How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys

How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys: "If you’re planning on doing a reinstall of Windows but can’t find your product key, you’re in luck because it’s stored in the Windows Registry… it’s just not easy to find, and it’s impossible to read without some help. Luckily, we’re here to help."



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11 Google Tricks That Will Change the Way You Search | TIME

11 Google Tricks That Will Change the Way You Search | TIME: "Google Search’s learning curve is an odd one. You use it every day, but still all you know is how to search. But the search engine has plenty of tricks up its sleeve"



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How to Add Bluetooth to Any Old Pair of Speakers

How to Add Bluetooth to Any Old Pair of Speakers: "We love Bluetooth and all its possibilities. Once the domain of dorky headsets, Bluetooth is now in mice, keyboards, phones, computers, tablets, fitness trackers, and so much more. One of the best applications we’ve seen, however, is Bluetooth audio."



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▶ How to set up your new PC

▶ How to set up your new PC: "So you’ve got a new PC. Awesome! That humble metal box is the key to a wide world of potential. It can help you with everything from juggling your finances to keeping in touch with Grandma to blowing off some steam on, uh, Steam."



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Your new PC needs these 22 free, excellent programs | PCWorld

Your new PC needs these 22 free, excellent programs | PCWorld: "More than a mere blank slate, a new PC is a fresh opportunity—a collection of components that, with the right software installed, could accomplish anything from balancing your household budget to helping to cure cancer."



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The 100 Best Android Apps of 2015 | PCMag.com

The 100 Best Android Apps of 2015 | PCMag.com: "Look at your Android phone and/or tablet. Has it started to seem just a little too familiar, too predictable? Have you been tempted by the siren song of iOS 8 after the slew of announcements at WWDC? Stay strong, my friends, and behold our list of the 100 best Android apps on Google Play. Everything you need to spruce up your phone and/or tablet and re-ignite your love affair with Android can be found within."



'via Blog this'

Discover The Secrets Of Your Own Writing Process

Discover The Secrets Of Your Own Writing Process: "Are you sick of writing 500 words per hour when you know you’re capable of so much more? If so, your problem might be the writing process — the physical act of getting words on paper. But if you want to make improvements here, you have to know what’s broken before it can be fixed and improved."



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How to recover deleted photos from a memory card - CNET

How to recover deleted photos from a memory card - CNET: "Those are probably the first two words you'll utter when you realise your photos have disappeared. If you've accidentally formatted your card or you suspect it has become corrupted, there are ways to recover your images. Here's how to get started."



'via Blog this'

Apple Watch, Windows 10: What to expect in tech in 2015

Apple Watch, Windows 10: What to expect in tech in 2015: "NEW YORK — Last year right around this time, everyone wondered if or when Apple would finally unveil a long-rumored smart watch and what bearing it might have on the market for wearable computers."



'via Blog this'

Group Text+ Makes It Easy To Troll Your Family Over The Holidays | TechCrunch

Group Text+ Makes It Easy To Troll Your Family Over The Holidays | TechCrunch: "Depending on your family dynamics, the holidays are either a magical time or the most stressful period of the year. For many, having a smartphone on hand gives a quick escape from dealing with drama, but it can also serve as a barrier to letting yourself engage with those you love."



'via Blog this'

Getting the most out of your Chromecast this Christmas

Getting the most out of your Chromecast this Christmas: "Google's Chromecast makes it easy to stream pretty much anything to your TV. Movies, TV shows, music, games, photos -- whatever you're interested in, there are plenty of smartphone and tablet apps equipped with Google's little Cast button. "



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Your smartphone is changing the way your fingers work

Your smartphone is changing the way your fingers work: "Your smartphone is changing more than just your habits -- it's changing the way your hands work, too. Swiss researchers have discovered that activity in the brain's cortex associated with index fingers and thumbs is enhanced directly in proportion to how often you use your phone's touchscreen."



'via Blog this'

BBC News - No-well, No-well - keeping your Christmas gadgets safe

BBC News - No-well, No-well - keeping your Christmas gadgets safe: "This year has seen us pass one billion active websites, and more people accessing the web via mobile gadgets than other means, it is worth taking a moment to think about how to keep you and your device safe."



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Speed Up Any PC, Smartphone, or Tablet By Disabling Animations

Speed Up Any PC, Smartphone, or Tablet By Disabling Animations: "Animations on a desktop PC, smartphone, or tablet are nice — the first few times. Eventually, you just wish they would hurry up and stop wasting your time.

Disabling (or just reducing) animations can speed up almost any interface. Sure, the animations are pretty fast already, but waiting for them over and over each day can start to feel silly."



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Samsung Gear VR review - CNET

Samsung Gear VR review - CNET: "he Good It's a relatively affordable VR accessory; it creates a better-than-expected sense of immersion using a Note 4 as its screen and engine; apps, while limited, are all free. And it's actually available to purchase now."



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You Can Get a $200 Windows Laptop, But Chromebooks Are Still Worth Buying

You Can Get a $200 Windows Laptop, But Chromebooks Are Still Worth Buying: "The era of the $200 Windows laptop is back, and the HP Stream is just the first of many. These products are definitely better than the much-maligned netbook, but Chromebooks beat them in many ways.

No, we’re not arguing everyone should buy a Chromebook. Chromebooks aren’t right for everyone, just as cheap Windows laptops aren’t right for everyone. They each have their audience"



'via Blog this'

How to search for old Facebook posts - CNET

How to search for old Facebook posts - CNET: "On Monday Facebook announced the rollout of new search feature for iPhone and desktop users of the social network. Built atop its Graph Search product, the new feature will allow users to search for old posts across their account, along with content that's been shared with them from friends and public pages."



'via Blog this'

How to Make Text Larger and More Readable on Android

How to Make Text Larger and More Readable on Android: "Let’s face it, no matter how good the screens are on our phones and tablets, the text is just too darn tiny if you have weak eyesight.

The most obvious solution is just to put your glasses on, but how many of us wear our glasses (or contacts) every single second of every single day?"



'via Blog this'

Best tech under $100

Best tech under $100: "With our list of the best accessories under $25 and the best tech under $50, we've already shown that you can get some great gadgets without breaking the bank. Now we're raising the budget to $100 and choosing a new list of favorites -- including all of the products shown above."



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How to Choose Your Default Applications on an iPhone or iPad

How to Choose Your Default Applications on an iPhone or iPad: "Apple tries to stop it, but there are ways to change your default apps on iOS. You can use your favorite browser, email client, and mapping app instead of Apple’s own apps.

You can forcibly change your default apps by jailbreaking your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, but that’s not the only way. In fact, it’s not even the recommended way — unless you really want to jailbreak for another reason."



'via Blog this'

How to Easily Boost Your Cell Phone Signal at Home

How to Easily Boost Your Cell Phone Signal at Home: "Poor signal strength could be your carrier’s fault, or it could be because of signal-blocking materials in your home’s walls. Whatever the cause, you can boost that signal and get the maximum number of bars at home."



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How to See Your Current Wi-Fi Connection Speed in Mac OS X

How to See Your Current Wi-Fi Connection Speed in Mac OS X: "Ever since I’ve been using my new MacBook Air, I’ve been befuddled by how to do some of the simplest tasks in Mac OS X that I would normally do from my Windows laptop—like show the connection speed for the current Wi-Fi network. So am I using 802.11ac or not?"



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12 fun and crazy Google Tips & Tricks | Komando.com

12 fun and crazy Google Tips & Tricks | Komando.com: "Google Search can do a lot more than just finding the website you want. Around Christmas, one especially useful trick is package tracking. Simply type your tracking number into Google and you'll see where the package is; no need to visit the shipper's website! That's saved me plenty of times this season."



'via Blog this'

Nexus 6 vs. iPhone 6 Plus: Up close

Nexus 6 vs. iPhone 6 Plus: Up close: "The Nexus 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are two of our three favorite phablets of the year (along with the Galaxy Note 4). We have both in house right now, so why not take a quick look at how the two size up?"



'via Blog this'

How to Change the DNS Server on a Chromebook

How to Change the DNS Server on a Chromebook: "Chromebooks allow you to set a custom DNS server, but Google doesn’t make the option easy to find. There are many reasons to change your DNS server, after all.

The fastest way to do this may be to simply change the DNS server on your router. This change will then take effect on every device on your home network, but only while they’re on your home network."



'via Blog this'

Review: Amazon Fire TV Stick

Review: Amazon Fire TV Stick: "Amazon entered the battle for the living room when it launched its Fire TV set-top box earlier this year. More recently it expanded its attack with the launch of the Fire TV Stick that competes with the Chromecast and the Roku Streaming Stick. Here's our hands-on look at how it performs and how it stacks up against the competitors."



'via Blog this'

Facebook Makes it Easier to Search for Old Posts | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

Facebook Makes it Easier to Search for Old Posts | News & Opinion | PCMag.com: "Looking for a specific Facebook post you saw in your news feed weeks ago? It should now be easier to find it."



'via Blog this'

5 Ways to Type Faster on Your Smartphone’s Touch Keyboard

5 Ways to Type Faster on Your Smartphone’s Touch Keyboard: "For those of us who didn’t grow up with smartphones, typing on a touch keyboard can feel awfully slow. But there are tricks you can use to speed up typing on a touch keyboard, just like a physical one.

These tips apply to any smartphone with a touch keyboard, from iPhones and Android phones to Windows phones and BlackBerries. They all work in a fairly similar way."



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Ask HTG: How Can I Add an Ethernet Connection to My Laptop?

Ask HTG: How Can I Add an Ethernet Connection to My Laptop?: "Once upon a time, when laptops were a far bulkier affair, Ethernet ports were standard. Ever more slender laptop designs eschew the Ethernet port these days but that doesn’t mean you have to go without: read on as we show you how to cheaply and easily add in Ethernet accessibility to even the most razor thin ultrabook."



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The 10 Most Ridiculous Movie Myths That Turned Out to Be True

The 10 Most Ridiculous Movie Myths That Turned Out to Be True: "Hollywood doesn’t understand technology and “hacking.” That’s what we thought, anyway. But many of the ridiculous things we’ve seen in movies turned out to be completely true.

We laughed off many of these myths when we saw them in movies. “Don’t believe what you see on TV,” we told people. Boy, were we wrong.

The NSA Spying on Everybody"



'via Blog this'

How to Pair Third Party Controllers with Your Fire TV and Fire TV Stick

How to Pair Third Party Controllers with Your Fire TV and Fire TV Stick: "Amazon offers a Bluetooth controller to pair with their Fire TV and Fire TV Stick media units but if you’re not a fan of shelling out $40 for a controller (especially if you already have some game controllers laying around) you don’t have to. Read on as we show you how to pair both wired, wireless, and Bluetooth third party controllers."



'via Blog this'

10 Simple Windows Tricks You're Missing Out On

10 Simple Windows Tricks You're Missing Out On: "We probably all use our computers every day, but do you really know everything about them? There might be many simple and helpful tricks that you’re not aware of.
There’s much more to Windows than first meets the eye – you can be a power user for years and still not realise the full potential of the operating system."



'via Blog this'

The biggest tech turkeys of 2014 - CNET

The biggest tech turkeys of 2014 - CNET: "Technology companies can make our lives easier and even change the world. But just as often they can mess up. Spectacularly.

And 2014 delivered ample proof that even smart people do stupid things."



'via Blog this'

Everything You Need to Know About Using iCloud Drive and iCloud Photo Library

Everything You Need to Know About Using iCloud Drive and iCloud Photo Library: "Apple introduced iCloud Drive in iOS 8 and Mac OS X Yosemite. It’s designed to be a more easily understandable cloud storage location, working more like Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive.

Previous versions of iCloud could sync your “documents and data,” but iCloud Drive now exposes a sort of file system to you. You can sync any file you like and browse your saved files."



'via Blog this'

Don’t Panic, But All USB Devices Have a Massive Security Problem

Don’t Panic, But All USB Devices Have a Massive Security Problem: "USB devices are apparently more dangerous than we’ve ever imagined. This isn’t about malware that uses the AutoPlay mechanism in Windows — this time, it’s a fundamental design flaw in USB itself.

Now you really shouldn’t pick up and use suspicious USB flash drives you find lying around. Even if you ensured they were free of malicious software, they could have malicious firmware."



'via Blog this'

Stop Trying to Clean Your Infected Computer! Just Nuke it and Reinstall Windows

Stop Trying to Clean Your Infected Computer! Just Nuke it and Reinstall Windows: "Some people spend hours — maybe even days — trying to clean an infected Windows system and ensuring it’s actually clean and safe afterward. It’s usually not a good idea to do this — just reinstall Windows and start over."



'via Blog this'

How to get the most free online storage - CNET

How to get the most free online storage - CNET: "With the market for cloud storage services starting to get crowded, we take a look at how to get as much storage from the different providers as possible."



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Your complete guide to Apple's iCloud Drive - CNET

Your complete guide to Apple's iCloud Drive - CNET: "iCloud Drive will store and sync your files across all of your devices. It's a good idea to learn as much as you can about it."



'via Blog this'

What’s the Difference Between Chromium and Chrome?

What’s the Difference Between Chromium and Chrome?: "Chromium is the open-source project that forms the basis for Google Chrome. Because it’s completely open source, Chromium is available in many Linux distributions’ software repositories for easier installation."



'via Blog this'

HTG Reviews the Amazon Fire TV Stick: The Most Powerful HDMI Dongle on the Block

HTG Reviews the Amazon Fire TV Stick: The Most Powerful HDMI Dongle on the Block: "With the skyrocketing popularity of the Google Chromecast and to a lesser degree the Roku Streaming Stick, 2014 sure shaped up to be the year of the HDMI dongle. Read on as we put Amazon’s brand new entry into the market, the Fire TV Stick, through the paces."



'via Blog this'

How to Boost and Increase Your Internet Speed

How to Boost and Increase Your Internet Speed: "Looking for a way to increase your Internet speed without upgrading your ISP Internet plan? Well, Internet speed can depend on a several factors, both internal to the network and external. Starting from the operating system, you have the network card, network cable, wireless router, broadband modem, and possibly other devices before you even get out of your house."



'via Blog this'

How to Move Files From One Cloud Storage Service to Another

How to Move Files From One Cloud Storage Service to Another: "You may want to switch to another cloud storage service — perhaps moving to Microsoft’s OneDrive to get that now-infinite cloud storage. Yes, you could just download and re-upload all your files, but you can also do this a faster way."



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How To Boot Into Safe Mode On Windows 8 or 8.1 (The Easy Way)

How To Boot Into Safe Mode On Windows 8 or 8.1 (The Easy Way): "One of the most common steps when troubleshooting a PC is to boot into safe mode. For a long time this has been achieved by pressing the F8 key, this all changes with Windows 8 and its Automatic Repair mode. But what if we want Safe Mode?"



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6 Customization Tricks Only Possible In Firefox

6 Customization Tricks Only Possible In Firefox: "Firefox is a great browsers for many reasons, but one of the most important reasons is how it can be customized. Mozilla has worked hard to ensure the latest versions provide options and features you won’t find without add-ons in other browsers. By making these available by default all users can have the same access without the hassle of installing extensions that may cause compatibility or security concerns. Here are a few important tricks that prove you should be using Firefox."



'via Blog this'

Why Your Computer’s Hard Drive Lights Flash When You Aren’t Doing Anything

Why Your Computer’s Hard Drive Lights Flash When You Aren’t Doing Anything: "It’s happened to all of us. You step away from your computer and come back a few minutes later. While you were gone, your computer’s hard drive lights start flashing — but what exactly is it doing? It’s natural to be a bit suspicious."



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How Apps Can Help Any Freelancer Or Small Business Owner Be Productive

How Apps Can Help Any Freelancer Or Small Business Owner Be Productive: "If you’re running your own small business or making a living as a freelancer, then you already know quite a bit about getting things done on your own. You have to, otherwise everything falls apart. So I’m not about to tell you how to do your job."



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ASUS Chromebox M075U Review and Giveaway

ASUS Chromebox M075U Review and Giveaway: "We’ve lauded praise on Chromebooks before because they’re useful and cheap – but now Google is coming for your desktop. Today we’ll see if the ASUS Chromebox (starting at $159, but $379 as reviewed) is a competent desktop replacement."



'via Blog this'

Fire TV Stick vs. Chromecast vs. Roku Streaming Stick: Measuring the sticks - CNET

Fire TV Stick vs. Chromecast vs. Roku Streaming Stick: Measuring the sticks - CNET: "Each device has its pluses and minuses. The Chromecast is cheapest but doesn't include a physical remote. The slightly more expensive Fire TV has a remote but worse app support than the others (cough, HBO Go, cough). The Roku stick has the best app support and a remote, but it costs the most."



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Why You Need To Install Windows Updates Automatically

Why You Need To Install Windows Updates Automatically: "Once again there are urgent security patches released for Windows, and this time the problems they fix are “potentially catastrophic” issues with the encryption stack. This is why you should have Windows install updates automatically."



'via Blog this'

iPhone 6 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 4: A closer look

iPhone 6 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 4: A closer look: "Before this year, comparing the Galaxy Note to the iPhone was kinda like comparing Shaquille O'Neal to Rhea Perlman. But with Apple's first phablet arriving this year, the iPhone and Note are fighting in the same weight class. Join Gizmag, as we take a hands-on look at the iPhone 6 Plus and Galaxy Note 4."



'via Blog this'

10 cheap or free ways to make an old PC run faster

10 cheap or free ways to make an old PC run faster: "Teach an old dog new tricks
There’s a reason that unboxing videos and the phrase “new car smell” are firmly ensconced in the public groupmind. New stuff is exciting! New stuff is (theoretically) better! New stuff is just plain cool."



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How to Mount a Flash Drive on Your Android Device

How to Mount a Flash Drive on Your Android Device: "Although mobile devices have more storage space than ever before it’s so easy to fill up, wouldn’t it be nice if you could just pop a flash drive right into your device and expand your storage on the fly? Read on as we show you how mount a flash drive on your Android device."



'via Blog this'

Is it Safe to Sell a Google Chromecast Device?

Is it Safe to Sell a Google Chromecast Device?: "Is there anything you need to do if you decide to sell your Google Chromecast device due to a lack of use or for some other reason? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post has some helpful security advice for a reader who is ready to sell and move on."



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Create a Web-Based Survey the Easy Way With Google Forms

Create a Web-Based Survey the Easy Way With Google Forms: "There are many different websites for creating web-based surveys, but all you need is a Google account and Google Docs. Easily create a survey with Google Forms, sending the results directly to Google Sheets."



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The Top 10 Most Controversial iPhone Apps - Slideshow from PCMag.com

The Top 10 Most Controversial iPhone Apps - Slideshow from PCMag.com: "t's hard for app creators to stand out in the insanely crowded marketplace that is the App Store. With dozens if not hundreds of new apps going up every day, many get lost. But one thing that almost always works is controversy. Although Apple does vet software that goes up on its platform, it's not a foolproof process. Every once in a while, something will sneak through that skirts the line of decency for one reason or another."



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Why YouTube's Music Key service is a big deal

Why YouTube's Music Key service is a big deal: "The world's No. 1 home for discovering new music is set to launch a paid subscription service Tuesday. For $10 monthly, you can listen to virtually any music you can think of — just not Swift's complete 1989 album. More on that in a minute."



'via Blog this'

Wearable tech's most important race: Turning heartbeats into cash - CNET

Wearable tech's most important race: Turning heartbeats into cash - CNET: "When Apple releases the Apple Watch next spring, people around the world will want to know what this long-awaited wearable can do, how it feels and what it means. But as all-consuming as that will be, the discussion misses the bigger issue: the value of the data the Apple Watch and its competitors churn out."



'via Blog this'

The Galaxy Note Edge Is A True Cutting-Edge Phablet | TechCrunch

The Galaxy Note Edge Is A True Cutting-Edge Phablet | TechCrunch: "Samsung either plays it entirely safe – see most of the Galaxy Tab line – or entirely gonzo. Whether it’s the chimerical Galaxy K Zoom or their curved TV, it’s as if the company has one floor dedicated to making vanilla ice cream an another dedicated to making unicorn-tear-flavored gelato. And it’s on that latter floor that the Galaxy Note Edge was born."



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The 10 Best Tablets | PCMag.com

The 10 Best Tablets | PCMag.com: "It's tough to believe the tablet market has exploded as quickly as it has since the first iPad debuted four years ago. After all, smartphones, tablets, and laptops all fulfill similar needs, and the feature sets of these devices don't vary wildly. Often it comes down to whether you want to check Facebook, email your pals, or watch Orange Is the New Black on a 6-, a 10-, or a 13-inch screen."



'via Blog this'

Windows Users Beware: You've Got A Serious Security Issue

Windows Users Beware: You've Got A Serious Security Issue: "Running Windows? You should probably run your updates about now. A serious new vulnerability has been confirmed as present in all versions of Windows from Vista onwards which has the potential to let hackers execute their own arbitrary code."



'via Blog this'

Windows autoloading programs: You don't want too many, but you may want these | PCWorld

Windows autoloading programs: You don't want too many, but you may want these | PCWorld: "After reading my article on stopping autoloading programs, Quietone asked “What programs are really needed during start up?”

Most Windows PCs autoload a ridiculous number of programs every time you boot. And as I explained in the previous article, disabling most of them could improve performance. The programs will still be there when you want them, but they wouldn’t be hanging around in RAM, using up resources, when they’re not needed."



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▶ When your ethernet won't connect | PCWorld

▶ When your ethernet won't connect | PCWorld: "If you've got working Wi-Fi and apparently dead ethernet, the first thing to do is turn off the Wi-Fi. Believe it or not, this might tell you that the ethernet is working. If Windows has access to both, it will give top priority to ethernet, but display the Wi-Fi icon in the notification area. There's likely a hardware switch on your PC for turning off Wi-Fi."



'via Blog this'

Excel Vs. Access - Can A Spreadsheet Replace A Database?

Excel Vs. Access - Can A Spreadsheet Replace A Database?: "The above table should provide you with an outline to the key comparisons between using MS Access or MS Excel for your data requirements. In an ideal world we all use Excel and Access interchangeably, one for its advanced mathematical calculations and statistical comparisons, the other for its ability to organise and display rafts of data in a structured manner."



'via Blog this'

Android 5.0 Lollipop: What It Is And When You'll Get It

Android 5.0 Lollipop: What It Is And When You'll Get It: "Lollipop is the name given to Google’s latest Android operating system update. Also known as Android 5.0, it will become the sequel to Android KitKat, which ran from versions 4.4 to 4.4.4. The OS was announced along with three new Nexus devices via the company’s official blog on October 15th and will start to become available to compatible devices via an over-the-air update in the coming weeks."



'via Blog this'

Kickstart Your Smart Home With 4 Easy Projects

Kickstart Your Smart Home With 4 Easy Projects: "Creating a smart home might sound like a huge undertaking, and it can be difficult to know where to start. But it’s not as hard as you might think! There are a lot of projects that you can do in just a few minutes or over the course of an afternoon to get started. These four will introduce you to some of the principles of creating a connected home and add a bit of cool factor to your house."



'via Blog this'

AT&T is no longer developing a Gogo competitor

AT&T is no longer developing a Gogo competitor: "Don't count on AT&T to make faster in-flight internet, as the carrier has just announced that it's no longer working on a Gogo competitor. Ma Bell first revealed its plans to develop an air-to-ground network that has comparable speeds to LTE in April this year. Unfortunately, the company's execs have changed their minds after reviewing their investment portfolio and cutting next year's budget by 14 percent. Travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt also said that one possible reason why the company decided to drop its in-flight WiFi plans is because most airlines are locked into long contracts with Gogo and other providers."



'via Blog this'

How to use Facebook's new News Feed controls - CNET

How to use Facebook's new News Feed controls - CNET: "Prior to today, the process for removing Facebook posts from a friend or page was a chore. You had to tap or click around the often confusing settings found on Facebook, until you wound up at the right spot. And that only covered a single account."



'via Blog this'

Mobile Threat Monday: The Top Four Android Threats

Mobile Threat Monday: The Top Four Android Threats: "n this weekly feature, we like to examine a single Android threat and try to figure out what it means for regular users like you (dear reader). But this week, we're going to look at the four categories of apps security company Lookout recently named as the most "relentless.""



'via Blog this'

Pixelmator for iPad review - CNET

Pixelmator for iPad review - CNET: "The Good Pixelmator for iPad has tons of advanced photo-editing tools and each have intuitive controls for making precise adjustments.
The Bad There is no version for the iPhone.
The Bottom Line Advanced photo editing features and tons of artistic tools for creating and editing images make Pixelmator a must-have for photo enthusiasts and well worth the price"



'via Blog this'

The Best AT&T Phones | PCMag.com

The Best AT&T Phones | PCMag.com: "Now that you've chosen AT&T as your carrier, it's time to pick a phone. Luckily, AT&T has a plethora of choices—especially if you're looking for a touch-screen smartphone. But with so many options, and so many phones with unique capabilities, it can be tough to make a decision. And with most users signing up for two-year contracts, you certainly don't want to get stuck with a dud"



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Office for iPhone Apps: 3 Things to Know | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

Office for iPhone Apps: 3 Things to Know | News & Opinion | PCMag.com: "What used to be Microsoft Office Mobile for Office 365 Subscribers is now a set of three, free apps that you can install on your iPhone separately.
The all-in-one Office app has been replaced by the Word iPhone app, Excel iPhone app, and PowerPoint iPhone app."



'via Blog this'

Give your old smartphone a smart home overhaul - CNET

Give your old smartphone a smart home overhaul - CNET: "The smart home market is expanding. The Dropcam-Nest contingent, SmartThings, Wink and others have captured much of the early attention, but some plucky startups are taking a decidedly more DIY route."



'via Blog this'

How to Securely Delete the Trash (Recycle Bin) in Windows

How to Securely Delete the Trash (Recycle Bin) in Windows: "Deleting files from your Recycle Bin doesn’t mean they are gone forever since a myriad of file restoration programs exist to recover deleted data; which is why you may need to use a program like Eraser to securely delete your personal data."



'via Blog this'

Ask HTG: Can I Plug a USB Device Right Into My Motherboard?

Ask HTG: Can I Plug a USB Device Right Into My Motherboard?: "We’re all familiar with plugging in a USB cable or dongle into the external ports on our computers, but is it possible to plug a USB device directly into the motherboard so the device is hidden away and safely contained within the case of the computer? Read on as we show you how you can easily retrofit a computer with this feature."



'via Blog this'

How to Find and Remove Duplicate Files on Windows

How to Find and Remove Duplicate Files on Windows: "Duplicate files waste precious space on your computer’s hard drive — especially if you have an SSD — and make your computer’s backups bigger for no good reason. Here’s how you can free up some disk space."



'via Blog this'

How to Use OpenDNS on Your Router, PC, Tablet, or Smartphone

How to Use OpenDNS on Your Router, PC, Tablet, or Smartphone: "Most home networks rarely have one single type of client connecting to it. Usually, there’s a blend of Windows, Android, iOS, and maybe even Macs. How do you keep all these clients connected while keeping younger users out of trouble?"



'via Blog this'

iPhone 6 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Notes: Phablet shootout redux - CNET

iPhone 6 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Notes: Phablet shootout redux - CNET: "When I mentioned I was a long-time Note user in my review of the iPhone 6 Plus , a lot of folks asked me about how I thought the two devices compared. So, I wrote a series of articles covering that very topic. Then, everyone wanted to know why I wasn't comparing the new, economy-sized iPhone to the Note 4 instead of the older Note 3. Conspiracy to make the Android device look bad? No, it's simply that the Note 4 wasn't yet available, and the Note 3 was my daily driver."



'via Blog this'

Using Your Router for (Very) Basic Home Network Family Safety

Using Your Router for (Very) Basic Home Network Family Safety: "Most people probably don’t think of themselves as an “administrator” but if you have computers all using the same access point, then that’s what you are. It’s important to understand how to ensure the safety of children using computers on your network."



'via Blog this'

3 Free Tools to Build A Website With No Technical Skills

3 Free Tools to Build A Website With No Technical Skills: "A couple of years ago I run a survey to know more about my readers, and I was surprised to find that around 15% of them didn’t have a blog or website yet. They said they wanted to build one, but didn’t have any technical skills, so they were afraid to get web hosting, install WordPress and so on."



'via Blog this'

Why You Should Connect a PC to Your TV (Don’t Worry; It’s Easy!)

Why You Should Connect a PC to Your TV (Don’t Worry; It’s Easy!): "Connecting a PC to your TV is dead simple. All you’ll usually need is an HDMI cable, and then you can access every media service, streaming site, and PC game — on your TV.

Simple streaming boxes like the Roku, Chromecast, Fire TV, Apple TV, and others are still slick and convenient. But not every app is on every box — a PC gives you access to everything, plus web pages, plus PC games."



'via Blog this'

Tips and Tricks every iOS 8 user should know

Tips and Tricks every iOS 8 user should know: "If you have taken some private or embarrassing photos and hand your phone to someone, you might not want those images to be viewed. In the Photos app, tap and hold the picture you want hidden and then select Hide. Photos placed in that folder will be kept for 30 days, and after that they're automatically deleted."



'via Blog this'

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.

Such programs take advantage of inexperienced users, making false promises about boosting performance. In reality, your computer knows how to manage RAM on its own. It will use RAM to increase your computer’s performance — there’s no point in having RAM sit empty."



'via Blog this'

How to Find The Best Wi-Fi Channel For Your Router on Any Operating System

How to Find The Best Wi-Fi Channel For Your Router on Any Operating System: "Choosing the best Wi-Fi channel on your router helps to reduce interference and improve your WI-Fi signal. These tools will help you identify the least congested Wi-Fi channel in your area.

Wi-Fi channels overlap with nearby channels. Channels 1, 6, and 11 are the most frequently used for 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. These three channels are the only ones that don’t overlap with each other."



'via Blog this'

Android USB Connections Explained: MTP, PTP, and USB Mass Storage

Android USB Connections Explained: MTP, PTP, and USB Mass Storage: "Older Android devices support USB mass storage for transferring files back and forth with a computer. Modern Android devices use the MTP or PTP protocols — you can choose which one you prefer.

To select a USB connection protocol, open the Settings app, tap Storage, tap the menu button, and tap USB computer connection. You’ll also see the protocol your device is using as a notification when it’s connected to a computer via USB."



'via Blog this'

Use “Send to” to Easily Transfer Files to Your Android Device

Use “Send to” to Easily Transfer Files to Your Android Device: "The “Send to” menu has been around since Windows 95; so long a lot of users might have forgotten about it. You may not know it, but you can use “Send to” to smartly transfer files to your Android device.

What do we mean by “smartly”? When you use “Send to” to put files on your Android phone or tablet, they won’t simply be placed in your storage’s root folder. Instead, they’ll be copied to the folder most appropriate to the file’s type."



'via Blog this'

FBI Ransomware Hits Android: How To Avoid Getting It, And Remove It

FBI Ransomware Hits Android: How To Avoid Getting It, And Remove It: "One of the most intimidating malware threats, FBI Ransomware, has hit Android – pretending to be the FBI while leaving users who install seemingly innocuous apps feeling pressured into paying $300 to release their data.
Fortunately, the malware is straightforward to remove, and if your phone is correctly secured you shouldn’t even be able to install it."



'via Blog this'

How To Really Speed Up Your Computer - Common Myths & What To Do Instead

How To Really Speed Up Your Computer - Common Myths & What To Do Instead: "You might have noticed that your computer has never been as fast as it was when you first got it. But do you know why our devices slow down over time? Many of us have a number of misconceptions about sluggish PCs, so let’s crack these open and find out how to actually speed things up."



'via Blog this'

Free, Unlimited Cloud Storage Is Here! Is Hive Right For You?

Free, Unlimited Cloud Storage Is Here! Is Hive Right For You?: "There are lots of cloud storage services to choose from — but they all limit the amount of storage you get to some number of gigabytes, or cost money (sometimes both). When you hit a cap, you have to start deleting your files or, shudder, open a new account with a new service. Until now: Enter Hive."



'via Blog this'

Mirror Anything from Your Computer to Your TV Using Google Chromecast

Mirror Anything from Your Computer to Your TV Using Google Chromecast: "Outputting your computer to your HDTV via HDMI works well. Unfortunately, your computer’s location depends upon the length of your cable. With Google Chromecast, however, you can literally mirror any browser tab or even your desktop, from anywhere, in just a few clicks."



'via Blog this'

iPad mini 3 vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4

iPad mini 3 vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4: "You have to wonder where the iPad mini stands in Apple's long-term plans. With tablet sales waning, Apple put all of its upgrade chips into the iPad Air pot this year, as the iPad mini 3 is barely changed from last year's model. Let's see how it compares to its biggest rival, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4."



'via Blog this'

How to free up space in iCloud - CNET

How to free up space in iCloud - CNET: "Apple's iCloud storage service can be used to stash away photos, videos, device backups, and more in the cloud. The company offers users 5GB of space for free, however because it's 5GB of space per Apple ID and not per device, you may find yourself running out of space faster than you would like. While additional storage can be purchased from Apple, there are ways to free up space in your iCloud account."



'via Blog this'

Inbox by Gmail Preview - CNET

Inbox by Gmail Preview - CNET: "Gmail is getting a major makeover in Google's newest app, Inbox (iOS|Android). Announced today, the app and web service is completely separate from Gmail, and it seeks to change how your emails are organized. So far, I can say it absolutely succeeds.

It does this by categorizing every email you receive, as either an important message that deserves space in your inbox, or as less-important update that can be lumped into a label with other message like it. Google introduced this concept in the latest version of Gmail from 2013, with the tabbed inbox, where messages are automatically grouped into labels such as Promotions, Social, and Update. Inbox takes that further with a new approach and more labels, all in the name of helping remove clutter from your email."



'via Blog this'

10 Ways to Boost Your Wireless Signal | PCMag.com

10 Ways to Boost Your Wireless Signal | PCMag.com: "Troubleshooting your network's wireless performance can seem like a baffling exercise, until you consider that there are really just two main factors to consider—coverage and speed. Yes, you can have one without the other. For example, it's great to have a screaming-fast wireless network, but if you only get decent speed when your laptop is right next to the router, the speed isn't worth much. You need to boost the signal's range. If you can barely open friends' Facebook pictures when you're in the same room as the router, then we're talking about problems with speed."



'via Blog this'

10 useful Google Search functions you may not know about

10 useful Google Search functions you may not know about: "Google Search is so widely used that the company's name has become synonymous with searching online. There's more to the most used search engine in the world than just locating websites though, other services aside. Let's have a look at some of Google Search's other functions."



'via Blog this'

How to Upgrade Your Existing Hard Drive in Under an Hour

How to Upgrade Your Existing Hard Drive in Under an Hour: "If you’ve been eyeing the falling prices on spacious solid-state drives but putting off an upgrade because you don’t want the hassle of reinstalling everything, we here to help. Read on as we show you how to clone your old HDD onto a new HDD and get your entire system back up and running in under an hour; no reinstallation of Windows and all your apps necessary."



'via Blog this'

Gigabit cellular networks could happen with 24GHz spectrum, FCC says | Ars Technica

Gigabit cellular networks could happen with 24GHz spectrum, FCC says | Ars Technica: "The Federal Communications Commission is starting to plan for cellular networks that can send users gigantic streams of data, but there are technical challenges to be solved and years of work ahead."



'via Blog this'

Here’s Why Public Wifi is a Public Health Hazard — Matter — Medium

Here’s Why Public Wifi is a Public Health Hazard — Matter — Medium: "We took a hacker to a café and, in 20 minutes, he knew where everyone else was born, what schools they attended, and the last five things they googled."



'via Blog this'

How to Unsubscribe from Email Newsletters the Correct Way

How to Unsubscribe from Email Newsletters the Correct Way: "Do you get too many newsletters and other promotional emails? These emails aren’t technically “spam” — they’re from legitimate organizations. Thanks to the US CAN-SPAM act, every legitimate company offers a consistent way to unsubscribe from their newsletters."



'via Blog this'

Secure Your Online Accounts By Removing Third-Party App Access

Secure Your Online Accounts By Removing Third-Party App Access: "You’ve probably given a few applications or websites access to your Google, Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, or Microsoft account. Every application you’ve ever allowed keeps that access forever — or at least until you revoke it."



'via Blog this'

How to Import Your POP3 Emails Into an IMAP Account

How to Import Your POP3 Emails Into an IMAP Account: "We recently explained why you should be using IMAP instead of POP3 for your email. If you still have old POP3 emails stored offline, you don’t have to abandon them — import your POP3 emails into an IMAP account.

We’re using the free Mozilla Thunderbird email client for this. If you use Microsoft Outlook for your email, you can do this in a similar way. Add the IMAP account and drag-and-drop your POP3 emails to it."



'via Blog this'

Samsung launches new, Intel-based Chromebook 2

Samsung launches new, Intel-based Chromebook 2: "If you're keyed up on Google’s rapidly growing Chrome OS platform, then you’ll likely be aware of Samsung’s Chromebook 2 series, announced back in March. The company has today revealed a new, 11.6-inch addition to the line that’s powered by an Intel chip."



'via Blog this'

10 Amazingly Useful Spreadsheet Templates To Organise Your Life

10 Amazingly Useful Spreadsheet Templates To Organise Your Life: "Is your life a hotch-potch of missed deadlines, forgotten shopping and reneged commitments? Sounds like you need to get organized. Where better to start than with hard numbers and figures? For this, you might want to take advantage of the many spreadsheets available on Vertex42 that allow you to keep track of your time, belongings, projects and money. Here are 10 of the best."



'via Blog this'

Beware: Never Download “Codecs” or “Players” To Watch Videos Online

Beware: Never Download “Codecs” or “Players” To Watch Videos Online: "If a website asks you to download a “codec,” “player,” or “browser update” to play a video, run the other way. You don’t actually need to download this sort of thing — the website is trying to infect your computer with malware."



'via Blog this'

How to Run (Some) Android Apps In Your Chrome Browser | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

How to Run (Some) Android Apps In Your Chrome Browser | News & Opinion | PCMag.com: "Android apps and Google Chrome are not like oil and water; at least not anymore. While Google is working to support more Android apps on Chromebook laptops, getting Android apps to work directly in the Chrome browser is a little trickier."



'via Blog this'

Hey, where's my iPhone 6? Find out with these tracking tools | Macworld

Hey, where's my iPhone 6? Find out with these tracking tools | Macworld: "t’s Friday, September 19. Do you know where your new iPhone 6 or 6 Plus is? Hopefully, it’s already on the back of that UPS truck, making the rounds, and you’re sitting at home, anxiously waiting for it to show up at your door. Or perhaps your phone isn’t in the first batch of preorders, but will be on its way within the next week or two."



'via Blog this'

Get to know iOS 8: Customize your Notification Center with handy new widgets | Macworld

Get to know iOS 8: Customize your Notification Center with handy new widgets | Macworld:



'via Blog this'

How to upgrade to iOS 8 (and downgrade to iOS 7 if you regret it) | Macworld

How to upgrade to iOS 8 (and downgrade to iOS 7 if you regret it) | Macworld: "As summer winds down and autumn kicks in, it’s time for another iOS update. And, just as predictably, a lot of iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners will want to make the leap from the previous operating system to the new one. If tradition holds, Apple will release iOS 8 at around 10 a.m. Pacific (1 p.m. Eastern) on Wednesday, and when it does, this guide will show you the way."



'via Blog this'

Get to know iOS 8: Changes in the Settings app | Macworld

Get to know iOS 8: Changes in the Settings app | Macworld: "With every new version of iOS, Apple loves to add, tweak, and change settings; unsurprisingly, iOS 8 is no different. Here’s a comprehensive list of just about everything the company has changed in iOS 8 within the Settings app."



'via Blog this'

What to do when your USB device doesn't work

What to do when your USB device doesn't work: "Clearly, something is broken. But is it hardware, software, the device or the computer? That's going to take some experimentation.

First, let's get the obvious out of the way: Unplug the device, then plug it again. Did that fix the problem?"



'via Blog this'

2 Simple Tips for Improving Your Portraits – PictureCorrect

2 Simple Tips for Improving Your Portraits – PictureCorrect: "
Today, let’s get a bit into portrait photography. Here are two quick tips for you. Though they may seem minor, they can make a HUGE difference in the effectiveness of your portraits. Who knows, maybe you’ll start winning some of those photo contests!"



'via Blog this'

How to Share Files and Folders From Your Cloud Storage Folder

How to Share Files and Folders From Your Cloud Storage Folder: "Cloud storage isn’t just for your own personal files. You can use it to easily share files without any hassle. Share files back-and-forth with your friends and colleagues, or make them available to the entire Internet."



'via Blog this'

New crazy-fast Wi-Fi breakthrough can download a movie in 3 seconds! | Komando.com

New crazy-fast Wi-Fi breakthrough can download a movie in 3 seconds! | Komando.com: "It wasn't that long ago that "download" for just one photo meant you had enough time to go refill your coffee cup. OK, maybe that was AOL on a dial-up modem, but you probably know what I mean."



'via Blog this'

5 powerful things you didn't know Chromebooks could do | PCWorld

5 powerful things you didn't know Chromebooks could do | PCWorld: "The now-familiar knock seemingly started when the very first Googley laptop rolled off the line. “Sure, Chromebooks are nice, but they can’t run Photoshop.”

Well, that just isn’t true anymore. Nor are many other Chromebook myths.

From Photoshop to Office and beyond, here are five powerful things you might be surprised to learn you can do with a Chromebook."



'via Blog this'

▶ 4 fast note-taking tips for Android and iPhone | PCWorld

▶ 4 fast note-taking tips for Android and iPhone | PCWorld: "You’re dashing off to that big meeting in the city when suddenly, it hits you: that big idea you’ve always been waiting for.

And then—going, going, gone.

I feel your pain. The most I typically can remember about my occasional good ideas is that, well, I had some."



'via Blog this'

How To Create Stunning Flowcharts With Microsoft Word

How To Create Stunning Flowcharts With Microsoft Word: "Thankfully, when it comes to logic, the right tools can help simplify any process. Flowcharts are among those visual thinking tools that go grossly ignored for non-technical tasks. Maybe because flowcharting started purely as an engineering skill and didn’t go beyond the draft boards of industrial planners. With its leap towards computer algorithms it became more mainstream."



'via Blog this'

Apple iOS 8 Review - CNET

Apple iOS 8 Review - CNET: "wo days before the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, iOS 8 is finally here, bringing with it a lot of minor new features that add up to an attractive package. Every change is welcome, but there's also a lot of questions about the update that remain unanswered."



'via Blog this'

5 reasons iPhone still beats Android

5 reasons iPhone still beats Android: "The new iPhones are here, which means it's the time of year when all those Android diehards try to get the world to believe that Apple isn't all it's cracked up to be. Some might even go so far as to write an article about how their 2010 Android phone is actually just as good as the iPhone 6, but we all know the truth. "



'via Blog this'

Hand Crank Generator – Hand Powered Generator – Hand Crank Charger

Hand Crank Generator – Hand Powered Generator – Hand Crank Charger: "You spoke. We listened. Pocket Socket 2!
The Pocket Socket 2 hand crank generator incorporates what we’ve learned from long term testing and customer feedback since the launch of the original Pocket Socket."



'via Blog this'

What Exactly Is “Windows 8.1 with Bing”? Do I Have to Use Bing?

What Exactly Is “Windows 8.1 with Bing”? Do I Have to Use Bing?: "Some laptops and tablets now ship with Microsoft’s “Windows 8.1 with Bing” operating system, something you may see mentioned in their technical specifications. But how is this different from Windows 8.1 — is using Bing mandatory?"



'via Blog this'

12 Hidden Firefox Functions for Browsing Like a Boss - Slideshow from PCMag.com

12 Hidden Firefox Functions for Browsing Like a Boss - Slideshow from PCMag.com: "We were impressed inside and out; Mozilla's under-the-hood upgrades shined through in our lab tests and we were positively smitten with the browser's stylish new layout (if you've been lured away by other browsers in recent years, Firefox is a far sexier beast than the one you may remember)."



'via Blog this'

Make These 4 Changes Before You Delete Any Online Account

Make These 4 Changes Before You Delete Any Online Account: "While surfing the Web, it’s second nature to register on various websites in order to gain access to a variety of services, features, and goodies. Once the mystery is solved, you move on to something newer and shinier, leaving behind a trail of unused accounts. Get rid of clutter like that for a better digital life."



'via Blog this'

Math Adventures in the Common Core - Eagle Rising

Math Adventures in the Common Core - Eagle Rising: "It really is amazing to me how much of our lives have been directly affected by this disastrous president.  Is nothing sacred?

The short answer is: no.

Not even math."



'via Blog this'

▶ How to prepare your devices for iOS 8 | Macworld

▶ How to prepare your devices for iOS 8 | Macworld: "iOS 8 is coming out next week and I’ve very interested in installing it on my iPad. Are there things I can do today to get ready for it?
We’ll be offering a complete iOS 8 installation guide in the next few days, but I’m happy to reveal the steps you should take before the next version arrives."



'via Blog this'

How to use Siri as your own personal DJ - CNET

How to use Siri as your own personal DJ - CNET: "Want to listen to your favorite artist or album on your iPhone but your hands aren't free. No problem. You can simply hire Siri as your DJ."



'via Blog this'

Open Source Software Licenses: Which Should You Use?

Open Source Software Licenses: Which Should You Use?: "Slowly but surely, open source software is taking over. If you don’t believe it, just look at some of the most popular tools that we all use: Firefox, WordPress, 7-Zip, MediaWiki, BitTorrent, Android, plus all of the free alternatives to paid software. But did you know that not all open source licenses are the same?"



'via Blog this'

Google Chrome 64-bit - Is It Better Than The 32-bit Version?

Google Chrome 64-bit - Is It Better Than The 32-bit Version?: "A few weeks ago, Google released the 64-bit version of the popular Chrome browser and promised increased stability, security, and speed. We were curious to learn how many of these promises are true, and share what you gain and lose when using the 64-bit version of this browser. We have used this browser for a couple of days and ran several benchmarks. Here's what you get when using the 64-bit version of Google Chrome instead of the 32-bit version."



'via Blog this'

Ask Ars: When should I plan to upgrade my iPhone? | Ars Technica

Ask Ars: When should I plan to upgrade my iPhone? | Ars Technica: "A new iPhone is here. You've spent most of the day watching Apple's announcement, the coverage around it, the reaction to the announcement and the coverage, and the reactions to those reactions. It's the standard tech news rigmarole, which can be fun, but ultimately doesn't really help people make purchasing decisions."



'via Blog this'

▶ A router and an extender: When your laptop doesn't know which to use. | PCWorld

▶ A router and an extender: When your laptop doesn't know which to use. | PCWorld: "isa Marie Lalonde’s router isn’t powerful enough to cover her entire home, so she installed a range extender. But when she moves from one part of the house to another, her laptop fails to connect to the nearest signal and loses the network.

If you carry a laptop, tablet, or smartphone through a home with multiple access points (such as routers and range extenders), the device should latch onto the access point with the strongest signal—presumably the closest one. Therefore, it should appear to be continually connected as you move from room to room."



'via Blog this'

A router and an extender: When your laptop doesn't know which to use. | PCWorld

A router and an extender: When your laptop doesn't know which to use. | PCWorld: "Lisa Marie Lalonde’s router isn’t powerful enough to cover her entire home, so she installed a range extender. But when she moves from one part of the house to another, her laptop fails to connect to the nearest signal and loses the network."



'via Blog this'

Four Hardware Upgrades That Will Boost Your Laptop's Battery Life

Four Hardware Upgrades That Will Boost Your Laptop's Battery Life: "Want better laptop battery life? Hardware upgrades are much better than software tweaks for improving power efficiency. Unfortunately, not all mobile computers offer easy component upgrades. Most full-sized laptops are upgradeable though, and the process takes surprisingly little time or effort. Ultrabooks, on the other hand, require a bit more elbow grease to upgrad"



'via Blog this'

Defend Your Windows PC From Junkware: 5 Lines of Defense

Defend Your Windows PC From Junkware: 5 Lines of Defense: "Every Windows user is fighting a constant war against junkware that legitimate application installers try to sneak onto our systems. Here’s everything you can do to protect yourself from obnoxious browser toolbars and all that other junk."



'via Blog this'

The best apps for taking notes | TechHive

The best apps for taking notes | TechHive: "For a couple of decades—first as a student, then as a professional journalist—I filled notebook after notebook with notes, covering classes, press conferences, interviews, and more. When I was done, I’d have to find someplace to store them until (most likely) I’d throw them out. The notes I did keep? Useless. My on-the-fly handwriting is a horrible thing."



'via Blog this'

How to trade in or reuse your old iPhone

How to trade in or reuse your old iPhone: "We’re just days away from Apple’s next media event, which will in all likelihood introduce the company’s next iPhone. While we may spend the week fantasizing over potential new features, there are some practical issues to take into account, too: What are you going to do with your old phone?

You’ve got plenty of options. Here are a few worth considering."



'via Blog this'

12 Hidden Firefox Functions for Browsing Like a Boss - Slideshow from PCMag.com

12 Hidden Firefox Functions for Browsing Like a Boss - Slideshow from PCMag.com: "After a brief hiatus, Firefox 31 recently nabbed a PCMag Editors' Choice award for best browser.
We were impressed inside and out; Mozilla's under-the-hood upgrades shined through in our lab tests and we were positively smitten with the browser's stylish new layout (if you've been lured away by other browsers in recent years, Firefox is a far sexier beast than the one you may remember)."



'via Blog this'

The hidden commands for diagnosing and improving your Netflix streaming quality – Quartz

The hidden commands for diagnosing and improving your Netflix streaming quality – Quartz: "Chances are that if you are a regular Netflix user, you often wish you could adjust the quality of your video stream. While you could always go into your account settings and change your streaming quality—auto, low, medium, or high—there’s an even more precise way to do so without ever leaving the video you’re watching."



'via Blog this'

How to Add Websites to the Home Screen on Any Smartphone or Tablet

How to Add Websites to the Home Screen on Any Smartphone or Tablet: "Your smartphone or tablet’s home screen isn’t just for apps. Whatever platfgorm you’re using, you can pin your favorite websites to your home screen so you can quickly access them.

Some platforms offer bonus features. For example, Chrome for Android opens these websites in their own windows with no browser interface, while Windows 8 and Windows Phone offer live tile updates on some websites."



'via Blog this'

▶ How to conquer productivity on the cheap with Google Drive

▶ How to conquer productivity on the cheap with Google Drive: "Google Drive apps are loved for their simplicity and ease of use, but don’t let that fool you. There’s a whole lot of power locked up in these web apps. And while we’d never put the suite on a par with Microsoft Office, there are some impressive features in Docs, Sheets, and Slides that you’ve likely overlooked."



'via Blog this'

How to clear absolutely everything off your desktop in Windows 8.1 | PCWorld

How to clear absolutely everything off your desktop in Windows 8.1 | PCWorld: "I'd bet that if you polled 10 PC users on the best way to use the desktop on Windows you'd get 11 different answers. How to use the desktop is one of the most personal choices each PC user makes. We've already covered ways desktop hoarders can better manage files that cover up their wallpaper, for example."



'via Blog this'

How those nude photos were leaked (and why you should care) - CNET

How those nude photos were leaked (and why you should care) - CNET: "A number of celebrities were targeted this week in an attack that exposed nude photos -- some said to be real, others fake -- stored in Apple iCloud accounts. Here's what we know and what it means about your own cloud security."



'via Blog this'

Five Facebook Threats That Can Infect Your PC, And How They Work

Five Facebook Threats That Can Infect Your PC, And How They Work: "Do you remember how life was without Facebook? Probably not. The site has pervaded our lives and it is no surprise that Facebook is now prime hunting ground for anyone with nefarious intentions."



'via Blog this'

How to Quickly and Cheaply Upgrade a Laptop or Tablet’s Storage

How to Quickly and Cheaply Upgrade a Laptop or Tablet’s Storage:



'via Blog this'

How to Create a Strong Password (and Remember It)

How to Create a Strong Password (and Remember It): "“Be sure to use a strong password” is advice we all constantly see online. Here’s how to create a strong password — and, more importantly, how to actually remember it.

Using a password manager helps here, as it can create strong passwords and remember them for you. But, even if you use a password manager, you’ll at least need to create and a remember a password for your password manager."



'via Blog this'

5 ways to extend your wireless network | One Page | Komando.com

5 ways to extend your wireless network | One Page | Komando.com: "The joy of Wi-Fi is that you can use your gadgets anywhere in your house. Want to browse the Internet on your couch with a tablet? Sure.

-ADVERTISEMENT-

Want to download the latest recipes on your laptop in the kitchen? Great."



'via Blog this'

When Prompted to Restart After Uninstalling Software, is Shutting Down Okay Too?

When Prompted to Restart After Uninstalling Software, is Shutting Down Okay Too?: "Most of the time you do not need to restart your computer after uninstalling a program, but there are times when Windows will ask you to do so for a particular program. Can shutting your computer down work just as well as a complete restart? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post has the answer to a curious reader’s question."



'via Blog this'

The Ultimate Chrome Sync Hacks For Swapping Between Desktops

The Ultimate Chrome Sync Hacks For Swapping Between Desktops: "Are you the type of person that needs unfettered mobility of their browsing data? If you are such an individual, a typical day may involve moving from a desktop in the office, to a laptop at a client’s office and back to a desktop at home. In between, you likely also use your mobile device to continue browsing. Switching between devices interrupts the browsing experience."



'via Blog this'

Should you switch to a no-contract phone carrier? - CNET

Should you switch to a no-contract phone carrier? - CNET: "I'm notoriously bad at predicting the future (I once dismissed Bluetooth as a niche technology that would never serve any useful purpose), but I feel like we've reached a tipping point. No, I don't mean that all future fundraising efforts will involve getting doused with a bucket of something, though that's a pretty solid bet."



'via Blog this'

Hybrid Hard Drives Explained: Why You Might Want One Instead of an SSD

Hybrid Hard Drives Explained: Why You Might Want One Instead of an SSD: "Hybrid hard drives promise some of the performance of a solid-state drive with the capacity of a mechanical drive. They’re bigger than an SSD and faster than a plain-old mechanical drive.

These are sometimes called “SSHDs” — solid-state hybrid drives. The drive automatically caches data in the solid-state storage for you, offering faster speeds for the files you use most."



'via Blog this'

Cover Your Home: How To Find and Remove Wireless Blind Spots

Cover Your Home: How To Find and Remove Wireless Blind Spots: "WiFi is everywhere and, for most readers, that it includes your home. While desktop computers still frequently use Ethernet, the majority of laptops, tablets and smartphones use WiFi; indeed, the latter two often can’t connect to anything but a wireless network, be it your home router or a carrier’s cellular data."



'via Blog this'

How Computer Technology Will Transform Schools Of The Future

How Computer Technology Will Transform Schools Of The Future: "In the 1800′s, students sat in a classroom, listened to a teacher and took tests. In 2014, students do exactly the same thing, with maybe the addition of a pocket calculator and some slides.
Nearly every other industry has been changed beyond recognition by the invention of computers.  Why not education, arguably one of the industries with the most to gain?"



'via Blog this'

How to prepare your iPhone or iPad for iOS 8 - CNET

How to prepare your iPhone or iPad for iOS 8 - CNET: "Apple announced the eighth major release of its iOS mobile operating system at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. The latest version of iOS include improvements to the Siri voice assistant, a new health and wellness app, and revamped notifications, among other things."



'via Blog this'

Maximizing cloud storage - CNET

Maximizing cloud storage - CNET: " dare you to find a word more used and abused in the tech world more than cloud. It's the buzzword in every boardroom. Everything is suddenly moving to the cloud, whether it's music or software, or your great grandma's oatmeal cookie recipe."



'via Blog this'

Free way to boost your Internet speeds only the techs know | Komando.com

Free way to boost your Internet speeds only the techs know | Komando.com: "It seems like everyone is upset about slow Internet speeds these days. YouTube and Netflix are even pointing fingers at Internet service providers and blaming them for sluggish streaming.

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6 Smart Home Projects You Can Take On This Weekend

6 Smart Home Projects You Can Take On This Weekend: "Your home could be smarter, and it needn’t break the bank. Here are six ways to add a little ambient intelligence to your daily routine.
Most of the smart home projects I’ve listed here are based on lighting or home entertainment – the proliferation of cheap LEDs makes this affordable, and home entertainment devices almost always have an infrared control with which you can easily (and safely) interface. Unfortunately, a lot of other home appliances are just impractical to upgrade with “smart” features – they have physical switches and dials. Even the new generation of smart home devices are disparate and use proprietary control protocols not conducive to hardware hacking and DIY tomfoolery."



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How to Find Drivers for Unknown Devices in the Device Manager

How to Find Drivers for Unknown Devices in the Device Manager: "Unknown devices show up in the Windows Device Manager when Windows can’t identify a piece of hardware and provide a driver for it. An unknown device isn’t just unknown — it’s not functioning until you install the right driver."



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The HTG Guide to Purchasing the Perfect USB Hub for Your Needs

The HTG Guide to Purchasing the Perfect USB Hub for Your Needs: "Compared to the complexity of purchasing a new graphics card or swapping out your motherboard purchasing a USB hub is definitely a simple purchase; but that doesn’t mean you should just grab the first one off the shelf at your local electronics store. There is an enormous discrepancy between build quality, features, and even safety between the different models. Read on as we show you what you need to get the best results and find the hub that fits your needs."



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How to Setup Windows 8 Defender to Automatically Scan on a Schedule

How to Setup Windows 8 Defender to Automatically Scan on a Schedule: "Windows 8.x finally bundled an antivirus utility that used to be called Microsoft Security Essentials and rebranded it as Windows Defender. The only problem is that you can’t easily setup automatic scheduled scans anymore."



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How to give your Windows 8 PC a clean start with PC Refresh

How to give your Windows 8 PC a clean start with PC Refresh: "Just like with previous versions, once you've had your Windows 8 computer for a while, chances are it will become unstable or not be as sprightly as it once was. That's when a little clean up might be on order to return it to its former glory. Here's how to use the PC Refresh feature to reclaim the speed and stability the computer once had and not lose your personal files. This article will also show you how to make PC Refresh (and Reset) work if you receive a common error message."



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