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Here’s the problem: With Windows 8, Microsoft created a new application platform separate from the classic Windows desktop application model. Windows 10 moved to “Universal Windows Platform” apps, which are different—but still largely distinct from classic desktop apps. For any Windows developer with a traditional desktop application, many new Windows platform features have been restricted to the Universal Windows Platform model. Microsoft has been working on this for years, making more modern features available to classic desktop apps....

What’s better than building and exploring? Building and exploring with your friends and family! Let’s take a look at how you can easily share your Minecraft experience on your local LAN and how to stand out from the crowd in the process. Building and exploring together in Minecraft is a ton of fun. We’ve logged quite a few hours around here playing together: beating the odds in survival, crafting enormous creations, and otherwise enjoying a whole lot of fun cooperative play....

The Nintendo Switch is a great console—part living room system, part portable device, and all Nintendo. While the Switch isn’t as packed with extra features and apps as other modern consoles are, there are still many things it doesn’t tell you. Here’s what you need to know to get the most out of your new Switch. Get Nintendo Switch Online Nintendo Switch Online is Nintendo’s paid subscription service. It costs just $19....

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 Play Video The children’s picture book Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs might not have seemed like enough material for a single feature film, let alone two, but Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 proves that there’s plenty of wacky fun left in the original idea. The island of Swallow Falls is now overrun with giant food monsters, and scientist Flint Lockwood returns to his former home to set things right....

Macs have voice dictation built-in, allowing you to talk instead of type. This feature functions more like voice dictation on a mobile operating system, and less like the more complicated Speech Recognition feature found in Windows. OS X Mavericks contains an “Enhanced Dictation” feature. It lets you use Voice Dictation offline and displays text as you speak, so you can see exactly how your speech is being interpreted. Set Up Enhanced Dictation First, you’ll need to enable the Dictation feature....

Google followed in Apple’s footsteps with the introduction of “Precise” and “Approximate” location access in Android 12. Previously, you could restrict an app to use your location only once or only while using the app, but it was still your exact location. RELATED: With iOS 15, the iPhone Stays Ahead of Android in Privacy Precise vs. Approximate The difference between “Precise” and “Approximate” is pretty self-explanatory. It’s essentially the difference between telling someone your street address versus telling them the city you live in....

You get in your car, connect your phone to the Bluetooth head unit, and toss it in the dock. For the next umpteen amount of minutes/hours, this is your source of music, navigation, and everything else. Apple’s CarPlay looks to re-invent the way you use your phone in the car with a sort of “second screen” setup. RELATED: What Is Android Auto, and Is It Better Than Just Using a Phone in Your Car?...

What Moore’s Law Says Gordon Moore made his original observation in 1965: This can be interpreted in a few ways, but it implies two things. First, (at the time) the most basic Integrated Circuit (IC) would double in transistor density every year. Second, that this would also be true at the lowest cost level. So if the cost to manufacture an IC of a given size remains stable over time (taking inflation into account), this would effectively mean that the cost per transistor would halve every two years....

When Will iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey be Available? Apple announced that iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15 were released on September 20, 2021. Here’s how to install the updates. macOS Monterey will arrive on October 25, 2021. It’s worth noting that while many older devices will be able to run these new OS releases, some of the new features within them (especially those that require machine learning) will likely require some of the newer, higher-powered iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches to work....

Change is in the air. With macOS 11.0 Big Sur, Apple has used the Mac’s upcoming CPU architecture shift as an opportunity to redesign macOS from the ground up with a lively, refined interface and completely overhauled apps. Here’s a look at what’s new in Big Sur, which was released on November 12, 2020. Enter 11: The End of macOS 10.x Since the introduction of Mac OS X 10.0 in 2001, Apple has been using a numerical OS versioning system based on 10....

In short, your router creates a network between the computers in your home, while your modem connects that network—and thus the computers on it—to the internet. When you connect to Wi-Fi, you’re really connecting to your router, which forwards traffic between the internet and your computer. Many internet providers offer a combined modem/router unit that performs both these functions in one device. So why bother to understand the difference? Because that understanding can lead to better decisions, like buying your own modem so you can stop paying $8-$15 a month to rent one from your ISP....

When multitasking on the iPad, you’ll mainly use two screen modes called Split View and Slide Over. Both modes allow you to use two apps side-by-side, but each works in a slightly different way. Let’s talk about their similarities and differences. What Is Split View? The main difference between Split View and Slide Over is how much screen real estate each app takes up while using multiple apps. They also differ in functionality, each being suited to different types of tasks....

If you take a look at Apple’s famous logo design, you might notice a curved piece missing. It’s a bite mark in the fruit—but why is it there? We’ll explain the history and meaning behind the bite. It Makes the Apple Shape Obvious To develop the company’s early branding, Apple Computer, Inc. hired the Regis McKenna ad agency in 1977 (with a relationship that began in 1976). McKenna himself assigned the task of designing Apple’s logo to Rob Janoff, a graphic designer who worked for the firm....

The Linux Boot Sequence When you power on your computer, the hardware boots, and then (according to the type of boot sector your computer uses) either the master boot record (MBR) executes or the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) runs. The last action of both of these is to fire up the Linux kernel. The kernel is loaded into memory, decompresses itself, and initializes. A temporary file system is created in RAM, usually by a utility called initramfs or initrd....

Windows 10X Has a Start Menu Without Live Tiles Windows 10X is the canary in the coal mine. This new version of Windows 10 is designed for dual-screen devices, but that’s not all it is. Windows 10X is a modern version of Windows 10 that runs applications in containers. Beyond that, it includes a new, simplified interface. That simplified interface includes a new Start menu. Rather than featuring live tiles, it provides a simplified list of your installed applications....

What Is RFID Blocking? Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) technology uses the energy from an electromagnetic field to power a small chip that sends information out in response. For example, the RFID chip in your credit card contains information needed to authorize transactions, and the RFID chip in an access card has a code that opens doors or restricted systems. Certain materials, especially conductive metals, prevent electromagnetic waves from passing through them. RFID-blocking wallets have card sleeves (or sometimes entire wallets) made from materials that don’t let radio waves through....

It may sound preposterous, but some people are afraid smart thermostats are bad for heating and air conditioning systems. Here’s the good news: You don’t have much to worry about, but there are some important things to keep in mind. A relatively recent post on Reddit recounted an HVAC technician’s warning about smart thermostats: The technician isn’t completely full of it. If your smart thermostat isn’t wired up correctly, then it can cause problems for your HVAC system....

Make Sure the AirPod is Charged It may sound obvious, but the first thing you should do is check that the AirPod in question has a charge. To do this, put it into the charging case. If the light on the case turns green, the AirPod is fully charged. If the light on the case turns yellow, the AirPod is charging. We’ve noticed that one AirPod sometimes discharges completely, while the other has plenty of charge....

Why Give the Gift of Mesh Wi-Fi? If your parents are aggressively tech-forward folks that don’t need you for tech support, it’s probably safe to skip this article. But if you’re a How-To Geek reader, there is a good chance that you’re the go-to tech support person in your family, just like we, in turn, are the go-to tech support people in our families. And if so, there’s an equally good chance that without your intervention, your parents and other family members would still be using an ancient 802....

The Windows 10 Start menu includes a handy list of shortcuts to common locations (such as Pictures, Downloads, Settings) in a tiny sidebar. Using Settings, you can customize which shortcuts appear there. Here’s how to do it. First, launch “Settings” by opening the “Start” and clicking the “Gear” icon (or by pressing Windows+I). This gear icon for Settings is an example of one of the shortcuts we’ll be customizing....