3 Ways to Make Your Old Netbook Suck Less

3 Ways to Make Your Old Netbook Suck Less: "Netbooks are terrible, as most people now agree. They seemed like a good idea at the time, offering a cheap laptop experience in a small package. But they were ultimately too slow, too small, and too poorly built.

Many netbooks are now lying around, unused. If you’re one of the people who purchased a netbook and can’t bring yourself to use it, these tips may help you get some more value out of your investment."

'via Blog this'

How to Unlock a Locked Cell Phone and Why You Might Want To

How to Unlock a Locked Cell Phone and Why You Might Want To: "Most cell phones sold in North America  — especially on contract — are “locked” to a particular cellular carrier. They can only be used on that carrier’s network, so you can’t switch to another carrier without “unlocking” it first."

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Outlook - sgpease@msn.com

Outlook - sgpease@msn.com: "The iPhone’s popularity for photos comes down to several different things – the convenience of having your ‘camera’ with you all the time and the sheer variety of shooting, editing and sharing apps. For a while now, the iPhone has been the most popular camera on photo-sharing site Flickr, and with good reason. Today, three versions of the iPhone (4, 4S and 5) take up the first three slots in Flickr’s list, while Canon’s 5D Mark II comes in as a distant fourth."

'via Blog this'

iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5c vs. iPhone 4s

iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5c vs. iPhone 4s: "If you're shopping for a new iPhone, Apple gives you not just one, but three options to choose from. Do you splurge on the flagship iPhone 5s, with its cutting-edge fingerprint sensor? Do you save a few bucks, and get the colorful and capable iPhone 5c? Or maybe you sign a two-year contract and get the aging iPhone 4s for "free?" Let Gizmag help you decide, as we compare the features and specs of the three iPhones available in 2013-2014."

'via Blog this'

How to use Evernote's new Post-it Note camera | How To - CNET

How to use Evernote's new Post-it Note camera | How To - CNET: "Evernote updated its iOS app for iOS 7 and introduced a new feature by way of its partnership with 3M, maker of Post-it Notes among many, many other wide-ranging products. The Evernote iOS app features a new camera mode that lets you take a picture of a Post-it Note (or a square section of any note you may have jotted down on any variety of paper), which it will then digitize, making your handwritten notes searchable. And you can assign actions to notes jotted down on four popular and brightly colored Post-it Notes."

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For longer battery life, change these iOS 7 settings | How To - CNET

For longer battery life, change these iOS 7 settings | How To - CNET: "Some of iOS 7's new features might be hurting your battery life. Thing is, it's not the standout features like AirDrop or the Notification Center -- it's the stealthy settings buried beneath a stack of menus.
If you're noticing a quickly draining battery, or just want to get more juice out of your battery, make changes to these settings."

'via Blog this'

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Review - Watch CNET's Video Review

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Review - Watch CNET's Video Review: "The good: Amazon has improved on last year's excellent Paperwhite e-reader with a faster processor, more responsive touch screen, and a better integrated light that's brighter and whiter and displays more evenly across the screen. Pages also refresh less frequently (less flashing). A smattering of new features enhance Amazon's already best-in-class content ecosystem."

'via Blog this'

Keep It Simple: Here Are The Only 4 System and Security Tools You Need on Windows

Keep It Simple: Here Are The Only 4 System and Security Tools You Need on Windows: "Windows is complicated and needs many different system utilities and security tools to run well — or does it? We recently covered the many types of system tools you don’t need. Here are the few utilities you actually do need."

'via Blog this'

Revive Your Old PC: The 3 Best Linux Systems For Old Computers

Revive Your Old PC: The 3 Best Linux Systems For Old Computers: "Windows 8 may be lighter than Windows Vista, but it’s nowhere near as lightweight as these free Linux distributions. If you have an old Windows XP PC or a netbook, you can revive it with a lightweight Linux system."

'via Blog this'

15% of American Adults Don’t Go Online. Who Are They?

15% of American Adults Don’t Go Online. Who Are They?: "85% of American adults use the internet as of May 2013, representing a new high point for internet adoption, according to [pdf] a new report from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. That still leaves 15% of adults who do not use the internet or email, for a range of reasons. The study takes a look at the demographics of this group, with some fairly predictable – but nevertheless interesting – results."

'via Blog this'

Phone boxes converted into national WiFi network | ZDNet

Phone boxes converted into national WiFi network | ZDNet: "Telecom New Zealand is launching a nationwide WiFi service piggybacking on its legacy network of pay-phone booths.

700 hotspots will be live by 7 October with a target of 2000 by the middle of 2014 – and Telecom New Zealand customers on monthly plans and on NZ$19 and NZ$29 prepaid packs will get 1Gb a day of data free."

'via Blog this'

Get to know iOS 7: iOS's other apps | Macworld

Get to know iOS 7: iOS's other apps | Macworld: "iOS 7 abolished many of the design paradigms of its prior versions in its main design, and that has filtered down to every major app built in to your device. But user interface isn’t the only thing that’s gotten an overhaul—some apps have new features as well as a new look. Here are some of the more minor stock app redesigns and updates in iOS 7."

'via Blog this'

Be Your Own Travel Guide: 7 Tips To Travel Smarter With Google Maps

Be Your Own Travel Guide: 7 Tips To Travel Smarter With Google Maps: "Ryan Dube
On 26th September, 2013
The Internet

Going on a trip can be such a stressful experience. There are hotel reservations to make, restaurant reservations to place, activities to plan out, and tickets to buy. What if you forget something, or you discover that the place you wanted to visit for your dream vacation falls far short of being anything anyone would describe as a dream"

'via Blog this'

Kindle Fire HDX vs. iPad mini

Kindle Fire HDX vs. iPad mini: "Apple's iPad and iPad mini may still rule the tablet roost, but Amazon's Kindle Fire lineup also knows how to draw a crowd. Is Apple's iPad mini a better buy than the upcoming Kindle Fire HDX? Join Gizmag, as we put the two side by side, and see what happens."

'via Blog this'

Connect your PC to your HDTV, and control it from across the room | PCWorld

Connect your PC to your HDTV, and control it from across the room | PCWorld: "Even in these days of Internet-capable HDTVs and set-top boxes, you still occasionally need to connect a PC to your television. You may have an Internet-capapble smart TV, a connected Blu-ray player or game console, and a dedicated streaming machine like a Roku, Chromecast, or Apple TV. But inevitably, at some point, you're going to want to watch streaming content from a Web site that none of your devices support. And you will want to watch it kicked back in an easy chair or with friends. That calls for a real television."

'via Blog this'

Things to Consider when Buying a Computer - News - Bubblews

Things to Consider when Buying a Computer - News - Bubblews: "One of the most important technological devices that every household should have is a computer. Not only can we use the computer for entertainment but we can also use it for communicating with our loved ones especially those who are in far places or different countries.
Here are some of the things that you should consider when you are purchasing a computer.
• If it is your first time to purchase a computer, it is recommended that you seek advice from a friend who already owns one. This way, he or she will be able to tell you what type of computer that you need that will suit your needs"

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Change the size of text in iOS 7 with one simple slider | TechHive

Change the size of text in iOS 7 with one simple slider | TechHive: "Adjustable text sizes aren't new to iOS, but iOS 7 improves upon it with its new text size adjustment tool. In iOS 6, you could adjust the text in certain apps to appear much larger than the default. You can still do that in iOS 7, but you can also adjust it to be smaller, too, in any app that support iOS 7's Dynamic Type feature."

'via Blog this'

10 Android Apps for Strength and Fitness

10 Android Apps for Strength and Fitness: "Fitness, weight loss and weight training apps for the Android phone and tablet platforms have almost reached the numbers that are available for the Apple IOS platform. Below is a selection of popular Google Android apps, in no particular order. App developer descriptions are included. Check at Google Play store for latest prices and for other similar apps."

'via Blog this'

How to use Evernote's new Web Clipper for Chrome | How To - CNET

How to use Evernote's new Web Clipper for Chrome | How To - CNET: "On paper, Evernote sounds fairly mundane. An information organizer, woo-hoo. Then, after you use it for a while, you cannot imagine how you functioned without it."

'via Blog this'

Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7 - Tablets - CNET Reviews

Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7 - Tablets - CNET Reviews: "Amazon wants to control all your media consumption, and with its new tablets and ambitious software features, it may just succeed. The company has officially unveiled its new line of Kindle Fire tablets for 2013. The three new tablets consists of the redesigned Kindle Fire HD (2013), the Kindle Fire HDX 7, and Kindle Fire HDX 8.9."

'via Blog this'

10 Awesome Third-Party Apps & Their iOS 7 Updates

10 Awesome Third-Party Apps & Their iOS 7 Updates: "If you’re pleased with the new iOS 7 redesign, you’ll like how some third-party developers have used the latest iOS upgrade to not only given their apps a modern makeovers, but have also included useful new features coupled with smoother controls and enhancements."

'via Blog this'

Why does my monitor go dark for a few seconds? – Ask Leo!

Why does my monitor go dark for a few seconds? – Ask Leo!: "Leo, I’ve got an HP Pavilion H8 1017, which I love dearly. I’m on a Windows 7 operating system and it’s standalone. I use it mostly for graphic work: Photoshop, video editing, and the like. Lately, my screen goes black for about 10 seconds whenever I stop what I’m doing and open another program. I’m afraid that this may be a prelude to the blue screen of death. I do disk cleans and defrags regularly. I have McAfee protection and AOL computer checkup and backup. Please help! I don’t want my HP to become the recently departed."

'via Blog this'

How do I change my Hotmail or Outlook.com password? – Ask Leo!

How do I change my Hotmail or Outlook.com password? – Ask Leo!: "As Microsoft updates its mail offering, some of its features are moving or changing.

As I’ve mentioned before, if you have a Hotmail (or Outlook.com, as it’s now called) account, you should expect change. Change happens. Sometimes, it’s small and other times, it’s quite dramatic – such as how you change your password."

'via Blog this'

How to customize Notification Center's 'Today' view | TechHive

How to customize Notification Center's 'Today' view | TechHive: "New in iOS 7's Notification Center is the Today view, which, as its name suggests, provides highlights about today. Be default, it will provide that day's weather forecast, your calendar, reminders on your to-do list, your stock quotes, and any events on your calendar for tomorrow. But perhaps you don't need to know where stocks stand, and maybe you don't have enough going on in your life to have the calendar appear. Here's how to adjust it to show what you want it to."

'via Blog this'

How to see what's using up space on your iPhone | TechHive

How to see what's using up space on your iPhone | TechHive: "What’s taking up all your storage space on your iPhone or iPad and preventing you from downloading and installing a shiny new app or a new version of iOS? A somewhat hidden panel in iOS’s Settings app will tell you everything you need to know."

'via Blog this'

How to turn on automatic app updates in iOS 7 | TechHive

How to turn on automatic app updates in iOS 7 | TechHive: "Sick of seeing the little red circle on your App Store icon? You'll love the new iOS 7 feature that lets your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad automatically download and install app updates as soon as they become available."

'via Blog this'

HTG Reviews the Doxie Go: Simple Computerless Scanning

HTG Reviews the Doxie Go: Simple Computerless Scanning: "Portable scanners aren’t exactly brand-new technology, so what makes the Doxie Go portable scanner special? Read on as we take one for a test drive, show you how to set it up in the process, and highlight exactly why the Doxie Go will keep your inbox and file cabinets empty."

'via Blog this'

7 Reasons To Return A Lost Phone

7 Reasons To Return A Lost Phone: "If you happen to find an expensive smartphone on the street, youll probably wonder what to do with it. In short: return it! Don’t allow yourself to get attached! Your mission is to re-unite the phone with its rightful owner. It’s the right thing to do, not just because it’s what you would want somebody to do if they found your fancy phone. And it’s what I did."

'via Blog this'

A Better Understanding of the Inner Workings of a Computer - News - Bubblews

A Better Understanding of the Inner Workings of a Computer - News - Bubblews: "This is going to be my very first entry on to this site, as well as my first venture into online blogging/article writing in general, so please try to bear with me. Any (constructive) criticism, tips, or hints are more than welcome!

I thought I'd start my first article off speaking about something I know. Namely, building computers. Please note this is going to be a very simplified list-based guide on the core components needed to put together a personal computer, and a little general info about each item, nothing too comprehensive. So now that we have that out of the way lets get started!"

'via Blog this'

Apple iOS 7 Review & Rating | PCMag.com

Apple iOS 7 Review & Rating | PCMag.com: "Launching iOS 7 (free) for the first time feels like stepping into some far-away land. It reminds me of the moment Dorothy first finds herself in Oz. She feels uncomfortable in this foreign world. Yet it's mysterious and fantastical. There's a moment of hesitation, of maybe wanting to go back home where everything will be safe and predictable, before she finds her footing. The draw is too great to turn back. Apple's iOS 7 shimmers and glides. The so-called flat design looks cold initially, but soon seems cutting edge. Dive into the settings, and you'll uncover wonderful improvements in security. A new "share sheet" comes off as much more intuitive than the buttons we've come to know so well. Everything's different, but this is a time for closing your eyes, making the leap, and embracing change."

'via Blog this'

Danger: Why You Shouldn’t Buy Cheap Third-Party Batteries For Laptops or Smartphones

Danger: Why You Shouldn’t Buy Cheap Third-Party Batteries For Laptops or Smartphones: "Official replacement batteries can be expensive. Whether you’re looking at a laptop or smartphone battery, you may be tempted to take the cheap route and buy an aftermarket battery. But this decision could blow up in your face — literally."

'via Blog this'

Building A PC? How To Get The Best Deals On Parts

Building A PC? How To Get The Best Deals On Parts: "Building your own computer and want to get the best deals? You need a strategy that can score red-hot sales before they sell out. My preferred method uses a multi-spectrum approach, focusing on price-alert apps within a tight 14-30 day window."

'via Blog this'

Get to know iOS 7: iOS's other apps | Macworld

Get to know iOS 7: iOS's other apps | Macworld: "iOS 7 abolished many of the design paradigms of its prior versions in its main design, and that has filtered down to every major app built in to your device. But user interface isn’t the only thing that’s gotten an overhaul—some apps have new features as well as a new look. Here are some of the more minor stock app redesigns and updates in iOS 7."

'via Blog this'

Your Guide To iOS7

Your Guide To iOS7: "OS 7 is Apple’s latest update to the operating system that powers mobile devices including the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. iOS is also used on the Apple TV, but this guide is specifically designed with users of mobile devices in mind."

'via Blog this'

Camera Lenses: Narrowing Down the Choices – PictureCorrect

Camera Lenses: Narrowing Down the Choices – PictureCorrect: "First of all, what is focal length? According to the textbook definition, “focal length is measured in millimeters (mm), and it represents the distance from the optical center of a lens to the digital camera sensor when the subject of the photo is in focus.”"

'via Blog this'

Apple iOS 7 Review - Watch CNET's Video Review

Apple iOS 7 Review - Watch CNET's Video Review: "The good: Apple iOS 7 gets a complete design overhaul and adds useful features like automatic updates to make everyday use easier. Long-overdue Control Center gives quick access to most-used features. AirDrop and iTunes Radio are excellent additions."

'via Blog this'

How to see what's using up space on your iPhone | TechHive

How to see what's using up space on your iPhone | TechHive: "What’s taking up all your storage space on your iPhone or iPad and preventing you from downloading and installing a shiny new app or a new version of iOS? A somewhat hidden panel in iOS’s Settings app will tell you everything you need to know."

'via Blog this'

Split Chrome into two windows with NiftySplit | PCWorld

Split Chrome into two windows with NiftySplit | PCWorld: "Most modern laptop LCDs and desktop monitors are extremely wide, which doesn't make sense when you consider that most Web pages are narrow and intended for portrait-style viewing. Indeed, if you look at this very page, you may notice some unused white space on either side."

'via Blog this'

Jumpstart your recording career for free with Audacity | PCWorld

Jumpstart your recording career for free with Audacity | PCWorld: "Music soothes the savage breast, but newcomers to the sonic scene may screech louder than a dubstep-tinged turntable session when they see the cost of professional audio-editing software. Fortunately for folks who don’t want to take out a second mortgage to fund their podcast, there’s Audacity, a powerful open-source audio editor that offers excellent basic production capabilities for a very reasonable price: free."

'via Blog this'

Two Chrome Store extensions bring back Gmail's old compose window | How To - CNET

Two Chrome Store extensions bring back Gmail's old compose window | How To - CNET: "31Twitter55Pinterest0More
Yesterday, I wrote about a third-party Chrome app that lets you reject the Gmail's new pop-out compose window and return to the old way of composing e-mails. Third-party app Old Compose worked without issue, but there is always more of a risk installing a third-party app than with one that's been vetted by Google. Also, the Old Compose extension requires you to pay with a Tweet or Facebook post in order to download the file."

'via Blog this'

CCleaner: A great tool to tune up your computer - News - Bubblews

CCleaner: A great tool to tune up your computer - News - Bubblews: "One of the many products of "Piriform", CCleaner claims that it is the number-one tool for cleaning your Windows PC. I actually believe that. As a webmaster and web host, I can tell you that I have lots of experience with computer problems. This product will help eliminate those problems. Problems related to computer speed are one of the biggest complaints that I hear. "

'via Blog this'

Can You Move Multiple Chrome Tabs to a New Window?

Can You Move Multiple Chrome Tabs to a New Window?: "Drag a tab off the tab bar in Google Chrome and it turns into a brand new window. Is there any way to replicate that trick with multiple tabs to easily break a grouping of tabs off into a new Chrome window?"

'via Blog this'

How to back up your iPhone before installing iOS 7 | How To - CNET

How to back up your iPhone before installing iOS 7 | How To - CNET: "pple's iOS 7 makes its debut today, and many users are champing at the bit to get their hands on this massively overhauled operating system.
Before you make the jump, however, it's a good idea to make sure you've got a full backup of your iPhone, just in case something goes wrong. That's not likely, given that beta testers have been putting iOS 7 through its paces for months, but better safe than sorry."

'via Blog this'

Apple iPhone 5S Review - Watch CNET's Video Review

Apple iPhone 5S Review - Watch CNET's Video Review: "The good: The iPhone 5S delivers an improved camera, a nifty fingerprint sensor, and a next-gen CPU and motion-tracking chip. Apple throws in the iWork app suite for free. iOS 7 adds some nice step-ups, too, including AirDrop file transfers and the Android-like Control Center."

'via Blog this'

Cloud Server Performance: A Comparative Analysis of 5 Large Cloud IaaS Providers | Cloud Spectator

Cloud Server Performance: A Comparative Analysis of 5 Large Cloud IaaS Providers | Cloud Spectator: "As the market quickly saturates with IaaS providers, the decision-making complexity of choosing the right provider evolves as well. Cloud Spectator monitors IaaS performance of over 20 of the world’s most well-known cloud providers to guide businesses in the selection process to maximize performance efficiency and minimize cost."

'via Blog this'

Windows XP Users: Here Are Your Upgrade Options

Windows XP Users: Here Are Your Upgrade Options: "Windows XP won’t be officially supported for much longer. Sure, you could keep using it — it won’t just stop working one day. It will just become more insecure over time as Microsoft and everyone else stops supporting it.

Let’s face it, Windows XP has had a good run. It has been officially supported for more than a decade. If you’re still using Windows XP, you should be making plans to upgrade to something that will be supported."

'via Blog this'

How to Calibrate Your Laptop’s Battery For Accurate Battery Life Estimates

How to Calibrate Your Laptop’s Battery For Accurate Battery Life Estimates: "So you’re using your laptop and, all of the sudden, it dies. There was no battery warning from Windows — in fact, you recently checked and Windows said you had 30% battery power left. What’s going on?"

'via Blog this'

Why You Don’t Need an Outbound Firewall On Your Laptop or Desktop PC

Why You Don’t Need an Outbound Firewall On Your Laptop or Desktop PC: "Windows has a built-in firewall that blocks inbound connections. If a program wants to act as a server, Windows will prompt you. Some geeks don’t like the built-in firewall because it doesn’t offer the same prompts for outgoing connections."

'via Blog this'

Automate this: Smart devices for every corner of your home | Appliances - CNET Reviews

Automate this: Smart devices for every corner of your home | Appliances - CNET Reviews: "When you talk about smart appliances, the first things that come to mind for most people are Wi-Fi-enabled washing machines or refrigerators with touch screens built into the door. But some of the smartest upgrades of all might actually lie in the world of home automation, where an explosion of new smart gadgets is offering homeowners entirely new levels of functionality for their day-to-day lives. Best of all, unlike that Internet-ready washer or touch-screen fridge, a home automation upgrade isn't likely to cost you thousands of dollars"

'via Blog this'

Insteon LED Bulb Review - Watch CNET's Video Review

Insteon LED Bulb Review - Watch CNET's Video Review: "The good: The Insteon LED Bulb is about as easy as home automation gets -- just screw it in, add it to your network of devices, and start scheduling away. With only 8W of energy usage and a life expectancy of 52,000 hours, this is a power-saving bulb built to last."

'via Blog this'

HDMI 2.0: What you need to know | TV and Home Theater - CNET Reviews

HDMI 2.0: What you need to know | TV and Home Theater - CNET Reviews: "The HDMI Forum, the nonprofit body that oversees the HDMI specification, recently announced version 2.0. There were numerous changes, not least support for higher frame rates than are possible with the current 1.4 specification."

'via Blog this'

iOS 7 Makes the iPhone More Secure than Ever | PCMag.com

iOS 7 Makes the iPhone More Secure than Ever | PCMag.com: "Apple is notoriously tight-lipped about security, usually letting the glitz of its products do the talking (and also not wanting to invite trouble)."

'via Blog this'

Which Devices Will Run iOS 7? | PCMag.com

Which Devices Will Run iOS 7? | PCMag.com: "The new operating system comes out September 18. It will be free to download, and you'll be able to install it via Wi-Fi or by connecting to a computer. There's no reason not to upgrade—unless your device can't run iOS 7."

'via Blog this'

Hands-on with Windows 8.1: A solid update, but not a game changer | ExtremeTech

Hands-on with Windows 8.1: A solid update, but not a game changer | ExtremeTech: "Microsoft is betting that Windows 8.1 will be enough to jumpstart stalled sales of new Windows PCs and to coax reluctant Windows 7 users into making the leap. After using Windows 8.1 RTM (essentially the version that will ship with machines when it is officially released) for several days on several different types of machines, I’m impressed by its many subtle improvements over Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 Preview, but it hasn’t addressed any of the fundamental issues slowing Windows 8′s adoption."

'via Blog this'

Tablet sales forecast to pass PCs, laptops in 2013, IDC says | PCWorld

Tablet sales forecast to pass PCs, laptops in 2013, IDC says | PCWorld: "Tablets and smartphones will contribute 16.5 percent and 70.5 percent respectively to the worldwide smart connected device market by 2017, according to IDC Worldwide Quarterly Smart Connected Device Tracker.

The total PC sales are expected to drop to 13 percent by 2017.

This year, the global smart connected device, which includes PCs, tablets, and smartphones, is set to be $622.4 billion and out of this $423.1 billion will come from the smartphone and tablet segments collectively."

'via Blog this'

3 Ways to Send and Check SMS Messages from Your PC

3 Ways to Send and Check SMS Messages from Your PC: "If you’re someone who constantly works on a computer, you’ll probably want to stay on that same computer with as few interruptions as possible. The biggest interruption possible is to completely switch devices, which is something a lot of people end up having to do if they’re in the middle of an SMS conversation with a friend. This dramatically inhibits your productivity, and it can get downright annoying when you’re sending 50+ SMS messages back and forth."

'via Blog this'

Speedlight Lit Portraits: Weekly Photography Challenge

Speedlight Lit Portraits: Weekly Photography Challenge: "This week we’re continuing our themed challenges in the Portraits Direction to celebrate the launch of our Portraits: Lighting the Shot eBook by pursuing the theme ‘Speedlight Lit Portraits’."

'via Blog this'

HTG Explains: Should You Use a Third-Party Uninstaller?

HTG Explains: Should You Use a Third-Party Uninstaller?: "If you’re like most Windows users, you probably just uninstall programs by launching their uninstallers from the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel. But if you’re a geek, there’s a chance you’ve dabbled with a third-party uninstaller."

'via Blog this'

How to download streaming media and watch it anywhere, anytime | PCWorld

How to download streaming media and watch it anywhere, anytime | PCWorld: "Subscribing to Hulu Plus or Netflix is a great deal—until you find yourself on a less-than-perfect Internet connection. Perversely, your streaming media library is most valuable in places where you can’t access the Internet: Watching a movie or burning through episodes of your favorite TV show is the best way to get through a long plane trip, a car ride, or a vacation in the middle of nowhere."

'via Blog this'

Your Twitter account has been hacked! Here's what to do about it. | PCWorld

Your Twitter account has been hacked! Here's what to do about it. | PCWorld: "You have to fix this immediately. When someone else is sending out tweets and DMs under your name, you're in danger of losing your credibility.

The first thing you need to do is try to log onto Twitter. If you can do that, change your password. This will stop the Twitter thief in his or her tracks, and regain you control of your account--if the thief hasn't already changed the password and locked you out."

'via Blog this'

How to make your Chrome extension icons visible again | PCWorld

How to make your Chrome extension icons visible again | PCWorld: "What is it with software developers making user-interface (UI) changes that serve no purpose other than to confuse users?

iTunes is perhaps the worst offender in this department--I think the current version (11) is perhaps the most unusable piece of software to date--but Google is giving it a run for the money with Chrome."

'via Blog this'

RAM Is Cheap So Why Don’t We Run Everything From It?

RAM Is Cheap So Why Don’t We Run Everything From It?: "RAM modules are cheaper than ever before, so why aren’t we running our entire operating system off super speedy RAM banks?

Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites."

'via Blog this'

How to Reset Your Web Browser To Its Default Settings

How to Reset Your Web Browser To Its Default Settings: "Want to reset your web browser to its default settings? You can’t necessarily just uninstall it — your personal files will stay on your computer. And if your browser is Internet Explorer, it can’t be uninstalled at all.

Resetting your browser to its default state can often fix problems. For example, a program you install may change your search engine, install toolbars, and do other unwelcome things. Or you may have accidentally changed advanced settings on your own."

'via Blog this'

HTG Reviews the Google Chromecast: Stream Video to Your TV

HTG Reviews the Google Chromecast: Stream Video to Your TV: "The Chromecast is Google’s latest foray into bridging the gap between the cloud and the living room–followers of the company and the entire cloud-to-HDTV field will surely remember their poorly received Google TV project. Unlike Google TV, however, the Chromecast has been well received and offers a smooth and comfortable user experience. The heart of that experience is a blissfully simple exchange; you pick the video you want to watch on your phone, tablet, or computer and tell the Chromecast to display it on your television–we’ll delve into the mechanics of the setup and user experience shortly."

'via Blog this'

Fatal distraction: 7 IT mistakes that will get you fired - Computerworld

Fatal distraction: 7 IT mistakes that will get you fired - Computerworld: "There are lots of reasons for instant termination. Failure to fulfill your obligation to protect your employer's digital assets or abusing your vast powers for your own nefarious ends are two sure ways to end up on the unemployment line. You could be fired for opening your mouth at the wrong time or not opening your mouth at the right one. Spying on the boss, lying to your superiors, or being directly responsible for the loss of millions of dollars in downtime through your own negligence are all excellent ways to end up on the chopping block."

'via Blog this'

Apple iOS 7 - Operating systems - CNET Reviews

Apple iOS 7 - Operating systems - CNET Reviews: "To silence a growing chorus of discontent against an operating system design that's remained more or less static since 2007, Apple needed to go big. With iOS 7, it did. Apple's crisp OS update, coming to iOS devices on September 18, 2013, gives the mobile operating system a radical new look and some first-for-Apple features for iPhone and iPad fans, like quick-access system controls, automatic app updates, and Apple's AirDrop file-sharing system."

'via Blog this'

How to Reset Your Web Browser To Its Default Settings

How to Reset Your Web Browser To Its Default Settings: "Want to reset your web browser to its default settings? You can’t necessarily just uninstall it — your personal files will stay on your computer. And if your browser is Internet Explorer, it can’t be uninstalled at all."

'via Blog this'

How to Prepare a Computer, Tablet, or Phone Before Selling It

How to Prepare a Computer, Tablet, or Phone Before Selling It: "So it’s the end of the road for your PC, tablet, or smartphone. Before letting go, be sure to follow this quick check list to prepare your device for its new owner.

If you don’t follow these steps, you may lose important personal data, run into issues authorizing DRM’d purchases in the future, or have your personal data at risk of being recovered by the device’s new owner."

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HDMI 2.0 spec released with beefed-up 4K video support and audio channels galore | TechHive

HDMI 2.0 spec released with beefed-up 4K video support and audio channels galore | TechHive: "The Ultra HD "4K" TVs and computer monitors are a-comin'! But pushing that many pixels places is a mighty big strain on the cables used to transfer audio and video to your displays. In fact, while the HDMI cords used today are technically capable of handling 4K video, it can only do so at 24 to 30 frames per second, depending on the exact resolution. Meh."

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Review: Musique is the simple and beautiful music player you've always dreamed of | PCWorld

Review: Musique is the simple and beautiful music player you've always dreamed of | PCWorld: "When listening to music on your computer, you can go several different ways. The first is to use a huge, well-known music player such as iTunes or Windows Media Player; the second is to opt for streaming using Spotify, Pandora, Last.fm, and others; and the third is to go for a smaller, lesser-known player that suits your exact needs. Musique (€8.99/$12 after 20-day free trial; Linux, Mac, and PC) is just such a player, and one that is definitely worth your attention."

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Why Using a Registry Cleaner Won’t Speed Up Your PC or Fix Crashes

Why Using a Registry Cleaner Won’t Speed Up Your PC or Fix Crashes: "We’ve said it again and again: Registry cleaners don’t speed up your PC. At best, they’re a waste of time — and often money. At worst, they can cause problems by removing registry entries they shouldn’t."

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Forget The Gimmicks: Here’s the Best Way to Organize Your Gmail Inbox

Forget The Gimmicks: Here’s the Best Way to Organize Your Gmail Inbox: "Email inbox gimmicks keep popping up. First Google introduced Priority Inbox, and now it’s using category tabs. Dropbox purchased Mailbox, which turns your inbox into more of a to-do-list. Microsoft’s Outlook.com has a Sweep feature that automatically cleans your inbox."

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Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 is bigger, faster, thinner, and lighter, but is it any better? | The Verge

Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 is bigger, faster, thinner, and lighter, but is it any better? | The Verge: "Samsung's made an annual tradition of introducing a new Galaxy Note at Berlin's IFA trade show and this year's no different. The Galaxy Note 3 sticks close to the winning formula: it enlarges the Super AMOLED display of the Note II to 5.7 inches, adds a bombastic 3GB of RAM and a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, raises the camera resolution to 13 megapixels, and simultaneously trims the fat so it can be a millimeter thinner at 8.3mm and a shade lighter at 168g. Those incremental upgrades all point to a better device, but only marginally so — Samsung's hopes for attracting new buyers to its Note platform rest on a suite of new stylus-friendly software features and a physical redesign aimed at making the Note 3 look that extra bit more glamorous."

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Pocket : HP Pavilion TouchSmart 11z review: An entry-level laptop that doesn't feel cheap

Pocket : HP Pavilion TouchSmart 11z review: An entry-level laptop that doesn't feel cheap: "For a long while, one of our favorite laptops was the HP dm1z, a now-defunct ultraportable that proved you can get decent performance and decent looks for under $500. Two years later, the spiritual successor to that very popular system (seriously, people around here still speak of it in reverential tones) is here, but does it offer the same stellar value?"

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Pocket : 8 Really Geeky But Creative Ways To Use QR Codes At Home

Pocket : 8 Really Geeky But Creative Ways To Use QR Codes At Home: "The plain-Jane QR code had a hi-tech beginning – Toyota used them in their manufacturing process for scanning automobile components. From there, QR codes have made the journey to even fashion ramps. That demonstrates their popularity, but not quite their usefulness. We need to give more examples. Tim gave a few when he talked about some great uses for QR codes. QR – Quick Response – codes have three noteworthy features. QR codes transport URLs very well. You can make them yourself easily, and you can read them just as easily with the many barcode scanning apps available for smartphones (e.g. Barcode Scanner for Android)."

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Pocket : How to Install Microsoft Office on Linux

Pocket : How to Install Microsoft Office on Linux: "Linux users can use LibreOffice, Google Docs, and even Microsoft’s Office Web Apps, but some people still need — or just want — the desktop version of Microsoft Office. Luckily, there are ways to run Microsoft Office on Linux."

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Pocket : 8 essential mobile apps for college students

Pocket : 8 essential mobile apps for college students: "These days a tablet or smartphone is as essential for college students as a backpack, a meal plan, and extra long twin sheets. But it’s not the hardware that’s so important—it’s the apps. Load up your mobile device with handy apps for taking notes, sharing files, recording lectures, managing your tasks, and (of course) reading books, and your road to the Dean’s list will be a little less bumpy."

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How to recover your lost or stolen phones, tablets, and other devices | How To - CNET

How to recover your lost or stolen phones, tablets, and other devices | How To - CNET: "Your camera is stolen. Drag an image you shot with the device into a Web page and a free service searches popular photo sites for other images taken with the camera. If the thief posted a picture taken with the camera to his or her personal account, he or she is busted."

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How to control your PC from your iPad for free | - CNET Reviews

How to control your PC from your iPad for free | - CNET Reviews: "Last week, the folks at Parallels unveiled Access, a remote-control utility for Windows and Mac that lets you access either of those desktop environments via an iPad app.
The program earned gushing coverage from the likes The New York Times and was reviewed favorably right here at CNET."

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Pocket : The best free iPad games, period

Pocket : The best free iPad games, period: "In case you haven't already figured it out, there are a lot of good free games on the iPad. In fact, free-to-play might be the future of mobile gaming, period. Look to Candy Crush Saga and Plants vs. Zombies 2 if you need any convincing."

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Pocket : US surgeon streams operation via Google Glass

Pocket : US surgeon streams operation via Google Glass: "A surgeon at Ohio State University recently performed a routine knee surgery wearing Google Glass. Streaming live video footage from the operating room, the demonstration showcased some of the ways in which Glass could be useful in the operating room."

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Pocket : Slide a camera onto your iPhone with ladibird

Pocket : Slide a camera onto your iPhone with ladibird: "Adding strange lens attachments like Carson Optical's adaptor or the WoW Lens may well improve on the iPhone's integrated lens, but there's not much you can do to boost the performance of its image sensor. A design team working out of the University of Singapore is looking to change that with ladibird, a smartphone case that sports its own portrait lens and large camera sensor."

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Pocket : Back-To-School 2013: Tablet Buying Guide

Pocket : Back-To-School 2013: Tablet Buying Guide: "Tablets are an important tool for students; they can be used for carrying your eTextbooks, taking notes during lectures, or doing online research. They are so light that you would hardly even notice one in your backpack. Heck, you can even get a decent education just from Android apps."

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How Isaac Asimov correctly predicted 2014 tech in 1964 | TechHive

How Isaac Asimov correctly predicted 2014 tech in 1964 | TechHive: "Isaac Asimov was a pretty cool guy. He’s famous for his science fiction (I, Robot, the Foundation series), but he wrote or edited more than 500 books, fiction and non-fiction alike. And in 1964, he wrote an astounding piece for the New York Times envisioning the World’s Fair of 2014."

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RAM Disks Explained: What They Are and Why You Probably Shouldn’t Use One

RAM Disks Explained: What They Are and Why You Probably Shouldn’t Use One: "Your computer’s RAM is still faster than even modern solid-state drives. RAM disks take advantage of this, using your computer’s RAM as a lightning-fast virtual drive. But you probably don’t want to use a RAM disk, anyway."

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Why Memory Optimizers and RAM Boosters Are Worse Than Useless

Why Memory Optimizers and RAM Boosters Are Worse Than Useless: "Many companies want to sell you “memory optimizers,” often as part of “PC optimization” programs. These programs are worse than useless — not only will they not speed up your computer, they’ll slow it down."

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How to Get Windows XP Mode on Windows 8

How to Get Windows XP Mode on Windows 8: "“Windows XP Mode” isn’t included with Windows 8. Microsoft will soon be discontinuing support for Windows XP and doesn’t want anyone using it, even in a virtual machine. However, you can easily set up your own Windows XP mode in Windows 8."

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