1 844.742.7448

Email Us

Remote Support

Contact

Software

  1. Home
  2. Software

Microsoft Home and Student 2021 with $40 off is a great last-minute gift idea for students young and old
  • No Comments

While you may not be thinking about productivity tools as a first thought during the festive season, there’s an offer on Microsoft Home and Student 2021 that you might want to take advantage of. Amazon has knocked off $ 40 off the productivity suite, down from $ 149.99. 

In this offer, you get a bundle of three of Microsoft’s most popular and most widely known productivity apps ever – Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You can use this bundle on Windows 11, Windows 10, and macOS (although some users in reviews report issues with trying to install on macOS devices). These are Microsoft Office products, not Microsoft 365 products, so you don’t need to continuously pay a subscription but you also don’t get upgrades included as standard. 

It’s a terrific option if you only need these three apps and don’t need every small new development that Microsoft adds to them. It does seem like Microsoft will try and push you in the direction of getting Microsoft 365 which I could see being annoying, but it looks like once you have this trio of apps, you’re basically good to go and don’t have to pay anything on top of that. Once you pay, it should be available for instant download.

Not in the US? Scroll down for Microsoft Office 2021 deals in your location. 

Today's best Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021 Christmas deal

Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021: $ 149.99 $ 109.99 at Amazon
This is a versatile productivity suite trio including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. It offers updated and enhanced features and reworked user-friendly interfaces, empowering you to create, collaborate, and present seamlessly. This collection has a whole host of advanced tools and updated templates, catering to diverse user needs and enabling you to make all kinds of files and documents efficiently with Word, create impactful presentations with PowerPoint, and perform powerful data analysis and organization with Excel. View Deal

This package is a one time payment and download, and you get three of Microsoft’s greatest hits: Word, PowerPoint, and Excel for use at home or at school. It’s a fantastic option for more casual individual users, students, and families. Despite the name, you don't need to be a student to purchase this deal.

Not in the US? Here are the best Microsoft Office 2021 deals where you are:

More of today's best holiday deals

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Microsoft is getting desperate for more Bing users – but this annoying Edge pop-up is definitely not the way to go about it
  • No Comments

It seems Microsoft is up to its old tricks in trying to push people into using its products, once again, and this time the play is to persuade Edge users to switch their search engine to Bing.

As Windows Central spotted, developer Brad Sams (of Stardock fame) brought our attention to Microsoft’s latest bout of “anti-user behavior” in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

See more

Sams uses the Edge browser, but was prompted to switch to Bing as the default search engine rather than Google, as you can see in the above screenshot.

This is not the first time Microsoft has been promoting Bing in such a manner, alongside driving other services including Edge itself and OneDrive. (Search for a new browser in Edge, for example, and you’ll get a banner telling you there’s no need to download a different web browser, and the various reasons why).

The Bing search engine continues to struggle for market share against the might of Google, with Microsoft’s creation securing only 3.2% of the market as of November 2023, according to Statcounter.

Analysis: Bing headway – or lack of it

Microsoft hoped that Bing Chat, its AI now-renamed Copilot, would help to swell the ranks of Bing search users when it was launched early this year – but as we can see, that hasn’t happened. The Bing search engine had a 3% share at the beginning of 2023 going by Statcounter’s figures, so has notched that up 0.2% over the course of the year – a pretty miniscule uptick.

It’s safe to say, then, that the AI angle has not panned out for Bing search, although Microsoft has now started thinking about what its various products can do for Copilot, rather than what the chatbot can do for those products. (Witness the debut of Copilot in Windows 10, driving user numbers of the AI forward, rather than keeping Copilot as a carrot to drive migration to Windows 11).

At any rate, whatever piece of Microsoft’s vast jigsaw of products and services we’re talking about, we don’t want to see prompts in Edge, or Windows 11, or anywhere else, trying to twist the arms of users to switch to another Microsoft creation.

And fair enough, Google does this kind of thing too, pushing Chrome and its own search – but not as often as Microsoft in our experience. Can we please lay off the various prompts for 2024, Microsoft? Because if anything, throughout 2023 they seem to have become more prevalent again.

You might also like …

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Figma fans are delighted as the design app escapes being gobbled up by Adobe
  • No Comments

After facing pressure from EU regulators, Adobe and design app Figma have agreed to mutually break up, costing the former a lucrative $ 20 billion deal.

Adobe said in a recent statement that the companies are doing this because they cannot find a “clear path to receive [the] necessary regulatory approvals from the European Commission and the UK [CMA]”, or the Competition and Market Authority. It goes on to say they both “strongly disagree” with the findings, however, they believe it’s best for everyone that they put this messy situation behind them. What’s more, Adobe will pay Figma a reverse termination fee which, according to the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), comes out to $ 1 billion.

So, what happened? Let’s break it down.

Adobe announced plans to purchase its competitor Figma for the aforementioned $ 20 billion back in September 2022 when its own UI (user interface) design platform, Adobe XD, failed. 

This move raised a lot of eyebrows from regulators. The CMA conducted an investigation into the deal earlier this year, claiming the acquisition would’ve resulted in a near-monopoly, stifling innovation in the design space. The organization then gave Adobe an ultimatum: either sell off Figma’s main product, Figma Design, or the purchase will be blocked. Adobe rejected the proposal and decided to end things on its own terms instead of fighting. 

Internet response

The response from the internet has been overwhelmingly positive – ecstatic that the acquisition is dead. On Reddit, you have comments from people breathing a sigh of relief. On TheVerge’s report, one comment exclaims that it's a Christmas miracle. And you see the same thing on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter): a ton of celebration going on. But why? 

There are multiple reasons for this animosity, but in this situation, it’s mainly because they don’t want to see Adobe get any bigger. As a poster on X points out, they already have a “monopoly on almost all design tools” with UI design being the one field they don’t have control over. Had they been allowed to buy Figma, Adobe would essentially have the whole design market in its clutches with no worthy rivals.

Analysis: Cost of doing business

People have also criticized the brand for the cost of their services. Photoshop, for example, costs $ 23 a month, roughly $ 276 for the whole year. However, if you cancel your subscription after 14 days, Adobe will charge you an early termination fee that is 50 percent of the contract’s remaining balance. Designers were worried similar pricing would be forced on Figma’s platform.

This is undoubtedly good news for users who didn’t want Adobe as the new parent company, but we’re not out of the woods yet. Figma CEO Dylan Field wanted the purchase to go through, saying he was “disappointed in the outcome”. It’s entirely possible that some other titan of the industry eventually could pick up Figma without blowback from regulators. Comments on social media say they wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft one day made a bid. It’s certainly possible.

While we have you, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best Adobe Photoshop alternatives in 2023.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Google Contacts on your Android can now show your friends’ real-time location
  • No Comments

Google has quietly added a new module to its Contacts app on Android allowing users to see the location of friends and family in real-time.

It’s worth mentioning this function has been in the works for some time now – since late May when it was leaked by industry insider Nail Sadykov on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter). It took a little while, but now you can get this feature by installing Google Contacts version 4.22.37.586680692.

According to Android Police who initially discovered this, the location-sharing banner will be powered by Google Maps, sitting between the contact options and the Contact Info section. Tapping it instantly “opens their location in [Maps]” where you can then get directions to them. Conversely, if a friend is heading towards you, you can set up notification alerts letting you know when they’ve arrived at your location.

You need to meet a couple of requirements to make this update work. First, you must have the other person’s Gmail address saved onto your copy of the app. Second, they must be actively sharing their location on Google Maps. If those two criteria are met, the banner will appear on the contact card. 

Setting up Location Sharing

Setting up the feature is easy. If you tap the profile picture on Google Maps, you will see the Location Sharing option in the menu. Select it, then hit the Share Location button on the following screen. After that, decide which of your contacts you want to share your real-time data with. Often, people will elect to temporarily show their location by picking out a time limit, but we recommend selecting “Until you turn this off” if you want people to find you. 

Google Maps' Location Sharing

(Image credit: Future)

Keep an eye out for the patch when it arrives as it may be rolling out in waves. We updated Google Contacts on our Android device, however, we didn’t see any changes. It could still be making its way to all users or we were just unlucky. 

Be sure to check out TechRadar's roundup of the 10 best Androids app of 2023 – according to Google.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Students take note: Windows 11 update reportedly has a bug that’s taking down Wi-Fi at universities
  • No Comments

Windows 11 just received a new cumulative update, but apparently Microsoft’s round of patching for December introduces a big problem for some students.

Windows Latest highlights reports from a number of students who are readers of the tech site – and universities themselves – about patch KB5033375 breaking Wi-Fi networks on campus.

Apparently, this isn’t happening to everyone by any means, but it is a serious glitch for some of those running Windows 11 who aren’t getting internet on their own laptop. As Brunel University London (UK), one of the affected unis, informs us, this isn’t happening with official university hardware, but BYOD notebooks (possibly because admins have already side-stepped the issue, perhaps?).

One theory from a system admin at a university, as Windows Latest points out, is that there may be a compatibility issue at play here (involving the Qualcomm QCA61x4a wireless adapter, and maybe others).

Another establishment to warn its students about the December update is the University of New Haven (Connecticut, US), which advises: “A recent Windows update released on 12/12/2023 has caused users to not be able to connect to the wireless networks. This update is known as KB5033375.”

Other reports are present on Reddit, with students in European countries being affected, and the issue seemingly pertaining to other Qualcomm wireless adapters.

Analysis: Update removal seems to be the only way forward, for now

In fairness to the December update, it does contain some useful fixes, including the solution to a longstanding problem with File Explorer randomly popping up on the desktop.

However, if you’re at university, any potential plus points here are likely to be outweighed by the danger of not being able to get on Wi-Fi, which is a nasty problem indeed.

A commonality here seems to be Qualcomm components, and the above mentioned Qualcomm QCA61x4a wireless adapter is a commonly used piece of hardware seen in notebooks such as the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3, Lenovo Yoga models, and many other laptops besides.

This problem also affects some business users, but for students, the only realistic way of resolving the bug is to uninstall the update, as the universities in question are recommending. (To do this, go to Windows Update in Settings, and click to view the Update History – that shows all the updates installed, and you can remove KB5033375 from here).

Hopefully Microsoft is looking into this one, and we’ve contacted the software giant to check if there’s an investigation underway. We’ll update this article if we hear anything back as to what’s going on here.

You might also like…

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Windows 11 bug that made some users wrongly suspect they’d been hacked has finally been fixed – but it took Microsoft over a year
  • No Comments

Microsoft has fixed a bug in Windows 11 that has been hanging around forever, pretty much – or for over a year anyway.

In fact, as Windows Latest observes, it took Microsoft fifteen months to fix the problem with File Explorer whereby it would simply pop into the foreground with no warning.

In other words, you might be busy working away at some task or other and File Explorer suddenly appears on top of all your other windows, for absolutely no reason.

An odd problem indeed, but we’re told that the cure is packaged up in the latest update for Windows 11. That’s the recently released cumulative update for December, also known as patch KB5033375.

Microsoft notes: “This update addresses an issue that affects File Explorer windows. When you do not expect them, they appear in the foreground.”

The bug seems to happen randomly on affected PCs, and worse still, Windows Latest says that it can occur on a roughly hourly basis in some scenarios, which is way too regularly for our liking.

Analysis: False hacking suspicions

The thing about this bug is that it isn’t just a distraction or annoyance, but more than this, it may make some Windows 11 users wrongly suspect that they’ve been hacked. After all, your PC doing things of its own accord, when you’re not touching the keyboard or the mouse perhaps, is a sign of potential compromise – and certainly a freaky thing to experience if nothing else.

In this respect, the File Explorer bug may have caused some undue worry on the part of those experiencing it, who may have been running virus scans and all sorts of other carry-on, imagining that there could be a potential breach of security on their system somewhere.

It’s good that this is fixed, but it should never take more than a year for a problem to be banished from Windows 11. There have certainly been some relieved users we’ve seen on the likes of Reddit rejoicing that this gremlin in the works has finally been dealt with, while scratching their heads at just how long it took Microsoft to untangle this one.

You might also like…

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Here’s how Apple could be selling the Vision Pro in stores
  • No Comments

We're still not sure when the Apple Vision Pro is going to go on sale, but when it does start appearing in Apple Stores, it looks like it's going to come with its own dedicated display stand that shows off the mixed reality headset from all angles.

That's according to an intellectual property database filing discovered by a MacRumors contributor, and it comes with diagrams attached. The headset will apparently be positioned in mid-air, much as it was at its launch event.

The separate battery pack will be placed at the base of the Vision Pro stand, though not hidden away from view, and it appears that there are going to be two Apple Vision Pro headsets for each display mat in the store.

That's just about all we can glean from this filing, but it's interesting to get a glimpse of what Apple is planning – as it attempts to get shoppers to part with the $ 3,499 (about £2,760 / AU$ 5,225) required to get hold of one of these devices.

What's in store

All Apple has said in terms of a release date is “early next year”. Those in the know suggest that could mean January, but other reports have suggested it might be March. Training is apparently scheduled for Apple Store employees on how to demo the device.

While some flagship Apple Stores are expected to have hands-on areas where you can test out the Apple Vision Pro, that's unlikely to be the case at every outlet. However, it might be the case that buyers have to call into a store in order to purchase the headset.

That's because the headband, light seal, and prescription lenses (if required) all need to be specifically configured for each person. Don't be surprised if Apple lets you order the Vision Pro online but then tells you to go to a store to get it.

The high price and limited availability point to a piece of hardware that Apple isn't expecting to sell in huge numbers – but this is definitely the start of something big for the company, with rumors about future Apple Vision Pro headsets already swirling.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

The Meta Quest 3 doesn’t beat my 4K TV for Xbox gaming, but I don’t care – I love it
  • No Comments

After Thursday’s surprise Xbox Cloud Gaming launch on the Meta Quest 3, I've spent most (read: too much) of my evenings trying the service out. And while it doesn’t hold a candle to my more traditional 4K TV and console setup from a technical perspective, its portability more than makes up for that.

For the uninitiated, Xbox Cloud Gaming is basically Netflix for video games. For a monthly fee of $ 16.99 / £12.99 / AU$ 18.95, you can stream titles from a massive catalog of content to your phone, PC, Xbox console, and now Meta Quest 3, Quest 2, and Quest Pro. The advantage, of course, is you don’t need super powerful hardware to play the latest games – they’re run on high-end machines many hundreds (maybe thousands) of miles away and just use your device as a screen and a relay for your controller inputs.

When playing in the real world, you’re limited to the size of your TV, phone screen, or computer monitor. In VR, you can enjoy playing these games on a gigantic virtual display – with the size becoming especially apparent when using the Quest 3’s mixed-reality mode. The Large and Extra-large screen options were bigger than any TV I’ve seen before – even the ridiculous displays shown off at tech trade shows – and it made me feel like I was gaming in my own private movie theater.

My view as I play Xbox games on my Quest 3 while all cozy in bed. The screen floats in front of me while I hold a white Xbox controller.

This screenshot doesn’t do the virtual screen size justice (Image credit: Future / Hamish Hector)

The trade-off is the graphics quality leaves something to be desired. Xbox Cloud Gaming can apparently stream 1080p (full-HD) at 60fps gameplay – but I’m certain the quality I experienced wasn’t this high. That's most likely due to a combination of the Quest 3’s display specs, my internet connection throttling the app’s abilities, and the gigantic virtual screen not giving visual blemishes anywhere to hide; instead blowing them up to make them more noticeable than ever.

Head in the cloud

Yet, when I lay in bed wearing my Quest 3 with the virtual display floating on the ceiling above me using mixed reality, I was still utterly lost in Starfield until the early hours of the morning. I only stopped when my headset alerted me that its charge was low and I realized it was well past 2 am.

This portability – to be able to play anywhere with a strong enough internet connection – is why cloud gaming in VR succeeds. You can play in bed, during your commute, at a coffee shop while waiting for your friends, or pretty much anywhere you can think of. Yes, you can stream Xbox titles to your phone, too, but the display is small, and the experience just isn’t as immersive as the virtual screen that wraps around you.

To this end, the VR headset is starting to borrow elements of the many AR glasses I’ve tested over the past year – the likes of the Xreal Air 2 or Rokid Max – and I’m pretty darn excited about it. These AR specs connect to a compatible phone, laptop, or games console using a USB-C adapter and virtually project the screen in front of you.

The Xreal Air 2 Pro AR smart glasses next to the Xreal Beam hub, they're both on a wooden table in front of a brick wall

The Xreal Air 2 Pro AR smart glasses and Beam (Image credit: Future)

The clear advantage of the Quest hardware is it’s more than just a wearable projector – it’s a whole spatial computer in its own right that can do incredible things without any external hardware. What’s more, while the Quest 3 is pricier on paper – by about $ 100 / £100 / AU$ 150 depending on the glasses – once you factor in the need to buy a few not-so-optional add-ons to get the most out of AR specs, the cost difference is negligible (the Quest 3 might even end up being cheaper). Not to mention that you get far more bang for your buck from a VR headset.

While going fully wireless has advantages, having tried Xbox Cloud Gaming I’m now even more desperate for Meta’s VR hardware to start supporting wired connections to a greater range of devices. I’d love to use a Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and other gadgets in a similarly immersive way without needing to splash out on AR specs. Hopefully, such features will be added to the Quest platform in the not-too-distant future.

Some work is needed 

Before Meta works on adding these capabilities, though, I’d like it and Microsoft to make a few updates to the Xbox Cloud Gaming app. Considering this app was announced over a year ago at Meta Connect 2022, I’m surprised it’s so basic and lacking a few features that feel like no-brainers.

The first is an easy way to position the screen. From what I can tell, the only virtual display controls within the app are the size options. If you want to move the screen to a different position – which is essential for playing lying down – you need to first press the Oculus button to open up your quick menu bar. Then, when you grab the bar to move it, the Xbox screen will move with it.

This workaround is effective but not intuitive; I stumbled into it completely by accident.

The second is an emulator so the Quest handsets can double as an Xbox controller. Admittedly, this may be tough, as the controllers are almost identical, but the Quest controllers lack the D-Pad and third menu button. Even if this emulated controller is only compatible with a small selection of titles, it would offer users a great way to test out Cloud Gaming before they invest in a wireless Xbox controller (they aren’t massively expensive, but they aren’t cheap either – they’re pricier than most VR games).

Lastly, it would be helpful if there was an in-app way to see how stable your connection is, see what resolution and framerate you’re getting, and choose if you want to optimize for graphics or performance. 

All that said, despite its deficiencies, the Xbox Cloud Gaming app is a must-try – especially for those with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and compatible controller already. While I’ll still spend a lot of time gaming on my TV, I can honestly see this VR app becoming one of my most used in 2024. It might even convince me to start taking my Quest 3 with me everywhere so I can game on the go.

You Might Also Like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Strava’s Year in Sport is rolling out now – it’s like Spotify Wrapped for your activities
  • No Comments

It's not just the music streaming services that offer users an annual recap these days, because Strava has pushed out its own Year in Sport – a recap of everything you've been logging on the app throughout the course of 2023.

The caveat is that you have to be a paying subscriber to see your highlights for the entire year (prices start at $ 11.99 / £8.99 / AU$ 14.99). Full details of the recap are here (via 9to5Google), and you need to open up the Strava app for Android or iOS app to get to your recap. You can also scan this QR code.

“The Year In Sport summary is a highly personalized report for Strava athletes that highlights fun data insights, meaningful social engagements, and stand-out moments from this past year,” says Strava.

Strava has posted on Instagram to give you some idea of what you can expect from your Year in Sport: the total time you spent doing activities, for example, the total distance you covered, and more along those lines.

Year in Sport Awards 2023

Strava has also announced the winners of its Year in Sport Awards for 2023, recognition for the athletes, creators and clubs that have “stood out from the crowd and motivated us to keep moving” during the course of the year.

Those recognized include cyclist Demi Vollering, who triumphed at the Tour de France Femmes, the Ardennes classics, and the Dutch National Road Race Championships. Another female cyclist, Teniel Campbell, gets Trailblazer of the Year.

The fastest known time on Mont Blanc, logged by runner and 'skyracer' Hillary Gerardi, gets Activity of the Year 2023. According to Strava, it may never be bettered: 20 miles (32.6 kilometers) covered in 7 hours, 25 minutes, and 28 seconds.

There's also a nod to Strava user Frédéric de Lanouvelle and his daughter Mathilde in the Artist of the Year category: they drew a giant heart across France via their cycling activities, GPS, and the location recording tools inside Strava.

You might also like

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Hidden feature in Windows 11 suggests we could get the ability to uninstall AI components – and maybe even Copilot eventually?
  • No Comments

Windows 11 often has incoming changes hidden away behind the scenes of the operating system, and another of these has just been spotted – and it’s a big one pertaining to AI.

Windows Central stumbled upon a tweet by regular leaker PhantomOfEarth on X, who has been digging around in Windows 11 preview build 26016 (in the Canary channel).

See more

PhantomOfEarth discovered a Settings page for AI Components which, as mentioned, is hidden, but can be turned on using a Windows configuration tool (ViVeTool).

This lists system components related to AI functionality, although it doesn’t do anything when enabled (unsurprisingly, it’s tucked away in the background for a reason – namely it doesn’t work yet).

The leaker also found strings related to the page, with one of those being: “View and remove AI components that are installed on Windows.”

So, it seems that this panel in Settings (under System) will allow you not only to view any AI-related system components, but also uninstall them if you wish.

Analysis: A necessary choice?

The AI components listed in the screenshot provided by PhantomOfEarth include Windows Security, the Microsoft Store, Phone Link and Xbox Game Bar – suggesting maybe that these will be furnished with AI extras at some point? Or they could just be placeholders, which is probably a more likely story – though we can certainly see the Microsoft Store, for example, getting augmented with AI (that suggests apps you might like based on the usage of your PC, or past downloads).

The latter brings up a point that may worry some Windows 11 users, namely privacy and exactly what AI might be doing in terms of profiling you, and building up a more in-depth picture of your likes, dislikes and so on, extrapolating from that. We should note at this point that this discussion is entirely theoretical, of course, but the general point is that some folks won’t want AI in their operating system – either for privacy reasons, or because they don’t trust it, perhaps.

It makes sense, then, that Microsoft will cater for those who want to remove AI abilities and provide these uninstallation options. Not that the presence of this Settings page in testing means anything yet – it could be scrapped in preview. Indeed, it isn’t even present in preview builds yet, it’s hidden in the background.

That brings us to another point – it’s very early work on this feature. The likelihood is that a wider swathe of AI functionality – and these options – won’t fully debut until next-gen Windows is released. (That’ll be next year, in theory, although we’re still not sure whether this will be Windows 12 – though whatever the case, big plans are afoot for AI, going by the latest rumors).

An interesting observation Windows Central makes here is that we don’t know how far AI uninstallation capabilities will reach – and whether that might include getting rid of Copilot? Yes, Copilot is in the cloud right now (so not on your PC anyway, or at least its ‘brain’ isn’t, only the interface), but Microsoft seemingly has plans to make the AI local – and if so, it’s possible that it could be made removable.

We doubt it, mind you, seeing as Copilot is such a central aspect of the OS – but at least some components relating to AI should be viable for uninstallation if this new finding is anything to go by.

You might also like…

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More