You Can Now Host Watch Parties on Amazon Prime Video

Amazon has launched Watch Party. This is a new feature that lets you watch movies and TV shows with family and friends online. Amazon describes Watch Parties as “a fun new way to enjoy your favorite shows with your favorite people, wherever you are.”

Helping People Carry on Watching TV Together

With much of the world having spent the last few months locked down due to COVID-19, streaming services have had to react. First, they lowered bitrates to conserve bandwidth. Then, in an effort to help people socialize from home, some have launched new features.

Netflix has Netflix Party, Plex has Watch Together, and now Amazon has Watch Party. Which, as the name suggests, lets you watch movies and TV shows together online with up to 100 friends. You can even chat about what you’re watching together.

How to Host a Watch Party on Amazon Prime Video

To host a Watch Party on Prime Video, first, sign into Amazon on a desktop browser and head to the Prime Video section of the website. Then, find the movie or (individual episode of a) TV show you want to watch and click the Watch Party icon.

Next, enter the name you would like to use in the chat, and click Create Watch Party. Copy the link to your Watch Party and share it with family and friends. Then, once everyone has joined, start your Watch Party. NB: Only the host can control playback.

How to Fix Amazon Prime Video If It Isn’t Working

Watch Parties are currently only available in the US, with no plans to launch the feature elsewhere. As well as being in the US you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member. Watch Parties are also only available on desktop browsers, with no mobile support.

If you run into any trouble while hosting (or participating in) a Watch Party, here’s how to fix Amazon Prime Video when it isn’t working. We can’t guarantee to fix the problem, but our troubleshooting guide should at least point you in the right direction.

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The 9 Best Weather Apps for Android

John Ruskin, one of the most famous art critics of Victorian England, once said that there is no such thing as bad weather; only different kinds of good weather. Unfortunately, if you’re stuck waiting for a bus that’s half an hour late on a wet and cold December morning, you’ll probably disagree.

Thankfully, weather forecasting has improved quite a bit over the last 20 years. So whether you’re a first-time weather app user or a fully-fledged weather addict, keep reading. We’ll introduce you to the best weather apps on Android so you’ll never be caught without an umbrella again.

1. 1Weather

1Weather is one of the most popular weather apps for Android. It offers 12-week extended forecasts, 48-hour detailed forecasts, hyper-local severe weather warnings, and other useful information such as the UV index, dew point, humidity, pressure, and visibility.

The app also includes 10 fully customizable widgets, Creative Commons background imagery, and access to live local radar with more than 25 layers. The app is ad-supported but you can pay a few dollars to remove them.

Download: 1Weather (Free, premium version available)

2. WeatherBug

Like Accuweather, WeatherBug is a long-time favorite of Android users. It was one of the first full-featured weather apps available for the platform.

One of its best features is a lightning alert that tells you exactly how far away a storm is and if you or your property is in danger of getting hit. It also has a home energy meter that calculates how much your heating or air conditioning bill is likely to be, which helps keep you comfortable during extreme conditions.

You also have access to a layered map that lets let you add information such as radar, humidity, pressure, wind speed, high/low forecast, and satellite imaging. Rounding out its feature set is access to traffic cameras that give you an immediate view of real-time weather in any given location.

Download: WeatherBug (Free, in-app purchases available)

3. Accuweather

Accuweather is another of the best weather apps on Android. Although most people only associate the brand with the smartphone app and website, the company has actually been in existence since 1962 when it started out offering weather forecasting services to private companies.

All the features you’d expect are present. You can get local and global weather forecasts, minute-by-minute live weather updates, and severe weather warnings.

Make sure you also check out the app’s real-feel feature. It analyzes several contributing factors to tell you what the temperature feels like outside, even if that’s different from the thermometer reading.

Download: Accuweather (Free, in-app purchases available)

4. The Weather Channel

Unsurprisingly, The Weather Channel app is a popular source for Android weather. It’s the official offering from the US weather TV network of the same name.

The app offers the standard fare of hourly, 36-hour, and 10-day forecasts, along with the temperature, humidity, dew points, sunrise and sunset times, wind speeds, UV indexes, visibility, and barometric pressures. It really comes into its own, however, with some of the additional features.

They include pollen indexes, a “running index” so you know whether it’s a good time to go for a jog, a hurricane hub, rain alerts, and a full-featured radar.

Download: The Weather Channel (Free, in-app purchases available)

5. Yahoo Weather

Yahoo Weather is one of the few Android weather apps that doesn’t offer in-app purchases to unlock all its features—it is completely free to use.

It offers 10-day and 24-hour temperature forecasts, interactive live radars, satellite maps, wind maps, heat maps, the UV index, pressure readings, and severe weather alerts.

Along with 1Weather, Yahoo Weather has some of the best Android weather widgets; they’re great for people who like to monitor the weather conditions directly from their device’s home screen.

Another popular feature is the awesome photos that appear throughout the app. They match your location, time of day, and current weather.

Download: Yahoo Weather (Free)

6. Hurricane Tracker

Hurricanes are an annual reality for a large amount of the world’s population. And sadly, those who live in cities such as Tampa, Miami, Houston, and New Orleans are some of the most at-risk people on the planet.

Hurricane Tracker is the best hurricane-focused app in the Google Play Store. It offers real-time updates from the National Hurricane Center during major storms, impact potential maps, access to more than 65 tracking tools and radar overlays, satellite images, and written articles from the company’s team of hurricane experts.

The app only covers hurricanes in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins. If you live in Asia or Australia, you’ll need to use other resources.

Download: Hurricane Tracker ($3.99, in-app purchases available)

7. Today Weather

If you’re a weather affocionado, chances are that you’be heard about the demise of the once-popular Dark Sky weather app on Android. In mid-2020, Apple bought it; the app was subsequently delisted from the Google Play Store.

What’s perhaps less well-known is that a lot of weather apps rely on Dark Sky’s API for their forecasts. The API will stop working in mid-2021, and its shuttering threatens to shake up the market.

If you want to future-proof yourself, check out Today Weather. Not only is the app packed with useful features, but it draws on more than 10 APIs for its data, including the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, National Weather Service, Accuweather, and Open Weather Map.

Dark Sky is still currently one of the 10. But all the backups mean you won’t notice a difference when Apple eventually turns off the API.

Download: Today Weather (Free, in-app purchases available)

8. Thermometer

Thermometer, obviously, doesn’t function as an actual thermometer. But it is the only Android weather app that pinpoints your exact location and delivers a temperature reading accurate to the nearest tenth degree. These temperature readings aren’t cached and they aren’t hours old—they’re current at the time you see them.

If all you care about is the temperature, Thermometer is the perfect app for you. The in-app purchases let you remove ads, provide faster readings, offer more themes, and give access to customer support.

Download: Thermometer (Free, in-app purchases available)

9. Rainy Days

Rainy Days is different from most Android weather apps in that it focuses specifically on the radar map. It doesn’t interpret the data for you or lay out forecasts and predictions. Instead, it shows you as much accurate radar data as it can, then lets you interpret it for yourself.

It pulls data from multiple sources and combines the data with Google Maps, providing you with a powerful system for navigating and interacting with the radar data. The app only supports Europe, the US, Africa, and Australia.

Download: Rainy Days (Free, in-app purchases available)

Does Weather Have to Be So Serious?

While all the apps we’ve recommended are feature-rich and well-presented, they are all fairly analogous. They have far more similarities than differences.

If you’d like to try something different, why not check out some of the best funny weather apps? They make even the worst weather forecast seem far more entertaining.

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12 Free Online Games You Can Play With Friends Anywhere

If you’re looking for free online games to play with friends you’ve come to the right place. Whether you want to play locally on the same computer or remotely on different computers. With these online multiplayer games, you can enjoy a little downtime with nothing but a browser window.

Browser games have come a long way in terms of graphics. Whether it’s 1v1 games or multiplayer team-ups, modern browsers can support any of these games. However, since Adobe is killing Flash, the games in this list are based on other technologies such as Unity and HTML5.

Online Games to Play With Friends on the Same Computer

These games see you face off against a friend online while sat at the same computer…

1. 8 Ball Billiards Classic

It might be called 8 Ball Billiards Classic (8BBC), but the game is actually good old pool. You play in turns, and have to pocket stripes or solids depending on which type you first sink into a hole. Although it’s a mouse-based game, it’s surprisingly easy to play on a laptop touchpad too.

First, you have to line up the shot using the guideline indicators. Then, move the mouse to the strength meter, and pull back the stick to the desired amount of power you want to hit with. It’s one of the best free pool games to play with friends online.

• No sign-up necessary
• A maximum of two players
• Players play in turns
• Play with friends online, but on the same PC

2. Gunball!

Gunball is like soccer… but with guns! In this pixel-art game, you and your friend control two on-screen characters. Each has a gun and a goal post to protect, and there’s a big red ball in the middle. Shoot the ball into the opponent’s goal to score a point. The first to score five points wins.

This browser game is a great example of how the simplest gameplay mechanics can still be super entertaining. You’ll need to move around the screen rapidly to shoot and defend at the same time, as the keyboard struggles with two people fighting on it.

• No sign-up necessary
• A maximum of two players
• Players play simultaneously
• Play with friends online, but on the same PC

3. Firefall

Comet-like fireballs are falling from the sky. You play as the blue or red square smiley on the ground. Move left and right to avoid being burnt to a crisp. Sounds easy, right? Even when the speed of the fireballs increases, the game is not too difficult to play.

What makes it difficult is the two-player competition. This is because your opponent can’t go beyond you. So use your character to push and/or block your opponent as a fireball rains down upon them. It’s a deliciously evil online game to play with friends.

• No sign-up necessary
• A maximum of two players
• Players play simultaneously
• Play with friends online, but on the same PC

4. Gravity Shift

Most two-player online games focus on a 1v1 dynamic. Instead, Gravity Shift makes you team up for a common goal of solving physics-based puzzles. Each player controls an on-screen character, one with the W, S, A, D keys and the other with the arrow keys.

In each level, you need to move the characters so that all buttons are pressed to open the portal to the next level. There are gravity inverting tiles, where you can change your character’s gravity. It’s all about coordination and puzzle-solving as a team.

• No sign-up necessary
• A maximum of two players
• Players play simultaneously
• Play with friends online, but on the same PC

5. Money Movers

Here’s another online game to play with friends as a team. In Money Movers, you play as two brothers who have to stage a daring jailbreak. Each level takes you further out of prison, as you use the abilities of each brother to solve the puzzle and get to the exit.

The big burly brother can pick up and throw objects, but has limited movement. The little brother has speed and jumps high. Using a combination of their abilities, you need to flip switches, avoid or incapacitate guards, and think of clever ways to get out of a jam.

Some levels are quite tough, and you and your friend will have a great time trying to figure it out. As they say, two heads are better than one.

Plus, once you’re done with the game, there are two sequels to enjoy. Check out Money Movers 2 and Money Movers 3.

• No sign-up necessary
• A maximum of two players
• Players play simultaneously
• Play with friends online, but on the same PC

6. Pong 2

Pong 2 is an online recreation of the classic game of Pong. Each player controls one paddle on opposite sides of the screen, while the ball zips back and forth in between. Once you load the game, it works offline too through the browser’s cache. Pong 2 is one of the best online Pong games because of how it lets you customize the settings.

You can customize the ball speed and the paddle speed for both players. We recommend 15-20 for the ball speed, and 10 for paddle speed. You can also change the background and the color of the paddles. Set an objective of points to declare the winner, and begin playing. One player controls with the up and down arrow keys, while the other uses W and S.

• Sign-up not necessary
• A maximum of two players
• Players play simultaneously
• Play with friends online on the same PC

Online Games to Play With Friends on Different Computers

These games let you face off against your friends online while using different computers…

7. Battleship Online

There are plenty of ways to play online Battleship for free, but this one is our favorite. The rules stay the same as always. Invite your friend by sending a link, set up your 10×10 grids with different battleships, say you’re ready, and begin.

Click anywhere on your friend’s grid to try and sink his battleships, and keep playing until one of you is out of ships. If you don’t have a friend online, play a random game with a stranger. There are always people online looking for a quick game.

• No sign-up necessary
• A maximum of two players
• Players play in turns
• Play with friends online on different computers

8. Lichess

If you want to engage in a battle of wits, there is nothing like a game of chess. Lichess is perhaps the best browser game of chess if you want to quickly jump into a game with a real person without even signing up.

The graphics are pleasing to the eye, and you can try different time intervals. Plus, there’s a chatroom, game modes (like Chess960, Antichess, King of the Hill, etc.), and even an analysis board. Our favorite feature is that you can request to take back a move, which is wonderful when playing a game between friends.

• No sign-up necessary
• A maximum of two players
• Players play in turns
• Play with friends online on different computers

9. Speed Sudoku

Sudoku is a fun brain-teaser, but you can make it competitive. That’s what Speed Sudoku is all about. Who would have thought that you can play Sudoku with friends online over the internet!

Sign up and create a new game or join an existing one. You can have a maximum of four players, but you can also play between the two of you. Password-protect your game to keep it private. While you’re solving, you will also see the other players’ progress in terms of percentage, which keeps your competitive engine running.

• Sign-up necessary
• A maximum of four players
• Players play simultaneously
• Play with friends online on different computers

10. Ludo King

The old board game Ludo has turned into an internet phenomenon, and Ludo King is the best app to play it on. It features a number of ways to play with friends. You play locally with friends on the same computer, or play with friends on a different computer or mobile app. Yep, you can be on a browser while your friends use the Ludo King app.

Ludo is a simple dice-based game and you’ll pick up the rules in no time. The objective is to get your four pins from the starting point to your “house.” Along the way, kill friends’ pins by landing on the same square they’re on, and avoid their attempts to get you.

On a browser, you can only play Ludo King through Facebook. So you’ll need a Facebook account, which also lets you find friends on the social network who are playing the game. But you can also invite friends using the app, who aren’t on Facebook.

• Facebook account necessary
• A maximum of four players
• Players play simultaneously
• Play with friends online on different computers, or play with friends locally

 11. 8Ball Online

8Ball Online is one of the quickest ways to start a game of pool online, but it’s tricky to play against a friend. You will both need to be using the game at the same time, and hope to get matched. You can log in with your Facebook or Google account, but signing in isn’t necessary.

It’s unclear why 8Ball Online doesn’t have a simple option to select an opponent or invite a friend. Thankfully, there aren’t too many people online, so you should be able to set up a game in a few tries. The game’s physics are fantastic, and there’s a helpful indicator to show where the ball is likely to go.

• No sign-up necessary
• A maximum of two players
• Players play in turns
• Play with friends online on different computers

12. JigsawPuzzles.io

How about solving a giant jigsaw puzzle online with a friend? JigsawPuzzles.io offers a variety of puzzles to choose from, and it’s easy to set up and use. To start your own private session, you’ll need to log in with your Google, Facebook, or Twitter account. Then you get to choose the type of puzzle (nature, animal, street art, etc.), the size (how many pieces it will have), and who can help you solve it.

Once it’s set up, send the link to your friends and begin. There’s a handy text chat within the game to talk live. Drag-and-drop pieces into the puzzle with your mouse, and you’ll see friends doing it too. JigsawPuzzles.io assigns each player a different color to keep track of the moving hands. The game also automatically saves progress in case you have to stop midway and come back to it later.

We aren’t sure how many people can try to solve the online jigsaw puzzle simultaneously, but in our tests, three friends could smoothly play at the same time.

• Best with sign-up, but can play without sign-up too
• At least three players
• Players play simultaneously
• Play with friends online on different computers

The Best Free Browser Games to Kill Time

This is a solid list of brilliant multiplayer games you can play online with friends. The problem is that you won’t always have a friend who is free to play games online. In which case you should scour our list of the best free browser games to kill time.

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The 6 Best Sites for Hiring Freelance Programmers and Coders

If you’re in search of a freelance programmer, you’re not alone. It’s becoming very common to hire programmers by project instead of full time.

This is great for one-off projects because you only pay for results. It’s also great for freelance programmers since they can work on the projects that interest them. In general, you’ll spend less on hiring costs, get better results,  and you can hire a freelancer for long-term and short-term projects.

Finding coders for hire is easy, but how do you uncover the most qualified freelancers? Try these sites to rent a coder perfect for your project.

1. Toptal

The freelance market has a poor reputation for being a race to the bottom. Everyone undercuts everyone else, resulting in some workers who will take on a job for unlivable wages. It can be difficult to find competent coders.

Toptal came up with a solution to that dilemma. Instead of allowing anybody to create a profile, Toptal prides itself on its intensive screening process. Only the top 3% of all applicants are accepted. Only freelancers serious enough about their brand as businesses make the cut.

The screening process includes a language and personality interview, an in-depth skill review, a practical exam, and test projects through which applicants demonstrate their professionalism and work ethic.

Toptal features freelance developers, designers, and project managers. You can find freelance coders for Java, PHP, C#, iOS, Python, and WordPress.

Toptal is trusted by AirBNB, DuoLingo, Shopify, Motorola, and Zendesk.

2. Guru

Guru is a global network of over 3 million freelancers, and almost half of them are listed in the fields of IT, web development, and software development. If you want to find a programmer to hire you can look through an extensive database of coders that are available.

Everything is handled through Guru’s platform. You can seek out specific workers or you can put out a listing and have workers apply to you. All communication, agreements, milestones, tasks, and document sharing is done on the site itself. Payments are held in escrow by Guru so that you don’t have to risk losing money for unfinished or unsatisfactory work.

Guru does not charge to post jobs, although there is a small percentage taken from the invoice as a handling fee.

3. Upwork

Remember Elance and oDesk? In 2015, they both joined forces to become Upwork, which is now the largest online freelancing platform on the web. The sheer volume of freelancers available means you can find quality work at a competitive price.

Much like other freelance apps, you can post a job or search through a database of freelancers.

Payments are handled through Upwork’s escrow system so you never pay unless the job is done. If a problem does present itself, there is a program to resolve disputes through Upwork. Communications, milestones, and time-tracking can all be done through the Upwork platform.

Upwork needs a little more screening if you’re looking for top talent. You may get a lot of applications so be sure to vet your coders properly for best results. Upwork touts clients like Microsoft, Airbnb, Bissell, and G&E.

4. Freelancer

Freelancer boasts over 42 million freelancers on-demand for you to screen and hire. Although there are many categories of jobs available to fill, Freelancer caters to programming more than others. You can find web developers, software developers, mobile app developers, website designers, and more.

Just post a job listing and wait for freelancers to make bids. Once you hire the programmer you need, you can use the platform’s built-in chat system, support system, time tracker, and mobile apps to stay on top of the bid. Payments are held in escrow until the work is complete.

Freelancer gives you more specific job categories to narrow down available programmers. Instead of searching for web developers, you can specify HTML5. You can search for a specific language like Python or Java instead of just programmers.

5. Remote.co

Remote.co is a website that promotes a remote-working lifestyle. Some of the top companies in the world promote remote working lifestyles, so sites like these gain traction very quickly. So far we’ve covered sites with impressive databases of coders for hire, Remote.co focuses more on listing jobs.

You find freelancers on Remote.co by posting a job to their platform, and an audience of freelancers will apply accordingly. There isn’t an interface to manage payments like a traditional freelancer platform. For this reason, you should feel comfortable taking hiring into your own hands once you find the programmer you’re looking for.

There are remote job boards for developers, designers, project managers, quality assurance, and IT.

There is a fee to post a job to their site, so be aware of the expense and weigh it against your business need.

6. PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour lets you post projects absolutely free and attract freelance coders. The freelancers that sign up are vetted by their moderation team to ensure higher quality freelancers to choose from.

Among the services you can hire for are programming, database programming, data science, software testing, mobile app development, and web development.

PeoplePerHour has a neat feature called “offers”. Freelancers can post fixed-price services that are smaller in scope. You can give freelance coders a trial run before hiring them for full projects.

Hire Better Freelance Programmers

As with most things in life, you get what you pay for with freelance coders. If you want top-notch work you’re going to have to pay healthy wages. In return, you get real programming talent worth their weight in gold.

Thinking like a freelancer can help you find the right places to single out talent. Check these job boards that target remote workers to find qualified help for your next project. Post your job in as many places as possible to boost your chances of discovery by the freelance programmer you’re looking for.

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Missing or Broken Mouse? Operate Windows With Only Your Keyboard

If your mouse is broken, don’t despair. Your computer’s mouse may seem like an essential peripheral, but it’s actually not necessary for using your PC. If you don’t have a working mouse around (or if you just feel like learning some new keyboard tricks) you can use your Windows computer entirely from the keyboard.

While it might not be as efficient as the mouse operations you’re used to, knowing how to use your computer without a mouse may come in handy someday. Meanwhile, learning these keyboard shortcuts will help you be more productive anytime.

How to Open Programs Without a Mouse

Launching programs without touching your mouse is easy. Windows has quick shortcuts for accessing your Start menu, Taskbar, and desktop.

Accessing and Using the Start Menu

Press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start menu. As soon as it’s open, type part of a program’s name to search for it. Press Enter to launch the highlighted program, or use the arrow keys to select another entry first.

With the Start menu open, you can also press the Tab key to move around the different sections of the menu. Use the arrow keys to navigate around and Enter to open menus. Using this, you can access the power menu to shut down your system, log out, and similar.

Using the Taskbar Without a Mouse

To launch or switch to an app on your Taskbar, press the Windows key and a number key at the same time. For example, if the leftmost taskbar icon is Chrome, pressing Win + 1 will launch or switch to it. Win + 2 will do the same for the second icon, and so on. Win + 0 will open the 10th icon, but you can’t use this shortcut for any icons beyond that.

Press Win + B to focus the cursor on the System Tray, which is the section of icons at the bottom-right of the screen.

Access Desktop Icons Without a Mouse

Press Win + D to show the desktop (which hides all open windows). Once your desktop is in focus, use the arrow keys to select a desktop icon and press Enter to launch it. You can press Win + D again to restore your minimized programs.

Managing Program Windows Without a Mouse

While you likely use the mouse to manage open windows, you can easily manage them with a few keyboard shortcuts. Here’s a list of the most useful ones:

• Close a program: Alt + F4
• Restore/minimize a window: Win + down arrow. Pressing this once will restore down a maximized window and minimize it if pressed again.
• Maximize a window: Win + up arrow.
• Snap a window to half of your screen: Win + left or Win + right
• Move a window: Press and release Alt + Space, then press M to select the Move option. Use the arrow keys to move the window, then press Enter when done.
• Resize a window: Press and release Alt + Space, then press S to select the Size option. Use the arrow keys to resize the window, and press Enter when you’re satisfied.

• Switch between open windows: Alt + Tab
• Open the Task View: Win + Tab
• Switch virtual desktops: Ctrl + Win + Left/right

Using Apps With the Keyboard

The exact controls for controlling a piece of software will depend on the app, but there are a few general tips that apply to most programs. See our massive guide to Windows keyboard shortcuts for more help.

Press the Tab key to move the focus between elements in a window. This will usually select different text fields or buttons. When you want to activate the highlighted option or button, use Enter (sometimes Space) to activate it. To move the focus in reverse, use Shift + Tab. In some apps, like browsers, Ctrl + Tab will cycle through open tabs.

You can also often use the arrow keys to switch between buttons and options in a window. Keep in mind that this won’t work if your cursor is currently in a text entry field; press Tab to get your cursor out of it.

To use a program’s menus, which almost always appear at the top of the window under the title bar, hit the Alt key. You’ll see certain letters in the menu bar show as underlined; press that key to activate the corresponding option.

For example, in the below screenshot for Firefox, after pressing Alt, tap the H key to open the Help menu, then A to show the About Firefox dialog. If you prefer, you can also navigate using the arrow keys.

While most Windows programs use this menu system, not all do. Chrome is a notable exception; Alt + E will open Chrome’s three-dot menu. From there, you can use the underlined letters or arrow keys to access its elements.

You can perform a right-click at the current location of the cursor with the keyboard, but this isn’t consistent across apps. Some will activate a right-click with Shift + F10. Others use Ctrl + Shift + F10, but some don’t work with either.

If your keyboard has a menu key, which looks like a dropdown menu and usually appears at the bottom-right of the keyboard by Ctrl, you can also use this to right-click.

Working With Text Using Just a Keyboard

These text editing shortcuts can help even if you’re a big mouse user. Because your fingers are already on the keyboard when you’re entering text, using keyboard shortcuts instead of reaching for your mouse can speed your workflow up.

• To scroll up or down in a document or webpage, press the Page Up or Page Down keys.
  • To jump to the top or bottom of the page, use the Home or End keys. Inside a text box, these will move the cursor to the beginning or end of the current line.
• You can move the cursor by using the arrow keys.
  • To move the cursor one word at a time instead of one character at a time, hold Ctrl as you press the arrow keys.
  • To jump to the beginning or end of a text field, use Ctrl + Home or Ctrl + End.
• Use Ctrl + Backspace or Ctrl + Del to erase a word at a time instead of single characters.
• To select text, hold Shift while you use the arrow keys. For faster selection, combine Shift with the above key combos to quickly select a large amount of text. For example, Ctrl + Shift + End will select all the text from the cursor position to the end of the document.
• Use Ctrl + A to select everything in the current text box or on the current page.
• With your text selected, press Ctrl + C to copy it or Ctrl + X to cut it. Later, use Ctrl + V to paste at the cursor’s current location.
• Ctrl + Z will undo your last action, while Ctrl + Y will redo an undone action.

How to Move the Mouse Cursor Without a Mouse

If the above keyboard shortcuts don’t work for something you need to do, try the Mouse Keys feature in Windows. Mouse Keys allows you to control the on-screen mouse cursor with the number pad at the right side of your keyboard.

To enable Mouse Keys, press the left Alt, left Shift, and NumLock keys at the same time. You should hear a sound and see a prompt for the feature; press Enter to confirm.

If you turned off this shortcut combination in the past, you’ll need to access the Mouse Keys options manually. You can do this via either the Settings app or the Control Panel, but it’s more convenient through Settings. To change it, press Win + I to open the Settings panel. Hit Tab to focus your cursor in the list of categories, then use the arrow keys to select Ease of Access and hit Enter.

Next, hit Tab again to move the focus to the left sidebar. Use the arrow keys to scroll to the Interaction section and select Mouse. Then hit Tab again to turn the Turn on Mouse Keys option. Now you can use the number pad keys to move the mouse cursor as long as Num Lock is on; press 5 to left-click.

Once it’s on, hit Tab again if you want to change any of the options, including the pointer speed.

Broken Mouse? The Keyboard Works Just Fine

Now you know how to navigate Windows with just a mouse. There are other useful shortcuts, but these ones will help you navigate to most places in Windows. Don’t forget that you can use Ctrl + Alt + Delete to open the Windows security screen, which has shortcuts for Ease of Access options, the power menu, and other useful tools.

If you need a new mouse, check out our mouse buying guide for some advice.

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Debian vs. Ubuntu vs. Linux Mint: Which Distribution Should You Use?

If you’ve heard of Ubuntu, the most popular version of Linux for desktop PCs, there’s a good chance you’ve also heard of Debian and Linux Mint.

With so many Linux distributions to choose from, a newcomer can understandably have a hard time telling them all apart. In this case, these three options have a great deal in common, but there remains a lot that sets them apart.

Debian-Based Linux Distributions

In the Linux world, there are hundreds of Linux-based operating systems (commonly known as “distributions” or “distros”) to pick from. Most of them expand from an already existing distro and implement various changes. There are only a handful that aren’t based on something else.

Debian is one of them, a parent that a majority of other versions of Linux have spawned from. Ubuntu is the most prominent descendant.

Yet while Ubuntu may be based on Debian, it has gone on to become a parent to many other distros as well. Linux Mint, for example, is based on Ubuntu.

If you’re connecting the dots, that means that Linux Mint is ultimately based on Debian.

But Linux Mint is not Ubuntu, and Ubuntu is not Debian. While they may largely share the same technical underpinning, chances are you won’t have that impression when you boot them up for the first time.

Debian

Software engineer Ian Murdock released the first version of Debian in 1993, in the process establishing a community of developers who would work together to provide a stable way to use the best software the free software world had to offer. The name came from the combination of his name and the name of his then-girlfriend, Debra.

While you can install Debian on your laptop and replace Windows, Debian is more than a desktop operating system. It’s a massive collection of software that you can configure in different ways to create the kind of experience you want. This is why so many projects use Debian as a foundation.

But yes, you can install Debian as a desktop operating system. Technically there is a default desktop experience available, but the installer enables you to pick and choose which desktop interface you prefer. You can even choose not to have a graphical interface at all, which is ideal for servers.

This freedom means the Debian teams leave the bulk of design and usability decisions to the various free software projects themselves. How Debian looks and feels has more to do with what the GNOME or KDE teams decide than the opinions of Debian developers.

You won’t find the custom themes and personal style that Ubuntu and Linux Mint both offer in spades, though this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The GNOME desktop interface, for example, doesn’t support custom themes and many app developers actively request that distros stop theming their apps.

Debian’s Package Management

Yet there is a major part of the experience that is specific to Debian. That’s package management. Debian uses the DEB format and the APT package manager. I won’t go into details about them here, though, because as Debian-based distros, Ubuntu and Linux Mint inherent these same tools.

This isn’t to suggest that there’s nothing special about Debian. The reasons to use Debian are many, but only a few are likely to matter all that much to people first discovering free software.

If you’re coming to Debian from a different version of Linux, you may notice that much of the software is older than what you get elsewhere. New versions of Debian only come around once every two to three years, and app updates are frozen in time alongside the rest of the system, aside from security patches and similar maintenance. If you want to use newer software on Debian, you can, but doing so comes with more bugs and instability.

In short, Debian isn’t hard to use, but it is geared more toward technical users than Ubuntu or Linux Mint. Debian is great for people who care more about the values of free software, want more control over how their PC works, are creating a server, or value long-term stability.

Ubuntu

Unlike Debian, Ubuntu is the product of a private company. Canonical launched Ubuntu in 2004. The goal was to create a version of Linux geared toward non-technical users. The slogan was “Linux for Human Beings.”

So, what set Ubuntu apart from Debian? For starters, there was a clear product: the Ubuntu desktop. Canonical employed developers to make the chosen default experience as pleasant as possible for users.

Today, Canonical provides a simpler installer, a restyle of the GNOME desktop, and newer software.

(Ubuntu packages technically come from the unstable branch of Debian. That means experienced users can get this software on Debian too, but at the risk of a less stable desktop).

The Snap Store

Canonical has created the snap package format, courting commercial software developers to release their apps into the Snap Store.

The Snap Store, alongside Ubuntu’s position as the most widely used version of Linux, makes Ubuntu the Linux distro with the greatest degree of software support from non-Linux developers. This is relevant for apps like Skype and Steam, plus large swathes of PC games.

Canonical’s snap format is a universal format that works regardless of which Linux distro you choose. As such, you no longer have to use Ubuntu to enjoy many of these benefits.

Ubuntu has a predictable release schedule, with new long-term support releases launching every two years. Interim releases come out every six months. This makes it suitable for people who like regular updates and those who simply want a reliable computer.

Various flavors of Ubuntu are available beyond the mainstream version. Kubuntu uses the KDE desktop environment, while Lubuntu uses LXQt. Xubuntu employs the Xfce desktop, and Ubuntu MATE ships with (surprise!) the MATE desktop. If you don’t like the default interface, one of the many Ubuntu flavors may be the right fit.

Linux Mint

Clément Lefèbvre started Linux Mint in 2006, only a few years after Ubuntu. There was considerable experimentation in the early days, as the Mint developers decided how to structure the technical aspects of the desktop. They eventually landed on making Linux Mint fully compatible with the Ubuntu desktop.

Both distros use mostly the same repositories and can install the same software. DEB packages meant for Ubuntu will also work in Linux Mint. The Linux Mint team doesn’t care much for snaps, but it’s still possible for you to install them.

The primary difference between Mint and Ubuntu comes down to the initial desktop experience. The Linux Mint team created the Cinnamon desktop environment, which by default resembles Microsoft Windows. You have an app launcher in the bottom left, a task bar along the bottom, and system icons in the bottom right.

Mint comes with a selection of tools that simplify the process of installing apps and changing desktop themes. Mint also has the option to pre-install multimedia codecs that, on Debian and Ubuntu, you have to install after installation.

These changes have encouraged people to choose Linux Mint as an easier or more comfortable desktop to learn and use on a daily basis.

If you don’t love the Cinnamon desktop, there are MATE and Xfce editions of Linux Mint available as well. Both come with the same theme and general layout but may run smoother on older machines.

Debian vs. Ubuntu vs. Linux Mint: Which Is It?

Personally, I would use Debian. But then I’m a long-time free software user who has come to prefer distros that try not to make changes to “upstream” code. But I wouldn’t necessarily give Debian to a first time Linux user. Anyone familiar with computing could figure it out, but Ubuntu and Linux Mint offer an easier experience and look better.

The same could be said of elementary OS and Pop!_OS, which are both also based on Ubuntu. And if you’re inclined to like Debian, you might find much to like in Fedora, another upstream-focused project that isn’t based on another distro.

If you aren’t already paralyzed by choice, there are so many more great Linux distros to consider.

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What Is a Linux Display Manager? How to Choose and Set One

You’re probably happy with your Linux operating system, but from time to time its good to refresh things. One way to do this is to replace some of the default applications and components. Think the default file manager, the text editor, or even the desktop environment or kernel.

One switchable component that is often overlooked is the display manager. But what is this component? How do you switch to a new display manager in Linux? Let’s find out.

What Is a Display Manager?

Also known as a “login manager”, a display manager is responsible for starting the display server and loading the desktop. This happens right after your correctly enter your username and password

Simply put, it controls user sessions and manages user authentication. Most of the display manager’s magic occurs “under the hood.” The only visible element is the login window, sometimes referred to as the “greeter”.

What a Display Manager Is Not

You probably already know your Linux computer has a window manager and a display server.

The display manager is a distinct piece of software. While all three interact, they have different functionality, and perform different jobs.

Examples of a window manager include:

• KWin
• Openbox
• Dwm

Some well-known display servers for Linux are:

• Wayland
• Mir
• Org

(Many Linux distributions feature Wayland as the default display server and a few others are also moving in that direction, so it’s a good idea to know more about using Linux with Wayland.)

Some display managers, meanwhile, are:

• GDM (Gnome Display Manager)
• LightDM
• LXDM

We’ll look at some more display managers below.

Why Replace a Display Manager?

Why would anyone want to replace a display manager, you ask? Well, here are a few probable scenarios:

• You’re trying to revive an old PC and you need a lightweight display manager.
• Your current display manager breaks after an update, and it’s much faster to just install a different one than migrate to another distro.
• You want to apply gorgeous themes to your login window, but your distro’s default display manager is limited in this respect.

There are several popular display managers for Linux. You’ll notice they’re quite similar in appearance; the main differences are size, complexity, and how they manage users and sessions.

Six Linux Display Managers You Can Switch To

With a new display manager installed, you can have some fun with themes. MDM is the best choice if customization is your priority, since it supports both old GDM and new HTML themes. DeviantART features many collection of themes for various display managers, for example. If you’re using SDDM, you can find theme packages for it in the repositories.

But first, which display manager are you going to switch to?

1. KDM

The display manager for KDE up to KDE Plasma 5, KDM features plenty of customization options. You can easily configure it via the control module in System Settings. There you can choose which KDM theme to use, or switch to the simple greeter that lets you customize the background, welcome message, and font.

Other features include:

• Fast user switching
• Display user list
• Enable root shutdown
• Allow passwordless login
• Autologin
• Fingerprint scanning

KDM supports X and Wayland and can also detect installed desktop environments and window managers. They are then offered in list form for you to choose which one to start when you enter your credentials.

While some features might overwhelm a beginner, KDM is easy to set up thanks to the straightforward graphical dialog.

2. GDM (GNOME Display Manager)

What KDM is to KDE, GDM3 is to GNOME—the default display manager of a popular Linux desktop environment. Like KDM, it supports X and Wayland and offers:

• Automatic login
• Hiding the user list
• Passwordless login
• Custom sessions
• Built-in themes
• Multiple user login
• Fast session switching
• Fingerprint scanning
• Smart card authentication

Configuring GDM3 can be done either via the dedicated dialog in System Settings or by editing configuration files.

Note that GDM3 is distinct from the legacy GDM. While they may appear similar, GDM3 is not backward compatible with legacy GDM themes, with options hidden in configuration files.

3. SDDM (Simple Desktop Display Manager)

SDDM is a comparatively new display manager scene. Initially released in 2013, it has survived while older rivals such as SLiM and Mint Display Manager have folded.

With support for X and Wayland, SDDM relies on QML theming, and replaced KDM as the default display manager in KDE Plasma 5.

SDDM features:

• Automatic login
• Num Lock on
• Modify greeter users
• Support for themes

As with other no-frills display managers, you can configure SDDM by editing a config file (sddm.conf). If you’re using SDDM on KDE, it has a configuration module in System Settings. Alternatively, use the handy sddm-config-editor utility.

4. LXDM

LXDM is part of the LXDE environment but runs comfortably on other desktop environments since it doesn’t have many dependencies. You can set it up through its own configuration utility, or edit configuration files in /etc/lxdm (or if you’re on Lubuntu, /etc/xdg/lubuntu/lxdm).

Using LXDM you can expect:

• Configurable user list
• Autologin
• Icons for each user
• User switching
• Timed autologin
• Custom background images

Both the official documentation and unofficial witness accounts on various forums note that LXDM doesn’t terminate user processes on logout. To ensure this happens, modify the /etc/lxdm/PostLogout file.

LXDM might be quirky, but it’s fast, so if that’s an acceptable trade-off for you, try it out.

5. LightDM

Perhaps the most popular and certainly the most versatile display manager is LightDM. Having supplanted older display managers in popular distros, it is customizable and feature-packed. LightDM is also lightweight, and supports X.Org and Mir.

With LightDM you can expect:

• Greeters for GTK, Qt/KDE, Unity and others
• Login screen themes
• User list
• Custom background image
• Adjustable window position

Configuration files should be edited to make these tweaks—the easiest way is the LightDM GTK Greeter Settings tool.

6. XDM

This is the default display manager for the X Window System and was first released in 1988. It is a minimalist display manager suitable for low spec systems or those with modest requirements.

Despite this, XDM still offers some features:

• Themes
• Set background wallpaper
• Tweak fonts
• Adjust login box position
• Handles multiple X sessions
• Passwordless login

Most tweaks are applied by editing etc/X11/xdm/Xresources.

How to Replace a Display Manager on Linux?

Seen something you like? Perhaps you want to switch Ubuntu’s display manager to LightDM.

Whatever your preference and distro there are just two steps to replacing your current display manager on Linux:

1. Install a new display manager
2. Set it up as the default

The first part of the process is easy, as you only have to find the appropriate package for your distribution and install it. You can remove the old display manager if you want to, but in most cases it won’t be necessary.

Setting up the new display manager as the default is different for each distribution. It boils down to editing a few configuration files or running a simple one-line command in the terminal.

Use this short guide to set up your chosen display manager, which you should have already installed.

Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Most Ubuntu Derivatives

Installing a new display manager should prompt the dpkg-reconfigure tool to launch. If not, run it manually:

• Run sudo dpkg-reconfigure gdm3
• Select the default display manager in the dialog that pops up

You can replace “gdm3” with any of the display managers that are currently installed on your system. If this fails, edit the /etc/X11/default-display/manager file with root privileges.

For Arch Linux and Manjaro

Enable the systemd service for your new display manager:

systemctl enable displaymanager.service -f

If this doesn’t work, Manjaro users can try disabling the previous display manager first:

sudo systemctl stop gdm
sudo systemctl disable gdm
sudo systemctl enable lightdm.service
sudo systemctl start lightdm

while on Arch Linux you might have to remove the /etc/systemd/system/default.target file, and create a display-manager.service file in the /etc/systemd/system directory. This new file should be a symlink to your new display manager’s service file in /usr/lib/systemd/system/.

Change the Display Manager on Fedora

Start by disabling the old display manager, enable the newly installed replacement, then reboot:

• Run systemctl disable [old display manager]
• Follow this with systemctl enable [new display manager]
• Then reboot

When Fedora reboots it will be with a fresh display manager.

For PCLinuxOS

You should be able to select your new display manager from the desktop.

• Open Control Center > Boot
• Find Set up display manager
• Select the display manager you installed earlier

If the system doesn’t acknowledge the changes, edit /etc/sysconfig/desktop and set the new display manager.

For openSUSE

To change the display manager in openSUSE, first download your replacement and confirm the installation location.

Next enter

sudo update-alternatives --set default-displaymanager \ [FILEPATH]

Prefer changing the display manager with a desktop tool?

• Install yast2-alternatives
• Open the Control Center
• Browse to Display Manager
• Set the new display manager

Your new display manager should activate on next reboot.

Change Your Linux Display Manager Today

As you’ve seen, replacing a display manager is not as hard as it sounds. Once you start reading more about their features, you might be tempted to test a few different display managers in search of the best one – and I encourage you to do so.

You don’t have to wait for software to “break” to try something new or to experiment with a new Linux desktop environment.

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How to Use WhatsApp Web on PC: The Ultimate Guide

WhatsApp Web offers a quick and easy way to read and reply to WhatsApp messages on your computer. It lets you use WhatsApp online from your browser. And in this guide we show you how to use WhatsApp Web on your PC.

What You Will Need to Run WhatsApp Web

Largely speaking, it’s a simple process and you’ll have the necessary items at hand. But for the sake of thoroughness, here’s the list.

1. An Android phone or an iPhone with a working rear camera.
2. A laptop or desktop computer with any modern web browser, like Google Chrome.
3. An active internet connection for both your phone and your PC.
4. The latest version of WhatsApp.

Download: WhatsApp for Android | iOS (Free)

How WhatsApp Web Works

WhatsApp Web does not have all the features of the mobile app. In fact, it can’t work without the mobile app. You will need your phone to connect to and use WhatsApp Web.

This is, in essence, a clone or a mirror of what’s happening on your phone. If a message comes to your phone, you’ll see it in WhatsApp Web. If your phone doesn’t get a message because it doesn’t have an active internet connection or it’s switched off, then you won’t see it in WhatsApp Web either.

This makes WhatsApp Web inferior to other chat apps, but in some ways, it also makes WhatsApp Web more secure.

How to Set Up WhatsApp Web

Once you have these elements ready, setting up WhatsApp Web is simple:

1. Open the browser on your PC and go to web.whatsapp.com.
2. You will see a QR code that you need to scan to connect to WhatsApp Web.
3. On your WhatsApp mobile app, tap Menu > WhatsApp Web to start the QR code reader.
4. Point your phone’s rear camera to the QR code on your PC screen.

As soon as WhatsApp Web scans the QR code, it will connect your phone to your PC. In a jiffy, WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp mobile will be synced. You are now ready to use WhatsApp online through the computer.

What You Can Do With WhatsApp Web

• Use your keyboard to type.
• Access media (photos, videos, audio) in-line. You can also download any media directly to your PC. However, you cannot bulk download all media files; you have to manually click each.
• View videos from Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube without leaving the chat window, through Picture-in-Picture mode.
• Start a new conversation with any contact, or search for existing conversations.
• View contact information.
• Start a new group chat, talk in group chats, and view group information.
• Connect multiple computers to your phone and save them for future. You can also remotely disconnect any browser from your phone.
• Get or mute desktop alerts and sounds.
• Share photos and videos, documents, and contacts.
• Send emojis, GIFs, and stickers, as well as voice notes.
• View WhatsApp Status updates from any contact.
• Select multiple messages, and clear messages.
• Reply, forward, star, or delete messages.
• Edit your profile.

What You Can’t Do With WhatsApp Web

• You can’t send a WhatsApp Broadcast.
• You can’t make or receive WhatsApp Voice calls or WhatsApp Video calls.
• You can’t post new WhatsApp Status updates.
• You can’t share maps or your current location.
• You can’t change media download settings, so all photos and videos sent to you are downloaded automatically.
• You can’t use two browsers at the same time. While you can add multiple browsers/PCs to your phone, you can only use one at a time.
• Settings are limited to notifications through WhatsApp Web and chat wallpapers.

Using Multiple WhatsApp Accounts

Some folks have two numbers associated with two different WhatsApp accounts. You can still control WhatsApp online for both on a single PC.

To do that, you will need to open WhatsApp Web in two different browsers, such as Chrome and Opera. Alternately, you can open WhatsApp Web in an incognito window, but that automatically logs you out after an hour.

What Makes WhatsApp Web Special

So why should you use WhatsApp Web when it’s more limited than the phone? Because of the keyboard, of course.

If you want to engage in long conversations with someone, it’s easier to type using a keyboard. In fact, WhatsApp Web also works with WhatsApp Business, and you’ll be glad that you can take care of multiple customers through it.

You can use keyboard shortcuts too. The most useful two to remember are Ctrl + Shift + [ to go to the previous chat, and Ctrl + Shift + ] to go to the next chat.

How Safe Is WhatsApp Web?

While it initially got some flak for its lack of security, WhatsApp now boasts end-to-end encryption for all of its messages. This extends to WhatsApp Web as well.

Still, it’s a good idea to employ the best security practices for WhatsApp and understand how safe your photos are in WhatsApp, whether you’re using it your phone or using WhatsApp Web. For example, if you have to use WhatsApp Web on a different computer, always open it through an incognito window.

How to Log Out of WhatsApp Web

If you are using WhatsApp Web on your own computer, you can stay logged in even when you are done. It’s convenient.

If you are using it on someone else’s computer, then remember to log out after you are done using WhatsApp online. It’s best to do this on both the computer and the mobile app.

1. To log out of WhatsApp Web through your computer, go to Menu > Log out.
2. To log out of WhatsApp Web through your phone, go to Menu > WhatsApp Web > Log out from all devices. As the name indicates, this will close WhatsApp Web on any computer you are logged in.

Once you log out, you will need to run the WhatsApp Web QR Code scan again to reconnect to the device.

WhatsApp Web Tips and Tricks

The more you know about WhatsApp Web, the more astounded you will be by what you can achieve with it. In fact, we prefer it to the official desktop apps for WhatsApp since WhatsApp Web is more feature-filled, and even offers extensions.

There’s also a clever hack that makes WhatsApp Web worth using. Through WhatsApp Web, you can actually read your WhatsApp messages without marking them with blue ticks. It’s a sneaky one, but if you want to learn how to do that and more, check out our list of WhatsApp Web tips and tricks everyone should know.

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