Tips to Master Social Media Graphics

 Social networking is in constant flux. Visuals play a crucial role in the viewer’s engagement with your content. Bright colors, abstract forms, light and dark paint schemes, as well as hand-drawn drawings, have dominated and ruled social media over the past few years. In 2020, trends in graphic design have concentrated on separating oneself from the increasingly frequent and repetitive design to have the audience’s attention.

Social media should be a critical part of the overall marketing activities. To add social media graphics to your website or content, you don’t have to be a graphic designer. There are tons of applications and software online, particularly with a user-friendly and easy-to-use design interface that allow you to create fantastic content easily. Working with the right design and creative skills lets you develop engaging content that makes it look new and exciting.

Here are some easy-to-use tips and tricks that even beginners can use to take their social media graphics up by a notch.

FOLLOW A STYLE GUIDE

Social media represents an extension of your company. Make it easy for your followers to connect to your brand content on social media by following the style guide for your company. Every feature of your branding, from your logo and fonts to your voice and color palette, can be used as a reference when creating content on social media.

CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY

Consistency in your content lets the followers know what to expect. People following you could easily sense the overall idea of your brand through the posts you share. An off-brand picture could easily confuse and even trigger followers to unfollow.

CREATING SHAREABLE MAPS

Of course, social media is private. Your graphics on social media will engage your fans and inspire them to share it with their peers. Infographics (lots of templates are available!), holiday greetings and entertaining material are all worth a share.

PAIR THE APPROPRIATE FONT

Just the way every color can add a different touch or vibe to your post, the same applies to fonts.

There are two things to consider when choosing the fonts:

• Availability
• Label personality

You can’t select a stunning font that makes it impossible for your followers to read or even Choose one font for the first message, and combine it with another from the same family if you add a sub-text. Use font types and sizes to highlight essential elements of the image.

USING BOLD AND VIVID COLOR SCHEMES

Colour now bursts through graphics as brands and designers step further away from the minimalism that dominated the last decade. We’re already seeing the first movers use this explosion of color in their posts in social media right now.. Keeping up with this trend, eBay added bold and vibrant colors to its website last year.

BUILD HIERARCHY OF VISION

The concept behind the visual hierarchy is to use certain stylistic elements such as colors, size, shapes, spacing, and positioning in a way that affects the order in which the human eye interprets the information. Apparent visual hierarchy helps steer your followers in the direction you want, so you can better convey your social media marketing message. Use a variety of design criteria to construct visual hierarchy.

IMPORTANCE OF CONTRAST

Contrast is the most fundamental element of design that establishes visual hierarchy and attracts the attention of the readers. This is why it’s crucial to highlight the most critical aspect of your image on social media.

Using bright backdrops and large fonts help make an image’s elements pop and have the viewer’s attention.

USING ALIGNMENT

The critical point of the theory of alignment is that nothing in your design should look like it was randomly put there, as alignment helps to unify all of your elements (types, images, and graphic elements) into a stable, unified structure. Alignment makes it easier to read content and helps you to search for photos on social media faster.

These tips to improve your use of social media graphics are very basic and easy to implement even for the beginners. It can completely transform your brand’s image.

David Maxwell is a creative person who has been writing blogs and articles about cyber security. He writes about the latest updates regarding McAfee.com/activate and how it can improve the work experience of users. His articles have been published in many popular e-magazines, blogs and websites.

Source: Master Social Media Graphics

Steam Running Slow? Boost its Speed in These Ways

 We all know that Steam is one of the best and popular game client software for users who prefer Windows. But according to some users, they are facing Steam performance issues. They report that Steam works very slow and sometimes even turns unresponsive when they are playing a game. Also, it hogs up your CPU resources and memory, due to which your devices may heat up.

If you are facing a similar issue, then here are some directions to fix this issue.

Remove the Steam Browser Cookies and Caches

You should follow these directions given below:

1. Firstly, open Steam by right-clicking on it then choosing the Run as administrator option.
2. After that, select the Steam tab shown at the upper left side of the window.
3. Through the drop-down menu, select the Settings option.
4. Once you reach the Settings screen, go to the section of the ‘Web Browser’ show on the left side of the window.
5. After going to the options of Web Browser, you will view two choices first is ‘Delete Web Browser Cookies’ and second ‘Delete Web Browser Cache.’ Select both of the options one by one.
6. Both times, you will see a pop-up asking you to verify the action.
7. Select the OK button to proceed.
8. Once removing both, select the OK button to store the changes and close the app.
9. Now, reboot Steam after killing the process over Task Manager.

Remove Download Cache

You should follow these directions given below:

1. Go to the Steam client icon and right-click on it then choose the ‘Run as administrator’ option.
2. Once you launch it, select the Steam tab shown at the upper left side of the window and then choose the Settings.
3. After going to the settings, go to the tab titled Downloads.
4. You may see a ‘Clear Download Cache’ option at the lower side of the window. Select it.
5. Later, Steam will ask for a confirmation. Select the OK button and wait for it to finish the process.
6. Now, apply the changes, then close the client.
7. Finally, reboot the Steam once finish each Steam associated process via the Task Manager.

Enable “Automatically Detect Settings” and Disable “LAN Settings” on Chrome

You should follow these directions given below if you are a Google Chrome user:

1. Launch Chrome and select the vertical ellipsis menu.
2. After that, select the Settings option.
3. Once launched, the Settings screen and input ‘proxy’ into the search field.
4. Then choose the ‘Open proxy settings’ option from the results.
5. Once you launch the settings, choose the ‘LAN Settings’ option in the Connections section, which will be shown on the lower side.
6. Now, mark the “Automatically detect settings” box and untick the “Use a proxy server for your LAN” box.
7. Finally, select the OK button to apply the changes and shut the screen.

Enable “Automatically Detect Settings” and Disable “LAN Settings” via Network Settings

You can also use the following steps to modify the settings through network settings:

1. Hold the Windows and R buttons for Run dialog.
2. Thereafter, input “inetcpl.cpl” into it and select the OK button to launch the Internet properties.
3. Go to the section of connections and then choose the LAN settings.
4. Once you reach the LAN settings, mark the “Automatically detect settings” box and untick the “Use a proxy server for your LAN” box.
5. Now, select the OK button to apply the changes and shut the screen and reopen the Steam.

With the above solutions, you will no longer face issues with your Steam client. Through boosting its speed, you can enjoy a quick and responsive gaming experience.

Elina John is a self-professed security expert; she has been making the people aware of the security threats. Her passion is to write about Cyber security, cryptography, malware, social engineering, internet and new media. She writes for Norton security products at norton.com/setup.

Source:   Boost its Speed in These Ways

How to Fix Skype Camera Issues?

Skype is an immensely useful app for making video and voice calls to colleagues, friends, and family. Though, issues with Skype video calls are fairly common in the Skype Windows 10 app and also in iOS, Mac, and Android versions. When the Skype camera isn’t working, and the other person is unable to see your face, it can cause serious hindrance in your work. Let’s look at the causes and things you need to do when the Skype camera stops working.

What Causes These Problems?

Problems with the skype video calling camera can occur due to several reasons. Maybe something is wrong with the in-app settings. Maybe the camera is disconnected or covered. Maybe you haven’t updated your operating system, device drivers, or the Skype app.

Luckily, most of these issues can be easily fixed and will require just a little bit of digging in.

What Do You Need to Do?

You need to start from the basics. Sometimes the problem can be as simple as the webcam being covered or disconnected. Make sure that you are able to see the lens of the webcam clearly and that any tape or paper does not obstruct your webcam. Recheck the connection of your webcam and make sure it is correctly plugged in.

While most webcams turn on automatically when you make a video call, some may require you to turn them on manually. Make sure you’ve turned on the webcam so that your PC can detect it.

Have a look at your privacy settings in Windows 10. If the Skype app is unable to access and use your webcam, you will need to manually permit it to use the webcam from Windows privacy settings. Make sure that the option to “Allow all apps to access your camera” is turned on under your camera privacy settings.

If you use Skype not in the app, but in the Google Chrome web browser, the chances are that you’ve blocked access of websites to use the webcam as a security/privacy measure. This setting can obstruct Skype from using the webcam of the system. You need to make sure that you’ve allowed websites to use the camera under Google Chrome settings.

You can also manually set webcam preferences in the Skype app. If you’re using the app for the very first time or you haven’t used it in a while, it may be required to set up a webcam to be used for video calls in Skype settings. For doing so, you need to go to the Skype app and then click on settings. Head over to Audio & Video and select the correct webcam.

Alternatively, it may be the case that your webcam has gone bad and needs repairing. Make sure you try each of these fixes out to see what works for you, and if nothing works, you should take the device to a technician.

Emily Johnson is a Microsoft product expert and has been working in the technology industry since 2002. As a technical expert, Emily has written technical blogs, manuals, white papers, and reviews for many websites such as office.com/setup.

Source:  How to Fix Skype Camera Issues

https://canorton.uk.net/the-much-awaited-sky-sharks-is-finally-premiering-at-this-years-fright-fest/

The long-awaited fright film, which was set to debut in 2017, has released its latest trailer, and it’s more gripping than ever. People have been waiting eagerly since 2017 for the film, which is finally going to premiere in this year’s Fright Fest.  The trailer, which was released in 2017, was a little different than the one released now. It can be said that the directors have added a little more spice to it to keep the viewers on edge. This is expected to be a feast for all the action lovers.

The trailer starts with modified mechanical sharks, which are surprisingly equipped to fly being introduced in the first scene. Kudos to the makers who put in extra effort for the CGI. The sharks are described as something much more than just genetically manipulated animals. They are referred to as ‘the perfect weapons system’ in the following scene (Which they really do!). They also can become invisible, which makes them harder to evade. I would be frightened if there was a flying, invisible, and programmed-to-kill shark floating around in my neighborhood. After the sharks get their much-needed introduction, you will catch a glimpse of their riders. All the sharks are controlled by their riders, who are genetically mutated superhuman zombies. The trailer progresses with CGI produced action-packed scenes that will enthrall the viewers. This B-Film is unlike any other ever seen. The quality of the content delivered is commendable.

What’s It About?

“With the world in flames, death becomes a merciful friend”. In the time of war, alliances were formed, new arms were created, and secret weapons were geared up for victory as fanatic scientists created the deadliest weapon of all. The movie centers around a team of arctic scientists who come across a lab that belonged to the Nazis during World War II. It’s the same lab that the Nazis used to create something which would come to haunt people’s lives in the coming months. The scientists accidentally awaken an army of zombie sharks that can fly and whose masters are genetically mutated superhumans. These sharks in no time take to the skies to cause destruction and tear down the world. To stop these creatures, a team of elites is put together to fight the threat and put an end to it. This is where it gets interesting. After trying and failing to accomplish their goals, the task force decides to fight fire with fire. The stage is set for the battle between the good and the evil or the task force and the superhumans on their very own flying deadly zombie sharks. You’ll have to watch the movie to find out which side finally wins.

The much-awaited Sky Sharks will be opening this year’s Fright Fest, which will also serve as its official premiere in the UK. So, all those junkies looking for that adrenaline rush can head over to the Fest.

James Walker is a self-professed security expert; he has been making the people aware of the security threats. His passion is to write about Cyber security, cryptography, malware, social engineering, internet and new media. He writes for Norton security products at norton.com/setup.

Source: The Much-Awaited Sky Sharks Is Finally Premiering at This Year’s Fright Fest

Netflix Ropes in John Wick Screenplay Writer for Upcoming Animated Splinter Cell Television Series

A lot of times, the world of entertainment and gaming have joined hands to create masterpieces. According to reports, fans will be seeing an animated television show of Ubisoft’s stealth video game Splinter Cell. The show will air on the online streaming platform Netflix.

According to reports, Netflix has hired David Kolstad for the role of the showrunner for an adaption of Splinter Cell in an anime series. Kolstad has been the screenwriter for the John Wick film franchise. The American screenwriter and film producer have also written the script for a video game John Wick: Chronicles. Kolstad was also involved in the creation of the John Wick comic book series.

A Splinter Cell Movie in the Pipeline?

According to reports, the show has already got a green light for the second season, and it will have a run of 16 episodes. There are also plans to adapt Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell into a feature film but there is no idea about when things are going to take off. However, fans loved Michael Ironside’s voiceover of Sam Fisher, the leading black ops soldier character in Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell. Ironside is more than 65 years old now and he can’t play the role of a black ops soldier in the live-action film.

According to reports, Dark Knight Rises fame Tom Hardy was roped in to be a part of the Splinter Cell movie in the year 2012. But there is no clarity of when the makers plan on starting the shoot. There is a possibility that the plans to make the film might get shelved because of the box office failure of Assassin’s Creed live-action film starring Michael Fassbender.

A Master at Writing Action-Packed Screenplays

Since David Kolstad is known for writing an action-packed screenplay, ardent fans can expect the same in the upcoming animated Splinter Cell television show. It will also be exciting to see how Kolstad applies his skills in creating an animated series instead of a live-action film. The screenwriter will also serve as an executive producer on the show.

There are further reports that David Kolstad might also write and produce a live-action adaption of the popular Hitman franchise.

Splinter Cell: An Award-Winning Game Series

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell is an award-winning game series. It was first released in 2002. The game’s story revolves around Sam Fisher, a highly-trained soldier of a fictional black-ops’ unit within the NSA (National Security Agency). The black-ops group is called Third Echelon.

It is considered to be Ubisoft’s flagship franchises because of the immense popularity the game enjoys in the gaming world.

Splinter Cell: The Game with a Plot to Defeat Terrorists

The first Splinter Cell game was developed for platforms such as GameCube, Microsoft Window, Xbox, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Mac. It was inspired by the Metal Gear series and went on to use an Unreal Engine 2 (game engine developed by Epic Games) that was modified in a way to allow players to experience light-and-dark based gameplay.

The first three games of Splinter Cell dealt with terrorists planning attacks using information warfare. Sam Fisher’s role is to stop this from happening. The mission objectives range from collecting information or eliminating terrorists. The most recent game Blacklist saw Sam Fisher as the commander of a new unit Fourth Echelon, tasked to stop the Blacklist attacks.

Julia Robert is a creative person who has been writing blogs and articles about cyber security. She writes about the latest updates regarding mcafee.com/activate and how it can improve the work experience of users. Her articles have been published in many popular e-magazines, blogs and websites.

Source:  Netflix Ropes in John Wick Screenplay Writer for Upcoming Animated Splinter Cell Television Series

Asus Launches More Powerful ZenBook 13 and ZenBook 14

Asus has launched  ZenBook 14 UX425 and ZenBook 13 UX325, the latest additions to the ZenBook Classic series. These devices come as an upgrade as the two are lighter, thinner, and more powerful models. If you are looking for a premium Asus laptop in the price bracket of $800 – $900, these two laptops will prove to be a better option.

One of the most significant plus points of these laptops is its overall design. These laptops are 13.9mm thin and weigh around 2.62 pounds. The design accommodates an edge-to-edge keyboard, which means it has more space than the standard keyboards.  

Another exciting aspect of these laptops is the 90% screen-to-body ratio that promises a more prominent display. For this, you can thank the Nano-Edge 450 nit display, which contributes to the compactness of the device. The display has the 1-watt IPS panel, which conserves battery usage. Asus boasts that their laptops have the ability to run for 22 hours in a single charge.

Internal Specs

The two new ZenBooks by Asus comes with Intel’s 10th Generation Ice Lake through its core i5 and i7 processors. Here, users will get to choose better specs with the 512GB storage paired with 8GB RAM.

If you talk about its connectivity part, the laptops offer multiple ports like USB Type-A ports, full-size HDMI ports, a microSD card reader, and 3 USB-C ports. One of the new features in this laptop is the Asus USB-C Easy Charge. Through this feature, you can charge your power bank from this device. The laptop does well on the internet connectivity part as both the laptops support Wi-Fi 6.

For security, both the models have Windows Hello webcam which allows a biometric sign-in for Windows 10 laptop users. Additionally, the system uses infrared and fingerprint reader in place of a password for opening the laptops.

Other Specs

• Operating system – Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Home
• Display – ZenBook 14: 14″ LED FHD (1920 x 1080) and Zenbook 13: 13.3″ LED FHD (1920 x 1080)
• Graphics – Intel UHD Graphics and Intel Iris Plus Graphics
• Battery – 67Wh
• Camera – HD IR with Windows Hello

Both models are available in two different colors, both of which are unique. They are available in Lilac Mist and Pine Grey variants. The prices may vary depending on the specifications. Plus, there are chances that you might get some attractive discounts in specific regions!

Bottomline

Both the fresh models launched by Asus are robust and perform nicely. Users will appreciate the light build and the perfect balance of features and design. If you are looking for an Asus device, then go for either of the two!

Elina John is a self-professed security expert; she has been making the people aware of the security threats. Her passion is to write about Cyber security, cryptography, malware, social engineering, internet and new media. She writes for Norton security products at norton.com/setup.

Source:  Asus Launches More Powerful ZenBook 13 and ZenBook 14

How to Fix Issues With Windows Audio Device Graph Isolation’s High CPU Usage?

Several applications, software, and processes on Windows are guilty of taking up a lot more resources than it is necessary for them to function. Quite often, these problematic elements run constantly in the background, which can cause a drain on your CPU and RAM. The Windows Audio Device Graph Isolation is one such app that is infamous for its high CPU usage. So, if you want to fix this issue, follow the solutions shared in this article.

Perform an Antivirus Scan via Windows Defender

You should follow the directions given below:

1. Start by launching the Windows Settings on your system.
2. Then choose the ‘Update and Security’ option.
3. After that, move to the Windows Defender/Windows Security settings screen through the left side panel.
4. Later, select the button of ‘Open Windows Security.’
5. You have to choose the Virus and Threat Protection option and run a Quick Scan.

Turn off Each Kind of Sound Effect

You should follow these instructions given below:

1. Use the Windows and R buttons on the keyboard to invoke the Run dialog.
2. After that, input ‘Control Panel’ into it and select the OK button to launch the Control Panel.
3. Then select the Sound option.
4. Under the Playback setting, you should choose the default device then select the button of Properties at the lower right side of the screen.
5. Thereafter, move to the section of Enhancements on the screen of Speaker Properties.
6. Now, you will get a sound effects list that your device applies while playing sounds over your primary device.
7. Here, mark the ‘Disable all sound effects’ box.
8. In case you don’t locate the ‘Disable all sound effects’ option individually, untick the sound effects options individually until each of them has been turned off.
9. After turning off all the sound effects, select the button of Apply to apply the changes.

Uninstall Corrupt Audio Drivers or Update Audio Drivers

You should follow the directions given below:

1. Press the Windows and R buttons on the keyboard to invoke the Run dialog.
2. Thereafter, insert ‘devmgmt.msc’ into it and select the OK button to invoke the Device Manager.
3. Then click on the arrow to expand the menu options for ‘Sound, video, and game controllers.’
4. Select your primary audio device, and right-click on it, then choose the ‘Uninstall device’ option.
5. You will see a prompt asking for a confirmation of the command.
6. Mark the ‘Delete the driver software for this device’ box and choose the button of Uninstall.
7. Once uninstalled the drivers, select the audio device and right-click on it again then choose the update driver option.
8. Now, on the screen that follows, select the ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’ option.

Turn off the Cortana

Here are the directions to this solution:

1. Hold the Windows and I keys to launch the Windows Settings.
2. After that, select the Cortana option.
3. Navigate to ‘Talk to Cortana’ if you haven’t reached the page by default.
4. Go to the right pane, and you will locate an option named “Let Cortana respond to ‘Hey Cortana’” beneath the Hey Cortana.
5. Toggle the button to turn the feature off.

When software and applications hog up all the CPU resources, it can make your computer painfully slow. Fortunately, the above solutions work wonders when the culprit is your Windows Audio Device Graph Isolation. We hope that the above solutions help!

Emily Johnson is a Microsoft product expert and has been working in the technology industry since 2002. As a technical expert, Emily has written technical blogs, manuals, white papers, and reviews for many websites such as office.com/setup.

Source:  Fix Issues With Windows Audio Device Graph Isolation’s High CPU Usage