How do I fix Oculus Rift error codes?
Oculus Rift is a top-tier VR headset, but that doesn't mean you won't occasionally see an error code pop up. There is no official list of error codes and how to fix them, but we scoured the internet and came up with a list of some of the most common ones out there. Best part: there are fixes.
What are the benefits of using a VPN?
We've been talking a lot about Virtual Private Networks (VPN) lately, mostly thanks to eroding privacy and increased restrictions imposed by internet providers and, in some cases, governments. VPNs are becoming increasingly popular, but they still aren't commonplace. If you're on the fence about whether or not you could benefit from a VPN, this list of advantages should help you make up your mind once and for all.
When you're in public, you wouldn't walk around with your personal information hanging out. The same should be true while you're online; perhaps even more so. It's best to think of the internet as a lawless den where there are hidden eyes watching you at all times. Spooky!
Instead of walking around without any help, why not put on your invisibility cloak? Sure, your foot might poke out now and again, but for the most part, you're hidden. This is analogous to a VPN.
A lot of information can be gleaned from the bits of data left around the web, so why not make that data appear to be coming from the VPN provider instead of you? If you're at all worried about the current state of privacy online, or what might be coming in the future, a VPN can help set your mind at ease.
While there are measures in place to keep you somewhat safe while browsing the internet, they are hardly enough in our current reality. Whether it's hackers, spammers, spoofers, or anyone else who's looking to extort you, a VPN can help keep you secure.
Say you travel a lot and stay in hostels and hotels. The Wi-Fi you connect to without thinking could be set up by someone looking to steal your information. Every day there are high-profile hacks and leaks that make people wonder what they can do to protect themselves.
With a VPN, you generally know where your data is headed, and along the way you can be sure that it isn't being intercepted thanks to heavy encryption.
Some VPNs, like Private Internet Access, offer a built-in ad, malware, and tracker blocker. While there are plenty of ad-blocking options out there already for your browsers, it's a hassle to configure everything the same way between browsers and between devices.
With an ad and tracker blocker built right into the VPN, you'll see fewer ads in general, and especially fewer targeted ads. Blocking is usually handled at the DNS level where there's a long list of domains associated with ads, trackers, and malware.
Having a VPN do the blocking for you is a huge boon to anyone who hates seeing a week of ads targeted at you because you accidentally typed something embarrassing into Google.
Geographical borders do not only apply to the physical world — they also apply online. Have you ever attempted to watch a video on YouTube, only to see that the uploader hasn't made it accessible in your country? Sometimes you can find an open mirror, but other times you're out of luck.
Not only can a VPN unlock that video you're dying to see, it can also unlock more sensitive, important content. Say you're a journalist working in an oppressive country and you want to know about what's really happening to the government. A VPN will not only hide your activity online, it will also open up avenues of information that were locked up tight.
Because good VPN providers have a wide range of servers all over the world, connecting to a server in the right country (read: one that doesn't block information) should be as easy as clicking a few buttons.
Internet Service Providers (ISP) are in the game to make money, and one way to boost profit is to throttle your internet speed when you're connecting to certain sites, including plenty of streaming services like Netflix. These streaming services do take up a lot of bandwidth, and ISPs want to keep their networks clear. This also usually means you're going to watch your shows load more often than you're going to watch your shows.
A VPN hides your activity online, so your ISP cannot see that you're trying to stream video. You're less likely to have your bandwidth throttled, resulting in a smoother browsing or streaming experience.
There are plenty more reasons why an ISP might be throttling your bandwidth, but one thing remains the same: a VPN should get you around it.
Is an inkjet or laser printer better for you? Here's how to tell.
When it comes to buying a printer, the choice can be difficult. Ink. Laser. Ink. Laser. INK! LASER! Well, what's the difference? Is one better than the other? Is the cost of owning an inkjet printer really that expensive? Do you need to buy a new laser printer whenever your toner runs out?
Here's what you need to know.
Updated May 18, 2017: Added links to the best inkjet and laser printers you can buy.
Most consumer printers are what's known as drop-on-demand (DOD) printers and are divided into thermal DOD and piezoelectric DOD. From here, most home-use printers fall under the thermal DOD category, like those from Canon, HP, and Lexmark. At the end of the day, they're both inkjet printers.
Inkjet printers use hundreds of tiny guns to fire ink at the paper and every character they create is made up of dots. The dots are so tiny, you just can't see them. Thermal DOD printers and piezoelectric DOD printers have different mechanisms for firing the ink.
As the name might suggest, thermal DOD printers use heat to fire the ink at the paper. The print cartridges consist of a series of little chambers, which each contain a heater. An electric current is passed through the heating element, heating up each chamber, causing immediate vaporization of the ink and a pressure build-up so great that the ink fires toward the paper.
The force of the ink firing out of the chamber is so great that it pulls the next drop into the chamber, ready to fire again in rapid succession. Canon trademarks this process as "Bubble Jet," since it's a bubble of ink that bursts onto the page.
Since there are no special materials involved in thermal DOD printers, the print heads are relatively inexpensive to manufacture compared to other inkjet technologies.
Most commercial and industrial printers use the piezoelectric DOD method, though Epson and Brother consumer printers use this method as well. Instead of a heating element, there's a piezoelectric material inside each ink-filled chamber behind a nozzle.
Piezoelectricity is the electric charge stored within solid materials. When the material in the ink chambers gets charged up, it changes shape, causing an increase in pressure, forcing the ink out.
Since special piezoelectric materials (lead zirconium titanate) are required in the piezoelectric DOD printing process, the print heads are generally more expensive to manufacture.
Laser printing produces high-quality text and graphics through an electrostatic process where a laser beam is passed back and forth over a negatively charged drum, scanning the image and text directly across the printer's photoreceptor. This tells the drum to selectively collect powdered ink, also known as toner, which it then transfers to paper.
The paper is then heated to fuse the toner to it. This is known as a xerographic printing process, which means that no liquids are used.
Which type of printer is better for you depends on your printing needs. Laser printers are generally more expensive, but they produce more sheets, per dollar, than inkjet printers do and they're less wasteful when compared to inkjet printers.
That being said, laser printers take time to warm up and can be considerably more expensive.
Let's take a look at the pros and cons of each:
At the end of the day, it's all going to come down to your needs. If you're the average home printer user who prints the odd document here and there and maybe an image now and again, go with an inkjet printer. It'll be cheaper up front and cheaper when you go to replace ink cartridges. You can even get them refilled or buy "remanufactured" cartridges.
If you're going to be printing a lot and need your prints fast, then go with a laser printer. Or, if you have the extra cash on hand and are in need of incredibly crisp and perfect black text and high-quality graphics, go laser. Your startup cost will be more, but you'll stretch your dollar further.
For a while, it was thought that the remanufactured ink market was a shady place where good, honest, hard-working folk got fleeced. That's really not the case anymore.
Remanufactured printer cartridges are sent to manufacturers that restock the ink, fix any parts that aren't working optically, and perform a quality test. Recycled ink cartridges are generally less expensive because sellers can set their own prices for the cartridges. And hey, you help the environment when you buy recycled products.
All that being said, do your research. Quality might not be consistent among manufacturers, and there are probably a few duds in the mix. Double-check warranties, ask if their quality tests are certified and make sure their cartridges meet the original manufacturer standards. Just because remanufactured cartridges are recycled doesn't mean they're going to damage your print head or cause other havoc for your printer.
Having trouble finding ink for your printer? Amazon and Staples have handy tools to help you find the ink or toner you need.
Are you a laser or inkjet printer user? Do you feel like you made the right choice? Sound off in the comments.
Here's everything you need to know to bring your Yahoo email account to the Windows 10 Mail app.
Yahoo has stopped supporting its "Yahoo Mail" app for Windows 10, and this means that if you're still an avid user of Yahoo mail, starting May 22, 2017, you'll no longer be able to check your emails using the app.
While the company has advised users to switch to the web browser experience, you can still use other solutions, such as the Mail app included with Windows 10. This app not only includes support for Yahoo mail but it offers many of the same features, including desktop and Lock screen notifications, dynamic Live Tile updates in the Start menu, and theming with custom color schemes and backgrounds. It also won't bombard you with ads, unlike Yahoo's email website.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the easy steps to set up a Yahoo email account in the built-in Mail app. We tell you steps to fix specific sync issues that may occur after configuring the account, and we also look at the steps to uninstall the no longer supported Yahoo Mail app from your device.
The Windows 10 Mail app makes it super easy to manage emails from many different services, and you can use the following steps to add your Yahoo email account.
Inside the Settings flyout, click on Manage Accounts.
Click on Add account.
Click Yahoo! from the list.
Click Next.
Click Sign in.
Click Agree to allow the app to access your Yahoo account.
Once you completed the steps, your emails will begin to sync with the app, and you can start managing your account as you would normally do with Yahoo Mail.
Using the default Mail app included with Windows 10, it's also possible to customize a number of options for your Yahoo account.
Right-click your Yahoo account and click Account settings.
Using the Yahoo account settings, you can change the account name to something more descriptive, which can come in handy when managing multiple accounts.
You can also click Change mailbox sync settings to manage your Yahoo email account sync settings.
In this page, you can change how often Mail should check for new emails, contacts, and calendars, which can help to save data and battery life.
Additionally, there is an option to change the name you use to send your messages, and under "Sync option," you can quickly control whether you want only sync emails, or calendars and contacts as well.
You'll find a number of advanced options, but it's not something regular users need to configure, as the app sets these settings automatically.
In some cases, after configuring an account using the Windows 10 Mail app, you may receive an error trying to sync emails.
You may come across this error as a result of recent Yahoo security changes, but it's something that Microsoft has fixed by implementing OAuth (Open Authorization) security support for Yahoo accounts with the Windows 10 Creators Update.
If you're having this issue, it's probably because your device is not running the latest version of Windows 10. You can use our guide to installing the Creators Update on your computer to resolve this problem.
If after the upgrade you're still unable to sync your emails, you can try the following:
After entering the app password, your emails should start syncing with the Mail app again.
After May 22nd, the Yahoo Mail will no longer work, which means that it's also a good idea to remove it from your computer.
To uninstall Yahoo Mail from your device, do the following:
For more help articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
Is the HTC Vive a little harsh on your eyes? These are the steps to reduce its brightness.
Looking back, every kid was told to keep his distance from the television at a young age. Now, here we are in the 21st Century, strapping bright OLED displays to our face for entertainment. While the HTC Vive offers a vivid and immersive image in almost all situations, its display can end up being rather harsh on your eyes when coming from a darker environment.
A feature within SteamVR now allows you to reduce the brightness of the HTC Vive display, while also outputting a warmer image. Whether for those late-night virtual reality adventures or simply soothing your eyes, SteamVR's "Night Mode" is a feature that shouldn't be missed. Here's how to enable Night Mode for your HTC Vive.
Microsoft uses "Alcantara" fabric to add a premium look and feel to some of its products.
Namely, the Surface Laptop, the Signature Type Cover and the Surface Ergonomic Keyboard all feature Alcantara. We recently looked at just how durable these pricey extras can be. But how do you clean Alcantara to ensure it lasts as long as possible?
It's not as difficult as you might assume. Microsoft recommends the following when cleaning its Type Cover Keyboards:
To clean the keyboard, wipe with a lint-free cloth dampened in mild soap and water. Don't apply liquids directly to your Surface. Do this often to keep your Touch Cover or Type Cover looking great.
Here's what you'll need:
First, you're going to want to use some compressed gas or cloth to get rid of any dirt and particles that may have collected on or underneath the keys, as well as the surface and on all sides. Once this has been completed, it'll be easier to analyze just how much cleaning you'll need to do to remove tough marks or oil stains from daily use. Here's a list of next steps:
If stains and marks remain after a few runs with the cloth, it may be time to apply some Alcantara cleaner, which should get rid of these unwanted blemishes. We recommend giving a keyboard or Type Cover a cleaning once a week (depending on use) to prevent build-up.
The official Alcantara website details how you can remove specific stains or spillages:
Do you own a Microsoft Keyboard or Type Cover with Alcantara? Let us know in the comments how you clean your products and what your experiences have been.
If the latest crop of iPhones has you ditching your old Windows Phone, here's how you bring all your data with you.
If you've been using Windows Phone for a while, you no doubt have a considerable amount of data stored on your device, including contacts, calendars, email, messages, favorite apps, music, photos and more. There's no automated "Switch to iOS" app for Windows the way there is for Android, but there are cloud services like OneDrive, and Microsoft's own apps that make it easier than ever.
While Apple's iTunes — the company's all-in-one media player, manager, and sync service — may not be needed anywhere near as much as before, there might still be occasions when you want to transfer big files, make local backups, or troubleshoot problems. Then iTunes, clunky as it is, is invaluable. Mac owners will find it pre-installed, but for Windows navigate yourself to the link below to get started.
Of course, in the not too distant future, all you'll need to do is head into the Windows Store to get iTunes. For now, you need to get it from Apple, and that means you also have to get the associated baggage that comes with the current Win32 app.
Our phones have quickly become our main communications tools, beyond just calling relatives. Managing both work and personal lives in our pockets is very much a thing and moving your contacts, calendars and email to your new iPhone will be a top priority.
Fortunately, Apple makes it pretty easy. Assuming you've been using your Microsoft account to keep these three entities in sync, you'll be able to import to your iPhone with ease. Before you proceed, it's a good idea to go back to your Windows phone and make sure you've backed it all up first.
On your iPhone, open up the "Settings" app and scroll down until you find the option for "Mail, Contacts, Calendars." Tap on it and then on "Add Account."
You can now add any number of accounts, including Outlook.com and Exchange. Tap on the one your personal information is stored with and follow the instructions to log in and link up your account with your phone.
Once the account has been added, tap on it and ensure the sliders for the information you wish to sync are activated.
Now, your Microsoft account will pull in your email, your contacts and your calendar to the relevant stock apps on the iPhone. And you're good to go.
You also have the option of using the Microsoft Outlook app on your iPhone to manage your Outlook email and calendars. It's considered by many to be the among the best mail client on iOS, so it's worth checking out.
Our recommendation would be to avoid transferring your photo library from your old phone to your new one. Not least because on Windows you may have been using a microSD card to store them, something not possible on the iPhone. (Apple has the online iCloud Photo Library service instead — for a price.)
You can opt to start fresh, or better still, backup all your photos to your computer and your favorite online service, and then go from there.
The best option is to use the cloud. If you've been using Windows Mobile then there's a strong chance you had your phone set to auto-upload your photo library to OneDrive. If you didn't have it set this way, there's still time to do it and upload your entire photo library to Microsoft's cloud. And you can still upload your iPhone photos to OneDrive as well to keep your full back catalog rolling.
With this, you just need to install the OneDrive app from the App Store and you'll have instant access to all your photos wherever you are.
Or, if you're a user of Dropbox (the other big, cross-platform option,) the same applies. Make sure everything has uploaded, grab the Dropbox app for iPhone and you'll be set.
With no expandable storage on the iPhone, we strongly recommend the cloud route if you want to have easy access to all your old Windows-shot photos. You'll be snapping a ton with the iPhone camera so don't fill up that storage with gigabytes of old stuff.
If you can't or simply don't want to use the cloud, you can still make the transfer over a good, old-fashioned cable. If you're using a Windows 10 PC getting your photos off your phone is straight forward. You can either go through the Phone Companion app, which then imports from your phone into the Photos app, or you can just navigate to your phone in File Explorer, find the folder and drag and drop.
To move photos from your computer to your iPhone requires iTunes. With the phone connected via the USB to Lightning cable, you'll be able to select items to sync between the phone and the computer.
Microsoft is a big supporter of cross-platform apps and services. As such, all the most popular apps are available to use on iPhone. And they're pretty good too, for the most part. We've already linked up OneDrive and Outlook above, the list below will help you find some of the other big ones.
You can find a complete list of all Microsoft apps for iPhone here:
Download Microsoft apps at the App Store
The iPhone and iTunes are heavily established for music, and you'll be well looked after. If you have a physical collection on your computer that you synced to your old Windows phone, simply fire up iTunes and start syncing it to your phone.
If you used Microsoft's Groove Music, or something such as Spotify or Deezer to get your aural fix, there are of course apps available for all three in the App Store.
The iOS App Store is the place to find apps. You can get almost every Google app available, for example (which were notably absent from the Windows Store...)
Equally, you'll probably be looking for these:
There are also hundreds of thousands of games, including all the major mobile titles, so hit the App Store and download away!
Hopefully these tips help you to get started with your new iPhone without having to start again from scratch. With the prevalence of the cloud and Microsoft's strong support for iOS, following a little work you'll be up and running in no time with all your personal communications, media and app needs!
If you're new to the PC gaming world, fear not. We're here to run you through how to purchase and play games on the Steam gaming service.
Valve created Steam to answer PC gamers' need to have a centralized location to purchase games, play those games, and communicate with friends without having to use other software. It was a great solution at the time and remains the top destination for many gamers on PCs. Should you be new to the platform, you may wish to get started on Steam to join friends and take advantage of enticing discounts. Here are the basics.
First, you need to get Steam installed. You will also need to create a Steam account to access services and purchase games. This can all be achieved from the official website. Here's how:
Once you have everything set up and have logged into the client, you'll be greeted by the store page. This is the default location the platform will send you to each time you visit. Take a moment to have a look around. If you find it familiar to the main website, you're not wrong. It is simply a wrapper, and everything works as you'd expect from using the official Steam website.
Four tabs at the top of the software take you to the various sections of the app: Store, Library, Community, and Profile.
We recommend you head into your profile and edit information, add friends, and get everything squared away. It's also possible to link your Steam account to Facebook. As well as editing your information, it's also required to have a valid form of payment tied to your account, be it a credit card, debit card or PayPal. When you make purchases from the store, Steam will ask which gateway you'd like to use to pay for everything in your cart.
All games purchased from the store are listed in your library. This is where you can download, uninstall, and update titles, not to mention quickly access mods, game forums, and more. When uninstalling games, Steam will also delete all other files, too, so this means you'll lose all your saved games if that particular title does not support Steam Cloud, a service that copies your local saved games to Steam's servers.
If you plan to be away from an active internet connection or happen to know in advance of ISP maintenance, you can activate offline mode in Steam to play your already downloaded games. Simply head to settings, uncheck "Don't save account credentials on this computer", then hit "Go offline" from the main menu.
It's easy to get started with friends. Some games actively support Steam and can show friends who are playing the same title in-game, which makes it super easy to get together. If not, you can open up your friends list, right-click your friends and hit "Join game".
Steam is famous for offering massive discounts on games at certain points throughout each year. Keep an eye out on the store for when promotions kick off, and you'll be able to bolster your collection without burning your wallet.
We also cover new games and promotions right here on Windows Central so be sure to remain tuned to our feeds.
You may have noticed that our screenshots of the Steam client appear different than your install. This is because we have a skin installed. Here's how you can change the look of the dated platform:
By verifying your email address with Steam, Steam Guard will be activated on your account. This will require a code to be entered when your account is logged in on an unknown device, which is sent to your email address. If you're the one logging in, simply enter the code and it'll log you in. If a third party is trying to gain access, they will be locked out unless they also have access to your email. It's a handy safety measure that can be accessed from the main Settings panel.
After you connect your Kodi system to a web browser, there are some interesting things you can do with it.
While Kodi is designed to be enjoyed on the big screen, that's not always convenient. There are times when you just want to listen to some music without having to move away from your PC.
The Kodi web interface lets you be in front of a computer and interact with your Kodi system. There are limitations to what you can (easily) do, but here's a quick look at how to use it.
The first thing you need to do is to allow access to your Kodi system from a web browser. Check out the guide below for a walkthrough of how to do that.
How to control Kodi from a web browser
If you're in front of any device with a browser that isn't your Kodi system, and you want to listen to some tunes, you can easily stream your music collection using the browser. You can just select music to play through your Kodi system by simply clicking on something to listen to.
But, perhaps better than this is that you can stream the music you've organized in Kodi to the machine you're accessing it on via the web interface.
To do this, you'll need to look for the local tab in the right-hand panel of the web interface. There you can build a playlist from your music collection to stream over your local network. Simply hit the + button next to tracks you want to add to the playlist. When you play it now, it'll stream locally through your browser.
This only works for music, though. Video streaming isn't (easily) possible through the web interface, and it's a far more advanced process that's not really for the casual user. This isn't a replacement for a dedicated app to stream music, but if you just need quick access on a PC or even a phone, it's handy to have.
If you set up your Kodi system to deliver live TV then you can use the web interface to check the guide and even send an instruction to play a channel on your main box. It won't stream through the browser, but it's a useful way to check what's on.
In a similar fashion, you can also browse inside your Kodi add-ons and your video media collection. Again, you can't stream any videos, but you can use the browser to set up a playlist of videos to watch later on. For example, you can cue up an evening's entertainment without having to sit flicking through various options on your TV.
If you open up a video in your library from the browser, you'll find buttons to both play it immediately or to add it to your queue.
That's a quick overview of how you can use the Kodi web interface, but if you have tips to share, be sure to drop them into the comments.
Download Kodi from the Windows Store
You can use a stronger protection level with Windows Defender Antivirus, and in this guide, we'll tell you how to do it on the Windows 10 Creators Update.
Windows 10 offers the Windows Defender Antivirus as the default security and anti-malware solution to protect your computer and files against the ongoing growth of threats, including viruses, rootkits, spyware, and other types of malware -- and even those nasty ransomware.
Alongside the new features and improvements included with the Windows Defender Security Center, on the Windows 10 Creators Update (version 1703), the antivirus continues to evolve with new enhancements, such as the ability to manually change the cloud-protection level for your devices.
While out-of-the-box, the antivirus already offers robust threat detection, you can now select a higher level of protection to allow Windows Defender Antivirus to be more proactive scanning and detecting suspicious files, which helps Windows 10 users and organizations to keep their PCs more secure.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to change the cloud-protection level that Windows Defender Antivirus uses to scan and block suspicious files using Local Group Policy and the Registry.
Important: Using these instructions, you'll be joining your device to the Microsoft MAPS community program, which allows the company to collect various pieces of information about threats detected on your system to create new definition updates, and sometime it'll even collect some of your personal information. Although Microsoft ensures that they won't use the information to identify or contact you, if you're not comfortable with that then this guide isn't for you.
If you're running Windows 10 Pro (or Enterprise), the easiest way to change the cloud-protection level of Windows Defender Antivirus is using the Local Group Policy Editor.
To use a stronger antivirus protection on Windows 10 (version 1703), it's required that you must first to join Microsoft MAPS community, in order to change the level of protection on Windows Defender Antivirus.
To become a member of Microsoft MAPS using the Local Group Policy editor, do the following:
Browse the following path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Antivirus > MAPS
On the right side, double-click the Join Microsoft MAPS policy.
Under "Options," select the Advanced MAPS option.
You'll notice that the policy also includes a Basic MAPS option, but Microsoft is deprecating that membership level, and even if you select it, you'll be enrolled in the advanced group.
Once you configured the membership to report potential threats to Microsoft, you can then change the protection level of the Windows Defender Antivirus using the following steps:
Browse the following path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Antivirus > MpEngine
On the right side, double-click the Select cloud protection level policy.
Under "Options," select the High blocking level option to increase the protection level on your device.
Here's a brief description of the available protection levels for the Windows 10 antivirus:
Once you completed the steps, Windows Defender will use the "High blocking level" option, and it'll scan and block suspicious files more proactively.
You can always revert all the changes by following the same steps on the both set of instructions, but on step No. 5 for the Join Microsoft MAPS policy, select the Not Configured option. Also, on step No. 5 for the Select cloud protection level policy, select the Not Configured option.
In the case you're running Windows 10 Home, you won't have access to the Local Group Policy Editor, but you can still change the protection level of the antivirus included on Windows 10 by modifying the Registry.
Warning: This is a friendly reminder that editing the registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. We recommend making a full backup of your PC before proceeding.
In order to switch antivirus protection levels on your device, you must first modify the Registry to join Microsoft MAPS to allow the company to collect information about threats and create new definition updates.
To become a member of Microsoft MAPS using the Registry, do the following:
Browse the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
Right-click the Windows Defender (folder) key, select New, and click on Key.
Right-click on the right side of "Spynet," select New and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Double-click the newly created DWORD and set the value from 0 to 2.
Once you configured the Microsoft MAPS membership, you can configure the "High blocking level" for Windows Defender Antivirus using the following steps:
Browse the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
Right-click the Windows Defender (folder) key, select New, and click on Key.
Right-click on the right side of "MpEngine," select New and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Double-click the newly created DWORD and set the value from 0 to 2.
After completing the steps, Windows Defender will use a higher protection level to scan and detect suspicious files on your device.
If you want to revert the changes, you can follow the same steps mentioned above on the both set of instructions, but on step No. 4 for "Enabling Join Microsoft MAPS," right-click the Spynet key and click Delete to opt-out.
Then to opt-out of the "High blocking level" protection level, follow the same steps, but on step No. 4, right-click the MpEngine and click Delete.
For more help articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
You can bring back the option to launch Command Prompt from the right-click context menu on Windows 10, and in this guide, we'll show you how to do it.
With the Windows 10 Creators Update, Microsoft is continuing to fade out Command Prompt in favor of PowerShell. While you can still use the command-line utility, the option is no longer available on the Power User menu (Windows key + X), on the File menu for File Explorer, and even in the extended context menu (Shift + Right-click).
Although there is an option in the Settings app to add Command Prompt to the Power User menu, you won't find an option to bring it back to the extended context menu. However, it's still possible to re-incorporate the option in Windows 10, if you're comfortable modifying the Registry.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to bring back the "Open command window here" to the context menu.
In order to re-incorporate the option to launch Command Prompt on the extended context menu, you'll need to modify the Registry using the following steps:
Warning: This is a friendly reminder that editing the registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. We recommend making a full backup of your PC before proceeding.
Browse the following path:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd
Right-click the cmd (folder) key, and click on Permissions.
Click the Advanced button.
On "Advanced Security Settings," click the Change link next to "Owner."
Type your account name in the provided field, click Check Names to verify you're typing the account name correctly, and click OK.
Check the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects option.
Under "Permissions for Administrators," select Allow for the Full Control option.
Change the DWORD name from HideBasedOnVelocityId to ShowBasedOnVelocityId, and press Enter.
Once you completed the steps, using the Shift + Right-click combo will now display the "Open command window here" option.
While these instructions will bring the option to open Command Prompt in a specific folder location to the context menu, there is one caveat: this will only work when you "Shift + Right-click" a folder. The option won't be available using "Shift + Right-click" on an empty space within a folder.
You'll also notice that using the above steps will bring back the "Open command window here," but it'll keep the "Open PowerShell window here" too.
If you want to remove the PowerShell entry from the extended context menu, do the following:
Browse the following path:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\PowerShell
Right-click the PowerShell (folder) key, and click on Permissions.
Click the Advanced button.
On "Advanced Security Settings," click the Change link next to "Owner".
Type your account name in the provided field, click Check Names to verify you're typing the account name correctly, and click OK.
Check the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects option.
Under "Permissions for Administrators," select Allow for the Full Control option.
Change the DWORD name from ShowBasedOnVelocityId to HideBasedOnVelocityId, and press Enter.
After completing the steps, using Shift + Right-click will only show the "Open command window here" option.
While you can run the majority of the commands using PowerShell, a lot of people still prefer Command Prompt, and the context menu option provided a quick way to open the utility in a specific location without having to type a long command to navigate to a folder path. But now, thanks to a hidden option in the Registry, you can bring that experience back to Windows 10.
For more help articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
How do I fix Oculus Rift error codes?
Oculus Rift is a top-tier VR headset, but that doesn't mean you won't occasionally see an error code pop up. There is no official list of error codes and how to fix them, but we scoured the internet and came up with a list of some of the most common ones out there. Best part: there are fixes.
What are the benefits of using a VPN?
We've been talking a lot about Virtual Private Networks (VPN) lately, mostly thanks to eroding privacy and increased restrictions imposed by internet providers and, in some cases, governments. VPNs are becoming increasingly popular, but they still aren't commonplace. If you're on the fence about whether or not you could benefit from a VPN, this list of advantages should help you make up your mind once and for all.
When you're in public, you wouldn't walk around with your personal information hanging out. The same should be true while you're online; perhaps even more so. It's best to think of the internet as a lawless den where there are hidden eyes watching you at all times. Spooky!
Instead of walking around without any help, why not put on your invisibility cloak? Sure, your foot might poke out now and again, but for the most part, you're hidden. This is analogous to a VPN.
A lot of information can be gleaned from the bits of data left around the web, so why not make that data appear to be coming from the VPN provider instead of you? If you're at all worried about the current state of privacy online, or what might be coming in the future, a VPN can help set your mind at ease.
While there are measures in place to keep you somewhat safe while browsing the internet, they are hardly enough in our current reality. Whether it's hackers, spammers, spoofers, or anyone else who's looking to extort you, a VPN can help keep you secure.
Say you travel a lot and stay in hostels and hotels. The Wi-Fi you connect to without thinking could be set up by someone looking to steal your information. Every day there are high-profile hacks and leaks that make people wonder what they can do to protect themselves.
With a VPN, you generally know where your data is headed, and along the way you can be sure that it isn't being intercepted thanks to heavy encryption.
Some VPNs, like Private Internet Access, offer a built-in ad, malware, and tracker blocker. While there are plenty of ad-blocking options out there already for your browsers, it's a hassle to configure everything the same way between browsers and between devices.
With an ad and tracker blocker built right into the VPN, you'll see fewer ads in general, and especially fewer targeted ads. Blocking is usually handled at the DNS level where there's a long list of domains associated with ads, trackers, and malware.
Having a VPN do the blocking for you is a huge boon to anyone who hates seeing a week of ads targeted at you because you accidentally typed something embarrassing into Google.
Geographical borders do not only apply to the physical world — they also apply online. Have you ever attempted to watch a video on YouTube, only to see that the uploader hasn't made it accessible in your country? Sometimes you can find an open mirror, but other times you're out of luck.
Not only can a VPN unlock that video you're dying to see, it can also unlock more sensitive, important content. Say you're a journalist working in an oppressive country and you want to know about what's really happening to the government. A VPN will not only hide your activity online, it will also open up avenues of information that were locked up tight.
Because good VPN providers have a wide range of servers all over the world, connecting to a server in the right country (read: one that doesn't block information) should be as easy as clicking a few buttons.
Internet Service Providers (ISP) are in the game to make money, and one way to boost profit is to throttle your internet speed when you're connecting to certain sites, including plenty of streaming services like Netflix. These streaming services do take up a lot of bandwidth, and ISPs want to keep their networks clear. This also usually means you're going to watch your shows load more often than you're going to watch your shows.
A VPN hides your activity online, so your ISP cannot see that you're trying to stream video. You're less likely to have your bandwidth throttled, resulting in a smoother browsing or streaming experience.
There are plenty more reasons why an ISP might be throttling your bandwidth, but one thing remains the same: a VPN should get you around it.
If Emby is your home media server of choice, we'll show you how to watch live TV using it.
Unlike Plex, which currently only offers a DVR service, Emby also offers the ability to watch your TV live, as well as record it. That on its own might be enough to swing your decision over which you choose to go with. However, setting up live TV in Emby requires a bit of an effort on your part. There are two parts to the process, and we'll walk you both below.
Download Emby Server for Windows
You'll need to have some form of way to get channels into Emby in the first place, and for that we use the excellent HDHomeRun Connect. Emby supports M3U tuners and "others," so your mileage may vary a little. But HDHomeRun is well supported.
How to set up and use a HDHomeRun tuner
It's also important to remember that DRM protected channels won't be imported.
That's the first stage. You now have TV coming into your Emby server, but it has no guide, so all you have is channels without knowing what's actually on them. The second part of the setup process is where you'll sort this out.
You need to get hold of a file from somewhere online that provides the data you need. Emby supports a couple of popular options out of the box: Schedules Direct (paid) and XML TV (free). There is also an "other" option, if you have your own source. For the purposes of this guide (and because I'm based in the UK), we used XML TV.
This involves going to the XML TV website and selecting a URL that corresponds with the desired feed for TV guide data. There are a few to choose from, so make sure you get the right one. Once you've found it, copy the URL next to it and follow these steps:
You should now, after a short loading period, have a fully populated TV guide. You can browse and find your favorite shows with ease and also set them to record using the Emby DVR, if you've set that up.
That's all there is to it. It's a bit of a process, but once you're up and running it'll allow you to use Emby in conjunction with its companion apps on your favorite devices to watch live TV whenever you want.
While jailbreaking iPhones may not be for everyone, it is a good way to customize your iOS device.
If you're a recent Windows 10 Mobile convert who switched to iOS, you may not be entirely happy with the UI, and you might want to change it. As iOS is not as open as Android, doing so requires "jailbreaking," which is a way of hacking the device to access features you normally wouldn't be able to. If you don't know how to jailbreak or don't know what it is, odds are you shouldn't do it. You've been warned.
iOS Blocks, also known as Curago, is a jailbreak tweak based on the iOS Blocks concept by the designer Jay Machalani. The tweak has had its down times, where development was halted, however, Andy Wiik, an active developer behind many popular Cydia tweaks, resumed the development and is slowly polishing the project to deliver stability and a great user experience.
The tweak essentially adds Live Tile-like blocks that are resized app icons. The concept is similar to what Windows offers with Live Tiles. However, iOS Blocks are also interactive and can show more content by having multiple pages on them. The concept is also similar to Android widgets, in which interaction meets information at a glance, according to the designer.
Curago works with all iOS versions from iOS 7 to 10, but it is still in beta and has many bugs which need to be fixed. The issues can be reported via GitHub, and the tweak, which is currently free, can be installed using Cydia by adding Wiik's private repo at repo.ioscreatix.com.
Redstone is, unfortunately, an abandoned tweak which is no longer updated. However, it's the closest thing you can get to a Windows phone on a jailbroken iPhone. The tweak aims to replicate the Live Tiles and the Start screen from Windows 10 Mobile, and it was named by the codename of the Anniversary Update for Windows 10, "Redstone."
The tweak is in a working state if you're running iOS 9, but other iOS versions are incompatible. The developer, Festival, doesn't seem to be interested in developing it any further, which probably means we will never see Redstone updated for iOS 10. Bummer.
The tweak is free and can easily be downloaded from Festival's private repository by adding festival.ml/repo/ to Cydia and searching for "Redstone Snapshot."
Eclipse is a very old tweak, which is still updated. The latest version, Eclipse 4, supports iOS 10, and older versions are compatible with older iOS versions. The tweak by Guillermo Moran, a developer behind many useful utilities like MobileTerminal, aims to bring a dark theme for all of iOS, including stock apps, as well as third-party apps such as Twitter or Youtube. There is no way to ensure full compatibility with every app, but there are per-app specific settings that you can configure to suit your own needs or disable specific apps if they misbehave.
Windows phone users seem to favor the dark theme over the light one in Windows 10 Mobile, and because iOS doesn't feature a dark one natively, Eclipse comes to the rescue for Windows 10 Mobile converts. The tweak is paid, but it's pretty inexpensive at only $0.99. It can be found on the default BigBoss repository.
iOS is a restrictive system by default. However, there are multiple tweaks that can help you open up these limitations. If you're a former Windows phone user, you might benefit from tweaks like Activator that let you replace Apple's default apps such as Siri and use Microsoft's Cortana.
Start by downloading Activator from Cydia, which is available for virtually any jailbreakable iOS version out there and can be found on the default BigBoss repository. The tweak, made by Ryan Petrich, a famous developer and iOS hacker, has existed for years and has become a standard among jailbreakers and is one of the first tweaks you should install after jailbreaking. The app allows you to remap or create new actions, like holding down the home button or swiping twice on the status bar, then assign them to do different things or launch apps.
To use Activator to replace Sir, start by going into Settings> Siri then disable Siri by flipping the toggle on the top. After that, scroll down to the bottom of your settings app and go to Activator> Anywhere> Home Button> Short Hold and set it to "Do nothing." That will prevent Voice Control from showing up instead of Siri. Then go back, select "Long hold," and scroll down until you see Cortana, which you need to install from the App Store beforehand. After holding the home button for a short while, Cortana should show up instead of Siri. If you want to, you could also go into Cortana's settings and enable "Voice Shortcut Mode" which will trigger voice recognition as soon as the app is launched.
MailClientDefault10 is exactly what it sounds like. The tweak, developed by HiDan, is a tool which lets you open up Apple's "walled garden" and choose your own default mail client. The tweak is compatible with iOS 9 and 10 and is very straightforward, with no unnecessary option to configure other than selecting your desired mail client.
As Microsoft offers an iOS version of Outlook, you could go and download it from the App Store, then, on top of that, install this tweak to redirect every "mailto:" link to your desired mail client. The tweak is free and can be found in the default repository, BigBoss.
For you tech-savvy readers out there with iPhones, jailbreaking may be the best way to make your iOS device reassemble Windows, to a degree. If you're not jailbroken, downloading Microsoft apps onto your phone should be sufficient. However, you'll definitely miss some features and things from Windows 10 Mobile. And jailbreaking can help restore some of them.
How do I set up room-scale on Oculus Rift?
With version 1.15 of the Oculus runtime, room-scale Rifting is moving from its "experimental" phase. Technically, room-scale Rifting has been around ever since the Touch controllers were released, but until now, it wasn't stable enough to go without the extra label. If you have three Rift sensors and are scratching your head, wondering how you can get room-scale set up, we have everything you need to know right here.
If you're playing on an NVIDIA-powered gaming PC, using a Shield TV box you can also play those games from the comfort of your couch.
The NVIDIA Shield TV is an Android-based product, but it should be of interest to PC gamers thanks to the tight integration NVIDIA implemented between the box and your rig. By using GameStream, you're able to play your PC games in your living room through the Shield TV.
It's a powerful set-top box on its own, but the Shield TV at $199 is also a pretty handy gaming machine. Here's what you need to know.
Before you get going, there are some prerequisites. The first, of course, is that you own a NVIDIA Shield TV. It doesn't matter if it's the 2015 or 2017 model, because they're both mostly the same and both support GameStream.
You also need a powerful enough PC. NVIDIA has made the feature pretty accessible, but at a minimum, you need a GTX 650 graphics card, 4GB of RAM and Windows 7 or above. You'll also need a fairly decent home network, with either a wired connection to the Shield TV or a 5GHz 802.11ac-compatible router if you're going wireless. Check out the full requirements for more. You can game up to 4K and with HDR, as long as you have the hardware for it.
You'll also need to be running Geforce Experience, which you can download here if you don't already have it. Then follow these steps:
Now you should be good to go. NVIDIA GameStream-supported games will be automatically detected by the system and allow you to play them on the Shield. If they support controller, you're all set and can begin playing with the stock NVIDIA Shield controller you have with your box.
If you need a mouse and keyboard, the Shield supports both wired and wireless options for both. Either hook up to the USB ports on the back or over Bluetooth in the Shield's settings menu. That said, if you're using mouse and keyboard you're probably just going to do it in front of your PC, right?
GameStream also supports streaming your Steam library, somewhat similar to Valve's own Steam Link.
The Shield TV is already an awesome set-top box, whatever your preferred software platform, and NVIDIA's gaming prowess makes it all the more exciting. Besides streaming your own games, you can also sign up for the Geforce Now service, which allows you to stream games you don't own from the cloud right to your Shield. That's on top of being able to play exclusive versions of top titles, such as Tomb Raider and Half Life 2.
So, while it runs Android TV, the NVIDIA Shield TV is definitely something the PC gamer should be interested in — especially if they occasionally like a little sofa time!
Welcome to another in-depth Achievement Guide from Windows Central!
Injustice 2 is a massive fighting game, with 28+ iconic characters and plenty of modes to keep players busy. It also features 62 Achievements/Trophies to unlock. This Achievement Guide offers tips and strategies for all of them.
This guide applies to both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the game. The mobile version of Injustice 2 is a much different game, so you won't find advice for it here.
Story mode is the first single-player mode you should spend time with. Here you'll earn XP and Gear for several characters, as well as unlock Brainiac upon completion.
Potential spoilers.
Complete 50% of Story mode
This Achievement unlocks after the first fight in Chapter 7: Breaking and Entering. Just beat Harley Quinn, and it should pop.
Complete 100% of Story mode
Story mode consists of twelve chapters:
You can set the difficulty to Very Easy to make this easier, as there are no difficulty-based Achievements.
Complete Story mode after doing all alternate paths
After completing the Story once:
Multiverse is Injustice 2's main single-player component, offering an ever-changing array of Portals and Events, as well as unique Gear and rewards.
Complete 25 Portal events
See Pulling Overtime.
Complete 100 Portal events
The Multiverse is found under Single Player from the main menu. Each planet in Multiverse offers multiple Portals (ladders/groups of fights) to complete. To get credit for completing a Portal, you must actually beat it.
You could just complete any 70 regular events over time to get the Achievement. The fastest way to get credit for an event is to select the Endless Portal from the Battle Simulator planet. Lose right away and you still get credit for completing the Portal, although you won't earn any rewards.
If you want to complete Portals for rewards but haven't got the skills to pay the bills, you're in luck! Here's how to easily win via AI profiles:
View all character endings in the Battle Simulator
Beat an opponent online while they still have 90% health and you have 10% or less health remaining
This can be done in any online match, including private matches.
To boost it:
Win 10 ranked matches
Win 50 player matches
Score a total of fifty wins over time to get the Achievement.
Gear does affect player matches, so try to use your best gear. You can also stack things in your favor slightly by selecting powerful characters like Deadshot and Darkseid.
Play 200 online matches
Vote correctly 10 times in King of the Hill
The object of this one is to correctly guess who will win ten King of the Hill matches. For every vote you get right, you gain a small reward in credits.
Dethrone a King 5 times in King of the Hill
In King of the Hill matches, the King is the person who is currently on a winning streak.
Harley must dethrone an opponent in King Of The Hill with the final hit coming from Double-Trouble
Open 100 Mother Boxes
Mother Boxes can be opened from the Brother Eye Vault on the main menu.
Ways to acquire Mother Boxes:
Collect a total of 200 pieces of Common Gear, excluding shaders
Simply open a lot of Mother Boxes and eventually you'll accumulate 200 pieces of Common Gear. You can also receive Gear as a random reward for fights and for completing Multiverse Portals. See So Many Presents for tips on acquiring boxes.
Collect a total of 100 pieces of Rare Gear, excluding shaders
Simply open a lot of Mother Boxes and eventually you'll accumulate 100 pieces of Rare Gear. The greater the rarity of the Mother Box, the higher the chance of receiving Gear of higher rarity.
You can also receive Gear as a random reward for fights and for completing Multiverse Portals. See So Many Presents for tips on acquiring boxes.
Collect a total of 50 pieces of Epic Gear, excluding shaders
Simply open a lot of Mother Boxes and eventually you'll accumulate 50 pieces of Epic Gear. The greater the rarity of the Mother Box, the higher the chance of receiving Gear of higher rarity.
You can also receive Gear as a random reward for fights and for completing Multiverse Portals. See So Many Presents for tips on acquiring boxes.
Sell a total of 250 pieces of gear
To sell gear:
We've listed the character-specific Achievements alphabetically by character. All of these can be done in any mode, but are easiest to do it in Single Fight or local Versus.
Aquaman must defeat any opponent with the final hit coming from The Beast Below
Atrocitus must defeat Green Lantern with the final hit coming from aMeter Burn Life Drain
Bane must defeat Batman with the final hit coming from a Meter Burn Bane Bomb
Batman must defeat any opponent with the final hit coming from Cape Parry or Cape Counter
Play as Batman and send all Gotham villains through the Arkham Transitions
Arena transitions are performed by pressing Back + Heavy Attack (Back + A on Xbox One) while standing with a foe positioned against the appropriate side of an arena that has a transition. The transition in the default Arkham Asylum arena is located on the right side of the arena.
Play as Batman, select the Arkham Asylum arena, and perform transitions against the following fighters:
Black Adam must win the match with the final hit coming from Orbs of Seth
Black Canary must defeat any opponent with the final hit coming from a level 3 Canary Cry
Blue Beetle must defeat any opponent with the final hit coming from a Meter Burn Mandible Strike
Brainiac must defeat any opponent with the final hit coming from Beta Strike
Captain Cold must defeat Flash with the final hit coming from Cryogenic Blast
Catwoman must defeat Cheetah with the final hit coming from Cat Call
This one is very tough because you can only get the Cat Call ability as a random drop from Mother Boxes!
Cheetah must defeat Wonder Woman with her Meter Burn Blood Lunge
Cyborg must defeat Robin with the final hit coming from Apokolips
Win a match as Deadshot without missing a shot (minimum 10 shots)
Dr. Fate must defeat any opponent with the final hit coming from Amulet of Anubis
Firestorm must defeat Captain Cold with the final hit coming from a Meter Burn Molten Trap
Flash must defeat Captain Cold with the final hit coming from Time Changer
Gorilla Grodd must defeat Flash with the final hit coming from Mind Control
Green Arrow must defeat Black Canary with the final hit coming from Target Practice
Green Lantern must defeat Atrocitus with the final hit coming from Mechanized Assault
Harley must defeat Joker with the final hit coming from Go Night Night
Joker must defeat Batman with the final hit coming from Not So Funny is It?
Poison Ivy must defeat any opponent with the final hit coming from Kiss of Death
Robin must defeat Batman with the final hit coming from a Meter Burn Assassin Strike
Scarecrow must defeat any opponent with the final hit coming from Schizophrenia
Supergirl must defeat Superman after connecting 20 Kryptonian Lasers
Superman must defeat Green Lantern with the final hit coming from Final Flight
Swamp Thing must defeat Poison Ivy with the final hit coming from Green Kingdom
Wonder Woman must win the match with the final hit coming from a Meter Burn Lasso of Truth
Join a Guild
Upon reaching player level five, anyone can join a guild or create their own. Members earn Guild XP for every match, which contributes towards free Guild Mother Boxes for everyone in the guild. You get rewards just for being in the guild and playing.
Of course we have our own guild on Xbox One, and we'd love for you to join! Once you reach level five, select Guilds from the main menu. Search for us by Guild ID JQ5PC. We look forward to fighting with you!
Win 5 AI Battle Simulation matches
Even though this is sort of a single-player Achievement, the AI Battle Simulator mode is found under the Multiplayer menu. Your team will fight against other player-created teams, hence the multiplayer designation.
First, set up your defenders.
Now it's time to beat other player's defenders.
If you want to continue winning AI Battles for Gold Mother Boxes after hitting the daily limit of five wins, view your Battle Log and delete your previous battles.
Knock an opponent into the Memorial Station Arena Transition at 4:30
This Achievement is real-time based and must be accomplished at 4:30 AM or PM. It reportedly has a couple of minutes of flexibility, so it should still unlock if you perform the transition slightly early or late.
This can be done in any mode, but it's easiest to do it in either local Multiplayer Versus with a second controller or Single-Player Single Fight against an AI opponent of Very Easy difficulty.
To select the Metropolis Memorial Station Arena:
Once the fight has started:
Knock an opponent into the Empire Theatre Arena Transition at 8:00pm
This Achievement is real-time based and must be accomplished at 8:00 PM. It reportedly has a couple of minutes of flexibility, so it should still unlock if you perform the transition slightly early or late.
This can be done in any mode, but it's easiest to do it in either local Multiplayer Versus with a second controller or Single-Player Single Fight against an AI opponent of Very Easy difficulty.
Throw 3 kegs during a match with Gorilla Grodd at the Ace o' Clubs
This Achievement can be done in any mode, but it's easiest to do it in either local Multiplayer Versus with a second controller or Single-Player Single Fight against an AI opponent of Very Easy difficulty.
Perform 3 background bounces on the Empire Theatre background
This Achievement can be done in any mode, but it's easiest to do it in either local Multiplayer Versus with a second controller or Single-Player Single Fight against an AI opponent of Very Easy difficulty.
Knock an opponent into an Arena Transition 25 times
Arena transitions are performed by pressing Back + Heavy Attack (Back + A on Xbox One) while standing with a foe positioned against the appropriate side of an arena that has a transition.
The following arenas have transitions:
Although you can perform transitions during any fight or mode, I recommend doing them while working on the character-specific Achievements. Batman's Back to Where You Belong Achievement involves performing seven transitions all on its own. If you pick an appropriate arena and do one transition as you work on everyone else's individual Achievements, you'll knock out the remaining eighteen transitions along the way.
Have the final hit come from the crocodile in Slaughter Swamp
This can be done in any mode, but local Versus or Single Play are easiest. It requires a strong character like Bane, Cyborg, Darkseid, Superman, Supergirl, or Swamp Thing to perform the environmental interaction with the crocodile.
Be in the Batcave when all the Environmental Interactions are used
This Achievement should be attempted either in local Versus or an online match against a friend. It will require a fast character (Batman is the obvious choice) and a strong character (Bane, Cyborg, Darkseid, Superman, Supergirl, or Swamp Thing) in order to perform all eight interactions.
Select the default Batcave arena, and then perform these interactions:
Next, perform an arena transition on the left side of the arena (Back + Heavy Attack). In the second arena:
The Achievement will unlock for both players as soon as the eight interaction is completed.
Duck 10 times in a row during a match
This is a complete gimme. During any fight, simply press down to duck a total of 10 times. It will likely be the first Achievement you earn.
Go 10 seconds of the match without being hit by your opponent
You should get this naturally while playing the game, but you can also set it up easily by either local Multiplayer Versus with a second controller or Single-Player Single Fight against an AI opponent of Very Easy difficulty.
If playing Multiplayer Versus, just don't do anything and the Achievement will pop after a few seconds. Against an AI opponent, choose a character with a ranged special move like Superman or Darkseid and spam the move repeatedly to keep the enemy away for 10 seconds.
Reach level 35 in Player XP
All wins and losses contribute XP to your player profile. Whenever your profile levels up, you'll receive rewards.
As you work towards the other Achievements, you'll naturally reach level 35 long before everything else is done. I recommend sending AI profiles into the Battle Simulator of the Multiverse while you work on unlocking everyone's endings. They'll level up, and so will your player profile.
Win a match with each villain
For this Achievement, you must win a single-player or multiplayer battle with all fourteen characters who appear on the right side of the character selection screen. This includes:
Because Brainiac is unlocked by completing Story mode, you'll have to finish that before you can go after Heathens. Story mode involves victories with Black Adam, Superman, and Wonder Woman. You'll knock the other wins out naturally while going for the character-specific win Achievements.
Perform every Supermove
Supermoves require four full bars of Super meter to perform. When your meter is filled, press the Supermove button combination (Left Trigger + Right Trigger on Xbox One) to activate the move.
For this Achievement, you'll need to perform the Supermoves of all 28 non-DLC characters, including Brainiac (unlocked via completing Story mode). This can be done in any mode other than Practice, with Single Fight and Versus being the quickest options.
Nine characters have Supermove-related Achievements (Cyborg, Swamp Thing, Green Arrow, Doctor Fate, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Joker, and Superman) so be sure to get those knocked out before you start trying to perform whichever ones you're missing.
Reach max level with all characters
20 is the maximum level for each character. It takes a total of 61,078 XP to reach level 20. For this Achievement, you must max out all 28 non-DLC characters, including Brainiac (unlocked via completing Story mode). Everyone used in Story mode will gain some XP there and reach level three or four by the time you complete, which helps a little.
There are many ways to earn XP. AI Battle Simulator has such low XP payouts that I don't recommend it. My preference is simply to take AI profiles into the Multiverse. Send your AI fighters into the Battle Simulator while you work on unlocking everyone's endings, and then keep using it to boost their XP. See Pulling Overtime and Spoiler Alert for more instructions and tips.
Characters can also be instantly leveled up to 20 from the Customize Characters screen by spending premium currency crystals on them, but that would be a big waste of crystals and/or money.
If you haven't picked up Injustice 2 yet, what are you waiting for? In our review, I remarked that "the amount of single-player content in Injustice 2 is unprecedented" and called it "a fantastic sequel." Tons of iconic characters, an addictive Gear system, and excellent online multiplayer make this game the complete package. Anyone with a love of DC characters or fighting games is going to love Injustice 2.
Injustice 2 is available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 for $59.99.
How do I download and read e-books on my Windows phone?
The Creators Update for Windows 10 Mobile is here, and with it comes an upgrade to Edge that lets you buy and read e-books straight from the browser. It's officially called Books in Windows Store, and there's already a huge selection of books waiting to be digested. Here's how to get everything set up and also how you can tweak settings to make your experience as good as possible.
Note that this feature is so far only available in U.S. markets.
Tap Books.
Tap Continue.
Type the name of a book or author you'd like to read. You can also browse the store for lists of books based on genre and more.
Tap Buy.
Tap Buy.
Tap the book you want to read.
Swiping left and right is the easiest way to navigate page by page, but you can also tap the screen to bring up more options. Here you can tap and drag the slider to move between pages.
Find the text too small to read on your phone's screen? No problem. Here's how to make some adjustments to appearance.
Tap Books.
Tap the Options button. It looks like a large A in front of a smaller A.
Tap the dropdown arrow below Font style.
Tap a Page theme option to change the background color of pages.
Edge will save your spot in the book you were last at by default, but you can also add other bookmarks if you happen to find something interesting elsewhere in the book.
Tap Books.
Tap the Add a bookmark button in the top-right corner of the screen. It looks like a ribbon.
Tap a bookmark to jump to the page.
If you'd rather not or cannot read the book you've downloaded, you can have it read aloud to you.
Tap Books.
Tap the Read aloud button. A voice will immediately begin to read.
Tap the pause button to temporarily pause reading.
Tap the dropdown arrow below Voice.
Tap the X in the top-right corner of the screen to stop reading aloud.
Do you have a favorite passage from a book you'd like to look up? Maybe you're searching for certain terms for a paper you're writing. In any case, here's how to search for words and terms.
Tap Books.
Tap the Search button. It looks like a magnifying glass.
Tap a search result to move automatically to its page.
If this guide has sparked your interest in the Creators Update for Windows 10 Mobile, be sure to check out Senior Editor Zac Bowden's review.
Mixer's latest streaming technology is promising sub-second latency and you can try it out right now.
FTL stands for faster than light and it's the term applied to the crazy fast, low latency technology Mixer has been working on for its streams. It ultimately results in an almost invisible stream delay, making for a better all-around experience for the viewers, since they're able to interact with the streamer in real time.
It's still a work in progress but anyone who wants to stream on Mixer can try it out for themselves right now. Here's what you need to know.
Updated May 29 2017 with new details including the rebrand to Mixer and how to use FTL with Elgato Game Capture software.
Right now there are three pieces of software you can use to stream to Mixer using FTL: XSplit, Tachyon and Elgato Game Capture HD
For XSplit, you need to be using the latest beta version of XSplit Broadcaster to enable FTL. Tachyon, on the other hand, is a customized version of OBS Studio with Mixer's extra goodies under the hood. The feature is currently only available in the 3.6 beta version of the Elgato Game Capture HD software.
Download XSplit Broadcaster beta
If you need any assistance getting set up to stream on Mixer, we recommend checking out our comprehensive start-up guide linked below. That'll get you logged in, set up and ready to roll. As Tachyon is essentially OBS Studio, setting up is the same.
Once you've updated to the latest beta version of XSplit, at first boot all your necessary plugins will also update. Once you're loaded up enabling FTL is a simple process.
Now you're all set. But do remember that the integration in XSplit is in beta so there is a chance of bugs. XSplit has already pushed out an update to improve things, and will no doubt continue until it's ready to be pushed out in public builds. Current issues include potentially not getting the closest server when this is set to automatic, so you might want to set that manually for the time being.
To ensure you're on the latest build for the best support, keep one eye on the XSplit blog.
To set up in Tachyon, you won't need to enable any special settings to use FTL. OBS is an open source software project and Mixer has built the necessary bits into the Tachyon version.
What you will need to do is make sure you've set everything up correctly, as detailed in our how to stream on Mixer guide. You will need your stream key first, from Mixer, as unlike XSplit you can't just log in and authenticate. Get that by following these steps:
Apply the stream key into Tachyon and make any adjustments to your stream setup in the settings and you'll be ready to go. Now, when you stream to Mixer you'll always be using FTL.
This one is actually the easiest to use, on the caveat of course that you're using an Elgato capture card. It also means you can't use it to stream PC games, unless you're using a capture card with a PC.
But, assuming you fit the criteria, all you have to do is download the beta version linked above, and connect your Mixer account. The branding in the app is still Beam, but it's all the same. Click the + button in the live streaming section, then click on Beam and follow the steps to login.
Unlike XSplit, you don't have to enable FTL. Elgato Game Capture uses it by default. All you have to do is hit that stream button!
For now, this is how you'll have to go about things if you want to try the FTL protocol for your Mixer streams. XSplit does require a subscription to get the most from, but Tachyon is at least free and will suit you if you're familiar with OBS Studio. And if you're using an Elgato capture card, the companion software is a great way to try out FTL streams with minimal fuss.
And if you're using FTL for your own Mixer streams, drop us a line (and your channel name!) in the comments below and share your experiences with us!
