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Dot Matrix is... [/color]

It's a personal opinion, Killer Features are to one's own, but honestly, the multi monitor enhancements will be hard to ignore. I do believe it will be a selling point for many.

That's ridiculous. I'll take a built-in feature over a 3rd party hack any day and, as Dot Matrix said, most companies don't spend money on things like Ultramon.

I ran a few third party applets back in my XP days, and I have to say, I don't miss them in the least. They became too much to handle. I'm slowly but surely growing out of transforming my installs to these elaborate setups, so if something finally gets baked into the OS - such as these multi monitor features - I'm all for it, and will use them to their fullest.

I don't think it is, I'm getting random lock ups and many people are too. It's not specific, it seems like it's a bug MS need to fix.

I'm noticing that the majority of people having lockups seem to be running Nvidia graphics on their machines. I'm running an AMD card and have been since the CP. No issues. Well, one. When I click back into IE Metro from another app or the desktop I get a blackscreen. It brings the page back up once I click the thumbnail in the tabs bar, however.

So the only way to use IE10 Metro is to have IE as the default browser? It's tile is replaced by the desktop version when a different browser is set as default.

Also, is there a way to launch the desktop version of the windows update (or any other desktop app/setting that has metro counterpart) after searching it from the start screen?

I've also found my Start screen doesn't change. On my first PC, it's been customized: I have different groups, arrangements, etc. None of this is on my second PC, which instead just has the default setup. Is that supposed to be synced? Can it be synced?

Nope, that start screen layouts don't sync - due to differences in layout between PC's caused by screen sizes, and that PC's even with the same account may have different installed applications breaking the sync.

So the only way to use IE10 Metro is to have IE as the default browser? It's tile is replaced by the desktop version when a different browser is set as default.

Also, is there a way to launch the desktop version of the windows update (or any other desktop app/setting that has metro counterpart) after searching it from the start screen?

Three *different* ways of avoiding the Start Screen for dual-mode apps (Control Panel, etc.) -

1. Run-boxing (control.exe, wintask.,exe, etc.) works for all non-Metro applications - it's how I usually launch them. (Also, Ctrl-Alt-Del still launches Task Manager - just as it did in Windows Vista and 7.)

2. Right-click on the lower-left hotcorner (where the Start orb/button used to live) brings up the QuickTask power users' menu - all the settings are available - as well as two command prompts (one with Admin privileges).

3. WIN+C (Charm bar).

I'm noticing that the majority of people having lockups seem to be running Nvidia graphics on their machines.

I'm running it on three different computers. Only the computer with Nvidia graphics locks up occasionally, although it hasn't happened lately.

I'm noticing that the majority of people having lockups seem to be running Nvidia graphics on their machines. I'm running an AMD card and have been since the CP. No issues. Well, one. When I click back into IE Metro from another app or the desktop I get a blackscreen. It brings the page back up once I click the thumbnail in the tabs bar, however.

Still, it's the majority. Mine is Intel and I'm still having the problem.

Also getting driver crashes, artifacts on screen and other glitches using GeForce GT 430. Tried the official drivers on the NVIDIA site and the newest drivers that come with the OS. Same problem with both. I don't use Windows 8 much due to these problems. NVIDIA should've had new drivers available day 1. I mean, don't they get access to early Windows 8 builds? Hopefully the new drivers don't take long to be released.

Do anyone else have issues with the volume controls for keyboard not working with RP? They worked fine for the CP. The same goes for my G35 headset. I have to manually adjust the volume now in the systray.

Fine here too. You on a laptop, as if your volume buttons are with FN buttons, they may have got switched?

Fine here too. You on a laptop, as if your volume buttons are with FN buttons, they may have got switched?

Both laptop and desktop actually. And yes I need to use the FN buttons. On my desktop I have a Razer Blackwidow Ultimate keyboard with the latest software. Nothing have changed compared to the CP release. The brightness controls on the laptop is working fine. The same goes for everything else that use FN keys.

Kind of a dumb question, but what ever became of the new Windows logo supposedly changing color based on your personalization settings? Was that dropped? I remember it being in the blog article that talked about the new logo but never quite got what they meant...

Kind of a dumb question, but what ever became of the new Windows logo supposedly changing color based on your personalization settings? Was that dropped? I remember it being in the blog article that talked about the new logo but never quite got what they meant...

The Start button on the Charms bar changes colour with your theme.

The Start button on the Charms bar changes colour with your theme.

Ah, just noticed that. That must have been what they were referring to here:

3. Our final goal was for the new logo to be humble, yet confident. Welcoming you in with a slight tilt in perspective and when you change your color, the logo changes to reflect you. It is a ?Personal? Computer after all.

In my case, it's sort of a pinkish-red color.

I've only had two problems with the RP so far.

The first one is that I have an issue shutting down my computer after plugging in a USB removable storage device. I don't know if it's because I'm not safely removing it, but I get a message saying that winlogon is looking for the "disk in drive F" when I'm shutting off the computer. It will NOT shut down no matter what I do and I have to hold the power button down to power it off.

The second is that I can't browse large folders in safe mode. When opening the folder it acts like it is gathering the contents...but never finishes. Says the folder is empty in this process.

I've only had two problems with the RP so far.

The first one is that I have an issue shutting down my computer after plugging in a USB removable storage device. I don't know if it's because I'm not safely removing it, but I get a message saying that winlogon is looking for the "disk in drive F" when I'm shutting off the computer. It will NOT shut down no matter what I do and I have to hold the power button down to power it off.

The second is that I can't browse large folders in safe mode. When opening the folder it acts like it is gathering the contents...but never finishes. Says the folder is empty in this process.

I installed 8 RP on a machine I gave to my mum and she started telling me it was showing that about the message Winlogon and a Disk in a drive at shutdown

I never got it while the machine was here which is weird

What are the exact conditions that cause it, and is there a way to shutdown without getting that message ?

This topic is now closed to further replies.
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I see satellites crossing the sky above my garden most nights, and I am always looking at the moon. Yeah, I have a 200MP camera on my phone, but at 200X zoom, AI takes over and makes the pretty moon pictures that I snap, the DWARF mini does not, you get an actual true picture of what you can barely see with the naked eye. Before we start, let's share the highlights of the DWARF mini in bite-sized format: Pocket-Sized & Ultra-Lightweight Weighing just 1.85 lbs (840g), the DWARF mini easily fits into a backpack or large pocket. Its all-in-one, compact design makes it the ultimate grab-and-go digital telescope for hiking, camping, or traveling to dark-sky locations. Intuitive App Control & Built-in Sky Atlas Go from unboxing to your first shot in just 3 minutes! The DWARFLAB App provides a seamless experience with an interactive star map. Simply select your target and start exploring without the steep learning curve of traditional setups. Auto GOTO & 360° Pivot Freedom Enjoy pinpoint automated tracking with full 360° rotation. Powered by a high-sensitivity Sony IMX662 sensor (1/2.8-inch, 2.9μm pixels), it captures amazing, low-noise astro details, bringing faint nebulas and star clusters to life with stunning clarity. Pro-Level EQ Mode & Long Exposure Unlock advanced deep-space imaging with Equatorial (EQ) Mode. Supporting impressive single-frame exposures up to 90 seconds and featuring built-in light pollution filters, it easily cuts through city glow to reveal intricate celestial structures. Smart Cloud Processing & All-Ages Fun Effortlessly enhance your raw data with integrated cloud processing for professional-grade results. Perfect for beginners, kids, and adults, this telescope makes exploring and sharing the wonders of the universe an exciting, family-friendly adventure. The packaging is a pretty minimal affair with the outer box opening like a flap to reveal the plastic mould of the DWARF mini sitting in it. Below, the Sun filter, charging cable, cleaning cloth, and documentation can be found. DWARFLAB also provided a Mini Hydraulic Tripod ($89.99), and I highly recommend getting it if you plan on purchasing the DWARF mini, as it fully supports the motorized tracking feature of the telescope; plus, at 840g, the weight of the telescope, you will need a tripod that supports more than the weight of a smartphone anyway. What's in the box DWARF Mini Smart Telescope × 1 Sun Filter x 1 Type-C to Type-C Cord x 1 Cleaning Cloth x 1 User Guide With that out of the way, here are the full specs: DWARF mini Dimensions (DWH): 60.70 mm x 100.38 × 183.61 (2.39" x 3.95" x 7.23") Weight: 840g (1.85lbs) Aperture diameter: 30 mm (telephoto), 3.4 mm (wide angle) Image Sensor: SONY IMX662 1/2.8" (Telephoto) OmniVision OS02K10 1/2.8" (Wide-angle) Focal length: 150 mm (telephoto), 6.7 mm (wide-angle) Equivalent focal length: 1016 mm (telephoto), 45 mm (wide-angle) Shutter Speed: Tele - 1/10000-90s, Wide - 1/10000-30s Maximum exposure time: 90s (telephoto & wide-angle), Both in EQ mode Rotation range: Lens: 225°, Base: 360° Effective Pixels: 2.07M Maximum Resolution: 1920 × 1080 (Telephoto & Wide-angle) Built-in filters: Astro, Dark, Duo-Band (Telephoto), Astro (Wide-angle) Output: JPG, FITS, TIFF, MP4 Shooting Mode: Photos, Videos, Astronomy, Burst Shooting, Time-lapse Photography Storage: 64 GB Battery: Built-in 7000 mAh, supports external USB charging Charging Port: Type-C NPU: 1 TOPS Features: WiFi, NFC NFC One-Touch Connection Astronomy Post-Processing/Appointment Shooting/Astronomy Mosaic Wi-Fi Transmission Range: 15m (open environment) Color: Black Compatibility: iOS & Android smartphones/tablets Warranty: 2-years (24-months) MSRP: $399 Design Charge port On/off button Lens On the DWARF mini itself, it is a pretty minimal affair. On one side, there is a Type-C USB port to charge the non-removable 7000 mAh battery, and on the other side, a large button to power on or off the telescope. The button is flanked by an LED that is green when connected via the DWARFLAB app, or lights up red when being powered off. Below the button, there are four LEDs that indicate battery power. The DWARF mini does not have any sharp edges as all sides are rounded off; it has a good heft to it, but the weight of it feels quite balanced in the hand, so it isn't top or bottom-heavy. On the front there is the DWARFLAB logo which is quite small and there are no other markings on it. The tripod offers full 360° rotation of the motorized base, which allows for tracking for the time-lapse mode, but also for the 90-second captures of nearer objects in the sky, such as the Sun or the moon. Usage To get started, simply power on the DWARF mini and open the DWARFLAB app, tap on Connect, and it will scan for the DWARF mini over the Wi-Fi network. The device supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, as well as Bluetooth for discovery, so connection issues were minimal in my experience with it. As previously noted in the specs, the DWARF mini will stay connected with a phone or tablet up to 15 meters in an open environment, such as a backyard. Lighting status Powering on: The green circular light will rotate and breathe in turn Powering off: The red circular light is gradually extinguished Connecting: Green light strip rotating Connected: Green light strip solid/always on 4 lights 1= 0-25%, 2= 25-50%, 3= 50-75%, 4= 75-100% battery power To view the full lighting status, such as tracking mode and connection failure, you can check the user guide on the official DWARFLAB page. DWARFLAB app Above, you can see the steps undertaken to connect the DWARFLAB app to my Galaxy S26 Ultra. Weirdly, I got an alert that a firmware update failed to get uploaded to the DWARF mini the first time, but upon retrying, it worked. Then place the DWARF mini outside, make sure your smartphone or tablet is connected to it, and then head back inside, because you can manage it from the comfort of your home. Simply enter the Atlas tab in the app and search for what you want to capture, and then tap on the camera icon; the DWARF mini will then attempt to track the object and give you a live view right on your connected device. Results I've had the DWARF mini since April, but even though my garden is south-facing, I had a lot of trouble trying to capture a good image of the moon. In the end, it was possible after I took it with me on a trip to my parents in Southend, UK, at the end of May. Here is a capture of the moon, resulting from 20 stacked images over a 90-second exposure. What you are seeing here is not AI-assisted. A good example of what I mean is the latest flagships with their 200MP cameras claiming to capture things like closeups of the moon, and while they are not as good as the above example on the DWARF mini, the resulting image on smartphones is actually AI-assisted above 30X zoom. Here is an example of a similar shot at the moon at 200X zoom using an HONOR Magic8 Pro. The difference is clear. Next, here we have a shot of the daytime moon. Here is a shot of Arcturus, the red giant star, which is the fourth brightest in the night sky. As previously mentioned, it could be a bit clearer, but clouds passing in front of it muddied the shot a bit. The Sun The DWARF mini also ships with a sun filter, meaning you can take great shots of the sun as well. Tracking Sun Resulting (stacked) shot Live zoom The pictures themselves are limited to Full HD, and some of the examples actually came out in HD (1280x720), but this is because the standard telescopic result is in 720p while "Wide" is in 1080p. Above you can see how in the app the Sun is tracked, the resulting capture, and Live zoom. I have only scratched the surface of what is possible with this telescope; I found several examples online of shots of the Milky Way, among others, such as nebulae and galaxies. All of this requires patience and knowledge, although if you know what you are looking for, simply enter it in the Atlas tab in the DWARFLAB app, tap the camera icon, and the telescope will attempt to track it. Conclusion The good The DWARF mini definitely places itself in a price point that makes astrology accessible to anyone looking to get started in the hobby. Say you want to have a closer look at the moon, simply enter it in the Atlas, and the Live view also lets you zoom in and snap pictures. The bad Some issues I came across while operating the DWARF mini were that it sometimes failed to connect unless I held my smartphone right next to it, and finding and tracking sometimes took several attempts to get it calibrated. I discovered that it helped if I sort of positioned and pointed the telescope in the general area it was supposed to detect, but this obviously wouldn't work with objects you can't see with the naked eye; more testing is required for that. Another bit of advice is to ensure that the lens is clean. While making the examples of live zooming on the sun, I discovered that the telescope lens and sun filter were not completely clean, and only after cleaning with a microfiber cloth was I able to get a decent shot of the sun. Where to buy and a coupon Okay, $399 is not cheap for a side hobby, but nor is a $1,500 smartphone flagship that you'll most likely have for a couple of years. This is a one-time entrance into astrology, and it won't become obsolete in one year like a smartphone. It's a thumbs up from me. The DWARF mini is available to buy right now in the U.S. and U.K. at the links below. DWARF mini for $399 on the official site DWARF mini for $399 on Amazon U.S. Use the NEOWIN5OFF coupon code for an additional 5% off at checkout (expires June 21) As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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    • The name, you mean? If so, it's actually the objects common name. There's another one called NGC 7293 which is also known as Helix Nebula (because we're looking at a helix structure top down) but other times also known as the Eye of God. You'll understand when you see it
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