Wayne Williams

How to activate YouTube's new Dark Theme and more

Three weeks ago, we explained how you could enable YouTube’s hidden Dark Mode. The process then only worked in Chrome and required a little tinkering.

Google has now made it possible for anyone to easily switch to the dark side, and that’s not all. There’s now a whole new Material Design look for the site which Google says will make YouTube "easier and more fun to use."

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It will cost $49 to upgrade a Window 10 S device to Windows 10 Pro, but not everyone will need to pay [Update]

If you decide to buy Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop for $999, but would prefer to have Windows 10 Pro on it, rather than the slightly crippled Windows 10 S, the good news is you can upgrade to that version.

The not so good news is it will cost you $49 to do so. Well, it will cost some buyers anyway, others will get the upgrade for free, if they act quickly.

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Facebook Messenger rolls out Instant Games globally, with turn-based gameplay and bots

Facebook has been introducing games to its Messenger chat app for a while. It started with simple hidden gems like Chess, Basketball, and Soccer, and then added arcade games to the mix.

Today, the social networking giant begins to roll out Instant Games on Messenger globally, and for all users on both iOS and Android. But that’s not all.

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Watch Microsoft's #MicrosoftEDU event livestream here

Today is a big day for Microsoft. At an event in New York City, the company promises we’ll "Learn what’s next" for Microsoft and education, even though thanks to leaks we already have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

The software giant is set to take on Google in the educational market with a new Surface laptop, and a new version of Windows 10 that only runs apps from the Windows Store, called Windows 10 S.

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Dubai becomes the first city to get its own Microsoft-designed font, and you can download and use it now

When you think of Dubai, it’s likely several things spring to mind -- it’s home to the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa), and the amazing Palm Jumeirah artificial archipelago. It also has a less than stellar record when it comes to human rights.

You probably don’t give too much thought to the typefaces used there, but Dubai is hoping to change that as it has worked with Microsoft to create a unique font especially for the city.

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Creators Update gives Windows 10 a much needed usage share boost

Windows 10 usage share has been suffering lately. According to NetMarketShare, in February, the new operating system lost share, and in March its gains were minimal.

With Windows 10 Creators Update rolling out in April -- even if Microsoft warns users against manually updating to it -- we were always likely to see the OS returning to growth, as users spend more time on it, finding out what’s new.

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Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 3 Build 16184 for PC, introduces new My People app

Microsoft intended to include its new My People sharing and communication app in the Windows 10 Creators Update, but had to postpone it because it simply stood no chance of being ready in time.

The revised plan is to include it in the next major Windows 10 update, codenamed Redstone 3, and if you want to take it for a spin, the good news is it is now possible to do so as it makes an appearance in the latest Windows Insider release, Build 16184.

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Get a 1-year subscription to 'Innovation & Tech Today' magazine ($40 value) FREE for a limited time

Innovation & Tech Today is an award-winning business and science title which features fascinating content, interviews, and product reviews from across a variety of sectors including: STEM, Home Automation, Wearables, Energy and Transportation, Medical Tech, Business Innovations, Gaming and Entertainment, and Sustainability.

Each quarterly issue has over 160 pages, perfectly bound, with rich and enticing photography. Exclusive interviews and stories with names like, Scarlett Johansson, Kevin Hart, Akon, Dr. Michio Kaku, Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Mark Cuban, and more. Go behind the scenes of innovation, must have gifts, and much more.

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Get 'Computer Security Handbook (6th Edition)' ebook ($130 value) FREE for a limited time

Computer security touches every part of our daily lives, from our computers and connected devices, to the wireless signals around us, and breaches often have real and immediate financial, privacy, and safety consequences.

Written for professionals and college students (but accessible to all), the Computer Security Handbook from Wiley provides comprehensive best guidance about how to minimize hacking, fraud, human error, the effects of natural disasters, and more. It usually retails for $130, but BetaNews readers can get it entirely for free.

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With little fanfare, Windows 10 Mobile Creators Update begins to roll out

Windows 10 Creators Update began to roll out to compatible PCs and tablets two weeks ago, and Microsoft announced its arrival with plenty of blog posts and new videos.

Today, the Creators Update for Windows 10 Mobile formally begins its roll out, with that announcement made in a simple tweet. It comes as no surprise that the arrival of such a noteworthy update should receive so little fanfare, seeing as Windows 10 Mobile doesn't have much of a market share as it is, and the Creators Update only works on 13 phones.

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Microsoft recommends you don't install the Windows 10 Creators Update

Stop

Before Microsoft began the Windows 10 Creators Update rollout two weeks ago, I wrote about why users shouldn’t rush to install it.

Today, in a post on the Windows blog, John Cable, Director of Program Management, Windows Servicing and Delivery, says much the same thing, and recommends that users don’t manually install the Creators Update, but rather wait until it’s automatically offered. But why? Because the update is causing problems for users.

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How to free up disk space via Settings in Windows 10 Creators Update

If you want to free up disk space in Windows 10, you can use the Disk Cleanup tool, or a third-party program like CCleaner.

However, the Windows 10 Creators Update offers a third choice, which is to go through the Settings app. You can free up space, and also have the operating system automatically remove junk for you.

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Get 'Jump Start Sketch' ebook ($19 value) FREE for a limited time

Sketch is fast becoming a favorite tool of modern web and UI designers.

It’s a smart vector-based design app with a simple, clean, and intuitive interface. It has a range of powerful features, such as easy-to-use grids and layer alignment, unlimited artboards, and granular export. It’s easy to see why so many top designers are now adding Sketch to their toolboxes!

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How to get the classic Windows Defender back on Windows 10 Creators Update

Change can be good, but not always. While Windows 10 is a great operating system, many people would prefer to stay with Windows 7. Stick with what they know and like.

Microsoft now views Windows as a service, which means Windows 10 gets updated and changed a couple of times a year. In the latest iteration of the new operating system, Microsoft replaced the old Windows Defender with a new Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app version. But if you don’t like this change, the good news is it’s easy to restore the classic version of Windows Defender.

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Microsoft launches new Windows 10 Insider podcast, listen here

In addition to rolling out new Windows 10 Insider Preview builds for both PC and Mobile, Microsoft has also launched a new audio podcast.

Explaining the move, Windows Insider chief Dona Sarkar says: "Many of you have been asking for our team to share more about our future plans about the overall Windows Insider community. We want to be inclusive of all consumption styles, so we thought we would experiment with an audio podcast."

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