Online Tech Tips

How to Crosspost on Reddit

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 23:00:40 GMT

With so many different forms of social media available, it’s never been more important to build an audience by sharing your message on as many platforms as possible. Reddit is one of the most essential of those platforms, with thousands of different communities (named subreddits) that you can post in.

Some subreddits have huge audiences, making it much easier to spread your message. Others are much smaller, with niche audiences focused around a central topic. This is where crossposting becomes essential. So, if you want to know how to crosspost on Reddit, here’s what you’ll need.

What is a Reddit Crosspost?

When we talk about crossposting, we mean the process of posting the same Reddit post in several different subreddits. You may decide to do this if you want to reach similar audiences with your content, giving your content the largest number of possible viewers (and commentators) at once.

By crossposting, you’ll post the same post (regardless of the content it contains) in multiple subreddits at once. Each post is independent of the other—the likes and comments won’t appear across each post (even if you link to the previous post).

This makes crossposting different to reposting. If you repost on Reddit, you repeat the post (with the same content) in the same subreddit, some time after the original post is posted. Crossposting, on the other hand, relies on posting in an entirely different subreddit.

However, if you’re keen to crosspost, you should check the subreddit rules before doing so. Not every subreddit allows crossposting (or reposting), so you’ll need to check the rules. Otherwise, you may end up with a ban (or shadowban).

Linking to Existing Posts vs Crossposting on Reddit

If you’re thinking about crossposting on Reddit, you’ll need to remember the difference between crossposting and linking to existing posts.

A crosspost is repeating the same post, content included. This may include a disclaimer, alerting the user that the post is a crosspost (or x-post) of the original, as well as a link.

While a crosspost can contain a link to the original post, the link isn’t the focus, as you instead repeat the original content. This isn’t true for posts that only contain links, where clicking on the post title takes the user to the original post instead.

As with crossposting, however, you’ll need to be sure that you have permission to link to another post in the same or different subreddit. Each subreddit has its own rules about this, so double-check these first.

How to Check Subreddit Rules for Crossposting

Each subreddit, as we’ve mentioned, has its own rules. You’ll need to make sure that you understand the rules before you post, as crossposting in a subreddit that doesn’t allow it will cause your post to be deleted and may result in a ban.

You can check the rules for a subreddit on the Reddit website. Whether you’re using the old or new Reddit interface, the rules can be seen on the right-hand side of each subreddit page.

You can determine if the rules forbid crossposting or post linking here. If the rules aren’t clear (or if you’re unsure), then you can check by messaging a moderator. A list of moderators for each subreddit is visible below the subreddit rules.

How to Crosspost on Reddit in a Web Browser

If you want to crosspost on Reddit, you can do so from your web browser on a PC or Mac.

Start by opening the Reddit website and head to a subreddit page. You can do this manually (using the address bar), or use the Reddit search bar to access the subreddit instead.

On the subreddit page, open the post you wish to crosspost. Below the listed content, select the Share button. From the drop-down menu, select the Crosspost option.

If you’re using the old Reddit interface, select the Crosspost button instead.

In the Create a crosspost menu, select a subreddit to post your crosspost to from the Choose a community drop-down menu. Subreddits that can’t be posted to will be grayed out.

If you’re ready to post, select the Post button. If the post needs approval first, select the Request to post button instead.

Once approved, the crosspost will appear in the new subreddit as a post with a Crossposted by tag.

How to Crosspost on Reddit in the Mobile App

Mobile users can also crosspost using the Reddit mobile app. You’ll also need to be signed in to do this with a suitable Reddit account. Depending on the amount of Reddit Karma you have and the subreddit itself, you may not be able to crosspost until you’ve built up a reputation, so check this first.

Open the Reddit app to begin, using the search bar to find the subreddit containing the post you want to crosspost.

In the subreddit, select the Share button in the bottom-right corner of each post card.

In the Share menu, select the Crosspost on Reddit option. This step will vary, depending on whether you’re using an Android or iPhone device.

In the Choose a community menu, select the subreddit you wish to crosspost to, then select the Post option.

Building a Reddit Audience

Once you know how to crosspost on Reddit, you can break into the platform and start to build up an audience around your content. You can take things a step further by scheduling your Reddit posts in advance or, if you want to keep on top of new posts yourself, you can set up custom Reddit alerts.

Don’t forget to like and promote the posts you enjoy and, if other users like your posts, you’ll gain Reddit Karma and Reddit Gold in the process. Reddit isn’t a platform for everyone, however, so if you can’t find interesting subreddits to join, you can delete your Reddit account instead.

How to Minimize a Windows Program to the System Tray

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 11:00:20 GMT

The Windows interface has gone through many ups and downs over the decades. Some developments, such as the Start Menu, are beloved. Others, such as the ill-fated Windows 8 Metro interface, are largely disliked.

The task bar, where your minimized windows live, is hardly the target of such hate. However, it can get pretty crowded. Not all of your programs, especially ones that have to run constantly, need to take up space there. Sadly, Windows offers no native way to minimize a window to the other useful space – the notification area. Formerly referred to as the system tray.

The Notification Area

Long-time Windows users have always known the small reserved area that contains the clock display in Windows as the “system tray”. We mostly still call it that, but the proper name for this part of the Windows user interface is actually the “notification area”.

What’s in a name? Not much to be honest, but knowing the official name of the system tray will be useful for any future Google searches related to it.

Using Minimize to Tray to, Well, Minimize to the Tray

Minimize To Tray is a free and open source portable application. Since it’s a portable you don’t actually install anything. You just download and run the program. That also means that it won’t start up automatically every time you start Windows. So you might want to create a shortcut and pin it to your taskbar or Start Menu.

Using Minimize To Tray is pretty simple, here are the key steps:

Download Minimize To Tray and unzip it to a location of your choice.
Run the program from its folder or from a shortcut you’ve created.
Switch to whichever window you’d like to minimize to the tray.
Press Alt + F1 and that window will minimize to the tray.

To restore a window, you can use Alt+F2, or right-click on the app’s tray icon seen here.

Then choose the Window you want to restore from there.

Using RBtray to Quickly Minimize Almost Any Window to Tray

RBtray is a tiny open source applet that works in the most ingenious way. While RBtray is running, all you have to do is right-click on the minimize button of a window. That’s as opposed to the normal left-click, which would minimize a window to the taskbar.

You’ll find the program icons in the notification area and you can restore the program windows by left-clicking on them there.

RBtray does not install to the system. So you’ll have to start the program every time you want to use it. This is a minor hassle. You can simply pin a shortcut to the program on the taskbar or start menu. Alternatively, if you feel like being a little fancy, you can set it as a startup application so that it launches automatically every time Windows starts. Here’s how to use the program:

Download RBtray and unzip it to a location of your choice.
Run the program from its folder, or via a shortcut.
The first time you run RBtray you’ll get a window with some instructions, select OK to move on.
RBtray is now running, but it has no icons or other indication that it’s doing anything.
Right-click on any minimize button to minimize its window to the notification area.
Alternatively, hold Shift while right-clicking on the title bar of any Window for the same effect.
You can minimize the active window with the keyboard shortcut WIN+Alt+Down arrow.
To close RBtray, run it again and the program will ask you if you want to close the copy that’s already running.

It’s really that simple.

Actual Windows Minimizer ($19.95)

Both of the previous two tools are completely free, but if you’re up for spending a little money to get your windows tucked into the notification area, then Actual Windows Minimizer might be a good choice as well.

There is a trial version of the software you can try for yourself to see if the extra level of polish and additional features are worth it. The first headline feature compared to the previous two applications is a built-in option to run the program at startup. Of course, you can configure any application to run at startup with a little elbow grease, but a one-click solution is welcome.

The other thing that’s neat about Actual Windows Minimizer is that it adds an extra button to application windows. This way, you still retain the normal minimize button functionality. You also have the option of changing the way the standard minimize button works. You can also mark specific applications that run at startup to automatically minimize a window to the tray.

Another critical feature is the control the application has over which icons are always visible in the notification area. If there’s an app that you want to remain visible no matter what, you can set it to “permanent mode” so that you have quick one-click access to it.

Once you tally up all the various functions Actual Window Minimizer has to offer, the price doesn’t seem that unreasonable. Assuming that they are functions you’ll actually use, of course.

Apps With Native Tray Minimize Functions

Developers have realized that some applications are better suited to the notification area than they are to the taskbar. So it’s worth checking within that application whether it has an option to minimize to the tray instead.

You might even have some luck submitting a feature request, if your favorite application doesn’t have this option. Not all applications play nicely with the utilities we mentioned above, in which case direct support from the developer would be necessary.

A Minimalist Solution

With a bit of luck, Microsoft might one day add the ability to minimize any application to the tray as a built-in feature of Windows. It’s not unheard of for operating system developers to adopt functions from third-party applications that users love.

So if you really can’t live without the ability to minimize an application to the tray, it might be worth letting Microsoft know that this is a feature you want to see baked directly into Microsoft Windows.

What is a MAC Address and How to Find It On PC or Mac

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 23:00:08 GMT

Any device that connects to a WiFi network must identify itself to the network using a unique network address. This unique identifier, known as the Media Access Control (MAC) address helps the network administrators or observers track or profile every user’s network activity and location over time.

While you may not have to worry about your device’s MAC address most of the time, there are times you need to know your network adapter’s MAC address. This way, you can identify the device or configure networking permissions on your router.

Whatever your reasons for needing your MAC address, we’ll show you several ways to do it on both Mac and PC.

What is a MAC Address?

The MAC address is a unique 17-character (00:1A:C2:9B:00:68, for example) which serves as a hardware identifier that’s embedded on your computer’s network interface controller (NIC) card.

The unique identifier is assigned by the device manufacturer and permanently tied to your device. This allows for communication between devices within a local network to initiate a connection.

There are two main types of MAC addresses: Universally Administered Address (UAA) and Locally Administered Address (LAA).

The UAA is the more popular type, which is assigned by the device manufacturer, while the LAA changes your adapter’s MAC address. You can assign the LAA to your network device and it will override the address assigned by the manufacturer.

Your device’s MAC address is sometimes confused for the IP address even though both are used to identify your device on the internet, but there are some major differences.

MAC addresses are permanently assigned by the device manufacturer to identify your machine from others and are designed not to be modified. IP addresses handle the logical routable connection from your devices and networks, and can change based on location.

Your device’s MAC address is used inside your local network, while the IP address can be used across the world to identify network devices.

How to Find a MAC Address On Your PC or Mac

There are several reasons why you need to figure out your device’s MAC address including to:

Track your device.
Prevent unwanted network access.
Find receivers or senders in the network.
Service your device. Many times you’ll need to provide your MAC address.
Spoof the identity of a different device when registering a home network gateway device with an internet service provider.

How to Find a MAC Address on a Windows 10 PC

You can find MAC addresses on your Windows 10 PC via the Settings, Control Panel, System Information, Command Prompt, and PowerShell.

How to Find a MAC Address on Your PC Using Settings

To do this, select Start > Settings > Network & Internet.

Depending on your network connection, select Ethernet or WiFi.

Select Hardware Properties under your connection.

Check the MAC address of your PC under the Properties section.

How to Find MAC Address on Your PC Using Control Panel

To do this, open Control Panel > Network & Internet.

Select Network and Sharing Center.

Next, select Change adapter settings.

Depending on your connection, double-click Ethernet or WiFi.

Double-click WiFi and select Details.

Check your MAC address next to the Physical address.

How to Find a MAC Address on Your PC Via Command Prompt

To do this, type CMD in the search box and select Command Prompt > Run as administrator.

Enter the ipconfig /all command and press Enter. You’ll see the MAC addresses for every network card installed on your PC, plus MAC addresses that aren’t associated with hardware cards.

Check for the MAC address in the Physical address field.

Note: If you want to see the MAC information of the active network adapters clearly, type getmac /v and press Enter.

How to Find a MAC Address on Your PC Using Windows PowerShell

To do this, right-click Start > Windows PowerShell.

Enter Get-NetAdapter command and press Enter.

Check your network adapter’s MAC address. You’ll see a list of each network adapter configured on your PC along with their MAC addresses.

How to Find a MAC Address on Your PC Using System Information

To do this, type System Information in the search bar and select it from the search results.

Next, expand the Components section and then select the Network section.

Select Adapter, go to your network adapter and confirm your computer’s MAC address.

How to Find a MAC Address on a Mac

To find the MAC address on your Mac computer, select Menu > System Preferences > Network.

Select Advanced.

Check for the MAC address under Info or User Mode/Advanced for a Mac that runs Open Transport, or under the Ethernet icon if your Mac runs MacTCP. You can also select the WiFi tab to see the MAC address under the WiFi address or Airport Address display.

Know Your Computer’s MAC Address

We hope you were able to find the MAC address for your Windows 10 PC or Mac. Learn more about how MAC addresses work from our guides on how to change or spoof your MAC address, and how to determine your IP address from a MAC address.

What Is a Custom Domain and How to Set One Up

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 11:00:35 GMT

A domain is the primary part of a URL that directs the browser to the right web server in order to receive the web page content.

So what’s a “custom” domain? If you purchase a domain name that you can define yourself, that’s called a custom domain. The opposite of this might be a domain you receive from a service like WordPress.com or Blogger.com.

Online publishing services that provide you with a domain name typically provide you with a “subdomain” underneath their own parent domain. For example, WordPress.com gives you a blog with the URL “yoursite.home.blog”.

In this case, home.blog is the parent domain, and “yoursite” is your subdomain.

How to Set Up a Custom Domain

Before you can configure a domain name to point to your website, you need to buy one.

The cheapest way to buy your own custom domain is to find one that isn’t taken yet. All domain registrars where you can buy a custom domain name provide a search feature for you to do this.

The most popular and well-known domain registrars where you can search for and purchase a domain name include:

You can also usually purchase a custom domain from your web hosting provider as well, so that may be a good first place to check.

Expect to pay about $9.99 to $24.99 per year for an available domain name. If you don’t want people looking up domain ownership from a service like ICANN or Whois Lookup, you can purchase what’s known as Ownership Protection or Domain Privacy.

This is available for a small annual fee (usually from $2.99 to $7.99), and provides you peace of mind knowing that spammers or others won’t be able to obtain your email address or phone number.

How to Configure Your New Custom Domain

Once you’ve purchased your own custom domain, you still need to point it to the web server where your actual website is hosted.

To do this, log into the account where you purchased your domain and find the Manage DNS settings for that domain. This will take you to an area where you can change the “custom nameservers” for your domain.

Nameservers are the servers (typically provided by your web hosting company) that the domain registrar will refer web browsers to whenever anyone types your custom domain into their web browser.

The web host’s name servers handle redirecting traffic to the correct server that hosts your website. How do you find the correct name servers for your web host? You can find them by logging into your web hosting account and navigating to your admin panel where “Site Information” is provided.

Just look for the IP and Name Servers section and you should see the names of your web host’s two name servers.

Make a note of these two name servers, then return to your domain registrar account and type those into the fields for your domain’s custom nameservers.

Just Save the changes, and you’re done.

Name server changes don’t usually take effect immediately. In fact, it can take up to 24 hours before the changes propagate across the internet. You can use a service like whatsmydns.net to check whether your domain’s IP address and DNS record information has propagated across the internet.

Once this process is done, any time anyone types your new custom domain into their browser’s URL field, the browser will be directed to your web server where your website is hosted.

How and Why to Redirect a Custom Domain

Redirecting a domain means telling the web host you’ve pointed the domain to, to redirect incoming traffic for that custom domain to a different one. There are important reasons you may want to redirect a custom domain.

The most common reason for doing this is if you want to register slightly alternative spellings of your domain name so you can point them all to your main domain. This can help you recapture potentially lost traffic due to misspellings.

For example, if you type “googel.com” into your web browser’s URL field, you’ll notice that the URL automatically changes to “google.com” and takes you to Google’s search engine. This is because Google redirects “googel.com” to “google.com”.

To do this, register the custom domain with the alternative spellings, and follow the same steps above to point that custom domain to your web server using the correct name servers.

Then, log into your web hosting account and find the menu option for Redirects.

You’ll see a window where you can select the original (typically misspelled) custom domain you registered. Then in the Redirects to field, you can specify what URL you want the web host to redirect that custom domain’s traffic to.

Keep in mind that you can type any URL at all, even if you don’t own it. For example, you could redirect your custom domain to “google.com” if you wanted to. There wouldn’t be much sense to it, but this is how redirects work.

You’re not redirecting directly to the web server location where your website files are. Instead, you’re sending incoming visitors to the URL, which will then deliver them ultimately to the web host location.

Other Uses for a Custom Domain

Another useful benefit of registering and redirecting a custom domain is that you can also create your own email address that contains that custom domain.

For example, if you create a custom domain for a profile website using a domain with your own name, you can then create an email address with your own name. To set up such an email, you first need to redirect the custom domain to your web host using the steps above.

Then, log into your web host account and select Accounts in the Email menu (the menu itself might be slightly different).

Here you can create any email account you like. For example, with my registered domain name of ryandube.com, I can create the email account, ryan@ryandube.com.

A custom domain name lets you create your own email accounts using your own domain ending to the email. For many people, this is enough benefit to register a custom domain, even if they don’t host a website to redirect it to.

Whatever your reason for registering a custom domain, as you can see it’s easy to do and useful to have.

How to Record Skype Calls on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 11:00:42 GMT

Whether you want to make a meeting shareable with your clients or replay a memorable video chat with family or friends, Skype’s call recordings makes it possible with the click of a mouse.

Skype added the audio and video call recording feature in 2018 so you can save your calls for future reference.

Skype call recording is easy to do as long as everyone in the meeting knows and agrees to be recorded. This way, you can respect everyone’s privacy and avoid potential legal issues.

We’ll walk you through how to record Skype calls on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android.

How to Record Skype Calls on Different Devices

The Skype call recordings feature is available on desktop, mobile, and web versions, so you can use it on a PC, Mac, Android, iPhone or iPad. Here are a few things to note before you begin recording your calls:

Skype will notify all participants that the call is being recorded.
You can only record Skype-to-Skype calls.
For video calls, Skype combines all streams in the recording, including yours.
If you share your screen during the meeting, the recording will include the shared screen.
The maximum length of one call recording is 24 hours. If it’s longer than that, the recording may be split into multiple files.
Once you leave a call, the recording automatically stops. It will be available for 30 days during which you can save, listen to, or share with others.

How to Record Skype Calls on Windows 10

If you’re using a Windows 10 PC, the recording happens in the cloud (Microsoft servers) where it stays for 30 days, so you don’t need local storage to save it.

To get started, open Skype and select the audio or video call button to start the session.

Select the three-dotted button at the lower right side to open the menu.

Next, select Start recording and Skype will start recording your audio or video call.

Select the menu at the lower right side and select Stop recording. Alternatively, select Stop recording at the upper left side of your screen.

Once you stop the recording, you’ll see the audio or video conversation in the Skype chat box. From here, you can save, replay, share, or download it manually to store it on your computer.

You can download or delete the Skype call recording.

To download the recording, go to Recent Chats, select the conversation, and right-click on the recording to reveal the menu. Select the menu > Save to Downloads.

Choose the folder destination where you want to save your recording to, give it a descriptive file name, and then select Save. The file will be saved as an MP4 file.

To delete the Skype call recording, go to Recent Chats, right-click the recording you want to delete and select Remove from the menu.

Select Remove to delete the recording completely from the Skype chat timeline history.

How to Record Skype Calls on Mac

Recording a Skype call on Mac is just as easy to do as with a Windows 10 PC. Here’s how.

Start the Skype audio or video call on your Mac. Select the + button at the lower right side of the screen, and then select Start recording to record the session. All participants will get a notification via a banner at the top of their screens that you’re recording the current session.

Just before the session ends, select Stop recording at the top of your screen or just end the call.

Go to the chat and select the menu > More options > Save to Downloads to save the recording.

Note: You can also record your audio or video calls for free using the QuickTime player on your Mac. Open QuickTime on your Mac, select File > New Screen Recording.

Select the Recording button to start recording your Skype call and then select the Stop button to stop recording or press Command+Ctrl+Escape on your keyboard.

How to Record Skype Calls on Android

To start recording Skype calls on an Android device, open Skype, tap the address book and select the contact you want to call.
Next, tap the video or audio call button to start the call, and then tap the three dots at the bottom right side of the screen to open the menu.

Tap Start recording button and the call will be recorded. Your contact will be notified that you’re recording the call.

When you’re done with the session, tap Stop recording at the top left side. Alternatively tap the menu at the bottom and then tap Stop recording.

The recording will be available for you to save or share on the Skype chat timeline. To save, share or remove the recording, tap and hold the recording in the chat box to display the Save, Forward, or Remove options.

How to Record Skype Calls on iPhone

With a simple tap, you can record Skype calls on iPhone instead of trying to take notes to capture everything.

To get started, open Skype and start an audio or video call with your contact(s). Tap the three dots at the lower right side of your screen to open the Menu.

Tap Start Recording once your caller joins. When the session is over, your recording will be available in the Skype chat area.

You’ll get a notification at the top left side of your screen confirming that the recording has begun. Tap and hold the recording to save it to your device or share it with others.

Note: If you’re not using Skype version 8.0, you may not be able to record any audio or video calls. In this case, you can use a third-party app like the free MP3 Skype Recorder, which works with Skype version 7 and is free for non-commercial use. Other such apps include Pamela for Skype and Evaer Skype recorder.

Record Skype Calls for Future Reference

If you generally use Skype to record meetings, video conferences, or interviews, having a native recorder makes Skype feel like an all-in-one package.

The old version needed third-party recorders, but some of them could get finicky especially with video calls. Check out our other guides on how to record a FaceTime call and other VOIP calls, how to screen record on a Mac, how to record a Zoom meeting, and the best screen recorders for Windows 10.

What is Facebook Watch and How to Use It

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 11:00:00 GMT

There’s no shortage of on-demand video streaming services today. From Netflix, to Hulu, to Amazon Prime — there are so many alternatives to cable out there, it’s becoming difficult to pick just one. If you’re on Facebook a lot, you might not need to make the choice, since the site has its own streaming platform called Facebook Watch.

Facebook Watch is a free video-on-demand service that Facebook users can use for streaming premium content, as well as sharing their own videos with the community. Facebook Watch also allows you to throw virtual parties with your Facebook friends.

Find out how to use Facebook Watch and how to get the most out of this service.

What Is Facebook Watch?

*facebook watch interface*

Facebook Watch is a streaming service integrated with Facebook, like Messenger or Marketplace. It exists separately from your News Feed, however, you can access it through the main Facebook site.

Facebook Watch is free to use and is available on both the mobile app and the Facebook website. You won’t find a lot of network material on Facebook Watch. Instead, you can expect a lot of user-generated content mixed with the professional content produced specifically for Facebook, including original drama and comedy series, talk shows, and lots of fiction works.

One downside of the service being free is the abundance of ads. If the creator of the video you’re watching has monetized it, you’ll have to sit through a few commercial breaks during the video.

How to Use Facebook Watch

The only requirement that Facebook Watch has is that you need a Facebook account to use Facebook Watch. You don’t need to download or install any additional apps, as all Facebook Watch content can be accessed through the main Facebook’s site.

To start streaming content on Facebook Watch, follow the steps below.

Open Facebook on your desktop or mobile and sign into your account.

If you’re using Facebook on your desktop, from the menu on top of the screen, select Watch.

If you’re using the Facebook app on your smartphone, select the three horizontal lines to open the menu, then select Videos on Watch.

Select a video or a show you want to watch.

How to Search for Content on Facebook Watch

Facebook Watch is organized like YouTube. There aren’t any channels, but instead there are different content creators who have their own pages with videos on Facebook Watch. Facebook Watch also has a number of its own Originals and series — each of them will also have a dedicated page with the description of the show, users ratings, and episodes.

Here’s how you can navigate Facebook Watch and find the content to stream.

Use the Search Bar

The easiest way to find a video on Facebook Watch is by using the search bar. You can find it in the upper-left corner of the Facebook Watch main page. Type the name of a video or a show you’re looking for into the search bar and see if it’s on Facebook Watch.

Check Out Facebook Watch Top Picks

If you don’t have the name of a specific show or a video you want to watch, you can just scroll through the Facebook Watch Top Picks. They’re videos chosen for you by Facebook based on your interests, hobbies, videos you’ve watched on Facebook in the past, and your location.

Use Facebook Watch Menu

Depending on what type of video content you’re looking for, you can use the Facebook Watch menu to find it. In the upper-left corner of your screen, you can select to search for Shows, or Live streams of sports games.

You can also find a section with Gaming videos on Facebook Watch. It’s similar to live streams on Twitch or YouTube gaming. To find live game streams or pre-recorded game videos, select Gaming from the Facebook’s menu on top of the screen. Then join one of the live streams or browse the rest of the videos by the streamers.

Your Watchlist

Facebook Watch allows you to save your favourite video content to your Watchlist where you can access it later. When you select your Watchlist for the first time, you’ll see that you already have all the pages you follow listed there. You can add and remove them from your Watchlist any time.

If you want to add a video or a show to your Watchlist, select Follow or Save Video on the video’s page. The video will then appear in your Saved videos and Latest videos lists, so you can quickly access it next time.

How to Host a Facebook Watch Party

Hosting a Facebook Watch party is a great way to watch your favorite videos with friends when you can’t physically be in the same place. Thanks to the Facebook Watch party feature, you can sync your videos and watch them at the same time, while also discussing it using the Facebook Watch party chat in real time.

You can start a Facebook Watch party from your timeline, in a group that you’re a member of, or on a page that you’re managing. To host a Facebook Watch party, follow the path Create post > More > Watch Party. Then add videos to the queue and you’re all set to start.

Can You Upload Your Own Videos to Facebook Watch?

Any Facebook user can upload videos to Facebook. However, if you want your video to show up on Facebook Watch, you’ll need to upload them using a Facebook Page and not your personal account.

Even if you post your videos from a Facebook Page, there’s no guarantee they’ll show up on Facebook Watch. All you can do is try to make sure your content looks professional, has a certain message for the audience, and that you’re consistent with your content production. The more videos you post, the more followers your page will have, and it will boost the likelihood of your content on Facebook Watch.

Is Facebook Watch the New YouTube?

While Facebook Watch might seem like a mixed bag, it’s still worth checking out since the service’s completely free. If you’re absolutely opposed to the idea of spending more time on Facebook, or don’t have a Facebook account at all, check out these other streaming services that make great alternatives to YouTube.

Have you used Facebook Watch before? Do you prefer it over other streaming services and why? Share your experience with Facebook Watch in the comments section below.

How To Set Up Donations on Twitch

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 23:00:29 GMT

Twitch is one of the most popular streaming platforms on the web, with more than 15 million unique daily viewers and over four million streamers. For many of these streamers, Twitch is not only a way to have fun and share a passion with fans—it’s a way to generate revenue.

While one way to make money is through premium subscribers, another way is through donations. There are multiple ways to set up donations on the Twitch platform, both directly through Twitch and through third-party platforms.

If you’re good at video games and entertaining on camera, you might be able to make a bit of spending money by giving someone something to watch.

How to Accept Bits on Twitch

Bits are the primary medium for viewers to donate to Twitch streamers they like and enjoy. Make a funny joke or pull off a one-in-a-million snipe and you might find yourself on the receiving end of an avalanche of Bits. There’s just one problem: You need to be a Twitch affiliate to receive Bits.

While anyone can send Bits, only those in the Twitch Affiliate program are allowed to receive them—and qualifying isn’t easy. In order to qualify for the program, you need to have at least 500 minutes of broadcasting in the last 30 days. That’s a bit over 8.3 hours.

You also must have seven unique broadcasts over 30 days, with an average of at least three concurrent viewers during that time. Finally, you must have a total of 50 or more followers.

Qualifying for the Twitch Affiliate program requires a significant time investment. Once you qualify, Twitch will email you and send an invitation via the notification tab on Twitch.tv.

You’ll earn one cent per Bit used to cheer you on. This means that for every 100 Bits donated to your channel, you will earn $1.

How to Set Up Donations Through Third Parties

If the idea of becoming a Twitch Affiliate sounds like too much work, you can use a service like Streamlabs to set up donations on Twitch through platforms like PayPal, Skrill, and Unitpay. Setting up these services is as simple as linking your account so the donations have a place to go.

If you verify your Streamlabs account, you can accept donations directly from credit cards. However, verification has vague requirements including:

A proven track record of legitimate use
A consistent pattern of concurrent viewers and followers

What these requirements mean is not clear, but it does mean you won’t get verified after just one or two nights of streaming. You will need to put in effort before you qualify, but this isn’t an issue if you have your sights set on becoming a Twitch Affiliate.

PayPal isn’t the only option, however. Streamlabs has numerous integrations including Patreon, Extra Life, Tiltify, TippeeStream, and more. These services make it easy to accept donations without forcing your viewers to purchase Bits from Twitch’s system in order to donate.

Streamlabs is a tool that serves as an overlay for your Twitch stream, but you can also use it to synchronize settings across other streaming platforms, including YouTube, Mixer, and more. You can customize your tip page within Streamlabs to further entice viewers to donate, but it isn’t a requirement—and you don’t have to have a Premium account to receive tips.

Set Up Donations With a PayPal Link

There is a third option that many streamers overlook, and that is simply adding a link to donate. People support creators they enjoy. If you give your viewers a way to support you, they’re likely to do so even if it means following a link away from Twitch.

You can’t add a link directly to your Twitch bio. However, you can add a panel to your Twitch channel from within your Twitch Channel settings that serves the same purpose.

This panel can include an image that you can link to another site (in this case, your PayPal donation link.) You can also include text to invite viewers to donate.

To set up donations on Twitch this way, all you need to know is your PayPal.Me address. This address will look something like paypal.me/username. When someone follows the link, it will take them to a page where they can donate however much they want.

The more customized your donation page is, the more likely someone will send a few dollars your way. Make sure to set the profile image with a picture of yourself or a logo of your Twitch stream. Rather than just a link, you should create a donation button that invites viewers to click.

Once you have several donation options set up on Twitch, all you have to do is focus on entertaining your viewers. Play games well (or don’t), but make sure anyone that spends time watching you enjoys themselves. No one generates a giant fan base overnight, but with dedicated time and a regular streaming schedule, you can build a Twitch career of your own.

How to Embed Google Forms on Your Website

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 11:00:02 GMT

If you’re struggling to get a form on your site, you could install a plugin for basic functionality, but that may further slow down your site if you already have many plugins.

With Google Forms, you not only get to add a form to your site faster, but you also get more features. For instance, you can insert media files, import questions, integrate easily with WordPress and email, share on more platforms, and enjoy additional storage in Google Drive.

Additionally, Google Forms allows you to collaborate with your teammates, and track all results from your forms from different channels, not just your site.

Here’s how you can quickly embed Google Forms on your website in just a few simple steps.

How to Embed Google Forms on Your Website

To get started, you’ll need a Google Form and its embed code, which you’ll add to the page or post where you want the form to appear on your site.

Create a Google Form

To create a Google Form, make sure you’re signed in to your Google account and then select the Google Forms icon in the Google Apps menu. Alternatively, go to forms.google.com.

Select the Blank tile from the toolbar to create your form from scratch, or select a template from the available options.

Add a title and description to your form.

Next, use the toolbar on the right to add questions, import questions from a different form, upload videos and images, or add a section.

If you want to choose the answer type, select the arrow next to the answer type section.

From the options, you can choose to let users leave a short answer or paragraph, multiple choice, mark checkboxes, or select choices from a dropdown menu.

To customize or change the form’s theme, use the palette icon at the top right side of the screen.

You can also preview the final design using the eye icon before saving and embedding it on your website.

If you want to collect email addresses, limit users to one response each, or allow them to edit their responses after submitting the form, select the Advanced Settings (gear icon).

Select the three-dot icon for more options such as adding collaborators, undoing actions, adding preferences, or add-ons from Google Workspace Marketplace.

Note: Selecting Add Collaborators specifically allows you to invite members of your team to work on the form. You can send invites using the link-sharing option or type in their email addresses and they’ll receive an email notification with the invite.

Embed Your Google Form on Your Website

Now that you have your Google Form ready, the next step is to add it to your website. To do this, you need to get the form’s embed code, which is a unique code snippet that you’ll add to the page or post where you want the form to appear.

To get the form’s embed code, select Send at the top right side of the form editor window.

In the Send form, you’ll see various options you can use to share the form for example via a link, email, social media, or HTML. You can choose whether to share the form on Facebook or Twitter, or send it to your email list of subscribers.

In order to embed the form on your website, you need to use the HTML option. Select the <> tab.

In the Embed HTML field, you’ll see a code snippet, as well as the width and height boxes where you can change the size dimensions for your embedded form.

Select Copy to copy the embed code and go to your website’s dashboard.

Add Your Google Form’s Embed Code to Your Website

Now that you have your embed code, sign in to your site’s admin dashboard and go to the page or post where you want to embed the form.

Note: Instructions in this guide apply to WordPress using the Gutenberg/Block Editor.

The first step is to add a custom HTML block. To do this, open the block editor by selecting Pages or Posts in the admin panel and find the page or post you want to edit.

Select Add block (+) icon at the top left side of the block editor next to the WordPress logo.z

Go to the Formatting section and scroll down to find and select Custom HTML.

Paste the HTML code snippet you copied earlier into the field provided.

In the Custom HTML block’s toolbar, select the Preview tab to see a preview of how your form will appear on your website.

Your Google Form will appear on your page or post.

Make sure you update your post or page after editing for the changes to be saved.

Craft the Perfect Form for Your Site

Whether you want to add a survey to your site, an order form to your online store, event registration, or contact form, Google Forms can help you create the perfect forms for your website.

Check out our guides on how to embed Google Calendar on your website and how to create your own coupon popup in WordPress for added functionality and better user experience.

Were you able to create and embed Google Forms on your website using this guide? Share with us in the comments.

9 Tips to Get the Most Out of Duolingo

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 11:00:08 GMT

International travel might be difficult or nearly impossible due to Covid-19 restrictions, but there’s no reason you can’t use this time to learn a new language or brush up on one you already know. Duolingo is a language learning app that you can use for free, and you can subscribe to Duolingo Plus to get extra features for just under $8/month.

Duolingo’s popularity means that it’s adding new languages all the time. English-speakers can currently choose from 34 different languages, including common languages like Spanish, Japanese, and Arabic, as well as less-common, constructed languages like Esperanto, Klingon, and even High Valyrian!

Although it’s feature-rich, Duolingo can sometimes be confusing. The tips and tricks below will help you get the most out of the language learning app.

Enabling Dark Mode in the Duolingo App

Make learning a new language easier on your eyes by enabling Dark Mode on iOS devices, Android devices, and in Chrome.

iOS devices:

Open your device’s Settings app.
Select Display & Brightness.
Select Dark.
Restart the Duolingo app if it’s already open, and from then on it will be in dark mode.

Android devices:

In the Duolingo app, go to your Profile.
Select the Settings icon (gear/cog).
Set Dark Mode to On.

Google Chrome: (*Warning: This method is part of Chrome’s experimental features and may cause data loss and/or compromise security and privacy. Also note that the change will affect all websites, not just Duolingo.)

Type chrome://flags into the search bar.
Press Enter.
Type Force Dark Mode for Web Contents into the search field.

Enabling Dark Mode might help you to spend more time learning, so it’s worth doing.

Accessing Your Duolingo Profile

Your profile tells you when you joined Duolingo and gives you some statistics about your performance. Access your profile by tapping on the profile icon at the bottom of the Duolingo app.

From there you can:

Change your avatar (profile image).
View your statistics.
See your friends.

Tap on the Settings icon (gear/cog) in the top-right corner of your Profile page to:

Specify whether Duolingo should include speaking exercises and listening exercises among your lessons. This is helpful when you’re in public and don’t want to have to speak out loud.
Set your notification preferences.
Adjust your Daily Goal, i.e., how many minutes a day you want to spend on Duolingo.

Adding Friends can be a really good motivator. Every time you reach a milestone, your friends can send you congratulations!

Reset or Remove a Duolingo Course

Perhaps it’s been a while since you’ve used Duolingo, and you’ve forgotten everything you learned. Here’s how to start over.

On the Duolingo website, hover your mouse over your profile icon and select Settings.
Choose Learning language in the panel on the right.
Choose your language from the dropdown.
Select Reset or remove languages.
Choose either the Reset progress or Remove button.

Now you can start learning languages beginning with the very first lesson.

Participating in the Duolingo Forums

The Duolingo Forum is filled with fellow language-learners who want to help and be helped. Post your questions or browse through the various topics. There is a lot of good information in the forum, and you’ll never see it if you only stick to the app.

Get the support and motivation you need by visiting the Duolingo Forum!

How to Get Duolingo XP Fast

Let’s say you want to climb to the top of the leader boards as quickly as possible. What’s the best way to do that? The short answer is Stories.

While a typical lesson will give you 20 experience points, it also can take several minutes to complete. Stories, on the other hand, are shorter and can offer more XP than regular lessons do.

The league leaderboards are yet another way Duolingo motivates you to keep learning.

Getting Even More Data on Your Duolingo Progress

Despite all its features, Duolingo doesn’t do a great job letting you know exactly how far you’ve come. Enter DuoMe.

The DuoMe website describes itself as the “Unofficial Streak Hall of Fame.” If you have an active/loss streak over 100 days you may get listed on the site. Look yourself up by username, like this: duome.eu/MaggieMary2. If you’re there, you’ll be able to access all kinds of statistics about your performance including:

Your level
# of crowns you have earned
# of skills you have mastered
# of lessons you’ve completed
# of lexemes you have learned

You might find that you’ve learned more than you thought!

The Duolingo Podcast

Practice your foreign language listening skills by subscribing to the Duolingo podcast. You can subscribe within the app or the website. There are currently three supported languages:

Spanish for English speakers
French for English speakers
English for Spanish speakers

Access these podcasts on the website, Spotify, Stitcher, or iTunes.

The podcasts are especially valuable to learners who aren’t around native speakers of the language they’re trying to learn. Experts agree that the more you can immerse yourself in a new language, the more progress you’re going to make.

Downloading Duolingo Lessons for Offline Learning

A feature that’s only offered to Duolingo Plus subscribers, downloading lessons for offline use can be handy when you’re traveling and want to keep your Duolingo streak going. If you don’t have internet access or don’t want to use up your mobile data, you can download lessons by tapping the Duolingo owl on the lessons screen and selecting Download.

How to Cancel Your Duolingo Plus Subscription

How you initially purchased your Duolingo Plus subscription determines how you go about cancelling it. If you bought Duolingo on Android, log into your Google account and then go to Subscriptions and Services. Look for your Duolingo subscription, select Manage, and then Cancel subscription.

iOS users can go to the Settings app and select iTunes & App Store. Select your Apple ID, then select Subscriptions. Find your Duolingo subscription and select Cancel Subscription.

Lastly, if you signed up via Duolingo’s website, just sign into your account in a web browser, navigate to your profile, and then choose Settings. Choose Duolingo Plus and then select Cancel Subscription.

No matter which cancellation method you use, you’ll be able to continue using Duolingo Plus until the end of your current subscription period.

Will PS5 Play PS4 and PS3 Games?

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 23:00:03 GMT

Backwards compatibility, or the ability for a console to run game discs from the previous generation, is an important feature for a system to have. PlayStation consoles have not been consistently backwards compatible, such as with the PS4 not playing PS3 or PS2 games (unless they’ve been ported to the PS4 format).

So, with the newest edition to the PlayStation family of consoles now available, many fans are wondering: can the PS5 play older PS4 or PS3 games?

The answer is a little bit complex depending on what you’re trying to play, but for this console backwards compatibility has certainly been a focus for Sony.

Can the PS5 Play PS4 Games?

The good news is that the PS5 has been made backwards compatible with PS4 games, but how you play them depends on which version of the PS5 console you’ve bought.

If you got the PS5 with the disc drive, you’ll be able to use your PS4 discs on your PS5 console. You can also play PS4 games that you may have downloaded already from the PlayStation store. They’ll automatically be connected when you log into your PS5 with your PlayStation Network account.

If you got the PS5 Digital Edition, you can still play PS4 games, but you won’t be able to play any PS4 discs you may have. The digital PS4 games you own will be playable though.

You can also play PS4 PlayStation VR games on the PS5, yet you’ll also need a PS VR headset, PlayStation Camera for PS4, and a Camera adaptor. You can request a PlayStation Camera adaptor for free from Sony to connect your PS VR headset to your PS5.

Can the PS5 Play PS3 Games?

Unfortunately, the PS5 can’t play PS3 game discs, but there are some PS3 games you will be able to play. PlayStation has released many PS3 games as PS4 remasters, such as Last of Us and God of War, and you can definitely play them on the PS5.

With the PS5 you’ll also be able to use PlayStation Now, which is a streaming service that allows you to stream games from cloud-based servers. With this service, you can play select games from the PS3 as well as the PS2. PlayStation Now requires a monthly fee, but you’ll have access to any of these games you want to play.

So, while technically the PS5 can’t play PS3 games, many of your favorites from that generation will be available for you to play on the PS5 in some way.

How About Older PlayStation Games?

The answer to this is about the same as with PlayStation 3 games. You can’t use PS2 or PS1 discs with the PS5, however there are some PS2 and PS1 games that are available on the PlayStation store as well as remastered versions (such as MediEvill) made for the PS4.

Games you buy on the PS4 through the PlayStation store, as previously mentioned, are automatically connected to your PSN (PlayStation Network) account. This goes for any digital game, no matter what generation they are from. When you log into your PS5 with your PSN account, all your digital games from your PS4 should be available to you.

So, this means that digital versions of older PlayStation games will be available for you to play on the PS5. If you don’t want to buy any digital versions of these games, like with PS3 games there’s also the option of using PlayStation Now.

This service offers not only PS3 games, but also older PS2 games. This makes it easy to play any game you want without having to buy it if you don’t want to. Playing PS1 games may be harder to achieve, as there isn’t really a library of them on PlayStation Now, but for some games you can find remastered versions for the PS4.

Why Can’t Older Games Be Played on the PS5?

There’s a reason why backwards compatibility for PS3 games on newer consoles is so difficult: the inner makeup of the PS3 system is wildly different from that of the PS5. This makes it a waste of time to make PS3 games playable on the newest console.

The PS3 ran on a unique processing system, making it extremely difficult to replicate and emulate. The PS4, in comparison, is more compatible with the PS5. And, since there are already many ways to play PS3 games on the latest consoles, Sony hasn’t felt it imperative to take up such a difficult task.

As for even older consoles, their systems are even further removed from the PS5, so Sony opts instead to change and remaster the individual games themselves instead of making a difficult change to the console as a whole.

More Choices With Remastered Games

As time goes on you’ll likely see more and more remastered versions of your favorite classic games, so don’t feel too discouraged if some of the ones you love aren’t available for you to play on the PS5 yet.

So, tell us which are remakes and remastered games you want to see on the PlayStation 5?

How to Make a Bar Graph in Google Sheets

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 11:00:24 GMT

Bar graphs can be extremely helpful when it comes to visualizing data. They can display one set of data or compare multiple data sets.

In this article, we’ll go over how to make various types of bar graphs in Google Sheets.

How to Create a Bar Graph in Google Sheets

We’ll start with a simple, two-column spreadsheet. In the first column of your spreadsheet, add a label for each row in your series. If you like, you can add a category in the top cell and that category will appear as the title of your graph’s horizontal y-axis. The labels under that category name will appear along the horizontal axis of your chart.

Add at least one column of data. Enter a label in the first cell of the second column, and add the data in the cells beneath it.

Next, follow these steps to insert a bar graph to represent your data.

Select all the cells that have data in them.
From the menu, select Insert > Chart or select the Insert Chart icon.

Whichever method you choose, Google will insert a bar graph into your sheet. (Google calls it a column chart. This is the same thing.)

Making a Bar Graph with Multiple Data in Google Sheets

To make a bar graph that includes multiple sets of data, just add more columns of data.

Follow the same steps as above to insert a bar graph representation of your data.

Select all the cells that have data in them.
From the menu, select Insert > Chart or select the Insert Chart icon.

Here’s a bar graph that uses multiple columns of data from the spreadsheet above.

In this case, Google uses the categories in the first row of data as the chart title.

Making a Stacked Bar Graph in Google Sheets

When you use multiple data sets, you can show the part-to-whole relationships in your data by opting for what’s called a stacked bar chart. In our example above, the chart showed how many books each person read in a particular month. If we switch the bar graph to a stacked bar chart, we’ll see how many books each person read that month compared to the total number of books everyone read that month.

There are a couple different flavors of stacked bar charts. First we’ll look at the Standard stacked bar chart.

After you’ve inserted your bar chart, double-click inside it and the Chart Editor panel will appear to the right.

Note: You can always change the chart’s title inside the Chart Editor or by double-clicking on the chart title itself.

Under Stacking, choose Standard.

Now you’ll see the values of each category stacked into single bars.

Alternatively, instead of Standard, you can choose 100% to make a stacked bar chart that depicts the ratio of individual data to the whole. Use this when the cumulative total isn’t important.

So for our example, we might not care how many books were read in total each month—only how many books each person read relative to other people.

Notice that in the 100% Stacked Bar Chart above, the labels along the x axis are now percentages.

How to Swap Columns & Rows in a Chart

Using our example, let’s say you want to make it easy to visualize how each person’s reading habits changed from month to month. Google Sheets makes it easy to turn your columns into rows and vice versa.

Double-click the chart or graph.
Select Setup on the right.
Check the box next to Switch rows/columns.

Our regular bar graph now looks like this:

If we switch rows and columns on our stacked bar chart, it will look like this:

You can see that each of these different options is ideal for telling a particular story about our data. Think about what story you want to tell, and determine which kind of bar graph most clearly makes your point.

Customizing Bar Graphs in Google Sheets

You may have noticed the Customize tab in the Chart Editor.

Select that tab to change the look and feel of your chart. Next we’ll go through each section of the Customize tab.

Chart style allows you to choose the background color, border color, and font for your chart. If you don’t like the changes you made, you can always select the Reset layout button to start over.

Checking the Maximize box will decrease the white space in your chart. Try it and see if you like what you see.

Selecting the 3D box will make your bars three-dimensional, like this:

Compare mode will highlight comparable data when you hover your mouse over different elements of your chart. In the chart below, notice how the November data (the top-most section of each stacked bar) is highlighted.

The Chart & axis titles section is another place you can change the chart title as well as its font, font size, format (italics, bold, etc.), and text color.

In the Series section, you can change the appearance of your series labels. In our case, that’s the months and their corresponding parts of the bar graph. For example, you could change the November data from yellow to gray.

You can also format a specific data point like, for example, the data representing the number of books Lisa read in October. Click the Add button next to Format data point, and from there you can change the color of that single data point.

In the Legend section, you can change the legend font, font size, format, and text color.

The Horizontal axis and Vertical axis sections offer similar options for formatting labels on each of your chart’s axes.

Finally, Gridlines and ticks is a relatively new feature (as of June 2020) allowing you to emphasize parts of your axes by inserting tick marks, formatting them, and setting the spacing between them.

Google Sheets Makes Bar Graphs Easy

Now you know almost all there is to know about making a bar graph in Google Sheets. If you’d like to learn more ways to use Google Sheets, read about the 5 Google Sheets Script Functions You Need to Know.

8 Best 2D Games for Windows

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 23:00:34 GMT

Video game companies are always competing to come out with the latest and greatest in graphic technology. Every year, more and more advances are made in realistic, high-resolution 3D graphics. But, sometimes, maybe you want something just a little bit more simple.

Some of the best games created were from the 2D era, and many game developers seek to continue this type of game design. Many of these games prove that pixelated, 2D graphics can look just as eye-pleasing, if not more at times, than their 3D counterparts.

If you’re missing the days of 2D gameplay, you can find lots of amazing modern games for Windows 10 that will fill this gap. Here are some of the best 2D games you can play right now.

1. Stardew Valley

This game is a casual simulation RPG where you’re an owner of a farm. You have moved away from city life to Stardew Valley, which is populated with other farmers, store owners and townspeople.

In Stardew Valley, you complete tasks in order to grow your farm. But there are also many other things you can do, such as befriend other characters, complete requests, and explore the valley itself.

If you like more of a slow-paced game, this one has been known to be quite addicting. Not only that, but it has some great, colorful 2D pixel graphics.

2. Terraria

This game has most frequently been compared to Minecraft, as it’s very similar in concept. You can explore, craft, mine, and build all within a 2D platform world. You can mine for materials that will allow you to craft tools and other objects for you to use during gameplay.

Another great aspect of the game is that you can play in multiplayer, so you can explore the world with your friends as well. If you enjoy sandbox type games, Terraria will definitely keep you entertained.

3. Undertale

When Undertale was released, it was instantly a smash hit for its unique gameplay and storyline. It’s a roleplaying adventure 2D game where instead of killing enemies, you attempt to spare them.

You play as a young child, exploring an entirely underground world to complete certain objectives. The art style is very similar to turn-based RPGs of the past, such as Earthbound, with just as similar mechanics. However, it’s also very unique thanks to its original gameplay and the ability to achieve multiple different endings depending on how you play the game.

4. Starbound

Starbound is a 2D sci-fi adventure game where you explore a vast world with alien creatures, complete quests, fight enemies, and pretty much do whatever you want. It’s a lot like Terraria, but you may enjoy this game more if you like space environments and sci-fi elements.

You have your own spaceship in the game (which you can customize to your liking) that you can use to travel to different planets and explore. There are many quests for you to complete in order to propel the story forward and further your space expedition.

5. Don’t Starve/ Don’t Starve Together

The goal of the 2D game is pretty evident in the title. You pick a character and scavenge the 2D world for resources in order to build tools, a fire, and make sure you don’t go hungry. The game cycles through daytime and nighttime, and during the night you’ll want to be sure you’ve gathered enough during the day to make it through.

The original game, Don’t Starve, is for single-player gameplay. Don’t Starve Together is the same game, yet made so that you can brave the unpredictable in-game world with your friends. The world is also randomly generated every time you start a new game, so you get an entirely new experience every time you play.

6. Ori and the Blind Forest

This puzzle platformer game is absolutely beautiful. It’s also widely renowned for its plotline, gameplay elements, and music score. It won’t take much for you to become immersed in this game’s world as you venture throughout it, playing as a guardian spirit exploring and restoring a forest.

There are many different elements of the game including combat with enemies, gaining experience and upgrades, and improving skills. All this in a breathtaking 2D landscape.

7. Cuphead

Need more of a challenge? Cuphead, when first released, was notorious for being an extremely difficult game. Yet it makes up for whatever frustration it may cause you with a uniquely charming art style and atmosphere.

Greatly inspired by old-time cartoons, you play as two brothers, Cuphead and Mugman, and encounter countless bosses as you move throughout the shoot-em-up style levels. The difficulty level of each boss varies and you’ll find each battle to be distinct from the last. If you’re finding it too hard on your own, you also have the ability to play with a friend as you each control one of the brothers.

8. Shovel Knight

Side-scrolling platformer games have been a classic for a while, so much so that new iterations of the genre are still being produced. Shovel Knight is an especially good 2D game, going back to an 8-bit art style much like the real classics.

You play through the story as a knight, fighting through each platforming level to defeat enemies and collect treasures. You can also upgrade your health, armor, and equipment with the money you earn throughout each level. The game reached immense critical acclaim for its design and style, being such a refreshing take on the genre. It even won multiple Best Game of the Year awards for 2014.

Alexa Routines and Skills: A Tutorial

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 11:00:31 GMT

Amazon’s Alexa system is a powerful smart assistant that lets you shop with only your voice, control your smart home, and much more–but a home isn’t truly smart until it is automated. With Alexa, you can set up routines that happen at a specific time each day or when pre-set conditions are met.

You can also take advantage of more than 100,000 Alexa Skills to create routines and further customize your smart home and improve its functionality.

How to Create an Alexa Routine

Making a new routine in Alexa is simple. There are three main steps involved. Once you learn how to do them, you can set up all the Alexa routines you want. Take a look.

Open the Alexa app and tap the More tab in the lower-right corner to open the menu. Tap Routines, and then tap the plus sign in the top-right corner. You’ll see a new screen where you have three options:

Enter routine name
When this happens
Add reaction

The first option is self-explanatory. Just name the routine whatever you want, although it’s a good policy to name it something that identifies it at a glance.

The second option is where the fun begins. You can choose for the routine to begin with a specific voice command, on a schedule, after a smart device trigger, when you reach a location, when you set an alarm, after pressing the Echo button, or when you activate Guard mode on Ring, ADT, or other compatible systems.

Choose the command you want to use. In this example, we used the voice command trigger phrase “Game time.”

Once you’ve chosen the trigger for your routine, choose the response. This will be the action that Alexa takes to set your routine in action. There are a series of options to choose from:

Alexa Says: Alexa will respond with a customized phrase that you set or choose from a list.
Briefings: Alexa provides a summary of the day’s events and reminders.
Calendar: Alexa provides a breakdown of the day’s events from your linked calendar.
Calling: Alexa will make a call through a linked account like Skype.
Date and Time: Alexa will tell you the current date and time.
Device Settings: Alexa will stop playing music, adjust the volume, or go into Do Not Disturb mode.
Drop in Notification: Alexa makes a drop-in call.
E-mail: Alexa will read your email summary.
Entertain Me: Alexa will sing a song or tell a joke.
Fire TV: Alexa will begin to play content on Fire TV devices.
Good News: Alexa will read good, uplifting news stories.
Guard: Alexa will activate Guard to protect your home.
IFTTT: Alexa will run specific the IFTTT applets you have set up.
Messaging: Alexa will send or receive announcements.
Music: Alexa will play a song, specific artist, playlist, or station.
News: Alexa will play the news from your Flash Briefing.
Skills: Alexa will activate a pre-set Skill.
Smart Home: Alexa will control a smart home device you choose.
Sounds: Alexa will play sounds you choose from categories like animals, bells and buzzers, crowds, and more.
Traffic: Alexa will provide a traffic report.
Wait: Alexa will set a timer for a time you specify.
Weather: Alexa will report the weather.
Custom: Alexa will respond to a question you set.

Almost every option has sub-commands once you select it. To continue the example from above, we chose the Smart Home reaction. This opens another screen that provides access to three options: All Devices, Control group, and Control scene.

Tapping any of these options opens additional commands. To complete the example routine, we chose Control group > Loft. From the final screen, we moved the slider for Power to the “On” position.

This means that when you say “Alexa, game time,” all of the lights in the loft will turn on–and because they are preset to the individual colors, the routine will automatically set the mood for an evening of binging on your favorite games.

Alexa Skills

An Alexa Skill is a bit like an app. It expands the basic functionality of Alexa beyond what it can do by default. Access Skills by tapping More and choosing Skills and Games from the menu.

This opens the Skills and Games Menu where you can scroll through available skills in the Discover tab, search for specific types of Skills from the Categories tab, and view any Skills you have saved through the Your Skills tab. Even if you’ve never chosen Skills before, you might already have some available through devices added to your Alexa app.

For example, if you have LIFX bulbs or an iRobot device you control through Alexa, those skills will already be available in the Your Skills tab. There are almost two dozen categories to pick from, with more than 100,000 different Skills to help you totally customize and control your life through Alexa.

To enable a Skill, choose it from the menu and then tap “Enable to Use.” Once you’ve done this, you have access to any abilities the Skill allows.

Alexa Routines and Skills enable use of Alexa-compatible smart home devices, but there are also other Skills that act as shortcuts. For example, IFTTTrigger grants access to any of the services on IFTTT.com that can be integrated into Alexa routines. This makes it easier to find potential IFTTT integrations than manually searching through the website itself.

In addition to Skills that grant more functionality or enable productivity, you can also play games through Alexa Skills. Most of these games are trivia or quiz-style games, but there are others available to users with an Echo Show. You can also play Skyrim. It’s not quite like it would be on PC, but it just shows that the game really is everywhere.

How to Make Twitch Emotes

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 23:00:25 GMT

When you’re watching a Twitch streamer in action, you might think about using an emote to gain their attention or show what you’re thinking. Twitch emotes are like emojis, showing a small picture to show your mood or send out a message that can convey more emotion than a simple text message.

Twitch already comes with various emotes for all users to use, but if you’re a Twitch Partner or Affiliate, you can add custom Twitch emotes to your channel for your subscribers. If you want to make Twitch emotes, however, you’ll need to follow certain guidelines. Here’s what you’ll need to do.

Design Rules for Twitch Emotes

Twitch has certain guidelines you must follow when making your own Twitch emotes. Failure to follow these rules could result in your Twitch channel’s termination, so be sure to follow them to the letter.

To begin with, you must ensure that your custom Twitch emote doesn’t break Twitch’s terms of service. This includes avoiding emotes that can cause harassment, threaten violence, break the law (for instance, promoting drugs), promote racism or sexism, involve nudity, and more.

You can read the full and current list of Twitch emote guidelines on the Twitch website.

If you’re sure that your custom Twitch emote doesn’t break the rules, you’ll need to make sure that it’s formatted correctly and uses the PNG file format. If you use a “simple” emote upload, you only need to upload a single image that is between 112 by 112 pixels and 4096 by 4096 pixels in size.

For more advanced (and higher quality) uploads, you’ll need to upload three different images (28 by 28 pixels, 56 by 56 pixels, and 112 by 112 pixels) for scale. The images must all use a transparent background and be a maximum of 1MB in size.

As we’ve mentioned, you can only use custom Twitch emotes if your Twitch account has reached Affiliate or Partner status. New Twitch streamers will have to wait until their account reaches this point before they can start adding their own emotes, unless they decide to switch to a Twitch alternative instead.

How to Make Twitch Emotes Using Photoshop

Assuming you have the right idea for a custom Twitch emote, the next step is figuring out how to make Twitch emotes that are high quality. If you have Adobe Photoshop, you can quickly create correct emotes to the size you want with a transparent background.

If you don’t have Photoshop, then you can use alternative software (such as the open source GIMP) to create a Twitch emote instead.

To start, open Photoshop on your PC or Mac and create a new image by selecting the Create New button.

Make sure that the image you create is between 112 by 112 pixels and 4096 by 4096 pixels in size (for a “simple” upload) in the Width and Height boxes. For “advanced” uploads, you’ll need to repeat this step and create three separate images (28×28 pixels, 56×56 pixels, and 112×112 pixels in size).

The canvas you create will also need to have a transparent background. To make sure this is the case, select Transparent from the Background Contents menu, then select Create to open the new image canvas and begin work.

In the empty canvas, you can design your new Twitch emote. This could incorporate shapes, other images, or text (although not a single letter or number, unless it plays a part of your Twitch branding, as per Twitch rules). You’ll need to ensure that the image background is transparent, unless the entire canvas is filled.

Once you’ve designed your new emote, select File > Export > Export As to save the file.

In the Export As menu, set the format as PNG from the drop-down menu, making sure that the Smaller File (8-bit) checkbox below is enabled. Check that the file size listed in the menu is under 1MB in size. If the file is bigger than 1MB, you’ll have to reduce the size by tweaking the image Width and Height options before you export it, or make additional changes to the canvas. Select the Export button to save the image once you’re ready.

At the next stage, choose where you’d like to save the file and provide a name for it, then select the Save button.

Once the Twitch emote is saved, you can then proceed to upload it to your Twitch channel using the Twitch channel dashboard, as explained below.

How to Make Twitch Emotes Online

If you don’t have Photoshop, and you’re keen to avoid installing alternative photo editors on your PC or Mac, then you can instead make Twitch emotes online.

There are several ways you could do this, but one of the easiest is to use a tool like Google Drawings to create a transparent image with the dimensions you need.

To start, head to the Google Drawings website and sign in. A blank canvas should appear automatically. To edit the page size, select File > Page Setup from the menu.

In the Page Setup box, select Custom from the drop-down menu, then customize the size to meet the Twitch minimum requirements as listed above (for example, between 112 by 112 pixels and 4096 by 4096 pixels in size for a “simple” emote upload). Select the Apply button to confirm.

Use the Google Drawings canvas to create your emote, using shapes, text (excluding single letters or numbers outside of your branding), and other inserted images. Once you’ve finished editing, select File > Download > PNG image (.png) from the menu to download the drawing as a PNG file.

You’ll need to select the file name and save location at the next stage. Once you download the file (and assuming it’s under 1MB in size), you can then proceed to upload the Twitch emote to your channel.

How to Add a New Twitch Emote

As we’ve mentioned, you can only upload a custom Twitch emote for your channel’s subscribers to use if you’ve reached Twitch Partner or Affiliate status. If you haven’t, you’ll need to wait before you can follow these steps.

If you’re a Twitch Partner or Affiliate and want to upload a new Twitch emote, head to the Twitch website and sign in. Select the account icon in the top-right, then select the Creator Dashboard option.

In the Creator Dashboard menu, select the hamburger menu icon in the top-right, then select Preferences > Affiliate or Partner, depending on your account status.

In the Subscriptions > Emotes Settings section, you’ll be able to manage your custom channel emotes. You’ll have options for Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 emotes, providing users with those levels of subscriptions to your channel the chance to use them.

Under Upload Emotes, upload your Twitch emote image (or images) and provide a text code for it to be used in the Unique Code box. If you’re happy with how the emote looks, select the Submit Changes button.

Customizing Twitch Further

Once you know how to make Twitch emotes, you can customize your channel further by customizing your streaming bitrate for higher quality streams. You’ll need to make sure that you have the right Twitch streaming software installed before you start, however.

You can also promote other streamers by clipping Twitch streams or by conducting a Twitch raid to bring your audience to them. Don’t forget to take advantage of your free Twitch Prime (now Twitch Gaming) subscription if you’re an Amazon Prime customer, giving you one free subscription to a Twitch channel each month.

How to Sign a PDF File on Windows

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 11:00:55 GMT

A few years back, you had to print out a hard copy of a document in order to sign it. Thanks to the popular PDF file format, it’s easy to digitally sign a document, re-use the signature when you need it again, scan, and share the PDF with others.

Whether you’re signing a lease, contract, or applying for a loan, we’ll show you how to sign a PDF file in Windows.

You can sign a PDF file in Windows using:

Adobe Reader for Windows
Adobe Reader DC / Adobe Reader DC Online
DocuSign
Third-party online solutions

How to Sign a PDF in Adobe Reader

If you need to quickly sign a PDF file, you can do so using Adobe Reader program.

Adobe Reader is the most popular PDF reader for Windows that enables you to edit a PDF file and sign it with a certified digital signature or handwritten signature.

To get started, open the PDF document you want to sign in Adobe Reader and find the Sign icon in the toolbar. Alternatively, open the signature panel by selecting View > Sign.

Select Place signature under the Fill & Sign section.

In the new window, select the drop down arrow to choose how you want to place your signature. You’ll find four options:

Type my signature
Use my webcam
Draw my signature
Use an image

How to Sign a PDF File in Adobe Reader by Typing Your Signature

To do this, type your name or the characters you’d like for your signature in the Enter Your Name field.

You can preview your signature in the Review Your Signature box.

If you want, you can choose from four different signature styles by selecting the Change Signature Style option under the Review Your Signature box.

If you’re satisfied with your signature, select Accept to add the digital signature to your PDF document.

You’ll see a small floating box with your signature inside. Drag the box to the area on the PDF file where you want to place the signature and resize the image accordingly.

Select File > Save to save your signed PDF file. If you want, you can share the signed document directly to others by selecting the Signed. Proceed to send option in the toolbar.

Select whether to share via email, send to fax, get others to sign or save a copy.

How to Sign a PDF File in Adobe Reader Using a Webcam

You can also sign PDF files in Windows using your computer’s webcam.

To do this, open the PDF file you’d like to sign electronically and select Sign > Place Signature from the I Need to Sign section.

Select Use a webcam from the Place Signature dialog drop down menu.

An instruction will appear saying: Sign your name with black ink on white paper. Click the “Start Webcam” button to start capturing the signature image.

Select Start Webcam.

Align your signature so that it sits on the blue line on your screen.

A preview of the signature will appear in the Preview the captured signature box.

Select Accept.

Move your signature to where you want it placed on the document and resize it to fit.

Save your document or select Signed. Proceed to send for more sharing options.

How to Sign a PDF File in Adobe Reader by Drawing Your Signature

Drawing your signature may not be as easy as typing your name or using your webcam to scan the signature. However, if you have a Windows PC with a touchscreen and stylus or Surface pen, you can sketch out your signature and sign the PDF document.

To do this, open the PDF document, select Sign > Place Signature from the I Need to Sign section.
Select Draw my signature from the Place Signature dialog drop down menu.

Next, draw your signature in the empty box provided.

If you make a mistake while drawing, use the Clear Signature link to erase what you’ve drawn and start over.

Select Accept. Place the signature on the section you want to sign on your document, and save the document.

How to Sign a PDF File in Adobe Reader Using an Image

If you have your signature in image format (JPEG or PNG), you can use it to sign a PDF file in Windows.

To do this, open the PDF in Adobe Reader, select Sign > Place Signature. In the new window, select Use an Image from the drop down menu.

Next, select Browse to open the image file containing your signature.

Resize the image, select Accept to place it on your PDF document, and save the file.

How to Sign a PDF in Adobe Acrobat DC Reader

If you have the full version of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, you can use it to sign a PDF file in Windows. However, the program is also available for free online and you can still sign your PDF file with it.

Download and install the Windows version of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC to your PC.

Open Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, select File > Open to open the PDF file you want to sign, and then select Sign > Add Signature.

In the new window, add your custom signature, change the style if you want, and then select Apply.

Drag the small box with your signature to the section of the PDF file where you’d like to place your signature, and then save your document.

How to Sign a PDF File Using Adobe Acrobat Reader Online

If you don’t want to download the free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, you can use the free online tool to sign a PDF file in Windows.

To do this, go to Adobe Acrobat online and click Select a File to upload the PDF document you want to sign. You can also drag and drop the file to upload it.

Select Sign to add your signature.

Next, select Add Signature.

You can choose to Type, Draw, or upload your signature as an Image, and then select Apply.

Drag the signature to where you want it to go and then select Close.

If you want to share your file, select Share next to the file name in Adobe Acrobat Reader Online.

Next, select how you want to share your file, and select Create link to get a shareable link.

Copy the shareable link and select Share with others to send and notify your recipients via email.

Select Next, then download your signed document or get a link to share it online.

How to Sign a PDF File Using DocuSign

DocuSign is an eSignature provider that lets you easily add a digital or electronic signature to PDF, Word, or image files.

To sign a PDF file using DocuSign, you need to sign up to use the service. Create an account by going to DocuSign. Once you’re signed in, drag and drop the PDF file you want to sign and select Start Now.

If you’re the only one signing the PDF file, check the I’m the only signer box and select Sign.

If you’re not the only one signing the PDF, leave the box unchecked and select Next.

Enter the name and email address of the recipient you want to sign the document. If they’re already in your contacts list, their emails will appear as you start typing in the email field.

If more than one recipient is required to sign the document, select Add Recipient.

If they’re on your contacts list, select the drop down arrow next to Add Recipient, and then select Add from Contacts.

You can also choose whether the recipient(s) needs to sign, is an in-person signer, will receive a copy of the signed PDF, or needs to view.

If you want only your recipient (s) to access the PDF file for signing, select Customize > Add access code.

Select Next.

Note: Once all recipients get the PDF document and they all sign it, each recipient will receive a completed copy via email.

Add the required fields to the PDF document such as Signature, Date, Name, Title, Company and so on. When the recipients get the document, they’ll simply click on each of the required fields and enter the required details before sending back the signed copy.

Select Next, preview your document, and select Send.

Note: You can set an expiration date for the PDF document under Options in the Review and Send section. Plus, you can select Recipient Privileges such as whether they can sign on paper or change signing responsibility.

If you received an email with a PDF file via DocuSign, and it requires your signature, open the email and select Review Document.

Select Start, and you’ll be directed straight to where you need to sign or place your signature.

Tap the Sign Here icon.

Select a style for your signature or draw it.

If you want to change the font style or how your signature should appear, select Change Style.

How to Factory Reset Windows 10

Sat, 21 Nov 2020 11:00:16 GMT

Whether you want to start over after a malware infection, or clean up your computer to recycle or sell, knowing how to factory reset Windows 10 will help get it back to running like new.

A factory reset is a last resort when your computer is acting up, running slow, or displaying worrying error messages that software can’t resolve.

Windows 10 ships with built-in recovery options that you can use to reset your PC with or without deleting all your files.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps you need to factory reset Windows 10

How to Factory Reset Windows 10

We’ll look at four different ways to reset Windows 10 to factory settings:

Reset and keep your files
Reset and remove everything
Reset your PC from the sign-in screen
Reset using the fresh start option

Note: Back up your files before you reset Windows 10, otherwise you may lose some of your important files and you may not be able to recover the deleted data.

How to Factory Reset Windows 10 and Keep Your Files

If you want to reset Windows 10 and still keep all your files, you can do so using the “Keep my files” option. Once the process is completed, the PC will be as good as new. Then you can reconfigure custom settings and reinstall any apps you want again.

To get started, select Start > Settings > Update & Security.

Next, select Recovery.

Select the Get Started button under the Reset this PC section.

Next, select Keep my files.

Choose how you want to reinstall Windows: Cloud download or Local reinstall. If you select Cloud download, it may use up to 4GB of data to download and install Windows 10 on your PC. With the Local reinstall, you’ll reinstall Windows 10 from your PC.

Select Next.

Select the Reset button.

Your PC will reset to factory settings and preserve all your files. Once the reset is completed, check your PC for any Windows Updates to ensure that the operating system isn’t missing any patches, security updates, or important drivers.

To check for updates, select Start > Settings > Update & Security and then select Windows Update > Check for updates. If updates are available, Windows 10 will download and install them to your computer.

You can quickly update missing drivers via Windows Update by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates. Select View optional updates.

Next, select the Driver updates tab, go to the driver you want to update, and select Download and Install.

Finally, reinstall any apps you had installed before the reset, and then start using your PC as usual.

How to Factory Reset Windows 10 and Remove Everything

With the “Remove Everything” option, you’ll reset your PC and remove all your personal files, apps, drivers, files, and any changes you made to settings. It also removes any apps your PC manufacturer installed.

To do this, select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.

Select Get Started under Reset this PC.

Next, select Remove everything.

Choose how you want to reinstall Windows: Cloud download or Local reinstall.

If you want to erase all your personal files and data completely, select Change Settings.

Next, toggle the Clean Data switch to Yes, and then select Confirm.

Note: This option is useful if you’re planning to recycle, donate, or sell your computer. It may take about an hour or two to complete but makes it difficult for others to recover any files you deleted. Leaving the Clean Data toggle at No reduces the completion time as it will only remove files. However, it’s less secure.

Select Next.

Select Reset.

How to Reset Windows 10 From the Sign-in Screen

If you’re unable to open Windows settings on your PC, you can reset Windows 10 from the sign-in screen.

To do this, use the Windows logo key + L keyboard shortcut to bring up the sign-in screen.

Restart your computer by pressing Shift key while selecting the Power > Restart in the bottom right side of your screen.
Once your computer restarts in the WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment), select Troubleshoot in the Choose an Option screen.

Select Reset this PC.

Select whether to keep your files, remove everything, or restore factory settings to continue.
If you see the Restore to factory settings on your computer, select it. This will remove your personal files, installed software, and reinstall Windows 10 and any other preinstalled apps that came with your computer. Windows 10 will erase everything from the drive and restore it to its original state. If the Restore to factory settings option isn’t available, select Remove everything.

How to Factory Reset Windows 10 Using the Fresh Start Option

With the fresh start option, you can reset Windows 10 and keep your files if you want to start with a fresh copy of the operating system that doesn’t have bloatware or extra software.

However, instead of using a custom image from your PC’s manufacturer, the fresh start option uses the original image of Windows 10 provided by Microsoft.

Note: This may not work for branded computers such as Dell, HP, ASUS or Acer as it may not reinstall certain apps or drivers you may need. Plus, you may not be able to use the custom manufacturer image in subsequent resets.

To reset Windows 10 using the fresh start option, open Windows Security and select Device performance & health.

Select Additional info under Fresh start, and then select Get started > Next in the new window to set off the process. Once the fresh start is done, reinstall the apps you want to use.

Once you complete the steps, the original Windows 10 image will be used to factory reset your Windows 10 PC, keeping your personal data.

Scrap it All and Start Over

We hope this guide helped you factory reset Windows 10 and your computer is back to its original state. If you’re using a Mac, and it suddenly starts acting strange, you can reset the PRAM and SMC. Check out our other guides on how to wipe and reinstall Windows 10 or use this easy way to clean install Windows 10 without worrying about the technical details.

Did you manage to reset your computer to factory settings? Share with us in the comments.

Tribit Stormbox Micro Portable Speaker Review

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 23:00:46 GMT

It can sometimes seem like portable Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen, which makes it difficult to figure out which ones are worth your investment or not. Tribit recently released the StormBox Micro, a small, portable Bluetooth speaker that not only pumps out impressive sound but boasts weather resistance too.

Tribit sent the StormBox Micro to us to do a portable bluetooth speaker review, so we put it through the paces to find out how well it performs in a variety of real-world applications.

Appearance: Compact but Convenient

The speaker lives up to its name. At 3.9 inches wide, 3.9 inches tall, and just under 1.4 inches thick, the speaker does not take up much space, nor does its weight get in the way of transporting it. The black exterior is nondescript, although it did make it difficult to pick out the top buttons at a glance.

The Tribit StormBox Micro has three buttons on top: a volume down and a volume up button, as well as the MultiFunctional Button. On the front of the portable bluetooth speaker is the power on and off button, the Bluetooth button, and a series of LED indicator lights that denote volume level and connectivity.

One feature that is worth noting about the exterior of the StormBox Micro is the integrated strap. It snaps into place on the bottom of the speaker but has a secure hold, making it perfect for looping around your belt while you’re mobile.

If you’re looking for flashing, pulsating LEDs that dance in time with your music, you’re out of luck. The StormBox Micro forgoes the bells and whistles for a plain, straightforward look, but what it lacks in style it makes up for in performance.

Sound Quality

The first thing you notice about the StormBox Micro is the sound quality. Despite its small size, this little speaker pumps up the volume. It is appreciably loud even at lower volume levels and can fill a room when maxed out.

In addition to the volume, the StormBox Micro produces a surprising amount of bass. Speakers of this size usually fall short due to the lack of space for subwoofers, but the StormBox Micro excels even in bass-heavy electronic music. Sure, it won’t compare to a dedicated speaker with a larger woofer, but at this size the StormBox Micro is hard to beat.

Even demanding songs like Bob Marley’s “Turn Your Lights Down Low” sound great on the speaker. It’s easy to detect instrumental position in the playback, and the StormBox Micro maintains a good sound balance with minimal distortion.

The primary issues that arose during playback were lower, bass-heavy moments sounding a bit washed out when higher sounds were dominant in a song. Of course, problems like this are expected when dealing with compact speakers.

Features and Functionality

The StormBox Micro has several notable features. It is designed to be used with a phone, as the Multifunctional Button, or MFB, has functionality catered toward phones. The StormBox Micro has two main playback modes: Music Mode and Conversation Mode.

In Music Mode, the MFB serves as the play and pause button when given a short press. A double press skips to the next track, while pressing it three times in a row goes back one track. If you press and hold for one second, the MFB will activate Siri on your phone.

Conversation Mode is a bit different. A short press of the MFB will answer or end a phone call, while pressing and holding for one second will reject the call. A short press during a phone call will put the call on hold to answer an incoming call, while subsequent presses will allow you to switch between two calls simultaneously.

Pair one StormBox Micro with another and you have access to even more features, including Party Mode and Stereo Mode. When you put the two speakers in Party Mode, you can play the same song in sync from both, spreading the sound out across a wider area.

Stereo Mode is where the power of the speaker really shines, however. The audio quality is already impressive for a device of this size, and on its own it has good spatial representation. When put in Stereo Mode, however, the speaker tells you which one is left and which is right.

Stereo Mode provides an audio experience that is on par with much higher-priced speakers. It’s impressive for such a small device, although if you have access to a set of high-end headphones, they will likely outperform the StormBox Micro.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a way to get impressive audio quality even in your shower, the StormBox Micro might be your best option. With an IP67 weather resistance rating, the StormBox Micro can handle a lot of abuse–it’s water resistant up to a meter deep for half an hour.

Bluetooth and Battery Life

The Bluetooth functionality of the StormBox Micro is worth mentioning. It can pair with up to eight different devices total, and with up to two at the same time. That means there is no need to pass the aux cord, so to speak. If you and a friend are sharing music, all you have to do is pause your playback and your friend can start playing their music.

On a full charge, the StormBox Micro portable bluetooth speaker claims up to eight hours of battery life. While testing did not reveal an exact amount, the speaker played music for hours without a break and still had plenty of charge left over. Charging the speaker is easy, too–and included USB-C cable and a 5V plug is all you need.

StormBox Micro: Worth the Cost?

The Tribit StormBox Micro packs a lot of features into a small package, but it carries an equally small price tag. At just $50, it’s honestly hard to imagine a better Bluetooth speaker in this price range. There are options out there that may be louder and have more functionality, but they are more expensive too.

The StormBox Micro is loud, surprisingly effective where bass is concerned, and has enough features to make it a competitor against bigger brands., If you’re looking for a way to jam in the shower, this is your best bet.

How to Get Verified on Instagram

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 11:00:27 GMT

Getting verified on social networks can be a great deal for someone hoping to grow their following and use social media in their professional life. All of the major networks now have their own verification signs. This is a white checkmark on a blue background on Facebook and Twitter, a custom emoji on Snapchat, and a crown icon on TikTok. On instagram, the verification badge looks like a blue checkmark displayed next to your username.

However, getting verified on Instagram is no easy process. In fact, the option to get verified isn’t available to everyone. If you’re determined to get that blue checkmark, learn what you can do to increase your chances of getting verified on Instagram.

Why Get Verified on Instagram

Many people see getting that blue tick next to your Instagram name as a sign of status. As if it’s something that will tell other users that you’ve “made it”. However, the original purpose of verification on any social network was to prevent other users from stealing your identity.

If a certain account is verified, it means that Instagram took the time to make sure that the person behind the account is who they say they are. Verification also helps other users to find the account they’re looking for instead of a fan or fake Instagram account.

Once your account is verified, a blue checkmark will appear next to your name on your profile, in DMs, in search, and in the comments section. If you’re not sure whether undergoing the process of verification on Instagram is worth it, here are a few additional benefits that you get by receiving the verification badge.

Be the First to Try New Instagram Features

Once you pass the verification process, you might get a bit of special treatment from Instagram. Verified users are often the first ones to try and test new features before they’re rolled out to the rest of Instagram users.

Rank Higher in Search

Instagram always shows verified accounts first in search results. So when somebody’s searching on Instagram and your account matches the search criteria, it’ll appear at the very top, leaving other accounts lower on the list.

Verified accounts also have better chances of appearing on the Suggestions For You lists, and on the Explore page.

Become a Thought Leader

When users see you have a verified account, they automatically trust that the content you post is authentic. Even if there are hundreds of other similar Instagram accounts, yours will be the first they go to. On top of that, you’re bound to see an increase of followers and engagement on Instagram once you get the verified badge.

Get Sponsorship Offers

Many brands use Instagram as their main marketing channel. As a verified user, you’re likely to get better sponsorship offers from big brands that are looking to partner up with Instagram influencers.

Who Can Get Verified on Instagram?

Instagram won’t verify just any user. They only give verification badges to the accounts that represent a public figure, celebrity, or brand that appears in news and media and is highly searched on Instagram. On top of that, there are a number of requirements that you need to meet to be eligible for Instagram verification.

You need to follow Instagram’s Terms of Use and Community Guidelines.
Your account needs to be the unique and an authentic presence of the person or business it represents.
The account must be public and have a complete bio, profile photo, and at least one post on Instagram.

Instagram doesn’t verify any general interest accounts, like those that feature popular memes or funny dog pictures.

How to Get Verified on Instagram

If you decide that you want to apply for an Instagram verification badge, follow the steps below.

Log into Instagram from your smartphone. You can’t apply for verification from Instagram web.

Go to your profile page.

Select Menu to open settings.

Select Settings.

From the Settings menu select Account.

Scroll down and select Request Verification.

Fill in the application, attach a photo of your ID, and select Send.

There’s no exact time frame for when you should expect to hear back from Instagram. However, if your application’s declined, you can then reapply for verification in 30 days.

Tips & Tricks for Getting Verified on Instagram

While there’s no one strategy for getting a verification badge on Instagram, there are still a few tips and tricks that can help improve your chances of getting verified.

Personalize Your Posts

Adding more personality to your account will help you distinguish your content from what other similar accounts post. It will also help personalize your brand and make it more relatable for other users.

Grow Your Followers and Engagement

You don’t have to be famous to get verified on Instagram, but you must have a sizable following on the network. A high-profile account with a large number of followers appears on search results more often. This will tell Instagram that yours is an account that people are frequently searching for.

One sure way to increase engagement on Instagram is to use popular hashtags. You can take it one step further and create a hashtag for your personal brand. The more you get other people to use it in relation to your brand, the more visibility you’ll get on Instagram.

Build Up a Presence Outside Instagram

You’re more likely to get verified on Instagram if you already have an established presence and/or a big following on another platform, whether it’s your blog or other social media site.

Extra points if you already have a verified account on another social media platform. One of the main eligibility requirements for Instagram verification is being mentioned in media and news. Instagram will definitely be checking the web for any content related to your brand.

Get Approved for an Instagram Verification Checkmark

Getting the verification badge takes time and effort, but it’s worth it if you want to keep developing your brand on Instagram. When getting verified, you should also be wary of imposters and hackers who typically target growing brands and influencers who depend on Instagram for income.

Have you tried getting verified on Instagram? If you did, what was the response that you received? Share your experience with the Instagram verification process in the comments section below.

Alexa Skills Not Working? 11 Ways to Troubleshoot

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 23:00:51 GMT

Alexa’s full suite of more than 100,000 Skills is a powerful platform, but there are times when those Alexa Skills are not working. The server that powers the Skill might have a hiccup, or there may be a problem with the way the Skill is implemented within your smart home.

If you find an Alexa Skill that doesn’t work or perform as intended, here are a few fixes to try.

1. Make Sure Alexa is Connected to WiFi

The Amazon Echo needs WiFi to work correctly. If your device is not connected to WiFi, then Amazon Skills won’t work because Amazon can’t process your voice command.

2. Ensure You’re Using the Correct Phrase

Many Alexa Skills have specific activation phrases. If you find an Alexa Skill is not working as you expect, make sure you’re using the correct activation phrase. For example, the Food Network Kitchen skill can be activated in three separate ways:

“Alexa, open Food Network Kitchen.”
“Alexa, show me cooking classes from Food Network Kitchen.”
“Alexa, show my saved recipes from Food Network Kitchen.”

3. Check If the Skill Needs Parental Permission

Some Alexa Skills can’t be activated without parental permission. If you’re using a Skill and it asks for parental permission, you’ll have to enable it from your home screen. This is particularly true with regard to child-focused Skills.

4. Enable the Skill

In some instances, the Skill might have been disabled. When this happens, you’ll need to re-enable the Skill from within the Skills menu.

5. Re-Install the Skill

If you have a Skill that has worked for the most part but suddenly stopped working, an error may have occurred that can be fixed by disabling the Skill and re-enabling it. When you disable a Skill, it unlinks it from your account. Enable the Skill and re-link it. Doing this should correct most issues.

6. Verify Your Device Is on the Correct Profile

If there are multiple profiles within an Amazon account, each profile may utilize different Skills. If you find that a device isn’t responding when you try to activate a Skill, make sure you’re using the correct profile.

7. Re-Enable the Device

Many Amazon Skills are linked to specific devices. If a Skill is unresponsive, go into the Devices menu of your Alexa app and disable and re-enable the relevant device.

8. Reinstall the Device

If disabling the device doesn’t work, remove it from your account entirely. You can do this by opening the device settings and tapping the trash can in the top-right corner of the screen. Once you remove the device, you’ll need to re-add it to your Amazon account. A fresh installation will often correct issues that arise.

9. Force a Firmware Update

Some Alexa Skills might not be available until the Echo hardware undergoes a firmware update. While any connected device will periodically check for updates automatically, you can force a firmware update to bring your Echo in-line with the firmware version it should have.

To do this, press the mute button on your Echo. It will take anywhere from only a few minutes to as long as half an hour, but Alexa will announce she needs to perform an update. Once this is complete, the hardware will restart and will no longer be muted. Of course, this only works when firmware updates are available.

10. Make Sure You Complete the Skill

Alexa Skills can be custom-made through the Skill Blueprint system. However, it is possible to make a Skill without updating your account and adding it to your list of active Skills. If your Skill is custom made and doesn’t work, make sure it has actually been completed within the system.

11. Create a Voice Profile

Some people might encounter a more perplexing issue: Alexa may not seem to understand what they’re saying. If this happens, you can train Alexa to recognize your voice. Go to Settings > Account Settings > Recognized Voices > Manage Voice Profile.

From this screen, you can choose to have Alexa personalize your skills or delete your voice profile. You can also tap Match voice profiles to speak a series of phrases that Alexa will use to better match your voice when you speak. This allows Alexa to understand you better.

Alexa Skills are one of the features that set Alexa apart from the competition. The vast library of Skills and the easy-to-use Skills Blueprint allows for almost unlimited creativity in how you control your smart home and your life. The only obstacle is when these Alexa Skills stop working.

Just try any one of these 11 tricks to get your Skills back in working order. At least one of these options should get your Alexa back on track.