Table of contents for June 2019 in Tech Advisor

Windows 7 support ends about nine months from now, on 14 January 2020 – and if you’re still using this operating system, you’ll see more than this story reminding you of that date. In fact, according to Microsoft, you could see several pop-up reminders warning you to upgrade to Windows 10 before the year is out. Microsoft says that Windows 7 users will see a notification appear on their PC “a handful of times” before the year is out. The company didn’t say what message it would contain, though, or when or where it would appear. “By starting the reminders now, our hope is that you have time to plan and prepare for this transition,” Microsoft said in a blog post. “These notifications are designed to help provide information only,…

It’s safe to say that going into GDC 2019, Google’s keynote was the most anticipated on the schedule. Rumours had flown for weeks, though calling them ‘rumours’ is perhaps underselling it. We knew Google was working on streaming games to the Chrome browser, after last year’s Project Stream tests, and it was clear we’d see more about those ideas. GDCC was the official reveal, though. It’s called Stadia, and already the old box-under-the-television paradigm feels outdated. Streaming games anywhere ‘Building a game platform for everyone.’ That’s the tag line Google went with during its presentation. You have a desktop? A laptop? A phone? Then you have Stadia. It’s that easy. This is the future that game streaming allows. No, seriously: Google showed it to us. An onstage demo went from…

Your front door is the gateway to your home, so it needs to be well protected. Whether you’re watching for troublemakers, monitoring for parcel deliveries, waiting for friends to visit, or hiding from that weird neighbour who keeps asking to borrow your lawn mower, these dual-purpose video surveillance systems will help you keep an eye out. If your house has existing low-voltage doorbell wiring, take advantage of it for uninterrupted service. If it doesn’t, we can recommend a battery-powered solution that’s more flexible when it comes to location. And if you’re renting and can’t mount anything to the wall – or you’d just prefer not to – we can recommend a couple of alternatives. Most video doorbells come with motion detection, night vision, and smartphone alert features, so be sure…

Previously, Microsoft appeared poised to widen the reach of its gaming ecosystem, connecting games on iOS, Android, and even the Nintendo Switch to its Xbox Live multiplayer platform. Only two of the three came through, however, as Microsoft announced last month that its Xbox Live SDKs would be ported to Android and iOS. As for the Switch, Microsoft had no comment. Sharing achievements, friends lists, and gameplay was the first step toward establishing Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem within the Windows PC and Xbox console. According to Windows Central, Microsoft was preparing to unveil a cross-platform SDK (or XDK) at the Game Developers Conference in March at a special session. That session, once named ‘Xbox Live: Growing and Engaging Your Gaming Community Across iOS, Android, Switch, Xbox, and PC’, now has been…

Should I buy a Chromebook or a Windows laptop? Whether you’re seeking out the best computer for your child or just weighing which inexpensive computer is right for your home, considering a Chrome OS-powered Chromebook as a PC alternative is a smart choice – and we can help you choose the right one. Who should buy a Windows PC? A notebook PC powered by Microsoft Windows offers several advantages: Windows offers the most flexibility to run just about any app, as well as the choice of any browser you choose. You can tweak and configure your PC as you choose. That convenience demands more computing horsepower, and often a higher price compared to most Chromebooks. Prices can soar into the thousands of pounds, and if you need a powerful PC…

Microsoft Teams is moving ahead in its gradual replacement of Skype for Business, which was once Microsoft’s go-to solution for collaborating via video or text. Last month, Microsoft announced several new collaborative features that lean toward business use, especially for those who work in collaborative environments at an office. One of the flagship features – background blurring for remote or home workers – has been beefed up with the ability to select a custom background. Other improvements include better whiteboarding, in both virtual spaces and the real world. When Microsoft Teams launched two years ago this week, Microsoft pitched it as a collaborative messaging environment that would compete with Slack. That foundation has been built up over time with closer ties to other Office apps, such as Word or PowerPoint,…

Whether you rent or own, you want the best security camera system for keeping an eye on your home while you’re gone. A boom in consumer-level smart-home tech is putting indoor and outdoor home surveillance into our own hands. These close cousins of webcams require minimal installation and offer flexible setups and a range of security features. Indeed, the offerings vary by camera, and deciding what to buy gets more daunting as this category grows ever more crowded. But whether you’re looking for an easy way to check on your children and pets, or a full-service sentinel to monitor for intruders, we’ll help find the right product for your needs. What to look for when shopping Most home security cameras perform the same basic functions – they detect an event,…