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Tips & Tricks Category

For some reason the developers of Office (2007 and 2010) believe that every letter or document you write should use a line-space setting of 1,5. Which really hasn’t been used since the day of typewriters. Back when you had no other layout option. Another thing annoying me is the custom setting og 10 pt. space [...]

This article was written by Windows Guides (Source)… [Read More...]

Although many features included in early OS builds never make the final cut, this is one I hope will stay. Picture this: you log on to your PC at home and get it just the way you want. Now, when you go to a different PC, you can use these same settings just by logging [...]

This article was written by Windows Guides (Source)… [Read More...]

In Windows there is a function that most users (experienced and “n00bs”) should use with the out most care: Compressing disk space to save space. The idea is to let windows compress files much like ZIP or RAR to give you more storage. While it may seem like a good idea, doing so on your [...]

This article was written by Windows Guides (Source)… [Read More...]

Want to write code at phenomenal speed but can’t code and can’t type fast? Hacker Typer is a sure-fire tool with which to impress your friends. Hacker Typer is an online tool that lets you customize your hacking environment and then, as you press random keys, types out code—making you look like an underground genius:

Hacker Typer

This article was written by Windows Guides (Source)… [Read More...]

We remember a time when “back up” meant hitting the “clone drive” button—and that was about as hard as it got. Unfortunately, things have changed. Now that we measure our digital lives in terabytes instead of megabytes, it’s just impractical to copy the entire contents of one drive over to another as part of a routine backup schedule.

That’s why we like 2BrightSparks’ SyncBack program. With but a few clicks of a mouse you can ensure that only the files you care about most are either backed up on a regular basis or, better yet, automatically synchronized between two locations … [Read More...]

Say what you will about Twitter, but it’s ubiquity is startling. Consider the following statistics:

•    An average of a billion tweets are sent each week. That amounts to approximately 140 million tweets per day. Per day!

•    When Michael Jackson died back in June 2009, Twitter saw 456 tweets per second. Almost two years later, the record stands at6,939 tweets per second. (That occurred in Japan on New Year’s day.)

•    Twitter is seeing almost half a million accounts being created each day.

The most interesting thing about Twitter is that it’s simultaneously entertaining, informative, connective, distracting, and (potentially) … [Read More...]

Windows Forums member, Uvais, shares a skin pack made by DeviantArt user ~hameddanger. The package is designed to work with Windows 7 SP1 (download Service Pack 1–SP1–for Windows 7) and will work with both the 32 bit and 64 bit version.

Note: Before installing this skin pack, create a system restore point.

Here’s what it looks like on my PC (click to enlarge):

To install the skin pack, download it here, extract it, and double click on 8 Skin Pack 1.0.exe.

Click through the installation process to install the theme and, when installed, reboot your PC.

To uninstall the theme, … [Read More...]

I found this both humorous and stereotypically true:

This is about as simple as the stereotypes get.

How to fix any computer | The Oatmeal

This article was written by Windows Guides (Source)… [Read More...]

If you have a bunch of photos shot at a huge 10 megapixels (and thus the huge file size) that you want to quickly share with your friends and family via email, Facebook etc., and if you are too lazy to fire up a slow-loading-and-complex image manipulation application, Image Resizer is possibly the best solution for you.

Image Resizer is an evolved product from the Image Resizer Powertoy Clone (which we have covered previously) by Brice Lambson, which allow the user to resize images with just a few clicks. Once it is installed, it sits comfortably in your right click … [Read More...]

Using Asterisk in conjunction with Google Voice will help you dramatically reduce your landline phone bill

Google Voice. Skype. VoIP-to-PSTN providers. SIP-to-SIP calls. All of these technologies and products allow you to make calls that are either free or much cheaper than on your landline. Wouldn’t it be great if you could escape the clutches of your Telco and connect your home phone to these services? A phone server like Asterisk can help you realize this dream.

Short for Private Branch Exchange, PBX is a telephone exchange that is often used by businesses or offices. If you work a 9-to-5, … [Read More...]

While Windows updates can be a pain and dealing with issues can be even more painful, Windows updates are essential to running a secure and reliable PC. Due to the vast popularity of Windows, there are many people trying to find vulnerabilities all the time. When you purchase your copy of Windows, you’re not just getting what’s stored on the disc or OEM PC you just purchased; you’re signed up for many years of support from Microsoft via Windows Update.

To make the most of these updates, you should install them when available. We’ve looked at troubleshooting specific Windows Update … [Read More...]

A recent question from a reader, inspired me to write this article on how to set up and switch between several email accounts in Outlook 2010. The How To article showing you how to set up an account has already been written and I will not repeat that part but rather link to it later on.

Setting up a second (third, fourth … ) account in Outlook.

Adding several accounts to your Outlook 2010 is a simple task. Using them and switching between them is also very easy. What you DO need to decide before adding several accounts is, which … [Read More...]

For anyone who deals with images on a regular basis—whether they’re photographers, bloggers, or digital artists—Adobe Photoshop is an indispensable tool. And while the program can be used to make extensive alterations to a single photo, there are times when what you want is to make more simple alterations to lots of photos. Fortunately, Photoshop makes that easy. Here’s how you can use the batch-processing capabilities in Photoshop to kick-ass-ify all your photos at once.

1. Create an Action

The basis of Photoshop’s batch processor is always an action—a predefined set of commands that can be set to run on … [Read More...]

Windows Forums member, UVAIS, informs us of the availability of Internet Explorer 10 Platform 1.

You can read more about it and download it here. [Via Windows Forums]

Further Reading:

• Paragon Go Virtual: Clone your Windows into a Virtual Enviroment [Freeware]
• HTC Home Gadget 2.4 [Freeware]
• [Update] An Explanation of the Pros and Cons of Using RAID on Your Computer
• Guidelines for Dealing With Computer Uninstall Errors
• Troubleshooting Computer Problems Related To Internet Issues

This article was written by Windows Guides (Source)… [Read More...]

In the world of photography, Photoshop is the industry standard in post production work–capapble of doing nearly anything to any given photo. Though the rabbit hole is extremely deep, there are a few simple steps you can take to spruce up your images quickly and efficiently. 

Make Images Pop

One of the simplest ways to add a little razzle-dazzle to darkened images is to lighten an image and then sharpen in. Click on Images >Adjustments > Levels and adjust the sliders until you like the result. When you’re finished, bring your image to life by selecting Filter > Sharpen > … [Read More...]

Can we build an AMD machine—any AMD machine—that can compete with an Intel-powered rig?

In the forever war between CPU vendors, AMD and Intel have traded places many times—one leads, then the other. Since the advent of Intel’s Core i7, though, AMD hasn’t been able to touch the performance of Intel’s high end, and Sandy Bridge further increases the gap. But, well, you couldn’t buy Sandy Bridge motherboards when I wrote this build-it story in February for the May print issue—something about a bad chipset—and I’d been meaning to build an AMD-powered machine for a while now—with CrossFire, even. Why? … [Read More...]

Back in the day, when Windows XP was brand new and shiny, one of the New Features was the Desktop Cleanup Wizard. The idea was to help you keep your desktop tidy and un-cluttered.

Personally I never used it. I pride myself in maintaining a strict Desktop Clutter Policy and rarely allow any programs I install to take occupation on my desktop. Therefore I never needed the DCW, and could remove that annoying popup reminder all together.

Here’s how you do it

• Right click an empty area on the desktop.
• Click Properties and select Display Properties.
• Click the Desktop tab.

… [Read More...]

Remember I told you about the HTC Home weather gadget (Here) a while back? HTC Home is a Desktop Gadget developed to look like the weather and clock gadget found on the HTC phones. Last time I wrote about it, version 2 was still in Beta. I recently decided to check back with the developers and found that they have recently released version 2.4.

The New and improved

Where the 2.0 beta promised more gadgets and functionality, this version delivers. The weather gadget now comes bundled with 4 free weather providers, and several skin options (about 30 skins to choose … [Read More...]