Appearance and Personalization

How to personalize Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, and other software platforms. How to customize the appearance of your gadgets, apps, and hardware.

How to hide the top notch on Android smartphones like Huawei P20, P20 lite, or P20 Pro

tutorial
Ciprian Adrian Rusen
08.05.2018

Many new smartphones have the front camera integrated into the display, in the form of a notch that is displayed on the top side of the screen. While your smartphone may be beautiful, the notch is plain ugly, and it makes apps and games look...

How to change the language for your Microsoft account, Outlook, Office Online, etc

tutorial
Ciprian Adrian Rusen
14.02.2018

Many people use Microsoft services in their web browsers. Millions of people use the Outlook.com e-mail and calendar service. Some use OneNote online, others OneDrive, and so on. You may use these online services in English and need to switch to another language, like Spanish,...

How to create your own characters with the Private Character Editor from Windows

tutorial
Codrut Neagu
09.10.2017

You probably know that you can use special symbols and characters from fonts installed on your Windows computer or device. Character Map is the best tool for finding and selecting those. But what about making your own special characters in Windows instead of using symbols...

The Control Panel in Windows - How to switch to the Classic Windows XP view

tutorial
Codrut Neagu
30.05.2017

The Control Panel is one the most used features in Windows 7, and it's still a critical tool in Windows 8.1 and even in Windows 10. And that's for a very good reason: it includes many useful tools and configuration items. Although over time, the...

Simple questions: What is PPI and does it matter?

tutorial
Codrut Neagu
22.05.2017

Have you ever wondered what PPI is? Maybe you've heard companies talking about high DPI screens and wanted to know what that is? Why are some manufacturers bragging about their high-end devices with huge pixel density screens? Why does PPI matter so much, especially when...

Troubleshooting: Windows 10 Start Menu is stuck in full screen. Turn it off!

tutorial
Ciprian Adrian Rusen
28.02.2017

It may happen that you have a Windows 10 laptop or 2-in-1 device with a touchscreen that displays the Start Menu using the whole desktop, instead of just a portion of it. For some reason, the Start Menu went full screen and you are stuck...

Add the Control Panel and the Command Prompt to the WinX menu, in Windows 10

tutorial
Codrut Neagu
20.02.2017

If you installed Windows 10 Creators Update on your computer or device, besides all the new features and options you get, you might have noticed that Microsoft decided to change some things which you probably used on a regular basis. One of these changes is...

How to disable or enable the startup sound in Windows

tutorial
Ciprian Adrian Rusen
08.11.2016

Does your Windows computer play a sound each time you start it, just before showing the sign in screen? At first, you might like this sound but after so many years of using Windows computers and devices, you may find it annoying. Here's how to...

The complete guide to personalizing the taskbar in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7

tutorial
Codrut Neagu
06.09.2016

Microsoft made some great improvements in the taskbar with Windows 7, making it much more versatile and useful than the taskbar in previous Windows versions. Although there weren't nearly as many changes between Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, because they got it so nearly right...

How to disable the system beep sound in Windows

tutorial
Ciprian Adrian Rusen
11.01.2016

When you press the wrong key on a Windows PC, when an error dialog pops up or when you use the volume control, you hear a beep. After doing this a couple of times, that beep can get quite annoying. Therefore, in this tutorial, we...

Introducing Windows 8.1: Group Shortcuts On The Start Screen & Name Them

tutorial
Maria Madalina Blaga
20.05.2015

Organization is the key to productivity. Having important stuff you pinned on the Start screen scattered all over the place is not very efficient. Your favourite apps will be hard to find, especially if there's a large number of apps pinned on the Start screen....

How To Clear Your Personal Information From Your Start Screen Tiles

tutorial
Codrut Neagu
15.04.2015

If you're a Windows 8.1 user, you surely noticed that some of the tiles pinned on your Start screen gather and display personal information like notifications with messages you receive from others, your meetings and to-dos, your personal pictures and so on. At some point,...

How To Set Windows 8.1 To Display More Tiles On The Start Screen

tutorial
Ciprian Adrian Rusen
19.11.2014

If you have a high-definition tablet or hybrid with Windows 8.1, like the Surface Pro, you may want to have more tiles on the Start screen so that you don't have to scroll a lot in order to access all your main apps and desktop...

How to Create Your Own Custom Jump List In Windows 7 & Windows 8.1

misc
Maria Madalina Blaga
05.11.2014

Did you know about an application called Jumplist Launcher? It is a free tool, created by Ali Dunnpfiff, which can be pinned on your taskbar and lets you create a custom jump list for it. We will show how you can configure the jump list...

When Is Each Sound From A Windows Sound Scheme Played?

tutorial
Codrut Neagu
29.10.2014

A few days ago, one of our readers asked us an interesting question: "is there a place where I can check when does a Windows sound play?". While we have shown how to customize the sound scheme in Windows, we did not talk about when...

How to Customize the Tiles Displayed on Your Windows 8.1 Start Screen

tutorial
Ilie-Alexandru Munteanu
08.04.2014

The Start screen is an important concept in the Windows 8 operating systems. While it may have its share of issues, the principles behind it are good. Also, with each new version of Windows 8, the user experience has been improved. For example, in Windows...

Introducing Windows 8.1: Change the Start Screen Wallpaper & Colors

tutorial
Ciprian Adrian Rusen
19.11.2013

Windows 8.1 offers more personalization options than Windows 8 and Windows 7 do. One of the things that can be configured in more detail is the Start screen itself. For example, in Windows 8.1 you have more options for setting the wallpaper (background image), background...

How to Customize or Disable Search with Bing in Windows 8.1

tutorial
Ciprian Adrian Rusen
31.10.2013

As mentioned in many other articles, one of the biggest changes in Windows 8.1 is related to Search and its strong integration with Bing. In this operating system, Bing provides you with search suggestions and web results when performing any kind of search, directly from...

How to create a phone wallpaper with Galaxy AI on a Samsung Galaxy S23

tutorial
Ciprian Adrian Rusen
12.04.2024

When I went to the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch event, I loved the demos of the Galaxy AI features and wished I could use them on my Samsung Galaxy S23 smartphone. Fortunately, Samsung has recently released the One UI 6.1...

How to setup Dynamic Lighting on Razer gaming accessories

tutorial
Codrut Neagu
11.04.2024

Dynamic Lighting is a feature introduced in Windows 11’s 2023 Update (23H2), allowing us to control RGB lighting effects on compatible devices directly from the operating system’s settings. This feature makes it easier to customize lighting effects on a variety...

17 differences between iPhones and Android smartphones

misc
Codrut Neagu
08.04.2024

Which are better: iPhones or Android smartphones? The debate never ends, and most people choose to be either iOS or Android fans, no matter what. I’ve owned several iPhones and at least ten Android smartphones in the last decade, and...

Samsung Galaxy A55 review: Do minor upgrades make for a better phone?

review
Codrut Neagu
09.04.2024

The smartphone mid-range sector has become very competitive in recent years, and Samsung managed to be one of the main players in this market too, with its Galaxy A5x line-up. However, in 2024, the competition is tougher than ever and...

Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro review: Everything big and then some!

review
Codrut Neagu
05.04.2024

Having the right keyboard can make all the difference when playing your favorite games. Enter the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro — the latest evolution in Razer’s renowned BlackWidow series. This isn't just any keyboard; it is a high-end product equipped...

realme 12 Pro review: Elegant phone with potential for photography

review
Codrut Neagu
20.03.2024

Last year, I reviewed realme’s 11 Pro and Pro+ Android smartphones, which impressed me with what they offered for their price range. As 2024 ushered in a fresh lineup from the same brand, I was able to test the brand-new...