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Microsoft

Windows 8 Quick Guide for New Users

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Windows 8 is fast and builds upon the success of previous versions of Windows, but it’s not exactly the easiest operating system to get used to. Windows 8 has a brand-new look and our beloved Start menu and desktop seems to have vanished in place of a new “Start Screen”. Where in the heck do you go from here?

If you or a friend have recently bought a new Windows 8 PC and you’re completely lost, there’s no need to worry, as Microsoft has released a great Training Brochure (PDF) that covers the basics and also gives you some handy shortcuts to get you around the new OS much faster.

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The guide goes over pretty much everything you need to get started with Windows 8 including basic navigation, app arrangement and grouping, charms, PC settings, App commands, Internet Explorer 10 in Desktop mode and “App Mode”, Security, theme customization, and shortcuts.

Although Windows 8 may be a little scary at first, it’s still a quick and powerful version of Windows that should only improve over time. Once you get used to the new user interface, things should go a lot smoother and this guide will hopefully help you get there.

 

Windows XP Users, It’s Time To Move On

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Windows XP has stood the test of time quite well and has remained one of the most popular versions of Windows for over a decade. Many personal users and businesses are still using Windows XP right now, but that needs to change, and soon.

Why? Microsoft will be killing ALL support for XP on April 8th 2014. How does that affect you? The main reason is security or lack thereof. If Microsoft isn’t providing routine security patches to the operating system then it can quickly become vulnerable to attack. There’s no doubt that once the deadline passes, Windows XP will likely become a breeding ground for malicious code like viruses and spyware since XP will basically have a target on it’s back for not having official support. For this reason alone it’s worth it to upgrade to Windows 7 or 8.1 and unfortunately for some users that may mean buying a new PC.

Of course there are other reasons to upgrade as well including driver support, live technical support from Microsoft, newer applications that won’t run on XP, website compatibility,  and not to mention the fact that a newer PC running Windows 7 or 8 will likely be many times faster. Although Windows 8 got off to a rocky start because of criticism over it’s user interface design, it’s probably one of Microsoft’s fastest versions of Windows.

So don’t wait till after the deadline to make your changes, start the upgrade now or at least put together a game plan, especially if you’re a business.

Blizzard Announces Heroes of the Storm With Awesome Cinematic

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In what is personally my favorite announcement from Blizzcon 2013, Heroes of the Storm is on it’s way! Heroes of the Storm is the final name for the DOTA project that Blizzard has been hard at work on. The project was originally going to be a part of StarCraft II as an add-on but has now become a standalone game that looks like it’s going to pack quite a punch.

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Heroes of the Storm will be a free-to-play digital download and is essentially Blizzard’s take on the “Team Brawler” / Action RTS or League of Legends style game. You will get to fight your battles with your favorite Blizzard characters including Diablo, Kerrigan, Malfurion, Jim Raynor, The Lich King and possibly even the Lost Vikings! You can get complete game details from Blizzard’s Heroes of the Storm site.

Heroes of the Storm™ is a raucous online team brawler starring your favorite Blizzard characters. Build and customize heroes from across every Blizzard universe to suit your play style. Team up with your friends and engage in fast-paced mayhem across varied battlegrounds that impact strategy and change the way you play the game.” -Blizzard Entertainment

Get A Call of Duty Dog Tag for Charity

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Screenshot from Call of Duty: Ghosts (source: Activision Blizzard)

Activision has announced that they will be offering a limited edition dog tag which will benefit the Call of Duty Endowment, a private nonprofit foundation that supports groups placing former service members into high quality careers and raises awareness of the value veterans bring to the civilian workplace.

The dog tags will cost $4.99 and were made available on November 5th, 2013 to coincide with the launch of Call of Duty Ghosts. The dog tag will be sold in more than 12,000 stores across the country including GameStop, Costco, Walmart, Toys R Us, Best Buy and Target.