Saturday, November 30, 2013

Browse Like Bond: Use Any Computer Without Leaving a Trace with Tails

Browse Like Bond: Use Any Computer Without Leaving a Trace with Tails: "If James Bond logs on to a computer, he doesn't want to leave a bunch of files, cookies, or his IP address out there for someone to find. It might seem extreme, but sometimes it's a good idea to take the same precautions yourself. "

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How to set up an HDTV | How To - CNET

How to set up an HDTV | How To - CNET: "Wondering how to set up an HDTV? It may seem like a daunting task, with pages and pages of settings and a pile of cables. But since you took all that time finding the right TV for you, and you've driven/carried/dragged it home, it's worth it to spend a little extra time making sure it's correctly set up. Otherwise, it won't look its best.
After you follow the instructions for getting the TV on its stand (if it isn't already), the real setup begins. There are countless settings, options, and potential issues between box and beautiful picture. This how-to guide should help you navigate the waters of TV technology."

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Friday, November 29, 2013

Wireless Printing Explained: AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, iPrint, ePrint, and More — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

Wireless Printing Explained: AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, iPrint, ePrint, and More — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from. This definitely applies to wireless printers. When buying a printer, you’ll find that most printers support a variety of different printing standards."

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Thursday, November 28, 2013

Google starts actively wooing Chromecast developers — www.techhive.com — Readability

Google starts actively wooing Chromecast developers — www.techhive.com — Readability: "You can already use your Google Chromecast to watch Hulu Plus, Netflix, and HBO Go, but soon Google is expected to allow even more third-party app compatibility with the streaming device.

A number of Android developers are reporting they have received invitations to attend a Cast-centric hackathon at Google HQ from December 7-8."

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How to buy the right sound bar to go with your TV — www.techhive.com — Readability

How to buy the right sound bar to go with your TV — www.techhive.com — Readability: "Your HDTV has crappy speakers. Don’t feel bad, they all do. There’s only so much they can do in that thin enclosure with a tiny bezel around the screen. It’s easy to get great sound in your living room, though. All you have to do is buy a receiver, a center channel speaker, a subwoofer, front and surround speakers. Then you take a bunch of speaker wire, and run it from your receiver..."

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'All you can watch' YouTube subscription service may soon be ready to view — www.techhive.com — Readability

'All you can watch' YouTube subscription service may soon be ready to view — www.techhive.com — Readability: "A long, long time ago, when cable television was considered a standard accessory in every middle-class household, several channels played music videos consistently throughout the day. The MTVs and VH-1s of the world have since had their programming largely overtaken by scripted reality shows, but Google hopes to put those music videos back in the spotlight with an on-demand video service through YouTube."

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Essential free software you can't afford to miss | PCWorld

Essential free software you can't afford to miss | PCWorld: "Free doesn’t have to mean cheesy, especially when it comes to freeware. A developer’s passion project can become something you can’t imagine being without, and the fact that you don’t have to lay out any cash to acquire it is a major bonus. Some developers accept donations to further development, so consider giving what you can if you find value in their efforts."

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Some password managers are safer than others | PCWorld

Some password managers are safer than others | PCWorld: "Susan Taylor worries that password managers may not be sufficiently secure. "What if the password manager company is hacked?"

That's a very good question, and one that we all should worry about. In this day and age, when a large and established company such as Adobe can get hacked, are any of our passwords safe? If Adobe had been storing their customers' banking and shopping passwords, the 38 million people effected by that incident would be in much worse trouble."

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How to reset the Wi-Fi password at your parents’ house on your holiday travels | PCWorld

How to reset the Wi-Fi password at your parents’ house on your holiday travels | PCWorld: "Going visiting this holiday season? If you’re staying with friends or family members, don’t be surprised if the bed is lumpy, the room is cold, and the Wi-Fi is locked down.

Not on purpose, of course. Nearly everyone has a home Wi-Fi network nowadays, but not everyone remembers their network password when guests start showing up with tablets, laptops, and phones in need of Internet.  Typically, this happens because after Uncle Rusty sets up the router, he never has to touch it again and eventually his unbeatable password gets forgotten. Result: No Wi-Fi for you, or any other visitor."

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

La Fonction No.1 briefcase transforms into a miniature mobile cubicle

La Fonction No.1 briefcase transforms into a miniature mobile cubicle: "While smartphones, tablets, and ultra-portable laptops have made it possible to work anywhere and everywhere, some privacy has been lost in the process. La Fonction No.1, a briefcase which transforms into a miniature mobile cubicle, is one attempt to bring an element of privacy back to the new work-on-the-go ethic."

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iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5c: A closer look

iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5c: A closer look: "If you're shopping for a new iPhone this holiday season, Apple has two new handsets to choose from. The iPhone 5s is the higher-end model, but are its upgrades worth the extra US$100? Or do you thumb your nose at its "forward-thinking" features and go with some fun new colors instead? Let Gizmag try to help, as we go hands-on to help you decide whether you're better off with the iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c."

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How to Get Goodreads on Your Kindle Paperwhite Right Now — www.wired.com — Readability

How to Get Goodreads on Your Kindle Paperwhite Right Now — www.wired.com — Readability: "Amazon’s acquisition of Goodreads was met with a mix of cheers and disdain. Regardless of how you feel about the purchase, though, Goodreads’ integration with the Kindle Paperwhite is a welcome addition this long travel weekend — that is, if you can get it working."

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Smart TVs Are Stupid: Why You Don’t Really Want a Smart TV — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

Smart TVs Are Stupid: Why You Don’t Really Want a Smart TV — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "Wouldn’t it be great to have a smart TV? Well, not really. If you do have a smart TV, you’d be better off combining it with a cheap set-top box rather than actually using its smart features.

Smart TVs are actually a decent idea. The problem isn’t that the idea of a smart TV is stupid, the problem is that the smart TVs themselves are stupid — or, at least, not very smart."

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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display - CNET Reviews

Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display - CNET Reviews: "The iPad Mini with Retina Display is the iPad Air in a smaller, cheaper package that's just as capable as its larger brother. Also, thanks to its smaller screen, the tablet's pixel density is one of the highest yet on any tablet. This is not only the best version of the iPad so far but, thanks to its incredible apps options and robust media ecosystem, it's the best small tablet, period."

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How to set up an HDTV — howto.cnet.com — Readability

How to set up an HDTV — howto.cnet.com — Readability: "Wondering how to set up an HDTV? It may seem like a daunting task, with pages and pages of settings and a pile of cables. But since you took all that time finding the right TV for you, and you've driven/carried/dragged it home, it's worth it to spend a little extra time making sure it's correctly set up. Otherwise, it won't look its best."

'via Blog this'

Saturday, November 23, 2013

How Can I Check My Computer’s RAM Configuration Without Opening the Case? — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

How Can I Check My Computer’s RAM Configuration Without Opening the Case? — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "If you need a more detailed look at your RAM configuration than the basic about Windows report provides, you can find out all you need to know without cracking open the case. Read on to see how you can check your configuration and installed RAM module stats."

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How to get started with Pocket — www.techhive.com — Readability

How to get started with Pocket — www.techhive.com — Readability: "Earlier this week, Pocket released a new version of its mobile app for iOS, with the Android update arriving next week. Pocket is a service that lets you save articles you find online so you can read them later, and if you’ve been thinking of givingit a try, this is a good time to dive in. Here’s how to get set up to use it on all your devices."

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How to Remove a Virus from your Computer !! - News - Bubblews

How to Remove a Virus from your Computer !! - News - Bubblews: "If you suspect you have a virus on your Windows computer, you should take steps immediately. Sometimes such problems occur and systems slow down due to registry errors. The following procedures work for most malware (except perhaps for completely new, unknown or unusually malignant strains). It is better to complete all steps, so you can be (reasonably) sure that all traces have been eradicated."

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Disable Windows' logon password — www.pcworld.com — Readability

Disable Windows' logon password — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "Don doesn't need to keep other people off his PC. He asked me how he could skip the logon screen and boot directly into Windows without a password.

My first piece of advice would be to leave your computer as is. That password is important. Without it, your PC is vulnerable. Anyone who can get physical access to your PC can also get access to your files, email, and so on. They may even be able to send email as you."

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How NOT to Store Passwords! — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

How NOT to Store Passwords! — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "Password and account security is a hot topic as of late, especially in light of the continuing, non-stop ‘series’ of database breaches that we seem to hear about every week. With this in mind, YouTube channel Computerphile looks at and explains all the wrong ways that websites can and do use to store passwords."

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Ask HTG: How Do I Kill a “Not Responding” Program When Task Manager Fails Me? — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

Ask HTG: How Do I Kill a “Not Responding” Program When Task Manager Fails Me? — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "Windows informs you a program has stopped responding, you opt to close the program and nothing happens, you try to terminate it in Task Manager and nothing happens, and there you are, stuck with a failed but unslayable program. What can you do? Read on as we help an HTG reader slay his dragon."

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8 Reasons Why The Windows Desktop is Awesome — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

8 Reasons Why The Windows Desktop is Awesome — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "We’ve written some particularly negative things about Windows recently, focusing on the reasons why using the traditional Windows desktop can be a frustrating experience. Do we just hate Windows? Not at all. The Windows desktop is an amazing platform.

Speaking personally, I have a love-hate relationship with Windows, as I imagine many Windows users do. We’ve looked at the reasons for the hate, now let’s look at the reasons for the love."

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Tablet buying guide 2013: How to pick the right tablet — www.pcworld.com — Readability

Tablet buying guide 2013: How to pick the right tablet — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "You might be looking to snag a tablet for yourself or for your loved one. But before you venture out to a brick and mortar store or get lost scouring for websites and looking for deals, take a step back. Like everything else in life, tablet shopping is easier if you have a plan."

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Scanner buying guide 2013: Find the right scanner for your needs — www.pcworld.com — Readability

Scanner buying guide 2013: Find the right scanner for your needs — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "Back when people relied on film cameras to capture memories, scanners were about the only way to get your printed photos or slides onto your computer’s hard drive for editing, sharing, and archiving. But the move to digital cameras changed that: You can have a hard drive stuffed full of images without ever having plugged a desktop scanner into your computer."

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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Laptop buying guide — reviews.cnet.com — Readability

Laptop buying guide — reviews.cnet.com — Readability: "While our laptop and mobile PC buying guide will give you the tools to go out and research, shop for, and buy the perfect laptop, hybrid, or Windows tablet, there's no harm in starting off with a few favorite picks for 2013."

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Schneier tells Washington NSA broke Internet’s security for everyone — arstechnica.com — Readability

Schneier tells Washington NSA broke Internet’s security for everyone — arstechnica.com — Readability: "WASHINGTON, DC—To say that there are a lot of people who are angry with the National Security Agency (NSA) right now would be an understatement. But the things that are getting the most political attention right now—such as the invasion of the privacy of American citizens and spying on the leaders of American allies—are just a fraction of the problem, according to cryptographer and Harvard University Berkman Center for Internet and Society Fellow Bruce Schneier."

'via Blog this'

What The Windows XPocalypse Means For You — www.makeuseof.com — Readability

What The Windows XPocalypse Means For You — www.makeuseof.com — Readability: "If there is one thing that Microsoft has an aptitude for, it’s pomp. Windows 95 launched to a soundtrack scored by none other than The Rolling Stones and Weezer. For Vista, Redmond made sure that those who turned up to the launch party were given enough worthless tat to fill a landfill. However, nothing quite topped the vainglorious fanfare of the launch of XP, which saw New York turned into a literal, honest-to-god fairground, which was scored with a performance by Geordie crooner, Sting."

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The most dangerous case: 3 ways to weaponize your iPhone — www.techhive.com — Readability

The most dangerous case: 3 ways to weaponize your iPhone — www.techhive.com — Readability: "This…makes quite the impression. It isn’t unique, either—iPhone cases have been weaponized in multiple ways, gaining everything from DIY studs to a pistol shape to pepper-spray add-ons. There’s even an armored iPhone case that will stop .50 caliber bullets (which is probably realistic only if you’re the Professional Russian)."

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Microsoft Xbox One — reviews.cnet.com — Readability

Microsoft Xbox One — reviews.cnet.com — Readability: "Just a week after the encouraging debut of the PlayStation 4, Xbox One claims the spotlight.

Arriving a full eight years to the day after the Xbox 360, the Xbox One stakes a bold claim as the command center of your living room. Its name says it all: the One Box that would have you view all your living room entertainment -- from gaming, live TV, online video streaming, or Skyping with friends and family -- through its hardware."

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Essential steps for securing your phone, and what else can be done to foil thieves — reviews.cnet.com — Readability

Essential steps for securing your phone, and what else can be done to foil thieves — reviews.cnet.com — Readability: "It could happen to you any time, or maybe it already has: You're on the bus playing Angry Birds or browsing Facebook on your phone, when someone snatches your handset, sliding out the closing doors and slipping away into the crowd. Or, worse, a thief takes your phone from you at gunpoint. However it happens, there's no recourse. Your phone is gone, and while you always can buy another handset, all your personal information now lives in the hands of a criminal, petty or otherwise."

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Google Now vs. Siri: The rematch | CNET TV | Video Product Reviews, CNET Podcasts, Tech Shows, Live CNET Video

Google Now vs. Siri: The rematch | CNET TV | Video Product Reviews, CNET Podcasts, Tech Shows, Live CNET Video:

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Does the Color of a Heatsink Affect Its Performance? — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

Does the Color of a Heatsink Affect Its Performance? — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "When it comes to the pursuit of true geekdom, there’s no question too arcane. Today we take a look at whether or not the color of a heat sink matters (and if the performance hit or bonus is even worth considering)."

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HTG Explains: Can You Use Any Charger With Any Device? — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

HTG Explains: Can You Use Any Charger With Any Device? — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "Every device — smartphone, tablet, eReader, laptop — seems to come with its own charger. But do you really need all these chargers? Can you re-use the same charger for multiple devices?

The Micro-USB connectors and chargers shipped with most modern smartphones and tablets are now supposed to be standardized. This is a topic that’s more confusing than it should be, given this standardization."

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Saturday, November 16, 2013

In A Landmark Legal Decision, Google Wins The Right To Scan Pretty Much Every Book Ever — www.businessinsider.com — Readability

In A Landmark Legal Decision, Google Wins The Right To Scan Pretty Much Every Book Ever — www.businessinsider.com — Readability: "Google has been embroiled in a court case with the Authors Guild for the past eight years as it argued the legality of its huge book-scanning project, Google Books.
The decision was formally made that Google Books can continue its efforts to digitally capture around 20 million books without legal repercussions, reports GigaOM."

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Home Wireless Network Keeps the Snoops Away — www-nc.nytimes.com — Readability

Home Wireless Network Keeps the Snoops Away — www-nc.nytimes.com — Readability: "LIKE most people, Kim Thomas has a broadband connection at home that she uses to check email, surf the Internet and stream music and video.

But unlike most people, Ms. Thomas, 56, a program director for a charitable foundation in Portland, Ore., has no monthly bill. All she did was buy a router and rooftop antenna , which not only granted her free access but also made her part owner of the infrastructure that delivers the signal. Total cost: about $150."

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Google Nexus 5 Review and Giveaway — www.makeuseof.com — Readability

Google Nexus 5 Review and Giveaway — www.makeuseof.com — Readability: "Approximately a year after Google released the Nexus 4, the company behind Android has come out with its successor — the Nexus 5. The new iteration of the popular and (relatively) cheap Android smartphone brings about plenty of improvements to its older sibling, enough so that the device sold out within hours after its release. Is the new device really worth the upgrade from the Nexus 4, or could it be your next high-end smartphone?"

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Xbox One vs. PlayStation 4 — reviews.cnet.com — Readability

Xbox One vs. PlayStation 4 — reviews.cnet.com — Readability: "Now, in a bout eight years in the making, two titans will fight for the heavyweight game console championship of the world!

In this corner, in the green and white shorts, weighing in at a massive 15.2 pounds and hailing from Redmond, Wash., in the USA, the Microsoft Xbox One!"

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The private information Facebook now makes public — howto.cnet.com — Readability

The private information Facebook now makes public — howto.cnet.com — Readability: "You may have been one of the many Facebook users contacted by the company last week about the demise of the "Who can look up your Timeline by name" search setting. The Facebook e-mail announcing the discontinuation of the feature goes on to explain how to limit what information you share on the service. Unfortunately, there's no longer a way to limit globally the personal information Facebook shares with everyone; you can do so only for each separate post using the audience selector"

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Facebook makes changes to its data use policies — www.washingtonpost.com — Readability

Facebook makes changes to its data use policies — www.washingtonpost.com — Readability: "Facebook moved ahead Friday with changes to its privacy policies that make it clear that the company can include users’ profile pictures, location and other personal information in advertisements."

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What Does the RAM Slot Color Coding on Motherboards Mean? — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

What Does the RAM Slot Color Coding on Motherboards Mean? — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "Yellow and orange, blue and black, green and red: you’ll find the RAM slots on motherboards in all sorts of  color pairs. But what exactly do those pairs mean and how does it affect you when system building or upgrading your current rig?"

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Thursday, November 14, 2013

FBI posts $50,000 reward for 'Lover Spy' malware writer — www.pcworld.com — Readability

FBI posts $50,000 reward for 'Lover Spy' malware writer — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "The FBI has offered large rewards for information that could help them catch a clutch of alleged cybercriminals, including an El Salvadoran national accused of selling a Trojan designed to spy on husbands or wives believed by their spouses to be cheating on them."

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Bugs and Fixes: Firefox 25 fixes security holes and adds web audio — www.pcworld.com — Readability

Bugs and Fixes: Firefox 25 fixes security holes and adds web audio — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "Securing browsers is a full-time occupation, and someone (likely a small army of them) was busy at Mozilla before releasing Firefox 25 on October 29th. The bugs fixed relate to Javascript PDF usage, spoofing the address bar, image decoding, the offline cache, and various memory hazards (e.g. null pointers, non-deallocated blocks)."

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How to set up two monitors — www.pcworld.com — Readability

How to set up two monitors — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "Ray Raulerson asked about running a computer with two monitors.

For years, I was quite happy with one monitor. I would see other people working with two of them, and it struck me as a waste of desk space and electricity. Three monitors looked like they would flap their wings and fly away."

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How to set up two monitors — www.pcworld.com — Readability

How to set up two monitors — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "Ray Raulerson asked about running a computer with two monitors.

For years, I was quite happy with one monitor. I would see other people working with two of them, and it struck me as a waste of desk space and electricity. Three monitors looked like they would flap their wings and fly away."

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‘PC settings’ gets major makeover in Win8.1 — windowssecrets.com — Readability

‘PC settings’ gets major makeover in Win8.1 — windowssecrets.com — Readability: "Microsoft made a host of changes to the commands and options on Windows 8.1′s PC settings page, adding new functions and moving or renaming others."

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Supercomputer Watson Will Soon Be Available To Everyone — www.theatlanticwire.com — Readability

Supercomputer Watson Will Soon Be Available To Everyone — www.theatlanticwire.com — Readability: "Two and a half years ago, in early 2011, an IBM-developed supercomputer named Watson won a Jeopardy! tournament against two human opponents. It was simultaneously fascinating (computers are cool!) and terrifying ("I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords."). Until now, however, the high-level computations performed by Watson have been kept locked away, but on Thursday, IBM will announce that it is making Watson available to companies and individual developers through the Internet."

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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Dangerous new virus hijacks your computer — www.bubblews.com — Readability

Dangerous new virus hijacks your computer — www.bubblews.com — Readability: "here are ways to get your computer back without paying up, though.

First, check to make sure the virus is the real thing. Some hackers are using fake ransomware to trick you into paying big bucks, even though your computer isn't really infected."

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So Your iPhone Was Lost or Stolen: Here’s What To Do — www.makeuseof.com — Readability

So Your iPhone Was Lost or Stolen: Here’s What To Do — www.makeuseof.com — Readability: "If your iPhone is no longer in your possession, you might never see it again and the last thing you want to worry about is data security. Here’s what you need to do.

Data theft can be just as damaging (if not more so) than losing a very expensive gadget. Your iPhone might be your pride and joy, but just imagine if someone gained access to your email, bank or social media accounts – wouldn’t that potentially be worse?"

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Xbox One vs PlayStation 4: Is there a performance gap, and can it be closed? — www.gizmag.com — Readability

Xbox One vs PlayStation 4: Is there a performance gap, and can it be closed? — www.gizmag.com — Readability: "With the launches of Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One now a matter of mere days away, excitement and hype levels have entered the stratosphere. On paper, the PlayStation 4 has arguably looked the more capable games console, with Xbox One tailored more as an all-in media hub. But with the first cross-format games emerging, some are concerned that the performance gap may be bigger than foretold. Why? And can the gap be closed?"

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

How To Upgrade To Windows 8.1 & How To Downgrade Back To Windows 8 — www.makeuseof.com — Readability

How To Upgrade To Windows 8.1 & How To Downgrade Back To Windows 8 — www.makeuseof.com — Readability: "Windows 8.1 is here and brings many new and improved features. The update is free for current Windows 8 users, it’s available from the Windows Store, and the installation process, if not quick, at least is easy. If you would like to boot to the desktop, take advantage of the improved SkyDrive integration, or run multiple apps next to each other with the new dynamic Snap feature, you should consider upgrading."

'via Blog this'

Why is it so important to use a different password on every site? — askleo.com — Readability

Why is it so important to use a different password on every site? — askleo.com — Readability: "I keep hearing that I’m supposed to use a different password on every internet site where I have an account. What a pain! I can’t remember all of those passwords. Yeah, I know. You want me to use a password manager thing, but that seems like putting a bunch of really important things into a single basket. What if that basket gets hacked? I use a strong password, why isn’t that enough?"

'via Blog this'

Backblaze Blog » How long do disk drives last? — blog.backblaze.com — Readability

Backblaze Blog » How long do disk drives last? — blog.backblaze.com — Readability: "Why does a company that keeps more than 25,000 disk drives spinning all the time not know how long they last? Backblaze has been providing reliable and unlimited online backup for over five years. For the past four years, we’ve had enough drives to provide good statistics, but 74% of the drives we buy are living longer than four years. So while 26% of drives fail in their first four years, and we have detailed information about the failure rates of drives in their first four years, we don’t yet know what will happen beyond that. So how long do drives last? Keep reading."

'via Blog this'

How to send greeting cards right from your iPhone — howto.cnet.com — Readability

How to send greeting cards right from your iPhone — howto.cnet.com — Readability: "CleverCards integrates with Facebook so you can quickly see whose birthdays are approaching -- and send them cards, of course.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)
Until recently, I was a fairly regular customer of Apple's Cards app, which allowed me to choose any photo in my Camera Roll, add it to a greeting card for just about any occasion, write a personalized message, and get it printed and mailed to the recipient(s) of my choice -- all for just a few bucks."

'via Blog this'

Get to know iOS 7's four best usability features — howto.cnet.com — Readability

Get to know iOS 7's four best usability features — howto.cnet.com — Readability: "It doesn't take long to get used to iOS 7's new look. Jason Parker's review of iOS 7 describes the update's interface as "elegant."

Many of iOS 7's best new features aren't so obvious, however. Here are four tweaks that make an iOS 7 device easier to use."

'via Blog this'

Monday, November 11, 2013

Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 review: Unapologetically content-driven — www.techhive.com — Readability

Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 review: Unapologetically content-driven — www.techhive.com — Readability: "In the handset marketplace, the iPhone is simply one of at least a half a dozen equally capable options. There’s less competition among compact tablets, but many consumers only desire those things as ultraportable entertainment devices or “wicked big phones” instead of as real, powerful computers."

'via Blog this'

Hands On: Comcast's Xfinity TV Go app finally treats Android users like adults again — www.techhive.com — Readability

Hands On: Comcast's Xfinity TV Go app finally treats Android users like adults again — www.techhive.com — Readability: "For years, Comcast and other content purveyors treated Android users like second-class citizens.

Exhibit A: the previous Xfinity TV app for Android only allowed Android users to schedule shows on their DVR, while the comparable TV Player app for iOS devices allowed those users to stream Comcast shows that the user subscribed to."

'via Blog this'

How Siri gets its voice | TechHive — www.techhive.com — Readability

How Siri gets its voice | TechHive — www.techhive.com — Readability: "In early October, CNN revealed that veteran voice actor Susan Bennett was the voice behind Siri until Apple changed it in iOS 7. Her utterances, she revealed in an interview, were being used by the tech giant (and its likely voice synthesis partner Nuance) to generate the digital assistant’s own words."

'via Blog this'

Why you should wait before buying an Xbox One or PS4 — reviews.cnet.com — Readability

Why you should wait before buying an Xbox One or PS4 — reviews.cnet.com — Readability: "Both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will be here in a matter of days -- November 15 for the PS4 and a week later for the Xbox.

But that doesn't mean you should rush out and buy one.

Even if you're excited about the next wave of console games, signs are pointing in flashing red neon to wait. You could -- and probably should -- wait until next year to enjoy the fruits that these consoles will hopefully bring."

'via Blog this'

New technique to print ink-based electrical circuitry using a desktop printer — www.gizmag.com — Readability

New technique to print ink-based electrical circuitry using a desktop printer — www.gizmag.com — Readability: "Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a new technique to print advanced, ink-based electrical circuitry on a desktop printer. Using about US$300 worth of off-the-shelf equipment, the researchers were able to print arbitrary-shaped circuits on resin-coated paper, PET film, and glossy photo paper with silver nanoparticle ink."

'via Blog this'

New technique to print ink-based electrical circuitry using a desktop printer — www.gizmag.com — Readability

New technique to print ink-based electrical circuitry using a desktop printer — www.gizmag.com — Readability: "Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a new technique to print advanced, ink-based electrical circuitry on a desktop printer. Using about US$300 worth of off-the-shelf equipment, the researchers were able to print arbitrary-shaped circuits on resin-coated paper, PET film, and glossy photo paper with silver nanoparticle ink."

'via Blog this'

2013 Tablet Comparison Guide — www.gizmag.com — Readability

2013 Tablet Comparison Guide — www.gizmag.com — Readability: "Planning on putting a new tablet on your holiday wish list? Or maybe you're trying to find the perfect slate for a loved one? There are a lot of tablets out there, but Gizmag is here to help you sort through the mess. Join us, as we compare the features and specs of the year's most popular tablets."

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No, iCloud Isn’t Backing Them All Up: How to Manage Photos on Your iPhone or iPad — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

No, iCloud Isn’t Backing Them All Up: How to Manage Photos on Your iPhone or iPad — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "Are the photos you take with your iPhone or iPad backed up in case you lose your device? If you’re just relying on iCloud to manage your important memories, your photos may not be backed up at all.

Apple’s iCloud has a photo-syncing feature in the form of “Photo Stream,” but Photo Stream doesn’t actually perform any long-term backups of your photos."

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How to Sync Any Browser’s Bookmarks With Your iPad or iPhone — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

How to Sync Any Browser’s Bookmarks With Your iPad or iPhone — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "Apple makes it easy to synchronize bookmarks between the Safari browser on a Mac and the Safari browser on iOS, but you don’t have to use Safari — or a Mac — to sync your bookmarks back and forth.

You can do this with any browser. Whether you’re using Chrome, Firefox, or even Internet Explorer, there’s a way to sync your browser bookmarks so you can access your same bookmarks on your iPad."

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Don’t Wait: 5 Great Android KitKat Features You Could Get Right Now — www.makeuseof.com — Readability

Don’t Wait: 5 Great Android KitKat Features You Could Get Right Now — www.makeuseof.com — Readability: "Android 4.4 KitKat is finally here! But as longtime Android users know all too well, its official rollout will be slow, gradual, and for many, non-existent. That’s why many people don’t wait around for official builds to pass through carriers and hardware manufacturers, instead opting to flash custom ROMs or download leaked APKs. Yes, it’s a tad impatient, but for us techie folk who like to live on the bleeding edge, it’s worth it."

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Sunday, November 10, 2013

The HTG Guide to Using a Bluetooth Keyboard with Your Android Device — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

The HTG Guide to Using a Bluetooth Keyboard with Your Android Device — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "Android devices aren’t usually associated with physical keyboards. But, since Google is now bundling their QuickOffice app with the newly-released Kit-Kat, it appears inevitable that at least some Android tablets (particularly 10-inch models) will take on more productivity roles."

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How to Use An Antivirus Boot Disc or USB Drive to Ensure Your Computer is Clean — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

How to Use An Antivirus Boot Disc or USB Drive to Ensure Your Computer is Clean — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "If your computer is infected with malware, running an antivirus within Windows may not be enough to remove it. If your computer has a rootkit, the malware may be able to hide itself from your antivirus software.

This is where bootable antivirus solutions come in. They can clean malware from outside the infected Windows system, so the malware won’t be running and interfering with the clean-up process."

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Friday, November 8, 2013

Really Private Browsing: An Unofficial User’s Guide to Tor — www.makeuseof.com — Readability

Really Private Browsing: An Unofficial User’s Guide to Tor — www.makeuseof.com — Readability: "The issue of privacy on the Internet has long been a difficult one: there are a lot of good reasons that you might be leery of strangers reading your emails or spying on the websites you visit – and there are equally compelling reasons that various unscrupulous people, corporations, and governments might want to do just that. The whole issue has come to a head recently with the revelation that the NSA has been illicitly spying on American citizens and others through Facebook, Google, and Skype – including, probably, you."

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Up, up and away with HGST's 6 TB helium-filled HDD — www.gizmag.com — Readability

Up, up and away with HGST's 6 TB helium-filled HDD — www.gizmag.com — Readability: "Last year, Western Digital subsidiary HGST announced the development of a helium-filled hard drive that would offer increased storage capacity and a reduction in power consumption compared to its air-filled cousins. The company has now delivered on its promise of a 2013 release by beginning shipments of what the company is trumpeting as the world's highest capacity HDD, the 6 TB Ultrastar He6."

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Why Are Minimized Programs Often Slow to Open Again? — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

Why Are Minimized Programs Often Slow to Open Again? — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "It seems particularly counterintuitive: you minimize an application because you plan on returning to it later and wish to skip shutting the application down and restarting it later, but sometimes maximizing it takes even longer than launching it fresh. What gives?"

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How to Transpose Rows and Columns in Excel 2013 — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

How to Transpose Rows and Columns in Excel 2013 — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "You’ve setup your worksheet with all your row and column headings and you’ve entered all your data. Then, you discover that it would look better if the rows were the columns and the columns were the rows. How do you accomplish this easily?

There is an easy way to convert your rows to columns and vice versa using the Transpose feature in Excel. We’ll show you how."

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Thursday, November 7, 2013

Spend 20 bucks, build yourself an adjustable standing desk in 20 minutes — www.pcworld.com — Readability

Spend 20 bucks, build yourself an adjustable standing desk in 20 minutes — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "You probably know that sitting on your butt all day isn’t good for you, but you might not realize just how bad it is. According to one frightening study, people who spent more than 11 hours per day in a chair were 40 percent more likely to die within the next three years, compared with those who sat for 4 hours."

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When Windows breaks: How to fix it, piece by piece — www.pcworld.com — Readability

When Windows breaks: How to fix it, piece by piece — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "Windows is so customizable, it’s tempting to tinker. Don’t like Internet Explorer’s default feel? There are settings for that! Hate the way Windows 8’s Ribbon UI looks? Tweak away! And if you’re feeling truly adventurous, a veritable universe of change awaits within the easy-to-bork Windows registry."

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When Windows breaks: How to fix it, piece by piece — www.pcworld.com — Readability

When Windows breaks: How to fix it, piece by piece — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "Windows is so customizable, it’s tempting to tinker. Don’t like Internet Explorer’s default feel? There are settings for that! Hate the way Windows 8’s Ribbon UI looks? Tweak away! And if you’re feeling truly adventurous, a veritable universe of change awaits within the easy-to-bork Windows registry."

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Speed up a slow PC without buying new hardware — www.pcworld.com — Readability

Speed up a slow PC without buying new hardware — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "Gamersim17 complains that his PC is "moving extremely slowly and not performing like it should." He asked the Desktops forum for advice.

If a once-fast computer has slowed to a crawl, you can't really blame the hardware. Sure, you may be able to improve speed by adding RAM, upgrading the CPU, or replacing the hard drive with an SSD. But none of those solutions--all of which cost money--address the underlying problem. Your hardware isn't underpowered. It's overloaded."

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Amazon Prime announces new original comedy series, really wants to be Netflix — www.techhive.com — Readability

Amazon Prime announces new original comedy series, really wants to be Netflix — www.techhive.com — Readability: "Last minute mom gift facilitator Amazon has just announced that it will debut two new original comedy series this month: political satire Alpha House and Silicon Valley start-up send-up Betas.

Alpha House features John Goodman and is written by Doonesbury cartoonist Gary Trudeau. The series follows the adventures of a group of Republican senators who rent a house together in Washington, DC. Betas follows four young friends as they attempt to launch a new social networking app. Alpha House will debut on November 15 and Betas will follow on November 22."

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How The Internet Has Revitalized Legitimate Work At Home Jobs — www.makeuseof.com — Readability

How The Internet Has Revitalized Legitimate Work At Home Jobs — www.makeuseof.com — Readability: "Do  you think that earning money online is just a scam? Think that people who say they “work online” are just making up an excuse to stay home all day? Well we’ve found two professionals who work exclusively online, and make a comfortable living doing it."

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How to Buy a Wireless Router | PCMag.com

How to Buy a Wireless Router | PCMag.com: "Fact: Selecting the right wireless router can be a challenge. Businesses often spend thousands of dollars to hire wireless networking professionals to perform site surveys to determine the best equipment and means to deploy a wireless network. Small wonder, then, that home and small business users can feel frustrated about purchasing, setting up, and maintaining a wireless router and their own wireless networks!"

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How to use Google Search's new features in iOS | How To - CNET

How to use Google Search's new features in iOS | How To - CNET: "Google Now for iOS isn't quite on par with its Android counterpart, but it's getting very close -- especially after yesterday's release of the updated Google Search app.
In case you're unfamiliar with it, Google Now integrates with the Search app to provide you custom, personalized information, everything from local weather to sports scores to traffic reports -- and now, reminders. This data appears on cards when you swipe up from the main Google-search screen."

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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Hudway app turns your phone into a head-up display — www.gizmag.com — Readability

Hudway app turns your phone into a head-up display — www.gizmag.com — Readability: "It was just this July that we heard about Garmin's HUD. It's a portable device that sits on the dashboard of the user's car, working with their smartphone to project a head-up display (HUD) onto the inside of their windshield. Russian startup Hudway has taken that same basic approach with its self-named free app, except that it utilizes just the phone – no projector is required."

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How to Reuse Your Old Wi-Fi Router as a Network Switch — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

How to Reuse Your Old Wi-Fi Router as a Network Switch — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "Just because your old Wi-Fi router has been replaced by a newer model doesn’t mean it needs to gather dust in the closet. Read on as we show you how to take an old and underpowered Wi-Fi router and turn it into a respectable network switch (saving your $20 in the process)."

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5 Sneaky Smartphone Spy Tricks — www.menshealth.com — Readability

5 Sneaky Smartphone Spy Tricks — www.menshealth.com — Readability: "Apple’s new iPhone 5S has a cool feature that will make you feel like a spy: its Home button doubles as a fingerprint scanner. But a biometric border guard doesn’t mean your phone is thoroughly locked down—after all, the company has had to update iOS 7 twice already to fix lock screen bypass bugs. So if you’re worried about your data being compromised—and you should be, since our phones provide tons of data and access to our lives—use our clever collection of spy tricks to make your device more secure and give yourself a little peace of mind."

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Portable Audio Gifts - Tech Holiday Gift Ideas and Gift Guide 2013 — reviews.cnet.com — Readability

Portable Audio Gifts - Tech Holiday Gift Ideas and Gift Guide 2013 — reviews.cnet.com — Readability: "JCPenney offers the Nostalgia Electrics Retro Snow Cone Maker, model no. RSM-702, for $26.99. Choose in-store pickup to dodge the $8 shipping fee. That's the lowest price we could find by $3. It comes with a reusable plastic cone."

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Tech Holiday Gift Ideas and Gift Guide 2013 — reviews.cnet.com — Readability

Tech Holiday Gift Ideas and Gift Guide 2013 — reviews.cnet.com — Readability:

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Five 802.11ac Wi-Fi routers not to pick for your home — reviews.cnet.com — Readability

Five 802.11ac Wi-Fi routers not to pick for your home — reviews.cnet.com — Readability: "By now you should have heard about the new 802.11ac (AC for short) wireless standard, which offers up to 1.3Gbps Wi-Fi speed to compatible clients. (If not, check out this post.) Since the new standard is available only on the newer 5Ghz frequency band, all AC routers on the market are true dual-band (also supporting the older 2.4Ghz frequency band) to work with all existing Wi-Fi clients. Most of them are regarded as high-end routers."

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Sony to roll out PS Vita update to link to PlayStation 4 — news.cnet.com — Readability

Sony to roll out PS Vita update to link to PlayStation 4 — news.cnet.com — Readability: "PS Vita owners who plan to buy a PlayStation 4 will want to grab the latest update for their portable console.

Slated to roll out Tuesday, a software update for the PS Vita promises a host of new features, according to a Sony blog post. Chief among them is an application called PS4 Link. The new link app will allow gamers to use the PS Vita for remote play and as a second screen for the PS4"

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Monday, November 4, 2013

Secrets of OS X Mavericks: What You Really Need To Know — www.makeuseof.com — Readability

Secrets of OS X Mavericks: What You Really Need To Know — www.makeuseof.com — Readability: "You probably already know about the major features of the latest, free upgrade for Mac OS X. Here are the hidden ones.

You’ve kept up with the news, and you know about Finder’s tabs, Safari’s new list of shared links and the fix Apple finally provided for users of multiple monitors. You read about App Nap and the other tricks Mavericks uses to extend the battery life of your MacBook, and know that the skeuomorphic tendencies have been stripped from Calendar and Contacts."

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Not All “Viruses” Are Viruses: 10 Malware Terms Explained — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

Not All “Viruses” Are Viruses: 10 Malware Terms Explained — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "Most people seem to call every type of malware a “virus”, but that isn’t technically accurate. You’ve probably heard of many more terms beyond virus: malware, worm, Trojan, rootkit, keylogger, spyware, and more. But what do all these terms mean?"

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The 20 Most Important Keyboard Shortcuts For Windows PCs — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

The 20 Most Important Keyboard Shortcuts For Windows PCs — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "Keyboard shortcuts are practically essential for using any type of PC. They’ll speed up almost everything you do. But long lists of keyboard shortcuts can quickly become overwhelming if you’re just getting started."

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Choosing the best tablet for kids — www.gizmag.com — Readability

Choosing the best tablet for kids — www.gizmag.com — Readability: "As anyone who has ever found sticky little fingerprints on their tablet will know, kids love touchscreen technology. But while you can appease them by installing apps on your device, the time will come when they will want one of their own. With this in mind, (and with Christmas fast approaching) here's the Gizmag guide to the best tablets for kids."

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Amazon discounts Kindle tablets in light of FAA ruling — news.cnet.com — Readability

Amazon discounts Kindle tablets in light of FAA ruling — news.cnet.com — Readability: "Consumers can cut the cost of the Kindle Fire HD tablet to $118 from $139, the Kindle Fire HDX 7 tablet to $195 from $229, and the Kindle e-reader to $59 from $69 from by entering the promo code "ThnksFAA" at checkout. But you'll have to hurry. The deal is good only for Monday, November 4."

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Sunday, November 3, 2013

How to reformat your computer - News - Bubblews

How to reformat your computer - News - Bubblews: "Reformatting your Windows XP computer will erase everything on your hard drive and reinstall the operating system. To avoid losing your data (documents, pictures, music, etc.), you will want to backup your information prior to reformatting. See the ITS Help Desk Personal Data Backup Support Center for more information. After you have reformatted your computer, you will need to reinstall all of your personal data, as well as any software products you may use (for example, Microsoft Office, iTunes, Symantec AntiVirus, etc.).
Reformatting your Windows XP computer has three main parts:
Reformatting the computer from your operating system CD.
Reinstalling the drivers that came with your computer.
Running Windows Update to reinstall all security updates and patches."

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FASTRA II

FASTRA II: "Is it possible to fit the computing power of a large supercomputer cluster in the tight space of a PC case? In our research on image reconstruction we often have to perform large-scale scientific computations, which can easily take weeks on a normal PC. Last year, the FASTRA project was launched to develop a desktop supercomputer based on gaming hardware. Although highly successful, even FASTRA cannot provide the computational power required for our latest research projects. FASTRA needs a successor, which should be much more powerful, while maintaining the favorable properties of its older brother: green, mobile and inexpensive. For just 6000 euros, you can have 12TFLOPS of computing power at your fingertips."

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Lock your USB Flash Drive Literally - Geek Stuff

Lock your USB Flash Drive Literally - Geek Stuff: "There are a lot of people out there that are concerned about security, and rightfully so. If you care the kind of person that needs to carry around sensitive information on the go why not put all the sensitive information on a USB Flash Drive and then lock it up with the Brando 3 digit combination lock. Pretty cool idea if you ask me."

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How to Recover Data From a Broken Hard Drive

How to Recover Data From a Broken Hard Drive: "f you are reading this article you are probably desperate, but before you panic let me tell you that there is hope, and there is probably more hope than you think…. Even if your hard drive has an internal mechanical malfunction, data can be recovered without having to send the hard drive to a data recovery service. Yes! you heard right, I’m sure you have come across articles that will tell you how to recover data from a damaged partition, you will find a ton of those on the web, but when your hard drive starts malfunctioning none of those articles are going to help you solve your problem, This article will."

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How to Remove Advertisements with Pixelserv on DD-WRT

How to Remove Advertisements with Pixelserv on DD-WRT: "There are numerous ways to block advertisements in your browser, but what if you could block them on the router? Here’s how to use the DD-WRT firmware and deliberate “DNS poisoning” to block ads for every device on your network."

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8 Reasons Why Even Microsoft Agrees the Windows Desktop is a Nightmare — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

8 Reasons Why Even Microsoft Agrees the Windows Desktop is a Nightmare — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "Let’s be honest: The Windows desktop is a mess. Sure, it’s extremely powerful and has a huge software library, but it’s not a good experience for average people. It’s not even a good experience for geeks, although we tolerate it."

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Saturday, November 2, 2013

Gasp! Comcast just made HBO available without a cable subscription — www.techhive.com — Readability

Gasp! Comcast just made HBO available without a cable subscription — www.techhive.com — Readability: "Fans of Game of Thrones, Girls, and Boardwalk Empire may be getting closer to being able to watching their favorite shows without committing to a cable subscription filled with hundreds of channels worth of nonsense they will probably never ever watch."

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Must-know privacy tips for Google, Facebook and other online services — www.pcworld.com — Readability

Must-know privacy tips for Google, Facebook and other online services — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "Recent headlines about shadowy government agencies, high-profile hack attacks, and your face in Google ads drive home a crucial point: Your online privacy is best protected when you keep an iron grip on the information you're handing out. If your info is on a server somewhere, it's not truly yours."

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Disable Windows' logon password — www.pcworld.com — Readability

Disable Windows' logon password — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "Don doesn't need to keep other people off his PC. He asked me how he could skip the logon screen and boot directly into Windows without a password.

My first piece of advice would be to leave your computer as is. That password is important. Without it, your PC is vulnerable. Anyone who can get physical access to your PC can also get access to your files, email, and so on. They may even be able to send email as you."

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Trick your friends with these Halloween PC pranks — www.pcworld.com — Readability

Trick your friends with these Halloween PC pranks — www.pcworld.com — Readability: "April Fool's Day is for amateurs. Halloween is the holiday for serious troublemakers. It's a far better occasion for playing tricks, because the days are cold and dark, and everyone is thinking about ghosts and ghouls, but nobody is expecting to be pranked."

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Friday, November 1, 2013

Get to know iOS 7: iOS's other apps — www.macworld.com — Readability

Get to know iOS 7: iOS's other apps — www.macworld.com — Readability: "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."

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Be-Bound app provides mobile internet access without 3G or Wi-Fi — www.gizmag.com — Readability

Be-Bound app provides mobile internet access without 3G or Wi-Fi — www.gizmag.com — Readability: "“We started with a simple observation," says Albert Szulman, CEO of Be-Bound. "Everybody has faced connection issues, even in covered areas like the train, the subway, indoor or any other areas with low connectivity.""

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How to Sync Any Folder With SkyDrive on Windows 8.1 — www.howtogeek.com — Readability

How to Sync Any Folder With SkyDrive on Windows 8.1 — www.howtogeek.com — Readability: "Before Windows 8.1, it was possible to sync any folder on your computer with SkyDrive using symbolic links. This method no longer works now that SkyDrive is baked into Windows 8.1, but there are other tricks you can use.

Creating a symbolic link or directory junction inside your SkyDrive folder will give you an empty folder in your SkyDrive cloud storage. Confusingly, the files will appear inside the SkyDrive Modern app as if they were being synced, but they aren’t."

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