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6 Tips on How to Compress PDFs for Faster Uploads and Downloads

 

In today’s fast-paced digital world, we all know the frustration of waiting for a big PDF file to upload or download. Time seems to slow down, and our patience wears thin as we eagerly await the document’s arrival. Efficiency is no longer just a choice; it’s a must in our busy lives.

Luckily, there are simple and effective ways to speed up this process. In this article, you’ll dive into six easy tips to help you compress PDFs, making your uploads and downloads faster without compromising your document’s quality.

Pick the Suitable Compression Software

Starting on our journey to streamline your PDF experience, the first step is selecting the most suitable compression tool. In the vast landscape of software options, both free and paid, there are gems available online.

These tools not only provide a range of customization options but also empower you to strike the delicate balance between file size and quality. Your choice of compression tool serves as the cornerstone of efficient PDF management.

E-Sign Your PDF

In our quest for efficient PDF management, consider the art of electronic signatures. Imagine a world where signatures seamlessly merge with your PDF, eliminating the need for physical paperwork.

Embracing tools that allow you to sign PDF electronically simplifies the process further, making your document management experience seamless and hassle-free. Beyond the obvious time-saving benefits, electronic signatures offer a hidden treasure, reduced file size.

By directly embedding signatures and annotations into the digital fabric of your PDF, you not only save precious resources but also create a leaner document, ensuring swift uploads and downloads.

Opt for PDF/A Format

Delving deeper into our exploration, let’s consider the PDF/A format, an ISO-standardized version crafted for digital preservation. By converting your PDF files to PDF/A, you embark on a transformative journey.

This format retains the essence of your content, fonts, and images while shedding the unnecessary digital weight. The result? A streamlined document that effortlessly combines preservation and efficiency, making it a quintessential choice for modern file management.

Use Online PDF Compression Services

Picture this: a swift, seamless process where your PDF undergoes a transformation, shedding its excess baggage in the digital realm. Online PDF compression services such as SmallPDF, iLovePDF, and PDF2Go offer precisely that.

Their intuitive interfaces provide a user-friendly haven, where you can upload your PDF, customize compression settings, and witness the magic unfold almost instantaneously.

These platforms simplify the process, making efficient file management accessible to all, without the need for complex software installations.

Compress Images and Graphics

The images and graphics are the vibrant elements that breathe life into our documents. Yet, they often come at a cost, inflating the size of our PDF files. Fear not, for there’s a solution.

Compressing these graphical elements is akin to finding the perfect recipe; a dash of reduced image resolution and a pinch of quality adjustments can work wonders. Through experimentation, you can uncover the ideal blend that maintains visual appeal while significantly reducing the file size.

Remove Unnecessary Elements

In the intricate tapestry of PDF files, there are elements like annotations, bookmarks, and form fields that don’t always serve a purpose for every reader.

Unraveling this complexity, consider a meticulous pruning. Removing these surplus elements is akin to sculpting a masterpiece; the removal of excess clay reveals the true form.

When compressing your PDF, consider decluttering, removing annotations, and form fields, ensuring that your document serves its purpose without unnecessary digital baggage.

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Secrets, tactics and tips for increasing the number of victories and high results in Call of Duty Warzone


Call of Duty is one of the brightest and most recognizable shooters, which at one time became one of the brands that popularized war games and made a huge contribution to the development of the gaming industry as a whole.

But sometimes the best borrow ideas that are the most popular in the world, and after the stunning success of PUBG, the developers from Activision decided to adopt the experience of the royal battle, but make it simpler and more dynamic, so that players receive Call of Duty boosting in fast and interesting matches, and not have been looking for enemies for hours and only squeezing the key game area can make them move towards each other.

Think about your landing spot

Each game map is unique in terms of places where there are a large number of valuable starting resources that you need to fight for, or, on the contrary, avoid, knowing that this is where the fiercest first battles will take place.

If you are confident in your shooting, then you can, on the contrary, more actively land at points with loot in order to train your collection speed and accuracy and focus on a quick battle that will decide the outcome of the entire match – you will either die quickly, but gain experience, or survive and get CoD boosting.

Try not to land on the very edge of the map in any of the four directions, because the zone will sooner or later begin to shrink, and if you are far on the edge, then you will need to run very quickly to a safe zone, and you risk losing a lot of health and resources and getting a bullet from an attentive player who will notice your haste in advance.

Avoid landing places where there is no starting weapons at all – choose points either where there is a lot of loot, and it can be taken with battle, or just normal places where there will be a minimum of enemies around and the opportunity to collect your starting weapons and accessories for starting battles, including and medicines and armor restoration modules.

Learn to quickly collect loot

When you play matches against other players, and not AI, then every second counts, and if you want to really get MW3 boosting, and not die during collection, then you need to learn how to quickly analyze and collect your loot and run away from the point, holding in the head that there are a lot of enemies around you.

The principles for determining the value of objects are quite simple:

  1. You need assault rifles as an element of stable and long-range weapons.
  2. Look for scopes and other useful accessories that will help you aim better and see the enemy in advance.
  3. Collect medicines and armor modules – they will help you recover after heavy battles.
  4. Collect grenades – they will help knock enemies out of shelters and rooms and will delay the enemy if you urgently need to leave the battlefield.

Even if you spend a long time studying the objects that you managed to find, do not stop listening to your surroundings, because most often you can actually hear enemies and in order to be ready for battle, you need to accurately determine the degree of danger and, of course, learn to collect loot faster.

Learn to make decisions quickly

Players who easily adapt to changes and make the right decisions win matches much more consistently and receive boosts in CoD MW3.

To learn this, the main thing is to keep in mind the philosophy that it is better to make the wrong decision than not to make anyone – this way you will gradually learn from personal experience to act quickly, confidently and, over time, correctly.

You will need to adapt to changes and narrowing of the map in order to immediately advance to the place where the final battle will take place from favorable positions, or respond in a timely manner to new dangerous zones contaminated with gas, or which are suddenly exposed to artillery fire.

The same applies to spontaneous battles – when fussy players begin to run unprincipled and die without cover, or shoot right away but miss due to nerves – an experienced and smart player analyzes the situation and tries to move around the territory so as to always be able to take the fight on favorable terms.

Use a system of buildings and shelters

In Call of Duty, there are many points and opportunities to fight from cover, simply peeking around the corner to shoot without exposing all the vulnerable parts of the character to enemy fire.

Use sneak attacks and strafes to escape from fire, hide behind buildings, rocks and vehicles, change positions to survive Warzone mode and advance to the top rankings.

Always keep a supply of ammunition and medicine

You never know how the outcome will develop on the game map, so you always need to save at least some resources for the final stage, in case of a battle without the opportunity to replenish your equipment.

You need a couple of magazines, grenades, medicine and pieces of armor, and you will be able to complete the match in your favor.

Always practice your AIM and headshots

In all shooters, headshots play an important role, and your AIM needs to be upgraded with an emphasis on shooting at heads, and not sprays and other resource-intensive methods that are difficult in long-distance battles.

To shoot well, you need three factors:

  • Reaction
  • Accuracy
  • Character control

The reaction will help you target the enemy in a timely manner, especially if you saw him spontaneously.

Accuracy – everything is simple here, but not only based on the principle of hit-and-miss, but the connection with the reaction, when you point the sight or front sight at the target with lightning speed and pull the trigger, hitting in 9 out of 10 cases.

Character control helps you better choose positions for successful shooting, ensure safe gameplay and create successful conditions for yourself, including headshots.

Spray and crossfire can and should also be trained, but remember that they are used at close ranges and consume a lot of ammunition, but if you train this skill, then most of their fired bullets will reach the target and your shootout will be won.

 

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WoW | Shadowlands Surefire Leveling Tips


Zoom from 1 to 60 in a jiffy!

The changes that Shadowlands brought to World of Warcraft have forever changed the game’s landscape. In fact, it has done so in a somewhat drastic manner. While change may come as a shock to some who have been lulled into complacency, the general consensus among the WoW faithful is that these changes are welcome ones. Think of them as a much-needed change of pace for a game that was beginning to stagnate.

In no aspect of WoW are the changes more felt than in leveling. From the lofty 120 level, the max has now been halved as it was whittled down to 60. But if you’re worried about how this will affect your brand new character, allow us to reassure you right here and now. Don’t fret because here are some surefire tips from us to you to help you level up your character—whether main or secondary—from 1 all the way to 60 as you reap tremendous amounts of WoW gold!

Understand the Changes

If you go about your leveling in Shadowlands the way you always have, then you’d be wasting a chunk of your time. You must first understand the changes that took place before proceeding. Take note that in Shadowlands, leveling is much faster—so much so that it pretty much takes half the time as it did before. You’ll also want to take advantage of optional “Starter Zones” such as Exile’s Reach (levels 1-10) before plunging straight into Azeroth. Also, what your character dons matters. You gain special bonuses just by wearing multiple heirloom items. Lastly, be aware of Timewalking Campaigns as it lets you choose which of the expansion’s content you want to do your leveling up in.

XP is Still King

While Shadowlands did indeed bring about changes, certain aspects of WoW never change. One such example is XP as it remains the core of leveling. You need it to go past levels and you need it to raise your status. Its mechanics stay pretty much the same as you’ll still need to scour the open world and look through every nook and cranny of dungeons to kill mobs. Foolproof methods such as imbibing potions, switching on War Mode utilizing gem sockets, and participating in Seasonal Events are still highly recommended.

Know the Expansions

As previously stated, you have the option to do your leveling on any of the content. Be that as it may, you shouldn’t be gung-ho about it. Be smart. And the smartest place to do your leveling would be in WoD (Warlords of Draenor). This is due, in large part, to the Bonus Objectives that can be found in its zones. Believe us, the time you’ll spend here will be well worth it considering the amount of XP you’ll be reaping. It’s almost like getting to buy WoW gold at half the price!

Employ Your Specs

Being smart also includes knowing your specs. Any veteran WoW player would tell you that certain ones have clear advantages over others. Always consider ranged specs as they are good for tagging enemies from a safe distance—mobs won’t even know what hit ‘em. Being mobile is an equally important factor as you’ll need to traverse the battlefield with ease. Also, AoE can’t be neglected as you’ll oftentimes be up against multiple enemies flanking you from all sides. Lastly, self-healing abilities will save your hide sooner or later. No matter how good you are, you’ll always succumb to damage over time. You can’t level up if you keep taking damage, or worse, if you keep dying.

And there you have it! Leveling up in Shadowlands may be somewhat of a tall order, but with these tips in mind, you’re sure to zoom from 1-60 in no time at all! Make sure to jot these tips down before you go off in Azeroth searching for cheap WoW gold, rare WoW items, and relentless adventures!

What about you? Do you have any surefire tips you’d like to share? Don’t be stingy! Leave a comment below and let us know about it!

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Threads: 5 tips to make the social media platform better


With a new social media platform, you always have to figure out how to customize it and which settings you prefer. That’s why we’re happy to help you with five Threads tips for a better user experience.

1. Turn off Threads suggestions

You may have noticed that Threads posts also appear regularly on Instagram. Nice if you want to be found, but if you prefer to separate it, it is a clumsy affair. Fortunately, you can turn this off.

Go to your profile and press the two lines at the top right. Then go to ‘Privacy > Suggest messages on other apps’. Here you can disable the suggestion of your posts on both Facebook and Instagram. Does that one former colleague no longer see your drunken posts?

Threads, an Instagram app

Instagram

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2. Follow accounts that are not yet on Threads

Do you want to easily follow a number of accounts that you follow on Instagram on Threads? You already get that option when you create your account, but after that it is more difficult. Especially if those accounts have not yet created a Threads page, or have not yet appeared on your timeline.

Fortunately, you can easily look this up via the settings. In your profile, go to the two lines at the top right and then to ‘Follow and invite friends’. Below you will see under the heading Follow > Instagram friends. Here you can find Instagram accounts you follow in a list and easily tap the follow button to follow them.

Aren’t they on Threads yet? Then you can follow them in advance when they create their Threads account. You will also receive notifications, provided you have enabled the notifications of course.

3. Filter Threads you don’t want to see

You may have noticed it in the first few weeks: there is quite a bit of rubbish. Meta’s algorithm doesn’t seem to fully understand what a user does and doesn’t find interesting. As a result, you see posts on the ‘For you’ timeline that are often not relevant. Are you really fed up with certain topics? Then you can filter them out.

You do this by going to your profile and tapping the two lines at the top right. Then choose ‘Other account settings’. You will now be redirected to the settings in the Instagram app. Here, tap ‘Suggested content > Specific words and phrases’. You can now add words here that relate to topics you do not want to see. You can add several at the same time by placing a comma between the words.

It’s not ideal, but this way you can get a little more control over your timeline and what you see there. Don’t feel like reading threads about crypto, for example? Then you can easily put that word in the list.

4. Easily quote a Thread

Do you have a post that you would like to repost with your own addition? There is no really useful term for it yet, but the phenomenon is the same as ‘quote tweeting’ on Twitter, now X. Of course, a handy shortcut cannot be missing from our list of Threads tips.

Everyone was talking about it for three days, even though it’s actually not that exciting. If you want to quote a Thread, press and hold the repost button. Then the editor opens where you already have the Thread in, with space above it to type something.

Is it really more effort to open a Thread and then tap the repost arrows? Not as far as we are concerned. Nevertheless, it is a fun option and may be useful for live events in the future.

5. Translate threads from other languages

Curious what the Thread says on your timeline, but don’t feel like using Google Translate? That is not necessary, because Threads can already show you a translation of the Thread from your timeline. A post has a translation icon at the bottom right. When you tap this, the Thread changes to the language you have set the app to (such as Dutch).

Would you rather change the language of your app? Then go to your settings via your profile and tap Language to choose which one you prefer to use.

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37 Command & Conquer Remastered Collection tips and tricks to be a master strategist in CnC and Red Alert


With Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on the market since June 5, there’s a good chance you’re a regular in the Westwood Studios saga and need to rust. Or be a newcomer to those 90s RTS as well.

Anyway, here we have a series of tips and tricks for you. Maître Command & Conquer, de Tiberian Dawn et Red Alert.

Notions de base de Command & Conquer

  • The machine is very delicate in the countryside of both games, to the point of rebuilding on sites you’ve destroyed that don’t have other buildings nearby. And also in relation to the speed of construction or the way it manages its resources. Your priority should be destroy the main base building (keeping an eye on the map) to prevent him from building. With five Soviet tanks you will charge it in a blast C&C: Red alertFor example, don’t hesitate to be aggressive at a minimum.
  • First Command & Conquer the only « trick » as such, it’s old acquaintance that’s used as a cheat to counter AI tricks. Yes, the sandbag bug. If you block access to your base or any area the enemy passes through, it will be impossible for them to pass through. This way you will stay calm until you decide to sell a bag and the machine reactivates its movement. Ideal for the tough missions of The Covert Ops expansion.
  • Use the shortcut to force movement (alt + left click) to crush soldiers with heavy vehicles. Ideal with light tanks or APC (TBP), these cargo vehicles for the troops. The sound of crushing them is delicious.
  • Since we are talking about APC, a very useful tactic of the first C&C is that of load it up with various engineers to take it to the enemy base to drop these units and capture the most important buildings, from the main base to those for manufacturing or extracting resources. It must be remembered that this has been changed in Red Alert by needing the building to be destroyed to capture it, otherwise the engineers will do damage.
  • In the first C&C, if you capture a refinery while the collector continues to pour the tiberium, you will not only capture the building, but this vehicle as well.
  • The engineer can also steal some of the enemy’s money by capturing the silos, so keep that in mind as you get pasta and take it from the enemy.
  • Another important fact when capturing an enemy building is to have prepared the construction of an own barracks with another engineer on break. Or a large caliber tusk, like an obelisk, Tesla, etc. Surprise the rival from within, in short. If you play your cards right, it’s a sure win.
  • The ideal order to build a base from scratch varies depending on the mission or skirmish, but the most effective is usually (after the plant is built) a barracks then the refinery, eliminating in that time of wait for several standard infantrymen so that will explore the map.
  • Build multiple barracks or vehicle factories to speed up units. It’s not like in Age of Empires, where each factory was independent. The building you mark as the main one will be where they come out.
  • Grow your base and don’t get tied up in one place. Use the sandbag trick to get around the limitation of constructing buildings so close together or use Red Alert’s silos to do it faster. But do not overuse the refineries, it is recommended to create more collectors in the factory, especially in the second because they drop the load instantly.
  • Don’t abuse your defenses either. As much as you prefer turtle tactics in an RTS, try to take out varied infantry and different types of vehicles and put them along your base to cover all the francs. If you rely exclusively on your defenses, they can either sell you by cutting off the electricity (making them useless) or use units with a higher attack range.
  • Neither in Command & Conquer nor in Red Alert you can create waypoints to explore or from each plant, but you can use the direct shortcuts to control different groups with the keyboard (ctrl + number) or create macros on the screen to instantly access these points (ctrl + function key from F1 to F4). This will give you more versatility around the map.
  • WRET. Stick with these acronyms, as they each symbolize shortcuts for buildings (W), infantry (R), vehicles (E), and superweapons (T). Out of curiosity, this feature is due to the latest Red Alert 2 of 2000.
  • Don’t be afraid to destroy civilian churches, as they usually hide a chest of 5,000 silver. Browse the map to find gifts.

Curiosities and tactics to know

  • Selling a building is not a mystery, but … Did you know that you can also sell vehicles? You just need to put them on the repair center platform, click on the sell icon and then click on that vehicle to earn money. Ideal in later stages of the game when the initial reserves of tiberium or gold are depleted and take longer to germinate.
  • Don’t be afraid to sell buildings, at all of this. Do it. A lot. Either to collect money after unlocking the radar upgrades (in terms of infantry and vehicles) and to do without this map view at the start, for example to ensure the energy to be spent on buildings or to meet unforeseen expenses.
  • Is there a lone tree bothering you at your base? You should know that you can destroy it if you force fire (ctrl + left mouse click) with a tank, infantry with rocket launchers and the like. Each unit with an explosive attack, go for it. Be careful, they will need a few shots, so be patient.
  • You can destroy a SAM NOD (anti-aircraft slot) with a single shot from the ion cannon if it is triggered by an air unit. It goes without saying that in each GDI campaign, if you destroy all the SAMs, you will have the air attack at your disposal, frankly useful against any enemy structure because it covers a significant field of action. It will be your best ally in these missions.
  • Take advantage of GDI air superiority to craft Orcs piece by piece and have the reapers attack. Even if you carry five, you can easily load a SAM. Do not be afraid. The worst that can happen is that one or two Orcs destroy you if there are more defenses, with which you will lose money.
  • The most efficient equivalent of Red Alert is carried out by Soviet MIGs, faster and to drop all their cargo on a more direct route.
  • Distance control. For example, rocket launchers can charge a guard tower without damage. And like this case, there are many more. Don’t be afraid to experiment with each unit, because in each campaign you will be required the most in certain sections to minimize allied losses.
  • Please note that in the first Command & Conquer vehicles cannot move and fire at the same time. This has been fixed in Red Alert. In this one, the best tactic is press the X key to disperse them while continuing to attack. Brilliant!
  • If you are infantry, the X is very useful in preventing a vehicle from crashing into you. You don’t have to click the map like a maniac, so don’t worry.
  • The Mammoth tank is one of the best vehicles in the series because it repairs itself up to half of its lifespan. In addition, it has ideal air-to-surface missiles against infantry or helicopters. One trick is to turn the Mammoth on its back to force this attack by default, even if it’s unsightly like that.
  • Don’t underestimate the Humvee (Light Scout) from GDI, since its turret rotates automatically when fired, without you having to orient the vehicle in this position. The infantry is dead if you can play cat and mouse.
  • Take a good look at your combines. Personally, in the campaigns, I put a number on the first ones (8, 9 and 0) to have them more controlled, so when I double-click on this number I go directly to each one. It is also advisable to watch them in the face of mineral extraction, as sometimes they get messy. And in Red Alert you have to prioritize minerals of different colors first, which give much more paste. This will give you a much more carefree start to the game.

Other aspects to consider in this Remaster

  • At the playable level, this Collection Remastered Command & Conquer It is fairly faithful to the classics of 1995 and 1996, without as many improvements as the free OpenRA project. This does not mean that there is no news in this regard, guard position (G) one of them. Yes, for your troops to approach and attack an approaching enemy. It should be polished more, yes.
  • Something that will help you in the countryside, in case you go up, is the new quick save (ctrl + N), in addition to the 90s standard.
  • In the first C&C, there is only one invisible unit, the NOD stealth tank. They can’t detect it unless it’s too close to the turrets or right next to the enemy, so use it to your advantage. Moreover, it will not attack by default.
  • If you happen to want to stop an attack (or movement), press the S key.
  • In Red Alert, on the other hand, there are several invisible units and here the best method to detect them is the Soviets’ dogs. In addition, they can charge groups of infantry in the blink of an eye. They are extremely deadly unless you know how to use them properly. Put a pet in your life.
  • The allied spy will be very useful to know enough information about the enemy. And the thief, to steal some of his money.
  • While the war coat it was not popularized in the saga until later Tiberian sun, the allies can form one thanks to the generator DIFFERENCE. They even have a vehicle that performs the same function so that the enemy cannot see over a specific area. Playing against AI is silly for you to do …
  • The allies have another diversionary maneuver against the Soviets, these fake (fake) buildings to make the rival believe that the most important are in one game… when in fact they are in another. Now they are easily destroyed, unsurprisingly, but sometimes they can come in handy.
  • In fact, the Allies tend to be underestimated because of their fragility in the face of the Soviets’ potential, also because of the ease of the Soviets, but they are masters at cheating. Without going any further, with the miner you can charge many units in one touch if you plant the mines wisely. You can reload more mines from the service warehouse.
  • What about super weapons? The Allied Chronosphere was the forerunner of the GDI Tunnel in Generals, being able to surprise the rival at any point on the map. And to top it off, they also have Tank Tanks.
  • As for the Soviets, in addition to the nuclear bomb inherited from the NOD, the iron curtain with which we will win is coming off invulnerability for a few seconds in mechanized units or structures. Use it on a tesla coil, for example. Or in a Mammoth or Tesla tank. Madly. Without fear.

If you still have doubts, do not hesitate to contact us!

Source : Gadgetsnow


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23 Deep Stranded tips and tricks I wish I knew before playing

Stranded Deep is one of the most darned games you can throw on your face right now. Their multiple dangers and how easy it is for a game to get lost, make it a title that requires you to always keep your eyes wide open.

To help you with this task, we have created a Stranded Deep Guide in which to talk about all those tips and tricks that the game doesn’t tell you and you will need them to get to the end. I wish someone had taken my hand at first as we intend to do next.

First steps on the island

Patience, mother of science

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in Stranded Deep is wanting and believing that you can handle it all. Because no, you can’t continue exploring this sunken ship even if you have some oxygen left, you won’t be able to get home until dark, and you won’t be able to go a few more minutes without eating or drinking. . Above all, be patient and try to control any unforeseen events that may arise. It’s survival, not a race.

Save your game. And then start again

Another easy-to-forget resource. It doesn’t matter if everything seems to be under control and your next steps promise to be brief and safe. To save. Check that everything is as it should be in terms of health and mobility and insure your game in case something goes too far 20 seconds later. Better than running around here and there looking for a solution to your problem.

Secure large amounts of water

Your main objective on the initial island is to ensure a good supply of water. Create one or more water filters and place palm leaves on its base to make it work. Not only will you need it constantly to keep you hydrated, but you’ll also be glad you were proactive when you started planting your garden.

First harvest the fibers and cassava

Fibrous leaves are one of the things that worry you the most when starting out in the game and, in fact, one of the least headaches you will ever get. Cassava plants and small palm trees are replenished every one or two days, so even if you can’t find them on the island, do something else as they will appear soon. Precisely for this reason, collect as much as possible whenever they are available so that you don’t have to worry about waiting.

Aware of all that is toxic

Lilac starfish, snakes, moray eels and the cursed lionfish. They are now your greatest enemies, so keep an eye out for them and try to avoid them at all costs. Poisoning always happens at the worst time and can upset you with relative ease.

Secure Piss (not that piss)

To avoid suffering more than the number above, you will need a coconut with a bottled rope and two Pipi herbs. They are hard to find because being green they camouflage themselves quite well in the undergrowth, so whenever you have a free space with little to do, take the opportunity to look for them.

Don’t binge on coconut

Coconut is one of the best places to start. After peeling it, you can drink its water and, once empty, you can break it to eat its interior. Of course, do it in pairs and with breaks between them or you’ll end up with stomach pain and vomiting which promotes dehydration.

The king of crafts

Resources are scarce and do not reappear

You can see a lot of palm trees, stones, and other materials on your first few walks, which will undoubtedly lead to a false perception of abundance on the island. Nothing is further from reality. Anything you harvest, except plants that provide fibrous leaves, will fret when picked and never come back. This doesn’t stop you from leaving the island below the minimums, but watch out for basics like coconuts and plan well what you’ll use your gear.

You can see the content of each recipe

If a crafting recipe holds up, you can always hit the ‘examine’ button to figure out what makes up that item and get an idea of ​​where to find it. With the exception of vehicles and their parts, everything you can build is mined from materials you can collect or find on wrecks.

Create items even if they are not in your inventory

Your inventory is limited, but that doesn’t mean you have to constantly change gear. If they’re on the ground near you, they’ll be marked as being in your possession as well, so get up close to that pile of sticks nearby if you want to create something with them instead of picking them up.

Don’t give too much importance to your home

While it looks great in promotional images and videos, the use of a shelter is pretty anecdotal and will only serve to create shade and decorate. Make sure you have enough supplies before you board a building, as this can leave your inventory shaking.

Your main goal should be to create a raft

Focus your efforts on everything you need to create a face and eye raft. Sooner or later, let whatever you do focus on this step. Having an engine or sailboat that will allow you to move between islands at a higher speed and carry more equipment on the go will be essential.

Better the fishing spear than the rod

Returning to the idea of ​​economy mode, take advantage of the fishing spear to get food on the shores or your dives. Don’t waste time or materials on the rod as it is much slower and inefficient.

Go for the choice instead of the ax

Another similar case is that of the beak, which will be used both for cutting down trees and for extracting stones and mud. One tool is better than two, especially for your low inventory, so use peak force as a measure of austerity.

Better the hunting spear than the bow

As above. While it is true that the arrows in the bow are faster and it is easier to aim at the pigs running around here and there, the basic spear is more than sufficient for the purpose. Also, don’t waste the resources of the Improved Spear as its usefulness doesn’t compensate for sticking with the materials.

Attentive to the durability of your items

As in many other games, in Stranded Deep tools don’t last forever, so it’s best to pay attention to their durability before setting out on a discovery. You don’t want to run out of oxygen or a good ax before you reach your goal.

Navigate

In search of pigs and potatoes

At some point, you’ll have no choice but to leave your island, but beyond the items you’ll find in sunken ships, you won’t find any interesting news to see. Of course, focus on bringing more pigs and potatoes to your island, the better. You’re going to need it.

Don’t venture beyond the neighboring islands

The map is diamond shaped, so it will be easy for your island to be surrounded by four or five other similar islands. You can go there with the inflatable raft, but it is a slow and cumbersome process that the raft with sail or motor completely eliminates. Don’t venture too far as the return can be boring. Wait until you have a raft with a sail or motor before going any further.

A spring can be very useful

A good way to keep your rafts under control is to create a dock to drop anchor in (although it is less comfortable but it is recommended that you slide them down to shore to avoid wasting stones on an anchor). However, the main asset of the pier is to create it next to a sunken ship and take advantage of the structure to hunt sharks in a safe place.

Create something to mark where you came from on each island

Whenever you travel to an island, try to do it in a straight line, and once you hit the shore, create something like a bonfire or leaf tent to mark where you came from. Also, where have you gone if there are no more buildings on the island. It will be very helpful for you to understand which path you have taken if you are confused.

Destroy the trees on the small islands as a guide

Visualize which island you walked on and which can’t be a toothache when you’ve already had multiple stages. A good way to mark them is to make a tall structure or, easier and cheaper, to destroy all the trees on the island. So you can see from a distance whether you went there or not.

The limit of the map is marked by virtual buoys

If during one of your trips you reach some sort of virtual buoy in a straight line, turn around because you have reached the limit of the map. Don’t bother to venture further, but try to remember where that line was as it can come in handy towards the end of the adventure.

Circle virtual buoys if you can’t find the special islands

If you’ve made it this far you have a good raft or vehicle and want to tackle the last stretch, congratulations it wasn’t easy. You must now find two islands. One with an abandoned aircraft carrier and the other with an oil rig. The second will give you access to the latest missions of the game and the first to your passport for its final cutscene. To find them, follow the line of buoys around the perimeter of the map.

Source: Gadgetsnow

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Android tips: What can you do with an old smartwatch?

Congratulations on your new smartwatch! In this edition of Android tips we show what you can do with an old smart watch.

Android tips for old smartwatches

Many people keep their old smartwatch in the drawer. That’s quite a shame, because there are more than enough ways to give the watch a second life, or to earn something from it.

In this edition of Android tips we show what you can do with an old smartwatch. The list is certainly not complete, but hopefully we will help you on your way.

1. Reuse old smartwatch

Starting with the simplest solution. After all, you can also just keep an old smartwatch on hand. If your current watch suddenly breaks down, you always have a spare model on hand.

You can also continue to use an old smartwatch, for example as a sleep tracker. By wearing the watch at night, you can map your sleep pattern and see how effective your night’s sleep was. An additional advantage is that your new watch always has enough power, because it can be charged overnight.

Also useful: use your old watch as a cycle computer or sports buddy. The average smartwatch is packed with sensors that can measure, among other things, the kilometers traveled, average speed and the number of calories burned.

2. Recycle

There are only winners in recycling old smartwatches. You may not think about it, but a discarded clock is packed with precious materials such as gold, platinum and silver.

By recycling a smartwatch, no new raw materials need to be extracted and the mountain of electronic waste (e-waste) will in any case not increase.

You can recycle an old smartwatch in several ways. When you buy a new watch, you can often leave the old model with the seller, but you can also find return bins for electronic waste in the hardware store or large supermarket. The WeCycle website shows collection points near you.

3. Sell

Smartwatches seem to be getting more and more expensive, but you can keep the price down by selling the old model. The value depends, among other things, on the specific model, its external condition and technical condition. Depending on these conditions, you can ask for a few tens to hundreds of euros.

Those who do not feel like negotiating with private individuals on Marktplaats or in Facebook groups can also sell directly to companies. There are several companies specialized in buying second-hand electronics, such as smart watches.

These websites actually always work the same. First you register your old clock via the website, after which a bid will be made. If this amount is sufficient, you send the package (usually free of charge). The buyer will then check the old smartwatch and pay out if the watch matches expectations.

4. An original gift

Smart watches are becoming increasingly popular, but not everyone has one. An old smartwatch is therefore an ideal gift – provided it still looks neat, of course.

By giving away your clock, others can easily become acquainted with all the benefits, without having to break the bank.

5. Hobbying

Are you a hobbyist? Or would you like to become more adept with technology? You can also take your old watch apart and subject it to a so-called .

In these types of videos, gadgets, such as smartwatches, are taken apart to see how everything works under the hood. Of course, you can also do this yourself. Who knows, you might learn something about the underlying technology, or at least find out what not to do.

Are you a real Handy Harry? Then the possibilities are virtually endless and you can creatively reuse an old smartwatch. For example, there are videos on the internet of people transforming their watches into a retro alarm clock or making a completely new watch with old materials.

6. An alarm clock or flashlight

Don’t want a smartphone in the bedroom, but do you need an alarm clock to wake up? An old smartwatch is ideal for this. You don’t even have to wear it, because you can just put it on your bedside table.

Speaking of which, you can also use a smart watch as a flashlight. Of course, you shouldn’t expect too much from this – as soon as you turn on the flashlight mode, the screen turns white (or yellow) – but the screen shines bright enough to navigate through the house at night, for example, without any problems.

More Android tips

Do you have any original ideas for using an old smartwatch? Then let us hear from you in the comments.

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The best alternatives to the NVIDIA RTX 4070: Which graphics card to buy? Tips and recommendations


Building a gaming PC from scratch (or updating the one we already have) is a process that requires time and some reflection. Everything is reduced to fit a series of components that have a good synergy between them, although always without exceeding the budget that we have previously set. Obviously, not all parts cost the same, and the one that is going to get all the attention is going to be the graphics card.

This 2023 has meant a radical change in the situation of these components. We have gone from a few years where it was almost impossible to get an assembly at a good price (at least, first hand) to a moment where we can finally see cards at sensible prices. Many are “to blame” for this shift, although much of the responsibility falls on the arrival of the new cards from NVIDIA and AMD.

As far as NVIDIA is concerned, the new RTX 4000 have arrived making a lot of noise. The launch of this new line has been staggered, with the highest-end ones coming first to the most recent RTX 4060 and RTX 4060 Ti, the most affordable options. Be that as it may, the truth is that they all offer very good performance, although it may not be within the reach of all pockets.

For this reason, and as we did in the case of the RTX 4060, in this article we are going to give you a series of alternatives from the following on the list, the RTX 4070. Do you want to know which is the best of them? Well let’s go with it!

What to consider when buying an alternative to the NVIDIA RTX 4070?

It would be very easy at this point to recommend a card with a performance or price range to the RTX 4070, but it is worth stopping for a moment along the way to take into account a number of things. The eternal “battle” between NVIDIA and AMD cards It is present when choosing alternatives to this new RTX, but in addition to this, other points related to performance or the equipment that we have must be considered.

What are our claims when playing?

Beyond the budget (which, as we have said before, is the starting point), you also have to think very carefully about what you want to play when choosing components. There are many users who only want a gaming PC to play competitive video games and not too demanding for the hardware (such as League of Legends or Valorant), where it rewards more to have a high performance than to play at a high resolution.

In this sense, the RTX 4070 is indicated above all for all those users who are looking to play the most current titles at 1440p with outstanding performance. Here our monitor also has a lot to say, since it is useless to make a large outlay for one of these new cards if we do not have a monitor that shows the image at that resolution, with good refresh rate and minimal response time.

NVIDIA RTX 4070: is it better to choose the most current?

There is a maxim in gaming that many users follow: always bet on the latest technology. That, as far as graphics cards are concerned, goes directly to an RTX 4000 or an AMD RX 7000. It is true that these graphics cards have a plus in performance and even with exclusive technology like DLSS 3.0 (which we will talk about below), but that does not mean that they are the best option for us.

Now we can see ensembles of all kinds on sale, being even more frequent to find ensembles from last year with irresistible prices. In this sense, a great alternative in value for money is to bet on an ensemble from last year. These cards continue to offer a high level of performance and will last us many years at a good level, also being its price significantly lower than the graphics of this year.

NVIDIA or AMD graphics?: DLSS vs. FSR

In addition to performance and greater energy efficiency, the RTX 4000 have reached the market with DLSS 3.0 as one of its greatest assets. This scaling technology allows you to extract much higher performance from video games without losing sight of graphic quality and other technologies such as ray tracing. Till the date, DLSS 3.0 is exclusive to NVIDIA RTX 4000 cardsso if we want to use it we have no choice but to buy one of them.

Although it may seem like a compelling reason, the truth is that you have to take into account that this technology is not, to date, compatible with too many games. Also, AMD’s FSR (which, remember, is open source) also does its job well, and the new FSR 3 promises to offer a significant leap in quality, although it remains to be seen when it starts to reach the first compatible games.

You always have to look at the rest of the PC components

In addition to taking into account everything that we mentioned above when choosing a graph, It is also time to look carefully at the other components of the computer. For example, depending on the type of card or assembly that we choose, we may need more space inside the case, since some assemblies with three fans are quite long and require plenty of space to not be cramped.

In addition, it is also important that we carefully review how much energy our new assembly will need. If we bet on a card with high consumption, it is possible that we will also have to change or acquire a new power supply with more power, since otherwise we may have function and performance problems.

VRAM is important, but it’s not everything

When choosing a graphics card, a characteristic that is usually taken into account is the amount of memory or VRAM it has. This characteristic can become key to decide on one or the other model, since the games are more and more demanding (especially the triple A).

If we choose an assembly with little memory, we may have to change the graphics card sooner rather than later, especially if we want to always be playing the latest without suffering performance problems. However, this amount of VRAM is not a differentiator, since a greater amount of memory does not imply that the graphics card is more powerful. An RTX 4070 with 8 GB of RAM will always have more power than an RTX 4060 with 12 GB of RAM.

Are all assemblies the same?

If we start to look in the different specialized stores, it is not difficult to find several different models of the same graphics card. There are many assemblers out there today, each with their own model different from the others. These usually differ from each other in terms of design, cooling and components, although the difference that stands out the most between all of them will always be the price.

So, how can we opt for one or the other assembler? Here it is best not to be blinded by the design, but to look at other elements such as consumption, refrigeration or price. The list that you will find below includes very interesting assemblies from some of the best assemblers out there, so we are not going to have problems with any of them.

Which alternative graphics card to the NVIDIA RTX 4070 to buy

MSI AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT MECH 2X 12GB GDDR6 V1

The first alternative to appear on this list is also the cheapest. This MSI RX 6750 XT is a great option if we want to play 1440p for as little money as possible right now. This has the great advantage of having 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM, in addition to three DisplayPort 1.4 and an HDMI port. It is a fairly compact assembly although with very good cooling, and its price is currently 379.90 euros. In addition, both this and the rest of the AMD cards on the list include Starfield as a gift.

Zotac Gaming Geforce RTX 3070 Twin Edge LHR 8GB GDDR6

When looking for an alternative to the NVIDIA RTX 4070 it is logical that a mandatory stop along the way is the RTX 3070, in this case from Zotac. We have another assembly on our hands here with a compact size, a signature design and 8 GB of VRAM. It is a spectacular assembly to play 2K, and also has a fairly moderate consumption. We have it on Amazon at 499.90 euros (in PcComponentes it also marks the same price).

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 Ti EAGLE OC 8GB GDDR6 DLSS3

If we want current technology, but without spending what most RTX 4070 assemblies cost, a very good alternative is to go down a notch in terms of power. The RTX 4060 Ti is quite an interesting option, as it offers high performance and support for DLSS 3.0. This Gigabyte assembly already has a larger size, three powerful fans, 8GB of VRAM and good connectivity. It costs 438.99 euros.

XFX SPEEDSTER MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT CORE 16GB GDDR6

We’ve already said that last year’s builds are very attractively priced now, so it’s a good time to level up. This XFX RX 6800 XT is a good example, a graphics card with which we will have no problem playing at 1440p or even 4K. Its design is quite minimalist with straight lines, it has 3 fans and has 16 GB of VRAM. The price that it currently marks is brutal (for what it cost a few months ago): it costs 529.90 euros in PcComponentes.

XFX Speedster MERC 319 AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT Black Gaming 16GB GDDR6

The last alternative on the list is also the most powerful of all. If we want approximately what an RTX 4070 costs in more power, the correct option is to go for the XFX RX 6950 XT, superior to the RX 6900 XT. This is AMD’s top of the line from last year, a great card for 4K gaming with outstanding performance. It is quite demanding as far as necessary power is concerned, but its price is not crazy right now: in PcComponentes it costs 659.90 euros.

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13 tips for Amazfit and Zepp: get the most out of your smartwatch or smart bracelet

We are going to teach you some of the best tips and tricks for Amazfit and Zepp smartwatches, Huami smartwatches. Both are managed with the same app and they have almost identical configurations. So, we are going to go over the key functions to set up a new Amazfit and Zepp smartwatch, so that you can get the most out of it step by step.


This guide is general, so it works for almost all of the company’s models.. There might be slight differences between the one and the other (for example, if you have a simple bracelet you will have less functions than in a watch), but the vast majority of the tips and tricks that we are going to provide you are worth whatever device you have.

Set an alarm from your mobile

Amazfit and Zepp watches and bracelets allow you to set different alarms from the device itself. However, if we want to organize some alarms in a more comfortable way, we can do this process from the phone, to easily program alarms. Just open the Zepp (Amazfit) app and click on the “Enjoy” section. Here you will find as the first option ‘Alarm clock’, where you can program them in an easy way and send them to the clock.

Change the order of the menus on your watch

Amazfit and Zepp watches have various settings in the interface itself, although we don’t need all of the options they offer. To configure the content that we will see on the clock screen, just follow these steps:

Schedule push notifications with weather information

A very useful feature of the Zepp app is that we can receive push notifications with weather alerts. This will help us to know the weather changes in our area, even if we do not have weather apps on our mobile for this purpose.

  • Open the Zeep app on the mobile
  • Enter Profile
  • Tap the name of your smartwatch
  • Enter Time setting
  • Tap City
  • If you want your current location to be used, check Obtain location automatically
  • If you prefer to enter the location manually, uncheck the box and search for the name of your city

Configure button behavior

Amazfit and Zepp watches usually have one or two buttons with different functions. If we want, we can change what happens when we interact with these buttons. To be able to modify these options, just follow these steps.


  • Open your watch menu
  • Go to setting or more
  • Select the function you want to assign to the button

Use the watch as a flashlight

A somewhat unknown feature of Amazfit and Zepp watches is that we can use them as flashlight. It may seem unnecessary, but in total darkness situations it is much faster to activate the clock flashlight than it is to unlock the mobile for this purpose. To activate the flashlight, you just need access the watch’s quick access menu and click on the flashlight icon. The panel will be fully illuminated and sufficiently bright with white light.

Search for your mobile if you don’t know where it is

From our Amazfit watch we can find our cell phone. We have to open the menu and click on “Find a phone”. In the case of Zepp watches, we have to open the quick settings menu and click on the phone icon, it will start ringing automatically.

Or search for the watch on your mobile

We can do the same process in reverse, to find our connected watch from the Zepp app.


  • Open the Zeep app on the mobile
  • Enter Profile
  • Tap the name of your smartwatch
  • press Find a watch
  • Pay attention to the sound of the watch vibrating

Activate incoming calls

Some Amazfit watches and bracelets do not have the ability to receive phone calls on the device by default. portable, a basic function. We can activate it manually, to make sure we don’t miss any incoming calls when we have the watch on.

  • Open the Zeep app on the mobile
  • Enter Profile
  • Tap the name of your smartwatch
  • Enter Incoming call
  • active Incoming call alerts

Enable app alerts

Likewise, in most cases the Amazfit app it does not inform about all the applications that we have installed on the mobile, but we have to select them manually.


  • Open the Zeep app on the mobile
  • Enter Profile
  • Tap the name of your smartwatch
  • Enters App Alerts
  • Tap Manage apps
  • Check all the apps you want to receive notifications from

Eliminate inactivity notices

By default, Amazfit and Zepp watches They usually send notifications every hour if they detect that we are not moving. It’s usually quite complicated (at least if you work in the office) to get up every hour, so we can turn off these notices so they aren’t that intrusive.

  • Open the ** Zeep * app on your mobile
  • Enter Profile
  • Tap the name of your smartwatch
  • Go into Inactivity Alert
  • Disable Inactivity Alerts

Unlock the mobile with the watch

If you wear the watch you can use it to unlock the mobile. This is thanks to Google’s Smart Lock, which allows you to set up the watch as a trusted device. So, if you take the watch with you, you won’t need to unlock the phone as it will happen automatically.

  • Open the Zeep app on the mobile
  • Enter Profile
  • Tap the name of your smartwatch
  • Click on ‘lock screen’
  • Click on ‘Go to settings’
  • Set the watch as a trusted device

Lock the watch when you take it off

One of the most useful features of the Zepp app is the power lock the watch as soon as it is removed. This way, we make sure that no one can access it if it is intercepted without our permission. You just need to go to the settings of the Zepp app, click on the smartwatch and click on ‘Bracelet lock’

Change the detection method

To try and save battery power, Amazfit watches and bracelets typically measure sleep at night. However, in many cases we can activate sleep and heart rate measurement simultaneously, to have more precise data on the quality of sleep. If we want to configure this, we have to follow these steps.

  • Open the Zeep app on the mobile
  • Enter Profile
  • Tap the name of your smartwatch
  • Click on ‘Health check’
  • Detection method
  • Adjust to taste

Source : SamaGamendroid.com

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FFXIV: “Pro” tips for not so “Pro” players


Needs some advice on getting an edge on your FFXIV game?

Well, I’ve got tips for you! Here are some quick tips that you probably didn’t know and can apply to your game right now!

1. Read your tooltips: Tooltips are essential when navigating across all aspects of the game. Even the more experienced players can benefit from tooltips. Especially when you get new abilities. This is simply a difference between clearing a dungeon or continuously wiping. If you don’t read your tool tips you may miss a bunch of information about your abilities and waste your potential. Countless times healers fail at their job because they aren’t using their abilities as they should just because they don’t know their abilities well enough. Tooltips will cover you in all aspects from this.

 

 

2. Double pull mobs: when tanking Dungeons, you can almost always double pull the mobs. The way you act for three mobs versus six mobs is no different and it’ll make the dungeon go much faster and you’ll get all the commends. Now some of you may be afraid of tanking and that’s okay, but keep in mind that all of us will end up tanking at some point regardless of the job that we are playing. Overall, I think a lot of people put tanking up on a pedestal and are afraid of it. Still, in reality, the other tanks don’t want you to know that they have no idea what they’re doing either. If you are looking to buff up your gear in those challenging mob situations, try getting a head start and buy a package from SSEGold. You will get everything you need to be ahead in your game, including: FF14 Gil, items, class packages, power leveling, etc.

 

3. Everyone should do damage: Everyone’s job is to DPS and always has been. Every little bit of damage helps make the fight go by faster and can even skip the mechanics that may have been too difficult to deal with. Yes, healers should DPS when they are comfortable in doing so. Everybody takes time to learn their role, so be understanding of new players. Remember, a healer’s main job is to heal, but every bit of damage you help contribute will make it, so you need to heal less, the enemies cannot hurt the tank if they are dead.

4. The meta doesn’t matter: Don’t let anybody tell you not to play a job because it’s terrible. Every job can do every piece of content in the game. Play what you find to be the most fun, and you’ll naturally get better at the job.

5. Push Buttons: This may sound silly, but you need always to be pushing your buttons. The single most common thing that will improve your performance in this tip is you should never ever! ever! ever! be doing nothing. This is almost so important that you could even press the entirely wrong buttons, and as long as you keep your GCD (global cool downs) rolling, you could still do better than the other guy.