Microsoft Support & Discussions
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An oldie but goodie..... PC gaming has a lot going for it, but figuring out if your computer can run a particular game is still hard to decipher. Can You Run It simplifies the process and tells you whether your computer is up to the task. The site uses either a server-side Java app or a local application to test your computer's capabilities and then compares it to the system requirements of the game in question. If you have a dedicated PC rig, you might find it a bit tedious, but if you're testing out the capability of, say, your laptop (as in my test above), it's incredibly helpful. Can You Run It | via Guiding Tech
Last reply by allheart55 Cindy E, -
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A first look at the new MSN
by Guest Brian MacDonald- 0 replies
- 147 views
For nearly two decades, MSN has been a place where millions of us go every day to discover and connect with what’s important in our lives. Whether it’s a great article that sparks us to think differently or following our favorite sports team, MSN has always aspired to keep us in the know. At the same time, how we explore, discover and interact with our favorite content has changed in profound ways. It’s become increasingly hard to keep up with all of the information swirling around the Internet, let alone do something meaningful with information once we’ve found it. Looking at this landscape, we have rebuilt MSN from the ground up for a mobile-first, cloud-first wor…
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Best iPhone and iPad apps of the week: CounterSpy, Ondes, and more!
by Guest Simon Sage- 0 replies
- 45 views
September has kicked off with quite a few great apps and awesome games for iPhone and iPad. There's a fantastic side-scrolling stealth game from Sony with some nice hooks into the console version. On the app side, we have a few things to help around the house, including the garden and the kids. That's enough out of me, let's check out the apps. Back to Bed Back to Bed is a surreal puzzle game akin to Monument Valley. Players have to guide Bob, the hapless sleepwalker, from the beginning of a stage to bed through M.C. Escher-style impossible architecture. There's some truly bizarre imagery to soak in among the fairly standard puzzle gameplay, least of all being …
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NSFW: Why don't they just keep their clothes on?
by Guest Peter Cohen- 0 replies
- 32 views
NSFW is a weekly op-ed column in which I talk about whatever's on my mind. Sometimes it'll have something to do with the technology we cover here on iMore; sometimes it'll be whatever pops into my head. Your questions, comments and observations are welcome. In August Robin Williams killed himself. This week Joan Rivers died. Now many people are hauling out the Rule of Threes trope, wondering which comedian is going to die next. If you want to watch a comic die, just go to open mike night! cymbal crash Thank you, ladies and germs, I'll be here all week. Tip your waiter and try the veal. A lot this week has been written about the distribution of naked photos from va…
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Deal of the Day: Belkin Grip Candy Sheer Case for iPhone 5/5S
by Guest Brent Zaniewski- 0 replies
- 30 views
Today Only: Buy the Belkin Grip Candy Sheer Case for iPhone 5/5S and save 50% Get an iPhone case that celebrates your love of fun color combos! The transparent, two-tone design adds some aesthetic punch, while the innovative, flexible material is easy to grip. Available in 3 different colors for only $14.95 today Continue reading...
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Nest launching in the EU by the end of the month
by Guest Harish Jonnalagadda- 0 replies
- 39 views
Nest has announced that it will be bringing its connected thermostat and smoke detector to more countries in Europe, with initial availability across France, Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland set to commence by the end of this month. Customers in these countries will be able to buy Nest's products from over 400 retail locations at launch, with an additional 150 stores set to be added by the end of the year. Although Nest's products are available only in the US, Canada and the UK, the company mentioned on its blog that its thermostats have been installed in over 120 countries across the globe. On the utilities side of things, Nest is partnering with Direct Energie, Ess…
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iPhone 6 may allow you to pay for your medications at Walgreens, CVS
by Guest Chuong H Nguyen- 0 replies
- 39 views
The rumored iPhone 6 mobile payment wallet may allow users to pay for medicine and other items at drugstores Walgreens and CVS. Speculations that the two of nation's largest drugstore chains may support Apple's digital wallet comes after chatter that retailer Nordstrom may also accept your iPhone 6's built-in digital wallet for payments for goods at its physical stores. If the rumors pan out, CVS and Walgreens could give Apple a footprint of over 15,000 locations. Given that both stores already accept NFC payments from the rival Google Wallet service, support for the iPhone 6, if the smartphone does ship with the rumored NFC chip, shouldn't be too difficult to add. …
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How to replace a broken vibration motor in an iPhone 5s
by Guest Allyson Kazmucha- 0 replies
- 113 views
If your iPhone 5s no longer vibrates when it rings or when you receive any other kind of notification, it's possible that the vibrator assembly itself has either burnt out or is defective. In some cases, users have reported that the strength of the vibration diminishes over time. If any of these issues sound like something you're experience, a DIY repair to fix it on your own is always an option. So if you aren't covered by warranty and didn't opt for AppleCare, follow along and we'll walk you through fixing an iPhone 5s vibration assembly on your own. What you need to DIY replace an iPhone 5s vibrator assembly You'll need some tools and parts in order to repair y…
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Famed designer Marc Newson joins Jony Ive at Apple
by Guest Chuong H Nguyen- 0 replies
- 45 views
Some incredible designs may be in Apple's future as the Cupertino, California iPhone-maker has confirmed that it has hired famed designer Marc Newson to join Jonathan Ive. Ive and Newson have been friends for years and the two had collaborated on product designs for Apple, including a Product Red Mac Pro, which sold at auction for a cool $13 million. Though Newson may be working for Apple now, he is still allowed to pursue other projects outside of Apple, so it'll be interesting to see if Apple's design philosophies extend to other projects that Newson may be working on. Newson said in a statement: I'm full of admiration and respect for the extraordinary des…
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Most smartwatches have terrible battery life, can Apple do better?
by Guest Chuong H Nguyen- 0 replies
- 39 views
As Apple charges ahead to next week's big announcement, widely believed to see the debut of the iPhone 6 and potentially a new iWatch category, there is a lot of pressure mounting over Cupertino to outsmart its Android rivals. However, as beautiful as Apple's designs are, the company may have an uphill battle with charge, literally. For the iWatch to be successful, it may not be about features, but rather a smooth user experience, and one not confined by battery life. Can Apple pull off software optimizations to bring better battery life and gain consumer acceptance into this nascent market of wearable computing? According to journalist Jessica Lessin for The Informa…
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Apple shareholders sue Tim Cook, other execs over ebook price fixing
by Guest Joseph Keller- 0 replies
- 38 views
A number of Apple shareholders are suing CEO Tim Cook, along with a number of other executives, over their role in ebook price fixing. The group says that the scandal damaged the company. The group is seeking for Cook and other to pay damages to shareholders. From Gigaom: In the case of Apple, the shareholders claim that Cook and others, including directors Al Gore and Bill Campbell, breached their fiduciary duty to the company and engaged in "waste of corporate assets." They want the court to order Apple's board to implement better governance measures, and for Cook and the other defendants to pay restitution to shareholders and to pay the shareholders' legal b…
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Chinese labor and the bullseye on Apple's back
by Guest Peter Cohen- 0 replies
- 55 views
Why does Apple bear the brunt out of seemingly every labor complaint that comes out of China? This week Greenamerica.org ÷posted a scathing report over conditions in a Chinese electronics part maker factory. The report implicates Apple, though it's about Catcher Technology, a company in Suqian, China. The company manufactures aluminum casings used by Apple for the MacBook and iPad. But that's not all: Catcher makes products for a lot of tech companies, including Dell, HP, Lenovo, Sony, HTC, Motorola and others. But Apple's the one in Greenamerica.org's headlines — "Two Years of Broken Promises: Investigative Report of Catcher Technology Co. Ltd (Suqian), an Apple …
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As you probably know, formatting a hard drive doesn't completely erase the data on it. You must overwrite the data to securely destroy it, preferably multiple times. Windows 8 let's you do this with the format command and the /p parameter. Now, all you need is Windows 8. (Format H: /P:7) The number after /P: is the number of secure erases Windows performs (so in this case it's a total of 7). Read more at the link below. Pro tip: Use Windows 8's Format command to perform a secure disk wipe | Tech Republic
Last reply by allheart55 Cindy E, -
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The problem centers on ostensible "free" apps—many of which are games—that target children and then encourage further in-app purchases. If a Web service makes it too easy for unauthorized persons to purchase items online, there's eventually going to be hell to pay for it. The Federal Trade Commission, contending that Google made it too easy for children to make in-app purchases in the Google Play store using their parents' devices, on Sept. 4 ordered the giant Web services company to refund about $19 million to the device users for those illicit transactions. This isn't the first time this has happened. Back in January, the FTC levied a large fine on Apple for th…
Last reply by allheart55 Cindy E, -
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iCloud security and personal responsibility
by Guest Rene Ritchie- 0 replies
- 85 views
iCloud may not have been hacked but iCloud accounts are hackable. So are other online accounts. Why? Security is at constant war with convenience. Absolute security makes our data inaccessible to everyone, including us. Absolute convenience makes our data easily available to everyone, including those who would use it to harm us. The key to a workable system is balance, where a range of options are afforded and we choose and use them in a way that's best for us. That includes Apple giving us the options we need and making them as understandable as possible, and it includes us taking the time to understand them and implement them as best as we can. So what can we all do bet…
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Apple supplier found to be in violation of several hiring and safety standards
by Guest Joseph Keller- 0 replies
- 52 views
Another Apple supplier has been found to be in violation of Chinese labor laws, as well as standards set out by Apple and other companies. Catcher Technology's factory in Suqian, China, has been found to have discrimanatory hiring practices, substandard worker safety training, and little protection against toxic chemicals, among other violations. It seems that little action has been taken to get them to conform to the standards of Apple and other suppliers. According to Green America: Unfortunately, after the inspections are complete and the corrective action plans are handed down to factories from Apple, there are often no fundamental improvements in labor con…
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Samsung Galaxy Alpha and an iPhone 5s: metal, chamfers, and dimples
by Guest Derek Kessler- 0 replies
- 46 views
Say what you will about Samsung, but they're certainly rarely timid, even when brazenly borrowing styling cues from their competitors. While Samsung has certainly set their own design course as of late, they've been mixing things up a bit more recently. We're out at IFA 2014 where Samsung's unveiled their second metal-framed phone, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. But a few weeks before that saw the unveiling of the smaller and first metal phone in many years from Samsung: the Galaxy Alpha. We had the chance to go hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Alpha and put it side-by-side with the world's best-selling metal-bodied phone: the iPhone 5s. The similarities are unmistak…
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Review 34: Attack eyebrows
by Guest Rene Ritchie- 0 replies
- 41 views
Review is like app or game coverage but for movie series, television shows, comic books, and other geeky entertainment. It's great stuff you can watch and enjoy on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV! On this week's episode, The Day of the Doctor brings together Ten and Eleven, and introduces War. How do they handle rubber He-Man monsters? Time of the Doctor has Matt Smith's last stand. Can Moffat payoff on The Silence and The Question? And Peter Capaldi's run as Twelve starts off with a giant t-rex in London and a new big bad. Does the latest Doctor get off to a good start? Support Review: Go to harrys.com and use offer code thetvshow to save $5 off your order. Subscri…
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Apple releases TestFlight beta testing app for iOS 8 devices
by Guest Joseph Keller- 0 replies
- 42 views
Apple has released its TestFlight app on the App Store, but only for iOS 8 devices. TestFlight is Apple's new beta testing service, and allows developers to have more beta testers than was previously possible. The app lets testers manage the beta apps that they have installed on your device, and is available for both iPhone and iPad. You can see what apps betas you're involved in and install new updates. You can also manage the other devices that have TestFlight installed. Be sure to checkout our overview for TestFlight. You can download TestFlight for iPhone and iPad on a device running iOS 8 right now. Free - Download Now Continue readin…
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Remembering Eric Lundquist, eWEEK Editor in Chief
by Guest Frank X. Shaw- 0 replies
- 70 views
Twitter brought bad news on Friday. Eric Lundquist, one of the very early, always respected, incredibly bright chroniclers of the tech industry, passed away. It’s a big loss. Eric was there at the very beginning of the PC era. I often think about this industry we’re in. It was born and made great by the inventors and dreamers, the businesspeople and the technologists, the partners and competitors and those who told stories about what was and what could be. Eric wrote and spoke and blogged about the industry in a way that helped people who weren’t of the industry understand and appreciate it. He was never a cheerleader, but always a fan. His articles and columns were fa…
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New, updated, and discounted apps: The Sandbox, Angry Birds Stella, and more!
by Guest Simon Sage- 0 replies
- 44 views
Every day dozens and dozens of new and updated apps and games hit the iOS and Mac App Stores. It's impossible to keep up with them all, but it's not impossible to pick out the very best. Here they are! We've got an exceptional new side-scrolling spy game from Sony today that's definitely worth checking out. New iOS apps CounterSpy: A stealth side-scrolling game with a ton of great cel-shaded style. - $4.99 - Download now Heavy Metal Thunder: A sci-fi gamebook with stellar graphics. - $2.99 - Download now Angry Birds Stella: The classic physics game is back with a new twist, but still plenty of puzzles. - Free, IAPs - Download now Updated iOS apps The San…
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Lost your iCloud recovery key? Here's how to generate a new one!
by Guest Allyson Kazmucha- 0 replies
- 37 views
If you've [enabled two-step verification]( for your iCloud account, you already know that if you ever forget your password, you'll need your iCloud recovery key in order to reset it. If you've lost the printout containing your key, you should immediately generate a new one in case your key falls into the wrong hands. As long as you know your current password, you can replace your iCloud recovery key in just a few minutes. Keep in mind that this only works if you know your password. If you've already lost your password, this won't help you. How to generate a new iCloud recovery key Go to appleid.apple.com from any web browser. Click on Manage your Apple ID. S…
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Deal of the Day: Amzer ShellCase and Holster for iPhone 5/5S
by Guest Brent Zaniewski- 0 replies
- 35 views
Today Only: Buy the Amzer ShellCase and Holster for iPhone 5/5S and save 64% This affordable combo shields your iPhone 5 from drops, scratches, and even enhances grip thanks to the textured pattern on both the case and holster. The clip on the back of the holster rotates and folds open into a kickstand for watching videos! Continue reading...
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iMore show 418: iPhone 6 event preview!
by Guest Rene Ritchie- 0 replies
- 52 views
The iMore show brings you everything you need to know about the week in iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple! On this episode Rene, Peter, and Ally talk all about the upcoming iPhone 6 event, Apple announces a live stream, iPad Air 2 rumors heat up, what we expect from iPhone 6 and iWatch, plus your questions answered! Support the iMore show: Go to lynda.com/imore for your free 7 day trial! Go to naturebox.com/imore and get a FREE sample box of some of their most loved snacks! Subscribe in iTunes: Audio Subscribe in RSS: Audio Download directly: Audio Show notes iPhone event iPhone 6 iWatch iOS 8 Guests Hosts Rene Ritchie Peter Cohen Ally Kazmucha …
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Going eyes-on with an iPhone 6 mockup at IFA
by Guest Richard Devine- 0 replies
- 36 views
Even the IFA, the big German trade show that just saw the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 can't escape the shadow of Apple's upcoming iPhone 6. That's thanks to case makers who, every year, bring their dummy units along to show off their upcoming wares. This year, the same manufacturer who previously showed off iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s mockups before their launch had an iPhone 6 mockup ready and waiting. Sadly it was locked away in a glass case, but we did at least get a look at the front and sides. All told, it looks a lot like the leaked images that have been floating around the web in recent weeks and months. It's larger, still metal and the edges of the phone h…