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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?

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

  • misc
  • Ciprian Adrian Rusen
  • 14.06.2012
One of the biggest changes in Windows 8 is the fact that the Start Menu has been replaced by the Start Screen and now you have a very different way of launching applications.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...
Files

How to Change the Metadata Stored in Executable Files in Windows

  • tutorial
  • Ciprian Adrian Rusen
  • 28.05.2012
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...

How to Delete Troublesome & Invalid Shortcuts from the Games Panel

  • tutorial
  • Ciprian Adrian Rusen
  • 21.05.2012
The Games panel in Windows 7 is pretty awesome but it does have one issue: after you install and uninstall a few games, you can end-up having leftover shortcuts that are no longer valid and cannot be removed with ease. If you encounter this problem,...
Games

What is the Games Folder & How to Use It?

  • tutorial
  • Ciprian Adrian Rusen
  • 15.05.2012
The Games folder is a Windows 7 feature that few people are aware of, let alone understand its complete functionality. This article will try to demystify it and explain in detail what it is, how it works and how it can be customized. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] What...

Internet Explorer on 64-bit - Is Browsing Possible and Working Well?

  • tutorial
  • Ciprian Adrian Rusen
  • 14.05.2012
As promised, I would like to continue our series of articles on 64-bit browsing with Internet Explorer. I've used it for a couple of days, tried to find the plugins and add-ons I needed, and evaluate if I can actually make the switch from the...
Dual-monitor

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

  • tutorial
  • Ciprian Adrian Rusen
  • 04.05.2012
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...

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

  • tutorial
  • Marte Brengle
  • 25.04.2012
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...

Speech Recognition: Afterthoughts on Its Strengths and Weaknesses

  • tutorial
  • Marte Brengle
  • 20.04.2012
I have to admit that I hadn't used any kind of speech recognition in a long time when I was asked to do the tutorials. The last time I had tried speech recognition, it was with Dragon Dictate, which was new when Windows 98 was...
Logitech M600 Touch Mouse

A Real-Life Review of the Logitech M600 Touch Mouse

  • review
  • Ciprian Adrian Rusen
  • 13.04.2012
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...

Troubleshooting Common Speech Recognition Problems

  • tutorial
  • Marte Brengle
  • 12.04.2012
In the previous tutorials about Speech Recognition you learned how to set up this application and the basics of using it. Speech Recognition does work surprisingly well "right out of the box," and it's quite sophisticated for a built-in application. However, this is not to...
DVD

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

  • tutorial
  • Ciprian Adrian Rusen
  • 10.04.2012
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...

Working with Speech Recognition: Commands, Dictating Text & Browsing the Web

  • tutorial
  • Marte Brengle
  • 06.04.2012
The speech recognition software in Windows 7 is surprisingly sophisticated. Microsoft built into it a lot of features that, at one time, were only available in expensive third-party speech recognition software. Speech Recognition is easy to use, but as with all sophisticated software, you'll need...

Working with Speech Recognition: Setup and Configuration

  • tutorial
  • Marte Brengle
  • 29.03.2012
Computer speech recognition has been around for a long time, and many people have heard of programs like Dragon Naturally Speaking. What many people may not know is that Windows 7 includes its own, very capable, speech recognition program. We plan to cover it in...
Microsoft Touch Mouse

A Real-Life Review of the Microsoft Touch Mouse

  • review
  • Ciprian Adrian Rusen
  • 28.03.2012
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...

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

  • tutorial
  • Ciprian Adrian Rusen
  • 09.03.2012
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. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] IMPORTANT NOTE: As...
Shut Down

How to Stop the Shut Down Procedure from Completing

  • tutorial
  • Ciprian Adrian Rusen
  • 08.03.2012
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...
Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse

Reviewing the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse

  • review
  • Ciprian Adrian Rusen
  • 25.02.2012
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...