Month: February 2022

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition to receive first 2022 patch

Rockstar Games left a mysterious announcement that Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will receive its first patch this year. The game developer and publisher left much to the fans’ imaginations, not really expressing what the fixes will address. The only other details include that the patch will be for all platforms.

You may recall that we mentioned how GTA: The Trilogy tanked as a Rockstar Games failure in November last year. While the graphics were updated, there were still some proportion issues, and the camera didn’t always help. There were also issues with the gameplay mechanics that didn’t seem to receive any update at all.

Despite all this, we still tried to give you a guide on how to play Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy. It seems like gamer complaints have reached the company, though. Rockstar made a tweet that they have the first patch available for The Definitive Edition across all devices. Does that mean we’ll see the improvements that we expect?

Many of us have been through thick and thin with Rockstar games, being loyal fans since the very first Grand Theft Auto. What’s interesting is to browse through some of the comments to that tweet. While many are glad for the new patch, many are wondering if the company will save Red Dead Redemption II’s online mode. In the meantime, we’re eagerly waiting for more information on GTA 6 that Rockstar confirmed is currently in development.

It seems like this will be a very busy year for Rockstar.

Windows 10 Data Wiping Feature Isn’t a Clean Sweep

Recently, researchers have found that Microsoft’s resident data wiping feature isn’t performing exactly as intended. While marketed as a data wiping utility that works hand in hand with the Windows 10 and 11 update and factory reset tool, the utility is leaving valuable and vital user information behind. As researchers have recently discovered the data left behind can be easily located and therefore used should a ‘wiped’ device and up in someone else’s hands. 

The news has subsequently been confirmed by Microsoft MVP Rudy Ooms in a blog post concerning his findings. Ooms also took to Twitter to release a more detailed explanation of the issue. As Ooms explains, hitting the ‘Reset PC’ and ‘Remove Everything’ options on Windows 10 and 11 doesn’t actually remove all of the user data. Instead, it stores this information on the old system in both versions of Windows. This issue has only been identified so far on Windows 10 and 11 version 21H2. In previous versions of both operating systems, namely version 21H1 of Windows 10 and 11, the windows data wiping feature works as intended.

Researchers noticed that in most cases, user data that had not been removed was being stored in newly created folders called Windows.old. These folders would appear on the ‘fresh start’ or ‘wiped’ discs. In a statement, Ooms said that this process was not occurring by design. Proof of this is that when selecting either of the options, users are presented with prompts that warn them of the impending removal of all personal and company data and settings from the current device. 

An even more disturbing turn of events, the Windows.old folder was discovered to contain previously encrypted data that in its current state had been decrypted. Furthermore, any files that had been marked in OneDrive as ‘always keep on this device’ also remained in the Windows.old folder.

Microsoft does not currently have a fix for the problem. Ooms has however said that he has created a PowerShell script that will act as a temporary solution. Anyone intent on performing complete data wipes of their Windows 10 or Windows 11 devices should run the script first and then initiate the Microsoft cleanup utility.

If you haven’t yet had to wipe personal data or perform a factory reset on your device, read our article on resetting Windows 10 and 11. You might also enjoy our guide on upgrading Windows 10 to the new Windows 11 operating system.

Google Kills Off Chrome Lite Mode

Google has announced the decision to discontinue light mode on Android devices ahead of the global release of Google Chrome 100. Lite Mode first appeared on Android devices in 2014 under the name ‘Data Saver.’ The feature was designed to assist users with connecting to the internet on slow or limited data connections, making Chrome more versatile and user-friendly. The rebrand to Lite Mode occurred in 2019.

Enabling Lite Mode on an Android device triggers some of the user’s internet traffic to be diverted through Google’s servers before downloads to the user’s device. My vented web pages load slowly, Google servers will simplify them so that users don’t have to download as much data onto their devices. 

While Lite Mode has been beneficial to users with connectivity issues as well as those looking to bring personal data charges down, Google cites the significant decrease in data costs in many countries as one reason for their decision. 

Lite Mode getting the chop is just one of many changes set to occur with the release of the highly anticipated and slightly controversial triple-digit update for Google’s resident browser. Two other notable Giants in the web browsing industry, Mozilla and Microsoft, are also anticipating the update of their resident browsers to version 100. 

Google Chrome has not announced plans to replace Lite Mode, but the browsing giant has said that they are still as committed as ever it’s improving web browsing across devices and in difficult conditions. 

Keep up to date with all things Google by reading and numerous articles on Chrome and other Google services. While you’re in the vicinity, why not check out how Firefox and Chrome’s newest version 100 may break websites.

Opera for Android now supports direct Ethereum Layer 2 Wallet

Opera has recently announced an Ethereum Layer 2 Wallet for its Opera for Android app, allowing for direct transactions with the popular cryptocurrency. This makes it the very first mobile browser to have such a feature, and you can access this by installing the app’s beta version.

Opera has already been making strides in the cryptocurrency tech industry these past few years—with the introduction of its built-in crypto wallet back in 2018 and the beta launch of its Web3-powered Crypto Browser Project back in January 2022. Thus, this new feature takes things one step further for the future of the app.

To support Ethereum Layer 2, Opera has integrated with DeversiFi on this endeavor—which is a hybrid Ethereum exchange platform. The integration is also powered by StarkWare, so users can expect cheap and instant transactions from Opera for Android. Additionally, it improves efficiency for Opera users who want to send Ethereum (ETH) to each other via Peer-to-Peer (P2P) transactions.

The Ethereum Layer 2 Wallet is currently only available in Opera for Android’s beta version, which can either be downloaded from the official website or Google Play Store. To start using it, install the beta, go to the browser’s settings, open the Crypto Wallet feature, and activate the L2 card found there. You can deposit fiat money directly via Moonpay or deposit ETH from your Layer 1 wallet. Then, you can swap and transfer tokens directly into the wallet.

The Crypto Browser Project will also be integrating Layer 2 solutions sometime in the near future. This will no doubt expand Opera’s capabilities and show its drive to innovate and follow the trends. Another cool new feature worth checking out is the browser supporting the emoji-only URLs of Yat and allowing you to instantly open Yat pages.

Redeeming your World of Warships bonus codes

World of Warships brings much happiness to MMO gamers worldwide. There are iconic ships from the Earth’s wartime history to battle against other players to become king of the seas. One of the best aspects is that it’s free-to-play. The other is that World of Warships has some incredible bonus codes you can redeem for special items.

Like most free-to-play games, the publisher needs to make money on some level. You can upgrade to a Premium version with a subscription to access some of the more powerful fleets. There are also some excellent weapons and items to unlock if you’re willing to pay for containers. 

That’s where World of Warships bonus codes come into play. These are special keys you can insert on the Redeem section in the browser or the client’s portal. Every now and again, new codes release with new exclusive items. You have to redeem them quickly, as they do have expiry details and only limited numbers.

For February 2022, you can try these codes for random containers in World of Warships and see if they work:

  • INSPIREDBYYOU
  • OGH2311BF
  • Wowspacesafariforyou
  • 555battleshipiimikasa
  • trywaterworldofwarships
  • pharmaceuticals
  • Votedashausaperova

Here are some other bonus codes for specific servers and rewards:

  • 90KCAPTSONTHEGRAM: 300 Community Tokens, ×1 Cartographiс Camouflage (NA, EU, ASIA servers)
  • TIKTOKTO20K: 300 Community Tokens, ×1 Cartographiс Camouflage (NA, EU, ASIA servers)
  • CHRISTMASINJULY2021: 3 Days of Premium Time (NA servers)
  • ABANTENA2021: Filipino Jasmine Emblem, Flag of the Philippines (1897) Emblem, Flag of the Philippines Emblem, Free Wi-Fi Inscription (ASIA servers)
  • WOWSDISCORD2021: ×5 Restless Fire camouflages, ×1 The Restless Fire flag (NA and EU servers)

If you try any of them and they don’t work, they’ve probably expired. You’ll receive a message that you have the new item in your account if the bonus code is still valid.

1Password steps up with storing crypto wallet details

1Password has always been synonymous with storing your password details so you don’t lose them. What makes it remarkable is that you can sync the information across several devices. Well, the utility program has a new update that lets you store your crypto wallet keys with specific notes.

It’s not new for 1Password to store crypto wallet keys and any related information. However, it supplied predesigned fields that you could not change, which means you were completely restricted. With the new update, you can now alter field information for specific notes you want to keep.

Now you can place recovery phrases in 1Password in a format you need instead of placing them separately in a note app. You can also separate your login details and recovery key. In the end, there’s more flexibility with the information you want to store.

Of course, you need to be really careful with the details you choose to put in 1Password. If anyone gets into your phone or hacks your account, they’ll have access to your crypto wallets. It depends on how safe you are and whether you let anyone else handle your device.

If you have Solana-based tokens, there’s new support for Phantom wallets in 1Password. The app will identify if you try to create a section for Phantom wallets, asking if you want to link to it. Once you agree, you’ll see specific fields asking for the crypto details.

Overall, it’s a great feature to have if 1Password users have crypto wallets. It’s probably safer if you don’t own much crypto, but you should be more cautious with larger amounts.

Microsoft testing watermarks to alert users to unsupported hardware

Upgrading to Windows 11 is after all an exciting affair and no self-respecting Windows 10 user would want to be denied that experience. In case you didn’t ensure your device could handle Windows 11, Microsoft is currently working on an update to the new OS they will alert users to the fact that they’re trying to use Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. 

First noticed by a user on Twitter by the name of Albacore, the new feature will reportedly play some watermark on your screen if you are running Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. The watermark is believed to appear in the lower right corner of your screen. 

Windows 11 greeted the world with a refreshed visual environment, more features and functions, and far greater minimum requirements for hardware than its long-running predecessor. These increased requirements don’t mean you won’t be able to run Microsoft’s premier new operating system if you don’t meet them, but it does mean that Microsoft won’t be able to guarantee you a smooth experience. 

The standard operating procedure with any major upgrade is to check if your device’s hardware can comfortably and capably support the new software. Windows 10 settings even have a function that analyzes your system to see if you can run Windows 11 without significant performance deficits. What about users who didn’t perform the necessary pre-checks?

One of the biggest reasons why a feature like this watermark alert would be implemented is because of the sheer intensity of the Windows 11 system requirements. To run Windows 11 without performance deficits, you need at least an Intel 8th generation Coffee Lake processor or better. Alternatively, an AMD zen 2 CPU or better would do the trick. This need for such high-level hardware left plenty of faithful Microsoft users out in the cold in terms of upgrading to Windows 11.

While there are workarounds to seemingly comfortably run Windows 11 on devices that don’t quite make the cut, these usually come at the cost of a brutal impact on performance. 

The new watermark feature is reportedly still in a very early testing phase, and Microsoft has not as yet mentioned it in any capacity. We don’t currently know if this feature will make it into a final build of Windows 11, but the impact of such a clearly visible addition to the windows 11 visual environment would certainly discourage many users from running the OS on unsupported hardware.

While we wait for this new feature to launch, you can look at how to improve and personalize your Windows 11 experience. There are also some Windows 11 hidden features you should check out.

World of Warcraft releases its last major update to Shadowlands

Today is a momentous day in World of Warcraft history. Not only is it an exciting day due to the latest World of Warcraft Shadowlands update; it is also solemn because this update, aptly-named Eternity’s End, is to be the final major patch to the Shadowlands experience that has gripped so many RPG enthusiasts.

As the world around us has undergone a monumental shift impacting the way we interact with each other and experience life, so too is World of Warcraft experiencing a fundamental change; The game’s publisher has been bought by Microsoft. This means that as much as World of Warcraft and the entire Shadowlands experience has been a massive part of the RPG gaming community, its future is by no means certain.

This time next year we might report on World of Warcraft being available on Game Pass and Windows 11, or we might be looking at the swan song for the world of Warcraft franchise. The truth is no one outside of Activision Blizzard’s acquisition by Microsoft knows what the future holds for World of Warcraft. 

For the moment, all we can do is graciously accept this final patch to Shadowlands, and honor it with the same excitement-filled playthroughs as we have the rest of the World of Warcraft experience

Gracious acceptance shouldn’t be too difficult a task as patch 9.2, Eternity’s End, is a full-blown ‘going out guns blazing’ kind of expansion. 

Patch 9.2 adds a new zone, Zereth Mortis, which is the home of the brand new faction; The Enlightened. Eternity’s and also adds for the Afterlives Forge. This ‘powerful instrument of creation’ is, according to World of Warcraft canon, the last remnant of WoW’s progenitor species, and lets players craft their own battle pets and mounts. 

Zereth Mortis also ships with a new language to learn; Automa. Described as a musical language incomprehensible to mortal races, Automa’s melodic syllables will feature heavily in new quests, events, and zone-specific activities. 
Eternity’s End is definitely an exciting addition to WoW canon, and will hopefully go down in history as a success like the rest of the WoW franchise.

Pokémon Trading Card Game Live Beta releases in Canada

Pokémon announced a digital replacement for the TCG card game phenomenon in September 2021. Expected to launch in that year, the replacement subsequently suffered a delay and was expected to launch in 2022. We are now in 2022, so what’s the latest news on the Pokémon Trading Card Game replacement front?

True to a previous update on the official Pokémon website, TPC has debuted its new digital card trading game exclusively in Canada. The launch occurred as what is known as a soft launch where the beta version of the product was released on a small scale to better monitor its readiness and public reception in the coming global final launch. 

The new Pokémon Trading Card Game Live serves up a completely refreshed crafting system, a fresh take on graphics and overall visual environment, and, in a first for Pokémon card trading history, a “ranked mode”.

Fans of the original Pokémon TCG rejoice, however. Other than graphical and performance improvements, the game hasn’t undergone many changes since the concept first launched in the 90s.

Anyone new to the franchise mechanic need not stress either. In addition to serving veteran players a healthy dose of nostalgia, the new Pokémon Trading Card Game Live features helpful tutorials that will bring you up to speed on everything and anything related to Pokémon, cards, and trading. 

When the game’s final build is released, the new Pokémon Trading Card Game Live will be available on Android, PC, iOS, and Mac. The game is also set to be cross-platform so you’ll be able to play on one account when switching between your devices. 

If you’re looking for a similar feel in a full match, you can play while you wait for the new Pokemon Trading Card Game Live to release globally, try Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel which is available for download on our site.

Facebook Reels is now coming to mobile worldwide

Facebook will soon be rolling out its Facebook Reels feature to Android and iOS worldwide, adding new editing tools to it. It will also be expanding monetization options for Reels creators and the ways users can support them—particularly in how ads appear on the videos. 

First launched in September 2021 for the US, Facebook Reels is the popular social media platform’s short-form video feature and its own take on the highly-successful TikTok app. With Instagram also having its own Reels feature, Facebook has assessed that it’s their current fastest-growing content format by far.

The plan is to launch Reels on Android and iOS in more than 150 countries, which expands their support for Reels creators, too. Testing for Reels overlay ads with creators will begin in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and to more countries in the coming weeks. These non-interruptive ads will come in two formats: semi-transparent banner ads at the bottom of a Reel and static sticker ads that can be placed anywhere.

Users will also be able to support creators by buying and sending Stars while watching Reels. Plus, Reels will now be found on various sections on Facebook, such as Stories, Groups, Watch, and Feed. New editing features will also be added to the Reels creator. These are 60-second Reels, Drafts, Video Clipping, and Remix—which lets you create your own Reel alongside an existing publicly-shared Reel.

Other planned features include brand suitability controls—to give advertisers more control over how their ads appear in various places—and sharing of Reels via app crossposting. Regardless of how long until these updates will be released, both creators and users will benefit from the emphasis placed on this feature. Advertisers, in particular, will have more ways to promote their products and services on Facebook.