder, and is quite clear on their website about their stance on privacy, </span></p> <p><span style="color: #43414e;">“</span><span style="color: #43414e;">Pop!_OS does not collect or store any info from user installations. Minimal OS and hardware data is used—not stored—to provide updates and connectivity verification. Apps packaged through Flatpak require permission to access more than what’s needed to function.”</span></p> <p>Another interesting thing to note, was that when I was installing software such as GIMP from the POP!_Shop, I did not need to enter my root password; something I don't think I've ever encountered. Not 100% sure how I feel about that, but it's absolutely worth noting.</p> <p><span style="color: #43414e;">Overall, I was impressed with this side of Pop!_OS. I really don’t like GNOME, but this was probably the most well organized and designed GNOME system I have used to date.</span></p> <h2><span style="color: #43414e;">Performance</span></h2> <p><span style="color: #43414e;">Pop!_OS was a little heavier than I expected. With LibreOffice Writer open and Firefox with four tabs open my CPU averaged 16% usage with 2.9GB of RAM used. I attribute this to GNOME not being very lightweight; but overall I never faced any slowdowns, hiccups, slow-to-start applications, or hung applications. As long as you’re using a semi-modern PC, you’ll be fine.</span></p> <h2><span style="color: #43414e;">Final Thoughts</span></h2> <p><span style="color: #43414e;">I personally won’t use Pop!_OS because I detest GNOME, but I have to admit, it’s a really attractive OS, with some good features under the hood, a minimalist approach in the sense of bloat, and being based of Ubuntu you can expect plenty of easy to find support. If all of this sounds good, I strongly recommend you check out this distribution, you may love it!</span></p> <h3><span style="color: #43414e;">Now you:</span></h3> <p><span style="color: #43414e;">Have you tried Pop!_OS? What were your thoughts on it? Let me know in the comments below!</span></p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/20/distrowatch-top5-pop-os/" data-wpel-link="internal">Distrowatch Top 5 Distributions Review: Pop!_OS</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

26. Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22504 released to the Developer Channel

    2021-11-19 15:56:40 UTC

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22504 is now available for participants in the Developer Channel. This version contains a ton of fixes, with a few minor changes to the overall experience. Notable […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22504 released to the Developer Channel appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22504 is now available for participants in the Developer Channel. This version contains a ton of fixes, with a few minor changes to the overall experience.</p> <h3><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175531" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Windows-11-Build-22504.jpg" alt="Windows 11 Build 22504" width="841" height="685" /><br /> <strong>Notable changes in Windows 11 Build 22504</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/05/windows-11-insider-preview-build-22494/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">Build 22494</a>, which was released earlier this month, added a mute icon to the Taskbar. Windows 11 Build 22504 introduces a keyboard shortcut to toggle the mute functionality, Alt + Win + K. This only works when the mute icon appears, which for now only shows up during a Microsoft Teams call. We will need to wait for support to be expanded to more applications to test this feature.</p> <p>Apps will launch in maximized mode by default (tablet posture) in devices that have a 11-inches screen or smaller. The operating system will not alert you about apps with restricted access to your microphone, instead a permanent warning about it will be displayed in the Settings &gt; System &gt; Sound screen. The Touch indicator option will not be enabled by default for new Windows installs. To toggle it, go to the Settings &gt; Accessibility &gt; Mouse pointer and touch &gt; and switch it on. Windows 11 gets native support for ARM64 for the .NET framework runtime, with the arrival of .NET Framework 4.8.1.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175533" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Windows-11-touch-keyboard-themes.png" alt="Windows 11 touch keyboard themes" width="1441" height="793" /></p> <p>The Touch Keyboard has 13 new themes, and an option to create a custom theme. Head to the Settings &gt; Personalization &gt; Text Input section to find the feature. Microsoft is testing personalized combinations of some emojis based on the skin type. Both features are being tested on a limited basis, so not everyone will see these options yet. Speaking of emojis, Portuguese and Polish users can expect some flexibility when searching for keywords that contain diacritics.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175532" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Windows-11-new-personalized-emoji.png" alt="Windows 11 new personalized emoji" width="1506" height="792" /></p> <h4><strong>Issues that were fixed<br /> </strong></h4> <p>The Start Menu's recommended section should now display icons correctly. The context menu will align with the search box properly, if you click Start and press Shift + F10 or the menu key.</p> <p>A bug that was causing Explorer to crash when the battery icon wasn't loading in the Taskbar has been patched. Users who have set custom levels for the critical and low battery notifications, will see the correct value displayed instead of the default ones. The clock will keep time more reliably, even when being accessed over Remote Desktop. The Taskbar's Date and Time display gets a fix that prevents it from getting clipped. The context menu will appear when you right-click on the date and time, this will also close the Notification Center if it is active. The Emoji panel's search has been improved for some keywords. The GIF search bug that caused the same GIF to appear multiple times has been fixed.</p> <p>The release notes for the build states that the issue that prevented the keyboard light indicators for Caps Lock, and the other lock keys have been fixed. They do work in my virtual machine install, earlier they used to turn off when I switched from the host OS. But there still seems to be some issue. While the Caps Lock light stays solid when I shift from my host, the Num Lock and Scroll Lock keys flash once and then come back on. Daylight Savings Time has been removed from the timezone for Fiji, so the Windows clock will follow the regional setting correctly.</p> <p>Voice typing will resume listening when you pause for a longer time, to provide better results. When the caret is moved during voice typing, text will no longer be duplicated. Snap Layouts will not place windows on your other monitors randomly. The Quick Settings sliders for adjusting the brightness and volume won't disappear anymore. If you were unable to manually set the active hours from the Settings app, updating to the new Preview Build will fix the problem. Computers will wake up more reliably after an issue related to TCIP that resulted in bug checks was mitigated.</p> <p>There are still quite a few known issues in Build 22504, but these seem to be the same as in the previous version, Build 22499.</p> <p>Microsoft's <a href="https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2021/11/17/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-22504/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">announcement</a> states that a new Your Phone app with an updated design is rolling out gradually to Windows Insiders. I don't have the new app in my virtual machine yet, it's still on version 1.21102.134.0. A screenshot of the desktop tool shows a list of apps installed on the phone. So, you will be able to access them from your computer. I can't wait to test that.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175534" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Your-Phone-app-on-Windows-11-showing-apps.png" alt="Your Phone app on Windows 11 showing apps" width="2000" height="1333" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Your-Phone-app-on-Windows-11-showing-apps.png 2000w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Your-Phone-app-on-Windows-11-showing-apps-1536x1024.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /></p> <p><em>Image courtesy: Microsoft</em></p> <p>What issues have you experienced with the Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/19/windows-11-insider-preview-build-22504/" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22504 released to the Developer Channel</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

27. Firefox may soon paint all sites in dark or light mode, if you want

    2021-11-19 12:58:16 UTC

    Mozilla is working on a new feature in the organization's Firefox web browser that may be used to force a specific color scheme on sites you visit. Most browsers support light and […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Firefox may soon paint all sites in dark or light mode, if you want appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Mozilla is working on a new feature in the organization's Firefox web browser that may be used to force a specific color scheme on sites you visit.</p> <p>Most browsers support light and dark modes already, but the functionality is limited to painting the chrome of the browser using the color scheme. Website content remains unmodified when the feature is enabled or configured.</p> <p>The latest Firefox Nightly version, version 96.0a1, comes with a new feature that extends the functionality. Once activated, sites will also be displayed in the selected color scheme.</p> <p>Here is how the feature looks on Ghacks. Dark Mode was enabled on the Windows 10 system and Firefox picked it up to display the browser UI and the content of the webpage using the color scheme.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175551" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/firefox-force-colors-dark-light-mode.png" alt="firefox force colors dark light mode" width="1188" height="733" /></p> <p>All sites are displayed using the selected mode and color scheme. Firefox includes options to change some parameters, including text and background colors.</p> <p>Here is how you configure the feature in Firefox Nightly:</p> <ol> <li>Select Menu &gt; Settings.</li> <li>Scroll down to the Language and Appearance section.</li> <li>Activate the "Colors" button on the page.</li> </ol> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175552" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/mozilla-firefox-enable-dark-mode.png" alt="mozilla-firefox enable dark mode" width="958" height="733" /></p> <p>Here you get the following options:</p> <ul> <li>To configure the force color feature on websites, set "Override the colors specified by the page with your selections above" to Always.</li> <li>Change the text and Background colors to your liking.</li> <li>Change the visited and unvisited links colors as well.</li> <li>Select OK to save the new configuration.</li> </ul> <p>Websites will be painted using the selected mode of the operating system, light or dark, and the colors selected in Firefox's preferences.</p> <p>The feature was announced by Mozilla employee Morgan on <a href="https://twitter.com/MorgynRae/status/1461490677238276097" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a>. According to the information posted there, users should expect that some content may not look perfect when the forced colors mode is enabled. Users are encouraged to report bugs and issues on Bugzilla.</p> <p>The functionality to <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2015/04/05/how-to-override-website-color-schemes-in-firefox/" data-wpel-link="internal">override text, background and link colors on sites</a> has been part of Firefox for a long time. The new feature takes this a step further by adding the color mode of the operating system to the site as well; this paints every item on the site using the selected color mode.</p> <p>Firefox users had to use browser extensions such as <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2020/11/26/change-the-color-scheme-of-websites-permanently-with-midnight-lizard-for-firefox/" data-wpel-link="internal">Midnight Lizard</a> before to achieve something similar. Mozilla's implementation is bare bones at the time: there is no override option or option to customize the color scheme of a specific site using native options. Since it is been released in Nightly only at the time, it is possible that missing functionality will be added to improve the feature's usability.</p> <p><strong>Now You</strong>: light or dark mode, what is your preference?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/19/firefox-dark-light-mode-websites" data-wpel-link="internal">Firefox may soon paint all sites in dark or light mode, if you want</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

28. Distrowatch Top 5 Distributions Review: Linux Mint

    2021-11-19 12:04:59 UTC

    If you’ve done any research into the Linux world you’ll no doubt have heard of Linux Mint. Linux Mint is rated number four on the popular rankings site, Distrowatch, based on number […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Distrowatch Top 5 Distributions Review: Linux Mint appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>If you’ve done any research into the Linux world you’ll no doubt have heard of Linux Mint. Linux Mint is rated number four on the popular rankings site, <a href="https://distrowatch.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Distrowatch</a>, based on number of hits to the Distrowatch page for the OS, not based on actual downloads / user-base. Check out my previous reviews of <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/15/manjaro-os-review/" data-wpel-link="internal">Manjaro</a>, <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/10/25/distrowatch-top5-mx-linux-review/" data-wpel-link="internal">MX Linux</a> and <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/10/29/endeavour-os-review/" data-wpel-link="internal">EndeavourOS</a>.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-175489" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/MintCinnamon-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></p> <p>For those who haven’t heard of Linux Mint, it’s a super popular distribution based off Ubuntu, that is commonly argued between the two for which one is the best distribution for new users. Linux Mint has plenty of friendly GUI tools, a strong and helpful community, and 99% of Ubuntu documentation is also applicable to Linux Mint, so troubleshooting your own issues is significantly easier to research than some other, lesser-known distributions.</p> <p>Linux Mint comes in three flavours, utilizing different Desktop Environments such as:</p> <ul> <li>Cinnamon</li> <li>MATE</li> <li>Xfce</li> </ul> <p>For this installation I opted for the Cinnamon flavour of Linux Mint, since there is no official KDE flavour available, and Cinnamon is my second-favourite environment.</p> <h3 class="western">My Specs:</h3> <ul> <li>Ryzen 5 3500X</li> <li>NVIDIA GTX 1660 Super</li> <li>16GB DDR4 3000Mhz</li> <li>System installed on a SATA SSD</li> </ul> <h2>Installation</h2> <p>The Linux Mint installation via Live-USB was quick and painless, however I can say that I do wish it had a little more features, such as those found in the installation utilities Calamares, found in popular distributions such as Manjaro. I had the option to Erase an entire disk, install Linux Mint alongside other OS’s, or do custom partitioning. There is no built-in option for replacing a partition...So, I had to manually do that myself, which isn’t hard for me, but people who don’t install OS’s like socks might not be as familiar with how to do this; so I think it’s a feature lacking.</p> <p>However, once the installation was done, which didn’t take very long, I rebooted my machine and was on my way.</p> <p><strong>Note:</strong> Another complaint I have is that Linux Mint attempts to use Nouveau, the open-source NVIDIA driver, by default, and this does not work on my GTX 1660 Super. I had to boot using the compatibility start option to get into the Live-USB, and I had to use the nomodeset option in my GRUB startup line to boot to desktop after installation, so I could install the proprietary driver. Again, nothing complicated for experienced users, but a first-timer with my GPU may get scared off by facing these issues right out-of-the-box.</p> <h2>Included Software and Features</h2> <p>Linux Mint is by no means a lightweight or minimalist distribution; it comes with basically all software that the average user will need, out-of-the-box. Firefox, Hexchat IRC client, Thunderbird, Transmission torrent downloader, LibreOffice, Rythmbox audio player, Hypnotix TV player, Celluloid video player, Redshift (colour changer for night-mode / reducing blue light), Timeshift (an awesome backup utility) and numerous other applications and utilities come with installation. I was surprised that GIMP didn’t come with it, since it had everything else. If you want a system that is pre-loaded with most basic utilities and applications, Linux Mint has you covered...If you want a super minimalist approach to things; you’re better off looking elsewhere.</p> <h2>Performance</h2> <p>Linux Mint, and Cinnamon, are not known for their super lightweight and speedy designs; yet, Linux Mint Cinnamon edition was quick, responsive, and elegant when I was testing this out for this review. I had zero issues with big slowdowns, program hanging, or excessive resource usage. With LibreOffice Writer and Firefox with three tabs open, my system was using about 6% CPU and 2.4GB of RAM used. A little heavier than some others I have reviewed lately, but overall the Linux Mint Cinnamon edition wasn’t too brutal for most people to have to worry about.</p> <h2>Final Thoughts</h2> <p>Besides the couple of negatives I listed earlier, I really don’t have much negative to say about Linux Mint. It’s got graphical tools for driver installations, it’s got great support, it’s based on one of the most commonly used OS’s in the Linux World, and it’s a system that even first-time users can enjoy. Cinnamon is a gorgeous Desktop Environment for those who enjoy more traditional layouts similar to Windows, and it’s highly customizable too. I highly recommend anyone who hasn’t used it yet, check this OS out.</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/19/distrowatch-top5-linux-mint/" data-wpel-link="internal">Distrowatch Top 5 Distributions Review: Linux Mint</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

29. Individual cookie controls are removed from Privacy and Security in Chrome 97

    2021-11-19 05:59:10 UTC

    Google's web browser Chrome will soon have reduced functionality when it comes to the managing of cookies under the Security and privacy menu entry in the browser's settings. Currently, when you open […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Individual cookie controls are removed from Privacy and Security in Chrome 97 appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Google's web browser Chrome will <a href="https://blog.chromium.org/2021/11/simplified-storage-controls.html" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">soon</a> have reduced functionality when it comes to the managing of cookies under the Security and privacy menu entry in the browser's settings.</p> <p>Currently, when you open Settings &gt; Privacy and Security &gt; Cookies and other site data &gt; See all cookies and site data, Chrome is displaying all cookies that a site set individually once a site has been selected on the page that is loaded.</p> <p>Chrome users may load chrome://settings/siteData directly as well to jump to this page right away.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175538" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/google-chrome-privacy-individual-cookies.png" alt="google chrome privacy individual cookies" width="1800" height="1140" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/google-chrome-privacy-individual-cookies.png 1800w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/google-chrome-privacy-individual-cookies-1536x973.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px" /></p> <p>The management page supports the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2015/01/27/how-to-clear-site-specific-cookies-in-google-chrome-quickly/" data-wpel-link="internal">removal of individual cookies from a site</a> and it can be used to display vital information about a specific cookie.</p> <p>The deletion of individual cookies may be useful in some cases. Developers may make use of it to test site functionality, non-developers to remove cookies from sites that may be invasive to privacy, to change site functionality, or reset some functionality on sites.</p> <p>Google is removing the option to see and delete individual cookies from the Settings page listed above. The company will replace it with the chrome://settings/content/all instead, which lists the number of cookies each site has set, but does not provide an option to view or delete individual cookies.</p> <p>Google states that the change "creates a clearer experience for users". Users might "accidentally change the implementation details" of sites and "potentially break their experience on that site", if they delete individual cookies. Some users might even "run the risk of compromising some of their privacy protection, by incorrectly assuming the purpose of a cookie" according to the company.</p> <p>Google goes on to state that the functionality is used by developers primarily, and that ability to delete individual cookies is still available in the Developer Tools of the browser.</p> <p><strong>Problems</strong></p> <p>Google is removing functionality from Chrome. While it is true, that cookies can be managed using the Developer Tools, it is clear that the option is not as straightforward as using the Settings application. You need to open the site in question to access its cookies and storage, whereas you could just open the page in Settings to manage all cookies on all sites in Chrome.</p> <p>It is unclear if Google will keep the cookies listing when users activate the icon in front of the site in the browser's address bar.</p> <p>It is a regression, one that is removing a useful option from Chrome. Even Developers may prefer the old way of managing cookies set in Chrome over the option to using the Developer Tools for that.</p> <p>Google is rolling out the change in the beta version of Chrome 97. It is likely that the change will land in Chrome 97 Stable, unless stopper bugs are discovered that prevent the inclusion in the stable version.</p> <p><strong>Now You:</strong> what is your opinion on the change?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/19/individual-cookie-controls-are-removed-from-privacy-and-security-in-chrome-97/" data-wpel-link="internal">Individual cookie controls are removed from Privacy and Security in Chrome 97</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

30. Citrix Workspace for Linux: a tool for secure and agile remote work

    2021-11-18 14:06:07 UTC

    Citrix Workspace for Linux is a digital workspace that allows employees to securely access company apps and files from a central location. This means that instead of having one device, such as […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Citrix Workspace for Linux: a tool for secure and agile remote work appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Citrix Workspace for Linux is a digital workspace that allows employees to securely access company apps and files from a central location. This means that instead of having one device, such as a computer, that has access to a set of applications, and another device with access to a different set of apps, with Citrix Workspace, you have a single interface.</p> <h2>What is Citrix Workspace?</h2> <p>Citrix Workspace is a cloud-based digital workspace. It enables users to access virtual desktops and hosted applications through a central location.</p> <h2>What Is Citrix Workspace Used For?</h2> <p>This workspace is ideal for companies looking to implement a remote working system with employees. With this workspace, employees have access to centralized company apps and files. With the platform, you can allow multiple users to remotely access and operate Microsoft Windows desktops running in a data center or cloud through devices located in many different locations.</p> <p>For this review, I looked at the included software and features as well as the performance of Citrix Workspace.</p> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175520 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Citrix-Workspace-Linux-1.png" alt="Citrix Workspace Linux" width="512" height="184" /></p> <h2>My Specs:</h2> <ul> <li>i7 Eight Gen</li> <li>128 GB SSD</li> <li>16 GB DDR4</li> <li>NVIDIA GTX 1660 Super</li> </ul> <h2>Installation</h2> <p>There are a few different ways that you can install Citrix Workspace on your Linux device. You can do a manual install using either a Debian, Red Hat or Tarbal package.</p> <p>I decided to use the Debian package, downloaded the necessary files, and started installing via a USB. The installation process was very easy and straightforward, with nothing out of the ordinary. I found the configuration options you have for deploying Citrix to other machines after setting up to be very convenient. You have many customization options for your deployment and settings.</p> <p>The Citrix Workspace download, installation, and setup also went surprisingly fast. It was faster and more convenient than I expected it to be.</p> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175521 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Citrix-Workspace-Linux-2.png" alt="Citrix Workspace Linux" width="512" height="360" /></p> <h2>Included Software and Features</h2> <p>Citrix allows businesses to implement remote work by providing employees with remote workstations. Some of the features available are:</p> <ul> <li>Unified endpoint management</li> <li>Cross-platform availability</li> <li>Out-of-the-box integrations for IT</li> <li>Supports many languages</li> <li>Advanced security through access to the application layer</li> </ul> <p>The Workspace platform is easy to use, even by users who aren’t especially technically savvy. This is another reason why this is such a useful platform to use for remote working as it can easily be set up, accessed, and used.</p> <p>Citrix provides unified endpoint management that will give the company the tools to also promote mobile productivity. Although created for Linux, there is a Citrix Workspace app available for other OS as well. You can get Citrix Workspace for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome, and HTML5.</p> <p>Citrix also provides simplified IT processes such as the ability to manage security from within the application layer and providing microapp workflows so that IT doesn’t have to build custom API.</p> <p>Citrix also provides enhanced business security by not relying on multiple VPNs to ensure the security of the platform. Citrix uses an alternative with strict zero-trust security. Workspace allows users to directly access the application layer to securely deliver apps and data. By doing this, the network assets aren’t exposed to external sources.</p> <p>Citrix has also been linked to a few big names by providing them with cloud-based Workspace solutions. Some of the companies featured on their website include Lucid Tech, eBay, Capita, The University of Sydney, and HDI.</p> <p>The Citrix Workspace also supports multiple languages, with more being added. Currently, the languages that are supported include English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Polish, Italian, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Swedish, and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional).</p> <h2>Performance</h2> <p>Citrix Workspace is easy to use and allows users to access the central company system from a variety of locations. While it is easy enough to use and navigate, I did notice some slight lagging while using the app. Upon looking at other user reviews, I noticed that lagging and drops when the internet connections fluctuated were mentioned by others as well.</p> <h2>Final Thoughts</h2> <p>All in all, Citrix is easy to set up and start using the digital workspace. There is also a range of features such as the security and out-of-the-box integration options for IT. If you are in need of a workspace to simplify remote working, then I would recommend giving Citrix a try.</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/18/review-citrix-workspace-linux/" data-wpel-link="internal">Citrix Workspace for Linux: a tool for secure and agile remote work</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

31. Firefox 94.0.2: first Microsoft Store-specific update, released for all platforms

    2021-11-18 11:52:41 UTC

    Mozilla Firefox 94.0.2 will be released today. The new version of Firefox addresses a single issue in the Microsoft Store version of Firefox. While that is the case, it is released on […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Firefox 94.0.2: first Microsoft Store-specific update, released for all platforms appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Mozilla Firefox 94.0.2 will be released today. The new version of Firefox addresses a single issue in the Microsoft Store version of Firefox. While that is the case, it is released on all platforms, including Linux, Mac and Windows.</p> <p>The Microsoft Store version of Firefox updates automatically through the store itself. Non-Store versions of Firefox will receive the update automatically as well. There is no rush to install it unless Firefox was installed via the Microsoft Store.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175515" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/firefox-94.0.2.png" alt="firefox 94.0.2" width="1000" height="782" /></p> <p><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/09/mozilla-firefox-is-now-available-on-the-windows-store/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mozilla launched Firefox on Microsoft's new Store</a>, which <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/09/28/microsofts-latest-attempt-at-making-microsoft-store-more-attractive-could-work/" data-wpel-link="internal">welcomes regular desktop applications now</a>, recently. The Store is available natively on Windows 11; Microsoft started to roll out the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/10/27/how-to-install-the-new-microsoft-store-on-windows-10-right-now/" data-wpel-link="internal">new Store for Windows 10 as well</a>.</p> <p>Back to Firefox 94.0.2. The release notes list a single issue that is fixed in the new Firefox update.</p> <blockquote><p>Improved hangs experienced by users of assistive technology such as NVDA when installing Firefox through the Microsoft Store</p></blockquote> <p>The <a href="https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1736742" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">linked bug report</a> on Bugzilla@Mozilla provides additional details on the issue. It was opened a month ago:</p> <blockquote><p>E10s a11y depends on a COM component (AccessibleHandler.dll) which has to be registered in the registry. Without this component, a11y will work, but it will be unusably slow, possibly unreliable and OOP iframes won't work with the JAWS screen reader.</p></blockquote> <p>The issue is caused by a missing component, which causes responsiveness to be very poor in the beginning when using assistive technologies such as NVDA screen reader in the Firefox version for Microsoft Store.</p> <p>The issue will be fixed later on with the release of Firefox 94.0.2. Mozilla is reworking the entire system to remove dependencies, but it is not ready yet for release.</p> <p>Firefox users on other platforms should feel no rush to install the new Firefox 94.0.2 release immediately, since it is addressing a Microsoft Store specific issue.</p> <p><strong>Closing Words</strong></p> <p>The fix is important for users of assistive technologies if the Microsoft Store version of the browser is used. It makes sense to release the update as a patch instead of waiting for the December release of Firefox 95.</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/18/firefox-94-0-2-first-microsoft-store-specific-update-released-for-all-platforms/" data-wpel-link="internal">Firefox 94.0.2: first Microsoft Store-specific update, released for all platforms</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

32. New Media Player for Windows 11 released for Insiders on the Dev Channel

    2021-11-18 06:41:09 UTC

    Microsoft has released a new Media Player for Windows 11. The app is currently exclusive to the Windows Insider Program, more specifically, to the Dev Channel Builds. Despite its name, the app […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post New Media Player for Windows 11 released for Insiders on the Dev Channel appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Microsoft has released a new Media Player for Windows 11. The app is currently exclusive to the Windows Insider Program, more specifically, to the Dev Channel Builds.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175505" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/New-Media-Player-for-Windows-11-released-for-Insiders-on-the-Dev-Channel.png" alt="New Media Player for Windows 11 released for Insiders on the Dev Channel" width="1026" height="802" /><br /> Despite its name, the app is actually a replacement for Groove Music. Don't let that confuse you, because the new Media Player can play videos too. Microsoft has <a href="https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2021/11/16/new-media-player-for-windows-11-begins-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">confirmed</a> that the legacy Windows Media Player will continue to exist as part of Windows Tools.</p> <h3><strong>How to download the new Media Player for Windows 11</strong></h3> <p>1. Go to <a href="https://store.rg-adguard.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Adguard's website</a>, click the drop-down menu on the left, and select Product ID</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175496" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Download-Media-Player-For-Windows-11.jpg" alt="Download Media Player For Windows 11" width="1219" height="355" /></p> <p>2. Paste the following code in the text box: 9WZDNCRFJ3PT.</p> <p>3. Click the drop-down menu on the right, and choose the Fast option.</p> <p>4. Hit the checkmark button, and the website will display a couple of dozen results.</p> <p>5. Scroll down till you see Microsoft.ZuneMusic among the list. There are quite a few of these, the one you need will start with the number 11, and end with a .MSIXBundle.</p> <p>E.g. Microsoft.ZuneMusic_11.2110.34.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe.msixbundle</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175497" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Download-Windows-Media-Player-For-Windows-11.jpg" alt="Download Windows Media Player For Windows 11" width="1865" height="292" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Download-Windows-Media-Player-For-Windows-11.jpg 1865w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Download-Windows-Media-Player-For-Windows-11-1536x240.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1865px) 100vw, 1865px" /></p> <p>Who remembers Microsoft Zune?</p> <p>It's about 34MB in size. Download the installer, execute it, and run the app. It will update the Groove Music player to Media Player.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175506" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Update-windows-media-player.png" alt="Update windows media player" width="652" height="459" /></p> <p>Note: Firebox blocked the download for some reason, claiming it is a potential security risk. Here's the result on <a href="https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file-analysis/ODE5NWJjYzIyNzhiYmNkNTIzNDgyNzMxNGFlYjdmYmM6MTYzNzEyMTg3OQ==" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">VirusTotal</a>, spoiler alert, it's clean. The app is Microsoft, obviously it is safe, but it never hurts to check.</p> <p>credit: <a href="https://old.reddit.com/r/windowsinsiders/comments/qveo1h/new_media_player_for_windows_11_begins_rolling/hkw8kop/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">u/Sharkstax</a></p> <h4><strong>Overview of the Media Player for Windows 11</strong></h4> <p>The new Media Player for Windows 11 has a sleek interface that isn't dissimilar to Groove Music's, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The start page lets you Open a media file, Open a folder and play all the media inside it, or open a URL to play a video or music stream. Files that you open will be added to the music or video library automatically. You can access them using the sidebar to the left edge of the screen.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175503" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-media-player-open-files.png" alt="windows media player open files" width="1026" height="802" /></p> <p>The sidebar has a search bar at the top and shortcuts to various areas like Home, Music Library, Video Library, Play Queue and Playlists. The playback control bar at the bottom is nothing fancy. It lets you shuffle the playlist, jump between previous and next tracks, rewind by 10 seconds or fast-forward by 30 seconds, and toggle repeat mode. Clicking the speaker icon brings a volume control slider in to view.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175508" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/New-Media-Player-for-Windows-11-interface.png" alt="New Media Player for Windows 11 interface" width="1026" height="802" /></p> <p>The Mini player mode has been retained, it displays the album cover art, and has the play/pause, previous and next track buttons. The ... button lets you view the song's Properties, access the built-in Equalizer, control the Playback Speed, Cast to device, and toggle Zoom to fill.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175509" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-media-player-mini-view.png" alt="windows media player mini view" width="482" height="246" /></p> <p>Right-click on a track or a video in your library, to set it to play next, add it to a playlist. The Music library remains identical to Groove's, you can access your collection by Songs, Albums and Artists. The new Media Player lets you sort tracks by name, artist, album or release year. You can filter the view by using the Genres menu.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175504" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/new-windows-media-player-version.png" alt="new windows media player version" width="1026" height="802" /></p> <p>The app supports Shuffle and Play too. Head to the Settings to choose your Music and Video library folders. You may switch between the Light and Dark themes for the app, or set it to follow Windows' theme.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175499" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/New-Media-Player-for-Windows-11-Dark-Mode.png" alt="New Media Player for Windows 11 - Dark Mode" width="1026" height="802" /></p> <p>When I tried installing the app on the stable version of Windows 11, it displayed an error that said, your computer needs to be running Windows 11 Build 22471 or above. So I tested it on Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22499.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175498" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Windows-Media-Player-installation-failed.jpg" alt="Windows Media Player installation failed" width="650" height="457" /></p> <p>I opened the MSIX bundle in 7-Zip, and the archive contains x86 and x64 versions of the app. So it is possible that the new Media Player will be available for Windows 10.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175501" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/HEVC-extensions.png" alt="HEVC extensions" width="1026" height="802" /></p> <p>Note: If you try to play HEVC videos (h.265 or x265), you will be prompted to purchase the HEVC Video Extensions for $0.99. If you don't have it, the app will only play the audio. I have the license, and can confirm the media player works fine with HEVC videos.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175500" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/New-Windows-Media-Player-HEVC-video.png" alt="New Windows Media Player HEVC video" width="1026" height="802" /></p> <p>I have only used the app for a day, but it has impressed me. The new Media Player for Windows seems to be a good upgrade over Groove Music, while retaining the simplicity and features of the old app. Groove Music player didn't recognize most of my tags, but the new Media Player did. The app downloaded media art automatically too, even though my tracks had one for albums. But it was nice to see a different image in the mini view uses panel.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175502" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/New-Windows-Media-Player-MP4-videos.png" alt="New Windows Media Player MP4 videos" width="1026" height="802" /></p> <p>The player resumes videos from the last playback point. I tested it with FLAC, MP3, MP4 and MKV media files, and had no hiccups with it, even in a virtual machine.</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/18/media-player-windows-11/" data-wpel-link="internal">New Media Player for Windows 11 released for Insiders on the Dev Channel</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

33. Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021: here are the major changes

    2021-11-18 06:03:18 UTC

    Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 is now available. windows-10-enterprise-ltsc-2021 The new Long Term Servicing Channel version of Windows 10 is not available as a retail version. The new release "builds on Windows […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021: here are the major changes appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 is now available. windows-10-enterprise-ltsc-2021 The new Long Term Servicing Channel version of Windows 10 is not available as a retail version. The new release "builds on Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019" and its feature set is equivalent to Windows 10 version 21H2, which Microsoft released this week.</p> <p>Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 includes changes found in the Windows 10 versions 1903, 1909, 2004, 21H1 and 21H2, when compared to Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019.</p> <p>One core difference between the two Enterprise versions is that the <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/02/19/microsoft-reduces-windows-10-enterprise-ltsc-support-to-5-years/" data-wpel-link="internal">support lifecycle has been reduced by Microsoft</a>. Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 gets 5 years of support, that is 5 years less than the support lifecycle of Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019. The only exception is Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 IoT, which still gets 10 years of support.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175511" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-10-enterprise-ltsc-2021.png" alt="windows 10 enterprise ltsc 2021" width="1800" height="1140" srcset="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-10-enterprise-ltsc-2021.png 1800w, https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/windows-10-enterprise-ltsc-2021-1536x973.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px" /></p> <p>Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 will be supported until 2026 by Microsoft, that is three years less than the support lifecycle of Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019.</p> <p>Microsoft highlights the following core improvements in the new LTSC 2021 version of Windows 10:</p> <ul> <li><strong>System Guard</strong>: Improved SMM Firmware Protection feature, which is built on top of System Guard Secure Launch. It is designed to "reduce the firmware attack surface". Windows Defender "enables an even higher level of System Management Mode (SMM) Firmware Protection" to detect a higher level of SMM compliance. Microsoft notes that there are three versions of SMM Firmware Protection. Devices that support version 3, the strongest protection, will be released soon as they require new hardware, according to Microsoft.</li> <li><strong>Windows Security app</strong>: includes Protection history, including Controlled Folder Access blocks, and Windows Defender Offline Scanning tool actions.</li> <li><strong>Bitlocker and Mobile Device Management (MDM) with Azure Active Directory:</strong> better protection against accidental password disclore though a "new key-rolling feature" which "securely rotates recovery passwords on MDM-managed devices".</li> <li><strong>Windows Defender Firewall</strong>: includes several new features. <ul> <li>Reduce the attack surface of a device through rules that restrict or allow traffic using properties such as IP addresses, ports, or program paths.</li> <li>Integrated Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), to enforce "authenticated, end-to-end network communications".</li> <li>Easier to analyze and debug. IPsec integrated into Packet Monitor.</li> <li>Enhanced Windows Defender Firewall event logs.</li> <li>Support for Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).</li> </ul> </li> <li><strong>Attack surface area reduction</strong>: administrators may configure advanced web protections to set allow and deny lists for URLs and IP addresses.</li> <li><strong>Next Generation protection</strong>: extended to protect against ransomware, credential misuse, and removable storage attacks.</li> <li>Integrity enforcement capabilities: runtime attestation of Windows 10.</li> <li><strong>Tamper-proofing capabilities</strong>: Virtualization-based security that isolates Microsoft Defender for Endpoint security from the OS and potential attackers.</li> <li>Emergency outbreak protection: updates devices automatically with "new intelligence" when outbreaks are detected.</li> <li>Improved support for non-ASCII file paths.</li> <li>Geolocation support of sample data.</li> <li>Certified ISO 27001 compliance.</li> <li>Windows Sandbox support.</li> <li><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/09/15/you-can-enable-passwordless-sign-in-for-your-microsoft-account-now/" data-wpel-link="internal">Microsoft Defender Application Guard enhancements:</a> <ul> <li>Ability to change Windows Defender Application Guard settings without having to change Registry key settings.</li> <li>Application Guard extension for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.</li> <li>Application Guard supports Microsoft Office.</li> <li>Dynamic navigation support "to navigate back to their default host browser from the Application Guard Microsoft Edge".</li> </ul> </li> <li><strong>Application Control:</strong> <ul> <li>WDAC supports multiple simultaneous code integrity policies.</li> <li>Path based rules.</li> <li>Allow COM object registration.</li> </ul> </li> <li><strong>Windows Hello improvements</strong>: <ul> <li>Official FIDO2 support across all major browsers, Microsoft Account and Azure AD.</li> <li><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/09/15/you-can-enable-passwordless-sign-in-for-your-microsoft-account-now/" data-wpel-link="internal">Passwordless sign-in for Microsoft Accounts</a>.</li> <li>Safe Mode supports Windows Hello PIN sign-in.</li> <li>Windows Hello for Business supports Hybrid Azure Active Directory.</li> <li>Added support for virtualization-based security to secure "a user's biometric authentication data".</li> <li>Multi-camera support added.</li> <li>Remote Desktop with biometrics support.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Windows Defender Credential Guard supports ARM64.</li> <li>Microsoft privacy settings: new notification icon when apps use the microphone.</li> <li>Microsoft Intune supports Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 (except for Windows Update Rings in device profiles).</li> <li>Mobile Device Management policies extended with "new Local Users and Groups settings".</li> <li>New Key-rolling and Key-rotation features that enable "secure rolling of Recovery passwords on MDM-managed AAD devices on demand from Microsoft Intune/MDM tools or when a recovery password is used to unlock the BitLocker protected drive.</li> <li><a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/04/05/use-setupdiag-to-diagnose-windows-10-upgrade-issues/" data-wpel-link="internal">SetupDiag command line tool to analyze why the installation of updates failed</a>.</li> <li>Support for <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2019/01/08/windows-10-reserved-storage-explained/" data-wpel-link="internal">Reserved Storage</a>.</li> <li>Microsoft Edge Kiosk Mode support.</li> <li>Windows Subsystem for Linux is available in-box.</li> <li>Support for WPA3 H2E standard.</li> </ul> <p>You can check out Microsoft's What's New support <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/ltsc/whats-new-windows-10-2021" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">article here</a>.</p> <p><strong>Now You</strong>: Which edition of Windows do you prefer?</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/18/windows-10-enterprise-ltsc-2021-here-are-the-major-changes/" data-wpel-link="internal">Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021: here are the major changes</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

34. WhatsApp Beta for Windows 10 and 11 is now available on the Microsoft Store

    2021-11-18 05:15:44 UTC

    WhatsApp has effectively replaced texting/SMS in many countries around the World. But when it comes to the competition, the Facebook-owned instant messaging platform's desktop experience is sub-par, when you compare it with […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post WhatsApp Beta for Windows 10 and 11 is now available on the Microsoft Store appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>WhatsApp has effectively replaced texting/SMS in many countries around the World. But when it comes to the competition, the Facebook-owned instant messaging platform's desktop experience is sub-par, when you compare it with Telegram.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175437" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-Beta-for-Windows-10-and-11-is-now-available-on-the-Microsoft-Store.jpg" alt="WhatsApp Beta for Windows 10 and 11 is now available on the Microsoft Store" width="1037" height="812" /></p> <p>WhatsApp Beta for Windows 10 and 11 has been released, and is probably the first step in the right direction. Before we talk about the new app, let's see how the current desktop tool works.</p> <p>The standalone program, WhatsApp for Desktop, is a bit of a mess, that's an understatement really. The old application is quite resource intensive, and if you close the window, it exits instead of minimizing to the system tray. So, you don't get notifications when new messages arrive.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175438" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Whatsapp-for-desktop.jpg" alt="Whatsapp for desktop" width="1024" height="650" /></p> <p>Even the browser-based WhatsApp Web is better compared to the desktop program. Speaking of which, the interface of both tools are identical, which along with the animations always gave me the impression that it was a mobile app ported to Windows.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175436" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-Beta-interface.jpg" alt="WhatsApp Beta interface" width="1200" height="932" /></p> <p>WhatsApp Beta has a brand-new interface, and it follows the Windows 10 design. The colored bar at the top is gone, and the sidebar on the left has a lighter tone. Click a conversation to view the messages in it or use the Plus symbol to initiate a new chat, which displays a small pop-up with a search bar that makes finding a contact easier than before. The right-pane of WhatsApp Beta's interface has a semi-opaque backdrop, which sort of has a frosted glass effect.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175433" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-beta-new-chat.jpg" alt="WhatsApp beta new chat" width="418" height="560" /></p> <p>Note: You may opt in to join the Multi-Device beta from the start screen, to use WhatsApp across devices simultaneously.</p> <p>Click the contact's name at the top to view their phone number, name, display picture, etc. You can also mute, block or report contacts from this panel, and also assign a specific notification sound for the person. You can view the media, files and links that you shared/received from your contact, manage the Encryption setting, and view groups that you have in common.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175431" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-beta-call-floating-panel.jpg" alt="WhatsApp beta call floating panel" width="581" height="398" /></p> <p>WhatsApp Beta supports video calling and voice calls, simply tap the camera or microphone button to place your call. The program displays a floating window for the call, with useful options such as a mute button, and an option to switch to video calls. The search function in WhatsApp Beta actually works, and also displays a badge to indicate the number of results that were found. Click on the Up and Down arrow buttons to jump to the previous or next message.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175435" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-beta-right-click-menu.jpg" alt="WhatsApp beta - right-click menu" width="792" height="432" /></p> <p>Right-click on a conversation in the sidebar to mute it, pin it to the top, archive it, mark as unread, or delete the chats. Similarly, the context menu for messages can be used to star, forward, copy messages, etc. Group members are listed at the top of the conversation page</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175434" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-beta-chat-context-menu.jpg" alt="WhatsApp beta - chat context menu" width="379" height="438" /></p> <p>Click the gear cog icon in the top left corner, to access the settings. There are more options in WhatsApp beta than the stable program. The General settings lets you log out of the app, and to toggle auto-start. The next tab, Account, lets you manage your privacy settings including blocked contacts, and the option to control your last seen status. Manage your chat history from the Chats section.</p> <p>The Notifications tab can be used to toggle the pop-up notification banner.  It also lets you set the message notification sounds for chats and group chats. There are 10 tones to choose from.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175432" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-beta-notification-sounds.jpg" alt="WhatsApp beta notification sounds" width="495" height="551" /></p> <p>WhatsApp Beta displays a banner near the system tray when new messages arrive, even if the app is closed. Sadly, there is no option to reply from the notification directly. The Storage options allow you to configure the types of media that the app will download automatically such as Photos, Audio, Videos, and Documents.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175430" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhatsApp-beta-notifications.jpg" alt="WhatsApp beta notifications" width="445" height="379" /></p> <p>WhatsApp Beta does not allow you to edit messages or delete them without leaving a remnant message. That said, the difference between the performance of WhatsApp Beta and WhatsApp Desktop, is really noticeable. The new app's animations are fluid, and uses less resources than the desktop program.</p> <p><a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/app/9NBDXK71NK08#activetab=pivot:overviewtab" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external">Download</a> WhatsApp Beta for Windows 10 and 11 from the Microsoft Store. You'll need to be on Windows 10 version 18362.0 or higher to use the app. The current version of the app is 2.21447.0</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/18/whatsapp-beta-for-windows-10-and-11-is-now-available-on-the-microsoft-store/" data-wpel-link="internal">WhatsApp Beta for Windows 10 and 11 is now available on the Microsoft Store</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

35. Google is extending Chrome support for Windows 7 by another year

    2021-11-17 12:27:56 UTC

    Google continues to support all editions of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system by another year. Microsoft ended support for Home editions of Windows 7 on January 14, 2020 officially. Businesses and Enterprise […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Google is extending Chrome support for Windows 7 by another year appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p>Google continues to support all editions of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system by another year.</p> <p>Microsoft ended support for Home editions of Windows 7 on January 14, 2020 officially. Businesses and Enterprise customers can subscribe to Extended Security Updates (ESU), which unlocks security updates to Windows 7 devices for up to three years. Microsoft announced this month that it <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/10/microsoft-wont-extend-windows-7-extended-security-updates-server-gets-another-year/" data-wpel-link="internal">won't extend support beyond January 2023</a>.</p> <p>Many software companies announced extensions of support beyond 2020. Browser makers such as Mozilla or Google announced that their products would continue to support Windows 7.</p> <p>Microsoft's own <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/microsoft-edge-supported-operating-systems" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Microsoft Edge</a> web browser is supported until January 15, 2023 on Windows 7. The company stopped supporting the operating system, at least on Home systems, but continues to support select applications.</p> <p><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/ie11-deploy-guide/system-requirements-and-language-support-for-ie11" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Internet Explorer 11</a> on the other hand, won't be supported after June 15, 2022 by Microsoft. The decision affects all supported platforms, not just the Windows 7 operating system.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-175479" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/chrome-support-windows-7.png" alt="chrome support windows 7" width="1219" height="803" /></p> <p><a href="https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/chrome-enterprise/how-chrome-is-helping-enterprises-still-using-windows-7" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Google announced that it</a> would support Windows 7 for another year-and-a-half initially, until July 15, 2021. The company extended the pledge <a href="https://www.ghacks.net/2020/11/21/google-extends-chrome-support-for-windows-7-until-january-15-2022/" data-wpel-link="internal">to support Windows 7 until January 15, 2022</a> at the very least. With the day coming up fast, the company announced that it would extend support by another year. In other words: Google will support Chrome on Windows 7 until at least January 15, 2023.</p> <p>The new support end date syncs it with Microsoft's ESU support end date.</p> <blockquote><p>Important: Chrome is extending support for Windows 7 through January 15, 2023 for critical security and stability updates.</p></blockquote> <p>Google's wording on the support page suggest that Chrome will only receive security and stability updates, similar to how Microsoft handles updates for Windows 7 devices that are subscribed to ESU. Whether that is indeed the case or just a careful wording remains to be seen.</p> <p>For now, Chrome is supported on the following Windows platforms:</p> <ul> <li>Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 or later</li> <li>Servers require Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, or Windows Server 2016.</li> <li>Intel Pentium 4 processor or later that's SSE3 capable</li> </ul> <p>Other Chromium-based browsers will likely extend support by another year as well. Mozilla continues to support Firefox on Windows 7 as well; the organization has not revealed an end of support date yet for Firefox on Windows 7.</p> <p><strong>Closing Words</strong></p> <p>Google extending support by another year for Chrome on Windows 7 suggests that a sizeable number of Chrome installations is still run on Windows 7. Google did not reveal numbers, percentage or otherwise, though.</p> <p><strong>Now You:</strong> which operating systems do you run currently?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/17/google-is-extending-chrome-support-for-windows-7-by-another-year/" data-wpel-link="internal">Google is extending Chrome support for Windows 7 by another year</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

36. What is Big Time NFT game, and why is it so popular?

    2021-11-17 09:35:17 UTC

    Big Time NFT game has become popular amongst NFT sellers and buyers. So, what’s the big deal? Big Time is a multiplayer RPG game where players can join teams, level up their […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post What is Big Time NFT game, and why is it so popular? appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Big Time NFT game has become popular amongst NFT sellers and buyers. So, what’s the big deal? Big Time is a multiplayer RPG game where players can join teams, level up their characters, choose personal weapons, personalize their own time machine, and collect exclusive collectible items in-game. Big Time has genuinely leveled up their playing field with their new NFT game. They have announced that they are now an NFT Marketplace! This is a revolutionary announcement amongst gaming platforms where now anyone can exchange NFTs with exciting new </span><b>blockchain entertainment technology</b><span style="font-weight: 400"> on Big Time.</span></p> <h2><b>Big Time as an NFT Marketplace</b></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The Big Time Marketplace offers you the ability to freely trade, buy, and sell NFTs without having an external cryptocurrency wallet. They have introduced their </span><b>Vault technology</b><span style="font-weight: 400">, their own patented way of streamlining transactions between buyers and sellers. This technology ensures instant payments and settlements while giving players the surety of safe and secure assets. The Vault increases the security and safety of your NFTs by removing the possibility of lost wallet passwords and information. Their Vault technology also eradicates the need for network fees which is a big bonus for users. A major benefit is that users have the opportunity to pay with wire transfers, Ethereum, Bitcoin, USDC, and debit and credit cards.   </span></p> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175470 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/What-is-Big-Time-NFT-game-and-why-is-it-so-popular-2.jpg" alt="What is Big Time NFT game, and why is it so popular" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <h2><b>The Gaming Features of Big Time </b></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Users get to experience the world of Big Time through space-time adventures where you get to collect unique and exotic items during the game. These collectibles will offer you ownership of these items through the NFT technology. Enjoy the Big Time universe on the web application that is compatible with desktops and mobile. You can trade, buy, and sell the items directly on the app within the Marketplace without any crypto wallets. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The characters like “Time Warrior,” “Chronomancer,” “Shadowblade,” and “Quantum Fixer” each have special abilities that can level up across Big Time’s Timelines system. Users get to choose from a weapon arsenal which includes a Battle Axe, Dual Blades, Two-Handed Greatsword, Sword and Shield, Quantum Staff, and Warhammer. Each weapon comes with specific battle perks and abilities. You also get to decorate and upgrade your own Time Machine, which sends you across the Timeline paths. Plus, you get to play alongside a fellow friend. </span></p> <h2><b>Big Time Access Passes </b></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Big Time offers </span><b>Early Access Passes</b><span style="font-weight: 400"> for users to purchase in over 80 countries, including the United States. The pass gives users access to enjoy the beta version of the Marketplace. This is where users can sign up, upload their payment information in the meantime, and pre-fund their user account. But, if you are interested in taking a look at the beta version, be sure to hurry up, as it’s the final round of passes before their official release. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Big Time will release FAQs later on for any of the community’s questions, and they welcome potential users to chat to the community on discord before then. Big Time is incredibly confident that they have created an NFT game that will completely change the marketplace, so many NFT users are eager to see what their beta version will be like. </span></p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/17/what-is-big-time-nft-game-and-why-is-it-so-popular/" data-wpel-link="internal">What is Big Time NFT game, and why is it so popular?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>

37. Experimenting the NFT Game – Global brands and the Metaverse Case Study: Crypto Collectibles

    2021-11-17 09:26:55 UTC

    What are Crypto Collectibles? Coin collectors say "A coin is not worth anything unless it is rare". Rareness means low production: not a lot of people can collect it. Suppose we could […]

    Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Experimenting the NFT Game – Global brands and the Metaverse Case Study: Crypto Collectibles appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

    <h2><b>What are Crypto Collectibles?</b></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Coin collectors say "A coin is not worth anything unless it is rare". Rareness means low production: not a lot of people can collect it. Suppose we could define the money supply as the number of coins in circulation times their price. So if it were a dollar bill, it would equal $1 times $1,000, and if it were a nickel, it would equal 1/100th of a nickel.</span></p> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175461 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Global-brands-and-the-Metaverse-1.png" alt="Global brands and the Metaverse" width="512" height="383" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Now suppose we could measure production, not by the number of coins produced, but by the number of coins in circulation times their price. So if it were a dollar bill, it would equal $1,000 times $1000, and if it were a nickel, it would equal 1/100th of a nickel.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">So now we know two things:</span></p> <ol> <li><span style="font-weight: 400"> A coin is not worth anything unless it is rare.</span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400"> Low production = low price.</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">So what does this mean for Crypto Collectibles? It means you can think of the Crypto Collectibles market as the supply of Crypto Collectibles times their price. That's interesting because Crypto Collectibles are themselves a kind of "virtual" commodity. So if we measure their supply by the number in circulation times their price, just like for physical commodities, we can figure out their scarcity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The scarcity measure is:</span></p> <ol> <li><span style="font-weight: 400">Number of Crypto Collectibles in circulation times their price</span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400">Number of Crypto Collectibles in circulation times 2/3 of their price.</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">That's really, really low. So we can guess that Crypto Collectibles are scarce.</span></p> <h2><b>If you want to collect something, you have to decide for yourself how valuable it is</b></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">What's the point of collecting things if no one else wants to buy them? Why does someone collect stamps? Collectible stamps are real stamps that were issued by a government agency, but people buy them because they are collectible.</span></p> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175462 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Global-brands-and-the-Metaverse-2.png" alt="Global brands and the Metaverse" width="512" height="289" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">If you want to collect something, you have to decide for yourself how valuable it is. And, of course, you have to know that other people think that way. Some collectibles are valuable because they are rare. Others appreciate value over time. Another way to collect is to earn it. You can collect money, and if you have the know-how, you can earn money by issuing your own money.</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">A currency is a store of value. It is something people are willing to hold because other people are willing to hold it.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">A currency must be liquid. It must be easy to buy and sell. You can buy and sell almost anything for money, but if you can't find someone willing to buy what you have, you can't sell it.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">A currency must be divisible. You need to be able to divide it into smaller and smaller pieces, like quarters or pennies, or dollar bills.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">A currency must be durable. It must be something you can hold on to for a long time, like gold coins or paper bills.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">A currency must be scarce. You need only a small amount of it to buy almost anything.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">A currency must be divisible into small enough pieces that most people can hold.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">A currency must be durable. You can hold gold coins or paper bills for a long time.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">A currency must be scarce. A normal-sized gold coin is heavy. You need only a few gold coins to buy almost anything.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">A currency must be divisible into small enough pieces that most people can hold.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">A currency must be durable. You can hold paper bills for a long time.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">A currency must be scarce</span></li> </ol> <h2><b>Crypto Collectibles are the new wave of digital assets, when will Blockchain technology make them mainstream?</b></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The Blockchain is the most successful application of cryptography ever, and early adopters are betting it will transform the global economy. "The Blockchain is a technology that makes trust possible where it was impossible before. It lets people trade assets with one another without trusting each other.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Think of it this way: if you take a piece of paper, stamp it, and put it in a locked box, then someone can take that paper and stamp it and put it in a locked box too. At this point, those pieces of paper are just pieces of paper. But if they each had a unique ID like the blockchain, then they could be traded. You could trade ownership of those pieces of paper with other people. That is exactly what the Blockchain does. Instead of pieces of paper, it lets you trade ownership of digital assets.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">But the real power of the Blockchain is that it lets us trade ownership of anything. That means that, just as paper money was a revolutionary technology that allowed people to trade tangible assets, digital assets are a revolutionary technology that makes tangible assets possible. The Blockchain lets people trade ownership of anything. And not just anything. We can trade ownership of anything that can be represented with a number.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Documents are a good example. They are tangible, but there is no way to represent them digitally. So they are lost on digital devices. But on the Blockchain, we can represent documents as numbers. They are just numbers, but they have captured value.</span></p> <h2><b>Crypto Collectibles Overview: CryptoDragons</b></h2> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175463 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/CryptoDragons.png" alt="CryptoDragons" width="512" height="181" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">CryptoDragons is a blockchain-based virtual game that allows users to collect digital animals. The animals, called CryptoDragons, can then be sold or bred with others to create a new generation of CryptoDragons. Each new generation of CryptoDragons is more valuable than the last--the gains in value are said to be "tracked" by the blockchain (i.e., the owner will know how much his pet rose in value during its lifetime).</span></p> <h2><b>Crypto Collectibles Overview: CryptoKitties</b></h2> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175464 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/CryptoKitties.png" alt="CryptoKitties" width="512" height="205" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">CryptoKitties is a game built on the Ethereum Network. CryptoKitties allows users to “collect” cats, which are represented as cryptographic non-fungible tokens (NFTs) e.g. ERC-721 tokens. Since the game's launch in late 2017 users have made over $200 million worth of CryptoKitties transactions through regular purchases, breedings, and even third party sales, with some CryptoKitties being sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.</span></p> <h2><b>Crypto Collectibles Overview: CryptoPuppies</b></h2> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-175465 aligncenter" src="https://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/CryptoPuppies.png" alt="CryptoPuppies" width="512" height="253" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">CryptoPuppies are collectible game assets. They are like Pokemon cards but virtual. The game is like the Beanie Babies for millennials. You can purchase, sell and breed CryptoPuppies to make money. There are three values of CryptoPuppies. The first is the type (example: rare, very rare). The second value is the generation (example 1st generation, 5th generation). The last value is determined by how your CryptoPuppies are bred.</span></p> <h2><b>How can the Metaverse protocol help power these games?</b></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The Metaverse protocol provides a way for virtual worlds to be created and populated by ordinary users like you and me. The Metaverse protocol does this by making it possible to create virtual objects, called NFTs, and to connect them to the real world with digital tokens that, depending on how they are used, become money.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Virtual worlds, as you might have guessed, are a lot like the real world, but on computers. You can move around, you can talk to people, you can buy and sell things, you can meet people, and so on. But unlike the real world, you are never limited by the laws of physics. You can fly, or walk through walls. You can make things like books that other people can see. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Virtual worlds have been around for a long time, and there are many different virtual worlds, some based on games and some based on property or corporations, or politics. Most of the virtual worlds that aren't controlled by large corporations are relatively boring. If you want to do anything interesting, you have to make your world.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The Metaverse protocol makes it possible to create virtual worlds, and then connect them. If you think of virtual worlds as domains, the Metaverse protocol is a permissionless way for different domains to interact.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">As a user, you create a virtual world. You create virtual objects that people can use, for example, to play games. And you create digital tokens, called NFTs, that people use in the real world to buy stuff in your virtual world.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The NFTs become money in the real world because they are scarce and because you can use them to buy real-world objects. If you have enough of them, you can make things that cost money. The Metaverse protocol is based on blockchain technology, which is the technology used to make Bitcoin. </span></p> <p>Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/17/experimenting-the-nft-game-global-brands-and-the-metaverse-case-study-crypto-collectibles/" data-wpel-link="internal">Experimenting the NFT Game – Global brands and the Metaverse Case Study: Crypto Collectibles</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ghacks.net" data-wpel-link="internal">gHacks Technology News</a>.</p>