Windows

The Redmond company is finally caving in to the user complaints. The replacement program promises refurbished models for any Surface Pro 4 owner who can prove that they are suffering from the problem, have not damaged the unit, and have not broken warranty. There is currently no end date to the program.

A recently published patent assigned to Microsoft appears to show a device with three screens. The illustrated foldable tablet has two seemingly regular-sized screens, and there is a third screen located on the hinge that separates the two main display regions. The patent for this interesting innovation was filed in November 2016.

Trove, an MMORPG from Trion Worlds, will soon be offering a type of battle royale mode for players. A “Bomber Royale” mode has been announced for the popular game, and it will be made available in summer as part of a large expansion that has been scheduled for the title. Trove was released for Windows in 2015 and is free to play.

The recently unleashed Firefox 60 is the first Extended Support Release version since Firefox 52, so it brings more than a year's worth of new features for personal, mobile, and business users. The most important changes are the sponsored stories present in the New Tab page and the improved customization capabilities for IT administrators.

Today Lenovo announced the new IdeaPad 330 and IdeaPad 320S which they claim to meet the specifications, price, and looks that most consumers want in an affordable laptop. The Lenovo IdeaPad came about in the late 2000’s as a consumer-oriented counterpart to the hugely successful business-orientated ThinkPad. Dedicated GPU options include the MX110, MX130, MX150, and GTX 1050.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 530S is a relatively thin and light notebook compared to the screen sizes on offer and the price segment which it occupies. Equipped with a Core i7 (probably U-series), up to an MX150, and a 1440p display, this laptop will sit well with consumers who want a good looking and decently priced mid-sized computer.

The latest update for Forza Motorsport 7 is live worldwide, and it brings a new free car to all the game’s players. Fans of the game can now get their hands on the wheel of a 2018 Honda Civic Type R. The popular racing title, developed by Turn 10 Studios and published by Microsoft Studios, was released in October 2017.

Although the Windows 10 April 2018 Update (build 17134.1) still has to reach most users of Microsoft's operating system, the members of the Windows Insider Preview program can already take the build 17661 for a spin. Its highlights include an updated Snipping Tool and a new app for screenshots called Screen Sketch.

Less than two days after two more powerful XPS 15 9570 configurations were listed on the official Dell website, two cheaper variants join the lineup. Starting at US$999.99, these models come with 8 GB of memory and 8th generation Intel Core processors (i5-8300H with a 5400 rpm 1 TB hybrid drive and i7-8750H with a 256 MB PCIe SSD).

Microsoft has recently updated its store with a new configuration of the Surface Pro. It is now possible to buy an Intel Core i5-powered Surface Pro with 128 GB SSD and 8 GB RAM for US$999. Previously, Microsoft offered the 4 GB RAM version of the device at this price, but this model is now being advertised for US$799.

The recent Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal has proved that user data can be harvested and used for any purpose by almost anyone without explicit consent. Therefore, it is imperative that one secures his/her online experience from tracking sites, intrusive ads, and deceptive pop-ups. One way to accomplish this is by editing the Hosts file. The Hosts file in any OS contains references to domain names and their corresponding IP addresses. Knowing how to edit the Hosts file can be very useful in preventing access to malicious websites, redirection to other sites, blocking intrusive ads, creating shortcuts to websites, and a lot more. The Hosts file is the same in Windows, macOS, and Linux although, the method of getting access and editing it might have some variations. This guide aims to comprehensively detail the purpose of the Hosts file and how you can use it to secure your online experience.

It looks like a certain type of governments does not like Telegram at all since Iran is now banning the popular encrypted messaging service that was recently taken down in Russia. Telegram has about 40 million users in Iran and has been apparently used to organize the protests that took place back in January.

The new update for Windows 10 brings the build number up to 17134.1 and includes a large number of noticeable changes, as well as a few completely new features. The essentials include Timeline, Nearby Sharing, Edge Extensions in the Microsoft Store, Focus Assist, an improved Game Bar, and much more.

There has been a growing wave of people in the community calling the Exklim eX Core a scam. Some feel that the eX Core fills a new niche, some think that it can't achieve the claimed performance, while others believe it doesn't exist at all. We haven't seen any working products and we don't endorse the eX Core, but we did feel it was important to give Edgar the chance to answer some of the communities questions.

Although the new XPS 15 2-in-1 (9575) was supposed to begin shipping more than a week ago, Frank Azor has just confirmed that many early adopters still have to receive their machines due to a delay that has been caused by "a small bad batch of the Mag lev keyboard." Even more, the i9 processor upgrade for the XPS 15 9570 is not available yet but will be added on May 10.

A previously unseen series of patent applications and associated imagery for the rumored Surface Phone / Andromeda PC have emerged. They show that Microsoft is mulling a range of solutions for making the device responsive to how it is being held or used at any time.

The Windows 10 April 2018 update is scheduled to begin its rollout on April 30. Its list of new features includes better voice recognition, Timeline to easily retrieve your content across devices, Focus Assist to get things done without distractions, various Microsoft Edge improvements, and more.

Although it was initially supposed to become available via the Microsoft Store before the end of 2017, Apple needed some additional to make iTunes ready for the Windows platform. When installing from the Microsoft Store, the iTunes app removes its desktop variant — if installed already — and uses its settings.

While it is still not clear if Samsung is going to release any foldable phones in 2018 or 2019, sleek 3D renders of a rumored Galaxy X model make an appearance in the wild, depicting a device with 1 external display and 2 other internal ones. The Smartphone can open up and act as a laptop powered by a light version of Windows 10, just like Microsoft's Surface Phone.

Opera Touch is a new mobile browser from Opera Software that is only available for Android now, but an iOS version will arrive later this year as well. Its main highlight is Flow, a feature that syncs the desktop Opera browser with Opera Touch without requiring logins or authentication.

Unveiled back at MWC 2018, the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 is now available in Europe starting at the equivalent of over US$2,500 (without taxes). The highlights of this rugged Windows 10 Pro tablet with a fanless design include a sunlight readable display, FLIR and 3D imaging, and many hardware options to choose from.

A member survey of IT professionals done by Spiceworks has found Cortana to be the most widely implemented virtual assistant in North American and European businesses. Siri follows closely behind with Google Assistant and Alexa having significantly lower market shares. These results are an interesting contrast to consumer usage.

Today Dell has announced three new models in their business and corporate orientated OptiPlex line of desktop computers, which are currently in their 25th year of production. These new models include two All-in-one (AIO) and a micro (ultra-small form factor) designs for more discrete office setups.

Dell has been number one in monitor sales for 17 straight quarters, and they are looking to continue this trend with the announcement of seven new and refreshed monitors. Three of the new models stand out because of their USB-C connections, giving us an indication of future trends as we move towards possible universal usage of USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 replacing various other non-compatible data and display standards.

Available in Platinum Silver and Brushed Onyx, the 15.6-inch Dell Precision 5530 is the brand's smallest mobile workstation. Its comprehensive list of hardware options includes 8th generation Intel Core i5, i7, and i9 processors, two IGZO 4 displays, NVIDIA Quadro P2000 graphics, as well as up to 32 GB of 2,666 MHz memory.

The new Dell Precision 5530 2-in-1 is a less powerful — but convertible — sibling of the 15.6-inch Precision 5530 mobile workstation. Its specs are similar to those of the Dell XPS 9575, but this mobile workstation features Radeon Pro WX Vega M GL graphics and is scheduled to hit the market in July/August.

Although Skype for Business will remain alive and well on the iOS and Android handsets, as well as on Mac and Windows desktops, Microsoft decided to stop supporting it on Windows Phone. In addition to it, Microsoft Teams and Yammer for Windows-driven handsets will no longer be supported starting next month as well.

A new listing for the IdeaPad 530s has just appeared on Lenovo's European site. The mid-range device can be configured with up to an 8th gen Intel Core i7, 16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of NVMe storage. The 530s can also pack up to an Nvidia MX150 GPU in a slightly smaller and lighter shell than the 520s.

It appears that the phone call related APIs that Microsoft removed from Windows 10 in the Fall Creators Update have been added back again in Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17650, which rolled out to the 'Skip Ahead Insiders' channel. This could be another indication of an approaching Surface Phone release date.

Released last week, Avira's free Privacy Pal tool for Windows focuses on providing the user with a more precise level of control over the personal data collected and sent away by the web browsers and other apps. In addition to cookie, cache, or web history clearing, this app can also remove Skype chat logs or stop Cortana from tracking your location.

Dell could be looking at offering new aspect ratios aside from the standard 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio in future notebooks. This was confirmed in a conference call by Frank Azor during the new XPS and Alienware reveal. Opting for non-standard aspect ratios can greatly enhance the tablet mode experience especially in 2-in-1 notebooks.

The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming is up for grabs for a discount of US$250. For US$850, you get a very capable gaming machine. The 7th Gen Intel Processor might be a bit older, but if you are okay with it, you can get yourself an excellent machine for a discount.