If your laptop or PC doesn’t have Bluetooth functionality built in then thankfully there is a quick and cheap way to get it up and running. We’re going to show you how to get Bluetooth up and running on your computer.
How to find out if your computer has Bluetooth
Before we do anything, let’s just double check that your computer doesn’t already have the ability to connect via Bluetooth. We’ve got an article telling you how to just that which you can find here.
How to add Bluetooth to your computer
Adding Bluetooth functionality to your PC is thankfully nice and simple. It will require you to spend some money but it’s not going to break the bank.
You’ll need to get yourself a Bluetooth dongle which will plug into a USB port on your machine and provide it with the ability to communicate with other devices via Bluetooth.
If you find you don’t have enough free USB ports then getting yourself a USB hub is a quick solution to the problem.
You’ll be able to find several high-quality Bluetooth dongles on Amazon, we’re going to recommend the ASUS product as its reputation for quality hardware has long been established.
Once you have the dongle, you can plug it directly into your PC’s USB port and it will start up its own installation process. The dongle will come with installation instructions and some software too, but make sure you manually search for updated drivers before you start to use it
How to update your Bluetooth Dongle’s drivers
Hit the Start button at the bottom left and search for the ‘Device Manager’, open it up and find your USB Dongle. You’ll find it under the ‘Universal Serial Bus controllers’ section which is usually located down at the bottom, as below.
Find your Bluetooth Dongle in the list, right-click on it and select ‘Update Driver Software…’ and wait for Windows to update your drivers.
Once these have been installed you’ll be able to follow the instructions included with your specific dongle and connect to your devices nice and easily.
We’ve all sent messages we regret, whether it’s a typo, the wrong conversation or something a bit too below the belt. Whichever it is, Facebook Messenger will let you delete your messages – if you do it in time.
Here’s how to delete messages on Facebook Messenger.
Keep it in app
First, be aware that this method only works as of February 2019 with the latest Facebook Messenger app updates – so it won’t work on the desktop Facebook website on your computer.
On older iOS and Android versions of Facebook Messenger there was a delete message option, but that only deleted it on your end. A mere visual change. The receiving person or group chat would still be able to see your message! Which was very annoying, and also not very clear to the user.
Now, you can delete it for everyone, but there’s a slight catch: you have to do it within ten minutes of sending it.
Press and hold on the message and then select delete. You’ll then be prompted to either ‘remove for everyone or ‘remove for you’. Tapping ‘remove for everyone’ will permanently delete the message from your chat and the receiving party’s chat.
Why so late to the game?
You can’t delete messages in this way in many chat services, so it’s good to see that you can finally do it on Facebook Messenger.
TechCrunch that Mark Zuckerberg’s messages disappeared from chats while the other party’s messages remained, causing a stir. It’s taken 16 months to bring the feature to the public, and even then, with the caveat of a ten-minute window before they are permanent for at least the recipient.
Personally, we would recommend not using Messenger at all given Facebook’s questionable track record with privacy. In fact, Messenger doesn’t end to end encrypt messages by default like WhatsApp, Signal and iMessage do – that’s reserved for the annoyingly hidden ‘secret message’ feature.
But if you have to use Facebook Messenger (as many of us do for various reasons) then this little delete feature is at least something.
It’s been a while since Logitech introduced a new gaming headset, but today the company is spoiling us with four new models.
Starting from the high-end, the Logitech G935 features Pro-G 50mm audio drivers made of a hybrid mesh material that the company claims to deliver deeper bass and fuller sound profile. The Logitech G935 also bumps up surround sound quality up to DTS Headphone:X 2.0.
Additionally, this new product is also the first headset to get Logitech’s LightSync technology, which syncs RGB lighting between all Logitech G products and can even have the headset light up to mimic on-screen content. Hopefully, Logitech has updated the accuracy of the latter mode since the feature first debuted on the Logitech G650 speaker system.
The Logitech G935 looks like the spitting image of its predecessor, the Logitech 933, but it has been tweaked slightly with leatherette ear cups that will replace the fabric mesh material used last time.
The Logitech G935 will retail for $169 (about £130, AU$230) and, if you don’t mind wires, the $139 (about £110, AU$190) Logitech G635 features all of the same sound quality improvements and lighting system in a wired headset.
Headsets for budget gamers
Moving down the product tree, the Logitech G432 is positioned as a mid-range 7.1 surround sound gaming headset. Like Logitech’s flagship headset, this one also gets its new Pro-G 50mm drives and a USB DAC.
The only features you don’t get are RGB lighting and buttons, but that also helps make this set of cans much less bulky.
The Logitech G432 cans come priced at $79 (about £60, AU$110) and, if you don’t need or want the USB DAC, the Logitech G332 comes at an even cheaper $59 (about £50, AU$80) price.
In an effort to further secure the data of its users, Google has launched a new Chrome extension called Password Checkup to protect all of a user’s accounts from third-party data breaches.
To coincide with the launch, the search giant also released new research from YouGov (conducted on its behalf) which found that people in the UK are security conscious when it comes to their online passwords. Of the 2,000 adults surveyed, the research found that just one percent use the same password for all online services.
However, while some adults are conscious of their online security, YouGov found that 39 percent will “never” review their online security settings and 32 percent do not update their passwords every six months.
Password Checkup is Google’s new Chrome extension that detects if a username and password on a site have been compromised. If they have, the extension will warn the user and suggest they change their password.
Cross Account Protection
While the Password Checkup extension can help detect if a user’s credentials have been compromised, they could still be vulnerable if a user has signed into other apps and sites with Google. This is why the company has created its new Cross Account Protection feature.
When apps and sites have implemented the new feature, Google is able to tell them an issue that could put a user’s information at risk has been detected. The app or site can then take actions to help protect the user such as forcing them to log back in.
Google has designed these security events to be extremely limited in order to protect the privacy of its users. The company only shares the fact that a security event has occurred, basic information about the event such as whether an account was hijacked and this information is only shared with apps where a user’s Google credentials were used to login.
Security and Anti-Abuse Research Scientist, Kurt Thomas explained how Google is working to protect its users on every site they visit and not just its own in a blog post, saying:
“Your privacy and security is of the utmost importance. With technologies like Password Checkup and Cross Account Protection, we’re continuing to improve the security of our users across the internet, not just on Google – and we’ll never stop improving our defences to keep you safe online.”
There’s little doubt that is a great place to keep up with the photographic exploits of friends and family, as well as following celebrities and significant figures who share their lives on the social media platform. Unfortunately, it’s also possible to run into some unpleasant people who leave nasty comments on your posts or just generally make life less enjoyable for all concerned.
Well, there’s no need to endure their presence, as there’s a quick and easy way to block them so they can’t ruin your day and clutter up your feed.
What does blocking do?
When you block someone on Instagram they will no longer be able to find your profile or posts, meaning they can’t comment on them either. Any messages they’ve already left will remain on your posts, but these can be deleted by tapping on them and then either swiping left (iOS) or tapping and holding on the remark (Android) then selecting the delete option.
Will the person know I’ve blocked them?
When you block someone, Instagram states that it won’t notify them that you have done so. Of course, they’ll work this out eventually when realising that your account isn’t accessible anymore.
How to block someone on Instagram
Removing someone from your feed is very easy. First, open the Instagram app on your phone, then tap on the person you want to vanquish. Next, tap the three dots in the top-right corner of their profile and finally tap the Block option from the menu that appears.
That’s it. From now on your feed should be free from posts or comments by that person, and they will no longer be able to see your content. (Of course we only blocked to show you how it’s done. We reversed it immediately, unable to live without the wondrous pictures of guitars that the account posts every day.)
How to block comments on Instagram
Should you wish to simply prevent certain people from commenting on your posts, then that is also achievable without blocking them entirely.
To do this, open the Instagram app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner. Next, tap the three lines icon in the top right corner and select Settings from the menu that appears.
Scroll down until you find the section marked Privacy and security, then tap on the Comment controls option. In here you’ll find the Block comments from option, which you can tap and then search for the person whom you wish to silence.
Hopefully this will make your Instagram experience a better one, with less noise from those who would seek to spoil the fun.
If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber then you’ll want to know all about the free PlayStation Plus games and discounts for February 2019 – and we’ve got the details you need right here.
We’ve also listed the PlayStation Plus games from previous months too.
For those of you who’ve just signed up and are completely new to the perks of being a PlayStation Plus subscriber, each month, you’re given a range of free games for the PS4 console (PS3 and PS Vita games have unfortunately been dropped).
This gives you a great way to try PlayStation games you might not otherwise have played, whether they’re indie titles that slipped under your radar, or titles that were too expensive to buy.
Remember PlayStation Plus games are only available for one month – so grab them while you can.
Get the most from PlayStation Plus
Even if you don’t plan to play these games straight away, or you’re not sure if they’re your kind of title, when they’re on PlayStation Plus we’d say it’s always worth claiming them while you can get them for free.
You then have access to them for as long as you have an active PS Plus account, and you can’t argue with that. Plus, you might even be pleasantly surprised by some of the titles you haven’t tried before, even if you weren’t convinced to begin with.
Since new PS Plus games appear for free every month, we’ve decided to create a one-stop shop where you can find the newest free games, and scroll back to see which games were featured in previous months.
This should help you work out if a game might eventually appear in an upcoming PlayStation Plus haul, or if it’s already been offered. Without further ado, here are the free PlayStation Plus games in North America, Europe and Australia for the month of January 2019.
Credit: PlayStation
PlayStation Plus games: February 2019
Hitman: The Complete First Season – PS4 – usually $46.99 / £30
In this thrilling game, you embody the world’s greatest hitman Agent 47 as you travel the world to take out your targets in traditional (and untraditional) ways.
Ubisoft’s Steep sees you taking on the epic snow-capped mountains of an open-world on skis, wingsuits, snowboards, and paragliders. One for the thrill-seekers.
If RPGs are more your thing, then Portal Knight may be for you. The action role-playing 3D sandbox sees you on a quest to become a Portal Knight and to stop the world being torn apart by the Fracture and the evil Hollow King.
Harmonix’s Amplitude offers fast-paced, musical action as you control a beat-blasting ship making sweet music by shooting at notes. With songs from Blink-182, Slipknot and Pink, Amplitude is a bizarre rhythm game in the vein of Guitar Hero.
Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion – PS Vita/PS4 – usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$29.95
2D action RPG Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion is available as a cross-buy between PlayStation 4 and PS Vita – so you can control your empire from home or on the move.
If you’re looking for something more fun and casual while on the move, then arcade platformer shooter Super Mutant Alien Assault might be just the ticket.
An entirely new kind of off-road racing game, Onrush isn’t about coming first – it’s about causing as much damage on the track as possible! From the makers of MotorStorm, features all the huge stunts and crazy crashes you could ever dream of.
Frictional Games hit it big with Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and its follow-up, SOMA, is another nail-biting chiller in the same vein. You wake up in a dilapidated industrial facility with a head injury, and only you can figure out why you’re there and who is after you!
A fast-paced and chaotic space shooter, Steredenn takes the fight to galaxy’s dastardly space pirates and features some insane boss battles and intense pixelated shmup gameplay.
A visual novel with anime style art, Steins;Gate tells the story of teenage scientists who discover the ability to send messages into the past, leading to all sorts of time travel-related adventures.
This action-adventure platform game is a deeply personal work from creator Joakim Sandberg, who spent seven years making this tale of a mechanic who wants to use her wrench to fix the world around her.
An award-winning masterpiece, Papers, Please has you play an immigration inspector in the communist state of Arstotzka, whose job it is to approve and deny entry to people. The trick is in figuring out which people are smugglers, spies, and terrorists.
Sega’s remake of the first Yakuza game sees you taking on the role of former yakuza lieutenant Kazuma Kiryu, who spent 10 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. On his release, he realizes that his city has changed massively and quickly becomes caught in the middle of a faction war. With plenty of kooky characters and action, Yakuza Kiwami is a one not to miss.
In cult-classic shooter Bulletstorm, you step into the boots of exiled assassin Grayson Hunt. After a crash landing on an abandoned resort planet, Hunt must decide whether to take his opportunity for revenge or get his team off the planet alive.
Definitely one for those who enjoy party games. Jackbox Party Pack 2 comes with a mixture of madcap games including Bomb Corp, Bidiots, Quiplash XL, Earwax and Fibbage.
This folktale adventure falls somewhere between a graphic novel and a classic point-and-click game. With beautiful visuals and haunting soundtrack, Burly Men at Sea is one for those wanting to turn off for a few hours.
If you’re less inclined to relax and more about anarchy then Roundabout is for you. This indie driving game sees you driving a limousine which is constantly spinning out of control.
Just in time for Halloween, Friday the 13th sees you playing as either Jason Voorhees (hunting down unsuspecting counsellors) or as a teen counsellor desperate to escape from his clutches alongside up to six others. If you’re feeling brave enough, you might even team up to take him down.
Indie multiplayer Laser League will provide you with hours of competitive fun with a premise that’s pretty easy to pick up. The light-speed future sport sees you competing ,in teams of two or three, to outlast your opponents by setting up moving lasers in an arena. It sounds pretty simple but provides hours of entertainment.
Haunting first person sci-fi adventure horror Master Reboot sees you exploring a range of unique environments while solving puzzles. Master Reboot is definitely one to try for sheer uniqueness alone, with an atmospheric soundtrack, distinctive art style and psychological twist.
The Bridge is a hand-drawn 2D puzzle adventure which sees you manipulating gravity to literally turn rooms upside down in order to make your way through challenging environments.
Rocketbirds 2 is a plucky side-scrolling shooter adventure which sees you stepping into the shoes of a secret agent, who just so happens to also be a chicken, determined to take down evil penguins. Yep…
Cyberpunk adventure 2064 Read Only Memories is a classic adventure game where you take on the role of a struggling journalist who meets the world’s first sapient machine, a ROM (Relationship and Organizational Manager) named Turing. Together they set off to uncover the city’s deepest secrets.
PlayStation Plus games: September 2018
Destiny 2 – PS4
Just in time for its upcoming Forsaken expansion, Destiny 2 is now free for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Get some co-op buddies together and join in the planet-hopping fight against the Cabal warlord Dominus Ghaul and the Red Legion in an effort to reclaim your home.
The closing chapter of the original God of War trilogy, God of War III is about as epic as games come. In this PS4 remastered edition of the PS3 classic, the ex-Spartan warrior Kratos is closer than ever to exacting his vengeance against Zeus for the deaths of his wife and daughter.
A beautifully remastered version of one the greatest adventure platformers of all time, Another World: 20th Anniversary Edition sees a young man transported to… you guessed it… another world, only to find himself in the middle of a slave uprising. Featuring stunning rotoscoped animation and timeless puzzles, Another World is a must-play title.
QUBE Director’s Cut – PS3 – usually £7.99 / AU$14.95
A first person puzzle game, QUBE sees you control a pair of futuristic gloves in order to manipulate your environment and the objects therein to solve a number of physics-based brain teasers.
Devolver Digital’s side-scrolling brawler Foul Play is set on a grand theatrical stage, where you must hunt daemons as Baron Dashforth, who performs bone-crunching takedowns in an effort to please his audience.
The third instalment of 2K’s epic Mafia saga , Mafia III sees the gaming action moving to 1960s New Bordeaux – a re-imagined version of New Orleans. Returning Vietnam vet Lincoln Clay finds himself building a crime empire and trying to find his place in a very different world.
Plenty of fun here for gore-hounds: Dead by Daylight pits horror movie icons Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Leatherface and others against each other in an asymmetric multiplayer arena deathmatch for the ages. Choose to play as the killer, on the search for victims to sacrifice, or play as a survivor, working with others to outsmart the killer and escape. Definitely one to get your heart pounding.
The terror just keeps coming and doesn’t let up with Here They Lie, a psychological horror game for PlayStation VR that sees you travel through an otherworldly realm filled with creatures and strange environments. It’s good to see VR titles getting an airing on PlayStation Plus.
In this solid RPG, you play a possessed mercenary who must take on the dreaded Ice Lords and their Dead-Army in an effort to reclaim your humanity. Every choice matters, so choose your abilities and skills wisely if you want to progress.
A throwback to the glory days of first person shooters, Serious Sam 3 is all about crazy characters, silly action, and making things explode with the biggest guns you can find. Hugely enjoyable, in our book.
As Hanzo the ninja, you must use your finger to slash your way through hordes of pirate monkey zombies in an attempt to get your kidnapped family back. It’s a simple concept, but it works.
Set in the legendary Warhammer 40,000 universe, Space Hulk is a turn-based strategy game where you command a squad of Space Marine Terminators against hordes of Genestealers.
If you’ve been following the video game release cycle, you might’ve seen a game called Detroit: Become Human hit store shelves last month. Heady and complex, Detroit borrows heavily from Heavy Rain, the 2010 game designed by Quantic Dream and developer David Cage. If you like branching story path, great writing and slow-but-steady gameplay, Heavy Rain is perfect, and it was available for free on PlayStation Plus in July.
Hear us out on this, Absolver is a fighting game MMO with PvE and PvP areas. The way it works is that you construct a fighter with light RPG elements and bring them online to fight against other gamer’s brawlers. There’s not a super deep plotline here, but if you’ve always wanted an open-world brawler, Absolver fits the bill.
While 2D Rayman has been racking up the accolades these past few years, the amelic hero got his first big break in the land of 3D graphics. Rayman 3 HD is a remastering of the PlayStation 2 adventure that pits the eponymous hero against André, an evil black lum, whose aim is to take over the world with his army of “Hoodlum” soldiers. Silly puns aside, it showed up on PlayStation Plus in JUly.
Deception IV is one of those games you can’t believe wasn’t a free title earlier in its life. The basic goal here is to lure enemies into increasingly grotesque and wacky traps in an attempt to clear missions. We probably wouldn’t waste the hard drive space with this one, but hey man, it’s your console.
If you’ve always felt that the solar system had too many planets, Space Overlords might be the gateway to galactic destruction you’ve always dreamed of. Allowing you to create and destroy worlds using giant robots, Space Overlords is like a 3D, space-centric version of Rampage.
You know those really popular escape rooms that seem to be popping up all over the place? Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma brings all the fun of those into the digital world with a puzzle-solving adventure but blended with the world of SAW. So like, basically just SAW. It’s pretty fan-service heavy like Deception IV so take that into account before you download it.
If you’ve managed to miss out on the critical hit that is XCOM 2, June was your chance to get it completely free on PlayStation Plus. With its tactical turn-based strategy gameplay set 20 years after humanity has lost a war against alien invaders, it’s sure to keep you invested for a long time to come.
Looking for something a little more fast paced? Then try Trials Fusion, the platform racing game. You can play solo, with friends or race against other players from around the world. And when you’re done with the official game courses, you can even explore the custom ones to keep things fresh.
Cars, zombies, explosions, combat – it doesn’t get much more wild or bloody than this. You can choose to play through the game’s narrative campaign or simply try to survive in its appropriately named ‘slaughter mode’.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier – PS3 – usually £7.99/ $19.99
At this point we think it’s likely you know what you’re getting with a Tom Clancy game. One of the more futuristic offerings in the Ghost Recon lineup, this military shooter will take you to dangerous locations all around the world.
This colorful action platformer is a perfect fit for the Vita (a device which PlayStation Plus no longer supports). Its multiplayer gameplay will have you take charge of one of eight ninjas and pit you against others either online or locally.
Looking for something a little slower-paced than Atomic Ninjas? Thoughtful puzzler Squares is worth looking at. With 91 levels to get through, this could be a good one for the morning commute.
May was a big month for David Cage and colon fans, with his new game Detroit: Become Human due for release on May 25 and Beyond: Two Souls on PS Plus for the entire month. Beyond: Two Souls is an emotional narrative game driven by player decisions and stars Academy Award nominees Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe.
Who doesn’t love a bit of Rayman? Rayman Legends will take you back to the Glade of Dreams to save it from slew of terrifying creatures. Join forces with Rayman’s friends to save their home. This game can be played solo as well as co-op with three of your friends.
In the mood for some action RPG of a piratical nature? Say ahoy to Risen 3. Explore seas and lush islands over the world in a grand adventure as you try to unite your body with its missing soul.
Ever wanted to live you own comic book adventure? Here’s your chance. Eat Them! puts you in the smeared lab coat of a mad scientist and lets you create and control your very own giant monsters. Customize your monsters with weapons and powers and rampage through the streets to wreak havoc and get your revenge.
This is an aptly named game which stars a king swinging a boulder back and forth with his tongue. It’s up to you to decide when he releases it. All you have to do is make sure you time it right to destroy as many things as possible.
Yes Furmins are as cute as they sound and this game tasks you with leading them safely through more than 100 levels. One for fans of physics-based puzzles, Furmins is guaranteed hours of focused fun.
Speaker colossus Sonos and audio manufacturer Sonance have joined forces to create a new line of in-wall, in-ceiling, and weatherproof outdoor speakers designed to work with the Sonos Amp.
The new line, called Sonos Architectural, promises to bring built-in music streaming to your entire home, whether you’re doing chores around your home or relaxing in the garden.
It’s the first time Sonance has created a speaker solely for Sonos, whose CEO Patrick Spence explained that “our goal was to create a solution optimized for installers, bringing the Sonos experience to architectural speakers for the first time.
“Sonance was the natural partner, sharing our passion for high quality, reliable sound solutions inside and outside the home.”
The outdoor speaker is designed to be weatherproof, so it should be fine to use in both the height of summer and the bleakest depths of winter; Sonos says it’s “engineered to withstand humidity, water, salt spray, heat, UV rays, and freezing temperatures”.
The Architectural range with Sonos Amp. Credit: Sonos
The in-wall and in-ceiling speakers from the new range are built to blend in with your home, and feature grilles that can even be painted to make them fully disappear into their surroundings.
If you want to fully deck out your home, you can connect up to three pairs of Sonos Architectural speakers to your Sonos Amp, and use AirPlay 2, Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Youtube Music, and other compatible streaming services to play your music.
Just as with one of Sonos’ regular speakers, you’ll also be able to tune the Sonos Architectural range to your room using the Sonos App, for a bespoke listening experience.
The outdoor speaker costs $799 (£799 / AU$1199) for a set of two, while a pair of either the in-ceiling or in-wall speakers costs $599 (£599 / AU$899).
In other Sonos news, the audio giant has announced that its long awaited Sonos Amp is now available to buy in the US, Australia, Canada, and Mexico. It’s also now available to preorder in Europe, with shipping due to commence on February 12.
Costing $599 (£599 / AU$999), the Sonos Amp has twice the power of the old Connect Amp, and can stream music, connect up to four speakers to the Sonos app, and even control your TV.
So, if you want to build your speaker system into your home it won’t be cheap – but it will probably make you feel very flash indeed.
