The dispersion effect is a great way to add a bit of drama and flare to your images – and once you understand the basics, you can get as creative as you want. You will need to install separate Disintegration brushes which you can find online for free. We’ve used this pack from Brusheezy . We recommend starting with an image with a plain background, similar to the one we’ve used....
As part of Pokémon GO’s 5th anniversary, there’s a chance to catch a shiny Meltan while the celebrations are happening between 6 and 15 July. Meltan isn’t out there in the wild: you need to open a Mystery Box. Previously, the only way get a Mystery Box in Pokémon GO was to transfer a Pokémon to one of the Let’s GO games on a Nintendo Switch. But you don’t need one any longer: you can link your Pokémon GO account to the Pokémon HOME app on your phone and transfer Pokémon to that in order to receive a Mystery Box....
For a long time, digital videogame purchases lacked one of the basic expectations of physical copies: the ability to get a refund if you change your mind about a purchase. Thankfully, that’s slowly changing. Valve and Sony have offered digital refunds via purchases on Steam and the PlayStation Store for quite some time, and Microsoft has followed suit. The company offers refunds for digital copies of Xbox One and Windows 10 games and apps purchased through the Microsoft Store , but it’s not clear how gamers should go about getting a refund, and the criteria to be eligible for one....
The key difference between phones and tablets is their size, but also the fact they don’t natively support phone calls and text messages. But phones are getting larger with each new generation, and it’s easy to make calls or send text messages from a tablet without it supporting 4G LTE. We show you how to make free calls on an Android tablet or iPad. There are a couple of obvious options you may already be using to make phone calls on a tablet....
Although it’s limited to the second-generation model only, Fire TV Cube owners will soon be able to make video calls just like you can on an Echo Show or Fire tablet. Suitable webcams include the: Logitech C922 (currently our no.1 recommended webcam ) Logitech C920 Logitech C310 Aukey LM1E The MakerSpot MicroUSB OTG Hub is one such adapter which costs $6.99 in the US and a frustrating £25.40 in the UK....
Windows 11 seems to be a break with the long up-and-down cycle of Windows versions. Usually, Microsoft seems to release a good version of Windows followed by a bad one – see Windows XP followed by Vista or Windows 7 followed by Windows 8. However, after a rocky start, Windows 11 is generally well regarded and relatively similar to Windows 10. However, not everything will be familiar if you make the move to Microsoft’s latest operating system/ The biggest change – at least visually – is the Start menu and the taskbar....
The Random Access Memory, or RAM, is crucial to the effective functioning of a PC. It acts as a short-term store of access data, allowing you to carry out a host of functions almost instantaneously. Browsing the web, streaming video and gaming all wouldn’t be possible without RAM. However, this continues to get more efficient over time, so it’s worth upgrading. However, you can’t always rely on the BIOS (or UEFI) to enable the highest speeds....
Hate raids are becoming more frequent on Twitch, making streaming exceedingly difficult and stressful for numerous creators out there – especially those from marginalised communities. Whilst Twitch has responded to the incidents by saying it is working on a fix, it doesn’t look like a solution is coming imminently. Therefore, if you’re currently dealing with hate raids – or want to prevent them from happening in the future – we’ve rounded up some tools and tips to help protect your online safety....
Adding your Gmail account to an iPhone 5 is easy. Here we explain what you need to do. We’re using an iPhone 5 running iOS 7 here, but the same principles apply to an iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, 5C and iPhone 5S running iOS 6 or 7. You can also use the same steps to add a Gmail account to an iPad. Tap on the Settings app and scroll down until you see Mail, Contacts, Calendars and tap on it....
If you can’t get online then resetting your network settings on your Windows PC or laptop could fix the problem, but before you start messing around here it’s worth trying to establish where the fault lies. Can other devices in the house get online? Can you load websites via a different web browser? If the answer to both is no, chances are your broadband connection is down, or the router needs resetting....
Securing your Android phone or Android tablet is more involved than adding a PIN lock (although you should certainly do that). We run through 14 ways you can keep Android secure, from dealing with app permissions to locking down apps, banishing Android viruses and tracking down a stolen phone. 1. Avoid dodgy public Wi-Fi networks Open Wi-Fi hotspots are incredibly useful when you’re out and about and need to get online, but they aren’t always safe....
Battery life is arguably one of the most precious commodities in modern life. When your phone runs out of charge at the moment when you need to make an important call, send a message or record a video of a cat doing something amusing, it can be catastrophic. Ok, maybe not, but it is still very inconvenient when your phone runs out of power before bedtime. Here are a few simple ways to see what could be causing the rapid drain on your battery life… and stop it happening....
It’s the modern scourge: the fast-paced upgrade cycle for tech products means we all tend to get a new phone well before we really need one, and it’s the same for tablets and plenty of other gadgets. They’re still worth money, so there’s no point in stuffing them at the back of a drawer: post them online and sell them quick. There are various apps and websites you can use to get rid of your unwanted kit (it doesn’t have to be tech of course – it could be anything)....
Windows 11 does a lot of things differently to Windows 10, but the apparent requirement for a Microsoft account was never likely to change. Each time you set up a new device, or install Windows 11 on a new device, you’ll be prompted to sign in or create a new account. This makes sense for most people, as you’ll need one for Microsoft 365, Office apps, OneDrive, Outlook and more....
How to stop Google ads: opt out Google thinks you’re more likely to find ads useful and relevant if you tell it what you like. We’ll explain how to do that below, but first here’s how to opt out of the service so that ads aren’t tailored for you. According to Google, you can go to this ads settings page to download a Chrome, IE or Firefox plugin that will permanently opt you out of the DoubleClick cookie – DoubleClick being one of Google’s ad platforms....
When Apple revealed iOS 15 at WWDC 2021 in June, there was a huge focus on upgrades to the FaceTime experience. As well as being able to schedule FaceTime calls that Windows and Android users can also join , the company outlined new camera and mic tools to further improve the teleconferencing experience. But while the announcement was focused on FaceTime, iOS 15 allows any app that uses your camera and mic to take advantage of the new features, meaning you can use them in Instagram Stories, Snapchat videos and even TikToks, and it should work with most, if not all, apps in iOS 15....
CBS All Access was the American media giant’s over-the-top streaming service. Designed to rival the likes of HBO and Hulu , it provided a mix of original shows and third-party content in a similar way to current streaming king Netflix . Most importantly, in the US it was the home of Star Trek: Discovery and Picard , making it a one-stop shop for the latest and greatest in modern Star Trek series....
Microsoft might have made its name in software, but the company has shifted its focus to other sectors in recent years. The ever-expanding Surface range of PCs and next-gen Xbox consoles have been major areas of focus, but it looks like Windows will be taking centre stage this month. An official Microsoft event has been confirmed for today, the first dedicated to Windows for many years. Its title – ‘What’s Next for Windows’ – suggests big changes are on the way....
Microsoft has embraced virtual events during the pandemic, and there’s another one just around the corner. The company’s April keynote shifts the attention back to software, less than a year after Windows 11 was first announced. The event is simply titled ‘Windows Powers the Future of Hybrid Work’. It’ll be presented by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Chief Product Officer Panos Panay, both of whom were prominent figures in the Windows 11 launch....
Now may be one of the most popular streaming services right now, but unfortunately it doesn’t offer Full HD content with all its standard passes – meaning that you won’t be getting the best quality picture from your telly. However, there is a way to do this through Now Boost . Alongside this, you’ll need the right equipment and internet speeds for 1080p content to run smoothly. We’ve compiled it all here in our quick guide to watching Now in HD....
