windows updated
get cortana to set alarms, define words and launch apps
better browsing upgraded to Use the udpated features of the new Edge browser
WINDOWS 1o? START HERE!
SUPERCHARGE
WINDOWS 10
Streamline your PC, create more space and optimise for speed! Banish unnecessary junk files Tighten up privacy controls Get more out of your CPU Cutting-edge tech
Find out what VR is really like to use!
PC help
Windows tips, TRICKS & advice
l Create stunning photo collages l Browse without leaving a trace l Make great videos on your PC
Turn to p27 now!
All-new Windows! Anniversary Update secrets revealed SEE PAGE 28
The home of technology techradar.com
Welcome How are you enjoying the brandnew Windows 10 Anniversary Update, which was released on August 2nd? It should have come through as a regular system update, so it’ll already be there if you have Windows 10. Here at Windows Help & Advice headquarters we’re loving it and we’ve been excitedly discovering all the new features in the Start menu and Taskbar, and, in particular, the new abilities given to Cortana and the Edge browser. You can find out all
about them in the magazine this month and catch some hidden secrets too – check out our guide starting on page 30. To make sure you’re getting the most out of your PC we’ve commissioned a special guide to supercharging your Windows experience. Turn to page 18 to start transforming your PC life right now! Enjoy the issue and we’ll see you next month when we’ll be taking a closer look at your WiFi speed.
Graham Barlow Editor-in-Chief www.facebook.com/windowsmag SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAG TODAY AND SAVE – JUST TURN TO PAGE 16! We pride ourselves in being the only magazine on the shelves to show you exactly how to get the very best from the Windows operating system, whether you’re using Windows 10 or Windows 8.1. Also, don’t forget to take a look at how you can read the magazine on your laptop, phone or tablet.
Next issue On sale 16
Don’t miss our Next issue, when we will show you how to…
September 2016
Get better WiFi Discover more Anniversary Update improvements Increase security and protect your PC in Windows 10
Subscribe now at www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/WINsubs
Features
18 Supercharge Windows 10 Optimise your PC for an even better experience in Windows 10
54 How to be a Tech Guru
Give expert advice and solve computer problems for all your friends and family
62 Experiencing virtual reality
We get hands-on with the HTC Vive and step into a virtual world with our PC
Regulars
8 Discover Get the lowdown on Pokémon Go and the Raspberry Pi 3 PC 16 Subscriptions Save up to 31% on print and digital issues
35 Back issues Don’t miss out! Order past issues while stocks last
51 Digital issues Get your favourite Windows mag on your digital device
98 Next month Discover what’s coming up in the next issue
Explore The best PC tutorials Your guide Graham Barlow says…
“If you’re looking for better ways to use your home computer, then this is the place to start. We’ll show you all the tips and tricks the experts use and more!”
Support
68 Four pages of essential expert help for all your tricky technical queries 6
|
| October 2016
28 Get more out of Cortana with the Anniversary Update
42 Publish your own books without breaking the bank
32 Use the Anniversary Update features in the Edge browser
46 Make logging into Windows 10 easier with Windows Hello
36 Stops thieves tracking you online or stealing your logins
48 Transform your holiday snaps into picture-perfect postcards
38 Turn your favourite pictures into engaging video slideshows
52 Clear up space on your hard drive and get a faster PC!
Subscription bundle offer Print and digital bundle – only £20 every 3 months Find out more on page 16
SUPERCHARGE
WINDOWS 10 18 Optimise your PC for speed and efficiency
How to be a
Tech Guru 54 Become a PC expert
Upgrade
81 Our expert reviews 82 Fujitsu LifeBook E736 84 Fitbit Surge 86 Bose QuietComfort 35 88 JBL Charge 3 Bluetooth 90 HP Spectre vs Surface Book 95 Web browsers group test
E x p e r ien c in g V R wi t h t h e Follow us on… www.twitter.com/windowsmag
62 Find out what VR is really like to use www.facebook.com/windowsmag
October 2016 |
|
7
NEW things to do
amazing websites
Mind out The little critters are fast heading towards world domination
8
|
| October 2016
fascinating facts
Discover Get up and Go
Monst er ma yh em
What is Pokémon Go?
The Knowledge…
Gotta catch ‘em all (except if you have a Windows phone)
Y
ou might have spotted many folk paying closer-than-usual attention to their phones while wandering aimlessly around and not talking to anyone. If so, it could be they’re playing the augmented reality game Pokémon Go, which projects the famous Japanese ‘pocket monsters’ over the phone’s camera view, ready for catching, collecting and eventual battling. The reason there’s so much walking around involved is the monsters are found in real-world locations, which have to be physically travelled to using the phone’s GPS to ‘prove’ you’re there. Pokémon are divided into types, and you’re more likely to discover grass-type monsters in a park, water-type by the sea, and nocturnal creatures if you’re out at night. To complicate things further, you can leave lures out to attract critters, pop by Pokéstops to stock up on items, and battle for control of Pokémon Gyms. The game is free to download and play, but
there’s a small charge for every special item you buy from the in-game store. The developers have to make their money somewhere, after all, and the fact it’s become the most popular mobile game in history probably helps too. The game’s not out for Windows phones yet, although Microsoft is working on it having received an “overwhelming amount of feedback” from people demanding that it appears on the Store, but you can play it in an Android emulator on your PC, such as Bluestacks or Amiduos. This is no fun if your PC doesn’t have GPS built in though, so, hypothetically, you could find out how to gain root access to the emulator and run an app that allows you to input false GPS data. That way, you can fool the emulator, and therefore the game, into thinking you’re travelling the world. And then you can collect all the monsters and outsmart Pokémon Go-ers everywhere. Don’t tell anybody we told you that, though.
Monsters are found in real-world locations that have to be travelled to
Dyson cleans up Housework made easy Robotic vacuum cleaners (along with their weaponised cousin, the lawnmower), have been out for a while, but they’ve often been underpowered and a bit disappointing unless you live in a perfectly flat minimalist loft. To put it bluntly: they suck. But not enough. Dyson decided to get in on the act with an eye-wateringly expensive (£800) robot of its own back in 2014, and the 360 Eye is finally available to buy. Claiming twice the suction of other autonomous models, it might be time to put GPS on your cat.
Docking station The cleaner returns to its base unit to charge up ready for next time
At the Height of it The Dyson is taller than many other robot cleaners
Brush up on quality The build quality is chunky, but it still can’t climb your stairs
Raspberry Pi 3 What’s that then? It’s another one of those tiny computers that are popular right now. Specifically, it’s the third version of the original tiny computer. But that came out months ago! You’ve clearly been paying attention. What’s thrust it back to the top of the news agenda is the discovery of a Pi 3 directory added to Google’s Android Open Source Project. That means... Yes. It looks like Android is coming to the Pi. The Pi 3’s specs, with a quad-core 1.2GHz CPU, a Broadcom GPU and built-in wireless internet compare quite well to the phones Android usually runs on, although with only 1GB of RAM it’s a little lacking in the memory department compared to flagship models from the likes of Samsung. Does that mean I’ll be able to run the same apps as my phone? Not necessarily. Google tends to keep access to the Play store as a reward for companies that pay for the privilege. As this is the free, open-source version of Android, your options are likely to be a bit more limited. Other app stores are available, though, serving up a mix of free and paid-for apps, so there’s still a good chance you’ll be able to find something that suits your needs. Hang on, doesn’t Android need a touchscreen? It’s speculation for now, but the fact the Pi 3 has got its own directory in the OS suggests a tailored version is coming. If not, the Raspberry Pi Foundation sells its own touchscreen add-on for the computer, and 7-inch touchscreens, often built into a case, are available from third-party manufacturers. So you really could build your own Android tablet.
October 2016 |
|
9
DEN IAN EVEN ERT P X E TECH
Defragging still exists It’s a no-no with SSDs, but if your PC has a mechanical hard drive then a good defrag can improve performance… sometimes. As a drive is used, data is overwritten many times and can end up stored across different sectors of the disc instead of sequentially, slowing down access times. Defragmentation is the process of putting it all back together again. Pop up the Start menu, type defrag, and click on the app that appears. It’ll take a long time to complete if your disc is badly fragmented, and might not make that much of a difference apart from improving startup time if it can. Far better to swap that drive out for an SSD instead.
Factory reset Windows 10
Remove programs you don’t use
If you want to sell your PC, or just wipe away the accumulated grot of several years’ use, you can factory reset it. There are two levels of reset, one that leaves your files intact and a second that wipes them all away – choose the latter if you’re selling your PC on. Open ‘Settings’, then navigate to ‘Update and Security’ then ‘Recovery’. Select ‘Reset this PC’, and the level of cleaning you want. Choose to keep your documents, and you’ll get the option to save a list of apps to your desktop, to aid your memory when reinstalling later. Choose to keep nothing, and you’ll get the option to wipe the drive multiple times. When you’re ready, hit ‘Reset’ and wait for it to complete.
Another way to improve your PC’s performance is to remove applications that haven’t been clicked in months – they’re just hanging around using up space (and even processor cycles if they’re the sort that run in the background). Open Windows 10’s Start menu, then search for ‘Add and Remove Programs’ – it’ll try and take you to ‘Add and remove Hardware’ if you don’t type the Programs bit. From there, you’ll be able to sort your PC’s apps by when they were installed. Look through the bottom of the list to see what you haven’t used for ages, you might find a gem you’ve forgotten about, but more likely just some stuff you never really needed. Hit ‘Uninstall’ to remove it.
Struggling to get something to work? Need a tip?
Then email us your woes (to windowsmagazine@futurenet.com with the subject line ‘Windows Insider’) and we’ll share your perfect Windows tweaks in a future issue.
Look busy, the boss is coming
Tip of the month
Virtual desktops
Switch between whole groups of apps with one extremely useful shortcut Virtual desktops are a neat way of organising your work. They are multiple copies of your desktop, with the same icons on them, but with different apps and windows open. So if you’re working in Excel with a folder of documents open, you can clear this out of the way and switch to your web browser and chat client by switching desktops instead of opening and closing windows. And you can quickly
10
|
switch back again when your boss appears. To start, click the ‘Task View’ button to the right of the Cortana search box on the taskbar. Move your mouse to the bottom right, and you’ll be able to click ‘New Desktop’ – you can have as many as you like, but more than two or three can get confusing. Switch between them on the ‘Task View’ pane, or by using the Windows key and the left or right cursor keys.
| October 2016
Now you see me Switch between virtual desktops with ease
Discover Keeping you updated
What’s next for Windows?
Microsoft’s future plans
Windows 10 will keep evolving as updates keep coming
W
indows 10’s Anniversary Update was released on August 2 and should already be nestling on your hard drive. However, Microsoft isn’t a company that stands still for long, and plans are already afoot for another update in 2017. Codenamed Redstone 2 (Win 10’s 2016 builds were Redstone, while Win 10 itself was Threshold) the 2017 release looks like it should focus more tightly on mobile phones than the Anniversary Update, which introduced desktop features such as increased security and pen gestures for touchscreen laptops. To go with the new mobile focus, MS is expected to launch new hardware, starting with new Surface tablet devices later this year and a possible ‘Surface Phone’ in 2017. Microsoft’s natural strengths, outside of its successful Xbox division, are in the areas of security and productivity, which means a Surface Phone could be targeted at the business sector – indeed this has recently made a more open marketplace by BlackBerry discontinuing its Classic, Passport and Z10 and 30 handsets.
The iPhone is already very popular in business circles, and Apple has been no slouch in closing security loopholes. There’s still no dual-SIM version of the iPhone though, something prized by those for whom international travel is a normal part of the business day, and the built-in email app still needs work, particularly in its handling of attachments. If Windows Phone can capitalise on the areas in which Apple is weak, it could win over many new business customers. Intel has a new chip architecture due at the end of this year too. While this doesn’t add much to the existing Skylake platform, it always makes sense to launch new hardware with the latest chips inside them so they look ‘current’. Any new Surfaces are therefore likely to use this generation of chips. Microsoft’s plan is to launch two major updates to Windows 10 each year, so Redstone 3 is just visible over the horizon. Little is known about this update apart from it is likely to be another mobilefocused release. And even that’s speculation at the moment.
Download this… Paint.NET http://downloads.techradar.com/ downloads/paint-net If you’ve used the Paint program that comes with Windows, then you’ll know it doesn’t do much beyond crop, resize, rotate, scribble and save. If you need to edit a photo or create a complex image, you need software that has a more to it. Paint.NET was designed as a substitute for Microsoft Paint. It has since evolved into a powerful, easy-to-use image editor. For example, Paint.NET features layers, enabling you to edit specific areas of your image, selectively edit, colour it, or build up an image from different layers. Every change you make to a graphic is recorded in the software’s history log. This makes it easier to undo any alterations that were made to an image.
here’s lookin at you This could be the only image editor you’ll ever need
Follow us on… www.twitter.com/windowsmag
uiz The 60-Secondm Q e sta rts no w! Pe ns at th e rea d y, yo u r ti
1
What is the name of Windows’ new pen interface?
3
What is Windows’ new user-recognition system called?
5
What is the name of Microsoft’s latest web browser?
A. Microsoft Pencil B. Microsoft Ink C. Windows Ink
A. Windows Hello B. Windows Who? C. Windows Face
A. Edge B. Hedge C. Wedge
2
4
6
A. 7 B. 9 C. 12
And what kind of data does it use?
A. Biometric B. Astrological C. Smell
NEXT ISSUE ON SALE September
16
What was the name of the old one?
A. Internet Exploder B. Internet Explorer C. Internet Exposer
Answers 1B, 2C, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6B
Which version is Microsoft DirectX now at?
www.facebook.com/windowsmag
October 2016 |
|
11
43%
Ian Evenden reveals a host of fascinating digital facts
Of respondents who took a survey by the National Accident Helpline admitted to walking into things while distracted by their phones. If you only count the 16-24 year olds surveyed, that figure rises to 84%, and 13% of the time the thing walked into was another person. A surprising 60% of those surveyed had managed to drop their phone on their own face while reading laying on their backs.
West VIRGINIA
143 Is the population of Green Bank, West Virginia, a town that banned wireless transmissions. It began because of a nearby radio telescope that removed Earth-based emissions to concentrate on those from space, but the town is now home to folk who believe wireless communication is making them ill. However, electromagnetic hypersensitivity is not a recognised medical diagnosis.
430,000
People each year are affected by repetitive strain injury. Or at least they were in 2007, which is the most recent year for which figures are available. RSI costs employers £300 million a year, and led to 3.5 million lost working days in 2006/7. The painful condition can be avoided by keeping your wrists straight while typing, with your keyboard flat and below elbow level.
12
|
| October 2016
911
The number dialled by a Wyoming teenager who, while playing Pokémon Go, discovered more than a Jigglypuff or Rattata hiding in a body of water near her home. The 19 year old had jumped a fence to looking for pocket monsters, but noticed a corpse floating in the water instead. The death was ruled an accidental drowning by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.