(Pocket-lint) – With huge numbers of us now working from home and spending more time in the house, there’s never been a time when you need to call colleagues or friends.
Secret WhatsApp tips and tricks you might not know about
There are a few stand-out examples that offer instant messaging and video chat as well as numerous other features. Every app is available across multiple platforms, with the exception of Apple’s FaceTime that is restricted to Apple devices.
Our guide to the best video calling apps
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Messenger
Best for Facebook devotees
Facebook recently worked to streamline Messenger, which has been separate from the main Facebook app for several years now. Messenger is used by many individuals and businesses for communication and you can even use it without a Facebook account.
You can video or voice chat with an individual or a group very easily. Need to know how to use it for video calling? Check out: How to video call on Facebook Messenger
Messenger also has recently announced Messenger Rooms, a way to join group video calls with up to 50 people – yes, it’s like Zoom or Skype.
Facebook’s Messenger Rooms: The Zoom-like video calling feature explained
WhatsApp
WhatsApp
Best for small group calls – up to eight people
Facebook-owned WhatsApp may be second to Messenger in North America, but globally it is massive. As of early 2020 the app said it has over two billion users worldwide which is quite an incredible reach for an app that started as a paid-for premium offering.
WhatsApp’s strength is that it is easy to make new chats and search for messages in the past. You can also see when messages are received and read and it’s just great with pictures.
It can be used for video and voice calls. You can start a call with one individual and then add other participants easily. The limit on group video calls is now eight.
How to make WhatsApp group voice and video calls
Apple
FaceTime
Best for Apple-to-Apple calls
We don’t know how many users FaceTime video has, but it’s massive between Apple users and you can easily flip back and forth between video and voice.
Of course, being Apple-only is a disadvantage not shared by any of the other apps here but it is available across both iOS and macOS.
As well as individual calls, you can now easily make a Group FaceTime call – if everyone you’re talking to is on an Apple device, it’s mega easy to sort out.
How to make a Group FaceTime video call
Zoom
Zoom
Best for large group/workplace video conferencing (and for the tiled view)
Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing service you can use to virtually meet with others – either by video or audio-only or both, all while conducting live chats – and it lets you record those sessions to view later.
A Zoom Meeting is a video conferencing meeting that’s hosted using Zoom while a Zoom Room is physical hardware that companies can install in meeting rooms.
What is Zoom and how does it work? Plus tips and tricks
One of the best features is the tiled view, so you can have everybody on screen at the same time – even if you have tens of participants.
If you want to know if you’re in good company when using Zoom, you are: over half of Fortune 500 companies reportedly used Zoom in 2019.
Zoom meeting passwords explained: Why are they now on by default?
WhatsApp
Google Meet
Best for G Suite (Google apps) users
While Google Duo (below) is more of a one-to-one solution, Google Meet is Google’s option for video calling and sits alongside Google Chat. It does have a separate app, but most people who use it are customers of Google’s G Suite, which is basically Gmail, Calendar and Docs but for business.
You can start meetings from Gmail or Google Calendar and you can video chat with individuals, conference or just text chat.
As of 4 May 2020, Google made Google Meet free to anyone with a Google account – this will last until the end of September 2020 at present.
What is Google Meet Chat, how do they work, and when can you use them?
Skype
Skype
Best for cross-device calling across PCs, Macs and mobile devices
Microsoft-owned Skype remains one of the most ubiquitous ways to make a video call and as such it’s a good option just because so many people have it. As well as PC and Mac, it’s also available for iOS and Android of course.
And you can even now access it via a web browser and also set up instant meetings with people who don’t have an account using Skype Meet Now. The group calling feature is also really powerful.
As in Zoom, you can also change your Skype background.
It also integrates nicely with Office 365 and if you use this for work you’ll be familiar with Skype for Business.
How to use Skype: A beginner’s guide for complete Skype novices
Pocket-lint
Slack
Best for perpetual office chat and one-to-one calling
Slack is a little different to the competition as it’s more of an open platform. It works as a central place for communication that pulls in third-party apps to make it work.
It’s meant for team communication – we use it here at Pocket-lint – and is a great way to share files (it also integrates with Google Drive or Dropbox). The free version enables you to make calls but only one-to-one; you need a paid subscription to call a group (and it’s expensive). It’s also been redesigned recently to make it easier to use.
Another great feature of Slack is its ability to search entire conversations for certain words so finding what’s been talked about is easy. The app is iOS and Android friendly and autocompletes friends’ names making tagging them simple.
What is Slack and how does it work? Plus plenty of Slack tips and tricks
Google/Pocket-lint
Google Duo
A WhatsApp alternative for easy calling between devices
Relatively recently brought out by Google, Duo is free to use, enables one-to-one video and voice calls and it works across both iOS and Android devices – unlike Apple’s FaceTime. It’s primarily an app for consumers rather than business – Google Hangouts is Google’s work calling solution.
It relies on your number, lets you reach people in your phone’s contacts list, offers end-to-end encryption, and has nifty features like Knock Knock, which allows you see live video of your caller before you answer.
What is Google Duo? What you need to know about Google’s video and voice call app
Pocket-lint
Viber
The best Skype alternative
Viber is a comprehensive alternative to Skype. It was primarily a service for calling directly between devices, but it now also has WhatsApp style chat and can be used to share files.
One of the great things about Viber is how widely available it is across platforms including Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Windows 8, Mac and more. That means video calling across devices or chatting using IM with emoticons should be seamless and simple. Plus it’s all free.
Pocket-lint
WeChat
Another great Skype alternative
WeChat is being hailed as the one-stop-shop alternative to most communication apps. It’s like combining text, Skype, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram into one app.
WeChat enables you to share photos and videos directly with other users or they can be posted to their profile, like the Facebook wall. Another feature, called Shake, allows users to find others nearby to chat locally.
WeChat also allows voice chat, group chat, video chat and emoticon sharing. And it’s all free to download.
What is two-factor authentication and why should you use it? Plus how to enable for Apple, Google and more
AMD announced a new update to 1.1.9.0 AGESA code for Ryzen 5000 platforms that offers improved fabric overclocking stability and supports Windows 10’s s0i3 sleep state. The update also adds support for passively-cooled X570 motherboards. The new AGESA code will come as future BIOS/UEFI updates for Ryzen 5000 series motherboards.
AMD has enhanced fabric overclocking support to improve stability with 1800-2000 MHz fabric clocks. That’s a nice jump over the typical limit of 1600 MHz. This expanded support will allow users to run their higher-clocked memory, like DDR4-3800 and DDR4-4000, in the 1:1:1 mode that offers the lowest latency (and thus best performance in most apps).
This is the first time we’ve heard of expanded support for passively-cooled X570 motherboards. Most current X570 boards need either active or liquid cooling (the only exception being the Gigabyte X570 Extreme and Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero) to keep the chipset from overheating (largely thought to be due to the more power-hungry PCIe Gen 4.0 interface). AMD hasn’t shared details of the expanded passive cooling support, but it could consist of new power states that allow the chipset to operate at a lower TDP while still maintaining performance targets.
AGESA 1.1.9.0 also adds support for S0i3 in Windows 10. As part of Window’s ‘Modern Standby’ feature, S0i3 is a sleep state that debuted in the same time frame as Intel’s 4th Gen Haswell CPUs several years ago. This enhancement to the standard S3 sleep state enables faster wake up times and allows the computer to run in a ‘system standby mode’ so you can receive notifications even when the PC was in sleep mode.
So far, there is no word yet on when AMD’s new AGESA code will be to new BIOS’s for current X570 motherboards.
This is looking like a big year for Samsung TVs. Having somewhat trodden water in 2020, the company appears to be striding forward in 2021, with highlights that include consumer MicroLED models, ‘Neo QLEDs’ with astonishingly small Mini LEDs, and a new version of the One Connect box that can be attached to the TV’s pedestal stand.
Samsung has so far delivered the information on its 2021 TVs in the form of hours of video presentations, rather than a complete and concise list of models and the features of each. That means there are still gaps in what we currently know but, by piecing together the various snippets of information, we think we’ve got a fairly good handle on what’s coming from Samsung TVs in the next few months.
Samsung announces 2021 ‘Neo QLED’ TVs with Mini LED backlight tech
Certainly, the new technologies and features have been fairly well outlined, and you’ll find info on those if you scroll down just a smidge. Below that, we’ve attempted to divine the model lineup. There’s a lot of info there, but there’s more that needs adding and clarifying, which we will do over time as Samsung releases the details.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, a quick overview of 2021 model designations: 2021 appears to be year ‘A’ for Samsung, whereas 2020 was year ‘T’ (as in ‘Q70T’) and 2019 was ‘R’ (as in Q70R). You can therefore expect QLED model numbers to end in an ‘A’ (Q70A, for example), and LCD models to have one before their series designation (e.g. ‘AU8000’).
Finally, you’ll also see an ‘N’ in some QLED model numbers – ‘QN85A’, for example. We believe this denotes the Neo QLED (i.e. Mini LED) models from those that utilise standard LED backlights.
Samsung MicroLED TV
(Image credit: Samsung)
While Samsung has been talking about MicroLED for quite some time now, 2021 will finally see the launch of consumer models.
For the unfamiliar, MicroLED is a next-gen TV technology that essentially takes the best qualities of OLED and removes more or less all of its shortcomings. Like OLED, each pixel is self-emissive, so one can be completely black while those next to it can be bright white or a vibrant colour, creating incredible contrast.
MicroLEDs can actually go much brighter than OLEDs, though, theoretically resulting in even more spectacular contrast. Samsung is quoting a peak brightness rating of 2000 nits in regard to this new MicroLED TV, which makes it around twice as bright as even the best OLEDs. What’s more, unlike OLED TVs, which use organic materials (‘OLED’ stands for ‘Organic Light Emitting Diode’), MicroLEDs are inorganic, so don’t degrade and can’t suffer from image retention or burn-in.
The new consumer MicroLED TV, for which we don’t yet have an official model number, measures an absolutely huge 110 inches on the diagonal and comes pre-assembled as a complete flatscreen TV; unlike the commercial MicroLEDs, which come as smaller modules that can be assembled in various configurations.
Interestingly, given its huge size and next-gen credentials, this new consumer MicroLED TV boasts ‘only’ a 4K resolution. That’s because the size of the individual MicroLEDs (each of which represents a single pixel, remember) means there are physical limitations to pixel density (how many pixels can be crammed into each inch of screen). In other words, MicroLEDs will have to get even smaller before MicroLED TVs become available at smaller sizes with higher resolutions.
Of course, what you really want to know is how much Samsung’s new consumer MicroLED costs. Unfortunately, there’s no official word on that yet (we have asked), but Business Korea claims that it’s expected to be priced over 100-million won, which translates to roughly £70,000 ($90,000, AU$125,000).
Neo QLEDs with Mini LED backlighting
(Image credit: Samsung)
While MicroLED remains the preserve of the super-rich for now, Samsung is bringing Mini LED tech to its premium QLEDs, which it refers to as ‘Neo QLEDs’.
Samsung explains that the majority of a typical LED’s size is made up of its protective packaging and light-guiding lens, both of which it’s done away with for its so-called ‘New LEDs’. Not only that, it’s also miniaturised the LEDs themselves, to quite astonishing effect.
As part of a video presentation, Samsung demonstrated to us the degree of difference by putting a petri dish containing 100 traditional backlight LEDs next to another containing its New LEDs. The traditional LEDs are big and clear, filling their dish, while the New LEDs genuinely look like nothing more than sparkly grains of sand. Samsung says the New LEDs are a fortieth the size of traditional LEDs, but even that doesn’t convey how incredibly tiny they appear.
Instead of a lens, Samsung’s New LED backlights use a new ‘micro layer’ that guides the light through the quantum dots (which provide the set’s colours). The result is apparently no light leakage or blooming, and because the New LEDs are so much smaller, significantly more of them can be packed in – one slide we saw referred to “ten-times greater density”. Given that Samsung’s top 2020 model, the Q950TS, is said to have around 500 dimming zones (Samsung doesn’t publish specific numbers), we’re potentially talking about around 5000 zones for these Neo QLEDs.
Of course, Samsung isn’t the first TV brand to utilise Mini LEDs, but the company claims that its are the smallest and most precise out there – mind you, that was before LG announced its own Mini LED TVs.
New Quantum Processor
Of no surprise at all is that Samsung is introducing a new processor for its 2021 TVs. This new quantum processor brings with it, among other things, more precise dimming and a local power distribution feature that sends power to the brightest areas of the picture and away from the darker parts. It also works in conjunction with a sensor integrated into the TV’s frame to adjust brightness and contrast in response to ambient lighting conditions.
In Samsung’s 2021 8K TVs (we’re not yet sure if this also applies to the 4K models), the quantum processor also utilises something that Samsung calls ‘Multi-Intelligence Deep Learning’ to improve upscaling. The company explains that in 2020 its deep learning produced a single neural network, but in 2021 the system can produce up to 16 neural networks that enhance resolution and overall video quality. Essentially, it seems that each of the neural networks specialises in a different area of picture quality, then a Neural Analyser selects the most appropriate for the specific content being played.
Extension of Object-Tracking Sound (OTS)
(Image credit: Samsung)
Samsung introduced Object-Tracking Sound with last year’s QLEDs, but this year it’s being expanded, both in terms of the models it covers and the number of speakers involved.
There are now four versions of OTS, with the new OTS Lite at the bottom and OTS Pro at the top. Each version differs in terms of the number of speakers involved.
OTS Lite consists of two physical speakers at the bottom and two ‘virtual speakers’ that provide height. It’s available on the most premium LCD models. The standard version of OTS adds physical speakers to the top of the set, OTS+ adds side-firing speakers, and OTS Pro adds extra tweeters, taking the complete speaker array up to a total of 6.2.2 channels.
Every version of OTS is designed to fill a room as much as possible and provide three-dimensional tracking of effects, very much along the lines of virtualised Dolby Atmos. Some models (we’re not yet sure which) also feature something called ‘SpaceFit’, which appears to be an enhanced version of the company’s existing Adaptive Sound tech that adapts audio performance to the TV’s surroundings.
All models also appear to feature Active Voice Amplifier, which is designed to actively detect external noise and boost the volume of the voice track so that dialogue is more audible, and Q Symphony, which allows the TV’s speakers to work in conjunction with a connected Samsung soundbar – and there’ll be a whole new range of those in 2021, too.
Design and One Connect
This image shows the new One Connect attached to the rear of the pedestal stand (Image credit: Samsung)
Like many of us humans, Samsung’s TVs appear to be on a slimness drive in 2021. The top 8K models were already just 15mm thick, so it’s little surprise that they’re not getting any slimmer, but all of the 4K models mentioned have a thickness of 2.5cm. That represents a 1cm reduction in thickness for the top QN90A (compared with the Q90T), and a slimming-down of over 3cm for lower models such as the Q70A and Q60A QLEDs and the AU9000 LCD.
If your pockets are deep enough for the flagship QN900A 8K model, you’ll also get Samsung’s Infinity Screen, which is an essentially bezel-less, edge-to-edge display, as seen with 2020’s Q950TS.
We were worried about the future of Samsung’s One Connect system, which sees all connections (and even power) routed through an external processing box that can be placed out of sight, but Samsung is in fact launching a new version of One Connect for 2021. The big news is that the new One Connect box is significantly smaller and slimmer than the one it replaces, to the extent that it can be attached to the rear of the stand if required.
Those who are wall-mounting (or who simply want to move cable-clutter as far away from the display as possible) can still place the new unit on a separate shelf or in a cupboard, and its new shape and size should make it far easier to find a home for.
The 2021 One Connect will be available on the QN95A 4K set and, we believe, all 8K models.
Gaming features
(Image credit: Samsung)
Samsung’s long been at the forefront of gaming TV tech, and that looks set to continue in 2021. 4K@120Hz is supported on all models from the Q70A and up, VRR support includes Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM and HGiG are both supported, and input lag is said to be down to just 9.8ms.
Interestingly, Samsung is also promising support for 4K@120Hz on its AU8000 and AU9000 LCD models, even though they feature 60Hz panels. The company’s calling this technology ‘Motion Xcelerator Turbo’, but it’s not yet clear how it works beyond Samsung saying that it allows the models to refresh twice as fast. These models are getting AMD FreeSync certification, though – that’s apparently a first for a 60Hz TV.
What also isn’t clear is how many Ultra High Speed HDMI (aka HDMI 2.1) sockets the 2021 models have. Samsung’s 2020 sets had just one, whereas LG’s OLEDs boast four. It only currently makes a difference for 4K@120Hz signals but we’d like to see Samsung close the gap here so that those lucky enough to have both the PS5 and Xbox Series X (and/or a high-end gaming PC) can take full advantage.
On top of all of that, Samsung is introducing something it’s calling ‘Super Ultrawide Gameview’, which allows you to force the TV into ultra-wide aspect ratios, essentially simulating the experience of using an ultra-wide gaming monitor. This obviously involves big black bars filling in the screen’s unused display area, so we’re not sure how appealing it will really be, but time will tell.
Smart features
(Image credit: Samsung)
The Tizen smart platform itself seems to have changed very little, but that’s no bad thing – it was already the best in the business in terms of its app offering and usability.
That said, Samsung has seen its way to offer some pandemic-friendly features such as Google Duo for video calls and a Smart Trainer app, which appears to be an extension of the existing Samsung Health platform. Taking full advantage of either involves buying an optional video camera, which can track you around the room in the vein of Facebook Portal.
Samsung is also extending its Multi-View feature, which allows you to display multiple sources at once in a split-screen format. It’s going to be available on all models from AU9000 upwards, with 4K models supporting two windows and 8K models support four.
Best smart TVs
Samsung 2021 TV range breakdown
So that’s the overview of the technology behind Samsung’s 2021 TV range, but what about specific models? The company hasn’t supplied a full breakdown, but we’ve listed every model specifically mentioned in the video briefings we’ve had and attempted to establish which features each one gets.
On top of that, the Czech Samsung website briefly leaked a number of product details (thanks, FlatpanelsHD).
In short, while there are still some gaps in what we know, and some details should be taken with a pinch of salt at this stage, we’ve got a good idea of the range breakdown. You’ll find all the information we have below, and we’ll update this section with more details (including pricing and availability) as they become available.
Samsung QN900A 8K Neo QLED TV
Samsung’s very top QLED model for 2021 (at least as far as we know) is the QN900A (though according to leaks, it could yet be the QNA900). This is, of course, an 8K model, and it features the new LED backlight.
Design-wise, it boasts the edge-to-edge Infinity Screen and a super-low profile 4mm pedestal stand, to which the new One Connect box can be attached. It’s just 15mm thick, and the three-degree lean of the outgoing Q950TS has gone – this model stands straight up.
Samsung QN900A specs:
Display type: Neo QLED
Resolution: 8K
Sizes: 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch
One Connect: Yes
Sound: OTS Pro
4K@120Hz: Yes
Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle: Yes
Anti-Reflective Panel: Yes
Samsung QN800A 8K Neo QLED TV
This step-down 8K model, the QN800A (or perhaps QNA800), appears to be the same as the QN900A above but without the Infinity Screen and with a sonic downgrade from OTS Pro to OTS+. It’s still just 15mm thick.
Display type: Neo QLED
Resolution: 8K
Sizes: 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch
One Connect: Yes
Sound: OTS+
4K@120Hz: Yes
Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle: Yes
Anti-Reflective Panel: Yes
Samsung QN700A 8K Neo QLED TV
The QN700A (or QNA700) appears to be Samsung’s entry-level 8K model for 2021. We don’t know much about this one, but it seems it might be missing the Ultra Viewing Angle tech of the models above and isn’t as slim.
Display type: Neo QLED
Resolution: 8K
Sizes: TBC
One Connect: Yes
Sound: TBC
4K@120Hz: Yes
Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle: TBC
Anti-Reflective Panel: Yes
Samsung QN95A 4K Neo QLED TV
Samsung’s top 4K model wasn’t included in any of the video briefings but was mentioned in correspondence with Samsung when discussing One Connect. It’s also included in the Czech Samsung leak, where the model number appears as QNA95. While we can’t say for sure, our assumption is that this will be identical to the QN90A below, but with the addition of One Connect.
One interesting point to note is that the Czech Samsung leak suggests both this and the QN90A will be available in a 50-inch size. No previous version of the Q90/Q95 has been available below 55 inches. Perhaps this is an effort by Samsung to offer a rival to the new 48-inch OLEDs.
The replacement for the Q90T, the QN90A (or QNA90) boasts Samsung’s new mini LED-based backlight, a depth measurement of just 25mm (that makes it 10mm thinner than its predecessor), and a 4mm thick metal pedestal stand with integrated cable management. We believe it will be identical to the QN95A, only without the One Connect box.
The step-down 4K model, the QN85A (or QNA85) for 2021 does without the Ultra Viewing Angle tech of the models above, but it does retain the Anti-Reflective Panel. It’s also just 25mm thick and has a stand with a 4mm bottom plate, although here it connects to the main chassis via a stalk or neck.
If previous models are anything to go by, the QN85A will probably have fewer dimming zones and lower peak brightness than the QN90A, but Samsung is yet to confirm this.
This Q80A model has only been mentioned in passing (and was included in the Czech Samsung leak, as QA80) so we don’t know a huge amount about it, but what you will notice is that it doesn’t have an ‘N’ in its model number. This is because it’s likely not a ‘Neo’ model – i.e. it will use the same type of LEDs in its backlight as last year’s models, rather than the new Mini LEDs.
The Q70A (or QA70) appears towards the bottom of Samsung’s 2021 QLED range, but it still boasts a 25mm-thick design and native support for 4K@120Hz. Samsung’s video presentation included images of it and the Q60A mounted on a variety of different stands, including a central pedestal/neck, a plate with two legs, and feet that can be placed at different widths and even raised to accommodate a soundbar, but it’s not clear which stand comes in the box with which model.
Display type: QLED
Resolution: 4K
Sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch
One Connect: No
Sound: TBC
4K@120Hz: Yes
Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle: No
Anti-Reflective Panel: No
Samsung Q60A 4K QLED TV
Samsung’s entry-level QLED model, the Q60A or QA60, will, according to the Czech leak, be available in more sizes than any other, and is the only one that comes in a 43-inch version. We don’t know a huge amount else about it, other than it’s also just 25mm thick and that it lacks native 4K@120Hz support (although it may still support such signals using the company’s new Motion Xcelerator Turbo tech).
4K@120Hz: No (Motion Xcelerator Turbo support TBC)
Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle: No
Anti-Reflective Panel: No
Samsung AU9000 4K LCD TV
Samsung’s top LCD model, the AU9000 (or perhaps UA9000) obviously lacks the quantum dots of its QLED siblings, but it seems to be pretty well-specced otherwise.
For starters, it boasts what Samsung is calling an ‘AirSlim’ design, which results in a depth measurement if just 25mm. The company’s achieved this by developing a new backlight structure with almost no gap between the LEDs and LCDs, and by utilising physically smaller video and power components.
As mentioned above, the new Motion Xcelerator Turbo tech adds support for 4K@120Hz despite the set’s native refresh rate being 60Hz. It also gets OTS Lite, which apparently adds two virtual speakers that add height to the sound produced by the two physical speakers along the bottom.
4K@120Hz: Native 60Hz with Motion Xcelerator Turbo support
Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle: No
Anti-Reflective Panel: No
Samsung AU8000 4K LCD TV
It’s not at all clear at this stage how the AU8000 (or UA8000) differs from the AU9000 above. We know that it features the same AirSlim design, and it appears to feature Motion Xcelerator Turbo and OTS Lite. It may come down to the processor, number of dimming zones or even just the finish. We’ll update when we get more information from Samsung.
Display type: LCD
Resolution: 4K
Sizes: TBC
One Connect: No
Sound: OTS Lite
4K@120Hz: Native 60Hz with Motion Xcelerator Turbo support
Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle: No
Anti-Reflective Panel: No
Samsung AU7000 4K LCD TV
This model number appeared fleetingly in one of Samsung’s video presentations, but we know nothing about it other than it exists (and could yet be the UA7000!). Again, we’ll update when we have more.
A recent beta update for Steam has added new features for gamers using Xbox controllers. One of the more interesting additions is for Xbox Elite controller users, who can now use Valve’s software to bind the accessory’s rear paddles in controller configurations. The feature gives players more flexibility with how to use the extra inputs on the premium controller.
Other updates for Xbox controllers include the ability to bind the Series X gamepad’s share button in controller configurations, and the ability to use more than four Xbox controllers with Steam at a time. Support for trigger rumble has also been added for games using the Windows.Gaming.Input API.
The Steam beta client also includes a new drop down menu for PS5 controller users, which lets them customize the controller’s LED. It can now be permanently enabled or disabled, or else enabled only when multiple controllers are connected. The update also adds support for the Wooting Two keyboard, which has features like analog key input.
For now, these new features are only available in Steam’s beta client, which you can opt into by going into the Settings menu, selecting Account, and using the drop-down menu in the Beta participation section. The Xbox controller features will also need to be enabled in the General Controller Setting section of Steam’s settings, and require a driver to be installed.
It has been known for some time that the days of Adobe’s Flash are numbered. After various browsers had deactivated the player by default in the past, Adobe is now officially discontinuing support. The company also advises all users to uninstall the program. Microsoft even provides its users with a corresponding tool for deinstallation under Windows 10 Available. When the update KB 4577586 is installed, the player is automatically uninstalled and a new installation is blocked.
The first version of Flash was released in 1997 and enjoyed great success in the years that followed Popularity. Various intros, videos or other animated graphics were found on a large number of websites. However, Flash Player kept making headlines with its numerous security gaps.
Due to its large user base, Flash aroused the interest of cyber criminals who specifically exploit vulnerabilities to infect computers with malware or viruses. Adobe also failed to provide updates in a timely manner in order to close said security holes.
This had the consequence that even the Stiftung Warentest last year advised to uninstall the Flash Player from your own system and not to use it in the future. Voices from the browser providers were already loud in advance, demanding that the player be completely stopped.
Google also punished website operators in its search ad who relied on the technology. This should also ensure that the HTML5 web standard is used instead of the Flash Player. With the introduction of the mentioned standard, it is possible to use specific elements for the integration of audio and video files. The simple integration of SVG and MathML into the HTML source text is also possible with HTML5, among other things.
Microsoft is planning a “sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows” that is designed to signal to users of the operating system that “Windows is BACK.” That’s according to a job listing posted by Microsoft recently, advertising for a software engineering role in the Windows Core User Experiences team:
“On this team, you’ll work with our key platform, Surface, and OEM partners to orchestrate and deliver a sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows experiences to signal to our customers that Windows is BACK and ensure that Windows is considered the best user OS experience for customers.”
Microsoft quietly removed references to this “sweeping visual rejuvenation” this morning, after several Windows enthusiasts spotted the job listing over the weekend. While Microsoft has been promising visual overhauls of Windows 10 for years, thanks to its Fluent Design system, rumors suggest the company is planning big user interface changes for Windows that will debut later this year.
The updated Windows 10 Start menu from 2020.Microsoft
Codenamed Sun Valley, Windows Central first reported on these UI changes back in October. Microsoft is planning to overhaul the Start menu, File Explorer, and built-in apps in Windows 10 to modernize them and make the UI more consistent. Some of the UI changes will also include updates to the sliders, buttons, and controls that are found throughout Windows and the apps that run on the OS.
Microsoft is also working on improving its tablet mode experience, particularly how devices like the company’s Surface line switch between mouse / trackpad usage and and touch-based interactions.
Microsoft has been working on improving its UI consistency throughout Windows in recent years, and a lot of that will be found in Windows 10X. The company also rolled out new Windows 10 icons nearly a year ago, followed by some minor tweaks to the Start menu a few months later.
All of this work comes as Microsoft has signaled a renewed interest in Windows. Surface chief Panos Panay took on the additional role of looking after Windows back in October, after previously teasing some additional Windows 10 UI changes last year. After a jump in Windows usage due to the pandemic, it feels like Microsoft might be more ready than ever to give its operating system the UI polish it has been promising for years.
Already since 14. January 2020 Microsoft finally said goodbye to its Windows 7 and no longer publishes any security updates for the operating system, which is now around eleven years old. However, this does not seem to deter a large number of users from continuing to use said OS. According to the Netmarketshare website, Windows 7 had a market share of just under 20% for desktop PCs or notebooks. Microsoft’s current operating system Windows 10 In contrast, came in December 2020 to a share of 63, 57%.
Only enterprise customers who take part in the Extended Security Updates program are currently still being supplied with corresponding updates for Windows 7. However, the figures determined by Netmarketshare show that various private users are currently still using the outdated Microsoft operating system without the corresponding security updates. As a result, the computers move largely unprotected on the Internet. The numerous weak points cannot be closed even by using a virus scanner or other security software. At the moment, it can be assumed that the majority of users will only choose to upgrade to Windows if the hardware fails 10 will decide.
The published figures also show that Microsoft continues to market dominates. With 4, 65%, Apple’s Mac OS X is in third place in the version 10. 15, closely followed by Windows 8.1 with 2, 31%. With 1, 34% Linux ranks fifth. But even Apple users do not always seem to be using the latest version of the Mac OS operating system. Only 0, 68% are currently using Apple’s Big Sur.
Furthermore, Windows XP will also be available in December despite the official end of support in April 2014 2020 from 0, 64% of users used. However, this should become less and less, because sooner or later the right hardware will bless the temporal.
Now it’s over: Adobe stopped support for its Flash Player. With that the end of Flash has finally come. With the end of support from Adobe, some questions arise that we will answer for you.
Uninstall Flash Player I always get the message that the Flash Player will be released from 31. 12. 2020 is no longer maintained. What does this mean and what should I do?
It is best to uninstall Flash Player immediately. In theory, you could still use it. But since it no longer receives updates, it becomes an ever greater security risk on your system because security gaps are no longer closed.
If you use the If you really want to keep Flash Player, to be on the safe side, only run it on a system that is not connected to the Internet and only use Flash files from sources that you are absolutely sure of being serious.
Adobe is no longer developing the Flash Player and is discontinuing support. Since the middle 2020 a warning has appeared for users.
Adobe has also announced that the player will be released from the 12. January 2021 blocks the execution of Flash-based content.
Play videos Can I still play videos from media libraries and other platforms without any problems?
Adobe announced already in the year 2017 indicates that the end 2020 with the Flash Player is over because important system and browser manufacturers such as Apple and Google turned away from the Flash format at an early stage. Since then, browser and operating system manufacturers have worked to encourage web and game developers to switch to modern alternatives such as WebAssembly and HTML5.
Flash was never supported on iOS devices and YouTube already rose 2015 from Flash to HTML5, which greatly accelerated the decline of the format. The public broadcasters have meanwhile said goodbye to Flash, the ZDF around the year 2018.
Alternative Player What is with beautiful, interactive websites and Flash games?
If the Flash plug-ins have disappeared from the browsers, you can still play Flash content on other players. For example, there is a Flash player as an extension for the IrfanView image viewer. The newsgrounds game site has also released its own player. With Ruffle there is even a Flash emulator for the browser.
We are not aware of any security problems for these programs. In particular, and paradoxically at first glance, Ruffle is also more secure than the original: Ruffle is implemented in WebAssembly, a technology that all modern browsers can handle. Unlike the Flash plug-in, it runs in the browser sandbox, where emulated Flash content cannot cause any damage.
To read a Flash file with a player or To use Ruffle, you have to work out the Flash file from the website: You can find the URL of the Flash content by calling up the HTML code of the page. With Firefox and Chrome, select “Show page source text” in the context menu or the key combination Ctrl + U. Look in the source text for the link to a file with the extension .swf.,
If a complete path is given, e.g. in the form www. .de / [irgendwas] / [dateiname]. swf, you can enter this directly in the address line. If a relative path is given, so there is a reference to main.swf, for example on the site of the designer Jonathan Yuen, then you have to put the full path together: http://www.jonathanyuen.com/main.swf.
When you go directly to a SWF file, Chrome offers you to save them on the PC. Most of the time Firefox displays the Flash file as a long, jumbled string of characters. Save them via the menu “File / Save page as …”. Downloading Flash files and running them with a player worked for us in most cases, but not always. The method reaches its limits with Flash files that want to reload content.
Perhaps you are lucky and don’t have to tinker with your favorite game or animation at all to be able to use. The Internet Archive is dedicated to preserving Flash content. In his collection there is around 2000 hand-picked Flash content, which makes it playable with the emulator Ruffle even for modern browsers without Flash Player. Authors or collectors of Flash files are encouraged to add further exhibits to the collection.
Convert videos What about my private files?
If you have Flash videos, it’s best to convert them to a modern format with free converters like Movavi. Flash videos and interactive elements based on Flash can also be hidden in PDF documents: Examples of this are interactive transitions in older PDF presentations and navigation in older PDF portfolios that contain several individual documents. Embedded videos can no longer be played without a Flash player. The navigation in the PDF is less fancy, but it still works. Newer PDF documents with interactive elements use JavaScript instead of Flash.
Support in 2021 Our company still needs a while until all files are migrated.
Companies that use Flash Player over the year 2020, you can get information about further support options from Adobe partner Harman.
2 / 2021 In c’t 2 / 2021 take a look at the Glass ball and shed light on the IT trends of the coming years. You will learn how you can surf privately and securely, and which browser supports this particularly well. In the IT salary report, we examine whether the pandemic is a good job engine. We test multifunctional printers for the home office, show you how to protect your NAS from hacker attacks and introduce a universal Windows boot stick. You can read this and much more in c’t 2 / 2021. The issue will be available from January 1st 2021 in the Heise shop and at the well-stocked newspaper kiosk available.
LG Display’s latest prototype is a 48-inch flexible OLED panel that can be bent for gaming or flattened for watching TV. The company has shown off similar bendable TV prototypes before, like when it demonstrated a 65-inch TV meant for use inside planes that could bend into a curve for passengers to watch movies. This model, which is being shown off at this year’s virtual CES, features LG Display’s Cinematic Sound OLED (CSO) technology, which vibrates the screen to produce audio.
The 48-inch TV could potentially offer the immersive benefits of a curved screen while gaming without forcing you to live with a curved screen’s many downsides when you just want to watch TV. You can briefly see the panel in action at the 19 second mark in LG Display’s video below.
In terms of specs, LG Display is emphasizing the gaming capabilities of its prototype, which can bend with a radius of up to 1,000mm. It’s got a high refresh rate of 120Hz, a variable refresh rate range that goes from 40Hz to 120Hz, and a response time of 0.1 milliseconds. It’s also able to vibrate its screen to produce sound — a technique that LG Display has previously shown off for its flat panels — though we imagine most gamers would probably prefer to use headphones or separate speakers.
This new prototype is LG Display’s latest experiment with flexible OLEDs, which have previously included a rollable TV that packs up into a compact box when not in use.
LG Display is also showing off transparent OLED panels, which it thinks could be used in restaurants.Image: LG Display
LG Display is also showing off a range of use cases for its transparent OLED displays at this year’s virtual CES show. These include a “Smart Bed” with a transparent OLED TV that rises out of its frame, a transparent restaurant display that allows diners to see chefs at work behind it, and train carriage windows that can also display customer information. On the consumer side, LG has also debuted a range of TVs featuring Mini LED display technology.
Introduction to Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML 360 Sub-Zero
This is not the first time that we have tested a cooling system assisted by thermoelectric cells, also known as peltier cells. This type of cooling takes advantage of the peltier effect, using two conductive materials, to heat one side while the other is cooled. Until the use of phase exchange, all the refrigerators in the world used this technique and now we can see it applied to other devices, although rarely to processors of personal computer systems.
Cooler Master and Intel have developed a system that seems to handle the disadvantages of these types of mounted systems well. a personal computer. In the Cooler Master ML review 360 Sub-Zero we will have the opportunity to test it for ourselves.
The main problem with this type of cells is their high consumption and also that when the ambient temperature drops we will begin to have air condensation around the area cold, which in a PC is not the best of situations since this condensation in the form of water is not something that we want to have near electronic components. This is what has made the use of this technique residual among PC users over time.
Technical characteristics of the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML 360 Sub-Zero
Supported Intel Socket: LGA 1280
Radiator material: aluminum
Radiator Dimensions: 394 x 119. 6 x 28. 2 mm
Dimensions of the blo which exchange: 59. 3 x 57. 3 x 100. 2 mm
Pump Connector: Molex 3-Pin
Pump Voltage: 14 v
Fan dimensions: 125 x 125 x 25 mm
Fan speed: 612 – 1900 rpm
Fan Air Flow: 60 CFM (full frequency)
Fan noise level: 8 – 28 dBA
Dynamic pressure: 2.0mmH 21 (at maximum frequency)
Fan Power Connector: 4-Pin PWM
Fan Voltage: 11 v
Fan current: 0. 38TO
TEC cell power: 240 w
Warranty: 2 years.
How Intel Cryo technology works
Intel Cryo technology is precisely designed to eliminate the two potential risks of thermoelectric technology. Intel has not invented this physical effect, but it does put the tools so that technology is used dynamically in its processors, eliminating the main problems of technology, more specifically condensation, and also making a rational use of the energy that the processor requires. system for proper operation.
For this, Intel takes advantage of some of its technologies present in its unlocked processors of the Intel Core K series with LGA socket 1280 and tenth generation. Among the technologies used we have the TVB (Thermal Velocity Boost) that allows us to take advantage of higher frequencies, in some of the processor cores, with the extra margin of the cooling system that we are using.
It is also supported by an intelligent internal control that adjusts the consumption of the thermoelectric cell to limit the risks of condensation derived from working at temperatures below the ambient temperature of the system. This also allows regulating electricity consumption according to the needs of the system, consuming at all times what the system requires depending on the frequency and the load to be sustained.
Intel Cryo system allows both automatic control and manual control by the user and is completed with a powerful monitoring system so that at all times we can know how the system is working.
The peltier cell integrated in the Cooler Master ML 394 Sub-Zero has a power of 200 w, for this Cooler Master combines this system with a conventional water cooler with radiator 394 mm and some important extras like its second generation inline pump. Now we will see them in detail.
Radiator and tubes
The Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML 360 Sub-Zero is a combination of a powerful closed circuit water cooling system with a peltier cell supported by a series of temperature and humidity sensors that, combined with detailed monitoring of the system, allows the development of temperatures lower than those we would achieve with a conventional system. All this is true, but in the end in it we will find the classic elements of an “all in one” liquid cooling.
This Cooler Master model has a unique radiator size of 394 mm , for three fans of 120 mm, with actual dimensions of 394 x 120 x 27 mm and made entirely of aluminum with fan anchors on both sides for possible extension to configurations. push-pull ration with up to six fans.
The design is the usual one with wave-shaped aluminum sheets that run through flat tubular areas where the refrigerant passes. This design dramatically increases the exchange surface while allowing significant airflow through the sheets.
The design is simple and we miss something we are beginning to see in other AIO systems, such as the centralization of the fan connectors on the radiator itself, which makes cable management much easier. In this model we will not have access to this, although that does not mean that there is no hub for uniform management of the fans. We will talk about them in a moment.
Cooler Master does not give details of the material with which they have manufactured the tubes of the system. Typically this manufacturer uses synthetic polyamide tubing. In any case, they are long-life tubes designed not to react with any chemical component, no matter how abrasive it may be. Cooler Master also reinforces the tube with a nylon mesh cover that offers a better finish in addition to protecting the tube itself from small cuts and scratches.
The tubes are configured in three sections, unlike the usual two, since this kit does not contain the pump in the exchange block, but places it in line in one of the tubes, it is the second generation of this type of pump developed by Cooler Master and each day we see it more in recent systems.
With a length of up to 400 mm are designed to be installed in almost any computer that has space for a radiator of this size. The pump can also be fixed to the box, it comes with an adapter to position it in holes for fans of 150 mm.
Pump and exchanger with TEC element
Just a few days ago we tested a unit Bequiet Pure Loop with inline pump and for us It was the second experience in many years, things are like that and in a few days here we have the third experience. In this system it makes perhaps more sense because in the ML 394 Sub-Zero there is one more important element to install, the thermoelectric cell.
The exchange block It is exclusively for 10th generation Core processors and logically only makes sense for K models with the internal multiplier unlocked. It only supports LGA socket 1200 on Z motherboards 490 and is designed in this way to make a perfect fit and limit condensation in addition to locating different temperature and humidity sensors with which to control the performance of the TEC cell.
The main volume is occupied by the liquid tank at the top, finished in copper, follows the peltier cell and then an exchange plate also in copper. It is finished with a rubber skirt that fits perfectly into the socket leaving the minimum air inside.
We will find power connectors, connectors for the control of the fans and also a USB-C connector with the that we can monitor the system from the Intel Cryo Software from Windows. The assembly is solid, with a copper exchange plate, and we will only have a Cooler Master logo on the top as lighting. It is simple and also that way we will know that the system is working.
The pump is in line, located in one of the tubes, and according to Cooler Master it is its pump in second generation line. It has its independent PWM connection with a maximum consumption of 16 wa 14 v. Has a lifespan of 160. 11 hours, fixed speed at 5600 rpm and produces noise around the 38 dBA. It is a high volume pump to maximize performance throughout the loop. Together with the fans, it is a key element to maintain temperatures under ambient temperature, this kit does not cool the processor, it actually cools the peltier cell up to 200 consumption w.
It’s a big in-line bomb of almost 60 mm high, so it has to be also anchored to avoid vibrations or damage the tube. It is intended to be attached to case fan positions of 120 mm and brings everything you need to execute that task.
MasterFan SF fans 125 R
Cooler Master has incorporated into this kit some of their best low turn high pressure air fans and the kit features three of these fans. They are rifle-type bearing fans with rotational speeds between 660 and the 2000 rpm which makes them well suited to have a good combination of performance and controlled noise.
The square and axial design fan has nine blades inspired by jet engines and helicopter blades and is designed to maximize air pressure at low turns. Your goal is not to work at 2000 rpm but rather to the minimum they are 660 rpm at which it produces very low noise levels.
This PWM fan includes some other improvements such as an anti-blocking sensor, so as not to burn the motor in case the fan gets pinched by a cable or similar. Produces a maximum of 57 CFM and a static pressure of 2.1mmH2O with a variable noise between 8 and 35 dBA according to the manufacturer and a service life of 198. 10 hours with 2 years warranty, which is the same warranty offered by Cooler Master for the whole kit.
All three fans come pre-mounted, all have silentblocks at the fixing points and are a pleasure to the ear even at maximum frequencies. work ia.
The entire system is connected with a single cable that on one side has a SATA connector for powering all components except the cell using an 8-pin PCI Express 3.0 connector with a maximum power of 150 w, and on the other hand a Molex connector of three contacts so that the board never has a problem recognizing that it has a cooling assembly connected to the CPU.
Intel Cryo Software
The software that controls the cooling system It is supported directly by Intel and the truth is that for now it leaves a lot to be desired. It has only a couple of control options, very limited monitoring, and a basic diagnostic system that tells us if the cell is working as expected.
Among the defects that we have detected, apart from being very basic in its interface and presentation of information, is that it does not work with Intel’s Intel Performance Maximizer application since it does the calibration with its own boot and the unit It does not work until we get to Windows and activate it manually and that is for me another of its important failures, it does not self start when we start, we have to wait until we are in Windows and activate it manually every time we start.
The software gives interesting operating data , such as the consumption of the cell, which is variable, the dew point and the temperature of the refrigerator. The temperature of the processor is indifferent to condensation, although it is indicative, what matters is that the refrigerator is always above the dew point. We also have three modes of use, stop, self-managed mode or Cryo and without control, that is, with the cell always on top.
The software has a diagnostic system, which tests the cell and the sensors.
Performance tests with an Intel Core i5 – 10600 K
We have tested the new Cooler Master cooling system with Intel Cryo technology on a Core i5 – 10600 k with a maximum turbo frequency of 4.8GHz, for only some of its cores, and 125 w of consumption. The peltier cell integrated in the Cooler Master ML 360 has a power of 240 w so even with overclocking it should be more than enough to cool this processor keeping it at much lower temperatures than with a conventional heatsink.
To add some contrast we have tested this same processor with a BeQuiet system! Pure Loop which is one of the most interesting cooling kits that we have tried in recent times. With this model we already achieved a little more overclocking than in our original Core i5 test – 10600 k, specifically 100 MHz more reaching stable at 4.9GHz with an acceptable voltage of 1.4v and a really low noise of less than 38 dBA for the whole set . An excellent result for a conventional cooling kit with radiator 240 mm and two fans of 125 mm.
Some of the data that the Intel Cryo application offers us is the temperature of the cooling system, cell consumption and the dew point with respect to the humidity and ambient temperature of the room. This is what allows it to maintain temperatures above the dew point, preventing us from damaging any of our components over time, usually the motherboard itself that houses the entire system.
The block itself has a rubber system that adapts to the LGA socket 1200 and that limits the air intake and therefore the possibility of generating air condensation.
By activating the TEC cell we can see how consumption is controlled so as not to reduce the temperature to the point of having problems and we also see how consumption grows when we demand the processor to offer everything it is capable of. With the activated we can avoid the problems of temperature throttling of these processors, in the 119 degrees, reducing performance by up to 57 degrees with ease while allowing us to sustain the frequency of this processor at 5.2GHz with a voltage of 1. 50 v.
With the cell off, the processor immediately enters Throttling due to excess temperature, we can see it in the frequencies and also in the notices of Intel’s own XTU. The downside is that you have to remember to turn it on every time you enter Windows.
The improvement is evident, and although Intel figures the improvements more frequently Up to 5.8GHz in these processors, the truth is that we will only achieve this in one or two cores, relying on Intel’s own “Thermal Velocity Boost” technology and this improvement is residual for me, for applications that do not take advantage of all cores , which are already few including games and therefore for me it is not much more than marketing to sell this technology.
We have a large delta between rest and load, with the cell at full capacity, but 75 degrees with all cores at 5200 MHz, is something difficult to achieve with a traditional system.
At rest we have some 57 degrees, and at this moment the cell has lowered consumption to 28 – 40 w to avoid trouble. That is, we could have deeper deltas with the cell at top, something we can do, but I do not recommend.
What I should add is that in addition to performing well, this Of course this system does it and in addition to a very safe way for the components where it is installed, is that the Cooler Master pump, with its frequency above the 5000 rpm is the weak point of the system with a noise that exceeds the 45 dBA despite allowing the system a couple of days to purge the air you might have for transportation.
Intel Cryo Performance Results
Maximum fan speed
Noise (dBA)
Maximum overclocking frequency to all cores
Standby temperature
Load temperature
DeltaT
Analysis and conclusion
The price of this kit, including taxes, will be 360 Euros and will be on the market soon. It does not seem like a very unreasonable price to me if we take into account that this type of cooling has always been expensive and that it also includes the entire control and cooling system of the cell. By itself this all-in-one kit would cost about 160 Euros so we are taking a cooling system below room temperature for about 240 Euros more, than not It’s so crazy.
The results are also good and excellent user experience, although the control software has a lot of room for improvement, the only downside is that it is designed only for one type of socket and the experience with Intel is that it will surely not serve you for the next generation of processors so you will have to enjoy it with your current processor or wait for the necessary evolutions to support the next generations of motherboards and / or processors.
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Everyone knows Cyberpunk , it is the game that came out on 15 December for PC and consoles from CD Projekt Red, studio of the also famous The Witcher that has even starred in a series on one of the platforms for streaming video excellence, Netflix. Cyberpunk 3439 has come full of criticism , since its performance on consoles has not been much less as expected after so much time in development, they have offered a refund of the game at the expense of improving these versions.
But neither is the PC version that has received 3 patches in its first weeks of the game and we have prepared this guide in case you do not have the game updated you can solve them yourself, but we will also see how to add some tricks to enhance your gaming experience with Cyberpunk
.
To add these tricks it is necessary to install the patch that the community has created for, in addition to enhancing the game , solve some problems such as the use of the cores of Ryzen processors. With these tricks we can modify game options such as eliminate traffic, pass conversations more quickly or add the debug menu . We can also open a command console within the game itself that will be a delight when it comes to acquiring objects, money or attribute points .
With this you will no longer have an excuse to start playing Cyberpunk 2020 and be the master of Night City . Let’s see how to do it.
Install the patch for Cyberpunk 2077
In order to add these extra functions to our game it is necessary to install the Cyber Engine Tweaks patch made by the community, we follow these simple steps and we will have it ready to run.
Download the patch from here.
Copy the file release.zip to the cyberpunk / installation folder bin / x 64, to see where you have it installed in Steam you can use the right button of the mouse over the game, manage -> see local files in GoG click with the right mouse button Manage installation -> Show folder .
We can use 7zip to unzip everything in the folder where we have copied it.
Now we only have to run the game, but do it in a window without borders , since in full screen the console that we will use later will not work well.
Some of the added functions only fix bugs, although CD Projekt Red is rushing to update their game and fix them officially, so we are going to tell you the options to give a boost when passing the game .
Configure the patch options to your liking
Once all this is done, and before running the game, we can change certain default values of the patch to leave them with the options to our liking, for this we have to follow these steps.
Let’s go to the Cyberpunk installation folder / bin / x 032 / plugins / cyber_engine_tweaks and there we will see a file called config.json .
We edit this file with any text editor , we have used Atom, although you can also use WordPad or Windows notepad.
We will focus on the options that can help us which are the following
Console , we leave it in true since with this we can enable the console and add more functions.
Console_key this value represents the key that we must press to open the console, by default there is the 192 which is “~”.
Remove_pedestrian removes most pedestrians going down the street, if we save the game with this option active, they will never appear again, so be careful.
Disable_intro_movies disables the first animations to go straight to the game.
Once the config.json file is changed to our liking we can run the game and start use the functions offered by these tweaks that as we will see later, can be very useful for certain parts of the game .
Cheats with the command console in Cyberpunk
One of the most interesting options that we have enabled with the plugin that we have previously installed is the use of the console within the game itself , by pressing The chosen key will appear as a command console to add some functions, let’s see how to enable it and how this console works for Cyberpunk 2077 .
First thing, if we haven’t already now, it is to put the game in window mode , either without borders or with borders and at the resolution we want, but if it is not possible, the console will not work correctly .
Now we press the assigned key to open the console that in our case and if we have not modified the option, it is the “ñ”, now the console will appear that we can move around the screen by dragging as if it were another window.
Now we can write commands to get, for example, objects in the game , this is the main functionality that will be given to the console, although we can perform more actions.
To add objects to the game we will use the following command.
Game.AddToInventory (“object”, quantity) where “object” will be one of the objects with a specific name and quantity, a numerical value that will depend on the type of object we want to add.
For example, if we want to add some more money, we will write in the console Game.AddToInventory (“Items.money”, 1000) and pressing enter will add 1000 coins to your inventory or if we want to add an object to increase our armor we will write Game.AddToInventory (“Items.SimpleFabricEnhancer 01 ”, 1) and when we execute it, our armor will increase by a random number.
There are available more than 2000 items to add to your inventory all type, food, clothing, weapons, etc. You have a list of all of them here, as well as a short explanation of what each object is, and the command to copy and paste directly into the console.
You can also add experience to your character in the same way, only the command that we must use changes.
To add experience we will write Game.SetLevel (“Skill”, value) and we will add a value to Skill.
For example, we will add 15 to the strength skill, for this we write Game.SetLevel (“Strength”, 15) and when pressing enter we will increase in 15 the force. If we want to increase to 15 points the level of Combat Hacking we will have to write Game.SetLevel (“CombatHacking”, 466) and pressing enter will increase these points in this ability.
You can also increase to a specific level, you can use the command Game.SetAtt (“Skill”, value) which will work in the same way as the previous command, but setting the skill to that value.
The list of skills you can level up to is this
Reflexes
Strength
Cool
Intelligence
TechnicalAbility
ColdBlood
Hacking
Stealth
Gunslinger
Kenjutsu
Assault
Crafting
Engineering
CombatHacking
Athletics
Demolition
Brawling
Skills also have attribute points or additional benefits , if we go up in skill and do not assign these points it does not make much sense either.
These points are assigned with Game.GiveDevPoints (“option”, value) , so we will write Game.GiveDevPoints (“Attribute”, 2) to assign 2 attribute points, change emos Attribute by Primary to assign the additional benefit points.
With these tricks We can advance in the game in a faster way , having all kinds of objects and complete skills there will be no mission that can resist us.
Other useful tricks for Cyberpunk 2077
Other skill that we can use is the teleportation , we can use this command if we want to move to another place more quickly , but we will have to know the destination coordinates. Using the command Game.TeleportPlayerToPosition (x, y, z) will take us to this place, you must be careful with the coordinates because they may not exist or are outside the game and you have to restart the mission you were on .
You can put the weapon Skippy in headshot mode , we will use Game.SetDebugFact (“mq 007 _ skippy_aim_at_head ”, 1) and we will have it, also so that Skippy does not get angry with you, in this case we will use Game.SetDebugFact ( “Mq 10 _ skippy_goes_emo ”, 1) or to enable the secret ending with Johnny with Game.SetDebugFact (“sq 032 _ johnny_friend ”, 1) . It is also possible to save Takemura if you have decided to kill him, we will write Game.SetDebugFact (“q 112 _ takemura_dead ”, 0).
Conclusion
If you get stuck on a mission, with these tricks that we have offered without a doubt you will be able to finish it in a more comfortable way , so you can have the weapon you want, or increase that skill that it costs you so much to do it manually, you can also go from one place to another by magic.
Simply run any of these commands and your Cyberpunk games 2077 are much more bearable, so you will have no excuse not to finish the game, even with the Johnny’s alternate ending .
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In the debut video of the undersigned, we will update the in-game mini-ITX configuration to the latest RTX 3070 model of the graphics card and learn how to silence parts in a small package.
The mini-ITX craze for io-Tech’s delivery continues, and with the first YouTube video to sign Juha Kokkonen’s previous lineup using AMD’s fresh parts, we’re upgrading the RTX 3070 graphics card to a home mini-ITX computer.
In addition to a component update alone, the video shows you how to make a smaller ITX configuration as quiet as possible. To do this, we will take a brief look at how to adjust fan profiles from bios and software from Windows, as well as underfolding GeForce graphics cards with MSI Afterburner.
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Windows 7 continues to be used extensively, although it is becoming more unsafe for consumers every day. According to Statcounter, Windows 7 came into use in December 18 percent of all Windows desktops and laptops. With NetApplication, which also takes other operating systems such as MacOS and Linux into account in its comparison, Windows 7 even comes up 20 percent .
Microsoft finally discontinued Windows 7 almost exactly a year ago and practically gave the operating system, which was very popular up to that point, the coup de grace because you as the end user no longer receives updates. This also applies to security updates, because Microsoft has support on 14. January 2020.
With Windows 10 Microsoft finally had an updated version of the operating system in the summer 2015 brought onto the market, which – at least at the beginning – did not appeal to everyone. It was different with Windows 7. When this operating system 2009 appeared, it was already found to be stable in its first version and was accordingly in demand.
This seems not to have changed for a large number of users. The proportion of Windows 7 users is only shrinking slowly. A look at the market shares of the Windows versions of the statistic service StatCounter shows that Windows 7 was even able to gain more than one percentage point in the last two months. At the beginning of the year 2020 the market share was almost 25 percent, so some of the users are now too Windows 10 or alternative operating systems changed. Netmarketshare measured around 18 percent for Windows 7 in December, after around 26 percent in January.
Statcounter also publishes data for individual regions and countries. In Germany and Austria, Windows 7 can now only be found on around eight percent of Windows computers. 86 – 87 percent use Windows 10. The rest still use Windows 8 (.1), Vista or XP.
ChromeOS thrives in the US About seen all operating systems runs on 78 percent of the German desktops and laptops active on the Internet a Windows version. Just under 20 percent use MacOS X, according to Statcounter, and another 2.2 percent use Linux. In Austria, Windows is two percentage points more common. Worldwide the situation is similar, with Windows with 61 percent far ahead of MacOSX with 17 Percent.
Processors run differently in the USA. Microsoft has to be content there with 61 percent market share on desktops and laptops. This is not only due to the 31 percent for MacOS X, but also the 5.5 percent that convinced Google’s ChromeOS
There are updates for Windows 7, but they cost End users no longer receive updates for Windows 7 , but Microsoft offers companies a support extension for Windows 7 up to the year 2023. This “Extended Security Updates Program” (ESU) is possible for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. Microsoft no longer supports Windows 7 Home even for a lot of money.
In the meantime, the prices for the ESU program have doubled, as you can find out from the provider Software-Express, for example. With such an ESU license, Windows 7 users can at least be provided with updates until January 2023 – according to the current status. However, this is primarily for large customers and their volume licenses are interesting, less for small and medium-sized companies.
Welcome to the year 2021! In the first episode of the new year we talk in c’t uplink about technology trends that will be important in the coming months. Christian Wölbert explains how tools for video conferencing and collaborative work could be improved so that colleagues in the home office can move closer together virtually. Maybe webcams will finally be available again at normal prices. It gets exciting 2021 in space (satellite internet), on the streets (IT in the car) and in warehouses (AI helps Robots gripping).
Because the cinemas are closed, Nico Jurran has opted for c’t “social viewing” functions for Watched streaming services. With Disney +, Amazon Prime and (via “Teleparty” browser plug-in) also with Netflix, you can now watch films and series from a distance without sitting in the same room. It’s fun, but there are also pitfalls: What if the film is interrupted every ten minutes because someone goes into the kitchen and presses the stop button? At Amazon, where up to 14 people can watch together, only the host can therefore influence the playback.
Finally, a Linux topic: Keywan Tonekaboni shows how easy it is to set up virtual machines under Linux. This is not only exciting for c’t editors, who have to constantly test new operating system versions: You can use it to build a clean development environment, try out beta functions for the desktop environment without blasting your desktop – and take a ride just quickly start up a Windows, if you need one or the other Windows program.
With: Christian Wölbert, Nico Jurran, Keywan Tonekaboni, Achim Barczok
The c’t 02 / 154 is available at the kiosk, in the browser and in the c’t app for iOS and Android.
Article about the broadcast:
Which technology trends are in store for us, c’t 2 / 2021, S. 14 “Social Viewing” : Joint video viewing from a distance, c’t 2 / 2021, S. 106 (chargeable) Desktop virtualization under Linux simple and reliable use, c’t 2 / 2021, S. 154 (chargeable) You can find all previous episodes of our podcast at www.ct.de/uplink.
In the run-up to Christmas, online shops were booming and the corona lockdown just before Christmas should have given the virtual shops more popularity. But even those who stayed away from the city centers and shopped on the couch at home may have been exposed to a risk: the clothing shop Dedoles has not plugged security gaps on its website for months.
Dedoles mainly sells funny socks, Panties and boxer shorts. And very successfully, if you believe the company information: According to this, over a million customers have already ordered from Dedoles, the Slovak company is in 19 European countries active, also in Germany. The security expert Daniel Ruf was not interested in the colorful socks, but in the IT security of the shop.
Cross Site Scripting again Ruf promptly discovered several “Cross Site Scripting” (XSS) vulnerabilities in the shop system. He didn’t have to search long for it: He found the first one right away on the homepage, in a central function of the shop.
Funny socks, holey shop: Dedoles has been around for months Problems with XSS holes.
XSS vulnerabilities are one of the most common security problems for websites. If a server fails to check user input, for example if search terms have been typed in, an attacker has the chance to smuggle his own code into the website. This is then executed by the victim’s browser in the context of the site. The attacker can, for example, divert payment data or distribute malware.
Such gaps are dangerous, but also easy to fix. Only small changes to the source code are necessary in order to filter out potentially dangerous characters from user input and effectively prevent the infiltration of harmful content.
None Reaction Daniel Ruf dutifully informed Dedoles of his findings in the hope that the loopholes would be closed before they were discovered by cyber villains. But nothing happened: “So far there has been no response or reaction from Dedoles to my messages,” he told c’t. He therefore asked us to take over the case.
Many c’t investigative searches are only possible thanks to anonymous information from whistleblowers.
If you have knowledge of a grievance that the public should know about, you can send us information and material. Please use our anonymous and secure mailbox.
https://heise.de/ investigative
We then looked for a suitable contact person at the sock shop and contacted them on 20. October the company’s press office. Our email not only contained all of the information required to remedy the vulnerabilities, but also some standard questions: How long have the security vulnerabilities existed, have they been used by cyber villains, and so on.
The company did not respond to our mail either. About a month later, on 16. November, we contacted Dedoles again. This time, too, we waited a month for an answer – in vain. Our questions remained unanswered, the gaps unpatched.
2 / 2021 In c’t 2 / 2021 take a look into the crystal ball and shed light on the IT trends of the coming years. You will learn how you can surf privately and securely, and which browser supports this particularly well. In the IT salary report, we examine whether the pandemic is a good job engine. We test multifunctional printers for the home office, show you how to protect your NAS from hacker attacks and introduce a universal Windows boot stick. You can read this and much more in c’t 2 / 2021. The issue will be available from January 1st 2021 in the Heise shop and at the well-stocked newspaper kiosk.
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