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How to create your own Windows Run Commands

noreply@blogger.com (sffgd) — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:59:00 +0000

Windows OS is the product of Microsoft, and this company has not left any loose strings in its features. This is the reason that the Windows is the first preference of the users and it is easy to operate. One of the best things is that you can create your own Run Commands. Run commands are used

directly to open the file whose path is known to you. So, you can use the commands in the prompt window to open the file or application. Let’s see how you can create Run Command in Windows:

Method 1:

This is one of the simplest ways to create run command; here you don’t have to alter any Windows settings. You just need to Copy/Paste the files to the Windows folder.

Firstly, you need to select the application for which you want to create a shortcut.
Now, right click on the app and click on “Create Shortcut”.
Then, move the file to the Windows Folder .
So, you have created the shortcut file for the application in the Windows folder. Just press “Win+R” and in the run box type the name of the application, the application will open.

Method 2:

Here, we will manually create the shortcut file.
Firstly, we will select the software for which we want to create the run command. You can choose any software which is used frequently on your system.
Then, right click on the desktop and click on “New” and then click on “Shortcut”.
Now, a dialog box will appear which will ask you for the path which you want to access.
You have to provide the path of the installed application, so all the Program Files are stored in the C Drive. So, open the C Drive and click on the folder or the application name.
So, locate the address of the application and paste the path in the shortcut dialog box with the new folder name and then click “Next”.

Method 3:

You can easily create the Run command using the Registry Key. You just need to add keys to create the Run command. However, it is recommended to take the backup of the Registry first and then create keys.

Open the Run command and then type regedit and click on “Ok”.
Then navigate to the following section: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > App Paths
Then, you have to right-click on the App Paths and then click on “New” and then click on “Key”.
Then, you have to type the name of the key and .exe. Suppose, you are going to create a run command for xyz, then you have to give the name as exe.
Now in the panel, you need to right-click on the “Default” and then click on “Modify”.
The Edit String box will appear where you have to enter the URL of the executable file of the application in the value data field.
So, now go to the Run command and then type the name of the shortcut you have created the application will open.

So, these are the ways to create the run command of your favorite application or the software. The Run command is useful because it provides you the quick access to the files. So, just create your own Run commands in Windows and then enjoy the quick access to the applications.

How to Disable Automatic Driver Downloads on Windows 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 06:56:00 +0000

How to Disable Automatic Driver Downloads on Windows 10

Buried deep within the old Control Panel, Windows 10 still has the option to avoid installing drivers as part of Windows Updates. For most of us, the drivers are a welcome addition to keep things running smoothly, but the tinkerers out there like things a certain way, and updating a driver might change previously stored settings.

1. Right click the Start button and select Control Panel.

2. Make your way to System and Security.

3. Click System.

4. Click Advanced system settings from the left sidebar.

5. Select the Hardware tab.

6. Press the Device Installation Settings button.

7. Choose No, and then press the Save Changes button.

How to Set Compatibility Mode for Apps in Windows 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 06:30:00 +0000

How to Set Compatibility Mode for Apps in Windows 10

Most software created for previous versions of Windows run well in Windows 10, but you might have some older apps that don't work well or even at all with the new operating system. You can try to fix any issues you have running these older desktop programs in Windows 10 by changing their compatibility mode settings.

Windows has a built-in tool called Program Compatibility Troubleshooter that could automatically fix any compatibility problems for you. If the troubleshooter can't fix the problem, you can manually make an app run in compatibility mode, which will run the app using the settings from an earlier version of Windows. You can have the troubleshooter automatically search for apps that could have issues in Windows 10 or manually run the troubleshooter on a specific app. Here's how to do both.

How to Use Windows' Program Compatibility Troubleshooter

1. In the taskbar search box, enter run programs, then click "Run programs made for previous versions of Windows."

2. Click Next and the troubleshooter will try to detect potential issues with your apps.

3. Select the app that's having issues in the next window and click Next.

4. Select a troubleshooting option: use the recommended compatibility setting or choose compatibility settings yourself.

If you choose to use the recommended settings, the troubleshooter will test the app using a previous version of Windows so you can see if that resolves the issue.

If you choose the choose to troubleshoot the app, the troubleshooter will ask you which problems you're experiencing. Depending on your selection, the troubleshooter will offer tests and suggestions to resolve the problem, such as testing the display settings for the app.

5. Click the Test the program button and then click Next.

You can then either choose to save the settings for the app, try different settings, or report the problem to Microsoft and view help articles online.

You'll have to run the troubleshooter for each app you're having compatibility problems with.

How to Run an App in Compatibility Mode

Alternatively, you can go into a app's properties to change its compatibility mode settings. With compatibility mode, you can force an app to use settings from an earlier version of Windows -- helpful if you know the app ran well in, say, Windows 7 or Vista. You can also change the display and color settings for the app.

1. Right-click on an app and select Properties. You can do this from the app's shortcut or by navigating in File Browser to the EXE file.

2. Select the Compatibility tab, then check the box next to "Run this program in compatibility mode for:"

3. Select the version of Windows to use for your app's settings in the dropdown box.

4. Hit Apply, then run your app and see if this fixed your issues.

Meet macOS Sierra: 8 Best Features

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 14:16:00 +0000

Meet macOS Sierra: 8 Best Features

Bringing Siri to the desktop is a big win for Mac users, but that's not the only thing Apple added to the newest version of its desktop operating system. OS X also received a name change to macOS, and this version will be known as Sierra.
From better continuity between your phone and Mac to Apple Pay and picture-in-picture, these are the top features of macOS.

Siri

This much expected feature finally got announced at WWDC, bringing Apple's snarky digital assistant from the iPhone to desktop. Just like on iOS, you can ask Siri to do things like get directions, create a playlist or look up something on the web. It will keep a running list of the conversation, so you can reference back to previous things it said. Apple also opened a Siri API to developers so the smart assistant may be about to get a whole lot smarter.

Auto unlock

While it's not as snazzy as Microsoft's Windows Hello facial recognition tech, Apple's new auto-unlock feature will let you skip typing in a password by unlocking your computer with a nearby Apple Watch or iOS device using what Apple calls time-of-flight networking.

Universal Clipboard

When you want to share a picture or quote, why should your options be limited to a single machine? Now with macOS, you have access to a shared clipboard that spans both computers and phones so that you can copy and paste clips across multiple devices with ease.

Shared Desktop

If you have more than computer, you know the pain of trying to keep files and folders synced across multiple devices. But with the new shared desktop feature in macOS serves as a shared clipboard, you can access your desktop on another Mac or even your iPhone seamlessly, and without needing to specifically transfer files from one device to another.

Optimized Storage

Do you feel like you are always running out of storage? In macOS Sierra, the new optimized storage feature will take the hassle out of data management to clean up files you don't need, and archiving what you want keep in iCloud, faster, easier and in less space than before. In the demo, a computer with just 20GB left got optimized and then had 150GB free.

Apple Pay

No, you're not going drag your laptop to the coffee shop, but now that Apple Pay is in macOS, you can use Apple's secure payment system at online retailers, quickly and safely. You can even use other Apple devices such as an iPhone or Apple Watch or a built-in fingerprint reader to authenticate your purchase, and when combined with the new auto-unlock feature could mean traditional passwords could soon be a thing of the past.

Tabs

In macOS, tabs aren't just for web browsers anymore. At WWDC 2016, Apple vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi said that they want to make put tabs in all multi-window apps, and that Apple has a simple way to do this that doesn't even require specific developer modification.

Picture-in-Picture

Instead of fumbling around with windows and tabs, if you want to watch a video while working on something else, all you have to do use macOS' new picture-in-picture feature. That'll put your video in a small box so you can follow along to your clip without it getting in the way.

Developers can download a beta version of macOS Sierra today before a public beta becomes available in July, although macOS won't officially be ready for consumers until sometime this fall.

How to Sync Your iPhone with Windows 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 13:54:00 +0000

Just because iPhones play better with MacBooks doesn’t meant that they can’t work with Windows 10 laptops. Syncing your data requires a little more know-how on Windows 10 (as opposed to macOS’ plug-and-play syncing, or how you can just drag and drop files with Android on Windows 10), but with a couple clicks and a little patience, you’ll have everything up to date.

Copying to an iPhone

Syncing music, photos, movies and TV shows means getting comfortable with iTunes. If you’re already using it, you’re good to go. If you’re not, you can download that here and import your music by going to File > Add Folder to Library to move your current music into iTunes. Once you’re ready to sync, follow these steps.

1. Connect your iPhone to your laptop with a Lightning cable.

2. Click Continue when asked if the computer can have access to the phone.

3. Click the phone icon in the top bar.

4. Click Sync.

This should sync the two devices. If it doesn’t, go to the sidebar and enable the Sync checkboxes under Music, Apps, Movies, TV Shows and Photos and click Sync again.

Depending on how much data you’re syncing, this may take awhile. Get a drink or a snack and come back later.

5. Check your photos, music, apps, and videos to confirm that they arrived on the phone from Windows 10.

Copying From an iPhone

This is where things get tricky. In an attempt to avoid piracy, syncing from an iPhone isn’t as easy and sending data to it. Luckily, there are some workarounds.

Music and Movies: This keeps you stuck in Apple’s wheelhouse. Though you can move non-iTunes media files to your phone from your PC, you can't send them from the handset to the computer. However if you buy media from iTunes on your iPhone, you can get it on your desktop via the cloud. As long as you maintain one Apple ID, you’ll be able to download all your songs and movies again from iTunes on your PC at no extra cost.

Photos: To learn how to import photos from an iPhone to Windows 10
Files: The cloud is your friend for syncing files. While I personally use Dropbox, you can also use iCloud.

If you’re a Dropbox user, you can use the iPhone app and desktop app to view files or photos on either device. If you’re a Google user, you can use Sheets, Slides and Docs.

5 Ways to Take Screenshots in Windows 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 13:24:00 +0000

Screenshots are an incredibly useful way to document and share what's on your screen. Whether it's a tweet you think someone may wind up deleting, a glitch that you're explaining to a tech support person or a hilariously auto corrected line of text, the ability to save your screen for posterity is useful information.

Fortunately, there are more than a few ways to capture the screen you're looking to save. There's the old-school Print Screen key, a method that instantly creates a new file for you, Windows' own Snipper Tool and if you're always screengrabbing, there's even a free and powerful third party program we can recommend.

1. How To Take a Screenshot of Your Whole Screen

1. Tap the Print Screen button on your keyboard. The screen shot is now stored in your clipboard and you need to paste it into a graphics editor such as Windows Paint.

2. Type "paint" into the search bar next to the Start menu.

3. Select "Paint"

4. Click "Paste"

Your screenshot is ready!

2. How to Take a Screenshot of Just The Active Window

1. Hit Alt + Print Screen.

2. Type "paint" into the search bar next to the Start menu (if Paint is already open, click Control+N and then select OK when Paint asks you to approve the height and width).

3. Select "Paint"

4. Click "Paste"

Your screenshot is just of the window you had open and active!

3. How To Make A Screenshot File Without Any Additional Programs

1. Hit Windows key + Print Screen.

When you navigate to the Screenshots folder inside of your Pictures, your screensh0t will be there!

4. How To Take a Screenshot of a Specific Part of Your Screen

1. Type "snipping tool" into the search bar next to the Start menu.

2. Select "Snipping Tool"

3. Click "New"

4. Click and drag the cursor to select the area of the screen you want to use; release the cursor once you've selected the space you want to capture.

Your screenshot is open in Snipping Tool!

5. How To Take Screenshots With Even More Tricks

1. Open PicPick's download page, and click on "Free Download"

2. Follow the instructions to install PicPick, and you will find a menu of specific methods for capturing part or all of your screen. Clicking "Scrolling Window" will let you capture as much of a page or document as you can scroll through, rather than just the static version of the window.

3. Installing PicPick will change your computer's key commands for screenshots, so you should make yourself aware of those commands. Click on the "Show hidden icons" arrow in the bottom right corner of the screen.

4. Click on PicPick's icon.

5. Select "Program Options"

6. Select "Hot keys" from the left-hand menu.

Here you can see what the default key commands are now that you've installed PicPick, as well as change them to suit your needs.

How and When to Defragment Your Hard Drive in Windows 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 13:01:00 +0000

windows

Over time, files on your hard drive get fragmented, and your computer slows down because it has to check multiple places on your drive for those pieces. To have your computer run more efficiently, use the built-in tool in Windows to defragment those files. Here's how and when you should do it.

Windows 10, like Windows 8 and Windows 7 before it, automatically defragments files for you on a schedule (by default, once a week). However, it doesn't always run consistently, so if you notice files are taking longer to load or you just want to double-check every month or so, you can see how fragmented the drive is in Windows.

A note about Solid State Drives (SSD): SSDs work differently than traditional mechanical hard drives. Conventional wisdom is that SSDs don't need to be defragmented and doing so can also wear down the drive. However, Windows does defragment SSDs once a month if necessary and if you have System Restore enabled. This isn't something to worry about, though, because the automatic defragmentation is meant to extend your drive's life and performance.

So with SSDs, just let Windows do its thing and don't worry about defragmentation. You can use the Optimize Drive tool below to do a general optimization of the drive, including sending the TRIM command to optimize performance. This doesn't do a traditional defrag on the SSD, though. For your mechanical drives, you can check and fix its fragmentation status with the steps below.

1. Open the disk optimization tool by searching for "optimize" or "defrag" in the taskbar.

2. Select your hard drive and click Analyze. Note that if you have a SSD, this option is grayed out and not available.

3. Check the percentage of fragmented files in the results.

There's no hard and fast rule about how fragmented your drive should be before you defrag it. You might want to keep your fragmentation percentage under 5% or so, however, so that the defragmentation process doesn’t take too long to finish.

4. If you want to defragment your drive, click Optimize. It's best to do this when you don't need to use your computer for anything else, so you can let Windows defragment the drive efficiently.

When Windows is done, your drive should say 0% fragmented in the Optimize Drives utility.

How to Get Superfast Mouse, Touchpad Speeds in Windows

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 12:56:00 +0000

Sometimes, no matter how much you turn up the settings, your touchpad (or other pointing device) just doesn't cover enough ground in a single stroke. You shouldn't have to lift up your finger, move it back to the other side of the pad and swipe again to make it across your desktop. And, If you have a laptop with a pointing stick such as a Lenovo ThinkPad, you really don't want to have to push the stick really hard just to move around.

Fortunately, with a simple registry tweak, Windows 10 and previous versions provide a way to push your pointer speed and sensitivity higher than the control panel allows.

Before You Begin

Before you edit your registry, make sure your pointer speed is turned up to the maximum in your touchpad / pointing stick software or in the mouse control panel. To get there:

1. Navigate to the Windows Control Panel. You can get there by opening the Start menu and searching for "control panel."

2. Open the mouse menu. If you don't see the Mouse icon, set the "View by" menu to Large icons.

3. Open your touchpad driver (if there's a link to it). It may have its own tab (ex: Dell Touchpad).

4. Set the pointer speed to max. You may have to set it separately for the touchpad and pointing stick.

5. Navigate to the pointer options tab in the Mouse Properties window.

6. Move the pointer speed slider all the way to the right and uncheck "Enhance pointer precision."

7. Click OK.

Edit Your Registry for Maximum Pointer Speed

1. Open the Registry Editor. You can get there by hitting Windows + R, entering regedit in the box and hitting Enter.

2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse by opening the navigation tree in the left window pane.

3. Set the MouseSpeed to 2 by double-clicking on MouseSpeed and then entering 2 in the value field.

4. Set MouseThreshold1 to 0.

5. Set MouseThreshold2 to 0.

6. Close the registry editor and reboot your PC.

How to Enable the Linux Bash Shell in Windows 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 12:30:00 +0000

Linux geeks rejoice. As of build number 14328, Windows 10 allows you to run a special flavor of the Bash shell (on Ubuntu) in a window. Using Bash, you can navigate around the file system, install and run Linux command line apps like the vi text editor or, with some unofficial tweaks, try to load windowed programs. However, before you can use Bash in Windows 10, you have to turn it on. Here's how.

1. Navigate to Settings. You can get there by clicking the gear icon on the Start menu.

2. Click Update & security.

3. Select For Developers in the left column.

4. Select Developer Mode under "Use developer features" if it's not already enabled.

5. Navigate to the Control Panel (the old Windows control panel). You can get there by hitting Windows Key + X and selecting Control panel from the pop-up menu that appears.

6. Select Programs and Features. If it's not visible, make sure you select "Large icons" from the "View by" menu.

7. Click "Turn Windows features on or off."

8. Toggle "Windows Subsystem for Linux" to on and click Ok.

9. Click the Restart Now button.

10. Search for Bash in the Cortana / Search box and click its icon.

11. Type "y" and hit Enter when promoted to install Ubuntu. The system will then take a few minutes to install Ubuntu in the command prompt window.

12. Create a username and password.

You can now use the Bash shell as if you were on a computer with Ubuntu installed as its primary OS. There are a few command line apps built-in, including the vi and pico text editors, and you can add more by using the apt-get command. There's also a program which allows you to run windowed Ubuntu apps in Windows 10.

How to Create a Detailed Battery Report in Windows 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 12:23:00 +0000

Windows 10 has a built-in, hidden battery report tool that can tell you everything you need to know about your laptop battery, including your battery life estimate and its capacity over time. Use this powercfg command to better understand your battery's health and optimize your computer's battery life.

We'll use the command prompt to generate an HTML battery report for your computer.

1. Hit Windows Button + X and select Command Prompt (Admin). This is the quickest way to open the Command Prompt as an administrator.

2. Type in and enter: powercfg /batteryreport

This command will create a battery report under C:\WINDOWS\system32\battery-report.html or, in Windows versions older than Windows 10, under C:\Users\[Username]

3. Open the Battery report HTML file to view it.

The report will give you more information about the batteries in your system, as well as how they've been used over time.

Perhaps of most usefulness to most people is the battery life estimates--how long you can expect your battery to last based on actual usage--and how it's changed since you first installed the OS. It's more accurate and precise than relying on the battery icon in your taskbar.

Other report sections such as Usage history and battery capacity can help you check your laptop battery's health. To get many more details about your battery than you from the battery icon in the taskbar, remember this hidden trick

How to Create a .Reg File for Easy Registry Hacks

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 12:18:00 +0000

There are a lot of important Windows settings you can only change by editing the Registry. For example, in Windows 10, you need to tweak the Registry to bring your mouse up to maximum speed or stop the Edge Browser from restoring all its tabs after a crash. However, editing the Registry can be time-consuming,

as you have to navigate around a huge tree structure to find the right "keys." It also can be risky because you can harm the user experience if you accidentally delete the wrong thing. You certainly wouldn't want a semi-computer-literate user touching the Windows Registry.

However, if there's a registry change that you need to make frequently or you want to share with others, you can build a .Reg file, which makes any changes you want with a double-click. For example, if you want to disable the lock screen on five different computers, you can make a.Reg file to do it and then copy that file onto every PC you own or give it to your octogenarian parents and tell them to run it. Here's how to create a .Reg file for Windows 7, 8 or 10.

Note: Editing the Windows registry is risky so be careful and, if you're not a moderate-to-advanced user, ask someone else for help.

Using Export in the Registry Editor

The simplest way to create a .Reg file is by making the change you want in the registry editor and then using the editor's export feature. However, this method only works if all the changes are in the same folder.

1. Open the Registry Editor. You can get there by hitting Windows + R, typing "regedit" into the run box and clicking OK.

2. Navigate to the registry key or value that you wish to export and select it. Note that keys are the "folders" in the registry while values are the individual settings within those folders. If you want an entire key copied, highlight the key.

3. Select Export from the File menu.

4. Name the file and click Save. You must name it with the .reg extension.

Your file will now work for anyone who double clicks it.

Editing a .Reg File

If you want to modify more than just a single key (and its children) or value with your .Reg file, you'll need to modify it with a text editor.

1. Open an existing .Reg or create a blank document using a text editor such as Notepad.

2. Make sure the top line reads "Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00" if it does not already.

3. Add the names of registry keys (aka folders) in brackets on their own lines. If a key does not already exist at this location, the .Reg file will create it. For example, enter "[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization]" to create or write-to that key.

4. Enter the values on their own lines beneath the appropriate key name. For example, if we want to set NoLockScreen to DWORD value 1, we write "NoLockScreen"=dword:00000001.

You can enter as many different keys and values as you want. While DWORD values, begin with "dword:" and several zeros, string values are just enclosed in quotation marks.

Note: Different registry values are DWORD, String values or other types such as multi-string value or QWORD (64-bit). The type depends on what Windows or an individual application is looking for. DWORD and String Value are the most common, particularly for registry hacks.

5. Set a value to "-" if you wish to delete the value rather than setting it.

6. Put a "-" in front of a key name if you wish to delete the entire key and all keys and values underneath it. Don't do this unless you're sure you're not deleting something important.

7. Save your file.

Running the .Reg File

Now, anyone who has the file .Reg file can make these registry tweaks by double clicking the file and selecting Yes if prompted.

How to Dramatically Cut Your Windows 10 PC’s Boot Time

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 12:09:00 +0000

How to Dramatically Cut Your Windows 10 PC’s Boot Time

If you're tired of waiting and waiting for your Windows 10 PC to boot, you're going to want to make sure the Fast Startup setting is enabled. Also known as Fast Boot in Windows 8, this feature shuts your PC down similar to how it sets the machine to sleep, writing the state of your operating system to a hibernation file.

We tried this out on a PC we're currently testing for review, and enabling Fast Startup reduced our boot time from 1 minute to 19 seconds, shaving 41 seconds — two-thirds of the boot time — off. Since changing this setting doesn't take much time, why not take a moment now to save many in the future?

Users who encrypt their have drive with software like TrueCrypt may not want to enable the setting, as they will then need to manually dismount encrypted drives prior to shutting down. Fast Startup also may lead to file corruption or other issues for computers that dual-boot between partitions or operating systems, so keep the setting disabled if you manage your computer in that manner.

This setting is commonly enabled in PCs sold running Windows 10 and any that were upgraded from Windows 8, but it's more likely to be disabled on devices that were upgraded from Windows 7. Here are step-by-step instructions for how to turn on Fast Startup mode.

How to Cut Your Windows 10 PC's Boot Time by 66 Percent

1. Click the Start button.

2. Type "Power Options."

3. Select Power Options.

4. Click "Choose what the power button does."

5. Select "Change settings that are currently unavailable" if the Shutdown settings are greyed out.

6. Check the box next to "Turn on fast startup."

7. Click Save Changes.

Now your PC will take advantage of the Fast Startup mode when you boot it up.

How to Calibrate Your Monitor in Windows 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 12:02:00 +0000

Want to make sure photos, videos, and games look their absolute best on your screen? Calibrating your monitor is the key. Monitor calibration ensures colors and black levels are as accurate as possible, and you can do it easily with Windows' built-in tool.

We'll use the Windows Color Management settings to walk through the steps of calibrating your display. The steps below are for Windows 10, but the calibration tool is also available in Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. Before you start, make sure your monitor has been on for at least half an hour, so it's warmed up properly, and clean your monitor.

1. Right-click on the desktop and select Display settings

2. Click "Advanced display settings" at the bottom of the settings window.

3. Verify that your monitor is set to the recommended, native resolution. If it's not, set it to the recommended resolution at least for this calibration process.

4. Click "Color calibration" at the bottom of the advanced display settings window.

5. Click Next to start the color calibration.

The wizard will walk you through adjusting your color settings. You'll:

Set the display to the factory default color settings, if your monitor allows you to do that
Adjust your display's gamma to match a sample image
Adjust the brightness and contrast
Adjust the color balance6. At the end of the wizard, click Finish to save your settings.

You'll then be able to calibrate ClearType for sharper text.

How to Find the Distance Between Two Spaces by Drawing a Line in Windows Maps

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 11:54:00 +0000

How to Find the Distance Between Two Spaces by Drawing a Line in Windows Maps

Windows Maps was first unveiled in the Creators Update, and it already has some pretty exciting features. One of my favorites is the integration with Windows Ink Workspace which allows you to draw a line between two points using your finger or a stylus (on touch-enabled devices) for instant directions, or the distance between the two waypoints.

1. Open Windows Maps.

2. Select the pen icon in the upper right above the map.

3. For distance, select the measure distance icon in the drop-down menu. It’s the second from the left.

4. Now, just draw a line between two points. You can draw a line between cities, across oceans, or even landmarks like the Grand Canyon to see how far it is from one side to the other.

5. Click the measure distance icon once more to change colors, or the size of the line.

6. If you’d prefer to get directions between two points, click the ballpoint pen icon instead. It’s the icon furthest to the left in the menu.

Edge vs. Chrome vs. Firefox: Battle of the Windows 10 Browsers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 14:56:00 +0000

Though millions of people use Internet Explorer, it has lost market share and street cred to Chrome and Firefox. With Windows 10, Microsoft has launched a new browser called Edge that promises to give its competitors a run for their money, especially with its new embedded Cortana feature and markup capabilities. Does this newcomer have a shot at taking on the browser giants?
I tested Chrome, Firefox and Edge to see which browser provides the greatest and fastest Internet experience.

Round 1: Speed and performance

To see how quickly each browser executes common tasks, I ran each one through a gauntlet of benchmarks and real-world tests on the same Intel Core i5-powered Surface Pro 3 running Windows 10.

	Edge	Chrome	Firefox
Version Number	20.10240.163840	v44.0.2403.89m	v39.0
Peacekeeper	2607; 5 out of 7	4105; 7 out of 7	4661; 7 out 7
SunSpider 1.0.2	107.4ms	298.3ms	227.0 ms
Speed-Battle	746.42	704.14	1116.16
Browsermark	2953	5356	4357
ESPN Load Time	04:45	04:67	04:59
TomsGuide Load Time	01:55	02:22	04:90

Peacekeeper: On the Peacekeeper benchmark, which measures browser speed, Firefox topped the group, with an average of 4,652. Chrome came in second, with 4,069, while Edge's 2,642 average placed it last because it could support only five of the seven tests the software uses.

Speed-Battle: Firefox notched a shocking 1,116 on Speed-Battle, which clocks the speed at which a browser loads JavaScript. Edge followed with 746, and Chrome got 704.

Sunspider: Microsoft's new browser pulled ahead in Sunspider, which tests JavaScript loading speed. Edge's 108.1ms time was twice as fast as Chrome (256.3ms) and Firefox (213.4ms).

Browsermark: This benchmark tests a variety of browser functions such as re-sizing screens, 2D and 3D performance, crunching numbers, and rendering graphics. Chrome took the lead here, notching 5,591 against Firefox's 4,308 and Edge's measly 2,882.

Page Load Times (Numion): I also timed, using the Numion stopwatch, how long it took Edge, Chrome, and Firefox to display media-heavy sites such as Tomsguide.com and ESPN.com. To make sure Internet speeds didn't affect the results, I repeated this test across two different days at different times.

Edge delivered the fastest speeds in general, loading ESPN.com in 4.45 seconds, compared to Chrome's 4:67 and Firefox's 4:59. Edge displayed TomsGuide.com in 1:55 seconds, faster than Chrome's 2:22 and Firefox's 4:90.

Winner: Edge. Though it fared poorly on a couple of synthetic tests, Edge processes JavaScript fastest and displays pages the fastest of the lot.

Round 2: Layout and ease of use

The best browsers are laid out in an intuitive manner, putting key controls within easy reach while reducing clutter on the screen. The thoughtful organization makes going to your favorite pages hassle-free and keeps distracting buttons out of sight.

All three browsers save space by putting the tabs up at the top of the window in lieu of a title bar. Chrome is the cleanest, however, with just buttons for back, forward, refresh, favorite and settings in addition to a search/URL bar that takes up the width of the screen.

Edge has a flat, modern aesthetic that helps it look minimalistic despite the extra buttons it has at the end of the search/URL bar. With icons for Reading mode, Favorites, Hub, Make a Web Note, Share and More actions on the right side, Edge's top bar is more cluttered than Chrome's.

Firefox has two bars by default: one for URLs and one for search. You can remove the search bar to make room, and the remaining one will accept both URLs and search queries, but I'd like if Mozilla had just one bar by default. Like Edge does, Firefox has a bunch of buttons at the end of the two bars, for Favorite, Download, Home, and Menu. The Forward button only pops up next to the Back symbol when there is a page ahead. The beauty of Firefox is that you can customize your layout however you want, so you can add or remove buttons as you like.

If you want to take a page you're browsing and share it to Facebook, Twitter or your email, it's easiest to do so via Firefox. The Mozilla browser has a native Share button that you can add to your navigation bar, and a Share This Link option when you right click on any link. You'll have to install the relevant plug-ins for each platform, and the feature supports popular services such as Facebook, Tumblr, Gmail, Delicious and LinkedIn.

Edge also has a native Share button, but to add channels through which to share pages, you'll first have to install the Windows Store app version of that service on your device. The Share button pulls up apps on your PC or tablet that support this feature, but very few apps do so right now. For instance, there is no official LinkedIn app for Windows.

Chrome doesn't have a built-in sharing feature. You can add the function via bookmarklets or widgets pinned to the bookmarks bar, or by installing extensions.

All three browsers show you which tabs are playing media by showing either a Play button in the tab's title or a speaker icon.

Power users might get frustrated at the lack of right-click options in Edge. While you get shortcuts such as "Open link in private window" and Save Link As in Firefox and Chrome, these two options are missing from the right-click menu in Edge. You'll get "Open in new tab," "Open in new window," Copy Link and Ask Cortana in Microsoft's offering. I like the Ask Cortana function, and Firefox has a similar option with its Search Yahoo (or default search engine), since asking the digital assistant pulls up search results.

If you right-click any blank space on Firefox or Chrome, your menu options are plenty, including going backward and forward, reloading, printing (Chrome), translating to English (Chrome), and sharing the page (Firefox). Edge only has Select All, Inspect Element and View Source in the same scenario.

Winner: Firefox. Mozilla's browser takes the prize because of its customizability and easy sharing function.

Round 3: Extensibility

Both Chrome and Firefox have supported extensions for years, and these babies can really enhance your Internet experience. For instance, the Phone to Desktop Chrome add-on lets you send any text or links to your desktop browser, and the Text to Voice Firefox extension reads out words you highlight on any page.

Firefox and Chrome both have tens of thousands of extensions, spanning categories such as Productivity, Downloads Management, Social & Communication, Search Tools, and Shopping. Firefox seems to be a little more geared toward power users, with specific categories for Web development, Tabs, and Privacy & Security. I especially love that you can skin Firefox with one of the thousands of theme add-ons.

Some of Chrome's add-ons run offline and integrate with a variety of Google's existing services, such as Save to Google Drive and Tags for YouTube. For anyone who uses any of the Internet giant's services at all, Chrome's extensions will make life much easier.

Microsoft has said that it expects to add extensions to Edge in the near future. When that happens, the Windows-maker will have a lot of catching up to do, especially in providing a similar number and variety of add-ons as its counterparts.

Winner: Chrome. Chrome takes this round with its extensions' sheer number, usefulness and ability to integrate with other Google services.

Round 4: Standards support

All three browsers support common Web standards that most websites use today, but the browsers differ in the extent of support. For instance, Edge supports only five out of seven HTML5 capabilities tested in the Peacekeeper benchmark. Firefox and Chrome both met seven out of seven.

I ran the HTML5Test and CSS3Test on all three programs and found Edge trailing in both. The two benchmarks test, respectively, whether each browser recognizes all features of HTML5 or CSS 3 (a styling language), but not whether the standards are implemented correctly.

Chrome leads the pack in HTML 5, with 526 out of 555 components met. Firefox got 467, while Edge scored just 402. On CSS 3, Firefox pulled ahead, with 55 percent of tests passed, while Chrome followed with 51 percent. Edge came in last, with just 46 percent.

All three browsers support the JavaScript engine WebGL for rendering interactive 3D graphics, but at varying degrees. On the Oort Online GL benchmark, which measures how well your browser or device renders WebGL graphics and animation, Chrome came in first, with its average score of 3,635. Edge was runner-up, with its average of 2,958, while Firefox trailed the rest, with 1,525 on average.

Winner: Chrome. Google won this round with its comprehensive coverage of today's common Web standards.

Round 5: Special features

Each browser has its own special features to help it stand out. Chrome tabs, for instance, can be cast to your TV if you have a Chromecast so you can Facebook stalk your frenemies on the big screen. Chrome also has a nifty autofill feature for forms and generates passwords for you when creating new accounts so you don't have to think up a security code every time you set up a new profile.

Google's browser also imports your browsing history, saved passwords and open tabs across all the devices you're signed into, so you can easily pick up on your desktop where you left off on your phone. I can't tell you how many times I've been saved by Chrome when my computer crashed and I lost my hundreds of open tabs.

Firefox also does the same with its Firefox Sync feature, except you'll have to make sure you're signed into your Firefox Account. Since I don't use my Firefox account for anything else, I'm always at a loss for what my username and password are. Signing into Chrome is much easier since I have my Gmail/Google password burned into my brain. Plus, logging into any Google service also signs me into Chrome and vice versa.

Firefox has a bunch of other goodies, including Firefox Hello, for easy video conferencing within your browser, and built-in developer support (debugger, color dropper, etc.). Hello not only lets you see your contacts but also lets you share your tabs. However, during my testing on the Surface Pro 3, the Hello feature was buggy, crashing in the middle of my video call. It worked smoothly on my Dell Latitude 6430u laptop running Windows 7, though.

Edge's most outstanding feature is Cortana. Like a personal concierge, Cortana is ready to provide information on anything you come across. Highlight a word you don't understand, right click and ask Cortana about it. A panel slides in from the right with Bing search results on that word. When available, Cortana will display pictures, directions, and reviews.

Microsoft also said that when you are on a page that Edge detects is a restaurant, Cortana will appear as a circle on the URL bar saying, "I've got the directions, hours and more." Click that icon, and a panel slides in from the right with pictures, directions, and a shortcut to call the restaurant. This is similar to what Google already does with its search results, except you don't have to go to a separate tab or page to do this and can make reservations or look up directions without leaving the restaurant's page.

However, during my testing, Cortana turned up only one out of the close to 10 restaurants' websites I tried. I even went back to the same restaurant's Web page where the circle had appeared before and it did not pop up again. The only thing I had changed was that I maximized the window.

Cortana sure is a cool tool for Edge users, but right now, the feature is not mature or consistent enough. Microsoft said it's continuing to work on improving Cortana, so hopefully, there will be more upgrades soon.

Edge also has a Markup mode that lets you scribble on the page you're browsing, save your notes and share the page with your friends. This is handy for anyone with a stylus, but I didn't find myself using it a lot. Microsoft also designed Edge to zoom out and show the whole page when you're in tablet mode but its window is narrower than the width of the site, instead of showing horizontal scroll bars at the bottom of other browsers do.

I liked Edge's Reading Mode, which stripped a page of its ads and navigational interface to make it easier to read. Firefox also has a built-in reading mode, but Chrome doesn't.

Winner: Chrome. Chrome narrowly takes this round because of how well its features integrate with Google's other products and how widely used they are. Firefox has a useful variety of bonuses but needs to make them more coherent and easy to access.

Overall Winner: Chrome

Taking three rounds out of five, Chrome wins the battle of the Windows 10 browsers, thanks to its superb standards support, extensibility and special features. It did pretty well at performance, too. Firefox is a close second, with its excellent performance and customizable layout, but needs to serve a less niche audience to rise above the competition. Although Edge lags its more-popular browser brothers in other areas, it's off to a very good start with its best-in-class performance, clean look and Cortana integration.

How to Reduce Memory Usage in Chrome

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 14:45:00 +0000

How to Reduce Memory Usage in Chrome

If you use Chrome and notice your computer slowing down, you're not alone — Google's browser has a bit of a reputation for eating up RAM. If you're anything like me and have multiple tabs open at a time, you may be wondering how to use Chrome without
consuming all of your computer's memory. If you don't want to use Chrome's built-in task manager all the time, there are some extensions that can help you out.

Option 1: The Great Suspender

The Great Suspender places your apps in stasis, pausing them if you haven't used them in a while. With one click, you can bring a page back from suspension and have memory allocated to tabs that are actually being used. Here's how:

1. Click Add to Chrome on The Great Suspender in the Chrome Web Store.

2. Click Settings on the resulting page.

3. Fill out your settings, including how long to wait before suspending tabs, which tabs to whitelist and whether or not to suspend pinned tabs. Click Save Settings at the bottom of the page.

4. Click in the blue box to make suspended tabs active again. They will refresh and be available to use.

Option 2: OneTab

1. Click Add to Chrome on OneTab in the Chrome Web Store.

2. Click on the funnel button among your extensions in the top right of the browser.
3. Your tabs will be rolled into one tab directory. Click on a link to put it in a separate tab, or click Restore All to put them all in new tabs. Having all of your links in one tab should reduce memory usage.

How to Enable Do Not Track in Chrome

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 14:35:00 +0000

How to Enable Do Not Track in Chrome

You're tracked all over the Web, but sometimes asking politely will cause the behavior to stop. Do Not Track is built into most major web browsers, signaling to web sites that you don't want your browsing history logged by advertisers or publishers. All it takes to communicate your anti-tracking preference is checking a box, but the option is buried in Chrome's settings.
Checking the box doesn't guarantee that any site will listen to your request (Google says it doesn't), but it can't hurt to make your voice heard.

Here's how to enable Do Not Track in Chrome:

1. Open Chrome.

2. Type "chrome://settings" in the Omnibox.

3. Click "Show advanced settings" at the bottom.

4. Click the Do No Not Track check box in the "Privacy" section.

5. Click "OK" in the resulting pop-up.

From here on out, you are sending Do Not Track requests when using Chrome. Sites you visit may or may not listen to the request, but your voice is heard.

Should I Buy a Chromebook? Buying Guide and Advice

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 14:28:00 +0000

Should I Buy a Chromebook? Buying Guide and Advice

A Chromebook is a laptop of a different breed. Instead of Windows 10 or macOS, Chromebooks run Google's Chrome OS. These machines are designed to be used primarily while connected to the Internet, with most applications and documents living in the cloud. These machines have done quite well in the education market, but their appeal has broadened.

Low prices, long battery life and ease of use are just a few reasons why Chromebooks are attractive. Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in 2016, and Gartner is predicting that Chromebook sales will grow by 16.3 percent in 2017. In 2016, U.S. schools purchased 5.4 million Chromebooks for use in the classroom, just under half of the total laptops, according to the Associated Press.

But is a Chromebook right for you? Our Chromebook buying guide has the answers to these and other questions.

	Chromebook	Price
Best Overall	Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA	$499
Budget Pick	Lenovo N22 Chromebook	$159
Best for School	Dell Chromebook 3189	$329
Best 2-in-1 Chromebook	Samsung Chromebook Pro	$549
Best for Business	Acer Chromebook For Work 14	$542

Chromebooks run Chrome OS, Google's operating system, so they heavily feature Google's suite of applications and often times rely on a working Internet connection. Although you can log in to Chrome OS as a guest, we recommend you log in to the system with a Google account to have the best experience.

Apps

Chromebooks are optimized for Google's apps, such as Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive. This deep integration can be either positive or negative, depending on how you use a PC. Chromebooks will be easy to set up if you already use those apps.

Unfortunately, popular software applications, such as Adobe Photoshop and the Microsoft Office suite, aren't available on Chromebooks. However, Microsoft Office Online, the free cloud version of Office, is available as a webpage in the Chrome browser, and you can always use the native Google Drive to open and edit documents and spreadsheets.

It may be best to stick with Microsoft Office Online if you already have a lot of Office files that you're bringing over to your Chromebook. There are often formatting issues when importing third-party documents into Drive. Fortunately, Google Drive allows you to save documents to Microsoft formats, so you'll still be able to share files with non-Chromebook users.

On the other hand, there are a handful of photo editors available for Chrome OS, including Pixlr(free), which looks a lot like Photoshop. But those with existing files are out of luck — there is no Chromebook app that can edit Adobe's .PSD files.

If those limitations concern you, Android apps are now coming to Chromebooks. However, only a select few systems can access the Google Play Store at this time. The idea is to give Chromebooks access to more games, productivity options and other apps to make these machines more versatile.

Right now, Android-capable Chromebooks include the Samsung Chromebook Plus, Asus Chromebook Flip, Acer Chromebook R11 and Google’s own Chromebook Pixel. If you’re looking to take a Chromebook to school with you, make it one of those.

Offline Use

Chromebooks are designed to rely heavily on the Internet, which means that many apps simply won't work if you're out of Wi-Fi range. There are more than 200 offline Chrome apps that can work without Internet connectivity, including Gmail, Pocket and Google Drive, and tons of the Android apps coming soon will also work offline.

Games

You'll still be able to play games on the Chromebook, but your options are sparse. The Chrome Web Store offers casual titles such as Bejeweled and Cut the Rope, but you won't have the same selection as you would on a Windows machine or a Mac. Of course, Chromebooks with Android support get more modern titles such as Fallout Shelter, Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes and Minecraft.

Chromebooks generally have limited graphics processing power, so you'll want to stick to less demanding titles.

Special Features

While Chrome OS currently allows for voice commands once you say "OK, Google" with the launcher open, reports suggest that will not last. According to Chrome Unboxed, the source code in Google's Chromium respositories suggests that the notebooks will soon deprecate this functionality. It seems likely that Google Assistant will fill the void. While the launcher is currently integrated with Google Now, giving you info cards for the current weather and local news stories, we could see it switching to Google Feed.

Google redesigned the on-screen keyboard for touch-screen use, making it easier to use on 2-in-1s like the Asus Chromebook Flip. With a minimalist design, the on-screen keyboard recognizes your scribbles and gives you choices of text to input. When we tested that feature, it was almost always accurate in recognizing our writing. Also, soon, Android smartphone users will be able to get text and call-pop-up notifications on their desktop.

Battery Life

Chromebooks typically offer exceptional battery life, but not as much as they used to. Of the 10 Chromebooks we've reviewed in the past year, we've seen an average of 9 hours and 15 minutes of endurance on the Laptop Mag Battery Test, which involves continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi. On the top end, you'll notice standouts like the Acer Chromebook R 13's runtime of 11:00, though the average is down from the 9:59 time we previously found.

We recommend shooting for at least 9 hours of juice, which half of the Chromebooks we've reviewed offer. While some affordable Windows 10 notebooks, like the Lenovo Miix 310 (12:24) and the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 (13:39), offer amazing battery life, the ultraportable notebook average is a shorter 8 hours and 21 minutes.

Durability

Similar to business notebooks made to survive drops and other minor disasters, Chromebooks for Work are built to withstand falls, scrapes and similar punishment. In our testing, the Acer Chromebook 14 for Work proved durable, surviving unscratched and fully functional after our Dropbot 5000 test bench dropped it from a height of 48 inches onto a plywood plank.

Both the Acer Chromebook 14 for Work and the ThinkPad 13 Chromebook (another For Work model) are MIL-STD-810G certified, meaning they're capable of passing durability testing that U.S. Military equipment must pass. The Acer Chromebook 14 For Work can survive extreme temperatures (minus 20.2 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit), humidity, vibration, rain, sand and dust.

Durable Chromebooks aren't just for adults. The kid-friendly Acer Chromebook 11 N7 C731Tsurvived a full glass of water getting spilled onto its keyboard, as well as the 48-inch high drops from our Dropbot 5000. It may have gotten scuffed along the way, but it's a good option for clumsier users.

Manageability and Security

Chromebook for Work models also offer tools that IT administrators need to manage laptops in and out of the office. The Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Chromebook includes a Trusted Platform Module, a security chip that helps keep malicious attackers away from your passwords.

What Size Screen Do I Need?

Most Chromebooks fall between 11 and 13 inches. That means you won't have trouble choosing a smaller model, such as the 11-inch Acer Chromebook 11 N7 , the 12.5-inch Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA and the 13-inch ThinkPad 13 Chromebook.

These models often weigh less than 3 pounds, making them the most portable, and great options for kids. However, the screen size and keyboards may seem cramped for adults.

The Acer Chromebook 15 is the only 15-inch Chrome OS notebook available.

Those looking for more real estate for Web surfing, getting work done, watching movies and playing games can pick up the 14-inch Acer Chromebook 14 for Work, or the 15-inch Acer Chromebook 15, the only Chrome OS notebooks above 13 inches. Unfortunately, both are on the older end of the spectrum, as there hasn't been much demand for large Chromebooks. Don't even look for a 17-inch Chromebook; they're not out there.

What Specs Do I Need?

Because Chromebooks are meant primarily for online use, the specs aren't as important as they are for Windows laptops, but you'll still want to know how much power and storage you're getting for your money. Here's a quick guide.

RAM

When it comes to RAM, Chromebooks come with either 2GB or 4GB. While models with 4GB are more expensive, we've found that difference to be worth it for multi-tasking.

Both the HP Chromebook 14 (4GB RAM) and the Lenovo 100S Chromebook (2GB RAM) featured the same Celeron N2840 processors, but the HP notebook handled more than a dozen open tabs without a problem while the Lenovo stuttered with 10 open Chrome tabs and Spotify playing. Our tests of the Windows version of the Lenovo Ideapad 100S ($180) show that similarly spec'd PCs can handle a larger stack of tabs.

CPU

The processor in your Chrome OS machine helps determine how smoothly your Chromebook performs, especially when you have multiple tabs open and you're streaming video or playing games.

We find Intel Celeron chips in many Chromebooks, and they often provide acceptable speed. The $229 Acer Chromebook 11 N7 C731T (Celeron N3060, 4GB RAM) for example, could run 8 concurrent Chrome tabs, but stuttered after we opened another.

You can get a Windows 10 laptop with similar specs and price, such as the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 ($229), but it might not be as capable. That machine has the same processor and memory, but while it lasts more than 13 hours, its performance was less than that of the 11 N7.

If that doesn't sound like enough for you, certain Chromebooks pack Intel Core CPUs for even more speed. The biggest downside to these Core M Chromebooks, such as the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA ($499) and Samsung Chromebook Pro ($549) is their heftier price. Don't worry about that powerful CPU affecting the battery life, as the Samsung Chromebook Pro (Core M3) provided more power and longer longevity (8:05) than its weaker Chromebook Plus (ARM MediaTek; 7:46) sibling.

If you want a Chromebook without an Intel Chip, there's always 2014's Acer Chromebook 13, the only Chrome OS machine with an Nvidia chip (the Tegra K1). While it offers excellent graphics performance, it doesn't offer a touch screen.

Storage Size

Since Chrome OS is so lightweight, Chromebooks often don't need much storage. Most pack just 16GB of onboard storage, and that's likely all you'll need at this stage. Once Android support lands on the platform, users will find ways to make use of the SD card reader in notebooks such as the Acer Chromebook 14, where you can expand the storage up to 64GB.

Spring for a 32GB model now if you're buying with Android apps in mind. Similarly-priced Windows laptops often include 32GB by default, but that operating system takes up so much space that you're left with a similar amount of free storage as a 16GB Chromebook.

Google gives you 100GB of free Google Drive storage with every Chromebook purchase, though that only lasts for two years, after which you'll only have the standard 15GB of free space.

Screen

The size of the screen isn't the only thing that matters. While we appreciate the bright, color-accurate panel in the$179 Samsung Chromebook 3, its 1366 x 768-pixel dimensions mean it's best for writing and reading. But if you want sharper images, video and graphics, spring for one with a full-HD display (1920 x 1080 pixels), such as the $359 Acer Chromebook R 13.

Windows 10 has been built for touch screens, but you can get the same functionality in Chrome OS. You just have to know which one to get — and expect to pay about a $100 premium. The $280 Acer Chromebook R 11 can bend into a tablet, making use of its IPS touch-screen display.

The Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA is our overall favorite Chromebook.

The $449 Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA also has a touch screen, and it's one of the few to currently support Android apps, though others will gain that support later this year. If the prospect of using What's App, Super Mario Run and other apps on a Chromebook sounds like an option for you, make sure your next Chromebook includes a touch screen.

Who Are You Buying It For?

Overall, the best way to tell if someone will enjoy owning a Chromebook is if you know they already spend most of their time in the Chrome browser. Those users will take to the notebook naturally.

If you're buying this Chromebook for someone else, you should take a few moments to consider how they're going to use the device. Chromebooks are especially good for younger students, as they are ease to use and are fairly secure.

Children who are still learning how to use computers may be more receptive to learning how a new operating system works, and while there's no official Minecraft title for Chrome OS, the Android-based Minecraft: Pocket Edition will become available on certain Chromebooks later this year.

Some elder relatives may have never truly understood Windows enough to use their PC frequently, but others who have learned just enough to make do may become frustrated that they need to relearn where downloads go, or that their favorite app is not available for Chrome.

How Much Should I Spend?

There's a pretty narrow price range for Chromebooks. At the low end, you can pick up the affordable and light $169 Acer Chromebook R11, which has an 11.6-inch HD display, an Intel Celeron N3150 CPU and 2GB of RAM. On the other end of the spectrum is the $549 Samsung Chromebook Pro, a stylus-equipped 12.3-inch notebook with a 2400 x 1600-pixel display, an Intel Core M3 processor and 4GB of RAM.

You can even wind up spending as much as $749 on the 14-inch Acer Chromebook 14 for Work, but that's after it's upgraded to a Core i5 processor that Chromebooks don't really need. The most you should spend on that notebook is $600, which gets you a Core i3 CPU, a 1920 x 1080-pixel display, 32GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.

You'll probably wind up paying more for a Windows 10 notebook, as the average selling price for a PC is $448, according to NPD. There are more affordable options, as we've detailed here, but the PC laptop market has a much higher cap than the Chromebook market.

Bottom Line

Chromebooks are affordable and offer decent performance, and the introduction of Android apps is increasing their capabilities. Microsoft is fighting back with low-cost Windows 10 Slaptops, but if you're looking for a simple way to get online and you prefer Google's services, you'll be happy with a Chromebook.

Chromebooks vs. Windows 10 Laptops: What Should You Buy?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 14:10:00 +0000

Chromebooks vs. Windows 10 Laptops: What Should You Buy?

Chromebooks have grown from a curiosity to a force to be reckoned with. Offering a simple and stripped-down experience, Google's Chrome OS is extremely easy to use (if you can use a browser, you're good), and it comes inside several affordable laptops that cost as little as $159.

However, Microsoft isn't taking this threat lightly. With the launch of Windows 10, users can take advantage of a much-improved Start menu, along with the helpful Cortana assistant. Existing Windows-machine owners can upgrade to Windows 10 for free until July 29, 2016. Despite the new OS, Windows-device prices remain the same — you'll find a number of Windows-powered laptops that cost less than $200 each, and many under $400 offer touch displays.

So, which computing platform is truly the best? To answer that question, we put both Windows and Chrome OS to the test and compared them in 12 rounds of head-to-head competition.

Interface

Compared to the two distinct environments of Windows 8.1, Windows 10 feels more integrated and seamless. Pressing the Start button reveals the new Start menu, filled with your most used programs and recently installed apps on the left (similar to on Windows 8). To the right is a wider panel, where you can pin tiles that are animated with updates. The taskbar has been updated to include a Cortana search bar next to the Start button and small icons that show which programs are open.

On the bottom right of the desktop, Windows 10 adds a notification icon that, when clicked, brings you to the new Action Center, where you can see alerts from apps that are both active and dormant. There are also quick settings in this notifications menu in the form of tiles.

In the newest version of Chrome OS, the Start-like button sits in the bottom-left corner. When pressed, the launcher pop-up features a Google search bar (and the most recent Google Doodle), with a list of your most recently opened apps. Scrolling down reveals Google Now info cards, which give you information like local weather, suggested articles based on your search activity, and calendar updates.

The taskbar in Chrome OS shows icons for currently active apps, as well as shortcuts to essential Google apps, such as Docs, Drive and YouTube. Basic settings, such as Wi-Fi and Time, are accessed on the bottom right. Chrome OS was built as a Web-first operating system, so apps usually run in a Chrome browser window. The same is true for apps that can run offline.

Both Windows 10 and Chrome are great for working in side-by-side windows. For each OS, all you need to do is drag a window to one side, where it snaps to half-screen mode. However, Windows lets you snap up to four windows, compared to two for Chrome OS.

Another thing to consider is touch-friendly devices. There are Windows 10 and Chrome OS laptops with touch screens, but Windows 10 makes the most out of those displays. The operating system has tablet mode, which removes your taskbar icons and puts all apps in full-screen mode, leaving you with a minimalist workspace that removes a lot of desktop distractions. And with the new universal apps in the Windows app store, you'll be able to run most of your favorite programs in both desktop and tablet modes.

Winner: Chrome OS. Though it's less versatile, Chrome OS offers a simpler and more straightforward interface than Windows 10.

Cortana vs. Google Now

In many ways, the new Cortana in Windows 10 is a lot like Google Now in Chrome. Clicking on the Cortana search bar brings up a window with useful information, including the weather, your next calendar appointment and local restaurants to check out. If you have "Hey, Cortana" enabled, you can say that phrase to bring up a window and ask any question you want. I asked, "How do you get from New York City to D.C.?" and Cortana brought up a Bing search-results page with a map of the route between the two cities.

On the flip side, Chrome OS has a similar feature you can enable in Settings, called "OK, Google," that will let you ask Google Now questions when the Launcher is open or when a blank Chrome tab is open. When asked the same question ("How do you get from New York City to D.C.?"), Google Now brought up a similar search page in Google with a map of the route. In addition, the voice assistant spoke to me, saying it takes 4 hours and 9 minutes to get to Washington, D.C., from Manhattan with light traffic. Google Now tends to speak more than Cortana does, audibly giving you related information about what you initially searched for.

However, Cortana does a lot more than Google Now. For instance, you can perform natural-language searches for files on your laptop, dictate emails, book appointments and, yes, tell jokes.

Winner: Windows 10. Cortana is more versatile than Google Now.

Apps and Software

For a laptop to be fully functional, you'll need a few basic programs, including ones for productivity, photo editing, video editing, video playback, music playback and a browser. For Windows laptops and Chromebooks, all of that's possible, but Google's OS is still a work in progress.

If there's a program you want to run, chances are that Windows supports it. And that goes for most games as well. Looking for a more tablet-like experience, or have a system with a touch screen? Microsoft claims that there are 669,000 apps in the Windows Store.

Some of our favorite Windows 10 apps include Facebook, Kindle and Flipboard. All three of those options offer interactive Live Tiles to keep you updated on what's happening in the world. The Dropbox app on Windows 10 is clean and simple to use, as is Adobe Photoshop Express.

Chrome OS is basically a big browser, so if you can run a program or play a game through a website, you can use it in Chrome. There's no software download, but there is a decent array of apps. Keep in mind, however, that if a game requires Adobe Flash or a dedicated plugin, you won't be able to use it in Chrome.

The Chrome Web Store currently offers thousands of apps, though Google doesn't provide the exact number. A few dozen of those apps offer at least some offline functionality, such as Kindle Cloud Reader and Google Drive for reading and editing on the go. Also, you can change the settings in some programs, such as Google Docs, to access them offline. In addition, Google has connected some Chrome and Android apps, such as Evernote and Spotify, for a seamless experience across devices.

The Duolingo app brings the smartphone language-learning app to the Chrome desktop with simplicity and a clean design. Windows 10 has yet to sport a Spotify app, but the music-streaming offering can be found on Chromebooks. However, you can download Spotify's desktop program and use it from your Windows 10 device. Pandora can be streamed simply from a web-browser tab.

Most importantly, Chromebooks are beginning to get access to Android apps via the Google Play Store. Google maintains a full list of machines here, which includes the Asus Chromebook Flip and Acer Chromebook R11. In the past, we thought it was ridiculous to get a 2-in-1 Chromebook; Chrome OS simply didn’t have any reason to have a touchscreen. However, when Android apps roll out in full force, a touchscreen will provide the best way to interact with them.

But there are plenty of programs that don't run on Chromebooks, such as CyberLink PowerDirector. Chrome OS does support popular options such as Microsoft Word, Photoshop Express, Spotify and Facebook. But in almost all cases, the "app" is simply a launcher for the accompanying website.

Winner: Windows 10. In this case, more is better.

Photo and Video Editing

Windows 10 offers a plethora of photo-editing programs, including support for Photoshop Elements. Adobe's creative suite and many other options simply don't exist on Chromebooks.

What you will find on the web-based Chrome OS platform are some basic editing options, such as Photoshop Express and Pixlr Editor. Using the latter, we took a high-resolution photo of a tiger and quickly added effects, an overlay and text, and adjusted the color for brightness, contrast, focal blur and much more. It's an easy-to-navigate program with straightforward tools. If you're a casual photo editor, these will probably suffice. You won't be able to access Photoshop Express offline, but Pixlr Editor works the same online as it does offline.

With Windows 10 came the introduction of Microsoft's new Photos app, which has basic photo-editing tools. When you open a photo in the app, you can choose the option to edit it from the top-right navigation bar, which opens up tools on the right and left sides of the photo. In basic fixes, you'll find options like auto-enhance, which bumps up the contrast and saturation and, in some cases, straightens out an image; rotate; crop; and retouch. For more controlled editing, you can manipulate light (brightness, contrast, highlights and shadows) and colors (temperature, tint and saturation), and there are filters and effects to give your photos more personality.

Anyone who has used mobile photo editors like Instagram and Afterlight will easily get the hang of the new Windows Photos app. More serious photographers will want to download programs like Adobe Photoshop to have full control over their images, which is not an option on Chrome OS.

Filmmakers will also find the Chrome Web Store a lonely place. You will find simple, no-frills options, such as Magisto and WeVideo, that offer autocorrection and editing with a few clicks. But you won't find CyberLink PowerDirector and its professional suite of tools. That's available exclusively to the Windows 10 crowd.

Winner: Windows 10. Beginners and pros alike get the most options in a Windows 10 laptop.

Web Browsing

Chrome is a great browser that offers strong performance, a clean and easy-to-use interface, and a ton of extensions. But if you own a machine running Chrome OS, you better really like it, because there aren't any alternatives. The Chrome browser on Chrome OS cannot run Flash or other important plugins, such as Java, meaning that sometimes, you will run into compatibility problems when trying to view certain websites or select extensions.

On the other hand, Windows 10 can also run Chrome, along with pretty much every other web browser ever made, giving you the flexibility to surf the internet exactly how you want to. Microsoft's new browser, Edge, also has some handy features not found in Chrome, such as the ability to write directly on websites and send those notes and scribbles to friends; Cortana search embedded on the same page; and a reading mode that removes distracting elements like ads and saves articles so they can be viewed offline.

Winner: Windows 10. Chrome is good, but Windows 10 lets you use Chrome along with a bunch of other web browsers. Choice is king.

File Management

Windows still provides a traditional and familiar folder of files, which appears in the simple File Explorer program. You can also save to your desktop, pin documents to the bar and create new folders in a jiffy. You can even access your Microsoft OneDrive files to see what you've stored in the cloud.

There's also a Files folder in the main menu for Chromebooks. But it's not in the Start menu by default, as it is on Windows 10. From here, you can access your Google Drive files or any files that have been downloaded and saved to the machine's storage drive.

The main drawback for Chromebook users is the smaller amount of space you're likely to have on your machine's hard drive. The Asus Chromebook C202, for example, offers 16GB of local storage, and Google offers 15GB of cloud storage for free. For two years, you can access 100GB of Drive cloud storage for free, but then you'll have to pay $1.99 per month for 100GB of additional storage if you need it. Also, you can purchase up to 1TB of online space for $9.99 per month, if you need more. People who need a lot of storage can buy up to 30TB for $300 per month.

In comparison, the Windows-powered Dell Inspiron 11 3000 comes with a 500GB hard drive, and 15GB of OneDrive storage is available for free through a Microsoft account. You can access files on your Windows 10 PC via the Start menu in File Explorer. Also, with Cortana integration, you can type in commands, such as "Show me photos from last week," and it will bring up files that fit those criteria.

Winner: Windows 10. People who keep tons of photos, videos and other files will want the local storage space that Windows offers.

Productivity

Being the go-to business-friendly operating system, Windows 10 is the standard when it comes to getting stuff done. As such, many businesses use software that is compatible only with Windows. For instance, you won't be using AutoCAD design software on a Chromebook.

Microsoft's own Office suite — which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint — is also the standard bearer for productivity software. But that's not your only option on a Windows machine; you can use Google Drive, OpenOffice or any number of third-party software programs.

On Chromebooks, you can still access Word, Excel and PowerPoint, but they're Microsoft's web-only versions of the apps available through OneDrive. These options require you to be online to use them. You can download files to your local storage and edit them there, but your system will open them as Google Drive files.

There are third-party productivity options for Chrome OS, including Zoho and Polaris, but most of those programs require an internet connection as well. Google Drive, however, works offline, and we really like the real-time collaborative editing and number of useful add-ons. Also, Microsoft has created Chrome apps for its office suite of tools — including Word, Excel and PowerPoint — so you can create and edit those documents on a Chrome OS. In typical fashion, they are web apps you need to download and install to use, and they are available only for online use.

Winner: Windows 10. If you're not wedded to Google Drive for all your productivity needs, Windows is the way to go.

Gaming

Most hard-core games require some serious specs, including discrete graphics chips, plenty of onboard storage and advanced processing power. That's totally doable on a high-end Windows 10 machine, such as the Alienware 17 R3, but the lower-end machines won't be able to handle it. There are currently no Chromebooks aimed at gaming, and AAA titles aren't available on Chrome OS.

As such, you will not be able to download or play World of Warcraft, Dota 2, Overwatch, Rocket League or The Witcher 3 on a Chromebook. The games simply aren't supported by Google's operating system. You will find some casual and popular games in the Chrome Web Store — including Cut the Rope and Plants vs. Zombies — so it's not a total bust. Of course, all those same casual games are available on Windows 10 as well. Additionally, Chrome OS doesn't support Steam, EA's Origin, Ubisoft's Uplay and other gaming portals.

Another perk Microsoft added is the ability to stream Xbox One games to a Windows 10 PC. With the Xbox One app installed on a Windows 10 device, you can hook up an Xbox One controller to the computer and play titles you'd normally play on your console. Just note that another person can't use your Xbox at the same time.

Winner: Windows 10. You simply cannot run many of the games you might want to play on a Chromebook.

Media Playback

Neither Windows 10 nor Chrome OS supports every file type ever made, but on Microsoft-powered machines, you have the option of downloading codecs to play those files on your laptop. QuickTime files, among several other types, cannot be played back on a Chromebook.

For media files, Chromebooks support .3gp, .avi, .mov, .mp4, m4v, .mp3, .mkv, .ogv, .ogm, .ogg, .oga. .webm and .wav. That means there's no .aac file support, and thus no iTunes. You also won't find .h264 files, which is the backdrop for some 60 percent of all web videos and the default codec in which many cameras record. Chrome OS doesn't support .tiff image files, either.

In addition to all the file types supported by Google's OS, Microsoft's Windows Media Center natively supports .aac, .asf, .asx, .m2ts, .m3u, .mpg, .mpeg, .qt, .wmv, .vod and .wma files. You can also play optical discs on Windows 10 with the necessary hardware, but you won't be able to play DVDs or Blu-ray discs on a Chromebook.

Winner: Windows 10. You're unlikely to find a file you can't play on Windows 10.

Security

Windows has long been a known target for hackers looking to infect PCs with viruses, malware, botnets and keyloggers. In fact, the very first thing anyone should do with a new Windows laptop is install an antivirus suite. However, Microsoft's Windows Defender does come built in, and that's better than nothing.

Windows Defender runs in the background and notifies you if you need to take an action, such as removing a virus. The SmartScreen feature also warns you when it doesn't recognize an app, to help prevent phishing attacks. Plus, the secure-boot feature means that every time you turn on your laptop, it will check itself for digital certificates of authenticity before it boots. That means it will not load infected software.

Cloud customers have access to a few extra security features. Device Guard protects Windows 10 machines from any unknown software that hasn't been approved by an official vendor or Microsoft itself. In an effort to expand on its biometric systems, Microsoft is enabling Windows Hello to unlock devices just by using fingerprint scanners. Also, if you have an Intel RealSense camera, you can use your face to access your device or Microsoft Passport without a PIN.
Chromebooks have not yet caught the eye of many hackers. But more than that, Google promotes the security of its operating system as a key selling point. A Chromebook automatically checks for and applies security updates, while including Web filters and sandboxing media. Also, Chrome OS doesn't support Flash, so any security issues surrounding it won't affect the system.

If something does get into your Chrome OS system, restoring it to its factory settings requires only a couple of clicks on the mouse pad. The only security problem Chromebook owners really face is thieves looking to hack the sites you use, where a lot of personal data is stored.

Winner: Chrome OS. Assuming you can keep your Google password to yourself, you're safer in Chrome.

Hardware Options

Variety is the spice of life, and fewer types of technology offer as much variety as Windows PCs. The screens alone can range in size from 11 to 18 inches, both with and without touch capability. Eight major manufacturers create Windows laptops, offering Intel and AMD chips, onboard memory that varies wildly from 2GB to 16GB, and storage sizes that go up to the terabyte level.

Some Windows machines are plastic, and some are metal. Some come in nonstandard colors. Some are meant to be portable, while others are more deskbound. You'll also find Windows machines dedicated to business and gamers, and 2-in-1 machines that double as notebooks and tablets. There truly is an option for everyone when it comes to Windows.

The Chromebook market is smaller but growing steadily. We've reviewed over 20 Chromebooks from companies including Acer, Dell, Asus, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba, among others. The display size ranges from 11 to 15 inches, but most are smaller than 15 inches. Only a couple of models offer a touch screen. Chromebooks are incredibly portable, though, usually weighing between 2 and 4 pounds.

You'll find some niche Chromebooks popping up for business customers. These machines, such as the Gorilla Glass-enforced Acer Chromebook 14 and HP Chromebook 13, place an emphasis on security and durability.

Winner: Windows 10. Microsoft's ecosystem gives you more options, which means you're more likely to find something you really like.

Value

There was a time when the only laptops priced under $200 were Chromebooks. But with Microsoft's initiative to make Windows 10 machines more affordable, the gap in price between Windows 10 and Chrome OS devices has been completely eliminated.

Take the 14-inch Acer Aspire One Cloudbook. Starting at $199, this machine is a well-built 14-inch system with an astounding 14-plus hours of battery life. Then, there's the Lenovo Ideapad 100S, which features an attractive 2.2-pound design, a comfy keyboard and more than 9 hours of endurance.

In Chrome OS world, you can get a laptop like the Asus Chromebook C201 for as little as $168 if you opt for 2GB of RAM or $189 with 4GB of RAM (we recommend the latter). If you're willing to spend more, consider the Toshiba Chromebook 2, which gives you a lot of laptop for your money, with a 13.3-inch full-HD display (a rarity on PCs in this price range), 4GB of RAM and 13 hours of battery life, all for just $299. Dell's Chromebook 13 costs $100 more for pretty much the same specs, but it has a more durable design and is targeted more toward businesses.

If you can be swayed by the addition of promotional goodies, both Google and Microsoft have some attractive incentives that may help sweeten the deal. Currently, Google is offering several hundred dollars' worth of free stuff to customers purchasing a new Chromebook, including 100GB of storage on Google Drive, 12 free Gogo in-air internet passes, 90 days of Google Play Music and three free movies from Google Play.

Deals from Microsoft vary from vendor to vendor, but budget machines often include a free one-year subscription to Office 365 (which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint), and 500GB of storage on OneDrive, a $70 value. If you want the best productivity suite, this subscription is more desirable than Google's collection of freebies.

Winner: Tie. Prices are about the same for each OS. Windows 10 machines offer a wider range of configurations, but Google's free add-ons are hard to ignore.

Overall Winner: Windows 10

Microsoft's Windows came out on top in this battle, winning nine out of 12 rounds and tying in one round. It simply offers shoppers more — more apps, more photo and video-editing options, more browser choices, more productivity programs, more games, more types of file support and more hardware options. You can also do more offline. Plus, the cost of a Windows 10 PC can now match the value of a Chromebook.

If you're comfortable living in the cloud and you want to get stuff done in a secure yet simple environment, a Chromebook will suit you nicely. However, if you need power and versatility, Windows 10 reigns supreme.

Nvidia GTX 1070 vs. 1080: What's the Best Value?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 13:42:00 +0000

Nvidia GTX 1070 vs. 1080: What's the Best Value?

Nvidia's GeForce GTX 10-Series GPUs have gone a long way in closing the gap between laptop and desktop graphics cards. Aside from a few tweaks, the 10-Series laptop GPUs are pretty similar. In the case of the GTX 1080 graphics card, both the laptop and desktop GPUs possess 2,560 CUDA cores.

Both the GTX 1070 and 1080 are much more powerful than their lower-tier cousins (GTX 1050, 1050 Ti and 1060), but you're going to pay a pretty penny for all that performance. So when you're searching for that perfect gaming laptop, should you throw caution (and cash) to the wind and go for 1080 or exercise a bit of restraint and go for the less expensive, but still plenty powerful 1070? The following guide will help you find the right gaming powerhouse for you.

Specs Compared

As the upper echelon of the Nvidia mobile GPUs, the GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 both have 8GB of VRAM, which is double what you get on a GTX 1050. Both cards support Nvidia's G-Sync, BatteryBoost, Optimus and Ansel technologies. Each GPU is also VR-ready and can be used in SLI configuration. Of course, there are some key differences. The 1080 has more CUDA cores and a higher clock speed (2,560 and 1,556 MHz) compared to the 1070 (2,048 and 1,442 MHz).

Those added CUDA cores mean the 1080 can handle a higher workload capacity than any mobile card. But while the 1080 should definitely outperform the 1070 GPU, both GPUs can run popular AAA titles at the highest settings when set to 1920 x 1080. The GTX 1080, however, will have an easier go of things if you crank the resolution up to 4K.

Performance

The GTX 1080 has the cards firmly stacked in its favor, and it consistently edged out its less powerful counterpart in our tests. For these comparisons, we chose the Razer Blade Pro (GTX 1080), Asus ROG G701VI (GTX 1080), Alienware 15 (GTX 1070) and Lenovo Legion Y920 (GTX 1070) for their respective GPUs. Each laptop also has the same 2.9-GHz Intel Core i7-7820HK processor.

During the Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmark, the Razer Blade Pro and Asus ROG G701VI, with their 1080 GPUs, scored 73 and 71 frames per second, respectively. The Lenovo Legion Y920 and Alienware 15 hit 59 fps and 52 fps.

	Razer Blade ProGTX 1080	Asus ROG G701VIGTX 1080	Alienware 15GTX 1070	Lenovo Legion Y920GTX 1070
GTA V (fps)	81	90	68	71
Hitman (fps)	116	109	98	107
Metro Last Light (fps)	71	105	68	69
Rise of the Tomb Raider	73	71	52	59

On the Hitman test, the Blade Pro achieved 116 fps, but the Legion Y920 and Alienware 15 weren't too far behind, at 107 and 98 fps. Switching over to Grand Theft Auto V, the G701VI obtained 90 fps, while the Blade Pro reached 81 fps. With their 1070 GPUs, the Legion Y920 and Alienware 15 notched 72 and 68 fps.

When we ran the Metro: Last Light benchmark, one of our most graphically taxing tests, the G701VI delivered a whopping 105 fps while the Blade Pro scored 71 fps. The Legion Y920 and Alienware 15 produced 69 and 68 fps.

To further test graphics performance, we ran the 3DMark Fire Strike test, on which the Blade Pro hit 14,120 while the Legion Y920 and Alienware 15 notched 13,803 and 13,523. The G701VI was an outlier, at 9,494.

During the SteamVR Performance test, which measures how VR-ready a system is, the G701VI, Blade Pro and Alienware 15 maxed out the test, at 11. The Legion Y920 was only slightly behind, at 10.6.

Which GPU Offers the Best Value?

Both the 1070 and 1080 are on the higher end of the GPU spectrum, which means both graphics cards can be expensive. To give you a little perspective, let's take a look at the Alienware 17. The starting configuration is priced at $1,299 and has an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU; the next model has a GTX 1060 and costs $1,479, while the 1070 GPU raises the price to $1,749.

The GTX 1080 iteration of the Alienware 17 costs a whopping $2,299, partly due to its top-of-the-line graphics card and partly because of the system's overclockable CPU. The other systems rely on 2.8-GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ processors. But since you won't find a GTX 1080 GPU without an overclockable processor, the top-tier Alienware 17 is a good representative of pricing for other high-end systems.

Ultimately, consumers looking to split the baby between performance and price will want to select a gaming laptop equipped with a GTX 1070.

So Which GPU Should I Choose?

When you're on the hunt for a gaming laptop, both the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 and 1080 GPUs are great choices. Gamers with deeper pockets and a thirst for power should invest in a gaming notebook with a GTX 1080. If your budget isn't as large, get a 1070 laptop. Although it's not as powerful as the 1080, it can still pack a punch on the gaming front. And if a single GPU isn't satisfying your power cravings, check out laptops that offer SLI configurations. But whichever card you choose, don't be afraid to crank the settings up to the max.

10 Worst Windows 10 Annoyances and How to Fix Them

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 13:28:00 +0000

10 Worst Windows 10 Annoyances and How to Fix Them

Windows 10 is the most powerful and versatile PC operating system around, but even the best platform has its fair share of frustrating features. From automatic Windows updates that reboot your computer at the worst possible time to a search box that strong arms you into using Bing rather than Google for search,
there's plenty of room for improvement. Fortunately, by tweaking a few settings here and there, you can solve most of these problems.

#1 Windows Updates When You Don't Want It To

We've all been there. You're sitting there trying to do work or play a game and Windows starts installing updates and asks you to reboot your computer. If you're not around to stop it, your computer may even restart itself without your permission.

There are a couple of ways to prevent Windows 10 from updating at the worst possible time. First, you can set "active hours" under Settings -> Windows Update so that the computer will not automatically reboot during those times (default is 8 a.m. to 5 pm). Second, you can pause updates altogether for up to 35 days by going to Settings -> Windows Update -> Advanced Options and toggling "Pause Updates" to on.

#2 Windows Suddenly Starts Talking

Look who's talking now! You're not sure why but for some reason Windows 10 has suddenly started announcing everything you touch via voice. You click on the taskbar and it tells you "Cortana search box." You start typing and the voice reads every character you type aloud. The user experience couldn't be more annoying.

What happened is that, probably by clicking CTRL + Windows Key + Enter, you launched Narrator, a feature which reads text on the screen aloud so that visually-impaired users can navigate more easily. To turn Narrator off, you can either hit the keyboard combination again or open the Narrator Settings app that appears on your taskbar and click Exit. To stop accidental launches permanently, open the Narrator Settings app, click General and uncheck "Enable the shortcut to launch Narrator."

#3 Edge Is The Default Browser

Microsoft's browser isn't a bad program. Edge offers speedy browsing and a clean, simple interface, but it just doesn't offer the same level of functionality as Chrome or Firefox. Unfortunately, by default, Edge launches on every link you click in the OS or when you conduct a search from the Cortana box.

To switch to Chrome, Firefox or another browser of your choice, navigate to Settings -> Apps & Features -> Default apps and click the Edge icon under "Web browser." You'll see a list of all the other browsers you have installed and be able to change the default.

#4 Cortana Searches Bing Instead Of Google

No offense to Bing, but it just isn't Google search. Of course, it goes without saying that Microsoft loves its own search engine and launches it every time you enter a web search into the Cortana box.

In order to search Google (or another search engine) from the Cortana box, first change your default browser to Chrome and then install an extension called Chrometana, which will redirect all Bing queries to Google.com. Finally, you need to install a utility called Edge Deflector which will make Cortana use the default browser for searches rather than Edge.

#5 File Extensions Hidden By Default

Every time you boot Windows or wake it from sleep, you're hit with a completely pointless lock screen that you have to click or swipe away before you can enter your login credentials. Why not just go straight to the password prompt and save the unnecessary click?

To disable the lock screen, open the windows registry editor (regedit.exe) and navigate to the folder: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows. Create a new registry Key called "Personalization" and open its folder. Then create a DWORD (32-bit) value called "NoLockScreen" and set it to "1." The next time you boot up, the login prompt should be the first screen you see.

#6 File Extensions Hidden By Default

By default, Windows 10 won't show you the three or four letter extension that comes at the end of common file names. For example, an image called mypicture.JPG will appear in the File Explorer as just "mypicture." While you can look at the file details to find out exactly what type it is, you shouldn't have to.

To force Windows to show you all file extensions, navigate to the Windows control panel (search for "control panel" in the Cortana b0x) and open File Explorer options. Then click on the View tab and uncheck the box next to "Hide extensions for known file types."

#7 Programs Show Giant, Noisy Notifications

It's helpful to know when your boss has just sent you an urgent email, but most Windows notifications are useless and annoying. Do you really need a giant message and loud audio alert to let you know that your computer has found "one or more settings that might effect your battery life?"

You can pick and choose which apps have permission to send notifications by navigating to Settings -> System -> Notifications & actions and scrolling down to the "Get notifications from these senders" list. From there, you can disable notifications by program or leave visual alerts but turn off sound for each. And if you just don't want any notifications at all, toggle "Get notifications from apps and other senders" to off.

#8 The System Comes Loaded With Crapware

New Windows 10 computers come loaded with crapware and, sadly, most of it comes courtesy of Microsoft, not the computer manufacturer. Every Windows laptop we see in 2017 packs some combination of a Sling TV trial, Candy Crush Soda Saga and a few other casual games such as Age of Empires. Most laptop-makers also throw on a 30 or 60-day trial of security software which you might not want. It almost goes without saying that, if you really wanted any of this trialware, you could have downloaded it on your own.

To get rid of any apps you don't want, navigate to Settings->Apps. Then select the program you want to erase and click Uninstall.

#9 UAC and SmartScreen Treat You Like a Child

You don't have to be a hardcore computer nerd to know that you should only download reputable applications and scan them for viruses before installing. Unfortunately, by default, Windows 10 thinks you're a baby that needs to be severely warned every time you try to do an app or tweak setting.

Two different Windows features combine to infantalize you. User Account Control (UAC) warns you when you install programs or change important system settings. SmartScreen Filter tries to stop you from installing programs that Microsoft hasn't heard of before, which includes a lot of Open Source programs.

To disable UAC, navigate to the Security and Maintenance control panel menu; you can get there by typing "Security and Maintenance" into the Cortana search box. Then click Change User Account Control and slide the slider down to the bottom option ("never notify"). Turn off SmartScreen Filter by clicking on "Change Windows SmartScreen settings" from the "Security and Maintenance" menu and then selecting "no" on the pop-up which appears.

#10 Your Screen Accidentally Flipped on Its Side

You don't know how it happened, but suddenly your desktop has been rotated 90 degrees onto its side and you have no idea how to get it right-side up again. This problem occurs most often if you've accidentally hit CTRL + ALT + an arrow key. The solution is just as simple: hit CTRL + ALT + up arrow to put everything back to normal.

10 Excel Tips You Need to Keep Your Job

noreply@blogger.com (Rajnish) — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 13:02:00 +0000

10 Excel Tips You Need to Keep Your Job

In today's dynamic corporate environment, the best way to stay employed is to show the boss that you're indispensable. If you're a knowledge worker of any kind, you probably use Excel a whole lot and so does your boss. While your coworkers may be excellent (or even better than you) at their core jobs, their Excel skills are probably lacking.

If your boss knows that they can turn to you for help with an Excel problem, that makes you the last person they'll want to fire. Here are 10 powerful Excel tips that will make you the most valuable employee in your department.

#1 Remove Duplicate Data

Your boss calls you in, points to her screen and says "this spreadsheet is a mess. Just look at all these duplicate rows. Can you clean this up?" You're going to look like a hero and all you'll need is a few seconds and a couple of clicks.

Highlight all of your cells, navigate to the Data tab and click the Remove Duplicates button. You can choose to have the software look only at some columns, but you'll probably want to leave them all checked. Then Click Ok.

#2 Recover Lost Excel Files

If you have occasion to use this tip to help your boss, you won't just save your job; you'll get a raise. If your boss was working on a spreadsheet and, for some reason, the computer or Excel crashed and she lost all her unsaved work, you can probably get it back.

Head over to the File menu in Excel, select the Info tab, click on the Manage Workbook button and then you'll see a menu option which says "Recover Unsaved Workbooks." When you click that menu optoin, you'll see a directory that contains any unsaved files.

#3 Use VLOOKUP to Combine Data from Different Sheets

I credit VLOOKUP alone for keeping me employed through the lean years at a previous job. With VLOOKUP, you can match up data from two different spreadsheets, based on having one column of content in common. For example, let's say you have a list of top customers with their names and addresses in one sheet and registered website users with their names and email addresses in the other. You can use VLOOKUP to pair the email addresses from one sheet with the top customers in the other sheet. I often use VLOOKUP to match up a list of most important web articles with the complete list of article page views from Google Analystics.

To perform a VLOOKUP, first paste the two spreadsheets that you want into different tabs in the same file (if they aren't already in the same file). Then go to the cell you want the matching result in and enter "=VLOOKUP(" followed by the address of the cell you want to match against. So if the name is the common data point between your two sheets and it's in cell A2, you'll have =VLOOKUP(A2 at this point.

Insert a comma and then click through to the tab for the other sheet and highlight all of the cells you wish to search. You'll get a cell range such as 'User Emails'!A:E. Highlight that range and hit F4, which will put dollar signs in front of the cell names so your formula now looks like this: =VLOOKUP(A2,'User Emails'!$A:$E. Now enter a comma followed by the number of columns away from the left side of the sheet you need to go to find the desired data (in this case, an email address). Enter a comma, a zero and a close parens symbol at the end and hit Enter. Your formula will now look like this =VLOOKUP(A2,'User Emails'!$A:$E,2,0).

#4 Use Pivot Tables to Summarize Data

Let's say you've got a spreadsheet full of items -- products for example -- and each one is part of a category. Excel lets you create pivot tables, which show a top-line summary of your data by category. For example, if your spreadsheet were a list of top-selling records with a genre column, a pivot table would give you the sum total of country, pop and rock genres.

To create a pivot table, highlight all your data cells and click the PivotTable button on the Insert tab. After you click Ok on the menu box which appears, a blank pivot table appears on a new tab. Check off the names of the columns you want to summarize and your table fills in.

#5 Use Text to Columns to Separate Comma-Delimited Data

Let's say you or your boss gets a list of names that's written out as "Last Name, First Name." You paste the list into a column on your spreadsheet, but then you realize that you need the first and last names in separate columns. No problem.
Just select the column you wish to convert into two columns, navigate to the Data tab at the top of the screen and click the Text-to-Columns button. Then select Delimited and choose "Comma" as the delimiter. If you have a list of items that isn't separated by commas, you can also choose spaces, semicolons, tabs or any other character as a delimiter.

#6 Open Google Sheets in Excel

This formatting trick is more showy than practical but it will impress your boss. You can put a diagonal line into a header cell (or any cell) to help you communicate what your data table is all about. For example, let's say we had a column with a list of author names and subsequent columns that contained the number of articles they wrote each month. Rather than putting a title bar above the headers that says "Article Count," you can use the diagonal to show it in the same A1 cell as the "Name" header.

To draw a diagonal, right click on the cell (in this case, A1) where you want it to appear and select "Format Cells." Navigate to the Border tab and click the diagonal line box and then click Ok. Type the two pieces of text you wish to separate into your cell and hit Alt + Enter to create at least one line break between them. You'll also probably want to use the space bar to move one of the lines of text over to the right.

#7 Open Google Sheets in Excel
Not every organization standardizes on Excel. What will you do when a partner sends your boss the URL of a Google Sheet and you want to edit that data in Excel? You'll start by telling your boss that you can handle this and that it won't pose a problem.

To open a Google Sheet in Excel, you need to download it first. Open the Google spreadsheet in your browser and select "Download As" from the File menu. Then select Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) from the sub menu.

#8 Create an HTML Table in Excel

You can save a spreadsheet for web, but if you need to build a specific type of HTML table, DIV, form or other element, you can use Excel's CONCATENATE formula to build your content. If your job involves publishing content to the web and the company CMS won't let you import data directly from Excel, you'll definitely need this trick.

Create a column to the right of your other cells and type =CONCATENATE( into it. You can then combine the relevant HTML for your table with the data from each cell. You just enclose separate each element in the formula with a comma and enclose all of your HTML in quotes.

For example, if your A column is a name, and your B column is an address, your HTML column might look like this =CONCATENATE("",A2,"",B2,""). Once you get the CONCATENATE formula right, you can paste it into subsequent rows and the cell addresses will adjust so that the third row will have A3 and B3 and the fourth will have A4 and B4. You can then paste this HTML into your CMS or text editor

#9 Freeze Panes and Make Spreadsheets Easier to Read
You have a giant spreadsheet with a header row and a very important piece of data -- perhaps it's people's names -- in the left column. However, when you scroll over to Column AA to see the sales figures from two years ago, and move down to row 50 you can no longer see the name and header cells. You're confused and your boss can't understand what you're showing him in your presentation.

Freeze some of your columns and rows so that they remain on the screen at all times, even as you scroll around to far-away cells. Just click on the cell that sits one row below the header you wish to keep on screen and one column to the left of the column you want to freeze. In many cases, this will be cell B2. Then navigate to the View tab, click the Freeze Panes button and select "Freeze Panes" from the dropdown menu.

#10 Use Paste Special to Transpose Your Data

It happens all the time. You have a list of items that are going vertically down a column, but you really want them to be laid out horizontally in the same row. Perhaps your boss copied and pasted a vertical list of employees from the company website and wants each to be the header of its own column now.

To transpose your data from horizontal to vertical or vertical to horizontal, first highlight and copy the column or row you wish to re-orient. Right click on the cell where you want the data to appear and select Paste Special. Check the transpose box and click Ok.

How to Enable the Linux Bash Shell in Windows 10

noreply@blogger.com (Rajnish) — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 15:46:00 +0000

How to Enable the Linux Bash Shell in Windows 10

Linux geeks rejoice. As of build number 14328, Windows 10 allows you to run a special flavor of the Bash shell (on Ubuntu) in a window. Using Bash, you can navigate around the file system, install and run Linux command line apps like the vi text editor or, with some
unofficial tweaks, try to load windowed programs. However, before you can use Bash in Windows 10, you have to turn it on. Here's how.

1. Navigate to Settings. You can get there by clicking the gear icon on the Start menu.

2. Click Update & security.

3. Select For Developers in the left column.

4. Select Developer Mode under "Use developer features" if it's not already enabled.

5. Navigate to the Control Panel (the old Windows control panel). You can get there by hitting Windows Key + X and selecting Control panel from the pop-up menu that appears.

6. Select Programs and Features. If it's not visible, make sure you select "Large icons" from the "View by" menu.

7. Click "Turn Windows features on or off."

8. Toggle "Windows Subsystem for Linux" to on and click Ok.

9. Click the Restart Now button.

10. Search for Bash in the Cortana / Search box and click its icon.

11. Type "y" and hit Enter when promoted to install Ubuntu. The system will then take a few minutes to install Ubuntu in the command prompt window.

12. Create a username and password.

You can now use the Bash shell as if you were on a a computer with Ubuntu installed as its primary OS. There are a few command line apps built-in, including the vi and pico text editors, and you can add more by using the apt-get command. There's also a program which allows you to run windowed Ubuntu apps in Windows 10.

How to Fix a 'Boot Configuration Data File is Missing' Error in Windows 10

noreply@blogger.com (Rajnish) — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 15:14:00 +0000

How to Fix a 'Boot Configuration Data File is Missing' Error in Windows 10

You have Windows 10 on your laptop. It was there yesterday. But now, when you turn on your computer, you're greeted with error code 0xc0000034, "The Boot Configuration Data file is missing."
The good news is that your data isn't lost, and you can get it all back (we'll show you how). The bad news is that you'll have to do a little work to restore that missing file. Here's how to fix a 'configuration data file' boot error in Windows 10:First, you'll need a DVD or USB stick containing Windows installation media. You can download a utility from Microsoft here that will create that for you. Next, follow these steps:

1. Insert your installation media into the computer.

2. Boot to the media. We had to press F12 during bootup on the Dell we fixed up to reach this menu, though these keys can differ depending on your laptop's make and model.

3. Click Next on the Windows Setup menu.

4. Click "Repair your computer."

5. Choose Troubleshoot.

6. Select "Advanced options."

7. Pick "Command Prompt."

8. Type Bootrec /fixmbr and press the enter key.

9. Type Bootrec /fixboot and press the enter key.

10. Type Bootrec /scanos and press the enter key.

11. Type Bootrec /rebuildbcd and press the enter key.

12. Type "A" to add the installation to the boot list and hit enter.

13. Exit the command prompt with the X button on the top of the window.

14. Click "Continue" to go to your desktop.

How to Add a Child or Adult User in Windows 10

noreply@blogger.com (Rajnish) — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 09:31:00 +0000

If you share your computer with family members or coworkers, you're going to want each of them to have their own login. Each user gets their own desktop layout, their own set of data folders and their own Start menu. You can also create child accounts that restrict what websites and apps your kids can use, while reporting all of their activity to you. Here's how to add adult users, parents and children in Windows 10.

1. Navigate to Settings. You can get there from the Start menu.

2. Click Accounts.

3. Click Family & Other Users in the left window pane.

4. Click "Add a family member" or "Add someone else to this PC." Choose "family member" if you are either adding a child or adding an adult who needs access to parental control settings for child users. If no children are using this computer, using "Add someone else . . " should be fine.

Follow the instructions below, based on what type of user you wish to add.

To Add Another Adult User

1. Click "Add someone else to this PC."

2. Enter the person's email address and click Next.This address should be tied to the person's Microsoft account.

3. Click Finish.

If you want this user to be able to install desktop software or change settings, follow the instructions below to make them an administrator.

To Give a User Admin Permissions

If you want one of your adult users, whether they are a parent or not, to be able to install desktop software, change settings or add other users, you will need to give them admin permissions. Here's how.

1. Open control panel. You can get there by hitting Windows + X and selecting control panel.

2. Open the User Accounts menu.

3. Click Manage another account.

4. Select the account you wish to give admin rights to.

5. Click "Change the account type."

6. Select Administrator and click the Change Account Type button.

To Add a Child

1. Click "Add a Family Member."

2. Select "Add a Child."

3.Enter the child's Microsoft account email address. If they don't have a Microsoft account, you must sign them up for one. If your child is too young to have an email address and you click "The person I want to add doesn't have an email address," you will be prompted to create a Microsoft account and corresponding @outlook.com email address for them. It's unfortunate that Microsoft requires child accounts to have email, but parents can use their own email address or create a dummy one.

4. Click Confirm.

5. Click Close. The child's email account will get an invite.

6. Have the child click Accept on the email.

The child may be prompted to log in to their account. If the Microsoft account lists your child as being under 13, a parent will need to sign in and confirm them as a family member.

If you grant the child permission, you will be asked for a credit card number to verify that you're actually an adult. So you might be better off just creating a dummy Microsoft account for your child and registering with Microsoft for them.

7. Click "Manage family settings online" in the Windows 10 account settings menu.

Your browser will open to the Microsoft website where you can manage all of your family members' access.

8. Select the child whose permissions you wish to manage.

9. Use the controls to set restrictions on what sites your child can see, what apps they can use and how long they can use the computer. By default, you will also get weekly activity reports mailed to you.

To Add a Parent

A parent is like any other adult user, but they also have the right to manage the child settings.

1. Click "Add a Family Member."

2. Select Adult, enter the email address and click Next. The email account should be tied to the new user's Microsoft account.

3. Click Confirm.

The person will receive an email invitation and have to confirm it.

If you also want this user to have admin rights, follow the instructions above.