Windows 10: App Update: Snip

Windows 10 App Update

Snip

Beta

This could be the next most useful thing in Windows 10, or it could be yet another screenshot tool. Hard to tell thus far but I've ditched the Win32 Snipping Tool for "Snip" in order to try to figure out if this is better or not. So far it very much reminds me of SnagIt, another 3rd party snipping tool and it appears to be just as useful, although not as sophisticated as there is no video recording in Snip.

You can get the app from here https://mix.office.com/Snip but it is just a beta at the moment.

First thing I noticed is that when launched, it hangs around up the top of your screen, just peeking into view

Can you see it ^^^^^^

If you hover the cursor over it, it drops down to this:

This is where you can start a new snip, launch the editor (think basic paintbrush), take a photo or, in the bottom right, is the icon to take you to your snip library.

Here's the library. Nothing remarkable but there's all your snips in one easy place.

The Snip Editor lets you do basic stuff, like draw things, but is missing, for some annoying reason, the colour white, which is obviously very good for erasing writing on most webpages/documents if you were taking a snip of that. Hopefully, white will come in a future update. But in the meantime, you can, weirdly, record audio for your snip, share it, save it, or just copy it to another app.

It's pretty funky that when you take a snip, it tells you the dimensions of the snip:

Snip also takes over your PrntScr button, so it'll basically launch Snip ready to select the whole screen, appearing much like above, but obviously covering the width and height of your screen.

A very promising beta. Think it could replace the snipping tool very nicely. There's naff all app settings you can manipulative, which seems to be Microsoft's Windows 10 style, but hopefully there will be some tinkering possible in future updates.

Windows 10: Windows Store App Update

Windows 10 App Update

Windows Store

Version 2015-8-25-1 ~ 28th August 2015
(Previous Version 2015-8-12-1)

Another day, another app update. Well, there were 8 today but I'm only going to comment if I can find any discernible differences, because it looks like Microsoft aren't going to tell us anytime soon.

1. Menu Labels

Now says "Downloads and updates" instead of just downloads.

Here's a screenshot of before:

Can't see any more sophistication in the update mechanism, like being able to download individual's updates instead of the "Update All" choice.

2. Update Tiles via WI-FI

We've lost a setting here. Under "Live Tile", you used to be able to choose whether the tile updated under Wi-Fi or not. Not sure why they got rid of it, as it's a small, but useful way to conserve data if one is metered.

You can see how it looked before below:

The Last Ship: S02E04

Rating: 7
GOOD STUFF!

In A Nutshell

This week we're back to doing what The Last Ship does best; kicking some ass!

The crew of the Nathan James discover a big ship left some port nearby in the last few weeks and was all kitted out with doctors and labs for fast track processing of the cure. Well, that's the gist of what I picked up on! They track it down but find no one at home at first, until they start to find dead bodies and a group of doctors holding up in a makeshift operating theatre. Some gung ho action follows as two swat teams, each with new characters who joined the show this week (An Aussie SEAL called Wolf Taylor and Lt. Ravit Bivas).

Wolf really shows he's an all-action hero, single handedly taking down some of the bad guys who had boarded the ship recently in search of the cure. Seems there are some mercenaries about, and they aren't afraid to spill blood. Bivas is landed with Rex and another guy who has the hots for her. They come across a bomb, which is defused but then they find it's connected to another bomb. As the captain chases down the leader of the gang of mercenaries (A British guy!), they have to try to defuse the bigger bomb, which the mercenary leader threatens to blow up when he's cornered by the captain. Luckily, Rex goes all superhero on us too, by risking his neck to detach the explosives and throw them overboard ... which he of course does just in the nick of time as the bad guy presses that big red button.

Anyhow, the bad guy escapes, the Nathan James end up with a new doctor who wants to stay behind from the other ship, and the weird strange guy from last week hanging out with the crazy "we're special" group, is on a boat with the group leader, who informs him the boss wants to talk to him, whereupon we see a sub pop up from the water, presumably the same sub the mercenaries escaped to, as they didn't have a boat.

What I liked

Wolf is like Wolverine without the superpowers as he kicks ass physically and with a gun!

Nothing beats creeping through a ship and having shoot outs with bad guys.

Despite only meeting him this episode, the death of one of the doctors actually created an impression on me, as well as being a bloody end.

Tension and mystery of what was going on was clevering slowly fed to us.

What I Didn't Like

Some cheesy "crush" sub-plot and highly contrived plot dynamics but that's about par for this show :)

Huh?

Always time for some bird watching at sea.

Plenty of extras sleeping on the job this week. Ok, they've all been shot ... in the head!

Wolf takes centre stage as a bad-ass kick-ass guy.

I'm the british bad guy, and I'm going to press the button unless you ... oh, never mind. You defused the bomb of course.

Nightswimming? Nope, our bearded weird guy is meeting "The Boss"

And Finally

Enjoyed this, as the mystery returns, tension is kept ticking along, the all-american stuff is put on a back seat, and we have some gun-ho action!

Falling Skies S05E07 "Everyone has their reasons"

Rating: 6
DECENT

In A Nutshell

Well, it wasn't dull this week, but it was hardly full of quality either, with daftness actually highlighted quite openly throughout the episode.

Most of the 2nd Mass make their way to an old Navel Base which is under the command of Weaver's old flame, and ex-Stargate chief, Samantha Carter. Ok, it's not the character, but the actress. She performs admirably all episode, despite having to put up with multiple plot moments where she has to readily acknowledge the scar on her neck that keeps bleeding. It's so totally highlighted throughout the episode, and that it occurred after a recent ambush by skitters, that the only people not noticing the bleeding obvious is everyone. Ahh well. After being let into the camp, things go south quicker than two quick things, with the 2nd mass gradually being rounded up for questioning/detention. Commander "Carter" is doing so under very sensible reasons (hearing about 2nd Mass involvement with all sorts of aliens) that you'd be surprised that Pope wasn't behind it and not an overlord whom we see at the end. Poor Ben ends up being cornered by anti "alien freak" soldiers, who he promptly beats up rather impressively before being sucker punched from behind. He's then subjected to having spikes literally pulled out. Despite the obnoxious solider who pulled the spike out being attacked by the spike creature and sustaining a rather nasty facial injury, nothing is made of that for rest of the episode. Curious ...

Back at the previous camp, Cochise and the 2nd Mass gadget man have a few scenes where they are essentially retrieving the communications device. Young Matt Mason is on his way back there after Weaver (the only one not under lock and key by his sweetheart commander) sneaks him out to get help. Things go very wrong for the Masons as Commander "Carter" puts them under a court material investigation, ending with them all being sentenced to death. Shock horror. Wonder if that'll happen?

What I liked

Ben Mason finally kicks ass, thanks to the spikes, showing us the true power of what they can do. Why we haven't seen this super human stuff before like this I don't know. It's great!

Commander "Carter" actress brings great integrity, despite some of the daftness she has to perform.

It's quite contrived and unoriginal, but the second mass at the makeshift army base makes a very welcomed change of scenery and interaction with different people.

What I Didn't Like

The several scenes of Cochise and co removing the communications device was totally unnecessary. We could have saved ourselves from that.

The soldiers at the base all seem to be obnoxious idiots and bigots. I can't help but think they are overplaying all that to make them seem like this week's "bad guys".

Huh?



A'Hoy there Captain, rubbish CGI ahead.

Proving that no alien devices or painkiller are really needed after all, this guy pulls out one of Ben's spikes with some pliers. Double ouch!

 

You'd hardly recognise Stargate's Sam Carter, but you would notice the bleeding scar on her neck that's given prominence all episode.

 

Blind Date this is not.

Look who is being controlling the Commander? Jeez, didn't see that coming. Sigh.

And Finally

Change of scenery and a faster pace helps nicely for a decent episode despite all the dialogue and plot daftness.

Extant: S02E08: "Arms and the Humanich"

Rating: 5
OK

In A Nutshell

Just about keeping itself out of total boredom this week, thanks to some moments of action and a quicker pace to the storytelling.

This started off very well, as the scriptwriters tried to kill off the aliens and the show as quickly as possible by sending in the humanich army to absolutely cause merry hell. There's bodies flying everywhere under a hail mary of bullets, yet despite having the upper hand, they stop shooting and unleash the virus. Absolutely makes little sense really and just prolongs our agony of the season not being concluded early.

Lunatic Lucy spots Molly with Herra (the little girl) and accidently shoots Molly who tries to protect the girl. Not to worry, because that gunshot didn't really seem to hurt her much as seconds later, thanks to JD returning to blast Lucy, they are off back to JD's ranch with Ahdu (Molly's alien son) who has succumbed to the virus barely seconds after everyone wondered why the army left. He's in bad shape just as JD's ex-wife turns up at what seems to be the only other place besides the alien camp to previously be not on Google Maps. She freaks out when Ahdu's eyes glow, but not because of the bad CGI, but because she's scared of being bored by him. Not really, she's just scared.

Anyhow, JD gives her a talk similar to the birds and the bees and she takes it quite well, with a swig of whiskey. Minor freak-out aside, the premise of an alien invasion on earth seems to be quite realistic to her and she returns to just being slightly apprehensive about Ahdu. Wow, she's taking all talk of alien stuff much better than JD originally did! Speaking of which, he turns himself in so his daughter gets released.

Molly, who has recovered from a gunshot womb in record time, comes up with the most ridiculous plan to save Ahdu, which involves going back to the GSC to get help from the only other scientist character who actually spoke in the show previously. Sneakily she meets him in a diner, as you do, and forces him to get what turns out to be a blood transfusion kit. I'm not sure she couldn't have gone elsewhere for one of those, but hey ho. She uses it on the very ill Ahdu, who has aged to about 65 now, but it doesn't help. She allows him to pass away peacefully under the stars outside. Awww, bless. His dying words of course were the most useful he's ever spoken, when he tells her not to trust some of the other hybrids, particularly the scary little girl, Herra. Think we all could have figured that out. Upset, Molly heads inside the house, sniffles, and then sees she's also bleeding blood from areas you really shouldn't. The transfusion kit that failed to work on her son, she decides to try on herself(doesn't it need to be sterilised?) and of course that doesn't work so she turns herself in to GSC boss, Toby.

Meanwhile, crazy Lucy, is very much damaged goods both mentally and physically. Charlie and Julie want to "reboot" her like we all do with our mobiles and PCs, but Ethan informs her and she goes ape on Julie, throttling her, until a now better-informed Ethan (via Charlie) saves the day by literally pulling Lucy apart.

What I liked

Poor JD. Even in this episode he got some of the lousiest lines and scenes, but at least he and his ex add more presence to a scene than anyone else, even if they still say daft things.

Ethan, Charlie and Julie combine this week to create a half-decent sub-plot with the now-deemed-crazy, Lucy.

The super humanich army attacking was pretty great for an opener, but then they defied all drama by withdrawing and using the virus. Why?

What I Didn't Like

Molly; every scene was pretty dull. The "oh look, I've a bloody nose" led in to the virus discovery for her and Ahdu, and was just so cheese infested and lame.

The GSC scientist getting "forced" by Molly to get what's essentially a blood transfusion kit was pretty odd. She could almost have gone anywhere for that device. Plus, does it not need cleaning between transfusions?

Huh?

In perhaps the most atmospheric scene since season 1, episode 1, the approaching human-robot army is quite an impressive one. Sadly, it's all major damp squid a minute later.

Take a deep breathe and some whiskey and listen, says JD. He's an alien.

Oh right, says his Ex very relaxed about the whole concept.

Just missing some hair and stormtroopers, chewbecca, I mean JD, is taken prisoner by the GSC.

Blood transfusion was worth the shot, but rather basic idea one would think against a deadly virus.

Lucy tries to do us all a big favour by taking out Julie, but Ethan saves the day. Damm boy!

And Finally

It's not good on any level, but even a crazy Lucy and human-robot army attack can't save this episode from being nothing more than passable stuff to watch.

Falling Skies: S05E06: "Respite"

Rating: 5
OK

In A Nutshell

No Pope this episode, sadly, so you'd expect all tension and drama of the human kind to diminish like the number of episodes left in this series? You'd be mostly right, but thankfully this didn't quite cross the line into pure dullness.

So, seems that alien that grabbed Tom last week just when he and Pope were about to blow each other up, was random and not anything deliberate for "the greater good" or whatever. Well, not as far as the overall arc goes but probably was pretty convenient to prolong the Pope/Tom battle, which is ok by me. Tom wakes up in a cosy bed in a quaint house. His wombs have been treated and he hobbles about to mingle with a family untouched by the war, with the grandpa, young children, teenage boy and the single-cute-he's-going-to-share-a-kiss-with mother. In a high degree of predictability, this episode progresses like a textbook, lacking any of last episode's true grit and human emotions, merely reminding us of the good ol'days and classic family issues. The teenage boy is moody and probably broody, and smoking/drinking, claiming that he doesn't know what's going on but a few miles or so away. Quite how a teenage boy didn't hear anything via radio, TV, internet or big super doper aliens in the sky, I don't know. The little ones, maybe, but the boy? Very hard to believe. Such is the obvious route this episode takes, we have him stomping off from the house and bumping into a dead alien (seems for 3 years he's not walked at least a mile away from home!) and Tom spills all the beans about the aliens in one sentence. Instantly the boy wants to fight in the war that he's not heard about until a minute ago. Yeah, it's all that stupid. Even more stupid, is come the end of the episode, when Hal and new girlfriend turn up, Tom manages to convince the boy to stay with his family in some of the most unconvincing words a testosterone teenage boy would believe.

Meanwhile, back at the second mass, Maggie has her spikes removed. Cochise ends up doing it in secret against the doctor's wishes, but seems he doesn't know much about what he's doing cause the final spike refuses to come out, so he calls the doctor, who throws a towel over Maggie, and then pulls the spike out. Blimey, either she's a real dab hand, or Cochise is really rubbish!

Things all end with Tom, Hal and new GF meeting with the second mass once again and revealing that they've literally decided to very conveniently make a base on top of a secret alien communications device. Yup, back to the cheese stuff again.

What I liked

Not a lot to like this week, unless you liked the Hal/GF flirting stuff, or Cochise's rather blatant rubbish medical knowledge. It was all quite pleasant at the house that's amazingly avoided aliens for 3 years, but we don't watch this show for nice reasons, right?

What I Didn't Like

No Pope!

No drama of any genuine level.

Predictable

Cheesy plot

Huh?

Tom plays happy families briefly this week. Quite how he didn't suspect an alien mind game I don't know. He did manage a rather brief cry though, which was comical.

Hal and his new GF do some amazing tracking, given they've gone miles chasing after a flying alien that's long out of sight. Oh look what they happen to stumble upon!?? Yes, you guessed it.

You wouldn't trust this alien with a game of Operation!

Maggie, meet, ummm, my new "friend".

Doesnt look like much, but they say this could help them win the war.

And Finally

The whole spike removal held no drama at all, with the most tension at the family home for Tom being when the mother cut her hand on some glass. It was all very dry and procedural once again this week, which can mean only one thing; bring back Pope!

Falling Skies: S05E05: "Non-essential personnel"

Rating: 7
Good Stuff!

In A Nutshell

Now this is much more like it! There's a clear threat, and one with emotion, personality and predictiveness thrown in together in a damn fine mix; called Pope! He's the bad guy you just love, and one that most ardent Falling Skies fans would be hard not to have a high degree of sympathy with. Whether this all ends with Tom and Pope hugging and sharing a tender moment, I don't know, although I suspect that'll happen, but at the moment this is about as tense and gritty as this show has been in ages. Ironically, this is all because of the human aspect and not the aliens that really made this episode.

Pope and his gang save another group of people from critters, recruiting the strong and sending the weak on their way. He's hold up at a bowling centre whilst he leads Tom on a mystery tour across town to find him. Badass pope works very nicely, and he really does speak a lot of truth. I'm on his side, although not with all the violence though. But this is great unpredictable and meaningful stuff. You can understand his actions, which over the last 5 or so years, has been hard to fathom from most of the main characters. This actually all makes perfect sense for once! Sadly, Tom does catch up with Pope, sneaking through Pope's guards like butter melting on toast. Very easy, and convenient, especially when he chance meets Pope, and they both draw their guns at the same time! Although, Pope of course misses, but Tom lands a blow. Can't say for sure where he actually hit Pope, but I thought that was it for a mo, but as Tom goes in closer, Pope shoots Tom in leg (yup, didn't kill him) and Tom gets in another shot that creates a gash in Pope's head. It's all very messy and a case of bad aiming. However this is cut short when a flying alien comes in and carries Tom away! Yup, didn't see that coming but at least it prolongs the badass Pope storyline, as believe it or not, despite two bullets, he 'does a Tom' and is still living at the end of the episode and thirsty for more. During all this, Hal escapes with the help of one of Pope's lady recruits, and leads the search for where the stork, I mean flying alien, carried his dad.

The sub-plot this week is just as good, if not better, which really surprised me. Whilst the second mass are making their way through a town on route to where ever it is they said they were going last week, they get cornered by someone in a building with rocket launchers and machine guns. Weaver goes all righteous on us and does a "I come in peace" walk to the building to talk the person(s) down. Turns out, it is just the one person there, which one half suspects but the story does well to disguise that fact until the last moment. In the building, Weaver gets injured by the gunman, who demands half of all the 2nd masses ammunition in order to protect his family. Turns out, his family is already dead, and this guy has gone through emotional hell. Somehow, Weaver knew that all along (so he says) but how it's all scripted, and acted, along with the tension throughout was absolutely delicious, and quite emotional there at the end. Even better, they agree to take the guy into the 2nd mass and help him get over his loss. Actually quite touching for once.

What I liked

Pope is fantastic! Bad-ass, violent and also making a high degree of sense!

The newcomers, largely the lady and nutty man (as they're the only ones given any prominence) was much welcomed after far too much staleness with the same group of characters.

Weaver going "I come in peace" was actually not as straightforward and cheesy as I thought. Quite emotional.

What I Didn't Like

Tom; creeping past all the guards like a genius. That's far too easy, right?

Tom/Pope; brief. Very brief shoot-out

Tom and alien wife vision; all so very egomaniac for Tom. IT HAS TO BE HIM RIGHT? Pope has a very good point.

Huh?

Pope saves some locals in order to gain some friends for manipulation. It's a classic idea and genius ... well, clever anyway.

Hal gets kinky as he tries to lure Pope into some S&M.
Nah, not really, but he is tied up and at the mercy of Pope.

The cryptic bitch is back! This week she at least makes sense more, but this "It has to be you Tom" is getting about as stale as a rotten critter.

In a very touching subplot, a nutty dad is talked down from madness by Weaver.

Pope's not dead despite being shot twice! Yippee! More bad-ass next week please!

And Finally

As the aliens take a backseat, it's a very pleasant surprise that the human characters actually rise to the challenge, with the newcomers being far more interesting for a change. More bad-ass Pope please next week, although I fear we'll have to get back to the long drawn out dull alien invasion soon!