GTA IV is finally back on Steam… without multiplayer

GTA IV has made a comeback on Steam, along with its DLC. Unfortunately, this victory comes at a price. The publisher Rockstar Games had to temporarily give up on multiplayer and online leaderboards.

Last January, GTA IV suddenly disappeared from the Steam store. Amazement, misunderstanding, terror (maybe not good) among players and fans of the fourth episode of the franchise. Rockstar gave the explanation for the sudden withdrawal to US Gamer magazine a few days later.

“GTA IV was originally designed for the Games for Windows Live platform. Microsoft no longer supports Games For Windows Live, it is no longer possible to generate additional keys necessary for the sale of the current version of the game. We are studying other options regarding the distribution of GTA IV on PC and we will share more 'Information as soon as we can,' said Rockstar Games in the columns of US Gamer.

Two months later, the studio has obviously found a solution since the title and its two extensions, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, are again available on the Steam store. However it is no longer possible to buy the game and its DLC separately, it will be imperative to get the Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition.


However, to bypass the end of Games For Windows Live support and allow the title to return to the store, the publisher had to make concessions. Unfortunately, multiplayer modes, online leaderboards and some FM radio stations will be temporarily disabled. Regarding a return to normal, Rockstar has not yet given a potential date. What motivate players of the fourth installment to migrate to GTA 5 and its paid transactions? Too early to say.

Windows 10: Microsoft Unveils New Design to Celebrate 1 Billion Users

Microsoft introduced a new Windows 10 interface in a video that celebrates the billion OS users. We discover a more modern design of the Windows interface. It gives pride of place to Fluent Design, Microsoft's graphic charter.

New Windows 10 interface

Two years behind its original target, Windows 10 finally hit the billion user mark just recently. On this occasion, Panos Panay, the product manager and head of the Surface division at Microsoft today shared a video that gives us an interesting overview of the developments of the Windows 10 interface as well as those to come.

The video begins with a quick history of the presentation of the start screens and the Windows Start button, since version 1.01 of the system. We then see scrolling different versions of Windows 10 interfaces since its launch to result in a much more modern design.

New Start menu and a revisited file explorer
Fluent Design obliges, the Start menu changes to a more refined look with new icons and less colors for dynamic tiles whose removal has also been announced for some time. These changes greatly simplify the menu and facilitate navigation between the different applications of the interface.

We can also see the new Windows application icons (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, OneDrive, etc.) that Microsoft has already started to deploy in the latest OS updates. The video also teases other changes that could easily go unnoticed. Microsoft is working on improving Windows 10 graphics with more modern context menus and smoother, more transparent application windows.

Windows context menu

The other big change concerns a new version of Windows file explorer as we can see in the video. This version seems to be based on the explorer interface in Windows 10X. We explain in this article how to install and test it now on Windows 10. This new version is simplified, modern and much more airy, but seems above all more suitable for dual screen devices than computers for professional use.

Microsoft Office free: how to install the suite on Windows 10

Comparison PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X: which is the most powerful of the consoles?

Between the Xbox Series X or the PS5, your heart rocks? You still don't know which console to choose? If it is too early to pass a judgment between the two consoles, there is already a match that we can organize: that of the power. Let everyone put on their box gloves, the match begins ... Let's go!

Xbox Series X vs PS5 power comparison
That's it, it's done: Sony has unveiled all the technical specifications of its PlayStation 5. Microsoft, meanwhile, did it a little earlier in the week for its Xbox Series X. So we have all the cards in hand to organize a face to face between the two consoles. Play your games, nothing is right: between the Sony PS5 and the Microsoft Xbox Series X, which of the two consoles wins the power match?

Read also PS5: Sony finally reveals all the technical characteristics of its console

PS5 and Xbox Series X specifications

PS5 vs Xbox Series X: the most powerful is not necessarily the best
First of all, it should be noted that this is a comparison of the two consoles, focusing on performance only. Of course, we are aware that the war that the two machines will wage will also be played out and above all on many points: the richness of the toy library, the exclusive content of both, their backward compatibility, their price , their environment, the Cloud Gaming offer (why not?) or the controller (an element that we very often forget, but which is very important).

In short, it is not a question of determining which is the better of the two consoles, on the one hand because neither of them is currently available, and on the other hand because, even if they were, it would be far too early to get a real opinion. A console enriches its offer and its toy library over the weeks, and not only as soon as it is released. We saw it for the Nintendo Switch, which initially had only a handful of really interesting titles, but which saw its offer expand considerably, to become today one of the most acclaimed consoles in the history of Nintendo.

CPU: Xbox Series X is more powerful than PS5, but there is a catch
Both Sony and Microsoft consoles use an AMD Zen 2 custom 8-core processor. This is the same architecture that is currently found on Ryzen 3rd generation PC processors. However, that of the Xbox Series is clocked at 3.8 GHz, when that of the PS5 is 3.5 GHz.

Furthermore, the use of CPU resources differs from one console to another. According to Microsoft, the processor frequency of the Xbox Series is set to 3.8 GHz for games based on a single core. This same frequency decreases slightly and goes to 3.66 GHz when an application exploits several cores in multithreading mode.

xbox series x

For its part, the PS5 processor operates at a variable frequency, depending on whether a game requires more CPU or GPU resources. The two chipsets adjust and support each other continuously. In this way, they should allow better heat dissipation to provide constant power, and that is rather a very good point. But the fact remains that, on paper, the PS5's CPU runs at a lower frequency than that of the Xbox Series X.

GPU: advantage to Xbox Series X
Again, the two machines are based on the same architecture. In the case of the PlayStation 5, it is an AMD RDNA 2 with variable frequency, which can reach 2.23 GHz. The GPU benefits from 36 CUs (Compute Unit) and benefits from a processing power of 10.28 TFLOPs.

Xbox Series X RDNA 2

If we look at the Xbox Series X datasheet, we find this: an AMD RDNA 2 GPU clocked at 1.825 GHz. The frequency of the chipset is therefore less than that of the PS5. Does this mean that the Xbox Series X will be poorer in terms of graphics power than its competitor? Not really. Because the Microsoft console has 52 CUs (16 more than on the PS5) and a computing power of 12 TFLOPs.

Clearly, the Xbox Series X more than compensates for the lower frequency of its GPU by a higher number of CUs and slightly higher computing power. As the Kotaku website points out, the GPU of the PS5 is equivalent to a Radeon RX 5700, when that of the Series X is close to a Radeon RX Vega 56. And in most conditions and with almost all games, the RX Vega 56 is more efficient than RX 5700. Advantage is therefore given to the Xbox Series X.

AMD RDNA2

Memory: no big differences
Between the two consoles, there are ultimately very few differences in the level of RAM used. On the one hand, at Sony, we are entitled to 16 GB of GDDR6, a 256mb bus and a bandwidth of 448 GB / s.

At Microsoft, it is also 16 GB of RAM that equips the console and a 320mb memory bus. 16 GB RAM breaks down as follows: 10 GB supporting a speed of 560 GB / s on one side (mainly dedicated to the GPU, which needs a huge processing capacity), and 6 GB at 336 GB / s on the other (for audio and small ancillary operations).

Storage: advantage to PS5
If storage and access to data could seem to be a secondary data until now, it could well play a fundamental role on Next Gen consoles. Both Sony and Microsoft have succumbed to SSD, which provides much faster speed than a conventional hard drive.

In the case of the Xbox Series X, we take advantage of a custom NVME SSD of 1 TB. It offers a transfer speed of 2.4 GB / s in RAW mode (uncompressed data) and 4.8 GB / s in compressed mode.

Xbox Series X SSD

For the PS5, we are dealing with an 825 GB SSD. Admittedly, its capacity is less than that of the Series X, but the SSD of the PS5 offers a much higher speed. Sony announces a data rate of 5.5 GB / s in RAW mode and 8 or 9 GB / s in compressed.

The SSD of the PS5 will therefore be twice as fast as that of the Series X, it is a fact. How can this happen in video games? Even if Sony has not yet revealed everything about its console (we are still waiting for a real demo), we can imagine that the games will load faster and that the latency times between each level are extremely reduced, or even that it there are no more at all.

PS5 SSD

And what about additional storage? Here, it's a little more complex to issue an opinion. On the one hand we have a proprietary system at Microsoft: small 1 TB keys to plug into the back of the Series X. Adding a storage medium is therefore super simple, but you will need to acquire a storage certified by Microsoft. At Sony, it will also be possible to expand the storage capacity of the PS5. The good news is that the operation is performed using a traditional M.2 SSD. The bad (for the less geeky, of course) is that you'll have to open the console to install it. Difficult to decide between the two consoles on this point, each with advantages and disadvantages.

So which is the more powerful console of the two?
If we refer to the technical specifications pure and hard, it is undeniable that the more powerful of the two consoles will be the Xbox Series X, no offense to fans of Sony. But as said in the preamble, the match will be played anyway on different fields, such as the price, the toy library, etc. On the editorial side, opinions are divided: some are impatient for the PS5, while others (they are fewer, but just as passionate) praise the Series X. And you what do you think? Do not hesitate to share your discussions with us by posting a small comment just below.

Utiliser Android Auto ou Apple CarPlay au volant serait pire que de répondre à un texto !

According to a British study by a road safety association, the use of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay significantly reduces attention and reaction time. So much so that the association compares the danger to texting while driving and drinking and driving.

Android Auto

Do you think using the best infotainment systems on the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay market is harmless? To find out, a study by the British road safety association IAM RoadSmart quarantined put forty drivers in a simulator, half with Android Auto and the other with CarPlay. The route was divided into three situations, including following another vehicle, heavy and erratic highway traffic on the highway, and an eight-circuit. All this with several passages.

More dangerous than writing a text, driving drunk or stone ...
In the first test, the drivers drove without an infotainment system. In the second test, they were asked to complete a list of actions, including listening to music, turning on the radio, turning on navigation, sending a text, and making a call using voice commands. In the third and final test, they were asked to do the same thing without the voice, with the touch screen. Four criteria were measured: ability to maintain speed, trajectory, attention of the eyes and the results of a driver self-assessment.

On top of that, their reaction time to dangers was constantly measured. The result is quite worrying: when using the touch screen, reaction times have exploded between 53 and 57%. By comparison, driving with 0.08% alcohol in the blood only increases reaction time by 12% and smoking a joint increases reaction time by 21%. This means a braking distance multiplied by 4 or 5 depending on the association.




More surprising: the voice interaction is far from eliminating the problem, since the reaction time always increases between 30 and 36% depending on their results. However, writing a text message already increases the reaction time by 35%. And the reaction time is only part of the problem since beyond that, the use of the screen causes trajectory deviations of half a meter, for example.

Much more data can be found in the full study at the source of this article. But its instigators conclude with a call to manufacturers and the regulator "to better test in an open manner and approve such systems and develop constant standards which really help to minimize driver distraction".

Call of Duty: the next episode would take place during the Vietnam War and the Cold War

The next episode of the Call of Duty series will change scenery. A leaker reveals that the scenario will take players around the 1960s, during the Vietnam War and the Cold War. No more conflicts in modern times. In addition, the same source says that zombie fans will be delighted.

call of duty warzone solo

Call of Duty news is rich this week. On the one hand, Warzone, the Battle Royale of Modern Warfare, has this week a single player mode for all those who have not yet found a squad or who, like Rambo, are self-sufficient. Recall that Warzone has been available for just over a week on PC, Xbox One and PS4. And on the other hand, new information has been released about the upcoming Call of Duty which Activision currently calls "Call of Duty 2020".


The Twitter account "The Gaming Revolution" has published several information about the next installment of the license which is scheduled for release this year. This account, which regulars of leaks and rumors about the series know well, reveals that this future game will not take players into the heart of modern or future conflicts, as was the case with the last Modern Warfare, big success from last year, or Black Ops 4. The theater of operations will be located in the past, as for Call of Duty - WWII.


Already a small video to get an idea
The jump in time will not be as important, however, since the scenario would be based on the Vietnam War and the Cold War. Either between the 1950s and the 1980s (the Vietnam War started in 1955 and ended 20 years later). A short video was also posted on Twitter, which would show a little gameplay of the next Call of Duty with a prefabricated atmosphere and slightly less futuristic weapons than previously.

Some small additional information has been disseminated by the leakers in charge of The Gaming Revolution. First, manual healing would return. Then they claim that the zombies should also reappear. This obviously recalls Black Ops 4, an episode developed by Treyarch who would also be in charge of this new album. Finally, new operators would be planned. It remains to be seen whether all of this is true.

Microsoft Office free: how to install the suite on Windows 10

Need to install Microsoft Office for free on Windows 10? There is a simple way to do this, thanks to the web version of the office suite that offers the same functionality, and the ability of Microsoft Edge to install sites as applications on your computer.

Microsoft office

The cheapest boxed version of the Microsoft Office 2019 suite costs € 149 on the Microsoft Store. And yet, there is a 100% free and legal method to get all the applications of the suite on your Windows 10 computer. Microsoft has indeed followed the example of Google by launching a free version of its suite in the cloud. The difference with Google Docs is that Microsoft’s web applications take almost all of the functionality of "real" Windows applications.

So, if you have access to the internet, a Microsoft account and a Windows 10 PC, you can, with a trick, have the same end result as if you had bought the suite, but without paying anything. All thanks to the magic of progressive web apps.



How to install Microsoft Office for free on Windows 10
Here's how:

• Open the page www.office.com in the Edge browser
• Once connected with your Microsoft account open Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook or any other application in the suite
• Open the browser's Plus menu
• Click Install this site as an app
• Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 for each application

As with Google Docs, you get OneDrive online storage for your documents. The free version of Office 365 immediately offers 5 GB which is already enough to store many documents from the suite. Note that in any case you can always save your files to the hard drive. And even export documents to other formats, including PDF and open equivalent Office files.

Finally, note that the full version of Office 365 is also available. Unlike Web Apps, you don't need to be logged in to use them, and the suite gives you access to, among other things, 1 TB of space on OneDrive per person. It is possible to subscribe via the link below:

WhatsApp : les messages privés qui s’autodétruisent arrivent bientôt

The latest beta of WhatsApp introduces a self-destruct feature for private messages, like Snapchat. We have known for a few months that Facebook is working on such a feature, but it only concerned group messages. Explanations.

WhatsApp

p should soon be enriched with a new practical feature: self-destructing messages after a predefined time by the user. The announcement of this feature last October had aroused the enthusiasm of many users. But we learned a few weeks later that it would appear more in the form of a group message cleaning tool on WhatsApp.

WaBetaInfo, always on the lookout for modifications made in the beta of the application, has just identified a new change. In updates 2.20.83 and 2.20.84, WhatsApp beta has reintroduced self-destructing message functionality for individual conversations. WatBetaInfo has just released screenshots showing how this will work when the feature is activated.

A new "Delete messages" menu will be accessible when you open the profile of one of your contacts in WhatsApp. You will have the possibility of configuring the automatic deletion of messages for the selected profile by choosing a delay between 1 hour, a day, a week, a month or a year. A clock icon will then appear next to each message you send as a reminder of its self-destruction after the chosen time.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is getting a little closer to SnapChat by adopting one of its iconic features after the Stories a few years ago. For users, ephemeral messages are good to take since they help strengthen the privacy options of WhatsApp only a few months after the arrival of the fingerprint unlock. For the time being, the functionality is not yet active. Unless there is a turnaround, this should be the case for everyone in the coming weeks.