The World of Windows

A Detailed State of the Apps Report.

2013-06-13T05:14:00.000-05:00

There's a lot written about the Apple App Store and Android Market, but they're hardly the only games in town. Here's your comprehensive look at the entire app ecosystem.

Spoiler: it's huge.

It's so oddly reassuring that a fart simulator is in the top 20 all time paid App Store apps, isn't it? Maybe that's just me. [Online MBA]

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Windows Phone Infographic: When You Were Young.

2013-06-12T05:50:00.000-05:00

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Android, iOS and Windows Phone Compared in Infographic.

2013-06-11T05:55:00.000-05:00

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Platform and ecosystem for Windows Phone.

2013-06-10T09:14:00.000-05:00

1.- App landscape for Windows Phone.

Windows Phone is a software platform that can improve a person’s life. Its ability to do so is determined by the apps that it can run. It’s up to designers and developers to create the apps that meet specific customer needs in a way that’s engaging.

People use their Windows Phone under all kinds of situations and for many different reasons. One person may use his Windows Phone primarily to stay connected with his friends while another person may use hers to help manage her busy schedule. Other people may be using their Windows Phones to enjoy a mental escape through games, music, videos, reading, or social networking.

Windows Phone Store is where customers go to find the exact app that meets their needs. The Store categorizes apps by their functionality. Some categories are further broken out into subcategories. Examples of the top-level categories are News and Weather, Health and Fitness, Sports, Productivity, Lifestyle, Finance, Travel, Games, Entertainment, Social, and much more. We’ll now look at examples of apps in a few of these categories.

2.- First look at Windows Phone.

The Windows Phone user interface framework provides consistent system objects, events, and interactions that you can use to create beautiful, natural app experiences for people using their apps. This topic looks at each piece of the framework and discusses how it can be used or accommodated within app user interfaces.

The following figure shows off the Windows Phone screen real estate as it might look when an app is running.

The Status Bar is an indicator bar that displays system-level status info simply and cleanly within a reserved space in the app workspace. It updates automatically to provide different notifications and keeps users aware of system-level status by displaying the following info (in order from left to right):

3.- Voice for Windows Phone.

Talking to our customers

We connect with our audience using an authenticity that’s reflected in every aspect of the Windows Phone brand – through visuals, words, and voice – whether on packaging, in the product, or on the web.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Analysis of Windows Phone 7

2013-06-08T09:21:00.000-05:00

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Voice for Windows Phone.

2013-06-07T13:03:00.001-05:00

When making great apps for the Windows Phone, it’s important to not only consider what content the customer will see, but also the words you use to communicate with them. We call this voice.

Refining your app’s voice will help you and your app resonate with your customers and ensure a better overall user experience.

We bring voice to the forefront for our customers by understanding our audience, applying the right messaging, and being contextually aware. Here are some tips to help you successfully implement voice for your app.

Talking to our customers

We connect with our audience using an authenticity that’s reflected in every aspect of the Windows Phone brand – through visuals, words, and voice – whether on packaging, in the product, or on the web.

Here are our guiding principles for the Windows Phone voice:

Genuine
- Speak directly and with sincerity – it’s about being straightforward and to the point, as opposed to being vague or redundant.
- Be positive in your outlook – see opportunities and solutions rather than problems.
- Write in a natural voice with natural punctuation and avoid cliché ad lingo.
- Accuracy upholds integrity – it takes a couple of errors to lose a person’s trust and years to get it back.
Spirited
- Express energy and enthusiasm – demonstrated in a pleasant, engaging rhythm.
- Always keep the listener in mind to make it easy for them to grab and go.
- Draw people in rather than grabbing them by the collar.
- Let your words convey delight and meaning.
Balanced
- Remember that people from all over the world are listening, so be careful about using slang and colloquialisms.
- Show how something benefits the customer and make it prominent in your presentation.
- Speak with contextual awareness and be appropriate to the situation at hand.
- Don’t overpromise or risk losing people’s trust.
Supportive
- Put the reader at ease, lead them with confidence, and expect success.
- Be encouraging, patient, and empathetic in offering answers or ways to find answers.
- Be transparent and straightforward.
- Simplify the solutions without dumbing things down completely.

The text in Family Room evokes a warm welcome the first time you use this feature.

Implementing our voice.

We bring voice to the forefront for our customers by understanding our audience, applying the right messaging, and being contextually aware. Here are some tips to help you successfully implement voice for your app.

Words.
Words can convey and imply meaning and messaging – they don’t merely repeat it. Show as well as tell. If your app is easy to scan and read, has a clear purpose and value, and showcases the possibilities for enjoyment, then the overall experience will reflect this.

To show “simple” and “easy,” use simple sentences and phrases, minimal text, and everyday words.
Precise, well-chosen words give clarity.
Less is often more.

Remember to speak like a customer and see your app as if you have little or no technical experience. Here are some before and after examples:

Instead of “See offers” say “Get Windows Phone 8”.
Instead of “Invalid ID” say “You need an ID that looks like this: customer@microsoft.com”.
Instead of “Configure your display” say “Choose your theme”.

Also try to avoid those “techy” words that either sound intimidating or have a vague meaning for most customers. Here are some examples:

Invalid
Error
Configure
Manage
Device (instead, use phone)

Punctuation.

Punctuation can help convey meaning, but it isn’t a substitute for words. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind:

Don’t overuse exclamation points. Instead, choose stronger words.
Like exclamation points, use question marks judiciously. They work well when a link is phrased as a customer question.

Usage.

Finding the right voice to use to speak to people is about sounding natural without being colloquial (using figures of speech or sayings that only someone in your locale would understand). Here’s what we mean:

Contractions are nice. They’re casual.
Short sentences are easy to read.
Context comes first: page design can influence word choice, sentence length, punctuation, etc.

Examples.

Before.

The file you are attempting to open is not a permitted file type.

After.

This kind of file can't be opened on the phone.

Before.

We are restoring settings of this demo device to the preconfigured values. This process cannot be interrupted.

After.

We're restoring this phone to its original settings for demo. This process will take a while, and can't be interrupted.

Before.

The information you provide may be used by Microsoft to contact you with mandatory service-related communications associated with your account, and to provide other communications we believe may be of interest.

After.

Microsoft may contact you with service-related information about your account, or to give you other helpful info you may find interesting.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

First look at Windows Phone.

2013-06-07T12:47:00.000-05:00

The Windows Phone user interface framework provides consistent system objects, events, and interactions that you can use to create beautiful, natural app experiences for people using their apps.

This topic looks at each piece of the framework and discusses how it can be used or accommodated within app user interfaces.

The following figure shows off the Windows Phone screen real estate as it might look when an app is running.

The Status Bar is an indicator bar that displays system-level status info simply and cleanly within a reserved space in the app workspace.

Windows Phone screen
Status bar.

The Status Bar is an indicator bar that displays system-level status info simply and cleanly within a reserved space in the app workspace. It updates automatically to provide different notifications and keeps users aware of system-level status by displaying the following info (in order from left to right):

Signal strength
Data connection
Call forwarding
Roaming
Wireless network signal strength
Bluetooth status
Ringer mode
Input status
Battery power level
System clock

By default, only the system clock is always visible. If a user taps in the Status Bar area, all other relevant indicators slide into view for approximately eight seconds before sliding out of view.

Note:
The Status Bar is system-reserved and can’t be modified. It can be hidden, but many users view the system clock as an essential feature, so think carefully before hiding it.
Starting with Windows Phone OS 7.1, you can make the Status Bar opaque or transparent, and you can change the background and foreground colors.

Note:
The Status Bar is also referred to as the System Tray, particularly when discussing development using the Windows Phone API.

App space.

The main screen area is reserved for your app. The UI can be presented in either Landscape or Portrait mode. You can have the full 480 x 800 pixels if the Status Bar isn’t being shown.

App bar.

The App Bar provides a place to display up to four common app tasks as icon buttons.
The App Bar provides a view that displays icon buttons with text hints and an optional extended menu when a user taps the visual indicator of sequential dots or flicks up the App Bar.

The App Bar always stays on the same edge of the display as the Steering buttons (Back, Start, and Search) and extends the full width of the screen in portrait or landscape mode. Icon buttons themselves will rotate to align with the three phone orientations.

App Bar buttons can be displayed in an enabled or disabled state. An example of a disabled button would be a Delete button in read-only scenarios.

The App Bar height in portrait mode and width in landscape mode is fixed at 72 pixels and can’t be modified. It can be set to be displayed or hidden.

Starting with Windows Phone OS 7.1, you can minimize the App Bar, which changes its height and width. You can show and hide the App Bar. You can also make it transparent and change its color.

App bar menu

The App Bar Menu is an optional way for users to access specific tasks from the App Bar. The App Bar Menu can be accessed by tapping the visual indicator of sequential dots in the App Bar or by flicking the App Bar up. This view can be dismissed by tapping outside the menu area or on the dots, using the Back button, or selecting a menu item or App Bar icon.

To prevent the need for scrolling, keep the number of menu items to 5 or less.

App bar menu

Note:
If no menu items are displayed, only the icon text hints are displayed. The App Bar Menu remains on the screen until the user performs an action.

Start.

Start is the beginning of the Windows Phone experience for users after they turn on their phone. Start displays app Tiles that users have pinned and placed in positions of their choosing for quick launch. Pressing the Start hardware button on the phone always returns a user to Start, no matter what app is running.

The Tile Notification feature can update the Tile graphic or title text on the front or back of the Tile. It can also increment a counter, enabling users to create a personalized Start experience. Examples include displaying how many email messages they’ve gotten, when it’s their turn in a game, or what the current weather is.
Start is always presented in portrait view.

Start

Note:
Start is a reserved space where users can place Tiles. Windows Phone devices come with pre-placed Tiles installed by Microsoft, phone manufacturers, and phone service providers. Starting with Windows Phone OS 7.1, apps can also place Tiles in this area, but users are alerted to this by the system navigating to Start when a new Tile is placed there.

Screen orientations

Windows Phone supports three views of screen orientation: portrait, landscape left, and landscape right.

In portrait view, the page is vertically oriented with the hardware buttons appearing at the bottom of the phone, and the height of the page is greater than the width.

In either of the two landscape views, the Status Bar and App Bar remain on the same side of the screen. Landscape left has the Status Bar on the left, and landscape right has the Status Bar on the right.

The Status Bar grows from 32 pixels in portrait view to 72 pixels in both landscape views, as measured from the side of the phone that has the power button toward the center of the screen.
The screen orientation changes based on the following actions.

Beginning screen orientation
Rotating
Ending screen orientation
Portrait
60 degrees left
Landscape Left
Portrait
60 degrees right
Landscape Right
Landscape Left
60 degrees right
Portrait
Landscape Right
60 degrees left
Portrait
Landscape Left or Right, flat on a table
30 degrees up
Portrait

Portrait and landscape orientations
If the user slides out a horizontal hardware keyboard when the screen is in portrait view, the screen orientation changes to either of the landscape views.

There is no programmatic way to switch orientations because the orientation property is set to read-only, but it’s possible to set a fixed orientation.

Screen transition animation effects are played when screen rotation occurs.
In-app landscape view-aware system components are the Status Bar, App Bar, App Bar Menu, Volume/Ring/Vibrate Display, Push Notifications, and Dialogs.

Note:
Apps must be configured to support multiple orientations, and by default are set to only portrait.

Apps that rely heavily on text input should support both portrait and landscape modes to take advantage of optional hardware keyboards.

Hardware buttons

A Windows Phone has several hardware buttons positioned around the device. Each button provides a unique function that may adjust or impact a running app. The exact location varies depending on the hardware manufacturer.

Power/sleep
Volume up and volume down
Camera
Back
Start
Search

The Back, Start, and Search buttons can optionally be implemented as capacitive touch buttons by phone manufacturers.

Hardware buttons
For info about how each button can affect the UI, see the button-specific descriptions later in this topic.

Start button

When a user presses the Start button, it takes them to Start in the phone user interface. An app that’s currently running will receive an event to pause itself.

Search button

The hardware Search button launches the Bing search experience for the user to find content from anywhere on the device.

You can’t replicate in-app search, but can mimic a Search button push to launch the Bing search using the SearchTask class.

You can’t modify or change the behavior of the Search button.

Back button

The hardware Back button is used to navigate back on pages (screens) within an app or between apps. By default, the framework handles the Back button, but apps can override this behavior. Also, the Back button can be used to close menus and dialogs, navigate to a previous page, exit a search operation, or even switch apps. However, the principal usage is to navigate from the current page to the previous page.

Important Note:
To pass certification and be eligible for listing in Windows Phone Store, your app must meet several requirements related to the use of the Back button.

The Back button doesn’t work as a backspace key to delete text input.

Volume button.

The hardware Volume buttons are used to adjust the volume of either the in-call conversation volume (if a phone call is active), or the overall device volume (if no phone call is active), which includes music, radio, video, app, ringtone, and system sound volume.

Pressing either Volume button exposes the volume control, an overlay at the top of the screen. Volume may also contain audio transport controls, such as Previous and Next, if a media player is active. It always contains a control to toggle the ringer setting on and off. This control affects the playback of the system sounds that the user can control in the Ringtone and Sound Settings screen.

If the phone is locked, the Volume buttons are still active when media is playing or a phone call is in progress.

The buttons operate system wide, and volume settings carry through into the app. This means that developers can’t have volumes set higher than the user settings or override mute.

Pressing and holding a Volume button performs a key-press repeat and incrementally increases or decreases the volume depending on the button pushed.

When a user receives a phone call, touching either Volume button silences the ringtone.
In the original release of Windows Phone OS 7.0, you couldn’t edit the audio transport controls overlay or override the Volume button behaviors. Starting in Windows Phone OS 7.1, background audio agents can change which playback controls are enabled. They can also change the title and artist of the currently playing audio.

You can control the volume of the audio stream you provide to the system, including muting it.

Camera button

The Camera button is a dual-action button that supports full and half button press modes. When a user does a full button press, the phone launches the camera app. If the user does a half button press after the camera app has launched, the auto-focus feature is enabled.

Within the Camera app, pushing the Camera button takes a photo when in camera mode, or starts or stops video capture when in video mode.

If the user presses and holds the Camera button for more than one second when the device is in stand-by (screen off) or locked, the camera app launches.

Apps can programmatically launch the camera app by calling the CameraCaptureTask class.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

The Most Popular Post of May 2013.

2013-06-07T07:36:00.001-05:00

1.- Designing the Windows 8 touch keyboard.

When we began planning how touch and new types of PCs might work on Windows 8, we recognized the need to provide an effective method for text entry on tablets and other touch screen PCs. Since Windows XP SP1, which had Tablet PC features built in, Windows has included a touchable on-screen keyboard. But those features were designed as extensions to the desktop experience.
For Windows 8, we set out to improve on that model and introduce text input support that meets people’s needs, matches our design principles, and works well with the form factors we see today and expect to see in the future.
I’m writing this blog post on our Windows 8 touch keyboard using the standard QWERTY layout in English. As I look at it, the keyboard seems very simple and sort of obvious. This comes partly from having worked on it for a while, but also because keyboards are familiar to us. But there is more here than meets the eye (or, fingertips).

2.- 30 Extraordinary Photoshop Tutorials to Master Photo Effects.

Every designer needs inspiration to move ahead and make something incredible, and each one uses a Photoshop a premier photo editing software which can do the trick.
Image manipulation has been done from many years in form of web design, print advertisements, online ads etc. to create such extraordinary photos we have made this collection of Photoshop tutorials to master the art of photo effects.

3.- Tips to prevent Windows 7 auto shutdown problem.

Windows 7 auto shutdown is one most relevant and frequent issue faced by the maximum number of users. This problem may arise due to several reasons related to the system.
The Windows 7 auto shutdown can be possibly caused by hardware as well software compatibility problems. But most of these issues come up due to hardware conflicts which fail to support their respective drives.
These Windows 7 errors can be sorted out with the help of utility software which are widely available in the market. Using their assistance, one can get rid of these issues along with several others as well.
The required tips to stop the Windows 7 auto shutdown problems are as follows:
Repair the registry of the system
Make use of a cleaner
Uninstall the corrupt program and restore the system
Make use of virus cleaner

4.- Download Vista Skin Pack 5.0 Ultimate For Free.

Microsoft’s one of best operating system Vista didn’t got its hold on Windows XP users who are addicted to Windows XP because of its simplicity and stability over Vista.
But one thing which might be better in vista then XP is Look and feel.Their are lots of Skin pack and Transformation packs are available for Windows XP to make its look and feel like windows Vista.
But not all Skin packs and Transformation packs are free and don’t give exact look and feel of Vista. Here is one of best freeware Skin pack for Windows XP which is small in size and outcome is exactly like Windows Vista Ultimate.
Vista Skin Pack 5.0 (VPS) which is latest release of Vista Skin pack has many good features.
Features of Vista Skin Pack 5.0

5.- Windows Media Center in Windows 7, Chapter 1
Windows Media Center (codenamed "Freestyle" during development) is an application with a 10-foot user interface design to serve as a home-entertainment hub for the living-room TV.
It is included in Windows XP Media Center Edition, premium editions of Windows Vista (Vista Home Premium and Vista Ultimate), and Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate).
It is designed to be controlled by special remote controls which prominently feature the Green Button (similar to the logo to the right), but can also be operated with a mouse and/or keyboard.

6.- Windows Media Player 12 Themes for Windows 7

Bored of your default Windows Media Player Skins?.
Grab some fresh and new Windows Media Player 12 themes for Windows 7!
Windows Media Player 12 Codecs
Windows Media Player 12 comes with support for DivX and MP4, but it still lacks supports for many other video formats.
(amr | mpc | ofr | divx | mka | ape | flac | evo | flv | m4b | mkv | ogg | ogv | ogm | rmvb | xvid)
The following skin packages includes some really awesome themes for your Windows Media Player:

Alienware Theme
Batman Theme
Catwoman Theme
Darkstar Theme

7.- Top 20 Best Peer to Peer (P2P) File Sharing Programs and Applications

Traditional Downloading of programs and application from a website has become outdated as well as there are not many website providing free software for download. Another medium for downloading and sharing of files is peer to peer file sharing Networks & Programs and it has grown to tremendous level with many networks having more then millions of users to share software’s, Music files, Videos and Programs etc.
With increase in popularity of Peer to Peer (P2P) network it has become one of medium for spreading of Viruses, Spyware, Adware, Malware thru this file sharing applications. Users are seeking for clean, Safe, Fastest and Best p2p file sharing applications.

8.- Windows 7 Themes.

Windows themes always seem to be a big hit. With the launch of Windows 7, the themes for Windows 7 have been in high demand.
These themes are free, both on Microsoft's part and the other ones as well.
Windows 7 has been developed keeping in mind the different points of views of the users and the commentators, because it's very easy to use and light to carry.
I've created a compilation where you can find many Windows 7 (W7) themes.
Take a look at some of these themes, some are really attractive based on Windows 7 and others are based on games, cars, vehicles, animations, just to name a few.

9.- Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts.

Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of two or more keys that, when pressed, can be used to perform a task that would typically require a mouse or other pointing device.
Keyboard shortcuts can make it easier to interact with your computer, saving you time and effort as you work with Windows and other programs.
Most programs also provide accelerator keys that can make it easier to work with menus and other commands. Check the menus of programs for accelerator keys.
If a letter is underlined in a menu, that usually means that pressing the Alt key in combination with the underlined key will have the same effect as clicking that menu item.

10.- Upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7.

We highly recommend that you print this tutorial. Your computer will restart during the Windows 7 installation process, so having a printed copy will help you follow the steps if you can't return to this webpage.
Introduction.
Depending on your hardware and your current edition of Windows Vista, you can use the Upgrade option during Windows 7 installation to upgrade from Windows Vista to a corresponding or higher edition of Windows 7.

Windows User Evolution [Infographic].

2013-06-06T07:28:00.001-05:00

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Top 10 Secret Features in Windows 8

2013-05-29T09:43:00.000-05:00

Windows 8 is full of awesome features and handy shortcuts, but what you may not know is that it's got a lot of handy, lesser-known settings under the hood.

Here are 10 of Windows 8's best kept secrets.

10. Run Automatic Maintenance on a Schedule

Windows 8 has a new feature that runs automatic maintenance tasks like software updates, security scanning, and other diagnostic tests daily. By default, it runs them at 3AM, of if you're using your computer, the next time your computer becomes idle. You can change this time in the Action Center, as well as tell Windows whether you want to wake your computer up to perform these tasks. You can also perform the maintenance manually from the Action Center, if you desire.

9. Customize the Apps in the Search Bar

When you start searching from the Start screen, you'll see a list of apps under the search bar. Click on one of them, and you'll search those same terms in that specific app. What you may not know is that you can tweak this list, removing and adding apps through Windows 8's settings. Bring up the Charms bar (with Win+C), click Settings, and go down to "Change PC Settings." From there, choose Search from the left sidebar, and turn off the apps you don't want taking up space in this menu.

8. Enable the Hidden "Aero Lite" Theme

When Windows 8 was in the testing phases, it had an additional "Aero Lite" theme that took away some of the transparent glass features of Windows Aero. However, the final version of Windows 8 opted for a much more basic theme than the testing builds, so Aero Lite no longer shows up—however, you can still find it in the Themes folder on your computer. With a few small tweaks, you can re-enable it in your Personalization preferences. It isn't too different from the default themes, but it does give a slightly different look to the title button bars and some other small parts of the OS.

7. Enable the Secret Start Screen Animation

When you first sign onto Windows 8, you get a very cool flow-y animation of all your tiles filling up the screen. After that, though, the Start screen has a much more toned-down animation. If you want to enable the cooler animation for every launch of the Start screen, you can do so with a simple Registry tweak. You can also customize certain settings for the animation too, which is pretty cool.

6. Customize More Icons in Windows Explorer

Remember in Windows 7, when you created a library, it had that ugly, nondescript icon? And you had to go through some complicated process to change it? Well, Windows 8 now lets you customize your Library icons right from its settings. Just right-click on the Library, go to Properties, and you should see the option to change the library's icon right at the bottom. Bonus tip: If Windows Explorer's Favorites icon is getting in your way in the sidebar, you can right-click on the sidebar to hide it (sadly, you can't do the same for Libraries, Homegroup, or other annoying icons).

5. Create and Name App Groups on the Start Screen

When you first open up the Start screen, you'll notice that some of your apps are in their own "groups." You can create your own groups just by dragging an app's tile to an empty space on the Start screen—it'll create its own group. If you want to name your groups—say, for "Work," "Games," and so on—you can do so by clicking the small button in the bottom-right corner of the screen and right-clicking on the groups.

4. Take Faster Screenshots

For a long time, Windows had an absurd screenshot shortcut in which you had to press Print Screen, then open up an app like Paint or the GIMP and paste in your screenshot from the clipboard. Well, no more! Now, if you press Win+Print Screen (or Win+Volume Down on a tablet), Windows will take a screenshot of your screen and automatically save it in your Pictures folder as a PNG file. It still isn't as powerful as something like Skitch, but if you only need the occasional screenshot, it's nice to see a simpler shortcut built in to the OS.

3. Tweak the Number of Rows on the Start Screen

By default, the Start screen fills your monitor up with as many rows of tiles as it can fit, up to 6 rows. If you'd like to lower that number—maybe you have a particularly cool background, or your groups just aren't that big—you can tweak this number by editing the Registry. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to let you pack more tiles onto smaller monitors, but it's a cool little tweak if you want to give your Start screen a more minimal look.

2. Hide Recent Files from Your Jump Lists

Jump Lists were a great addition in Windows 7 that helped boost your productivity, but their "Recent Items" feature were a possible privacy concern—say, if there were documents or files you didn't want others to know you had viewed. Windows 8 lets you customize Jump Lists more than Windows 7, giving you the option to hide recently opened items and recently opened programs. To access the preferences, just right-click on the Taskbar, go to Properties, and click the Jump Lists tab.

1. Get More Out of Your Multiple Monitors

If you have multiple monitors, you've probably noticed that Windows extends your taskbar across both screens. It does more than just that, though: you can press Win+PgUp to move your current app to your left monitor, and Win+PgDn to move it to the right monitor. In addition, if you go to the Desktop Background section of your Personalization settings, you can right-click on any individual wallpapers and choose which monitor you'd like it to show up on. Of course, if you like things the old way, you can also turn off the dual taskbar in Taskbar Properties.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Microsoft has announced that Windows 8.1, aka Blue, will be a free upgrade for all Windows 8 users.

2013-05-28T03:39:00.000-05:00

Microsoft has announced that Windows 8.1, aka Blue, will be a free upgrade for all Windows 8 users. Microsoft has also confirmed that it intends to release a public preview of Windows 8.1 on June 26, the first day of the Build developer conference — and if everything goes to plan, you should be able to get your hands on Windows 8.1 sometime in the fall (it should release to manufacturing in August). As expected, there’s also a Windows 8.1 update for Windows RT.

For users who don’t already have Windows 8, you’ll have be able to buy a standalone version of Windows 8.1 — which will be priced the same as Windows 8 ($200 for the full product, or $120 for the upgrade). Microsoft has previously confirmed that Windows 8.1 will be available as an easy upgrade from the Windows Store, much in the same way that Apple distributes OS X upgrades via the Mac App Store. It isn’t clear if there will also be boxed versions of Windows 8.1, or if 8.1 will be a purely digital product.

Windows 8.1 (Microsoft, like Picasso, has now officially ended its “Blue” period) is a Windows 8 feature and service pack. Like a service pack, Windows 8.1 will roll up all of the Windows 8 security updates and fixes into a single installer. In this regard, Windows 8.1 is conventional. What is unconventional, however, is the release of a service pack that also significantly alters the interface, bundled apps, and overall user experience — i.e. a feature pack.

Normally we would have to wait three years for Windows 9 for major changes, but Windows 8.1 represents the beginning of Microsoft’s shift to a faster, annual release cycle. This change, which affects almost every Microsoft software product, is due to the mobile ecosystem — and thus Microsoft’s biggest opposition — moving a lot faster than the desktop PC. Put simply, Windows 8 can’t complete in the tablet space if Microsoft only puts out a new release every three years, while Apple and Google release new OS versions every year.

As for what features Windows 8.1 will actually include, there’s still very little to report. There are strong leaks that indicate that the Start menu and button will return, and a leaked early build of Windows 8.1 shows some changes/updates to the Metro interface. There have also been repeated hints that Windows 8.1 will bring 7- and 8-inch tablets into the fold (at the moment, Windows 8 essentially requires a 10-inch display). Beyond that, Microsoft has merely said that Windows 8.1 will “respond to consumer feedback.”
In other news, Microsoft says it now has 70,000 Metro apps in the Windows Store — and, speaking at the JP Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, Windows CFO Tami Reller says that Microsoft won’t drop Windows RT/ARM support, despite Intel’s incoming Bay Trail chips.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Windows 8.1 set to bring back the Start button

2013-05-27T03:29:00.000-05:00

Microsoft is preparing to revive the traditional Start button it killed with Windows 8. Sources familiar with Microsoft's plans have revealed to The Verge that Windows 8.1 will include the return of the Start button. We understand that the button will act as a method to simply access the Start Screen, and will not include the traditional Start Menu. The button is said to look near-identical to the existing Windows flag used in the Charm bar.
"Microsoft changes its mind"

Microsoft's change of heart follows another recent planned change for Windows 8.1: a boot to desktop option. We understand Microsoft will add an option to allow users to boot directly to the traditional desktop environment in future builds of the upcoming Windows 8 upgrade. Most internal builds of Windows 8.1 do not include the Start button or boot to desktop options, but Microsoft is said to be planning how to add these into the operating system. ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley previously reported on Microsoft's plans to bring back the Start button and a boot to desktop option.

The death of the traditional Start button in Windows 8 was one of a number of controversial changes introduced with Microsoft's latest operating system. In our review of Windows 8 we called the new navigation changes "a steep learning curve," and feedback on the Start button removal has been mixed. 1.5 million downloads of Pokki, a Start Menu replacement, and other similar tools suggest that Windows 8 users still want the Start button and Start Menu. Microsoft explained away its removal using data it gathered from the company's Customer Experience Improvement Program, but we understand the return in Windows 8.1 is due to customer feedback. We may see the Start button return in the upcoming Windows 8.1 Public Preview, if not expect to see it in the final version due later this year.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

A fter months of speculation, Microsoft has announced that a badly needed update to Windows 8, code-named Windows Blue, is due out later this year.

2013-05-26T02:25:00.000-05:00

After months of speculation, Microsoft has announced that a badly needed update to Windows 8, code-named Windows Blue, is due out later this year.

Windows 8 — by far the most radically different Microsoft operating system in many, many years — has been incredibly divisive, though Microsoft did announce that it had sold 100 million units of its new operating system. And even with Blue, the basic DNA of Windows 8 will remain the same — essentially, an operating system that can switch between running both legacy desktop apps and tablet-friendly touch-based ones. But there are some changes. Nick Wingfield at the New York Times reports:

The company is for the first time confirming that it is making changes to the software to address some of the problems people have when using it. In a recent interview at Microsoft's headquarters, Tami Reller, the chief marketing officer and chief financial officer of the Windows division, revealed that Windows Blue will be released this calendar year and will include modifications that make the software easier to learn, especially for people running it on computers without touch screens. "The learning curve is real and needs to be addressed," Ms. Reller said. [New York Times]

One of the main gripes about Microsoft's new operating system is that Windows users were accustomed to the traditional icon-based desktop, and Microsoft was forcing them to conform to a new, glitzy standard no one asked for. "The removal of the Start button was emblematic of Microsoft's problems. It was trying to make a statement, forcing consumers into using the touch-optimized UI," Ross Rubin, principal analyst of Reticle Research, tells ABC News. "All too often, however, they would need to immediately switch back to the desktop."

(Related: D.B. Grady on how Microsoft is failing Windows 8)
Despite the criticisms, Microsoft is forging ahead. Windows 8 is a "big, ambitious change," said Reller. "While we realize that change takes time, we feel good about the progress since launch, including what we've been able to accomplish with the ecosystem and customer reaction to the new PCs and tablets that are available now or will soon come to market." Microsoft, however, will "respond to the customer feedback that we've been closely listening to since the launch of Windows 8 and Windows RT."

"Translation: We know you're not super happy and we're going to make it better," says Mat Honan at Wired. And although Windows 8 was "a tremendously disorienting change" for some users, it was "certainly a move in the right direction."

"Microsoft's detractors will inevitably point out that Windows 7 picked up market share at a quicker rate, and thus Windows 8 is a failure," says Peter Bright at Ars Technica. But that 100 million figure suggests that the PC "isn't quite dead yet. A rate of 10 million copies per month isn't too shabby."

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

The Most Popular Post of April 2013.

2013-05-25T17:21:00.000-05:00

1.- 30 Extraordinary Photoshop Tutorials to Master Photo Effects

Every designer needs inspiration to move ahead and make something incredible, and each one uses a Photoshop a premier photo editing software which can do the trick.
Image manipulation has been done from many years in form of web design, print advertisements, online ads etc. to create such extraordinary photos we have made this collection of Photoshop tutorials to master the art of photo effects.
Each tutorial has detailed step by step instructions, we have linked the tutorials with original source, where you will have many things to learn. Every website in the list below has something extra for Photoshop lovers. So, let’s enjoy the photo editing carnival and make some beautiful manipulation in your next project.

2.- Designing the Windows 8 touch keyboard.

When we began planning how touch and new types of PCs might work on Windows 8, we recognized the need to provide an effective method for text entry on tablets and other touch screen PCs. Since Windows XP SP1, which had Tablet PC features built in, Windows has included a touchable on-screen keyboard. But those features were designed as extensions to the desktop experience.
For Windows 8, we set out to improve on that model and introduce text input support that meets people’s needs, matches our design principles, and works well with the form factors we see today and expect to see in the future.
I’m writing this blog post on our Windows 8 touch keyboard using the standard QWERTY layout in English. As I look at it, the keyboard seems very simple and sort of obvious. This comes partly from having worked on it for a while, but also because keyboards are familiar to us. But there is more here than meets the eye (or, fingertips).

3.- Tips to prevent Windows 7 auto shutdown problem.

Windows 7 auto shutdown is one most relevant and frequent issue faced by the maximum number of users. This problem may arise due to several reasons related to the system.
The Windows 7 auto shutdown can be possibly caused by hardware as well software compatibility problems. But most of these issues come up due to hardware conflicts which fail to support their respective drives.
These Windows 7 errors can be sorted out with the help of utility software which are widely available in the market. Using their assistance, one can get rid of these issues along with several others as well.
The required tips to stop the Windows 7 auto shutdown problems are as follows:
Repair the registry of the system
Make use of a cleaner
Uninstall the corrupt program and restore the system
Make use of virus cleaner

4.- Download Vista Skin Pack 5.0 Ultimate For Free.

Microsoft’s one of best operating system Vista didn’t got its hold on Windows XP users who are addicted to Windows XP because of its simplicity and stability over Vista.
But one thing which might be better in vista then XP is Look and feel.Their are lots of Skin pack and Transformation packs are available for Windows XP to make its look and feel like windows Vista.
But not all Skin packs and Transformation packs are free and don’t give exact look and feel of Vista. Here is one of best freeware Skin pack for Windows XP which is small in size and outcome is exactly like Windows Vista Ultimate.
Vista Skin Pack 5.0 (VPS) which is latest release of Vista Skin pack has many good features.
Features of Vista Skin Pack 5.0
- Small in Size, gives exact look of Vista Ultimate
- Changes Icons, Animation, Pictures, and Menus to match Vista Style
- Supports Windows XP SP1, SP2, SP3, Mediacenter Edition, Windows 2003
Screenshots of Vista Skin Pack 5.0 Ultimate in Action.

5.- Windows Media Center in Windows 7, Chapter 1

Windows Media Center (codenamed "Freestyle" during development) is an application with a 10-foot user interface design to serve as a home-entertainment hub for the living-room TV.
It is included in Windows XP Media Center Edition, premium editions of Windows Vista (Vista Home Premium and Vista Ultimate), and Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate).
It is designed to be controlled by special remote controls which prominently feature the Green Button (similar to the logo to the right), but can also be operated with a mouse and/or keyboard.
This button is used to either launch Media Center from Windows or to return to the Start Menu from within the application. Media Center plays the computer user's pictures, videos, and music from local hard drives, optical drives, and network locations. It then categorizes them by name, date, tags, and other file attributes. Media managed through Media Center can also be relayed via a home network to standard TV sets via the specially designed Windows Media Center Extender or the Xbox 360.

6.- Windows Media Player 12 Themes for Windows 7

Bored of your default Windows Media Player Skins?.
Grab some fresh and new Windows Media Player 12 themes for Windows 7!

Windows Media Player 12 Codecs

Alienware Theme
Batman Theme
Catwoman Theme
Darkstar Theme
Half-Life Theme
Halo 2 Theme
The Last Samurai Theme
Stalker Theme
XBOX Theme
XSN Sports Them

7.- Top 20 Best Peer to Peer (P2P) File Sharing Programs and Applications.

Traditional Downloading of programs and application from a website has become outdated as well as there are not many website providing free software for download. Another medium for downloading and sharing of files is peer to peer file sharing Networks & Programs and it has grown to tremendous level with many networks having more then millions of users to share software’s, Music files, Videos and Programs etc.
With increase in popularity of Peer to Peer (P2P) network it has become one of medium for spreading of Viruses, Spyware, Adware, Malware thru this file sharing applications. Users are seeking for clean, Safe, Fastest and Best p2p file sharing applications.
After searching for hours on google I have got big list of safe and best peer to peer (P2P) program and application.

8.- Upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7.

We highly recommend that you print this tutorial. Your computer will restart during the Windows 7 installation process, so having a printed copy will help you follow the steps if you can't return to this webpage.
Introduction.
Depending on your hardware and your current edition of Windows Vista, you can use the Upgrade option during Windows 7 installation to upgrade from Windows Vista to a corresponding or higher edition of Windows 7.
Upgrading is the most convenient way to get Windows 7 on your computer, because it keeps your files, settings, and programs from Windows Vista in place.
If your current edition of Windows Vista can't be upgraded to the edition of Windows 7 that you want to use, you can still install Windows 7 by using the Custom installation option instead. However, the Custom option doesn't preserve your files, programs, or settings. For a step-by-step tutorial on how to perform a custom installation, see Upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 (custom installation).

9.- Windows 7 Themes.

Windows themes always seem to be a big hit. With the launch of Windows 7, the themes for Windows 7 have been in high demand.
These themes are free, both on Microsoft's part and the other ones as well.
Windows 7 has been developed keeping in mind the different points of views of the users and the commentators, because it's very easy to use and light to carry.
I've created a compilation where you can find many Windows 7 (W7) themes.
Take a look at some of these themes, some are really attractive based on Windows 7 and others are based on games, cars, vehicles, animations, just to name a few.
Enjoy!

10.- Don’t Hate on Windows 8 [Infographics].

In the last two months, fierce debates surrounding Windows 8 have taken place all over the web.
While I haven’t tried out the consumer preview, I did get the chance to see it in action and it left me intrigued.
To put it simply: the new operating system seems like a bold move for Microsoft. Modeled after today’s wildly successful smartphones, Windows 8 could prove to be a real gambit in the PC world.
We’ve put together an infographic that breaks down the improvements and new features on Windows 8.
I’m hardly a computer wiz, but reading up on Windows 8’s apps and cloud software sure makes me wonder how Microsoft’s big release will fare against Apple.
Check out the graphics below and let us know if you think Windows 8 can gain some ground against Apple’s OSX.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

30 Extraordinary Photoshop Tutorials to Master Photo Effects

2013-05-03T06:40:00.001-05:00

Every designer needs inspiration to move ahead and make something incredible, and each one uses a Photoshop a premier photo editing software which can do the trick.

Image manipulation has been done from many years in form of web design, print advertisements, online ads etc. to create such extraordinary photos we have made this collection of Photoshop tutorials to master the art of photo effects.

Each tutorial has detailed step by step instructions, we have linked the tutorials with original source, where you will have many things to learn. Every website in the list below has something extra for Photoshop lovers. So, let’s enjoy the photo editing carnival and make some beautiful manipulation in your next project.

Fantasy Art

Fallen Angel’s Dream Fly

Design Surreal Composition Fallen Angel’s Dream Fly

Create a Nature Inspired Photo Manipulation in Photoshop

Combine several images to create a nature inspired photo manipulation

Use Photography to Create a Scenic Matte Painting From a Sketch in Photoshop

Use Photoshop’s photo manipulation tools to create a scenic matte painting that was based on a sketch

Create a Surreal “Parting of the Sea” Photo Manipulation

Discover how to combine advanced masking techniques, blending modes, adjustment layers and clever use of filters to part the sea and create a surreal photo manipulation

A realistic water reflections photoshop tutorial

You’ll learn how to make water reflections from scratch, with realistic reflections and ripples

How to Create Dynamic Prototype Style Video Game Art

Create an Earth Shattering Disaster Scene in Photoshop

Here you will see how to recreate the scene of movie “2012″, where the california coast begins to break using a selection of stock photographs.

How to create a recipe template in Photoshop

Here you will learn how to create a nice recipe psd template using some warm colours

How to design an elegant website in Photoshop

Double Exposure Style In Photoshop

This technique consists of 2 images superimposed

Photo Within A Photo In Photoshop CS6

Cropped version of the photo inside the full size original

Watercolor Painting Effect In Photoshop CS6

Take any photo and easily turn it into a watercolor painting in just a few short steps

How to Replace a Woman’s Lipstick With Artwork Using Creative Retouching Techniques

Replace a woman’s lipstick with artwork using some creative and effective photo retouching techniques

Fantasy photoshop tutorial to create awesome effects

Create a Dynamic Particle Explosion in Photoshop

Latest set of freebie brushes are used to create this dynamic effect

Glossy-Style Carbon Fibre Navigation Buttons

Create a Magical Four Piece Stardust Composition

Create composite images that use star fields as a backdrop

Create a Vibrant Colorful Alcohol Product Ad in Photoshop

You’ll learn how to deal with liquid stock images, how to take a brand image and create elements to match, and how to work with colors and composition for a brilliant result

How to Make a Car Advertisement Poster Design

you’ll see how to take just a simple stock image and build a pixel perfect artwork around it

I hope you must have liked our selection of photoshop tutorials, stay tuned as there are more coming in time ahead. We also have our tutorial category and you can find some very basic to advance level of photoshop tutorial there. Here’s one from my side How to Make Comics in Photoshop, if you like it, please make an comment for appreciation.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Downgrading Win 8 to a Win 7.

2013-04-22T14:00:00.001-05:00

I recently got a new pc and it comes with the new Win8 OS installed. Unfortunately it's the basic version ( of course! ) so I thought of upgrading it for a full experience.
I was amazed by the discovery I found: apart from being expensive, which led me to take in account for a downgrade to Win7 (the current OS I'm using and familiar with) the Pro version brings along a downgrade path but I'll have to pay for both; the pro version and the Win7.
Go Figure!

For all the talk about the advantages of Windows 8 over Windows 7—for example, account sync, better multiple monitor support, and faster startup times—some people just can't get past Windows 8's radical shift in user interface. Some may even want to ditch Windows 8 altogether in favor of Windows 7 after spending a few days with the new OS.
In a Monday blog post, usability expert Jakob Nielsen of the Nielsen Norman Group explained in excruciating detail exactly why and how Windows 8 is difficult to use. It was a damning report that might have many questioning whether to take the Windows 8 plunge. The good news is you can buy a PC loaded with Windows 8 Pro, try out the new OS, and then downgrade to Windows 7. Unfortunately, however, the road back to Windows 7 can be confusing and full of twists.
Hewlett-Packard is typical: It does not support downgrades of consumer-grade Windows 8 PCs to Windows 7. But if you buy a machine loaded with Windows 8 Pro, you can make the jump. HP's policy is based on Microsoft's licensing terms, which support downgrade rights only to new PCs preloaded with Windows 8 Pro, the version of Windows designed for business.

Unfortunately, machines loaded with Windows 8 Pro will demand a pricing premium over similarly spec'd Windows 8 systems. We ran a quick comparison survey of machines from HP, Dell, and Toshiba, and found that an upgrade to the Pro version of Windows 8 increased system prices anywhere between $35 and $100.
And even when the price delta is small enough to justify buying a Windows 8 Pro machine (complete with downgrade rights!), the downgrade process can still be difficult to figure out. When PCWorld researched this, sales and support reps for both Microsoft and major PC manufacturers told us two different stories.
A Dell representative said that to downgrade from Windows 8, you needed to buy a new, unused copy of Windows 7—thus making the whole point of having downgrade rights pointless. Another representative said a Windows 7 disc image would be built into new Windows 8 Pro machines. This contradicts pretty much everything Microsoft has ever posted online about downgrade rights.
But after scouring Microsoft's online support pages, checking out real-world downgrade experiences on various forums, and then confirming the process with Microsoft's press team, we can now share the truth about how downgrades work for anyone with a PC running Windows 8 Pro.
But first: Why downgrade?
Microsoft offers a downgrade path mostly for enterprise and small business PC users who may not be ready to use the new version of Windows. Some businesses don't want to suffer the training costs associated with rolling out a new OS to employee workstations. Others are concerned about incompatibility issues with legacy software.
Consumers, on the other hand, usually want to dump Windows 8 because they simply don't like the new OS. The Nielsen Norman Group found consumers' main gripe with Windows 8 is the dual nature of the system, which combines desktop and touch-friendly environments in an oftentimes confusing melange. Not only is the user interface inconsistent, it also requires users to remember where to go for which features, and to waste time switching between interfaces.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

App landscape for Windows Phone

2013-04-12T02:56:00.000-05:00

Windows Phone is a software platform that can improve a person’s life. Its ability to do so is determined by the apps that it can run. It’s up to designers and developers to create the apps that meet specific customer needs in a way that’s engaging.

People use their Windows Phone under all kinds of situations and for many different reasons. One person may use his Windows Phone primarily to stay connected with his friends while another person may use hers to help manage her busy schedule. Other people may be using their Windows Phones to enjoy a mental escape through games, music, videos, reading, or social networking.

Windows Phone Store is where customers go to find the exact app that meets their needs. The Store categorizes apps by their functionality. Some categories are further broken out into subcategories. Examples of the top-level categories are News and Weather, Health and Fitness, Sports, Productivity, Lifestyle, Finance, Travel, Games, Entertainment, Social, and much more. We’ll now look at examples of apps in a few of these categories.

Lifestyle.

People use their Windows Phone to help them live the type of life they want to enjoy. That means they find apps that support their lifestyle. Apps that help support these types of activities are a valuable part of the Windows Phone experience.

REALTOR.com, eBay, and Bigoven apps

These types of apps are very valuable to customers because they help reflect who they are and what they can share and enjoy with others. Each of the three apps shown in the preceding figure helps people find things that fit their lifestyle—in this case, searching for the perfect home, locating that hard-to-find item, or cooking the foods they like.

Social.

Connected mobile devices have given people the ability to socialize throughout their day, and a Windows Phone is a great device to help fulfill this human need. Windows Phone helps people share text messages, photographs, audio and video, and much more.

People Hub app on the Windows Phone

Apps that enable social interactions might be isolated in their usage, or they might tie in with other phone features and apps. For example, the Pictures Hub app that comes with Windows Phone is a central app used to organize your photos and even share comments on photos through social networking sites. Apps can be made to work with the photos to alter them and enhance the social aspects of photo taking. The Classic Christmas Cards app lets you take photos from the Pictures Hub and create greeting cards to send out to friends.

Classic Christmas Cards app

Health and fitness apps can make use of the mobility aspect of Windows Phone. People are happy to take their phone to the gym and use an app to step them through their workout routine. They expect to be able to enter the type of body conditioning they want and then be directed through a weightlifting or cardio regimen. Additionally, some specialized apps for runners help them plan their running route and track their miles run and their best times.

runsat GPS Sports Tracker app

Entertainment.

There are an endless number of entertainment app possibilities on the Windows Phone. Entertainment on the Windows Phone can come from sophisticated apps or from simpler novelties such as an on-screen cowbell that makes sounds upon touch. Apps like Netflix provide entertainment through streaming of movies and television shows using Silverlight. Other apps tie into the person’s actual real-life entertainment needs by helping them to locate movie times or comedy shows to attend.

Netflix shown streaming a video and Fandango apps

Games.

Games are always big sellers —there’s a game for just about everyone, from the classic Windows Solitaire card game to today’s more advanced 3D graphics adventure. The category of Games is so large that it has many subcategories. The Windows Phone is a great device for people to engage in solo or multiplayer games.

ilimilo and the harvest games
Tools

to use them in ingenious ways. An app that mimics a real-world device or tool can be valuable to people. From the simple flashlight app to a ruler or metronome, there are many useful tool-type apps available.

Metronome and Clinometer apps

Unlimited possibilities.

The Windows Phone platform has many more types of apps than can be covered here. What’s been shown demonstrates the richness and robustness that apps can achieve. The number and types of apps for the Windows Phone will increase over time, and we won’t soon exhaust the possibilities of what can be created. Apps should strive to bring customers mobile-specific functionality through content that is connected and beautiful.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

The Most Popular Post of March 2013.

2013-04-11T02:58:00.000-05:00

1.- Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts.
Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of two or more keys that, when pressed, can be used to perform a task that would typically require a mouse or other pointing device.
Keyboard shortcuts can make it easier to interact with your computer, saving you time and effort as you work with Windows and other programs.
Most programs also provide accelerator keys that can make it easier to work with menus and other commands. Check the menus of programs for accelerator keys.
If a letter is underlined in a menu, that usually means that pressing the Alt key in combination with the underlined key will have the same effect as clicking that menu item.
Pressing the Alt key in some programs, such as Paint and WordPad, shows commands that are labeled with additional keys that you can press to use them.

2.- Tips to prevent Windows 7 auto shutdown problem.

Windows 7 auto shutdown is one most relevant and frequent issue faced by the maximum number of users. This problem may arise due to several reasons related to the system.
The Windows 7 auto shutdown can be possibly caused by hardware as well software compatibility problems. But most of these issues come up due to hardware conflicts which fail to support their respective drives.
These Windows 7 errors can be sorted out with the help of utility software which are widely available in the market. Using their assistance, one can get rid of these issues along with several others as well.
The required tips to stop the Windows 7 auto shutdown problems are as follows:
Repair the registry of the system
Make use of a cleaner
Uninstall the corrupt program and restore the system
Make use of virus cleaner.

3.- Download Vista Skin Pack 5.0 Ultimate For Free.

Microsoft’s one of best operating system Vista didn’t got its hold on Windows XP users who are addicted to Windows XP because of its simplicity and stability over Vista.
But one thing which might be better in vista then XP is Look and feel.Their are lots of Skin pack and Transformation packs are available for Windows XP to make its look and feel like windows Vista.
But not all Skin packs and Transformation packs are free and don’t give exact look and feel of Vista. Here is one of best freeware Skin pack for Windows XP which is small in size and outcome is exactly like Windows Vista Ultimate.
Vista Skin Pack 5.0 (VPS) which is latest release of Vista Skin pack has many good features.
Features of Vista Skin Pack 5.0
- Small in Size, gives exact look of Vista Ultimate
- Changes Icons, Animation, Pictures, and Menus to match Vista Style
- Supports Windows XP SP1, SP2, SP3, Mediacenter Edition, Windows 2003

4.- Windows Media Player 12 Themes for Windows 7

Bored of your default Windows Media Player Skins?.
Grab some fresh and new Windows Media Player 12 themes for Windows 7!

Windows Media Player 12 Codecs

Windows Media Player 12 comes with support for DivX and MP4, but it still lacks supports for many other video formats.
(amr | mpc | ofr | divx | mka | ape | flac | evo | flv | m4b | mkv | ogg | ogv | ogm | rmvb | xvid)

A popular codec pack can be downloaded here and here.
The following skin packages includes some really awesome themes for your Windows Media Player:

5.- Designing the Windows 8 touch keyboard.

When we began planning how touch and new types of PCs might work on Windows 8, we recognized the need to provide an effective method for text entry on tablets and other touch screen PCs. Since Windows XP SP1, which had Tablet PC features built in, Windows has included a touchable on-screen keyboard. But those features were designed as extensions to the desktop experience.
For Windows 8, we set out to improve on that model and introduce text input support that meets people’s needs, matches our design principles, and works well with the form factors we see today and expect to see in the future.
I’m writing this blog post on our Windows 8 touch keyboard using the standard QWERTY layout in English. As I look at it, the keyboard seems very simple and sort of obvious. This comes partly from having worked on it for a while, but also because keyboards are familiar to us. But there is more here than meets the eye (or, fingertips).

6.- The Rise and Rise of Mobile Gaming [Infographic].

Mobile game development is among the fastest-growing avenues to the big bucks in technology today, as highlighted by this infographic from Geekaphone.
Consider these numbers: Mobile gaming industry revenue is projected to reach $8 billion this year, and that figure is expected to soar to $11.4 billion by 2014. Games are the runaway leader in terms of numbers of downloads of paid-for apps on Apple's iPhone App Store, according to Distimo's latest study, with games accounting for a whopping 72 percent of all downloads of the top 300 most popular apps there.
But mobile gaming is a tough nut to crack for developers. Just ten game publishers account for more than half of all downloads of the top 300 iPhone paid games.
The success stories are easy to track. There's Rovio, creator of the runaway hit Angry Birds. And PopCap Games, which was recently acquired by EA for a cool $750 million. Then there's social gaming giant Zynga, lurking with a new-found focus on mobile gaming and soon to bring FarmVille public.

7.- Clock Gadget in Windows® 7.

Learn more about the role and features of Clock Gadget in Windows 7
Windows 7 is the latest version of operating system from Microsoft. It shares the basic Windows platform but is having entirely revived features and graphics interface which boosts its speed and functionality.
The Windows 7 OS is more customizable and resource friendly when compared with its predecessor Windows Vista but is a bit heavy on the graphics requirement needed to enable the much praised Windows Aero theme.
The Windows 7 is having excellent customization and personalization options like the desktop slideshow, custom color palette, desktop gadgets etc. that enable the users to modify the look and feel of Windows according to one’s tastes and requirements.

8.- Don’t Hate on Windows 8 [Infographics].

In the last two months, fierce debates surrounding Windows 8 have taken place all over the web.
While I haven’t tried out the consumer preview, I did get the chance to see it in action and it left me intrigued.
To put it simply: the new operating system seems like a bold move for Microsoft. Modeled after today’s wildly successful smartphones, Windows 8 could prove to be a real gambit in the PC world.
We’ve put together an infographic that breaks down the improvements and new features on Windows 8.
I’m hardly a computer wiz, but reading up on Windows 8’s apps and cloud software sure makes me wonder how Microsoft’s big release will fare against Apple.
Check out the graphics below and let us know if you think Windows 8 can gain some ground against Apple’s OSX.

9.- Windows Media Center in Windows 7, Chapter 1

Windows Media Center (codenamed "Freestyle" during development) is an application with a 10-foot user interface design to serve as a home-entertainment hub for the living-room TV.
It is included in Windows XP Media Center Edition, premium editions of Windows Vista (Vista Home Premium and Vista Ultimate), and Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate).
It is designed to be controlled by special remote controls which prominently feature the Green Button (similar to the logo to the right), but can also be operated with a mouse and/or keyboar

10.- Windows 7 Themes.

Windows themes always seem to be a big hit. With the launch of Windows 7, the themes for Windows 7 have been in high demand.
These themes are free, both on Microsoft's part and the other ones as well.
Windows 7 has been developed keeping in mind the different points of views of the users and the commentators, because it's very easy to use and light to carry.
I've created a compilation where you can find many Windows 7 (W7) themes.
Take a look at some of these themes, some are really attractive based on Windows 7 and others are based on games, cars, vehicles, animations, just to name a few.
Enjoy!

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Guidelines for Windows Store apps.

2013-04-10T02:55:00.000-05:00

Design your app's UI to showcase the content. Minimize distraction and help people get immersed in the content by leaving only the most relevant elements on screen. Following these guidelines will help you provide a consistent, elegant, and compelling user experience.

Commands

App bars: See Guidelines for app bars.
Buttons: See Guidelines for buttons.
Check boxes: See Guidelines for check boxes.
Radio buttons: See Guidelines for radio buttons.
Toggle switches: See Guidelines for toggle switches.
Sliders: See Guidelines for sliders.
Rating controls: See Guidelines for rating controls.
Select control: See Guidelines for the Select control.
Time pickers: See Guidelines for TimePickers.
Date pickers: See Guidelines for DatePickers.
Login controls: See Guidelines for login controls.

Navigation

SemanticZoom: See Guidelines for SemanticZoom controls.
FlipView: See Guidelines for FlipView controls.
ListView: See Guidelines for ListView controls and Styling ListView controls.
Links: See Guidelines for links.

Transient UI

Flyouts: See Guidelines for Flyouts.
Message dialogs: See Guidelines for message dialogs.
Context menus: See Guidelines for context menus.
Tooltips: See Guidelines for tooltips.
Progress controls: See Guidelines for progress controls.

Images

Thumbnails: See Guidelines for thumbnails.

Text and input

Fonts: See Guidelines for fonts.
Text boxes: See Guidelines for text input.
Login controls: See Guidelines for login controls.
Spell checking: See Guidelines for spell checking.
On-screen touch keyboard: Learn how to show and hide the on-screen touch keyboard when your users don't have access to a hardware keyboard or other peripheral keyboard devices. See Guidelines for touch keyboard.

Roaming to the cloud.

Create a continuous experience across devices by roaming data and settings that lets people pick up a task right where they left off and that preserves the UX they care most about, regardless of the device they're using.

Roaming: Make it easy for users to use your app everywhere, from their kitchen family PC to their work PC to their personal tablet, by maintaining settings and states with roaming. Additional guidance on roaming can be found in Managing app data and Guidelines for roaming app data. To learn how to store and retrieve settings and files from the roaming application data store, see Quickstart: Roaming app data.
Settings: Consolidate all of your app's settings on one UI surface, and let users configure your app via common mechanism they are already familiar with. See Guidelines for app settings.
Single sign-on: Ensure that users can sign in with their Microsoft account and enjoy a consistent experience on any Windows 8 device they use. See Quickstart: Connecting to an online identity provider.

Fundamentals

Every app should always have a solid foundation in order to reach as many people as possible.

Splash screen: Use the splash screen to smooth the transition between when people launch your app and when it's ready for use. The splash screen should subtly reinforce your brand with your users, not distract them or advertise to them. See Guidelines for splash screens.
Suspend and resume app state: Users will switch your app on and off the screen, and Windows will terminate it in the background when it is unused. You should save and resume the app state when possible to maintain context. See Guidelines for app suspend and resume.
Auto-launching and "Open With": Launch the default app for a file type or protocol from your app. See Guidelines for file types and protocols.
Globalization, localization, and app resources: Windows is used worldwide, so you need to design your app so that resources, such as strings and images, are separated from their code, to help make localization easy. See Guidelines for globalizing your app and Guidelines for app resources.
Accessibility: Make your app available to all users regardless of their abilities, disabilities, or preferences. If you use the built-in UI controls, you get accessibility for free. When you need to create custom controls, see Plan for accessibility.
App help: Provide help or troubleshooting tips to your users. See Guidelines for app help.
Store categories: Learn how to create great apps for specific Windows Store categories, like games or entertainment. See Category guidance.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Guidelines for Windows Store apps: snapping and scaling.

2013-04-09T02:53:00.000-05:00

Snapping and scaling.
These features help you create great experiences for every form factor and every viewing option your users have.

Flexible layouts: Design for different form factors and let users manipulate the content to fit their needs and preferences. Think of landscape view first so that your app will run on all form factors, but remember that some screens rotate, so optimize the layout of your content for a taller-than-wide view that retains functionality. See Guidelines for layouts.
Snapped and fill views: Design for your users' multi-tasking needs. Users want to use your app while they chat, surf the web, watch a movie, or whatever, so make your snapped view useful and maintain context when going between snapped and unsnapped views. See Guidelines for snapped and fill views.
Scaling to screens: Design an app UI that looks great on devices of various sizes—from a small tablet screen, to a medium laptop screen, and all the way up to a large desktop or all-in-one screen. See Guidelines for scaling to screens.
Scaling to pixel density: Make sure the images in your app look great when scaled. Windows scales your app to ensure consistent physical sizing regardless of the pixel density of the device. See Guidelines for scaling to pixel density.
Resizing: Make sure your app looks great when Windows needs to resize it. Windows automatically resizes your app when the user changes the view state or calls up the soft keyboard. See Guidelines for resizing.

Contracts, charms, and capabilities

Contracts are the glue that binds Windows Store apps together and to the system UI. Two apps that have implemented the same contract can work together to complete a broad or complex scenario. Some contracts are represented by charms. See a complete list of app contracts.
Capabilities identify the device features your app uses.

Search: Let your users search through your app's content quickly from anywhere in the system. See Guidelines for search.
Share and data exchange: Let your users share your app's content with other people they care about, receive shared content from other apps, and display it to your users. See Guidelines for sharing content, Guidelines for clipboard commands, and Guidelines for creating custom data formats.
File pickers: Let your users load their files from and to the local PC, connected storage devices, HomeGroup, and other apps into your app. You can also provide a File picker extension so that other apps can load your apps' content. See Guidelines for file pickers and Guidelines for file picker contracts.
Location-awareness: Ensure a clean, non-disruptive, privacy-respectful experience with geolocation. See Guidelines for location-aware apps.
Device-awareness: Microphones, cameras, location providers and text messaging services can access the user's personal data or cost the user money, so Windows Store apps have features to ensure the user has control over these sensitive devices. If your app accesses sensitive devices, design it to account for how a user may enable and disable device access. See Guidelines for using sensitive devices and Guidelines for building a device picker.
Print dialog: Create a custom UI when your users print content from your app. See Guidelines for a custom print UI.
Proximity gestures: Let your users connect two or more devices together with a "tap." This gesture lights up experiences where you expect multiple users to be physically close, as with multiplayer games. See Guidelines for tapping.
Multimedia: Ensure your app works well with multimedia. See Guidelines for developing audio-aware apps and Guidelines for the camera UI.

Tiles and notifications.

A tile is the front door into an app. Sitting on the Start screen, it is an extension of the app and can provide much more personal and engaging information than a traditional icon. Invest in designing a great tile to draw people into your app.
Provide fresh content through live tiles and notifications to let people feel connected to your app. Make sure you help your users connect with the people and devices that they care about.

App tiles and secondary tiles: Use your app's tile to engage users, to encourage them to use your app, and to keep your app feeling fresh and relevant. You can promote interesting content and deep links from your app on the Start screen and let your users launch your app directly into a specific experience within your app. See Guidelines for tiles and badges and Guidelines for secondary tiles.
Notifications: Help your users be aware of time-sensitive or personally relevant content through toast notifications, and invite them back to your app when it is not in the foreground. See Guidelines for toast notifications, Guidelines for push notifications, Guidelines for periodic notifications, Guidelines for scheduled notifications.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Guidelines for Windows Store apps.

2013-04-08T13:51:00.001-05:00

Use this index to quickly find the user experience (UX) guidelines that can help you create a great Windows Store app.

If you haven't already, you should start by reading Making great Windows Store apps and Planning Windows Store apps.

Microsoft design.

Windows Store apps are the focal point of the user experience on Windows 8, and great Windows Store apps share an important set of traits that provide a consistent, elegant, and compelling user experience.

Layout and navigation: Consider how the layout of your UI affects how users navigate your app. See Navigation design patterns.
Layout and commanding: Place commands consistently to instill confidence and to ease user interaction. See Commanding design patterns and Laying out your UI.
Layout and page design: Use the grid to help layout your app pages to adhere to the Windows 8 silhouette.
- Laying out an app page
- Choosing a layout for JavaScript apps
Animations: Purposeful, well-designed animations bring apps to life and make the experience feel crafted and polished. Help users understand context changes, and tie experiences together with visual transitions. For more info, see our guidelines on these animations:
Typography: See Guidelines for text and typography.

Touch interaction.

Use touch interactions that keep the user in control and confident, and leverage the screen or device edge so people can confidently find commands. See Touch interaction design.

General user interaction guidance: Provide a consistent and performant set of user interactions. See Guidelines for user interaction.
Touch targeting: Think about the size and location or your touch targets. See Guidelines for touch targeting.
Visual feedback: Provide clear visual feedback for user actions. See Guidelines for visual feedback.
Semantic Zoom: Help your users navigate large amounts of content, visually showing how "zoomed in" or "zoomed out" the content is. See Guidelines for Semantic Zoom for user interaction and see below for our SemanticZoom control.
Swipe and cross-slide: Use this standard interaction to select items from a list or grid. See Guidelines for cross-slide.
Optical zoom and resizing: Let users zoom in and out for better views of their content. See Guidelines for optical zoom and resizing.
Panning: Help users navigate your app with panning. See Guidelines for panning.
Rotation: Provide responsive feedback when your users use touch to rotate moveable content on screen. See Guidelines for rotation.
Selecting text and images: Make your users confident when they select text and images. See Guidelines for selecting text and images.
Mouse interaction: Create a great mouse experience for users without touch screens. See Guidelines for mouse interactions.
Keyboard interaction: Provide a complete interaction experience for users who either prefer using a keyboard or have certain disabilities that require a keyboard. See Responding to keyboard interactions.
Pen/stylus interaction: Support a great inking experience for users with pen/stylus devices. See Responding to pen and stylus interactions.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

New filter for StatCounter.

2013-04-01T06:12:00.001-05:00

Have you ever wondered…

What search terms are Canadian visitors using to find my site?
Which US states do I get most traffic from?
Which pages on my site are most popular with visitors from London, England?

The “Filter” feature makes it easier for you to answer these questions and many others too. Let’s look at an example…

Keyword Analysis – Filter
Click “filter” on the Keyword Analysis page to access the available filters for this statistic.

The available filters will be displayed like this:

Use the “search term” filter to isolate keywords (or groups of keywords). In the example below, a bakery website uses this filter to examine those keywords in their stats which include the term “cake”.

Use the “entry page” filter to identify which keywords result in hits to specific entry pages (aka “landing pages”) of your site. In the example below, we examine which keywords result in hits to the Spanish language landing page on the bakery website.

It’s also possible to combine filters. For example, our bakery can examine all keywords containing the term “cake” which result in hits to the Spanish language page on their site. They simply apply both the “search term” and “entry page” filters to their stats like this:

Use the “pageviews per visit” filter to exclude bounce visits (visits with only a single hit). This helps you to identify keywords which result in visitors viewing two or more pages of your site.
Bounce visits occur when a visitor enters your site then “bounces” away again having only viewed one page on your site. (Although often considered a negative, bounce visits may not necessarily be a bad thing… but that’s a blog post for another day )

Use the “labelled visitors” filter to isolate the keywords used by the visitors you have labelled within your StatCounter project (Note: the “labelled visitors” filter is hidden if you haven’t yet labelled any visitors in your project).

Use the “country” filter to review the keywords used to find your site by visitors from a specific country.

Filters are available on all of the most popular stats pages on StatCounter, and some stats pages have extra filters relevant to the stat in question. We’ll be continuing to expand the range of filters available as well as the stats pages that are covered by filters.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Mobile apps are a priority in search of a leader.

2013-03-26T17:19:00.000-05:00

Traditional IT vendors aren't leading with software, and businesses aren't hiring mobile leaders, according Appcelerator's survey.

Even as mobile computing has become a top priority to executives, businesses lack internal leadership for mobile efforts, and the IT vendors they rely on, such as IBM and Oracle, aren't delivering on the mobile app front either, a newly released survey shows.

Appcelerator surveyed 770 "enterprise leaders," including CEOs, CIOs, and mobile application development managers, in November and December and released the results yesterday. Asked which traditional "mega-vendor" is showing leadership in mobile technology, 28 percent cited Microsoft, 15.8 said SAP, 10.8 percent said Oracle, 7.3 percent said IBM , and 4.6 percent said Hewlett-Packard. "Enterprises are used to looking to these guys for leadership" -- and not getting it, said Michael King, Appcelerator's enterprise strategy director.

"This problem is exacerbated by fact that the enterprises at the same time are not hiring that leadership," King said. Companies have not hired chief mobility officers or vice presidents of mobility, nor have they set up mobile centers of excellence. Just 21 percent plan to establish such a center, and their timeline for doing so is unclear, King said. And 60 percent of companies have no such plans at all for such centers.

But they would be smart to do so:

"Enterprises that have transformed to a mobile-first [perspective] have seen impressive results," King said. He cited Mitsubishi Electric, with a pricing and catalogs application that generated $30 million in sales in the first year.

Despite the lack of leadership within their companies and by their vendors, the survey respondents predicted that 2013 will be the year when the number of new homegrown mobile applications surpasses the number of new homegrown PC applications. The majority of respondents were planning to build at least five mobile applications this year; mobile development is also expected to outpace Web development.

Enterprise executives do view mobile applications as transformative and expected them to aid customer and employee relationships, competitive ability, revenue growth, and efficiency. But obstacles to achieving mobile success include scarce resources for mobile efforts, lack of technology standardization, lack of clear direction or strategy, need to integrate with enterprise data, and decentralized mobile efforts, the survey found.

Elsewhere in the report:
    Nearly 50 percent of respondents believe that HP does not understand mobility, and 44 percent do not believe Oracle does, either
    81 percent predict traditional companies in mature markets will be disrupted by mobile-first startups
    While mobile applications are ubiquitous in the consumer world, enterprises are just getting started: 73 percent of enterprises have built fewer than five applications, and 39 percent have none or just one
    Fifty-five percent of companies rank mobility at the top or near the top of their priorities list
    Apple's iOS and Google's Android are the top enterprise mobile platforms
    94 percent predict companies will invest in capabilities to connect mobile applications to the cloud and back-end systems
    66 percent plan employee-facing mobile applications
    Mobile security remains a concern, especially authentication and authorization.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Windows 8 Secure Boot Sparks Linux Furor, and a Microsoft Response

2013-03-22T17:12:00.000-05:00

A new security measure introduced with Windows 8 requiring so-called secure boot keys could make it more difficult for consumers to load other operating systems including Linux on OEM Microsoft-certified machines pre-loaded with the software.

Depending on whom you talk to, this is a massive violation of consumer freedom that might (or should) draw anti-trust scrutiny from authorities such as the EU — or it is a desirable defense against malware that just so happens to coincidentally inconvenience a small, if vocal, group of power users.

The issue was flagged this week by a blogger and Red Hat Linux developer, Matthew Garrett, who laid out the problem and suggested that the jury was still out on whether this constitutes bad behavior, but urged the software community to at least pay attention.

“It’s probably not worth panicking yet. But it is worth being concerned,” he wrote on Tuesday.
Microsoft has tried for years to lock down Windows to prevent unauthorized changes to its security keys that would allow untrusted software from working on a machine, for example, through its controversial work with the Trusted Computing Group and Next-Generation Secure Computing Base initiatives.

At issue in this week’s debate is the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) for secure boot, a protocol that requires users to provide a cryptographic key in order to install and run any software on a machine. This key is held by the manufacturer, which could prevent malicious software from infecting a computer; but it could at the same time prevent consumers who buy locked devices from voluntarily changing the manufacturer-installed OS or choosing to run untrusted software of any kind.

“Because there’s no central certification authority for UEFI signing keys,” Garrett said in another post on his blog after the debate gained steam. “Microsoft can require that hardware vendors include their keys. Their competition can’t. A system that ships with Microsoft’s signing keys and no others will be unable to perform secure boot of any operating system other than Microsoft’s. No other vendor has the same position of power over the hardware vendors.”

Garrett accused the software giant of effectively forcing users to use Windows 8 on pre-installed boxes, which would leave them “no longer in control of their PC.” Machines operating with certified Windows 8 would be unable able to run other operating systems, such as Linux, install additional OS’s, or replace Windows all together and boot securely, Garrett said on Tuesday.

This would be a problem that would only affect those who want to run multiple operating systems on the Windows 8, including previous versions of Windows. For the vast majority of users that simply want to start Windows 8 securely, this change should have little affect.

Even still, din on the blogosphere about the changes climbed to such a volume that Microsoft’s Windows President Steven Sinofsky responded with a post on the Windows 8 developer’s blog on Thursday.

The impetus behind the secure boot change, according to Microsoft, is nothing more than security. Without the right certification key, malware will be unable to disable security policies in the firmware.
“There have been some comments about how Microsoft implemented secure boot,” he said, “and unfortunately these seemed to synthesize scenarios that are not the case.”

Tony Mangefeste of the Microsoft Ecosystem team added later in the post: “Microsoft supports OEMs having the flexibility to decide who manages security certificates and how to allow customers to import and manage those certificates, and manage secure boot. We believe it is important to support this flexibility to the OEMs and to allow our customers to decide how they want to manage their systems.”

However, Garrett contends this affects both hardware and software makers because unless their products are signed in with the key included in the system firmware, they’ll be useless. For example, if you install a new graphics card that has unsigned drivers or drivers with a key not in the firmware, the card won’t be supported in Windows 8.

Sinofsky somewhat implied this would be the case in the comments section when a reader asked if Windows 8 without secure boot.

“Of course,” he said, but then added, “How secure boot works with any other operating systems is obviously a question for those OS products,” complete with emoticon smiley face.

Reactions to the controversy among the Linux community were mixed, with some crying foul over what they perceive as a clear an unwarranted intrusion on their freedom to tinker. But others took a more measured stance.

“Remember Palladium? Then NGSCB and Trusted Computing? Microsoft has been trying to solve this ‘problem’ for many years,” wrote one anonymous poster on Garrett’s blog. “Through TPMs and Intel’s TXT, it is finally becoming a reality for them. That it makes loading Linux difficult is just a beneficial side effect for them.”

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Windows 8 'Family Safety' feature chaperones underage users through the World Wild Web.

2013-03-21T17:07:00.000-05:00

It's not the tantalizing bit of Windows 8 bait you'd expect in the lead up to that revolutionary OS' official launch, but for a certain domestic segment, it'll do. As part and parcel of its Release Preview -- slated for a June bow-- Microsoft's making the busywork of keeping digital tabs on your household ankle biters an integrated and easily managed feature of the two-faced system, accessible via the "Family Safety" option.

Once enabled on the account profile for an underage user, parents will have the ability to receive weekly activity reports detailing web usage, as well as set site / application restrictions, search filters and time limits for PC usage.

Despite Redmond's best efforts, there's still one wall this virtual oversight won't let you breach -- your child's Facebook account.

For that, you'll just have to make friends. Head on past the break for the company's helpful how-to video.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

The World of Windows

A Detailed State of the Apps Report.

Windows Phone Infographic: When You Were Young.

Android, iOS and Windows Phone Compared in Infographic.

Platform and ecosystem for Windows Phone.

Analysis of Windows Phone 7

Voice for Windows Phone.

Punctuation.

Usage.

After.

Before.

After.

Before.

After.

First look at Windows Phone.

The Most Popular Post of May 2013.

Windows User Evolution [Infographic].

Top 10 Secret Features in Windows 8

10. Run Automatic Maintenance on a Schedule

9. Customize the Apps in the Search Bar

8. Enable the Hidden "Aero Lite" Theme

7. Enable the Secret Start Screen Animation

6. Customize More Icons in Windows Explorer

5. Create and Name App Groups on the Start Screen

4. Take Faster Screenshots

3. Tweak the Number of Rows on the Start Screen

2. Hide Recent Files from Your Jump Lists

1. Get More Out of Your Multiple Monitors

Microsoft has announced that Windows 8.1, aka Blue, will be a free upgrade for all Windows 8 users.

Windows 8.1 set to bring back the Start button

A fter months of speculation, Microsoft has announced that a badly needed update to Windows 8, code-named Windows Blue, is due out later this year.

The Most Popular Post of April 2013.

Windows Media Player 12 Codecs

30 Extraordinary Photoshop Tutorials to Master Photo Effects

Downgrading Win 8 to a Win 7.

App landscape for Windows Phone

The Most Popular Post of March 2013.

Windows Media Player 12 Codecs

Guidelines for Windows Store apps.

Roaming to the cloud.

<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-6536335343900966"; /* The_World_of_Linux_(Links)_468x15, creato 24/03/11 */ google_ad_slot = "2532958029"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 15; //

Fundamentals

Guidelines for Windows Store apps: snapping and scaling.

Contracts, charms, and capabilities

Tiles and notifications.

<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-6536335343900966"; /* The_World_of_Linux_(Links)_468x15, creato 24/03/11 */ google_ad_slot = "2532958029"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 15; //

Guidelines for Windows Store apps.

Microsoft design.

Touch interaction.

<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-6536335343900966"; /* The_World_of_Linux_(Links)_468x15, creato 24/03/11 */ google_ad_slot = "2532958029"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 15; //

New filter for StatCounter.

Mobile apps are a priority in search of a leader.

Windows 8 Secure Boot Sparks Linux Furor, and a Microsoft Response

Windows 8 'Family Safety' feature chaperones underage users through the World Wild Web.