Best Windows 10 apps this week
Two-hundred-and-twenty-six in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days.
The Windows 10 Creators Update is available already. You can check out Mark's post on how to install it if you need help with that.
Facebook goes on the offensive against fake news and aims to educate users
Having introduced various tools to fight fake news, the next weapon in Facebook's arsenal is education. Over the next few days a large "Tips for spotting fake news" banner will appear at the top of news feeds in 14 countries, but the approach it is taking is unlikely to have much impact on those most influenced by, and most likely to share, fake news.
Like Google, Facebook is taking steps to tackle fake news. The social network has already announced a raft of measures aimed at stamping out the problem, but now it is trying to not only educate people about how to spot fake news, but also to stem the spread of fake news, and to disincentivize the practice.
Browse, remove and replace media file tags with Metadata++
Windows File Explorer has been able to display basic media file metadata for years, but it doesn’t support all the tags you’re likely to need, and it’s inconvenient to set up and use.
Metadata++ is a freeware tool for viewing, editing, extracting and copying the metadata from multiple audio, media and video file types.
Google tackles fake news with global fact-checking rollout
The spread of fake news has become something of an epidemic in recent years, and there has been pressure on the likes of Google, Facebook and Twitter to do more to stem its flow. Google's Fact Check feature is not new, but today the search giant is rolling out the feature around the world.
A global rollout is important if such a tool is to have any real impact. It's all well and good to have reports fact-checked on one side of the world, but it's of little use if the same fake stories remain unquestioned and untested elsewhere. Google is doing its part by making the Fact Check label available in Google News everywhere, and spreading it into search results in all languages as well.
Facebook's AI assistant, M, now offers suggestions in Messenger
Promising to "make your Messenger experience more useful, seamless and delightful," Facebook has launched suggestions from M to everyone in the US. M is the social network's AI assistant, and iOS and Android users can now benefit from behavior-based suggestions for content and actions as the assistant analyses conversations.
What this means in practice is that M might notice that you are chatting with a friend about sending them some money for something. Rather than waiting until you meet them in person, M will spring into action and suggest that you might like to send the money through Messenger. Other possible suggestions relate to Uber and Lyft, stickers, polls and locations.
Bitcoin price will reach £3,000 this year
"What leads you to believe that Bitcoin will top £3K in 2017?" The answer does not lie in an analysis of macro-economic or monetary theory but in a more interesting understanding of human behavior. An understanding of human behavior and motivation, similar to that which lead Steve Jobs to develop the products he did and the digital marketing system of today. But first, let’s rewind.
Six months ago, before the Brexit vote, when the world seemed a safe and steady place, I put forward the theory that Bitcoin would surpass gold as the safe haven currency. While I pondered this theory, I realized that given the right conditions digital currencies can only trend up in value. The date was late April 2016, I had just been paid, so I went online and spent all that month’s wages on Bitcoins. I'm not a gambler and I’ve never invested in shares. But this was a sure thing.
Purple announces free Wi-Fi solution for businesses
Purple wants to disrupt the market by offering a free license Wi-Fi solution. It has called the service Purple Free, and claims it delivers "more advanced functionality than other paid-for-utility WiFi solutions" out there.
The service allows businesses and venues to acquire a seamless guest Wi-Fi service, while keeping the Corporate Data Protection Policy in mind. Businesses can expect a "simplistic login," branded splash pages and "a glimpse of' Purple's customer insights."
Canon PowerShot SX730 HS 20.3MP camera has 40x optical zoom and tilting LCD screen
Smartphone cameras are wonderful nowadays, making dedicated cameras an unnecessary purchase for many. With that said, some folks still buy them when they want even better quality photos thanks to things like larger sensors and high-quality lenses. Not to mention, for the most part, smartphones do not offer optical zoom. If you need to capture photos and videos in the distance, a dedicated camera is a must.
Today, Canon announces an all-new fairly compact camera with a monstrous 40x zoom. The PowerShot SX730 HS, as it is called, features 20.3 Megapixels and a 180-degree tilting rear LED screen -- perfect for vloggers and selfie-addicts. It even has integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connecting to both PC and mobile devices. Best of all, it is rather affordable.
Microsoft Surface beats Apple iPad in overall customer satisfaction according to J.D. Power
According to a recent J.D. Power study (2017 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction), Microsoft's Surface tablets have beaten Apple's iPad in overall customer satisfaction. This is significant, as it is the first time it has ever happened. The Windows-maker had not been able to topple Apple in this regard, so surely there is some champagne-popping going on at Microsoft headquarters.
While high satisfaction is definitely something to be proud of, the study is arguably flawed. Why do I say this? The Surface tablets are an entirely different product class than the iPad. True, they are both "tablets" as they are rectangular and feature touch screens, but Microsoft's offerings are desktop and laptop replacements -- Apple's tablet products are primarily secondary devices. It simply doesn't make sense to compare them.
Brits willing to trade privacy for safety
Two thirds of the UK’s general public would feel more safe if digital communications were unencrypted, according to a new report by Cable.co.uk. The argument?
If the government could access our communications, it would be able to intercept messaging between terrorists plotting new attacks.
What's new in Windows 10 Creators Update?
Windows 10 Creators Update, a major and feature-packed update for the OS, starts its official rollout on April 11.
New features include a Paint 3D app and new "mixed reality" VR support; Game Mode to boost performance for demanding games, and built-in game broadcasting; and the Windows Defender Security Center gives one-stop access to your key security settings.
Digital technologies disrupting manufacturing
Digital technology is disrupting the manufacturing sector, but it seems as it is not afraid of it. As a matter of fact, the manufacturing industry seems to be embracing new technology and is excited to see what the future holds.
This is according to a new report by Fujitsu, entitled Fit for Digital, which takes a closer look at the UK’s manufacturing sector.
NVIDIA unveils Pascal-powered TITAN Xp graphics card -- very powerful (and expensive!)
When it comes to gaming, there are often three types of consumers -- budget, hardcore, and those that fall in between. Being a budget shopper doesn't necessarily mean you can't afford the best, although that is sometimes the case. Some people just respect money and do not want to buy more power than they need. Heck, some hardcore shoppers put the most expensive offering on a credit card, paying interest just for bragging rights -- foolish.
Today, NVIDIA unveils the latest card for those that want the absolute best. The TITAN Xp is insanely powerful (12 TFLOPs), but there is a big catch -- the cost. Seriously, folks, you won't believe how much you have to spend for this beast! Strangely, it offers Mac support, but no modern Apple computers can accommodate it. The last legit Mac that can run this card is the Mac Pro (Mid 2012). Is NVIDIA catering to the "Hackintosh" crowd?
Project Scorpio specs revealed -- what to expect from the next Xbox powerhouse
The next addition to the Xbox family is code-named Project Scorpio, and today details about the next-generation console have emerged. Rather unusually, these details have come neither direct from Microsoft nor through a series of leaks.
For reasons best known to Microsoft, the company chose to invite Digital Foundry to its Redmond campus and reveal Project Scorpio details. Due for release later this year (Q4 to be a little more precise), the console is said to be running ahead of schedule, and boasts some impressive specs that will have gamers drooling.
Western Digital launches USB-C external My Passport SSD for Windows 10 and macOS
Solid state drives are absolutely brilliant when installed inside a PC. You know where else they work well? Outside the computer too. As an external storage drive, an SSD offers great speed, but, more importantly, added durability too. Unlike a mechanical external hard disk drive, an SSD does not have moving parts. This makes it a much better option for those that need to take an external storage drive with them when on the go.
Today, Western Digital announces a beautiful new external storage drive. Called "My Passport SSD," the diminutive drive has a single USB-C port for both power and data. Featuring up to 1TB of capacity, it would be an excellent tool for content creators, or anyone that needs additional storage.
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