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Productivity

What does it mean to use technology productively? How do you use devices and computers with Windows, Android, or iOS? Which gadgets make your work easier? How to personalize the operating system and the gadgets that you are using?

How to Install Windows 8 RTM on Your Computer

How to Install Windows 8 RTM on Your Computer

Windows 8 has been finalized and it is made available gradually through different channels. For those who are new to Windows 8 and would like a detailed step by step tutorial on how to install it on their computers and devices, we have created this guide. We will cover the following: how to burn your Windows 8 image to a disc or create a bootable
Download the Desktop Shortcut to the Windows 8 Start Screen

Download the Desktop Shortcut to the Windows 8 Start Screen

I've noticed a growing complaint with Windows 8: the fact that, on the Desktop there is no visible shortcut to take you to the Start screen. Something like "Show Start", just like we had Show Desktop in Windows XP. For a novice user, there is no clue shown on how to get back to the Start screen. That's why I decided to investigate and found
The Basics About the Task Manager: View, Run or End Applications and Processes

The Basics About the Task Manager: View, Run or End Applications and Processes

I've personally always thought of Task Manager as the manual override button for whenever a computer or one of its programs is acting strangely and I just want to close it or shut it down immediately. But, Task Manager is actually much more than that. It's a Windows function that can provide detailed information about various processes, applications, and the general performance of your machine's
Is the Windows 8 Start Screen an Improvement vs. the Start Menu?

Is the Windows 8 Start Screen an Improvement vs. the Start Menu?

One of the biggest changes in Windows 8 is the fact that the Start Menu has been replaced by the Start Screen and now you have a very different way of launching applications. While the Start Screen is great for making instant searches and launching applications with a few keystrokes, it is not that friendly to users who love using the mouse instead of the
How to Change the Metadata Stored in Executable Files in Windows

How to Change the Metadata Stored in Executable Files in Windows

In another article about the metadata included in files, we showed how to view a file's metadata and how to change it for common files such as documents or images. But what about the metadata included with executable files (.exe,.dll or.ocx)? With the help of third party tools, their metadata too can be changed. This tutorial will show how. Resource Editors for Windows Programs
Dual-Monitor Annoyance: Mouse Pointer Drifting to The Other Screen

Dual-Monitor Annoyance: Mouse Pointer Drifting to The Other Screen

Having a dual-monitor configuration gives you a pretty good productivity improvement but introduces a few annoyances you don't have when working on a single monitor. For example, it is more likely for your mouse cursor to slip to the second screen when all you want to do is close the active application window or press the Show Desktop button on the taskbar. How do you
How to Burn Labels on the Back of your DVDs with LabelFlash

How to Burn Labels on the Back of your DVDs with LabelFlash

In our previous disc-labeling tutorial, Ciprian mentioned the two types of label-burning technologies: LightScribe and LabelFlash. He covered only LightScribe as such drives are much more widely available. I happen to have a LabelFlash drive and I was able to use this technology a couple of times. Are there major differences between the two types of disc labelers? Is burning labels easier with one than
A Real-Life Review of the Logitech M600 Touch Mouse

A Real-Life Review of the Logitech M600 Touch Mouse

These days, the touch mouse concept seems to be the new cool kid on the block. Microsoft has launched a touch mouse with great fanfare, and also has Logitech. They recently released the Logitech M600 mouse which aims to compete with Microsoft's Touch Mouse. I used it for a couple of weeks, shortly after ending my test experience with Microsoft's mouse. Let's see how the
How to Burn Labels on the Back of Your Discs (CDs & DVDs)

How to Burn Labels on the Back of Your Discs (CDs & DVDs)

Have you wondered if it is possible to burn a label on the back of your discs? Due to technologies such as LightScribe and LabelFlash, it is not only possible but it is also very easy. In this tutorial, I will show how to burn a custom label on the back of a DVD, using a LightScribe capable disc burning drive. The steps involved are
A Real-Life Review of the Microsoft Touch Mouse

A Real-Life Review of the Microsoft Touch Mouse

I have read plenty of reviews but none of them seemed to offer details about the real experience of using the Microsoft Touch mouse - the latest mouse launched by Microsoft. Luck has it that I got my hands on this mouse and I was able to test it. My findings are very different from what you find in many other reviews, and are much
Windows 8 Apps Don’t Connect to Your Google/Gmail Account?

Windows 8 Apps Don’t Connect to Your Google/Gmail Account?

Do you have troubles with any of these Windows 8 apps: People, Messaging, Calendar or Mail? You can't get them to connect to your Google account and access your contacts, email or calendar? This tutorial will help you solve this problem. IMPORTANT NOTE: As of January 30, 2013, Google decided to drop Google Sync support for their free Gmail accounts. This means that you
How to Stop the Shut Down Procedure from Completing

How to Stop the Shut Down Procedure from Completing

Does it happen that sometimes, you remember that you need to do one more thing, just as soon as you hit the shut down button? Would you like to find a way to stop the shutdown procedure from completing? Luckily, we have some solutions that can help. Here are the ways you can stop a Windows shut down from completing. Stop the Shut Down
Reviewing the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse

Reviewing the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse

We would like to start our series of reviews of Windows oriented gadgets with a very good looking device: the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse. Even though this product has been launched at the end of 2010, it is still one of the best looking mice you can find on the market. I have used it for more than a year and, in this, review I
Roundup of Software Uninstallers - Reviewing IObit vs Ashampoo vs Revo

Roundup of Software Uninstallers - Reviewing IObit vs Ashampoo vs Revo

Today you can find lots of software which helps remove programs and clean up leftover files, folders and registry settings. In theory this is a good thing, as it helps eliminate some of the bloat on your Windows computer. But are these solutions really effective at removing all traces? To find out, I tested some of the most popular applications in this niche, both free
How & Why to Purchase Network Your Computers & Devices Step by Step

How & Why to Purchase Network Your Computers & Devices Step by Step

We are very proud to have published our first book: Network Your Computers & Devices Step by Step. Our publisher is the prestigious Microsoft Press and the book is distributed by O'Reilly Media. If you would like to know how to purchase the book, what you get with your purchase, and what others had to say about it, read on to find out. What
12 Reasons why Windows Explorer in Windows 8 Rocks

12 Reasons why Windows Explorer in Windows 8 Rocks

Windows Explorer has been a weak-spot of both Windows Vista and Windows 7. Many users complained about it being inferior to the version used in Windows XP and a lot more frustrating to work with. Luckily, with Windows 8 things are improving a lot. After using Windows Explorer for a few days in Windows 8 Developer Preview, i can say that it rocks. It is
Configure the Windows Explorer Viewing Templates for Libraries

Configure the Windows Explorer Viewing Templates for Libraries

In previous articles, we've shown how to edit a viewing template and how to apply it to any folder and its sub-folders. To complete the picture, we will show how to edit and change the viewing template used for any library in Windows 7. Step 1: Configure the Viewing Template on a Folder Windows Explorer has five types of viewing templates it applies to
Book Review - Network Your Computers & Devices, Step By Step

Book Review - Network Your Computers & Devices, Step By Step

There's an old joke that goes: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. For many people, setting up a home network is truly the elephant in the room. It's nowhere near as difficult as it used to be, when you had to buy extra software and hardware and learn a lot of arcane new commands before you could attempt it at
How to Customize File Types, AutoPlay & Default Programs Settings

How to Customize File Types, AutoPlay & Default Programs Settings

One of the things that became obvious after publishing our series on how to set default programs, associate file types and set up AutoPlay settings, is that Windows 7 has limited capabilities for setting all these things. Fortunately for us, there are third party programs, such as the Default Programs Editor that allow you to do all this plus customize context menus. In this tutorial