Best apps to help keep your 2019 New Year’s resolutions

Time to build a better you. Let’s use these free apps to get it done.

new year's resolutions

The end of one year brings a plethora of New Year’s resolutions: things that we promise ourselves we will work on in the next year, but rarely end up actually doing.

This year, however, you can stop the cycle of breaking your resolutions. There are hundreds of apps dedicated to habit change, and many of them are specific to some of the most common resolutions out there. Whether you’re planning to lose weight or to eat healthier, there are apps that will hold you accountable for these promises. That kind of accountability is what many of us need to actually stick with these changes, so they are worth checking out depending on what your resolutions are. Here are some of the best habit change apps out there that will help you keep you keep those valuable promises to yourself:

Best apps to help you keep your 2019 New Year’s resolutions

8. Coach.me

Coach.me

This app focuses on life management and helping you create a better version of yourself. No matter what your resolution is, coach.me can help you keep track of the life changes you want to stick to. It also has the option for obtaining a leadership and/or habit coach, who you would hire as an online life coach. This can help for grander resolution changes that will take a long time and some help to accomplish.

7. Streaks

The premise of Streaks is to try and go 12 consecutive days without breaking a new habit. Whether that is eating better, managing your time properly, or any other resolution you may have, Streaks works to help you maintain a streak of good behavior for as long as possible. It will even go past the 12 days, so if you successfully maintain a streak, you can see how long it’ll go for. Then if you break it, you can work your way back up with a new goal of beating your own time. It is a great motivation tool for helping you develop good habits.

6. My Diet Coach

The most common New Year’s resolutions according to YouGov, have something to do with weight loss. My Diet Coach is the perfect app for tracking your weight loss journey, if this is the resolution you’ve chosen to work on. The app is able to track your food intake, your weight, and your fitness accomplishments as you work on shaving off those pounds. The app is especially helpful to those who are both dieting and exercising, as the app is dedicated to helping you improve your overall wellness.

My Diet Coach Free Download
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5. Mint

Mint

For anyone trying to save some money in the new year, this app is perfect for you. It not only helps you budget out your income, but it also can help prevent needless spending. You can link it to multiple bank accounts, so if you have your money spread out, you can still manage it under the same app. It also keeps you updated on your transactions. So as it helps you maintain your budget, it can also be used for identity theft prevention, since it lets you see when every transaction posts. It is the best money managing app out there.

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4. Finish

As the name implies, this app is all about teaching yourself to finish tasks on time, or in general. Maybe your resolution is to actually finish projects that you start. Or perhaps you’re worried about whether you can keep your resolution or not. This app gives you frequent updates on how you’re doing, and whether you are falling behind on your task or not. Its main priority is to get you to finish whatever task you’ve set for yourself. It’s the ultimate motivation app.

3. Fabulous

Fabulous

The perfect high energy app for those who need a much bigger kick to prepare themselves for the new year. Fabulous focuses on resetting bad habits instead of creating new ones. By removing your bad habits, it makes way to help you start fresh. If you’re trying to eat healthier, you may want to start by eating less junk food, and this is the app to help you do just that. It also is more exciting, offering positive reinforcement that other habit trackers don’t. 

2. Habitshare

HabitShare

This app is a social habit tracker, that allows you to stay in contact with other people trying to change similar habits. While most habit trackers rely on accountability from self-motivation, and the app itself, Habitshare goes the extra mile by bringing in real people to help you with your changes. They also let message others and see how their progress is going on their habit updates. The app does allow you to create a private account, but we suggest using a different habit tracking app if you wish to go private, since the main benefit of Habitshare is the social networking aspect.

1. Habitify

This is probably the best habit tracker for people who have a lot to do in their day. Habitify prioritizes the habits you need to work on, based on the time of day and what has gotten done. This can help you change any behavior you’re looking to adjust, as well as keep track of your to do lists, all in the same app.

If you’re interested in more apps that can help you stick to your resolution, then you’ll definitely want to check out the suggestions that our Softonic Solutions community put together. You can even put up your own suggestions there if you feel like there is an app we missed. Best of luck reaching your goals in 2019 and beyond!

7 best MMOs to get married in

Ready to tie the virtual knot? Here are the benefits to your game.

Final Fantasy XIV wedding

Marriage in MMOs can be a confusing topic. Some may not want to get married, even in a virtual sense, unless it’s to their actual real-life spouse. A select few have even had their virtual ceremony stand in place of their real-life wedding. Others, on the other hand, may choose to get married for the various benefits that an MMO has to give to a married couple.

Either way, there are some MMOs that stand out in particular as being amazing choices for anyone looking for a digital ceremony. And on top of that, if you’re an avid player of any of these games, then you’re sure to enjoy the plethora of bonuses you can receive with your in-game partner. Below are some of the most prominent MMOs to feature marriage systems, and some benefits to getting married in them.

Best MMOs to get married in

7. Final Fantasy XI

Final Fantasy XI

Often overlooked as the older Final Fantasy MMO, FFXI is a little out of date when it comes to most things, and MMO marriages is one of them. With no more updates to come, it is one of the only MMOs to be surely static in its lack of marriage benefits. The wedding ceremony is good for those who like the graphics of slightly older PC games as well as traditional Final Fantasy games.

Unlike most MMO weddings, the vows are able to be selected from a few options, making the wedding somewhat role-playable. Outside of the wedding, however, there isn’t much benefit to getting married, and characters are restricted to opposite-sex marriages. Hopefully, with Final Fantasy XI coming to mobile in the next few years, we can expect the marriage system to be redone as well.

6. Age of Wushu

This MMO features a very traditional Chinese-style wedding. As it is based in feudal China, it makes sense that it has stuck to the customs of its time. Though not ideal for some, marriages can only be held between a male and female character, after the male proposes to the female. Players can even see a matchmaker to arrange their weddings for them.

The main advantage of getting married in Age of Wushu is the elaborate wedding. Depending on how much you plan to spend, the weddings can be some of the most illustrious scenes of the game. The main marriage benefits are the ability to teleport to your spouse, and some exclusive titles.

Overall, this marriage is ideal for those looking for an elaborate in-game wedding, or looking to receive all titles available, but not necessarily for those looking for deeper gameplay. Also note, the male character must pay for the betrothal gift (the proposal item), and the fees for a divorce if there is one.

Age of Wushu Dynasty Free Download ►
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5. MapleStory

For most MMOs, the main attraction of getting married is the elaborate wedding, with a few little benefits on the side. MapleStory flips this by having a simple wedding with some pretty decent marriage benefits. Uniquely, they feature a spousal chat that’s separate from the other chat-types, making it easier to have a distinct conversation with your partner without needing type in their name for whispering frequently. Additionally, there are special quests for married couples that give unique and strong benefits to each partner. This alone is the reason that many people get married in MapleStory, and some even choose to marry their own alternate characters just for this.

Unfortunately, there is no same-sex marriage in this game either, meaning you will have to find an opposite-sex character to marry in the game (this game also doesn’t feature the ability to reroll character gender/traits like in many other MMOs, so if you’ve already made your character one gender and want to marry someone who has a character of the same gender, then you’re out of luck).

MapleStory Free Download ►
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4. Rift

While World of Warcraft may not feature a formal marriage system, its free-to-play counterpart does. Often compared to the giant WoW, one of Rift’s many cosmetic differences is in its wedding ceremony. Though almost all benefits are cosmetic, the marriage provides some unique achievements and equipment that can only be obtained that way. The wedding is surprisingly optional, though definitely recommended if you’re into them. It features a unique tribal-like ritual with a strong connection to nature that isn’t always seen in-game weddings. Marriages also have no race or gender restrictions in this game.

3. Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic

While most MMOs that have a marriage system allow you to marry another player, Star Wars: The Old Republic actually has you marry an NPC. Throughout the game, you are given the option to romance various NPC companions that join you on either side. Originally class and gender restricted, you’re now able to choose between a large variety of companions to romance.

While this marriage is mostly valued for its story elements, getting married to a character can also boost certain skills and rewards that the character can yield. As such, it can also be a strategic choice to marry someone you find useful. This is also one of the few MMO marriages to not be shown on screen.

Star Wars: The Old Republic Free Download ►
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2. Elder Scrolls: Online

Elder Scrolls: Online

Elder Scrolls: Online Download now ►
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Not only will Skyrim fans be happy to see that ES:O has marriage, but it also features one of the best marriage benefit systems of any MMO. If both you and your spouse are online with your wedding ring equipped, you each receive a 10% experience bonus to everything you do. This makes leveling much easier, and can speed up the process for pretty much everything in the game. The ceremony is a pretty simple one, however, being more about soul-binding than actually marrying someone.

1. Final Fantasy XIV

As far as in-game weddings go, Final Fantasy’s Eternal Bonding Ceremony has got to be one of the most extravagant out there. With no gender-based restrictions, players have the choice between three different ceremonies, each with their own benefits and rewards.

The marriage system in FFXIV allows for the player to teleport to their partner for free, and also gives a plethora of rewards they can receive. These rewards are mostly cosmetic, but include a unique two-seater mount. The main benefit to getting married in Final Fantasy XIV is the extravagant and customizable wedding, as it rivals many real-life weddings in terms of quality and elegance.

Final Fantasy XIV Free Download ►
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Interestingly, same-sex unions in MMOs are typically supported by the fanbase, and but some companies defer because of political reasons (for example, MapleStory owner Nexon does not include same-sex marriages in its game because of Korean politics). Despite this, many fans argue for same-sex unions, since most MMOs have a higher rate of female characters in them, such as in Guild Wars 2. Even games that have a higher male fanbase tend to have more female characters. This is most likely why more recent MMOs have begun to allow these marriages, along with changing North American politics.

Sadly, there are many great MMOs out there without a marriage system, including the ever-popular World of Warcraft. That hasn’t stopped hundreds of players from performing their own wedding ceremonies, especially for the players who are married in real life as well. No matter what MMO you’re interested in, there is a way to create the perfect wedding for you (just be careful what server you’re on if you don’t want uninvited guests).

Top 5 affordable wireless headphones

Looking to score some wireless headphones? Check out our picks.

wireless headphones

Whether you’re listening to music at the gym or gaming with your pals, having wireless headphones can be really useful for keeping you concentrated on what you’re doing rather than fumbling through cords. With a wide range of choices, it can be daunting to figure out which is the best fit for you. It’s a more daunting choice when you consider how expensive these can get. No need to worry though, as we’ve put together a list of the best headphones out there right now that won’t break the bank.

Top 5 wireless headphones on a budget

5. Bose SoundSport

Bose Soundsport

These earbuds are comfortable and easy to wear out without drawing a lot of attention to yourself. They are a little more on the expensive side, but they are significantly less likely to need replacing than a larger headset, and can be taken more places as well. They are the best wireless earbuds for their price. You could pay less, but you may end up having to replace them more often.

4. Photive BTH3

Photive

Probably the cheapest wireless headphones you can find at a good quality, these headphones are your best choice if you’re trying to stretch your budget. They function just as well as high-end headphones, despite lacking some of the additional add-ons and sophistication that a higher price would give.

3. Bluedio T3

Bluedio

With a long-range Bluetooth connection, these headphones are perfect for anyone who is looking to take full advantage of their wireless capabilities. Unlike the other headphones on this list, these can be used at a pretty long distance to the device they are connected to.

2. Skullcandy Uproar

SkullCandy

These headphones are a little more focused on style than the others, with a large range of colors to choose from. They last for a decent amount of time between charges, and go well with any gaming setup you can think of thanks to their color customizability. They are also sleeker than most over-the-ear headphones out there.

1. Avantree Audition

Avantree

These headphones have one of the longest lasting batteries for their price point, and have a microphone available to them as well. A perfect choice for people who want to use their headphones for exceptionally long sessions. They have the quality of a high-price headphone, but with the luxury of not costing quite as much.

For more inexpensive headphones, check out our Softonic Solutions page, where our community has lots of great options to choose from.

 

7 Dynasty Warriors spinoff games that you have to try

If you like Dynasty Warriors, you’ll love these 7 games!

Dynasty Warriors is a unique franchise of hack-and-slash warlord games where you fight against large armies of warriors. This popular series draws strong inspiration from Chinese history, with many of the characters being major historical figures. The spin-offs of this series tend to follow the same unique gameplay, but with crossover characters of various different series. Here are some of the best.

7 Dynasty Warriors spinoff games that you have to try

7. One Piece: Pirate Warriors

One of the first crossover games that Dynasty Warriors did, and it is a hidden gem. While popular in Japan, this spin-off series has gone mostly unnoticed in America. Using pirates instead of traditional warriors is a contrast that works surprisingly well.

6. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam

Another unique crossover that creates an amazingly interesting aesthetic of mecha space warriors with swords. Definitely worth checking out, even if you’re not a fan of traditional Gundam, as it is one of the most unique games in the Dynasty Warriors franchise.

5. Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi

Not all of Dynasty Warriors’ spin-off games are crossovers, and these two series have made their own unique canons as well. Samurai Warriors is the same concept as Dynasty Warriors but with historical Japanese characters, while Orochi is a combination of the two series. Both have grown popular to the point where they have become their own stand-alone games as well.

4. Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers

Unlock the other titles on this list, Godseekers does not follow the same gameplay as the traditional Dynasty Warriors games. Instead, Godseekers is a tactical RPG featuring many of the main characters from the Dynasty Warriors series. It is essentially the inverted concept that Dynasty Warriors spin-offs have, with the gameplay changing instead of the characters. This creates a unique and interesting take on a typically static gameplay formula.

3. Fire Emblem Warriors

Fire Emblem is a perfect fit in the Warriors universe, as it features many noble characters in feudal-like situations. That’s why this crossover is one of the most natural ones for a fan of either series. Fans of Fire Emblem will enjoy this unique take on some of their beloved characters.

2. Warriors All-Stars

Similar to the Warriors Orochi series, Warriors All-Stars follows the gameplay of Dynasty Warriors but features characters from all Koei games. This includes games such as Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive, and the Atelier series. Fans of Koei will love seeing these familiar characters in the unique gameplay of Dynasty Warriors.

1. Hyrule Warriors

Even among non-Zelda fans, this game is what brought many gamers to the attention of Dynasty Warriors. Not only does it allow a much-appreciated gameplay change to the Zelda franchise, but it also stands as a great addition to the Dynasty Warriors series itself.

There aren’t many games like Dynasty Warriors besides its own spin-offs, however, our Softonic Solutions community offers some similar games that you’re sure to enjoy if you’re a fan of the Warriors series.

How to play Summoners War: Complete Guide with tips and tricks

Ready to tackle Summoners War? Just follow our guide.

Summoners War is a popular mobile RPG game that’s available on many platforms for never-ending entertainment. For those who enjoy action-packed battles and monsters, this title is essential for mobile gamers. There are PvP matches, magical dungeons, and unique monsters to collect for each battle. 

In this beginners guide, we share our top tips and tricks to play Summoners War like a master.

What is Summoners War?

Summoners War is an online RPG mobile game that offers real-time battles in the Sky Arena against other users. You can select from over 1,000 different monsters with individual abilities to battle it out in the Sky Arena. Each monster has a unique skill set during battle.

When you summon a team of monsters, you’ll need a unique strategy. You can explore dungeons, fight as teams, enjoy combat in PvPs, and fight powerful bosses to earn rewards. 

Summoners War

How to play Summoners War?

When you first start the game, Ellia helps you through your first few summonses and obtains your first few monsters for you. This is essentially your tutorial run. After receiving your first few beasts, Ellia will tell you to use your crystals to call another one. We suggest you use your crystals for experience upgrades first and energy refills at a later stage. 

You’ll start unlocking different parts of the map which have other monsters and materials. There’s the option to either hold onto these materials or sell them. You can move through a particular area, fighting bosses, upgrading your monsters, and collecting materials. 

You’ll eventually enter the arena, where you use strategies to battle your monsters against other players to receive rewards and upgrades.

Beginner’s guide to Summoners War

With a better understanding of what Summoners War is and how it works, we want to show you how to get started. We have a few tips and tricks we want to show you towards becoming a master at the game.

Starting monsters and what to do with them

Summoners War

The monsters you receive for free early on are:

  • fire hellhound
  • water fairy
  • wind vagabond
  • light elven ranger
  • light garuda
  • water magic knight

The water magic knight (Lapis) is by far the most powerful and useful of these. Once you receive her, she should be the main one that you focus on using. Be careful about getting rid of any of the rest, however. Besides the fire hellhound (Sieq), these monsters are somewhat rare, so you should hold onto them even if you don’t plan on using them right away.

Summoners War

Early on, the water fairy (Elucia) and Sieq will be your main monsters. They are pretty strong and are easiest to level early since you start with them. In fact, despite being easy to obtain, Sieq is one of the stronger natural 2-star units, and is a fine addition to any team.

Along with these six, you will also receive a few monsters as first-time mission rewards. Notable ones include the water garuda (Konamiya), the wind pixie (Shannon), and the wind griffon (Bernard). All three of these make excellent supports for your party and are perfect for anyone looking to replace their initial water fairy.

An important thing to note about these early monsters is that it is generally better to focus on maxing a few early in the game, rather than trying to level up multiple to use. This is because you’ll have to level weak monsters for evolution, and this can take a really long time, so if you’re doing it for a large cast of monsters then you’ll end up wasting a lot of your time.

We suggest sticking with four early monsters: the water magic knight (Lapis), the light garuda (Teon) the fire hellhound (Sieq), and the wind griffon (Bernard).

Also, be sure to keep at least one of each monster with the fusion simple (a yellow circle under their portrait). Each of those will be useful later.

Summoners War

Participate in both PVP and PVE

You’ll notice different rewards, whether you fight in the arena or replaying the story missions. Both of these types are useful, and you should be doing as much as you can to maximize your prizes.

That’s not to say you can’t tailor your team to focus on one combat type at the beginning. If you’re not interested in PVP, you don’t actually have to win battles to receive many of the rewards (including daily missions) from the arena, so just participating in them is worth it. While it’s harder to avoid PVE content, you can still tailor your team to focus more on PVP if you prefer that.

Summoners War

Play as much of the story as you can

Whether you’re more invested in the PVE or the PVP of this game, you will want to get as far into the story as you can. This is because the story unlocks different maps and activities that are unavailable at the beginning of the game. You won’t be able to get far in any content until you’ve completed a good portion of the story.

Summoners War

Runes, awakening, and silver monsters

It may not seem this way at first, but runes are really what make your monsters powerful. Particularly runes 2, 4, and 6 typically give percentage bonus stats, which can increase your monsters’ stats exponentially. Be sure to try and power up the runes on your favorite monsters, and awaken them as soon as possible.

An awakened monster will have more powerful stats and skills and can help you complete the game much better than a beast that’s unawakened. With that in mind, you should be aware that silver monsters are exceptionally weak compared to their gold and purple counterparts since they can not be awakened. They should only be used to level up and evolve your main gold and purple monsters.

Summoners War

What is the best monster in Summoners War?

There are many different monsters to choose from with different elemental abilities and strengths, depending on whether you are using them for PvE or PvP. For PvE,  Sigmarus, the Water Phoenix, makes an excellent monster for new players and dungeons. It deals great damage against all the stages because of its element advantage. Its 3rd skill, Ice Volcano, attacks all enemies with an ice volcano, reducing their attack for the next two rounds.

Sigmarus is a great ally against the towers and the boss by dealing high and continuous damage. As you explore more and farm new runes, you can upgrade his 3rd skill to Violent. Violent ensures that his Ice Volcano ability has a faster cooldown period while increasing the damage output of Sigmarus. Overall, this monster is a strong ally to keep as a Summoners War Beginner in your monster collection.

Creating a farmer

Before you can have a strong team in this game, you’re going to need units designed to farm for experience. This is because you have to level up low star monsters to upgrade higher starred ones. Thankfully, you’ll be given a water magic knight, Lapis, fairly early that will make an excellent farmer even into the late game.

Summoners War

Eventually, you’ll want at least one farmer of each element in order to farm on specific maps, but for now, you should just focus on using Lapis to level your other monsters. What makes her so great is her strong AOE abilities and the fact that she can heal herself. These are two things that you will want to look for in most of your farmers.

Once you’ve started to level her up a bit, you can take her and three other monsters into a scenario and repeat this until they are fully leveled. This is how you farm. The best early spot to farm with her is in the volcano, as she has an elemental strength against the monsters there.

Build new buildings whenever you can

There are significantly more buildings in the game than the few that you start with. These buildings will give different daily rewards, and each has its own benefits to using. Make sure to get these as soon as they are available.

You probably won’t need to upgrade them much at the beginning (unless Ellia tells you to). Having them will give you rewards that will make the overall game much easier for you.

Summoners War

Join a guild and make friends/mentors early

There are three main benefits to making friends and joining a guild. Firstly, by being part of a guild and using mentors in battle, you will get daily rewards that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do.

Additionally, friends give you points to summon new monsters.

But most importantly, having friends and being part of a guild lets you unlock occasionally dungeons with unique rewards. Friends unlock special dungeons based on the elemental hall open that day (this can let you farm units like light vagabond that may not be normally farmable). Alternatively, guilds unlock their own unique dungeon with unique rewards from participating in these battles.

Summoners War

Be careful when accepting rewards right away

It may be tempting to accept any reward you receive as soon as you can, but there are some benefits to waiting. Firstly, you receive a free two-week exp boost, so avoid accepting any exp boost rewards until this is over.

You’ll end up losing out on useful tools. Along with this, you should avoid accepting experience when you can, at least at first. Energy isn’t usually a huge issue in the game, but you will run out of it while farming eventually. If you want to optimize your experience, you should avoid accepting high exp rewards from achievements until you run out of energy. This is because your energy will fully restore upon level up.

(Note: you should always do and accept the rewards for your daily missions regardless of this rule. These missions give great bonuses and are usually tied into events going on in the game).

Summoners War

Don’t be afraid to ask questions

This game is surprisingly more social than you would expect at first glance. There’s a continuous chat running with players online rather frequently. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of this when you have a question. Most people within the community will be more than happy to help you get started!

If you found this helpful, be sure to check out similar guides here on Softonic, to make the most of your mobile gaming experience. Good luck on your mission to become the best summoner!

Summoners War

How to connect your Pokémon Go account to Pokémon Let’s Go: Pikachu and Eevee

Move your Pokémon between games!

Pokémon Let's Go

With the recent release of Pokémon Let’s Go: Pikachu and Let’s Go: Eevee, fans of the popular mobile app Pokémon Go have been excited to connect their account to the new game. You can receive a variety of perks by doing this, which are invaluable for both games. However, you may find it a bit complicated to connect the games and transfer Pokémon, even after the Go Park employee’s explanation in Fuschia City. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to connect the two games, and how to transfer Pokémon once you’ve done so.

How to connect your Pokémon Go account to Pokémon Let’s Go: Pikachu and Eevee

How to connect your accounts

Step 1: On Pokémon Go, click the Poké Ball in the center of the screen, then press settings in the upper right corner and scroll down until you see where it says “Nintendo Switch”.

Pokemon Go

Step 2: From this menu, simply press “connect to Nintendo Switch”

Pokemon Go

Step 3: On Pokémon Let’s Go, from the main menu (that you get to from pressing X), press Y. This should open up the options tab. Then press “Open Pokémon Go Settings”

Pokemon Go Settings

Step 4: From here you simply have to press “yes” when the game prompts to connect to your Go account.

How to transfer Pokémon

Once you’ve connected your devices, you may find it a little confusing as to how you can actually transfer your Pokémon.

Step 1: On Pokémon Go, you’ll need to press the main menu Poké Ball, then press “Pokémon”.

Pokemon Go

Step 2: From here, you should see a Nintendo Switch icon in the top right corner next to the search bar. If you press this, you’ll be able to select the Pokémon you want to transfer over.

Pokemon Go

Step 3: On Pokémon Let’s Go, you’ll have to go to the Go Park in Fuschia City, and select “Bring Pokémon” when talking to the desk attendant.

Pokemon Let's Go

Step 4: Once you’ve selected a place for the Pokémon to go to, you just have to press “yes” to continue the communication.

Pokemon Let's Go

Note: Transferring is one-way from Go to Let’s Go. Once a Pokémon is transferred to Let’s Go, there is no way for it to return to Go.

What is the Pokémon GO Park Play Yard

Pokemon Go Park Yard

You’ll notice another option in the Pokémon Go Park, then just transferring and catching Pokémon, called the Play Yard. In case you’re curious as to how this works, if you have 25 of the same species of Pokémon in the Go Park, then you can play a minigame with them. This minigame is one of the only ways to get unique Pokémon candy, so it’s worth doing if you want to make a particular Pokémon more powerful.

While this is the main connectivity between Pokémon Go and Let’s Go, you may also want to note that transferring Pokémon lets you use a Mystery Box once a week. Since this is the only way to get Meltan and Melmetal, it’s worth transferring Pokémon to Let’s Go at least once a week.

Top 7 online tools to improve your writing

Use these tools to master grammar, punctuation, and more!

writing

Whether you’re a professional writer or simply writing for fun, writing assistant tools are useful for virtually everyone. From mobile apps to browser extensions, there are hundreds of tools out there, each with its own unique uses. Here are some of the best ones for making your writing more professional.

Top 7 tools to make your writing better

7. Whitesmoke

Whitesmoke

Whitesmoke works as an extension to your word processor, and essentially an upgrade to the basic grammar check that is pre-built into the processor. While most grammar checks simply tell you what’s wrong, Whitesmoke is a sophisticated program that will help you rewrite your work to create sentences with more substance. Their website also contains educational videos on various grammar subjects to improve your overall writing skills.

WhiteSmoke Writer Executive Download Now
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6. Evernote

Have you ever struggled through a mountain of windows and browser tabs, looking for a little note you wrote down? This extension lets you have your notes right next to your work as you’re writing. This means you can keep track of multiple things without needing to sift through a variety of tabs and windows to look at all of them.

EverNote Free Download
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5. EasyBib

Easybib

While this app is perfect for students, it can be used by anyone who finds themselves struggling with citations. This is a great app for avoiding plagiarism, as it helps you create in-depth bibliographies for your work. While you may not always need citations in your writing, it is important to make sure you’re not stealing someone else’s work.

EasyBib Bibliography Creator Free Download
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4. Just Not Sorry

Just not sorry

A Gmail extension specifically created for professionals. If you find yourself using words like “just,” “very,” and “sorry” too frequently, then this extension is a great way to change the tone of your emails, so you don’t sound unprofessional. It finds synonyms for these common fluff words, so you aren’t overusing them.

Just Not Sorry -- the Gmail Plug-in Free Download
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3. Grammarly

Similar to Whitesmoke, Grammarly is a browser extension and mobile app that will help check your grammar and spelling in your everyday life. It is a natural upgrade from autocorrect that anyone can use, as it will also check the grammar of your sentences, instead of just the spelling. We use it here at Softonic, and it’s saved us from some embarrassing situations.

Grammarly Lite Free Download
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2. LibreOffice

LibreOffics is a free alternative to Microsoft Word that comes in both desktop and mobile forms. This can really save you a lot of money if you don’t want to pay for Word. It contains virtually all the same functionality (besides being able to run Word documents themselves), without the pesky fee.

LibreOffice Free Download
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1. Diaro

Diaro

This journal app works similar to a mobile version of Evernote, as it is a perfect way to keep track of any information you have, pulling it up on short notice. It allows for an easier organization format than the pre-built notes app. As the name implies, you can also use this app as a virtual diary, making it easy to document important parts of your day and life.

Diaro - diary, journal, notes Free Download
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While many of these are their own application, a good portion of them work as extensions to everyday programs like Microsoft Word, and Google Chrome. These aren’t the only great extensions out there, so be sure to check out our list on the best Chrome extensions to improve all aspects of your browsing experience.

Instagram cracks down on fake followers

Instagram fights back against fake accounts.

Instagram

Fake followers seem more like a myth than reality, since most celebrities and high profile people don’t need fake followers since they have so many real ones. In most cases, however, these aren’t the people who are paying for fake followers. The people who do try to get fake followers are typically easy to spot, since they’ll have thousands of followers and very little likes or views on their actual content. There are tons of apps and sites specifically dedicated to giving you followers (for a price). It may not seem like a big issue, but Instagram has decided to crack down on these apps, and the fake accounts that they use.

These “inauthentic” accounts, as Instagram calls them, are being targeted by a new software that Instagram has created specifically to hunt out inauthenticity. Accounts who are suspected to be using third party apps to increase their follower count are being contacted by Instagram with a request to change their password.

According to Instagram’s blog post on the subject, they believe that inauthentic accounts are bad for their community, and have upgraded their auto-detection and removal software to crack down. 

If you don’t know anything about fake followers and inauthentic social media activity, there have been a few YouTubers who have covered this topic. They also explain why these inauthentic activities aren’t as helpful to the user as third party apps try to make you think they are. It is not very difficult to spot inauthetic behavior, and it doesn’t help your statistics on most social media sites.

One can assume this crack down on fake accounts was spurred in early November, when Facebook announced they had removed 30 fake Facebook accounts and 85 fake Instagram accounts to curb digital interference in the midterm elections. Clearly, Instagram had a much larger portion of inauthenticity, which may have led to Instagram’s improvement of their auto-detection system.

These are the best gaming glasses

Protect your eyes with our pick.

If you’ve ever seen people wearing yellow tinted glasses while on their computer or using a gaming console, then you’ve probably seen GUNNARs before or similar gaming glasses. These glasses are actually incredibly useful. They’re becoming increasingly popular among gamers and even some non-gaming communities.

Gunnars

Why do people buy gaming glasses?

Overexposure to computer screens can cause your eyes to become strained and fatigued. Frequent overexposure can even cause computer vision syndrome, which leads to things like headaches and blurred vision. Most people experience these symptoms at some point in their lives, especially ones who game frequently or work in front of a computer screen.

Gunnars and other protective eyewear use tinted lenses to dim the light from your screen, and prevent symptoms of computer vision syndrome. They work similar to how blinds work in a window. Blinds let some light in so you can still use the window for vision, but they block enough to protect your eyes and skin from the harmful effects of sunlight. Similarly, Gunnars still allow you to see your screen, but block part of the light to prevent its harmful effects.

Gunnar Optiks also provides prescription versions of their lenses, so these glasses are not exclusive to those with perfect vision. They also provide a variety of styles, including a specific gaming eyewear style. These glasses are designed with headsets in mind, to help optimize a gaming experience while keeping your eyes safe.

If you’re finding yourself with frequent eye strain either from gaming or using the computer too frequently, then you might find Gunnars to be extremely useful. Our Softonic Solutions community also recommends a list of computer glasses if you’re looking for more options!

5 best apps to help you find your new car

Find your new car with a few clicks.

buying a car

Buying a new car can be a real hassle. Doing the research, going to dealerships, and haggling can be pretty stressful. On top of that, you’re usually pressed for time, since everyone needs a car nowadays. Thankfully, there are many apps out there to help make this process much easier for you.

5 best apps to help you find your new car

5. Instamotor

If you’re looking to haggle for a used car, Instamotor may be the app for you. It works similar to Craigslist or Facebook market, where sellers put up their cars to buyers directly instead of going through a dealership. Don’t let the “Craigslist” feel fool you though, Instamotor does a through job at making sure the buyers are safe and getting exactly what they are expecting.

Instamotor: Used Cars for Sale Download Free ►
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4. Cars.com

Like most of the apps on our list, Cars.com features extensive car reviews, vehicle feature descriptions, and nearby dealership info that can be really useful when looking for a new car. However, unlike the other apps, Cars.com lets you make price and feature comparisons while inside a car lot. This can help make sure you’re getting the best deal from the dealership you are buying from.

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3. Edmunds

Edmunds is well known for its in-depth breakdown of car reviews and facts that even included small details like how much it’ll regularly cost to refuel and repair. You can even text their experts to get more info whenever you need. This is a great, time-tested resource.

Edmunds - Shop Cars For Sale Download Free ►
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2. Autotrader

This is a pretty social car app that lets you contact dealers directly. Of course, Autotrader also features reviews and vehicle information that the other apps have as well, but it’s definitely most useful for its ability to contact people directly.

Autotrader – Find New & Used Cars For Sale Download Free ►
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1. CarMax

You may have seen commercials for this popular dealership app. Negotiating isn’t everyone’s forte, and trying to figure out the price of a car with someone at a dealership can be a frustrating experience. CarMax prices are fixed, however, so you’re able to obtain cars that are listed here without any worry of price discussion. You can also read reviews of similar vehicles, get price-drop alerts, and check payment estimations through the app.

Almost all of these apps feature a lot of standard information on a multitude of cars at each dealership that can prove invaluable to anyone looking for new or used vehicles, especially if you’re trying to make your purchase quickly. Good luck and happy driving!