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  How to Use the Netplan Network Configuration Tool on Linux
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-07-2018, 02:51 PM - Forum: Linux, FreeBSD, and Unix types - No Replies

How to Use the Netplan Network Configuration Tool on Linux

For years Linux admins and users have configured their network interfaces in the same way. For instance, if you’re a Ubuntu user, you could either configure the network connection via the desktop GUI or from within the /etc/network/interfaces file. The configuration was incredibly easy and never failed to work. The configuration within that file looked something like this:

auto enp10s0 iface enp10s0 inet static address 192.168.1.162 netmask 255.255.255.0 gateway 192.168.1.100 dns-nameservers 1.0.0.1,1.1.1.1

Save and close that file. Restart networking with the command:

sudo systemctl restart networking

Or, if you’re not using a non-systemd distribution, you could restart networking the old fashioned way like so:

sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart

Your network will restart and the newly configured interface is good to go.

That’s how it’s been done for years. Until now. With certain distributions (such as Ubuntu Linux 18.04), the configuration and control of networking has changed considerably. Instead of that interfaces file and using the /etc/init.d/networking script, we now turn to Netplan. Netplan is a command line utility for the configuration of networking on certain Linux distributions. Netplan uses YAML description files to configure network interfaces and, from those descriptions, will generate the necessary configuration options for any given renderer tool.

I want to show you how to use Netplan on Linux, to configure a static IP address and a DHCP address. I’ll be demonstrating on Ubuntu Server 18.04. I will give you one word of warning, the .yaml files you create for Netplan must be consistent in spacing, otherwise they’ll fail to work. You don’t have to use a specific spacing for each line, it just has to remain consistent.

The new configuration files


Open a terminal window (or log into your Ubuntu Server via SSH). You will find the new configuration files for Netplan in the /etc/netplan directory. Change into that directory with the command cd /etc/netplan. Once in that directory, you will probably only see a single file:

01-netcfg.yaml

You can create a new file or edit the default. If you opt to edit the default, I suggest making a copy with the command:

sudo cp /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml.bak

With your backup in place, you’re ready to configure.

Network Device Name


Before you configure your static IP address, you’ll need to know the name of device to be configured. To do that, you can issue the command ip a and find out which device is to be used (Figure 1).

I’ll be configuring ens5 for a static IP address.

Configuring a Static IP Address


Open the original .yaml file for editing with the command:

sudo nano /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml

The layout of the file looks like this:

network:

    Version: 2

    Renderer: networkd

    ethernets:

       DEVICE_NAME:

          Dhcp4: yes/no

          Addresses: [IP/NETMASK]

          Gateway: GATEWAY

          Nameservers:

             Addresses: [NAMESERVER, NAMESERVER]

Where:

  • DEVICE_NAME is the actual device name to be configured.

  • yes/no is an option to enable or disable dhcp4.

  • IP is the IP address for the device.

  • NETMASK is the netmask for the IP address.

  • GATEWAY is the address for your gateway.

  • NAMESERVER is the comma-separated list of DNS nameservers.

Here’s a sample .yaml file:

network: version: 2 renderer: networkd ethernets: ens5: dhcp4: no addresses: [192.168.1.230/24] gateway4: 192.168.1.254 nameservers: addresses: [8.8.4.4,8.8.8.8]

Edit the above to fit your networking needs. Save and close that file.

Notice the netmask is no longer configured in the form 255.255.255.0. Instead, the netmask is added to the IP address.

Testing the Configuration


Before we apply the change, let’s test the configuration. To do that, issue the command:

sudo netplan try

The above command will validate the configuration before applying it. If it succeeds, you will see Configuration accepted. In other words, Netplan will attempt to apply the new settings to a running system. Should the new configuration file fail, Netplan will automatically revert to the previous working configuration. Should the new configuration work, it will be applied.

Applying the New Configuration


If you are certain of your configuration file, you can skip the try option and go directly to applying the new options. The command for this is:

sudo netplan apply

At this point, you can issue the command ip a to see that your new address configurations are in place.

Configuring DHCP


Although you probably won’t be configuring your server for DHCP, it’s always good to know how to do this. For example, you might not know what static IP addresses are currently available on your network. You could configure the device for DHCP, get an IP address, and then reconfigure that address as static.

To use DHCP with Netplan, the configuration file would look something like this:

network: version: 2 renderer: networkd ethernets: ens5: Addresses: [] dhcp4: true optional: true

Save and close that file. Test the file with:

sudo netplan try

Netplan should succeed and apply the DHCP configuration. You could then issue the ip a command, get the dynamically assigned address, and then reconfigure a static address. Or, you could leave it set to use DHCP (but seeing as how this is a server, you probably won’t want to do that).

Should you have more than one interface, you could name the second .yaml configuration file 02-netcfg.yaml. Netplan will apply the configuration files in numerical order, so 01 will be applied before 02. Create as many configuration files as needed for your server.

That’s All There Is


Believe it or not, that’s all there is to using Netplan. Although it is a significant change to how we’re accustomed to configuring network addresses, it’s not all that hard to get used to. But this style of configuration is here to stay… so you will need to get used to it.

Learn more about Linux through the free “Introduction to Linux” course from The Linux Foundation and edX.

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  Microsoft - Video: Back to school for the first time at Wilburton Elementary
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-07-2018, 02:51 PM - Forum: Windows - No Replies

Video: Back to school for the first time at Wilburton Elementary

For students and educators around the world now heading back to school, it’s a time filled with emotions and opportunities to make new friends, connect with old ones, and embark on new learning opportunities.

For one school in Bellevue, Washington, it’s been a momentous week: Wilburton Elementary opened its doors to a new community of students, parents, and educators, for the very first time. Over the past year we’ve been sharing this school’s journey, from its earliest planning stages to partnering with Wilburton to bring the Microsoft Education Transformation Framework to life every step of the way.

More than 400 Wilburton Wolves are in for an amazing year ahead, and I couldn’t be prouder of what the teams have accomplished in creating a holistically impactful environment for these students to dream big, expect more, and give back.

A framework for leadership


For Bellevue School District Superintendent Dr. Ivan Duran, the new school represents a big step forward in the transformation of learning. “Wilburton Elementary is the first school we’ve built from the ground up in over 25 years, in order to serve a fast-growing and diverse area in our district,” Superintendent Duran tells us. “The state-of-the-art campus reflects the district’s commitment to creating innovative approaches for equitable and inclusive learning, enabled by Microsoft technology. Working in partnership with Microsoft Education, we’ve created a learning environment that will give students the skills and opportunities they need to be affirmed and inspired as creators of their future world.”

What I’ve learned over the years, through our Showcase School program, is that amazing schools are the output of an incredible leader. Beth Hamilton, Wilburton’s passionate and energetic principal, is a testament to turning a vision into a real-life, fully functioning school. Hamilton has been a leading light throughout the entire project, ensuring that every detail  – from the building construction, the design of the learning environments, through to the learning approach – has placed students at the heart of every decision.

“We’re going to help each other, take risks, get things wrong,” Hamilton says. “We’re going to laugh and cry, but it’s all to make sure that we have a relevant, adaptive, and rigorous learning experience for all of our kids.”

It’s been a privilege to work alongside Beth and listen and learn along the way. And what we’ve learned throughout the journey will help inspire and educate the next generation of new schools.

The Microsoft Education Transformation Framework (ETF) has been instrumental in helping Hamilton to consider every aspect of learning and design. Across Leading and Policy, Modern Teaching and Learning, Intelligent Environments, and Technology Blueprint, we’ve trialed and tested various approaches and options to best craft this amazing new place to learn.

And the new teachers at Wilburton couldn’t be more excited.

From day one to the first day


“On day one, the teachers were excited, but tentative,” Hamilton says. “Today, they’re excited and full of energy – all because of the relationships and trust they’ve built with each other. They believe in each other; it’s the mindset we’ve created.”

Wilburton’s educators, some of them brand new, spent the summer getting their classrooms ready and investing in their own development. Leveraging the Teaching and Learning component in the ETF, along with resources like the Microsoft Educator Community, these educators participated in over 100 hours of professional development, with a focus on connecting as a team and going deep with the innovative technologies designed to take student learning and experience to the next level.

First-grade teacher Mandy Sin says, “Coming in as a first-year teacher, I’m nervous about this whole new chapter in my life, but after our PD there’s a sense of togetherness. We’re a wolf pack – a family – and it feels like whatever I do, say, or try – it’s ok.”

And all of Wilburton’s staff is looking forward to the new resources they can access – including their partnership with nearby Bellevue Botanical Garden and the school’s learning terrace, which is an indoor/outdoor environment connected to their Maker Space. It’s an area for raised gardens, creativity, community building, with all the resources of a classroom. The school is also designed with pods that create open spaces, for students in different classes to connect as a community.

Built for today, built for everyone


From the very beginning, the school was designed to consider opportunities for technology to play a key role in driving digital transformation in both the learning environments and the efficiency and effectiveness of the school and facility itself. Using the Microsoft Education Transformation Framework, they executed on a plan that identified the tools their students and educators need today, and the systems and solutions the school needs to be more productive, efficient, and secure.

Wilburton Elementary provides every student with access to a device while they are at school, where they will use Office 365 with digital inking and a stylus to support their ability to collaborate with each other and be more productive. Microsoft Teams, OneNote, Forms and more will be used throughout the school to enable learning, improve feedback and assessment, and provide more personalized learning to every student.

The school is also taking a holistic approach to accessibility and inclusion, using Microsoft Learning Tools to support every student, regardless of learning differences. STEM is considered fundamental in the curriculum, with the Maker Space leading to hands-on experiences, Minecraft and MakeCode introducing coding and creative thinking, and computer science serving as core.

 

Technology leads the way


Katherine Gorin, a 2nd grade teacher, is most excited about using technology to differentiate learning and make her classroom more inclusive and equitable. “When technology wasn’t as integrated in the classroom, it was a lot more difficult to make all the materials accessible,” she tells us, “but with technology that we’re extremely lucky to have, it’s so much easier to make sure all students have the opportunity to access what they need to be successful.”

Physical Education teacher Marnie Kazarian looks forward to bridging the connection from the classroom into the gym with technology. “I need to assess and check for understanding, and technology creates that environment where classroom teachers and I can connect to talk about health and skill concepts outside of the 40-minute class period,” she explains. “We’ll know what’s happening in both worlds and can make that connection visible to students so that they come into the gym with a focus.”

Lessons learned


Building a new school – and a new community – from the ground up has presented its share of challenges. The lessons Hamilton and her team have learned in the process apply not only to new schools, but to any school seeking to transform learning:

  1. Relationships, relationships, relationships. According to Hamilton, leading any school is all about building relationships, both within the broader school community and between teachers. “You can have all the procedures and routines figured out, but if you don’t have the relationships, it’s never going to work,” she says. “It’s the culture, climate, and relationships that staff, families, and students are creating with each other that will make the school amazing.”
  2. Less is more. The work of leading a new school requires Hamilton to wear many hats. “My Type A personality wants me to have everything in order and done,” Hamilton shares. “I’ve learned this year to focus what’s the most important – what we need to do right now – because an overwhelmed teacher is never going to be at their best.”
  3. Model the technology. Hamilton stresses that school leaders can’t just tell teachers about technology tools, they have to use them. “If you want teachers to use technology in an innovative way that is intentional and purposeful, you have to show them and model how it can be done,” says Hamilton. “And if they use it as a student, they have a better understanding of it’s potential, and they can pass that on to their students.”
  4. Throughout the journey, Wilburton leaned on the advice and support of many partners and stakeholders in the process, including Microsoft, ISTE, NPDL, Sam Labs, ST Math, Steelcase and local community partners.

Wilburton’s journey has been a learning experience for Microsoft, too. Putting innovation into practice continues to inform our products and our relationships with schools, educators, and students. We’re also excited to share the Wilburton story with the many education officials, school leaders, and educators, who visit the Microsoft Redmond campus every year. As part of our collaboration, Wilburton has a dedicated space for Microsoft to welcome those who want to learn more about the school from both students and educators.

As this part of the journey ends, another one (this time, with students!) begins, and we’ll be there every step of the way to provide support. Congratulations and best of luck to the entire Wilburton Elementary community! Thank you for an amazing journey. I am humbled that you chose Microsoft be a part of it.

Learn more about becoming a Microsoft Showcase School.

Catch up on the full Wilburton Elementary story, start to finish:


  1. Building for innovative learning: A new elementary school takes shape
  2. A new community breaks ground on creativity
  3. Staffing from scratch
  4. Professional development and the art of vulnerability
  5. The women of Wilburton Elementary are reinventing STEM for K-5
  6. Building community, one parent and one student at a time
  7. Making it personal: New approaches for inclusive learning at Wilburton Elementary

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  Mobile - Review: Evergarden
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-07-2018, 02:51 PM - Forum: New Game Releases - No Replies

Review: Evergarden

A gardener’s life is a busy one. There is always weeding, pruning, and dead-heading to be done; not to mention the constant battle against slugs, snails and battalions of other pesky creepy-crawlies. Evergarden is a puzzle game that lets you create glorious floral displays without ever getting soil under your nails or suffering from an aching back.

The aim of Evergarden is to bring life back to the forest by filling the world with impressive displays of flowers. The play area consists of a hexagonal grid and the basic premise is to match like-for-like flowers.  Matching two flowers will produce one of a higher level. You will begin the game with seedlings, which only have a single petal, but drag two adjacent seedlings together and you will create a new plant with two petals. You carry on like this, eventually creating huge six-petal blooms. Flowers of any size can also drop a new seed into an adjoining space. Ending your current turn will give these seeds the opportunity to germinate into seedlings.

EG Early

This all sounds pretty straightforward, if you have ever played Triple Town then you will be on familiar ground. However, dig a little deeper and things begin to get more interesting. A horticulturally-savvy fox-like creature named Fen oversees your progress and will request various patterns of flowers.  Meeting his aesthetic requirements is definitely worth the effort, as the reward is a flower that you can add to your inventory and then place on any space of your choice.  Evergarden has a further trick up its sleeve, in that combining two of the highest-level flowers will create a stone monolith, which will earn you three extra turns. This is a big deal as you initially only have ten turns to amass a high score. Monoliths are extremely useful as they can also be used as wildcards to help complete Fen’s requests, and at the end of the game, each monolith will produce a gemstone.

Between games, you can explore the world of Evergarden, in what is billed as a narrative adventure. This seems to be stretching things a little as it basically amounts to justcollecting additional hidden gems andsolving tangram-style puzzles. It never feels like you are part of an overarching story, but the rewards on offer make up for this minor disappointment. Completing these puzzles will reward you with either sage words of wisdom, which often provide clues to the location of new gems or gramophone records. There are a total of eight records to collect, and they are not only pleasing on the ear but also allow you to add a new special ability to your inventory. The abilities on offer include summoning a falcon to rid you of a garden pest, or you can summon a rainstorm, which improves the levels of all nearby plants. Your inventory is limited to only three items, so with bonus flowers and new records to accommodate, it quickly fills up and requires some careful management.

EG Gramophone

Initially, your choices seem fairly obvious, but after a while, you realise that the game requires more thought than first impressions suggest. Managing your dwindling space is the key concern, especially when you start creating monoliths and creatures begin to invade your garden, taking up even more of your precious space. Some of these pests (I’m looking at you Mr Rabbit) even enjoy munching your flowers. The increasingly complex demands of Fen and tight turn limits will soon have you scratching your head.  Fen’s requests often require quite high levels of spatial awareness and it can be very demanding to cultivate the correct level flowers in the appropriate places. Although the atmosphere always remains chilled-out and relaxing, the game’s challenge is not to be underestimated.

This atmosphere is enhanced by some very pleasing aesthetics. Evergarden’s simple geometric graphics are both very pleasing and very practical. The autumnal colours set the laidback scene and the calming audio feedback and short bonus tunes add to the relaxed feel. The simple controls also work well; dragging the flowers together is intuitive and responsive. All of these factors conspire to make a game that remains stress-free and hardly ever becomes frustrating. Evergarden takes a minimalistic approach to presentation; an air of mystery is maintained by encouraging the player to discover how the game works through actually playing rather than explaining. Some may find this approach a little off-putting. When you start playing you are not really sure what you need to do, but the game is simple enough and everything slowly reveals like a flowering bud.

EG Late Game

One major concern is that each attempt has to be completed in a single sitting. A playthrough can take around twenty minutes, which means that the lack of a save game option could be a problem for gamers on the go.  I also found the game tended to chomp through my battery quicker than slugs through a lettuce patch. The main puzzle game itself is interesting but doesn’t really change from game to game. The initial incentive to keep playing is to unlock the special powers. However, it is a bit disappointing that some of the bonus abilities are obviously more powerful than others. Having to battle away to acquire large amounts of gems to earn an ability that you will probably never use can feel anticlimactic.

Evergarden’s developers estimate that the game will take between four to eight hours to fully explore. After this, it is all about breaking into the global high score tables. Consequently, it is more of a Tetris high score chaser rather than the type of puzzler where you have to pit your wits against increasingly difficult levels. Unlocking all of the game’s secrets does not require particularly high levels of skill, just the persistence to keep playing and adding to your gem collection. The game’s so-called narrative aspect is disappointing, being just a means for acquiring the additional abilities. I didn’t feel that it was really telling a story.  Having said that, I still think that many people are going to enjoy this polished and relaxing puzzler. You don’t need green fingers to create a wonderful floral display, but you will need to apply a fair bit of thought and planning.

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  PS4 - Blade Strangers
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-06-2018, 07:06 PM - Forum: New Game Releases - No Replies

Blade Strangers



A dark force known only as Lina is devouring data from a vast, interdimensional network of servers overseen by sentient computers called "motes." In desperation, the motes summon heroes from an array of parallel game worlds to face off against each other in one-on-one combat. The tournament victor has the potential to be awakened as the Blade Stranger - the savior who can vanquish Lina and protect the motes from further harm.

Publisher: Nicalis

Release Date: Aug 28, 2018

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  PS4 - Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-06-2018, 07:06 PM - Forum: New Game Releases - No Replies

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker



The Naruto franchise is back with a brand new experience in Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker. This new game lets gamers battle as a team of 4 to compete against other teams online! Graphically, Shinobi Striker is also built from the ground up in a completely new graphic style. Lead your team and fight online to see who the best ninjas are!

FEATURES:

* 4 vs. 4 team based gameplay with 8 ninjas fighting simultaneously; play co-op with your friends to become the best ninjas online.

* Enjoy a new graphic style with more vivid colors for characters, maps and ninjutsu.

* Dynamic 3rd person ninja gameplay lets players take advantage of an arena environment with vertical running and jumping.

* Features favorite Naruto characters and teams from the series including Naruto, Sasuke, and Team 7.

Publisher: Bandai Namco Games

Release Date: Aug 31, 2018

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  PC - The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA Tour
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-06-2018, 07:06 PM - Forum: New Game Releases - No Replies

The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA Tour



Do you have what it takes to win PGA TOUR?s FedExCup? Compete in the all new officially licensed PGA TOUR Career mode. Play on famous courses like TPC Boston, TPC Sawgrass and more.

Publisher: HB Studios Multimedia

Release Date: Aug 28, 2018

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  Open Source Summit: Innovation, Allies, and Open Development
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-06-2018, 07:06 PM - Forum: Linux, FreeBSD, and Unix types - No Replies

Open Source Summit: Innovation, Allies, and Open Development

August was an exciting month for Linux and open source, with the release of Linux kernel 4.18, a new ebook offering practical advice for enterprise open source, and the formation of the Academy Software Foundation. And, to cap it off, we ended the month with a successful Open Source Summit event highlighting open source innovation at every level and featuring keynote presentations from Linus Torvalds, Van Jones, Jim Zemlin, Jennifer Cloer, and many others.

In his welcoming address in Vancouver, The Linux Foundation’s Executive Director, Jim Zemlin, explained that The Foundation’s job is to create engines of innovation and enable the gears of those engines to spin faster.

This acceleration can be seen in the remarkable growth of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and in the Google Cloud announcement transferring ownership and management of the Kubernetes project’s cloud resources to the CNCF, along with a $9 million grant over three years to cover infrastructure costs.

Such investment underscores a strong belief in the power of open source technologies to speed innovation and solve problems, which was echoed by Zemlin, who encouraged the audience to go solve big problems, one person, one project, one industry at a time.

Empathy


In another conference keynote, Van Jones, President and founder of Dream Corps, best-selling author, and CNN contributor, spoke with Jamie Smith, Chief Marketing Officer at The Linux Foundation about the power of tech and related social responsibilities.  

“There was a time when the future was written in law,” Jones said. “Now the future is written in Silicon Valley in code.” Jones went on to say that those working in technology today possess a new set of superpowers and they need to understand how to use those powers for good.

A big deficit that Jones sees, not just in technology but in politics and elsewhere, is an empathy gap. He noted, however, that listening and mentoring can help bridge this gap. “Each person has an opportunity to mentor one person… Don’t underestimate the one person in your life who gave you a shot; you can be that person,” he said.

Allies and advocates


Jennifer Cloer, founder and lead consultant at reTHINKit PR and co-founder of Wicked Flicks, also explored the power of mentors and supporters in her talk highlighting the “Chasing Grace” video project. Cloer offered a preview of the project in a short episode featuring Nithya Ruff, Senior Director, Open Source Practice at Comcast, and member of the Board of Directors for The Linux Foundation. In the video preview, Ruff described the important role that her father played in supporting her career.

Ruff also moderated a panel discussion at Open Source Summit examining issues of diversity and inclusion and exploring solid strategies for success. Ruff acknowledged that the efforts of open source communities to attract and retain diverse contributors with unique talent and perspectives have gathered momentum, but she said, “We cannot tackle these issues without the support of allies and advocates.”

Open development


On the last day of the conference, Linux creator Linus Torvalds sat down with Dirk Hohndel, VMware VP and chief open source officer, for their now-familiar fireside chat session. In the discussion, they touched on topics including hardware, quantum computing, kernel maintainership, and more.

In speaking of recent hardware vulnerabilities, Torvalds said, “These hardware issues were kept under wraps. Because it was secret and we were not allowed to talk about it, we were not allowed to use our usual open development model. That makes it way more painful than it should be.”

“When you’re doing a complex project, the only way to deal with complexity is to have the code out there,” Torvalds said. “There are so many layers. No one knows how all this works,” he continued, describing it as an “explosion of complexity.”

Nonetheless, Torvalds said he doesn’t worry so much about issues of technology within the kernel. “What I’m really worried about is the flow of patches. If you have the right workflow, the code will sort itself out.”

When asked whether he still understands the Linux kernel, Torvalds replied, “No. … Nobody knows the whole kernel. Having looked at patches for many, many years, I know the big picture, and I can tell by looking if it’s right or wrong.”

Join us at Open Source Summit + Embedded Linux Conference Europe in Edinburgh, UK on October 22-24, 2018, for 100+ sessions on Linux, Cloud, Containers, AI, Community, and more.

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  Microsoft - Xbox now connects with Cortana and Alexa-enabled devices
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-06-2018, 07:06 PM - Forum: Windows - No Replies

Xbox now connects with Cortana and Alexa-enabled devices

Here at Team Xbox, we’ve had a long history in offering voice controls as a way to interact with your Xbox console through Kinect and headsets. Today, starting with select Xbox U.S. Insiders, we’re expanding voice support by introducing the Xbox Skill, which enables you to navigate and interact with Xbox One using voice commands through your Cortana and Alexa-enabled devices.

With the Xbox Skill, you can use voice commands to power your Xbox One console, adjust volume, launch games and apps, start and stop broadcasts on Mixer, capture screenshots, and more. It’s the fastest way to get into your games and one of the easiest ways to interact with your console for everyday tasks. For example, if you have the skill enabled on your Echo and you’re a part of the Insider preview, just say “Alexa, start Rocket League.” and this command will automatically turn on your console, sign you in, and launch your game.

The Xbox Skill integrates with your Cortana and Alexa-enabled device such as a Windows 10 PC, Amazon Echo, Harman Kardon Invoke, Sonos One, or Cortana and Alexa apps on iOS and Android, enabling voice commands to control your Xbox One console.

For Xbox Insiders* in the U.S. who want to try the Xbox Skill with Cortana or Alexa, here’s how to get started:

If you use Cortana:

  1. Sign into the Xbox you want to control.
  2. On your Windows 10 PC, click here and sign in with your Microsoft account to link the skill.
  3. Try your first command! “Hey Cortana, tell Xbox to open Netflix.”

If you use Alexa:

  1. Sign into the Xbox you want to control.
  2. Click here, sign in with your Amazon Account, and click Enable.
  3. Sign in with your Microsoft account to link the skill.
  4. Let Alexa discover your console, then follow the instructions to pair your console with Alexa.
  5. Try your first command! “Alexa, start Rocket League.”

Wondering what else the Xbox Skill can do? Just say “Ask Xbox what can I say?” to discover more commands for your console. For a full list of commands, troubleshooting assistance, and to give the team feedback and ideas, you can visit the Xbox Insider Subreddit.

As always, your feedback is important to us and our partners as we continue to evolve this experience and grow our voice integration across devices, digital assistants and voice services.

*Note to Xbox Insiders: We will be rolling the Xbox Skill out to Xbox Insider rings gradually. If the Digital Assistant setting is visible on your console in Settings -> Devices, then you are currently eligible to test the Xbox Skill. If it doesn’t appear, then please be patient as we are working quickly to add more Insider rings to the beta.

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  News - PUBG Loot: Free Crate For Amazon / Twitch Prime Members Right Now
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-06-2018, 06:13 AM - Forum: Lounge - No Replies

PUBG Loot: Free Crate For Amazon / Twitch Prime Members Right Now

There are a lot of benefits to being an Amazon Prime member, especially for PC gamers. Anyone with an Amazon Prime membership automatically gets a Twitch Prime membership. Simply by linking your accounts, you can get lots of free stuff. The latest freebie is a Jungle Crate in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Prime members can grab their free crate between now and September 17.

Available only in the PC version of PUBG, the Jungle Crate contains six jungle outfit items and two weapon skins. The outfits, detailed below, look like typical safari gear, albeit with purple being a prominent color. The weapon skins are Croc Bite for the M16A4 and Bengal Blade for the SCAR-L. Here's the full list of what's included in the Jungle Crate.

  • Explorer Hat
  • Tiger Print Bandana
  • Explorer Coat
  • Leopard Print Vest
  • Explorer Knickers
  • Leather Boots
  • Croc Bite Weapon Skin
  • Bengal Blade Weapon Skin
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This is the third free PUBG crate for Twitch Prime members. In July, members could grab a Deadmau5 Crate and a Spa Day Crate. Two more free PUBG crates will be available in the future.

To grab your PUBG freebies, just head over to Twitch and click the crown button next to the search bar. This pops open a dropdown menu, where you'll find a link to access your free Jungle Crate. Just make sure to do it by September 17, when the offer goes away.

In addition to free games and add-ons, Prime members get one free Twitch channel subscription per month, free two-day shipping on many items, access to Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, and more. You can find more details here. Also available right now is a free Overwatch loot box, as well as some free PC games.

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  Fedora - GNOME 3.30 released & coming to Fedora 29
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 09-06-2018, 06:13 AM - Forum: Linux, FreeBSD, and Unix types - No Replies

GNOME 3.30 released & coming to Fedora 29

Today, the GNOME project announced the release of GNOME 3.30.

The release of the GNOME desktop is the default desktop environment in the upcoming release of Fedora 29 Workstation. GNOME 3.30 includes a wide range of enhancements, including:

  • Better performance in the overall desktop and system libraries
  • Numerous improvements to the Files, Web, and Boxes applications
  • A new Podcasts application to help manage and listen to podcasts

The new Podcasts application in GNOME 3.30

Application updates in GNOME 3.30


GNOME 3.30 includes some updates to many standard applications. Files has a combined search and file path bar interface, making searching more prominent and integrated into the navigation experience. Boxes can now connect to Windows Servers over RDP, resulting in a much better remote desktop experience.

Comparison of normal web view and reader mode

Web now includes a content reader mode. When viewing a compatible web page, Web can toggle between the normal view and the clean, minimal reader view. The minimal view strips out all extraneous menus, images, and content not related to the article or document, making for a more pleasant reading experience.

Read more about this release


There are many more changes and enhancements in this major version of GNOME. Check out the release announcement and the release notes from the GNOME Project for more information.


Screenshots in this post are from the GNOME 3.30 release notes and screenshot pack.

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