Many of us spend far too much time in front of our screens, whether for work or entertainment.
To help you start 2016 off on the right note, we’ve put together this list of the 12 must-have apps for Windows. Our list includes apps to make your work life easier, as well as ones to help you wind down after a hard day. We’ve also added a few apps to help you stay on top of the day’s news and weather. Welcome to 2016.
Making Your Workday Easier
f.lux: Eye Care
Working on your computer late at night shouldn’t ruin your eyes. Long popular on Macs, f.lux makes the color of your computer’s display adapt to the time of day for a more comfortable and engaging experience.
Best of all, tell f.lux what kind of lighting you have, and where you live, and then forget about it. The app will do the rest.
Download: f.lux for Windows desktop (free)
Microsoft OneNote: Notes & Data Collection
If you’re a Windows user, you’re probably already using Microsoft OneNote, a collaboration tool that seems to get better with each new product release.
With Microsoft OneNote, you can keep track of information through notes (handwritten or typed), drawings, screen clippings, and audio commentaries. Best of all, the application works across multiple platforms, so your lists can sync and be available wherever you need them.
Download: Microsoft OneNote for Windows desktop, from the Windows Store, and more (free)
Skype: Conference Calls
One of Microsoft’s most popular applications, Skype for Windows, features instant messaging, voice calls, and one-on-one as well as group videos calls for up to 25 participants.
Skype-to-Skype calls are free, while calls to mobile devices and landlines are available by buying Skype credits or signing up for a monthly subscription plan. Don’t like Skype? Choose from one of plenty alternative VoIP services, like Google Hangouts.
Download: Skype for Windows desktop and from the Windows Store (free)
Wunderlist: To-Do List & Tasks
Redesigned for Windows 10, this modern cloud-based task management application was acquired by Microsoft in 2015.
Now offering Microsoft Cortana support, Wunderlist features impressive backgrounds and themes. We expect big things from Wunderlist in 2016, courtesy of Microsoft.
Download: Wunderlist for Windows desktop, from the Windows Store, and more (free)
Drawboard PDF: PDF Viewer
This PDF viewer offers integrated annotation capabilities that let you read and create free-form markups, making it an excellent tool for those who are tired of printing out paper copies of documents.
Download: Drawboard PDF from the Windows Store ($5)
Stardock Fences: Desktop Organization
The start of a new year is a great time to get organized. With Stardock Fences, you can tame your cluttered desktop by separating app icons and files into shaded groups. Other features include the ability to swipe between multiple pages of fences, creating a desktop portal from any folder, and double clicking to hide or show icons.
One of the most important features is the ability to change the style and color of Fence backgrounds. This includes the capacity to tweak its transparency, color intensity, tint, and saturation.
Download: Fences for the Windows desktop (30-day free trial, then $10)
Sticky Notes Pro: Quick Notes
Sometimes, all it takes to remember things is a sticky note. However, instead of using a paper one, we suggest Sticky Notes Pro. Much better than the native Windows Sticky Notes tool, Sticky Notes Pro allows you to choose the color of each note, change its size and font, and much more.
If being better organized tops your New Year’s resolutions, you can’t go wrong with Sticky Notes Pro.
Download: Sticky Notes from the Windows Store ($8)
Catching Up on News and Weather
Flipboard: Digital Newspaper
Searching for news doesn’t have to be a chore thanks to Flipboard. Offering curated news and information, according to your personal interests, Flipboard features a beautiful and intuitive design for easy navigation.
With Flipboard, the latest news on the 2016 U.S. presidential election is just a few clicks away, as are the most recent scores from your favorite sports teams. More concerned with how your portfolio is doing? Flipboard has that covered, too.
Download: Flipboard in your browser or from the Windows Store (free)
StumbleUpon: Random Entertainment
With StumbleUpon, you can “discover the best of the web, one click at a time.” Enjoy videos, photos, and web pages personalized for you.
Don’t like a recommendation? Rate content giving it a thumbs up or thumbs down. The recommendations get better the more you rate a video, photos, or website.
Download: Stumble Upon in your browser or from the Windows Store (free)
The Weather Channel: Forecasts & Alerts
Don’t be caught off-guard on what’s happening on the outside. The Weather Channel application offers current conditions and forecasts, videos, weather maps, news, and special alerts.
When the weather forecast calls for higher-than-normal temperatures and sunny skies, or lots of snow, The Weather Channel has you covered.
Download: The Weather Channel in your browser or from the Windows Store (free)
When It’s Time to Relax
iHeartRadio: Custom & Broadcast Stations
Yes, you can still listen to free music from the Internet. With iHeartRadio, you have access to hundreds of broadcast and custom radio stations. You can also create a station to call your own, based on your favorite artist or song.
Currently, iHeartRadio is available to anyone in the United States, Australia, or New Zealand. The music streaming service is offered on dozens of platforms, including mobile, the web, and home entertainment. Did we mention that it’s free?
Download: iHeartRadio in your browser or from the Windows Store (free)
Netflix: Movies & TV Shows
An official Netflix Windows 10 application finally arrived at the end of 2015. Taking full advantage of Microsoft’s universal apps platform, Netflix for Windows 10 offers full integration with Cortana, making it easy to find your favorite movies and TV shows.
Netflix is available on multiple platforms and features some of the biggest movies and TV shows produced in the past 50 years. It’s also the home for original programs such as Daredevil, Orange is the New Black, and House of Cards.
Download: Netflix in your browser or from the Windows Store (free, service fees apply)
What Are Your Favorites?
My favorite app for Windows continues to be Wunderlist, which I tend to use every day to help me keep my work on track. Netflix is also something that I access a few times a week, but strictly to relax after a crazy day in the trenches. You can’t go wrong with any of the ones listed above.
Now you tell us: which are your favorite applications? Share them in the comments below!
2015 has been a momentous year for MakeUseOf. We’ve grown tremendously as a site. We’ve seen a wave of new talented writers join our ranks, and we’ve seen old friends leave. But one of the biggest changes of this year was the launch of Ask the Experts.
This was a brand new section, launched from the remnants of MakeUseOf Answers. Readers with a tech problem could write in, and a team of dedicated writers (myself, Bruce Epper and Kannon Yamada) would respond with advice.
Already, we’ve helped dozens of readers with their tech problems. Here are some of the questions we answered this year (scroll to the bottom of this article to ask your own question).
How to Turn Off Automatic Updates on Windows 10
Windows 10 launched this year, and was an immediate success, largely thanks to Microsoft giving it away for free. It was lauded as the “Best Windows Ever”, thanks to the polished visuals, improved security, and significantly improved performance. But it was a more “locked down” Windows, with Microsoft uncharacteristically exercising a larger amount of control compared to earlier editions.
For example: Microsoft now makes updates mandatory for users of Windows 10 Home Edition.
One reader, unhappy at the change, dropped us a line to ask how he could turn these updates off. Bruce Epper looked into it, and found out that there’s two possible options. First, you can roll back to an earlier version of Windows 10 where you could turn off app updates. Another option is to pay $100 to upgrade to Windows 10 Professional Edition. One commenter suggested disabling the Windows 10 update service entirely, although that would render the machine totally unable to receive updates.
What Accent-Training Apps Actually Work
If you’ve ever learned another language, you’ll probably know how frustrating it is to have an accent that is noticeably different. From the moment you open your mouth, people simply know you’re a foreigner.
One reader wanted to know if we could recommend an accent-training app or website. We put a few through their paces, and found that most didn’t work as advertised. One American-accent-training iPhone app, for example, said my fiancé sounded like an “American wannabe”. She’s from New Jersey, while I’m from Liverpool.
The problem with accent training is that computers simply aren’t suited to it. It’s very much a personal and imprecise art. Which is why we suggested that the reader, rather than focus on using apps and algorithm-driven websites, instead try to speak to as many native speakers as possible. We recommended a few websites to accomplish that.
Windows Visual C++ Runtime Errors Demystified
One of the most common, and opaquest, Windows error messages is the all-too-common Windows Visual C++ Runtime Error. It will stop any program in its tracks. But what does it actually mean?
This is what one reader asked, who’d been repeatedly been seeing it while trying to access a part of the Windows file system on a Windows Vista laptop. Bruce Epper had a look, and found the problem. In the process, Bruce explained what a runtime error actually is, and what might cause them.
How to Know When Your Hard Drive Is Talking to You
Mechanical hard drives are prone to failing. After all, they’re mechanical. They’ve got motors and servos, and when these fail, your hard drive fails, taking your all-important files with them.
One reader had a Western Digital hard drive that was making mysterious beeping noises, and was worried that it might be on its way out. Bruce Epper investigated, and listed the various reasons why a hard drive would be making suspicious noises. It’s a must-read for anyone worried about the safety of their files.
How to Diagnose Google Play Problems
The Google Play Store is Android’s app store, offering access to millions of unique third-party applications. When it breaks, as it so frequently does, it’s hugely annoying.
One of our readers found themselves with a Play Store that wasn’t updating. Kannon Yamada looked into it, and explained how you can easily fix most Play problems, either by clearing caches, reinstalling the store, or solving Play account problems.
How to Use Periscope on PC or Mac
Periscope was one of the hit apps of 2015. Like Meerkat, it allows anyone to live-stream their current surroundings from their compatible iPhone and Android device, and was so popular it was even used at campaign rallies in the US.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t available for PC or Mac. One reader emailed in to ask if there was a way to get it working.
We tried using a number of emulators, including the Chrome ARC Welder, Andyroid, and Bluestacks App Player, but none failed to run the app to a satisfactory standard. Some refused to run. Some were prone to crashing, or persistently displayed visual artifacts.
MakeUseOf emailed Periscope to see if they had any plans to launch a desktop version, but they kept mum. The good news is they’ve launched an app for the new Apple TV, meaning you can now watch people’s livestreams from the comfort of your own home.
Here’s to 2016!
We’re looking forward to another year of Ask The Experts. If you’ve never asked us a question before, consider checking out these helpful tips. When you’re ready, click the button below and let us know what tech problem is ailing you.
Do you have a favorite Ask the Experts article of 2015? Were we able to help you? Let us know in the comments below.
Windows 10 comes in various editions, each with a slightly different feature set. If you’ve been using Windows 10 at home, you’re probably running the suitably named Home edition. If you would like to upgrade to the Professional edition, for example to be able to defer Windows 10 updates you have multiple options.
We’ll give a brief comparison of the Home and Pro editions of Windows 10, before offering up three strategies to upgrade from the former to the latter.
If you’re thinking about upgrading your version or have already done so, be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Home vs. Pro
Everything that the Home version offers can be found within Pro. As such, you’re not losing out on any feature by changing versions – it’s just an upgrade. Pro offers a number of additional features when it comes to areas like security and control of updates. Let’s look at a few.
Windows 10 has forced updates, which means that you don’t get a choice in which updates you get, nor when you receive them. Home edition users get no leeway with this, but those on Pro have the ability to opt into the business branch. This means that the updates will only be pushed through once they’ve been trialed by Home users and deemed reliable enough to go out to the more sensitive business market.
BitLocker is another feature that Pro users get. This allows you to encrypt internal and external drives, plus create encrypted container files. Data security is hugely important and encryption is a very valuable process in keeping your files safe. While there are many third-party encryption tools available, it’s great to have one built-in to Windows.
A third, though not final, feature that Pro offers is the ability to create virtual machines. This is handled through a utility called Hyper-V. With virtual machines you can emulate other operating systems within your existing one, which is great for running software not available on your main operating system and for testing.
Upgrading Your Windows 10 Edition
Before you consider upgrading, you might want to find out what edition of Windows 10 you are running in the first place. Press Windows key + I to launch the Settings menu, then head to System > About and check what it says under Edition.
If your system check reveals what you already knew, that you’re on the Home edition, and if you’d like to upgrade, here are three ways you can go about it.
Method 1: Buying the Upgrade
First, press Windows key + I to open the Settings menu. Then click Update & security, then select Activation from the left-hand navigation. Now click Go to Store.
A new window will open which will give you a brief overview of the features that the Pro version will offer you over Home. Since you don’t own a copy of Pro, you’ll have to pay for the upgrade. To begin the process, click the price within the blue button (e.g. $99).
User Account Control might open at this point and ask if you want to run the Change Product Key app. Click Yes.
Now enter the password to your Microsoft account and click Sign in. A box will open which will warn you that the purchase is immediate and not subject to any “cooling-off” period.
If you haven’t used the Store in the past, click Get started! Add a way to pay. to use a credit card or your PayPal account for the purchase.
When ready, click Buy. Your system will begin downloading the necessary update and your existing Home license key will automatically become a Pro one.
Method 2: Existing Product Key
If you’ve already got a Pro license key, it’s very easy to upgrade. First, press Windows key + I to open the Settings menu. Then select Update & security, followed by Activation from the left-hand navigation. Now click Change product key.
Depending on your system settings, User Account Control may ask if you want to run the Change Product Key app. Click Yes if this occurs.
A window will open where you can enter your Pro product key. Type it without the dashes because they’ll be added automatically. Once you’ve typed your code it’ll be verified for authenticity.
When that’s complete, a new message will appear that reminds you to save your work and close any apps before the upgrade. When ready to begin, click Start upgrade. Your system will download the Pro update and then apply it, during which it’ll reboot a couple of times.
Method 3: Media Creation Tool
If you want to perform a fresh install of Windows 10, one way to do that is by using the Media Creation Tool. The problem is that this tool automatically detects your existing Windows edition and uses that. So if you’re on Home, you can’t upgrade to Pro during the process. However, Into Windows has found a workaround.
First, create a bootable USB of Windows 10 by following the instructions in our Get Windows 10 guide. Once complete, navigate to This PC (do a system search for it if needed) and open the USB drive.
The next step is to download a config file which Into Windows has created. Please note that we take no responsibility for files downloaded from external sources. Extract the zip and move the ei.cfg file into the Sources folder on the USB.
Now boot to the USB and follow the installation process through. You’ll find that you can now choose exactly which version of Windows 10 you want – in this case, Pro.
Become a Pro
If the features of Pro are enticing you to it, have no fear with the upgrade process – hopefully you can see how simple it is to perform. Plus it won’t take much time either, so you’ll be back up and running with additional features like BitLocker and Hyper-V in no time.
To note, if you don’t currently have Windows 10 and aren’t eligible for the free upgrade, it’s cheaper to buy Windows 10 Pro outright than it is to buy Home and then go through the upgrade process.
Have you updated your Windows PC from Home to Pro? What features of Pro do you enjoy the most?
Here’s the situation: it’s your first time using Ubuntu, you’ve gone through as many newbie Linux tricks as you could find, but you’re still wondering what kind of software is out there for you to install. Maybe you’re even starting to feel a bit overwhelmed.
Don’t worry. Relax. Compared to Windows, Linux is a vast new world full of exciting possibilities — but there’s a lot of familiarity as well. Using free software, you can replicate many of the everyday tasks that you just can’t go without.
So if you’re looking at a fresh installation of Ubuntu and feeling a bit lost, here are the first few applications you should install. These will cover most of your needs, guaranteed.
1. Tweak Tools
By default, Ubuntu doesn’t provide a lot of flexibility when it comes to customizing your desktop experience. You can do things like change your wallpaper, use different fonts for your system, and install different window themes, but not much more than that.
If you want nitty-gritty access to some of the more advanced settings hidden beneath the hood of your system, you’ll want to install a tweak tool. The one you choose will depend on your desktop environment.
For Unity desktops: You should install Unity Tweak Tool, which is available in the Software Center. This will let you change the behavior of windows and settings beyond what Unity normally allows.
For Gnome desktops: You should install Gnome Tweak Tool, which can also be found in the Software Center. Advanced tweaks include custom keyboard shortcuts, altered window behaviors, and fine-grain theme controls.
For Compiz desktops: Compiz isn’t a desktop environment per se, but rather a window manager that allows for 3D effects and animations. If you decide to use Compiz for window management, you should install Compiz Config Settings Manager from the Software Center.
Compiz is far more advanced than the other tweak tools above, which means it might be overwhelming at first. Be careful not to change things unless you know what they are, otherwise you may break something.
2. Synaptic Package Manager
Except for the tweak tools above, I’m convinced that there’s no tool more important for Ubuntu users than Synaptic Package Manager. Sure, the built-in Ubuntu Software Center is good enough to get the job done, but it has a few quirks and missing features.
On the other hand, Synaptic is objectively better. For starters, it isn’t as laggy when browsing through packages, and it’s way faster at returning search results. It can repair broken package dependencies, perform smart system upgrades, and has a friendlier interface.
Plus, it has a setting for automatically deleting packages after installation, which helps alleviate unnecessary disk space usage. Ubuntu Software Center doesn’t have this feature.
How to install: Synaptic Package Manager can be found in the Software Center.
3. Google Chrome
I don’t want to get into a war over which browser is best on Linux. Chrome has its strong points, but there are also a lot of reasons to hate Chrome. And if I’m being honest, if I absolutely had a choice, I would break up with Chrome in an instant.
But on Linux, you need to have Chrome installed. Not that you have to use it as your primary browser — Opera is my browser of choice at the moment — but there are things Chrome can do that no other browser can (without a lot of tinkering and tweaking, at least).
For example, if you want to watch Netflix on Linux, you pretty much have to use Chrome now. There are potential workarounds for other browsers like Firefox and Opera, but they’re a real headache to get working. Up-to-date Flash support is also only available in Chrome.
How to install: Chrome isn’t available in the Software Center, but installation is easy. Just go to the Chrome homepage, click Download, make sure you select the relevant .deb file, and double-click it after it’s downloaded to install. Once installed, it will auto-update when new versions are available.
4. Geary
There are several Linux desktop email clients to choose from, and the best one for you is the one you find most comfortable to use, but Geary gets my vote. It’s clean, fast, easy to use, and aesthetically pleasing.
The basic-but-functional interface makes it a “lowest common denominator” email client. You’ll understand how to use it as soon as you open it. As such, it’s the one I most recommend for Linux newbies and casual users.
The only downside to Geary is that it lacks a lot of customization options. If you want to change the hotkeys, you can’t. If you want to disable “Mark as Read after X seconds”, you can’t. Little things that are completely subjective but might be frustrating all the same, so I don’t recommend Geary for power users.
How to install: Geary is not available in the Software Center. To install, open the Terminal and type in the following three commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yorba/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install geary
5. VLC Media Player
Surprisingly enough, there are a lot of great media players on Linux: Bomi, SMPlayer, Miro, and the list goes on. But while it’s nice to have such a wide variety of options, there’s one player that consistently outranks its competition, and that player is VLC.
The biggest selling point of VLC is its commitment to the open source philosophy. Obviously it isn’t the only open source media player out there, but when you also consider just how feature-complete, polished, and downright useful it is, you’ll see that few others can compare.
There are so many hidden VLC features that you probably don’t know about. (Seriously, so many features.) At the very least, you should install it as a backup player because it always works.
How to install: VLC can be found in the Software Center.
6. Tomahawk
Fewer and fewer people are buying music these days. With the prevalence of services like Spotify and YouTube, we’re entering an age where streaming is preferable to ownership — and that’s most true for music. However, for those of us who still have MP3s, a proper music player is crucial.
Linux music players aren’t hard to come by, which means picking one is harder than you might think. Having given many of them a try over the years, I’m convinced that Tomahawk is the best. It’s clean, modern, and packed with features.
But the most killer feature comes by way of plugins: the ability to connect to streaming services like Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, Deezer, LastFM, and more. Tomahawk makes it so you can manage all of your music — owned or streamed — in one place.
How to install: Tomahawk is not available in the Software Center. To install, open the Terminal and type in the following three commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tomahawk/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install tomahawk
7. Tixati
Here at MakeUseOf, we don’t condone the pirating of software or media. However, we do recognize that there are legitimate uses for torrenting, and when you find yourself needing to download one of those legal torrents, it’s best if you do so with a proper client.
Fortunately, the selection of modern torrent clients for Linux is wide and ever-improving. You’ve probably heard of Transmission, Deluge, and qBittorrent, but I really want to stress that Tixati is the absolute best client available right now.
Reasons to prefer Tixati over other torrenting clients include: tiny resource comsumption, fast downloads, simple and straightforward interface, and dozens of features like priorities, bandwidth sizing, and real-time bandwidth graphs. It even has a portable version.
How to install: Tixati isn’t available in the Software Center, but installation is easy. Just go to the Tixati homepage, click Download, navigate to the Linux section, and make sure you select the relevant .deb file. Double-click the downloaded file to install.
8. Sublime Text
One of the worst Linux myths is that only programmers should care about Linux. This myth does a disservice to the operating system because there’s a lot to like about Linux even if you’ve never seen or written a line of code in your life.
That being said, it’s undeniable that Linux is great for programmers, and if you’re going to be doing any kind of programming or scripting at all, then you should really consider installing Sublime Text. It’s the best text editor out there and almost as good as an IDE.
How to install: Sublime Text is not available in the Software Center. To install, open the Terminal and type in the following three commands:
A lot of programs have tried to replicate the power and flexibility of Photoshop, and while a lot of these programs can pass as viable alternatives to Photoshop on Linux, they all fall short in one way or another. The closest thing you’ll find is GIMP.
But here’s the thing: GIMP may not be at the same level as Photoshop, it can still do a lot of the same things. If GIMP is missing a feature you need, you might even be able to extend its functionality with plugins. And best of all, GIMP is 100% free. Would you rather pay a subscription for Adobe Creative Cloud? Likely not.
If you think GIMP is overkill or too hard to learn, don’t worry. Just check out these websites with GIMP tutorials and these video tutorials for GIMP beginners to get started. It’s easier than you think.
How to install: GIMP can be found in the Software Center.
10. Dropbox
Of the cloud storage services available today, Dropbox is the easiest to set up on Linux. If you’ve never used Dropbox before, then you really should — it’s excellent for backing up files, not to mention the creative uses for Dropbox that you haven’t considered.
Dropbox integrates well into Linux, and once it’s set up, you never have to fiddle with it again if you don’t want to. Everything just works, and that kind of comfort is great for Linux newbies.
If you’re going to use Dropbox, take advantage of these ways to unlock more space as well as these time-saving Dropbox shortcuts. If security bothers you, take these steps towards safer cloud storage and avoid these bad security habits. Then you’ll have nothing to worry about.
How to install: Dropbox is available in the Software Center, but I’ve run into installation issues before, so I recommend going to the Dropbox download page instead and grabbing the .deb file relevant to your system. Double-click it to install once downloaded.
11. Steam
Linux is becoming a serious platform for gaming. It hasn’t gotten there yet, but it’s well on its way, and there’s a lot of evidence to show that Linux may catch up to Windows in just a few more years. One of the biggest milestones? The release of Steam for Linux.
Steam is one of the best ways to download games on Linux. The library of games is expansive, the community is massive, and the games themselves are pretty darn good. Not all of the games on Steam can be played just yet, but the number that can be played is growing day by day, and Steam itself is always improving too.
For now, you’ll have to deal with the fact that many games — such as these free MMORPGs that are native to Linux — will have to be played outside of Steam.
How to install: Steam can be found in the Software Center. However, you may run into problems after installation, in which case you should consult this troubleshooting page.
What Are Your Must-Have Apps?
I know we’ve only just touched the surface of what’s available on Linux, but if I had to pick 11 absolute essentials, these would be my pick. Linux newbies should instantly feel more comfortable with these apps installed on their systems.
Now it’s your turn. If you could only live with 11 applications on your system, which would they be? Share them with us in the comments below!
Image Credit: Dropbox by tanuha2001 via Shutterstock
If you’ve ever played around with typefaces or fonts, chances are you’ve asked yourself “What’s the difference between OTF and TTF?” when deciding to download fonts for your system. Why is something as simple as a few pixels on the screen so complicated?
Fear not, we’ve got you covered. Today, we’re going to sit down and analyze some of the key differences between OTF and TTF fonts, and we’ll help you not only discover the differences, but which is better, and when it’s appropriate to use one over the other.
TrueType Fonts (TTF)
We’ll start with TTF because it came first. Well, that’s not entirely true, as PostScript pre-dated it by several years, but it’s not incredibly common today, so we’re going to skip it for the sake of relevance.
TTF was a joint effort by Apple and Microsoft in the early 1980s. The purpose was simple: they needed a format that both Windows and Mac could use natively, as well as a format that could be read by default by most printers. TrueType Fonts fit the bill.
The package containing the font included both the screen and the printer font data in a single file. This made it easy to install new fonts and served as an early cross-platform font format that was usable by most consumer devices.
OpenType Fonts (OTF)
OTF was also a joint effort, except this time between Adobe and Microsoft. Much like TTF, OTF was cross-platform and included the display and printer font data in a single package, but that’s where the similarities end.
OTF extended TTF by offering many capabilities that the latter wasn’t capable of providing. For example, OTF featured a format that allowed for the storage of up to 65,000 characters.
Obviously there are only 26 characters in the alphabet (A-Z), 10 numbers (0-9) and a handful of extras, like punctuation, currency signs, and various others (@#%^&*, etc.). However, this was especially beneficial to font designers.
Since the format offered additional storage for characters that far exceeded the number of characters that the average user would ever need, designers had the ability to add extras like:
Ligatures
Glyphs
Small caps
Alternate characters
Old-style figures
Previously, these additions had to be added as additional fonts using TTF. With OTF, they could reside in the same file as the default typeface and remain easily accessible to designers and the like.
OTF vs. TTF: The Big Differences
For designers, both amateur and professional, the main useful difference between OTF and TTF is in the advanced typesetting features. OTF features embellishments like ligatures and alternate characters — also known as glyphs — that exist to give designers more options to work with.
For most of us non-designers, the additional options will likely go unused.
In other words, for all intents and purposes, OTF is indeed the “better” of the two due to the additional features and options, but for the average computer user, those differences don’t really matter.
You can’t, for example, just decide to use a different version of an “F” in Facebook or embellish common connecting letters like “TH” to make them look like ornate typography. Those that actually use these will typically do so in the Adobe Creative Suite, and for the sole purpose of making subtle tweaks that make text look better for print or on the web.
Let’s flesh things out by looking at three of the most common additions to OTF packages.
Glyphs
Glyphs are alternate characters that you can change to when you’re looking for something stylistically different from the default. Traditional characters might look something like this:
If you need a different “A”, for example, you could elect to use a glyph that displays an “A” with different stylistic qualities, or one that is used as the default in other alphabets and languages. For example:
Ligatures
Ligatures are strictly a stylistic addition. These are most common with script fonts, but they appear in nearly all high-end packages. Cheaper fonts, or those that you can find for free online, are less likely to have many glyphs, ligatures, or other extras.
Ligatures are typically combinations of two different letters that meld together to become a stylistic two-in-one entity. When letters are combined like this, they typically end up having embellished designs or adjusted spacing between the two.
Alternate Characters
Alternate characters are just what they sound like: alternatives to non-alphanumeric characters. Think of them as glyphs for the non-number and non-letter characters in a font set. They allow designers to select a stylistically different version of the characters they want to use.
Let’s look at some examples. A typical character might look something like this:
While the alternate version will look slightly different, like this:
For most of us, the difference is minimal, and we probably won’t care all that much which version to use. If you’re laying out text for a magazine, however, these small changes can be the difference between good and bad design.
So Which One Is Better?
OTF is undoubtedly the more robust of the two options. It has more features that are intended to allow typesetters and designers flexibility to provide incremental changes designed to improve the overall look of a piece.
That said, for the typical end user who probably isn’t using these features anyway, it’s not going to make a bit of difference. If you have the option, OTF is always the better of the two, but if you’re in a pinch and can’t find the OTF version of a font, there’s nothing wrong with TTF.
Is there anything you’d like to add? In your experience, is there ever a situation where a TTF font is the better choice? Weigh in below. We’d love to hear your opinions.
Very few writers really know what they are doing until they’ve done it.
– Anne Lamott
This quote from Anne Lamott resonates with me quite a bit. I seldom know what I’m doing until I’ve done it. I also seldom know what other writers are doing either. I recognize what I enjoy reading … aaaaand I’ve little idea why I enjoy it.
That’s what makes the topic of linguistics and language so fascinating to me because it helps explain all the whys behind the writing I love, the tweets I read, the updates I favorite, and the copy I crave.
There’s an art and a science to writing that sits just below the surface, and I’d love to share with you what I’ve learned about how to reveal it and incorporate it into your marketing messages—and how to write copy that people love!
Linguistics, Microstyle, and the Beauty of Small Writing
Simplicity is not a given. It is an achievement, a human invention, a discovery, a beloved belief.
– William H. Gass, Finding a Form
When I look at a format like Twitter, for instance, I see a 140-character limit that has helped explode our use of writing and creative expression. We often thrive creatively when given constraints, and I think this has absolutely been true on social media where the messages are short and simple, yet the effect resonates just as much or more.
What writers and sharers have found effective (purposefully or accidentally) is the power of a few particular types of word science. I’d love to get into each of these in fine detail in this article.
What is linguistics?
What are literary devices?
What is microstyle?
What is syntax?
And if it helps to have a little nudge of encouragement while you’re discovering the best way to write, here’s some advice I hold dear from William Zinsser:
Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair.
I’ve often found that the hares who write for the paper are overtaken by the tortoises who move studiously toward the goal of mastering the craft. …Forget the competition and go at your own pace. Your only contest is with yourself.
Sometimes (okay, a lot of times) I find myself clicking on an update or a tweet because of a single word. The word might be a power word, one of those catchy words that convert and get people to click. Or, and this is where I’m keen to learn much more, the word just sounds cool.
Now, how do you find a cool-sounding word?
One helpful bit of context is to think of these words within the bigger idea of syntax: way that words are pieced together into phrases, clauses, and sentences. Within syntax, the specific choice of word—its rhythm, its sounds, its letters even—can make the difference between a sentence or phrase that flourishes and one that flops.
Here’s a bit more about the pieces and parts of these perfect (and cool!) words.
Stop Consonants and Glide Consonants
Stop consonants are those that cause the vocal tract to block when pronouncing the consonant. Glide consonants do not obstruct the vocal tract and are quite frictionless when spoken.
Huh?
That was my first reaction, too! A few examples might help. Sound each of these out, either in your head or out loud, and notice the way each of them feel as you’re saying them.
Somewhere a ponderous tower clock slowly dropped a dozen strokes into the gloom.
– James Thurber, The Wonderful O
Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.
– Nathaniel Hawthorne
In these examples, the first uses a handful of stop consonants, giving the sentence a staccato vibe and a certain, ticking rhythm. The second example uses glide consonants, allowing the words to flow from one to the next.
The effect of a stop consonant is to slow the flow of a word or sentence, thereby bringing a certain rhythm or symbolism to what you’re saying (or reading). Often these stop words help highlight what comes next or build to a grand conclusion—a bit like a countdown when used in succession.
Stop consonants include:
t
d
k
g
b
p
Glide consonants, on the other hand, can lead to a really smooth flow from word to word and in the greater context of a sentence or paragraph.
Glide consonants may include:
l
r
j
w
Examples:
Stop consonants:
Glide consonants:
Let’s get into the rhythm of the word itself. Rhythm comes from syllables, the individual units of words that make up the whole. For instance, water has two syllables (wa-ter), and inferno has three (in-fer-no).
Now for the science-y good stuff. There are some really neat distinctions to be made with the order and emphasis of syllables. At the simplest level, these come down to iambs and trochees.
Iambs – an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one (dee DUM)
Trochees – a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one (DUM dee)
The difference, as Christopher Johnson notes in Microstyle, can be quite striking:
Iambs tend to sound lighter and softer, and trochees tend to sound heavier and harder.
“Feminine” brand names, like Chanel, are often iambs; “masculine” ones, like Black & Decker, tend to be trochees.
Most people “feel” this difference even if they find it hard to pinpoint.
(If you ever find yourself naming a company or a product, this seems like super helpful advice!)
What effect do you want to make with your social media update? Are you going for lighter and softer or heavier and harder? Which one suits your brand’s voice and tone best?
For instance, I’m writing up a bunch of customer stories currently. Do I want to call them case studies (DUM dee) or user reviews (dee DUM)?
Examples:
Iambs and trochees might seem a bit foreign to the social media space, but they’re commonplace for poetry. Heard of iambic pentameter? It’s basically the placement of five consecutive iambs in a line of verse, like this from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night:
If music be the food of love, play on.
So here’s where things get really interesting for the catchy social media updates you might spot.
Can you make a social media update sound like poetry?
Sure enough! We just touched on iambic pentameter (five iambs in a row), and there’s tons more. A couple of my favorites that I’ve found are anapaests and dactyls, which deal with the distinction between three-syllable words and phrases—basically a bit more wiggle room when composing longer updates or looking for longer words.
Anapaests – two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one (dee dee DUM)
Dactyls – a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones (DUM dee dee)
And like iambic pentameter, these anapaests and dactyls can fit within meters, too. Here’s an example of an anapestic tetrameter, which is when four consecutive anapaests appear.
And today the Great Yertle, that marvelous he Is King of the Mud. That is all he can see.
– Dr. Seuss, Yertle the Turtle
OK, so not if we were to spin this into the social media updates that we all write, would the advice to be “take a poetry class”? Not really. Where these syllables and arrangements can be most effective is in the noticing of rhythm when you’re writing an update. Does something sound oh-so-close to rolling off the tongue but is just slightly stuck? Maybe it’s just a syllable away from an anapestic tetrameter.
Examples:
Check out this mega guide: Snapchat and You
Create a New Word
In need of a great word? Why not make one up?
Christopher Johnson’s book Microstyle lists seven ways to create a word from scratch. Many of these borrow from age-old literary devices like Portmanteau, which is the joining together two or more words in order to create an entirely new word. Here’s the full list (along with some examples of each).
Reuse an existing word (Apple, spam)
Create a new compound word by sticking two words together (YouTube, Facebook)
Create a blend by combining one part of a word with another word or word part (Technorati, pastarazzi)
Attach a prefix or a suffix to a word (uncola, Bufferoo)
Make something up out of arbitrary syllables (Tivo, Cee-Lo)
Make an analogy or play on words (podcast, Sketchpaper)
Create an acronym (SCUBA, guba)
A bonus literary device: Spoonerism: interchanging the first letters of some words in order to create new words. This is mostly done in error or, if intentionally, done as a joke. Still, I’d expect it to be catchy if it were to pop up in a timeline!
Example:
(Yikes, that might be a terrible one. I’m new to this!)
Alliteration
Here’s one you may recognize. Alliteration is words beginning with the same letters or letter sounds.
A dozen delicious donuts
Throwback Thursday
Facebook on a flip phone? Fantastic!
You’ll see alliteration used in headlines quite often, particularly coupling a listicle number with a following adjective like 7 Sensational Whats-its or 10 Terrific Who’zles. There’s even a small bit of thought that prime numbers work so well in listicles because they can be easily paired with lots of alliterative adjectives and nouns.
Bonus tip: A cool way to use alliteration is to string together a ton and then break off the pattern suddenly. (The word you use to break things off will stand out quite starkly, in a good way!)
Example:
Anagrams
Have you ever seen this puzzle in your newspaper?
It’s built on anagrams, the jumbling of word parts to make a new word.
In the example above, the jumbling makes nonsense words, which are great for puzzles. Where the real value in anagrams lies for your social sharing is with the creation of other words, using the same letters in the original. There’s a neat tool out there from Wordsmith.org called the Internet Anagram Server. Here’re some examples I grabbed:
Kevan Lee = Navel Eek
San Francisco = Casino Francs
Product Hunt = Doc Truth Pun
Example:
Marketing copy is built on great sentences. Facebook updates, tweets, Pinterest captions, blog post intros—these are all incredible places to string together a subject/verb in a way that catches attention and gets more clicks.
And here’s the really awesome thing: Tthe best sentences likely already come intuitively for you!
The tips below, which include some neat linguistic approaches and literary terms, are those you’d recognize in your favorite sentences and in the catchy sentences you’re already writing. Hopefully, knowing the science behind what makes these great can help take your sentence writing to the next level.
End Your Sentence With Strong Words
This is a lovely, simple tip: When composing your sentence, be sure to place a strong word or two last.
F.L. Lucas in his book Style: The Art of Writing Well (one of my all-time favorite writing books, by the way) explains it here—and in so doing, gives a great example:
I suggest that anyone who goes through the next thing he writes, seeing to it that most of his sentences end with words that really matter, may be surprised to find how the style gains, like a soggy biscuit dried in the oven.
Examples:
We’re so thrilled to announce the latest version of the Buffer app today: Automated Monitoring w/ in-Home Churro Delivery. Get the full details over on our blog post, including your first free churro.
As opposed to:
New Automated Monitoring (w/ churros!) is now live within the Buffer dashboard. Take it for a spin, get a churro for free, and tell us what you think!
Use Climax Expression
The key to a climax expression is simply this: Whatever your most important phrase is within your sentence, have it come last.
The phrasing and order can really make a big difference. Take this example from Dwight Bolinger in Aspects of Language:
After he ate, he left the house answers the question, “What did he do after he ate?”; He left the house after he ate answers the question “When did he leave the house?” The climax expression comes last.
Linguists have found that many languages do the opposite: something called sentence perspective, where the known elements (e.g., “After he ate”) come first and the unexpected elements (what happened after he ate?) come last.
English takes a different tack, moving the strongest phrase last, regardless of whether it’s known or unknown.
It’s a small, really subtle difference, with the takeaway being: Put your strongest phrase last, as often as you can (and don’t mind breaking any rules).
It not only can change the complexion of the sentence, but it also tells the reader which part to focus on the most.
Examples:
As opposed to:
If you’re interested in saving more time, sign up for our free e-course.
Inversions
A typical sentence construction might be: Subject > Verb > Adverb.
With an inversion, this order gets flipped entirely around: Adverb > Verb > Subject.
Talk about noticeable!
It might seem a bit odd to do at first, though the effect is quite catchy and elegant.
Examples:
Into this grey lake plopped the thought, I know that man, don’t I?
– Doris Lessing, Children of Violence
Parallelism & the Art of Repeating Things
With parallelism, you repeat words and sentence structures in a strategic way, building to a cohesive sentence or two that compounds on itself the more similarities it shares.
Within the DNA of parallelism is rhythm, which tends to be a common theme in a lot of the strategies mentioned here. And you’ll probably start to recognize parallelism in some of the catchiest quotes and passages from speeches and literature, too. Here’s a teaser:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted…
– Ecclesiastes: 3:1-2
All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.
– John F. Kennedy, inaugural address, January 20, 1961
Elliptical Construction
An ellipsis (or ellipticatl construction) is a linguistics technique that occurs when writing a series of similar phrases and removing the similar parts that may be understood by the reader. (The sentence still sounds good, by the way; all the most important sentence parts are still there.)
There are a handful of really neat advantages to this style:
Gives the reader a voice by allowing him/her to fill in the missing pieces
Provides surprise with missing words
Emphasizes the missing words (since the reader must figure them out herself)
Removing words can create a sense of energy and brevity
Examples:
My Juvenal and Dante are as faithful as I am able or dare or can bear to be.
– Robert Lowell, Near the Ocean
No, I have never seen this face which you show me in the photograph. You would hardly forget it, would you, sir, for I’ve seldom seen an uglier.
– Conan Doyle, The Six Napoleons
It often happens that the sicker man is the nurse to the sounder.
– Thoreau, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
Metaphor Versus Simile
There’s this great description of the difference between these two, from Christopher Johnson’s book Microstyle:
A metaphor is when you say one thing is another thing, and a simile is when you say one thing is like another thing.
A simile uses the words “like” or “as” to draw the comparison.
A metaphor implies a bit more indirectly.
In both cases, you’re using a known object to help describe a lesser-known one, which can be great for helping to explain new concepts quickly and easily on social media.
Example:
Incremental Repetition
This device is used when writers add to something that has been repeated, lending the repeated word or phrase more emphasis.
Examples:
He was a simple man, a simple man with a dream.
She was lovely, lovely beyond words.
There is much to be gained, to be gained from losing.
Just for Fun: Swifties
These phrases are clever parodies that occur when quoting someone and attributing the quote using a pun.
“You got a nice butt, lady,” he said cheekily.
“I’m the plumber,” he said, with a flush.
The phrase originated with a series of Tom Swift books (similar to Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew) where the author was fond of finding fresh ways to say “said” when quoting a character. The key example:
“We must hurry,” said Tom swiftly.
A swifty was originally known as a Tom Swifty, thanks to this example.
Example:
Paragraphs are almost as important for how they look as for what they say; they are maps of intent.
– Stephen King
Do you have a favorite paragraph?
It’s kind of an odd thing to favorite, or to notice really. Yet paragraphs are so important in building the structure of blog posts, e-books, even a long social media update.
There’re so many different ways and styles of writing and organizing paragraphs. Copywriters often go with single sentences as paragraphs. Others bundle them together in threes and fours. Yet no matter how the paragraph comes together, these tips on paragraph writing can work to take a paragraph from good to great.
Use Short, Be-Sentences to Start a Paragraph
We all know what a short sentence looks like. (I’m familiar, though I could definitely use them more!)
But a be-sentence? That was a new one to me!
Be-sentences are those that include a be verb. And what are be verbs? Here’s a list:
am
is
are
was
were
be
being
been
In Virginia Tufte’s Artful Sentences, she writes about how short sentences serve to introduce the paragraph, helping the reader move easily into a new topic. The be-sentence works singly or in pairs or triplets.
Examples:
In the morning it was all over. The fiesta was finished. I woke about nine o-clock, had a bath, dressed, and went downstairs. The square was empty and there were no people on the streets. A few children were picking up rocket-sticks in the square …
Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises
Use Literary Devices
Running through the list of literary devices (there’s a complete list over at Literary-Devices.com), I was amazed at a) how many there are, b) how many I had heard of before, and c) how many I had forgotten about!
Here’s a short list of the ones that might be most helpful for adding some sizzle to your social media sharing. They’d make for great paragraphs!
Allegory – conveying an abstract concept by using a concrete object as an example
Analogy – conveying a new idea by referencing a familiar one
Anastrophe – swapping the placement of the noun and adjective
Anthropomorphism – giving human qualities to a non-human object
Assonance – repeating of vowel sounds within a sentence or phrase
Consonance – repeating of consonant sounds within a sentence or phrase
Euphony – the use of phrases or words that are known for producing melody or loveliness in the sound they create
It has been said that the phrase “cellar door” is reportedly the most pleasant-sounding phrase in the English language. The phrase is said to depict the highest degree of euphony, and is said to be especially notable when spoken in the British accent.
Internal Rhyme – forming a rhyme in only one line of verse
“We were the first that ever burst.”
– Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Kennings – related to works in Old English poetry where the author would use a twist of words, figure of speech or magic poetic phrase or a newly created compound sentence or phrase
Battle-sweat = blood
Sky-candle = sun
Whale-road = ocean
Light-of-battle = sword
Hand-computer = iPhone
Malapropism – misusing words by substituting words that sound similar but may have very different meaning
Metaphor – implying one subject to be another, helping to better understand a lesser-known subject by relating it to a more well-known one
Onomatopoeia – words that sounds like the sound they depict
Oxymoron – when words that seem to be contradictory appear next to each other (e.g. Jumbo Shrimp)
Puns – a joke, playing on the different meanings of same or similar-sounding words or phrases
The Way Shakespeare Would Have Facebooked
Wouldn’t Shakespeare have been a rad Facebook user? His sonnets and plays are chock full of amazingly well-constructed sentences and thoughts that would be so fun to see in short bursts on social media.
Here’s what he and his contemporaries had at their disposal: Rhetoric and syntax, those bits of language that we all know and love (and notice), but can less often name.
Rhetoric is the use of language to affect an audience; and syntax is the unique way that we form phrases, clauses, and sentences.
Rhetoric and syntax are close cousins to literary devices; in fact, literary devices often help make up the snappy rhetoric and syntax that is much-loved in writing and speech. I touched on some of the well-known devices above. There’s a ton of old-school ones, too, that Shakespeare and friends got great use of.
Here’s a big list of a huge number of rhetorical devices that could work wonders in your social media updates. (A lot of the obscure ones here came from a book called Farnsworth’s Classical English Rhetoric — it’s a wonderful read, and so too is Demian Farnwoth’s recap here).
Here’s the full list of 22:
1. Epimone – Repeating a phrase
2. Epizeuxis – Repeating a word
3. Epanalepsis – Repeating the same word or phrase at the beginning and end of a sentence
4. Anaphora -Repeating the same word or phrase at the start of consecutive sentences or clauses
5. Epistrophe – Repeating the same word or phrase at the end of a series of sentences or clauses
6. Symploce – Repeating words at the start of successive sentences or clauses and at the end of them, often with just a small change in the middle.
7. Anadiplosis – Using the same language at the end of one sentence or clause and at the start of the next – an ABBC pattern.
8. Polyptoton – Repeating the root of a word with a different ending.
In so far as religion is gone, reason is going.
– G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy
9. Isocolon – Using successive sentences, clauses, or phrases similar in length and parallel in structure.
The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.
– Emerson, Worship (1860)
10. Antithesis – Juxtaposing parallel but contrasting ideas or images.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,
– Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
11. Oscillation – Begins a passage with parallel elements of one length, then shortens them, then ends with a long phrase.
12. Chiasmus – Repeating words or other elements with their order reversed.
He does not possess wealth; it possesses him.
– Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack
13. Anastrophe – Making words appear in unexpected order.
The association of interest between Britain and France remains. The cause remains. Duty inescapable remains.
– Churchill, London radio broadcast (1940) 2678
14. Polysyndeton – The repeated use of conjunctions.
15. Asyndeton – Leaving out a conjunction where it might have been expected.
16. Præteritio – When the speaker describes what he will not say, and so says it, or at least a bit of it, after all.
The proceedings opened with a speech from my colleague, of which I will say nothing. It was deplorable.
– G.K. Chesterton, Manalive
17. Aposiopesis – Breaking off a sentence and leaving it unfinished.
18. Metanoia – Correcting oneself.
19. Litotes – A speaker avoids making an affirmative claim directly and instead denies its opposite.
20. Erotema – Asking a question that does not call for a reply.
21. Hypophora – The speaker asks a question and answers it.
22. Prolepsis – The speaker anticipates an objection (not necessarily a question) and comments on it.
And here’s a bit more on the first six—all of which could work great on social media.
Repeating a Phrase
Official term: Epimone (“eh-PI-moan”)
Using multiple phrases is something you might be quite familiar with—lots of exclamations use it, lots of titles and subjects, too.
Examples:
The horror! The horror!
– Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Repeating a Word
Official term: Epizeuxis (“eh-pi-ZOOK-zis”)
Much like the above literary device for repeating phrases, this device is a bit simpler: Just one word.
Examples:
“Never give in — never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.”
– Winston Churchill
Repeating the Same Word or Phrase at the Beginning and End of a Sentence
Official name: Epanalepsis (“eh-puh-nuh-LEP-sis”)
Again, similar to the above (so many of these are related, it makes variations really fun), this form of repetition is a bit like an Oreo: Repeated words/phrases are the cookies, other words are the stuffing.
Examples:
“The King is dead. Long live the King!”
Repeating the Same Word or Phrase at the Start of Consecutive Sentences or Clauses
Official name: Anaphora (“ah-NAH-four-uh”)
One of the most famous of these old-tyme literary devices, this is the one made famous and memorable by speeches like Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech (see below).
The effect here, according to Farnsworth’s Classical English Rhetoric, is two-fold: “Returning to the same words creates a hammering effect; and starting sentences with the same words also creates an involving rhythm” which can then be repeated or abandoned.
Examples:
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
– Martin Luther King (“I have a dream” is repeated at the start of eight sentences in a row)
“Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition!”
– William Shakespeare, King John
There also can be a bit of unexpected climax with anaphora, for instance when the repeated phrase leads to a sentence where the repeated feeling gets flipped on its head. For example:
Sir, he was dull in company, dull in his closet, dull everywhere. He was dull in a new way, and that made many people think him GREAT.
– Johnson, in Boswell’s Life (1791)
Repeating the Same Word or Phrase at the End of a Series of Sentences or Clauses
Official name: Epistrophe (“e-pis-tro-phee”)
Here we have the opposite of the anaphora, the device mentioned above, where the repeated word/phrase occurs at the end.
Examples:
Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.
– Herman Melville, Moby Dick
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny compared to what lies within us.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Repeating Words at the Start of Successive Sentences or Clauses and at the End of Them
Official name: Symploce (sim-plo-see or sim-plo-kee)
Sound familiar? Symploce is a combination of anaphora and epistrophe—repeated words/phrases at the beginning and end of a clause. As you’ll see in the examples below, the repetition is nearly fully exact, which makes for a memorable turn of phrase.
Examples:
I am not afraid of you; – but I am afraid for you.
– Anthony Trollope, The Prime Minister
The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason.
– G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy
A Note About Abandonment
A number these literary devices have a touch of rhythm to them, which is one of the great aspects of what makes them so memorable and catchy.
By the same token, there’s something to be said for abandoning this rhythm right at the point when the reader thinks they know what’s coming next. Abandonment often makes for good humor also, as the unexpected catches people off guard in a fun way.
And now for some fun ways to put it all together.
These exercises can help with getting in the mindset to use your best words, sentences, and paragraphs to get your point across. Some might be great for brainstorming new ideas; some might be great for coming up with the text you’ll share on Facebook or Twitter.
Escalator Pitch
You’ve maybe heard of an elevator pitch? A pitch you can make in the time it takes to ride an elevator with a prospective buyer?
The escalator pitch is similar, with a twist.
Instead of a pitch that lasts as long as an escalator ride, the escalator pitch is a pitch short enough that you can make it on your way up the escalator as your potential buyer is on his/her way down.
Example:
High-Concept Pitch
One step beyond (shorter) than the escalator pitch is the high-concept pitch. Think: Hollywood movie taglines.
The high-concept pitch originated in Hollywood, where producers would pitch studio executives with the catchiest, quickest summary possible.
The high-concept pitch is an extremely short phrase, encapsulating an idea by comparing it to another idea.
Example:
Alien is “Jaws in space.”
The Uber of workouts
The Birchbox of …
Micromessage
Christopher Johnson’s book Microstyle explores this idea of micromessage—an idea that is likely familiar to all of us who share to social media. Christopher defines a micromessage as:
Using simple elements to maximum effect
To carry it forward, this could include most any of the literary devices, syntax, and style that we’ve discussed so far in this article. The goal—be it in a tagline, a tweet, a headline, or an advertisement—is to get noticed and communicate quickly.
Examples:
Little Black Font Book ☞ http://t.co/ajaGU2ecFm pic.twitter.com/lolNGvZT75
— HypeForType (@hypefortype) September 2, 2015
It’s downright scarf weather. As in SCARF SOME PIZZA FOR WARMTH AMIRITE
— DiGiorno Pizza (@DiGiornoPizza) November 20, 2015
All I want is someone to rub my feet and like 500 other things.
— claudia martin (@cloudypianos) August 14, 2015
The Edgar Wallace Plot Wheel
A novelist in the 1920s, Wallace patented what he termed as a plot wheel, a literal wheel that he would spin whenever he was stuck for a plot or advancement to his story.
Though his exact wheel is a bit hard to come by these days, a few others have remained. Erle Stanley Gardner, another early 1900s novelist, had a series of wheels to help with plot development in his novels. Here’s a taste, courtesy of Karen Woodward:
The Wheel of Hostile Minor Characters Whose Function is Making Complications for the Hero
These folks put obstacles in the hero’s way, make it difficult for her to reach her goal.
Hick detective
Attorney
Newspaper reporter
Detective
Business rival
Rival in love
Father of heroine
Blackmailer
Gossip
Meddlesome friend
Suspicious servant
Hostile dog
Spy
Incidental crook
Hotel detective
Thickheaded police
Solution Wheel
How the hero surmounts the obstacles thrown in his way.
Gets villain to betray himself through greed.
Gets the villain to, of his own free will, plant additional evidence.
Plants fake evidence to confuse the villain.
Fakes circumstances so the villain will think he/she has been discovered.
Tricks the hero’s accomplice into confessing.
Villain is hoist by his/her own petard.
Villain killed while he/she is trying to frame someone.
Gets villain to overreach himself/herself.
Meets trickery with horse-sense.
Squashes obstacles by sheer courage.
Turns villains against each other.
Traps [tricks?] villain into betraying a hiding place. Hero either a) creates a fake fire, or b) gives him/her something else to conceal, or c) makes it necessary for the villain to flee (and so must take something out of the hiding place).
There’s also The Wheel of Complicating Circumstances and The Wheel of Blind Trials by Which the Hero is Mislead or Confused, both of which you can read at Karen’s blog.
Similar tools exist today for inspiration with headlines and blog posts.
Hubspot’s Blog Topic Generator
Upworthy Generator
Portent’s Content Idea Generator
Incubation Method
A favorite of F.L. Lucas (author of Style: The Art of Writing Well), this method is one that we’ve employed to good results here at Buffer also, building bits of it into our editorial process.
Stage 1: Meditation and documentation.
Stage 2: Incubation.
Here’s a bit more from F.L. on his incubation stage:
Periods of alternate thought, quick writing, and partial revision, till the first draft is complete. Revision; further documentation, correction, curtailment, and amplification. This can be repeated indefinitely, subject to the danger of the book [article] growing unwieldy, overloaded, or stale.
Kicking the Geese out of the Boat
This is a fun and quick one, best saved for the revision process.
Writer Alfred Tennyson had a part of his editing process that he dubbed “kicking the geese out of the boat.” It worked like this:
Avoiding the juxtaposition of a word ending with ‘s’ and a following word beginning with it.
Example:
Change: “Do your updates seem flat? Try on a literary device!” to: “Do your updates fall flat? Try on a literary device!”
A Final Note About Clarity and Obscurity
One should not aim at being possible to understand, but at being impossible to misunderstand.
– Quintillian
All this amazing info on syntax and style and rhetoric and linguistics is bound to make your social media updates shine. At the same time, there might just be a limit to having too much of a good thing.
One of the most essential elements of good writing (for the web, for books, for anywhere really) is clarity and brevity.
In the Quintillian quote above, this point is highlighted wonderfully. The goal should always be that your audience understands what you’re writing—and if that means using simpler words and phrases and leaving out a cool syntax or two, then so be it.
Where clarity and brevity fail, obscurity thrives. F.L. Lucas has a really great take on where obscurity tends to come from so often:
… Most obscurity, I suspect, comes not so much from incompetence as from ambition – the ambition to be admired for depth of sense, or pomp of sound, or wealth of ornament.
It is for the writer to think and rethink his ideas till they are clear; to put them in a clear order; to prefer (other things equal, and subject to the law of variety) short words, sentences, and paragraphs; not to try to say too many things at once; to eschew irrelevances; and, above all, to put himself with imaginative sympathy in his reader’s place.
Obscurity arises
By saying too many things at once (a lack of clarity and brevity)
Having too many ideas and not enough sense of what’s relevant
When trying to impress people
By using flowery language when shorter words would do just as well
Over to You
Which of these literary devices and linguistic approaches are you most excited to try?
Which are you already using? Which ones are working?
I’ve got a number of these set up to test in my Buffer queue right now and am excited to see the results. If you get a chance to try any of these on, please do report back here in the comments. It’d be amazing to hear from you!
This post originally appeared on Buffer, and is re-published with permission.
Image Credits
Featured Image: Image by Kevan Lee In-post Photo #2: Screenshot by Aki Libo-on. Taken December 2015. In-post Photos: Images by Kevan Lee All screenshots by Kevan Lee. Taken December 2015.
It’s that time of year! Christmas is officially here, and that means it’s time for all of us to receive lots of Amazon gift cards from friends and loved ones. Let’s all pick up some cool new toys and gadgets for ourselves!
But even though it’s a gift card, it doesn’t mean you want to overpay. That’s why we’ve found some awesome deals from Amazon for you today. Whether you want video games, cameras, TVs, headphones, or whatever else, we’ve found great deals for you.
Destiny: The Taken King – Legendary Edition ($32.98, 45% Off)
The amount of game you get for $33 with Destiny is absurd. You could easily spend hundreds of hours shooting stuff in Bungie’s world. You really can’t get a much better value than that as far as a game goes. If you were to buy the base Destiny game and all of the expansions, it would cost over $100! It’s a perfect way to spend those Amazon gift cards we all rack up this time of year.
Sid Meier’s Civilization V: The Complete Edition ($12.49, 75% Off)
If you’re a PC gamer, Amazon has a digital copy of Civ V with the expansions for just $12.49. This is another game with infinite replay value, so it really is a fantastic value. If you like to play a slower, more strategic game, Civ V is right up your alley.
Doctor Who: Christmas Specials Giftset with Tardis Speakers ($69.99, 37% Off)
Send Christmas on its way with a collection of Doctor Who Christmas Specials on Blu-ray. If you’re a fan of the BBC’s long-running show, this is a must own part of your collection!
Dell 19.5″ LED-Lit Monitor ($79.00, 34% Off)
Looking for something a little more practical to spend that Amazon money on? How about a new LED computer monitor? Whether you need a second display, or you’re looking to replace one, $80 for a Dell is a great price. This particular monitor has a 4-star rating, so you know it’s quite good.
Skullcandy Grind Headphone with Mic ($32.99, 45% Off)
Did you get a new smartphone for Christmas? You should probably pick up a better pair of headphones for it than the stock ones that come in the box. These Skullcandy phones are solid, with a 4.5-star rating on Amazon. This deal is available today only, so don’t wait!
Skullcandy Air Raid Bluetooth Portable Speaker ($97.90, 35% Off)
If you prefer to play your music so everyone can hear, and you want a speaker that can take a beating and handle a little water, check out this one. It’s 35% off today only.
Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 ($59.99, 40% Off)
Do you need a webcam to chat with friends? Do you want to be the next big Twitch sensation? Whatever your reason, Logitech is regarded as one of the best webcam makers on the market, and the C920 is one of it’s better models. It’s normally $100, but you can snag it for $59.99 right now!
Canon EOS Rebel T5 Digital SLR Camera with 2 Lenses ($449.00, 40% Off)
If you had some really generous friends and loved ones who hooked you up with lots of Amazon gift cards, than perhaps it’s finally time to pick up that DSLR you’ve always wanted! This Canon T5 comes with 18-55mm IS II and EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III lenses, so it’s versatile enough to do whatever you need it to. It has everything you need to start mastering photography, and it’s a very reasonable price.
Samsung 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV ($997.99, 38% Off)
This is an awesome TV, and while most people won’t get enough gift cards to cover a big-screen, they’ll certainly help! It’s 55-inches, with a 4K resolution, so it’s ready for the future. And it’s a great price, which is always nice.
Think you’re a fan of the quirky 1990 Christmas hit Home Alone? Maybe you are, but even if you really like the movie you’ve probably got nothing on Poland. Why Poland? Why Home Alone?
It all came about because of a perfect intersection of ideologies, events, and the release date of the movie. Home Alone was released shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the general retreat of the Iron Curtain’s influence, if you will, on Poland. At the time, the Polish opinion of American culture was at a high and Poles across the country were bingeing on American TV shows, movies, and other imports.
When Home Alone came to Poland, it was watched hundreds of thousands of times across the country before it left the theaters and shortly thereafter playing Home Alone became a Christmas tradition on par with the popularity of Christmas classics like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in the United States.
In fact, in 2010 the national station that had broadcast rights opted not to show Home Alone at Christmas and the degree of protest that ensued by Home-Alone-loving Poles was rowdy enough that you’d have thought someone proposed canceling Christmas itself. When the station relented and showed Home Alone, it became the most watched broadcast of the entire 2010 holiday season.
We’ve not heard the last from Yahoo this year, as the company came out with an announcement detailing updates to its mobile search. Among these updates is a tweak to the mobile search algorithm.
This is a bold change which certainly sets Yahoo apart from its competitors in the realm of mobile search. Yahoo is going all in on presenting the most recently published content above all else.
Of course, Google has its News tab, but that is completely separate from the main search experience. Although a news box does occasionally appear in the main set of search results when appropriate, it’ snot something that happens all the time.
The change Yahoo announced today will see a section of popular news stories become a permanent fixture of mobile search.
No further details were given about Yahoo’s mobile algorithm change and what else will come into play when ranking stories, but I suspect as SEOs we will learn more as we get a chance to interact with it.
Yahoo’s New Image Search
In addition tweaking it’s mobile algorithm, Yahoo has revamped its image search in a similar way. Searching for photos will return the photos you’re looking for, but it will also return a section of trending content featuring the types of images you’re looking for.
Yahoo gives the specific example of searching for celebrities when describing its new image search. Does that mean it only works for celebrities and not other types of searches? Since this change is US-only for now I haven’t been able to do any of my own testing.
Twitter Integration
Twitter is now a part of Yahoo search, bringing up a section of popular tweets when famous public figures as searched for.
Again, the company explains that this will only work for celebrity searches at this time.
Accelerated Mobile Pages
News stories in Yahoo search are now compatible with the freshly unveiled Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) technology.
If you’re not familiar with AMP technology, here’s a backgrounder for you. Google executives are calling it “next year’s hottest new website technology”, so it’s in your best interest to at least be aware of it.
Available Now For US Users
All of the changes announced today are available now in Yahoo mobile search in the United States. There was no indication as to when these features might be rolled out more widely.
If you’re in the world of SEO, copywriting, or inbound marketing, it’s likely that you’ve already heard about Google’s release of the Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines in November 2015.
Designed to help Google’s own site evaluators master their jobs and wade through Google’s complex ranking system, these search guidelines are 160 pages of pure SEO goodness. But what do they say, exactly?
One of the most important takeaways from the guidelines as a whole is the need for expert writers to add a true level of authority to the content. Someone who, as Google says, has real-life experience in what they’re writing or talking about. Hence, a big need for expert writers and authors to produce content in an industry they already know.
Let’s discuss this and what you need to know.
The 101 on Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines
Despite all of their genius, ingenuity, and innovation, Google is a notoriously opaque organization and it has always been difficult at best (and impossible at worst) to understand their ranking algorithm.
While Google released a compressed version of the guidelines back in 2013, people wanted to know more. Recently, The SEM Post got ahold of a leaked copy and provided their own analysis on it. Google responded by releasing the guidelines in full in November of 2015, in this blog post, and the full 160-page PDF of Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines in its massive entirety.
While the guidelines don’t simply tell marketers how to win at Google, they do provide a huge amount of information about what exactly Google evaluators are looking for, what makes a high-quality page, and how content should be written. It’s the last part we are especially interested in.
The Need for Expert Writers, According to Google’s Search Guidelines
It’s no secret that Google has always loved original, useful, and well-written in-depth content. Many of Google’s recent algorithm updates have been designed to reward high-quality pages that feature clear, concise, professional writing and to down-rank pages that feature duplicate, scraped, or careless content.
What is interesting about Google’s new guidelines, however, is that they place a huge emphasis on the need for expert writers, especially on pages that Google views as being very important. While it’s clear that Google has always valued quality content, it seems as if they’re now placing an increased focus on things like authority, as well.
E-A-T: Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness Page Standard
E-A-T is Google’s acronym for what exactly makes up a high-quality page. E-A-T stands for “Expertise, authority, trustworthiness” and it sums up exactly what Google is looking for in high-quality pages.
According to Section 4.3 of Part 1 of the guidelines, “High-quality pages and websites need enough expertise to be authoritative and trustworthy on their topic.”
At first glance, that may seem a bit vague, but Google goes on to clarify. The guidelines state that, in order for a page to possess those qualities, it needs to feature “expert” content written by “expert” writers:
Complex medical advice should only be given by people or organizations that possess appropriate accreditation. It should, likewise, be written in a professional style and will need to be reviewed, updated, and edited regularly in order to ensure that it remains current and authoritative.
Complex financial advice, tax advice, or legal advice should be written by expert writers and will need to be updated regularly.
Important advice pages that may affect a person’s finances or well-being (this includes investment pages, home remodeling pages, and parenting pages) needs to be written by an “expert” source.
Hobby pages on topics like hockey, horseback riding, or photography, require expert writers.
Pages that don’t feature this level of expertise or pages that cover a dense topic but offer little information will be marked as low-quality by Google’s evaluators. This is also true for pages with low-quality main content or content that is simply distracting or unhelpful.
What Makes an Expert?
Now that you know which pages require an expert writer, you may be wondering exactly what an “expert” is. Google makes it clear that that depends greatly on the topic at hand. Product or restaurant reviews, for example, can be considered “Expert” even if the person writing it isn’t a mystery diner or secret shopper. As long as the reviews are detailed and helpful, Google considers them expert content.
The same is true for forum-type discussions. In this case, Google provides the example of a cancer support community forum at Cancer Compass, where average people provide information about how long their loved ones lived with cancer. While these people are not doctors and are thus not qualified to write “expert” medical content, their firsthand experience (what Google calls “everyday expertise”) with cancer makes them qualified to write such content.
The takeaway? Pages require different levels of expertise. While advice on liver cancer itself needs to be written by an M.D., advice on coping with it in a family situation can absolutely be written by a layperson with firsthand experience.
Y-M-Y-L (Your Money or Your Life) Page Standard
There are some pages that Google places under special scrutiny. These pages are called, “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) pages. Examples of these pages include:
E-commerce pages that provide a platform for purchases, money transfers, bill pay, etc.
Pages that offer information about investing in stocks and bonds, planning for retirement, purchasing a home, financing college, buying insurance, or filing taxes.
Pages that offer specific information or advice about health conditions, drugs, mental health, and nutrition.
Pages that offer legal information on topics like child support and custody, divorce, becoming a legal citizen, and writing a will.
YMYL pages are subject to special Google scrutiny because low-quality pages can easily negatively impact a Google user’s health, happiness, or finances. For this reason, it is especially important that these pages feature a high level of E-A-T and are written by qualified expert writers. That said, if you’re working on any topic that could have a major impact on users (car safety and repair, for example) it’s worthwhile to hire an expert writer.
Conclusion
While we’ve always known that Google loves high-quality content, it’s obvious that now more than ever, Google values content that is written by authoritative and trustworthy experts.
As we move into the new year, we can expect to see content that possesses these traits be rewarded while low-quality, low-expertise content is down-ranked. While expert writing has always been important, Google’s recently released guidelines make it clear that hiring expert writers is now necessary for a website to earn quality rankings. Webmasters are going to have to invest in a real author who knows their industry—an industry copywriting expert—instead of just the more general SEO copywriter.
Image Credits
Featured Image: ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock.com In-post Photo #1: Alexey Boldin/Shutterstock.com In-post Photos #2 and #3: Image by Express Writers. Used with permission. Screenshot by Julia McCoy. Taken December 2015.
Whether it’s Christmas, a birthday, or any other holiday, buying a gift for an Xbox gamer can be tricky. Say you’ve got a budget of $50, but you know they have more than enough games.
What do you do?
The answer, of course, is to buy accessories – and there is a massive selection to choose from. While some hardware is of sub-par quality, usually these accessories are worth the money, as long as you buy the gear from Microsoft or reputable third parties.
We’ve collated the following list of sub-$50 accessories for Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners. You might just find that perfect gift right here…
Chatpad
Including a Chatpad and Chat Headset 3.5mm jack) that connects to the Chatpad, this full QWERTY keyboard plugs into the standard Xbox One controller to aid communication with fellow gamers in online play.
The keypad is backlit for nighttime gaming, and audio controls make it easy to manage volume and mute the mic. Also included are programmable X1 and X2 buttons that can be used to access game DVR or take screenshots.
Chatpad and headset are compatible with Xbox One and (X1 and X2 buttons notwithstanding) Windows 10.
Nyko Charge Base
A flat controller makes gaming pretty tough; you’re basically not gaming, unless there is a wired alternative. Having space to charge two controllers without the fuss of removing batteries is even better, so why not consider the Nyko Charge Base (a PS4 version is also available).
Design to sit two Xbox One controllers comfortably, with two rechargeable batteries included, the base makes charging convenient, enabling you to place the controller onto the charge point and quickly remove when done.
While other charge bases are available, this is a particularly popular option.
Nyko Intercooler
Again from Nyko comes this cooler, essentially designed to prolong the life of your Xbox One.
Featuring easy clip-on installation, and with a design that matches the contours of the console (comes in black, so beware adding to custom Xbox One consoles!), the cooler is powered by USB, and can be used in both horizontal and vertical orientation.
The USB connection means that it will automatically switch on when you boot your Xbox One, and reduces ambient temperature within by directing hot air away from the console, thereby improving gaming performance. Heat can have a negative affect on any PC or games console – the first generation Xbox 360s had a particular problem with ambient temperature causing the CPU and GPU lifting from the motherboard (one of the infamous “Red Ring of Death” issues), so having a cooler is a very good idea.
Afterglow LVL 3 Wired Headset
Three versions of this headset from PDP are available, with LVL1 and LVL3 both under $50. Officially licensed by Microsoft, the device uses finely tuned 40mm drivers, designed for a full stereo, superior audio experience.
Essentially, while this is a chat headset, and comes with a mounted, noise-cancelling microphone, it’s also a gaming headset – PDP want you to enjoy the best of gaming audio with this hardware.
Due to having a 3.5mm jack, this device is compatible with the second generation Xbox One controller. For first gen controllers, you’ll need to add a headset adaptor.
Xbox One Media Remote
Recipients of this dedicated remote control from Microsoft can take control of their media with an easy-to-use, compact IR device with a 30-foot range that controls video playback on Blu-ray or videos streamed to an Xbox One.
Also capable of switching on your TV and adjusting the volume, backlit buttons make it easy to use in the dark, and the intuitive controls make it easy for anyone to use, adult or child (although that might not be ideal!).
Requires 2 AAA batteries.
Hard Drive Enclosure
Now this accessory is more or less invisible. It’s a hard disk drive enclosure that slots onto the side/top of an Xbox One, ready to host a second HDD while offering three USB 3.0 ports.
A minimum 256 GB HDD of 2.5 inches in length is required to slot into the enclosure, no wider than 12mm, and once connected, the owner of the Xbox One will no longer be concerned about running out of hard disk space! This is particularly important if they like to record and upload gameplay for Twitch or YouTube – assuming they’re playing the right games!
The clever design of the enclosure means that it will be difficult to spot, thereby not ruining the sleek aesthetics of your Xbox One.
Thumb Sticks
Modding an Xbox One controller can make it more comfortable to use, potentially giving an edge in challenging games and online/competitive gaming scenarios. These E-MODS GAMING thumb sticks are just one example of the many thumb sticks that can be added to an XB1 controller, with a grippable, rubberized surface.
Comes with four thumb sticks, enough to replace the default thumb sticks on two controllers, but note that the controller must be open for the thumb sticks to be fitted.
These thumb sticks are also compatible with PlayStation 4 Dual Shock 4 controllers.
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller
The Xbox 360 remains a popular console. So if the target of your gift buying is still using their last-gen gaming machine – and let’s face it, there’s no reason not to as long as A-list games continue to be released – perhaps you’d like to treat them to a gold chrome wireless controller?
Shiny in a way that makes it look far more valuable than it really is, this controller is wireless, and therefore requires recharging regularly. Also, note that the controller is not compatible with the Xbox One, although you should be able to connect it to your PC with the correct receiver.
Xbox 360 Headset & Mic
From INSTEN, this headset connects to an Xbox 360 controller to deliver voice communication to discuss strategy with gaming team mates and trash talk opponents.
With a noise cancelling microphone and stereo phones, the device also includes a volume control and mute switch, and is adjustable to fit most head sizes. As with many Xbox 360 accessories, this device is not compatible with other hardware, including Windows PCs and Xbox One.
Xbox 360 Speed Wheel
Xbox 360 gamers with an addiction to driving games might just find this gem of a controller useful. With rumble feedback to feel the bumps on the road, this wireless wheel controller from Microsoft is equipped with motion sensors and buttons for gaming functions.
Trigger buttons are also included for gas and brake controls, making this an ideal controller for digital speed kings. However, there are a couple of things to note. For instance, this controller cannot be easily used with the Grand Theft Auto series of games, as walking and shooting are a little difficult with a steering wheel.
And as with other Xbox 360 hardware, you won’t be able to use with the Xbox One, although it should be compatible with Windows 10.
Got Some Xbox Gift Ideas? Share Them!
That’s our list of 10 Xbox gift ideas for under $50. We’re pretty impressed with what is available in this price bracket, but you may know better. If so, tell us all about it in the comments.