GeekwithEnvy

Windows

Ready for Windows Blue? It Could Be Here Very Soon

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Windows 8 Logo

The rumors continue as more talk about Windows Blue is popping up around the web. Sources say that Windows Blue is not going to be Windows 9 but rather a series improvements upon Windows 8. We could see a public preview of Microsoft’s latest software as early as a few months from now with Microsoft supposedly planning on a summer release of the overhaul.

Sources also say that Windows Blue will include Internet Explorer 11 and improved search functionality. The refresh may also include support for 7 and 8 inch mobile devices. This sounds like a good plan for Microsoft as I feel Windows 8 is still largely unpolished. Overall, my impression of Windows 8 is more positive as of late and I’m hoping that Windows Blue will address some my remaining issues. As we hear more about Windows Blue, we will keep you in the loop.

The New Tomb Raider is Here

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We have adventured with Lara Croft many times before but this game just looks like a completely different animal. The developers have really changed the look and feel of the game and not to mention Lara herself. It looks dark and gritty and personally I love it.

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Tomb Raider: Square Enix

The team at Crystal Dynamics haven’t just made visual changes to the game but have also fundamentally changed up the gameplay. They really tried to convey the struggle that Lara is going through during her perilous journey and by the looks of it, it has paid off. Your not marching around the game with some bullet proof character, Lara is human after all and her reactions to the world around her are in line with what you would expect to see from someone in real life.

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Tomb Raider: Square Enix
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Tomb Raider : Square Enix

 

Armed with only the raw instincts and physical ability to push beyond the limits of human endurance, TOMB RAIDER promises to deliver an intense and gritty story into the origins of Lara Croft and her ascent from a frightened young woman to a hardened survivor.

Lara Croft is a video game legend and changing up her appearance is risky and some purists may disagree, but I feel that they have made the right call and went with a good character design. Tomb Raider will be available on March 5th 2013 for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC. For complete details head to the official Tomb Raider page.

 

 

Get Your Apple ][ Fix Without the Hardware

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OregonTrailSS

The Apple ][ and the the Apple IIgs were great machines and can spark up some serious nostalgia. The only issue is that today, they are a bit hard to find. Let’s not forget to mention that you will probably have to drop some decent cash to get one that’s in good shape as well.

There’s no need to worry though, there’s still a way you can play almost every Apple ][ and Apple IIgs game ever made and it’s in your browser. Yep, the awesome people at VirtualApple have made it so simple to load up any of your favorite games in seconds. It even makes the old drive seek sound when the emulation starts!

One game that I couldn’t resist loading up right away was Oregon Trail. This game was one of my favorites growing up and now I don’t have to buy old Apple hardware to enjoy it. Even if you have never used an Apple ][ or IIgs, I highly recommend you check out the emulator and the games they are offering. It’s interesting to look at older games and see how much things have changed, it really puts things into perspective. Besides it can definitely help cure some boredom.

All you need to do is download a simple plugin that’s compatible with most versions of Windows and Mac OS X and most web browsers.

How To Set Up Hyper V in Windows 8

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Windows 8 Pro is filled with features that are somewhat hidden and Hyper-V, a virtualization technology, is no exception. This article will show you how to to get up and running with Hyper-V. It’s important to note that Hyper-V is currently only available on Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise editions on the x64 platform (64 bit).

So what does Hyper-V do?

Well, to essentially gloss over it, Hyper-V allows you to create a a virtual machine (PC). You can customize it any way you would like by assigning how much memory, hard-drive space and other hardware features you would like this PC within a PC to have.Once you customize your virtual hardware, you can install whatever operating system on it you prefer; even Windows 95 or earlier if you are so inclined.

This technology has been around for a while and continues to get better. It’s pretty powerful stuff especially when used in large scale corporations, it can save a lot of time, money, and headaches. For the home user it’s pretty much up to you what you want to do with it. Maybe you just want to mess around with it or maybe you have some old games that won’t run on newer versions of Windows, either way you should check it out.

Finding and Installing Hyper-V

Hyper-V is not installed by default in Windows 8 and if you’re not sure where to look, you may never find it. Fortunately, it’s not that hard to set-up.

  • Head to the Desktop in Windows 8.
  • Bring up the “Charms Bar” on the Right-Hand side of the screen.
  • Click “Settings”.
  • Click “Control Panel”.
  • Now Click “Programs”.
  • Click “Turn Windows features on or off”. Here you will find a list of the many features that Windows 8 offers, one of which is Hyper-V.
  • Place a check next to Hyper-V, Hyper-V Management Tools, and Hyper-V Platform then click “OK”.

Windows will now set-up Hyper-V for use. If you can’t seem to locate the application, you can find it quickly by typing Hyper-V into Windows 8 search and then you can make a shortcut.

* Alternatively, you can open up “Run” and type in “appwiz.cpl”, then follow the last two steps from above.

HyperV ScreenShot
Hyper-V Manager

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm “Vengeance” Trailer

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Watch live video from Starcraft on TwitchTV

 

The world premiere of the StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm “Vengeance” trailer features a live discussion with Chris Metzen, Dustin Browder and Jeff Chamberlin, and Kevin Johnson “Cloaken”.