How to Add a Bluetooth Gadget to a Windows 8 PC

By Andy Rathbone from Windows 8 For Dummies

Bluetooth technology lets you connect gadgets wirelessly to your computer running Windows 8, removing clutter from your desktop. On a tablet, it lets you add a mouse and keyboard without hogging one of your coveted USB ports.

 

Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/torque

Bluetooth can also connect your computer, laptop, or tablet with some cellphones for wireless Internet access — if your wireless provider allows it, of course.
To add a Bluetooth item to a computer, laptop, or tablet, follow these steps:

1. Make sure your Bluetooth device is turned on.
   Sometimes you can simply flip a switch. Other devices make you hold down a button until its little light begins flashing.
2. From the Start screen, fetch the Charms bar, click the Settings icon, and click the Change PC Settings button.
   You can summon the Charms bar’s Settings pane in any of three ways:
   • Mouse: Point the cursor at the screen’s top- or bottom-right corner; when the Charms bar appears, click the Settings icon, and then click the Change PC Settings button.
   • Keyboard: Press Windows+I and press Enter.
   • Touchscreen: Slide your finger from the screen’s right edge inward, tap the Settings icon, and then tap Change PC Settings.
3. From the Devices category, click the Add a Device icon.
   The PC Settings’ Devices pane appears, listing all your connected devices. Your computer quickly begins searching for any nearby Bluetooth devices that want to connect.
   If your device doesn’t appear, head back to Step 1 and make sure your Bluetooth gadget is still turned on. (Many give up and turn off after 30 seconds of waiting to connect.)
4. When your computer lists your device’s name in the Devices pane, choose the name with a tap or mouse click.
5. Type in your device’s code if necessary and, if asked, click the Pair button.
   Here’s where things get sticky. For security reasons, you need to prove that you’re sitting in front of your own computer and that you’re not an adjacent stranger trying to break in. Unfortunately, devices employ slightly different tactics when making you prove your innocence.
   Sometimes you need to type a secret string of numbers called a passcode into both the device and your computer. (The secret code is usually hidden somewhere in your device’s manual.) But you need to type quickly before the other gadget stops waiting.
   On some gadgets, particularly Bluetooth mice, you hold in a little push button on the mouse’s belly at this step.
   Cellphones sometimes make you click a Pair button if you see matching passcodes on both your computer and phone.
   When in doubt, type 0000 on your keyboard. That’s often recognized as a universal passcode for frustrated Bluetooth devices owners who are trying to connect their gadgets.
   After a gadget successfully pairs with your computer, its name and icon appear in the Devices category of the PC Settings screen.

To add a Bluetooth device from the Windows 8 desktop, click the taskbar’s Bluetooth icon, choose Add a Bluetooth Device, and then jump to Step 3 in the preceding list. Don’t see the taskbar’s Bluetooth icon? Then click the upward-pointing arrow that lives a few icons to the left of the taskbar’s clock. The Bluetooth icon appears in the pop-up menu, ready for your click.

Source: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-add-a-bluetooth-gadget-to-a-windows-8-pc.html?cid=dn_article

How to Make the Windows 10 Start Menu Look More Like Windows 7

The Windows 10 Start Menu is really quite busy with all of those live tiles all over it. If that isn’t your thing, luckily you can remove them all really easily. Simply right-click on the tiles and choose Unpin from Start.

Once they are all gone, the Start Menu will be nice and slim again.

You can also change the color of the Start Menu by right-clicking on any open space on the menu and choosing Personalize from the context menu.

This will bring up a color selector that allows you to make the change easily.

 

 

Pinning Tiles Back to the Start Menu

If you want to put the tiles back, you can simply go to the All Apps view, right-click on the app that has a live tile, and choose to pin to the Start Menu again.

Now if they would just remove that stupid Search button from the taskbar.

Source: http://www.howtogeek.com/197586/how-to-make-the-windows-10-start-menu-look-more-like-windows-7/

Win10 build 10074: What’s new

By Woody Leonhard on May 6, 2015 in Top Story

With the recent release of build 10074, Windows 10 Technical Preview should be nearing the feature-complete phase. But while there’s lots to see in the latest build, there’s also much that’s still unknown.

Here’s a look at what’s new, what’s been killed, what’s likely, and what’s still obscure.

Win10 Preview is starting to look like a product

If you’ve been staying up to date with the Windows Insider program, you should now be on build 10074. Microsoft brought everybody up to that level — either through Win10’s built-in Update & recovery tool or via ISO downloads — late last week. (Note: In most cases, the next build will appear only when all Win10 updates are applied.)

In broad strokes, this new build looks a lot like build 10041, which I talked about in the March 26 Top Story. But under the covers there’s a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on.

The Start menu retains its now-familiar layout (Figure 1), with a Win7-like list of programs on the left and fancy live tiles on the right. Win8 users should recognize the tiles as Metro-style programs, but Vista and Win7 users will probably feel more comfortable thinking of them as glorified Windows gadgets.

Figure 1. Win10 build 10074's Start menu looks relatively complete.

Microsoft is testing two see-through “glass” versions of the Start menu. Figure 1 shows the “blurry” form, which I greatly prefer. Although we won’t get Aero Glass back (dang!), it looks like the final versions of the Start menu, taskbar, and maybe the window borders will get some transparency.

Looking through the offered icons, you’ll note that the new Web browser is still labeled “Project Spartan.” But at last week’s Build conference, Microsoft announced that the IE replacement will be called “Microsoft Edge” (note: notWindows Edge). It’ll be the default browser in Windows 10. You’ll still be able to use IE 11 if you like, but it’ll be buried in the All apps/Windows apps list.

I’ve spent a lot of time working with Microsoft Edge (see Figure 2), and I have to admit that I like it. At this point, it can’t match the features, settings, and add-ons of Chrome or Firefox, but it’s fast and light. More important, it has correctly rendered all the webpages I’ve thrown down its maw.

Figure 2. Win10's new browser, code-named Project Spartan, will henceforth be called Microsoft Edge.

Since Microsoft Edge is a Windows (formerly Universal, formerly Modern, formerly Metro) app (as opposed toWindows desktop app), it should look and run more or less the same on desktops, laptops, tablets, the Xbox, and even Windows 10 phones. My conjecture — completely unsupported by fact — is that Microsoft chose the name “Microsoft Edge” because they intend to transport the browser to Android, iOS, and possibly OS X.

Moving along: Cortana, Microsoft’s answer to Siri and Google Now for voice-activated assistance, has improved a bit in this latest build — though the changes are mostly cosmetic.

Tablet mode, shown in Figure 3, has stirred up some discussion. Apparently, some fans of the Metro side of Windows 8.1 aren’t pleased with the way Win10’s tablet interface is shaking out, according to posts in the Microsoft Community Windows Insider Program forum and various other online sites.

Figure 3. Win10 Preview's Tablet mode has become surprisingly controversial.

If you look carefully at Figures 1 and 3, you’ll see that Tablet mode shifts the tiles and enlarges them slightly, adding more space between the text entries on the left. Not so obviously, the taskbar continues to show up in Tablet mode — whether you want it or not — as do title bars for separate windows. Both these features represent significant changes from Windows 8.1. The Metro happy-tappers want more room for their pinkies.

The new Mail and Calendar apps are surprisingly good. They still don’t have all the features of online rivals such as Google Mail and Outlook.com, but they’re light-years ahead of any free Windows mail or calendar clients we’ve ever seen before — going all the way back to Windows 3.1.

There are other, smaller changes in build 10074. For example, you can have an unlimited number of separate desktops. Also, the Notification Center (aka Action Center), which pulls out from the right like the now-deceased Charms bar, has improved a bit; some notifications are hot and clickable. Moreover, more Windows settings have migrated from the Control Panel to the Settings app.

Microsoft released new and improved Music and Video apps after build 10074 hit the streets. You can download them from the “Store (Beta)” gray tile. I’m not impressed with either media app, but maybe I’m asking too much.

Most important, build 10074 is remarkably stable — at least in my experience.

Build announcements hint at what’s to come

While Win10 seems to be coming together quickly, there are numerous other parts that are just vestiges or are still missing. For example, the contacts app, People, looks incomplete. Moreover, the Albums tool in the Photos app doesn’t seem to work, and OneDrive has been pared back, prompting complaints from various testers about the loss of “smart files” (more info).

Though repeatedly pressed at last week’s Build conference, Microsoft wouldn’t divulge any specifics on Win10’s delivery date. At this point, all we know is “this summer” from Redmond and “late July,” according to AMD CEO Lisa Su’s offhand comment.

On the other hand, the Build keynote speech showed off a raft — no, a fleet — of new products that are still in the development stage. The keynote was a three-hour ordeal for conference attendees, but you can see a nine-minute version that hits all the high points on The Verge website.

Windows honcho Terry Myerson predicted that within two to three years, a billion people will be running on Windows 10 (helped, no doubt, by Microsoft’s reported plan to upgrade Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 for free). Rumor has it — still unconfirmed — that anyone currently in the Windows Insider program will be able to continue in the program, getting all the latest updates, even if they didn’t own a “genuine” copy of Windows.

We’ve known for some time that Microsoft is building its Universal Windows Platform (UWP; more info), which lets developers create apps that run on the Win10 desktop, tablets, Windows 10 Phone, and even Xbox. But as revealed at Build, Microsoft also plans to make migrating Android and iOS apps to UWP — and from there to Windows 10 — easy for developers.

Reportedly, there’s even a project that will let app developers wrap up Web-based applications (HTML, JS, etc.) and stick them into the UWP. Microsoft is also building a bridge to migrate classic Windows programs — the ones you and I currently use every day — to the new universal platform. If successful, it means that Photoshop, Quicken, and any other program you might want to mention could, at least in theory, become Windows (Universal/Metro) apps, running in their own sandbox-protected environment inside Windows 10.

Of course, the devil’s in the details. We’ve heard all this before with Win8 releases, but this time the people building the bridges appear to know what they’re doing and have the backing to make it work — maybe.

At Build, Microsoft prestidigitator Joe Belfiore gave an amazing demo: he showed how a Windows 10 phone could act as the brain for an entire computer system, with keyboard and mouse attached by Bluetooth and a big monitor connected with some other technology. In five or 10 years, you might be able to take your phone to a different office, a different building, or a different planet — where you simply plug it in and start working just as if you were at home.

Brian Livingston, who founded the Windows Secrets newsletter, once gave a talk that predicted precisely that capability. That was 10 years ago; it astounds me that someone is now actually demonstrating the technology.

Microsoft also showed off a new Win10 feature called Spotlight; it’s supposed to help you find new Windows features that you might otherwise overlook. (No, this isn’t the return of the dreaded Clippy — info.) What Microsoft didn’t mention is that the technology might be used to attempt to sell you things. (Cough, cough.) It appears to be an option that’s enabled by default.

Finally, the much-discussed HoloLens (more info), which combines virtual and actual reality, apparently suffers from an unexpected limitation: the field of view for the goggles is very small. So instead of walking into a VR-augmented room, you’ll be looking at a VR-augmented section of your desk. Still, it’s early days.

Microsoft gives Windows Media Center the boot

With its roots going back to Windows XP, Microsoft’s digital-video recording/playing app, Windows Media Center (WMC), has had a long and particularly erratic history. It’s one of those programs many users either loved or hated, and few are using it now. Perhaps the writing was on the wall when Microsoft failed to release a version for Windows RT. Still, it was unexpected — and for some, unwelcome — news that WMC won’t survive the jump to Windows 10.

In a May 4 tweet, Microsoft’s Gabriel Aul confirmed that WMC will not be included with Win10 due to “decreased usage.” If you really want to keep this recorder/player, you’ll have to stick with Win7 or possibly add it to Win8.1 (more info). Microsoft’s preference might be that you buy an Xbox device. Or just rent a DVR from your cable/satellite company.

Peering into a (somewhat) dark crystal ball

Chief among the things we don’t know about Windows 10 is how it’ll be updated after its official release. We now know that businesses — those who pay for Windows 10 — will have an option to defer updates (as they can now), using a feature called Windows Update for Businesses. But there’s been no information on how Microsoft will release security patches for you, me, and the rest of the non-paying world.

Microsoft has made references to “Windows as a service” — a term I don’t like because it could be confused with “software as a service,” which typically means renting your software.

“Windows as a service” might mean that Microsoft rolls out updates almost continuously. New features for Windows would be released as soon as they’re ready — no more service packs, no more versioning (such as Win8.1). New versions of Windows (Universal) apps might install automatically, presumably on all platforms. And because much of Windows 10 is, in fact, made up of Windows apps, the OS itself could change rapidly.

Those rapid changes could blur the point at which beta Win10 becomes final code. We might never hear that Windows has hit its official “release to manufacturing.” (Hardware manufacturers will, of course, need some sort of “release” code to test and deploy on their new systems.)

Given that squishy definition of “RTM,” I suspect that AMD’s Lisa Su was on the money — I think Microsoft plans to formally release Windows 10 in late July. That means those in the Insiders program will get it shortly afterward, with a more general rollout in early August. We should see new machines with Win10 logos later in August.

Given the many pieces that still need to fall into place, you probably think July is way too soon — and I’d have a hard time arguing with you. On the other hand, the jump from Win8 to Win 10 isn’t as wide as, say, from Vista to Win7 or Win7 to Win8. And if the new OS ends up being a, uh, “service,” there’ll be no need for a final, fully finished product.

This is the new Windows. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.

Source: http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/win10-build-10074-whats-new-whats-unknown/

Windows 10 build 10051 Video

Windows 10 Technical Preview- Build 10041 03-2015

Top 6 Themes For Windows 10

It’s been only about a month and half since the preview build of Windows 10 is available for download but the rate at which developers are releasing new themes or updating existing themes to support Windows 10 indicates that another Windows 7 is in the offering.
Unlike the days of Windows XP, today, not all PC users are interested in custom themes partly because Windows 7, Windows 8, and even the new Windows 10 look good out of the box. Having said that, there is no dearth of elegant third-party themes for recent versions of Windows.
Those of you have already installed Windows 10 and not happy with the offered visual style have a bunch of good themes to choose from. But to be able install a custom theme developed outside Microsoft, we need to patch system files with the help of third-party utilities. This is because, when you try to install and load a custom theme, Windows checks if the theme is signed by Microsoft for security reasons. With the help of third-party utilities, we can use unsigned themes by disabling the check or bypassing the same.

Many of you likely know that there are free tools out there to help you in installing third-party themes in Windows operating system. UXStyle and UXTheme Multi-Patcher are the popular tools out there for the job.
While UXStyle is ideal tool as it doesn’t edit or patch original system files, some users seems to be encountering issues while using UXStyle on Windows 10 as of now. So, we recommend you use UXTheme Multi-Patcher 13.1 or above version. And before installing UXTheme and custom themes, please create a system restore point just in case if something goes wrong.
Now that you know how to install custom themes in Windows 10, it’s time to download some good themes. In no particular order, following are some of the good-looking themes available for Windows 10.

Best Windows 10 visual styles

Please click on the download link to visit the developer’s page to download the theme. To install the theme, please follow the instructions provided on the developer’s page or the read me file included with the theme file.

Unity theme 2014

Easily the best looking custom Windows 10 theme. The download page has clear instructions to install the theme. Download it from here.

Unity theme 2014

Easily the best looking custom Windows 10 theme. The download page has clear instructions to install the theme. Download it from here.

Ubuntu for Windows 10

Want to give you Windows 10 a touch of Ubuntu? This is the perfect theme for those who love the look of Ubuntu. This theme is available for both 32 and 64-bit Windows 10. Download it from this page.

Silk for Windows 10

One of the first themes released for Windows 10. Download Silk theme from here.

Nome for Windows 10

Nome is a simple and clean theme for Windows 10. This theme reminds me the Silver color theme of Windows XP. Nome theme can be downloaded by visiting this page.

Vanilla for Windows 10

Another clean and elegant visual style for Windows 10 based on the native Windows 10 visual style. As you can see, the theme is borderless, something many users have been asking for years. Head over to this page to download Vanilla theme for Windows 10.



Licorice

Licorice is a another simple theme for Windows 10.

Download Licorice


Source: http://www.intowindows.com/top-6-themes-for-windows-10/

Windows 10: Cortana Browser Integration in Spartan

Here is an interesting first look at Microsoft's new browser called Spartan.

Hands-On with Windows 10 Build 9901

Unlock Windows 10's hidden, powerful GodMode tool

GodMode. The mere mention of the omnipotence-granting tweak should bring a smile to the face of veteran Windows tinkerers, and yes, the legendary hidden feature still works in the Windows 10 Preview.
GodMode essentially unlocks a centralized table of contents for all of Windows’ far-flung features and customization options, drawing all your options together into a single interface and sorting them by tweak types. Once you’ve basked in its glory, you’ll be hooked for life.
Activating it is easy: Just create a new folder and rename it to following:

GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

Be sure to include the period after “GodMode”! And while this hack is known as GodMode far and wide, you can actually name this folder whatever you’d like by altering the “GodMode” portion of the string. Hassle-Free PC columnist Ian Paul names his Jedi Mode, as he explained in his longer look at the feature.

The GodMode icon and folder in Windows 10.

Once you’re done and hit Enter, the icon should transform to mimic the Control Panel’s look. Open it to check out your customization options. You can move GodMode around your system the same way you would any other folder, if you don’t want it cluttering up your desktop.
Be sure to check out PCWorld’s guide to Windows 10’s best tips and tricks when you’re done exploring GodMode. What’s that? You haven’t even tried the Windows 10 Preview out yet? Here’s everything you need to know to get started, and a guide to the killer new features you’ll want to check out first.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2881613/unlock-windows-10s-hidden-powerful-godmode-tool.html#tk.nl_pwr

Windows 10 Preview Walk Thru

What’s new — and expected — in Win10, build 9926

By Woody Leonhard on January 29, 2015 in Top Story

Microsoft’s Jan. 21 Windows 10 presentation revealed all sorts of new information about the next version of Windows, reportedly shipping this fall. Two days later, build 9926 arrived.

Here’s an overview of what you can see in the current Win10 Tech Preview — plus what’s likely to dribble out over the summer.

If you haven’t been following Windows 10’s progress or need a refresher, I recommend reading the Oct. 2, 2014, Top Story, “Microsoft unveils preview of a new Windows,” and the Oct. 23, 2014, Windows 10 article, “Windows 10 Tech Preview now at build 9860″ (paid content).

Winning back Windows users’ hearts and minds

If you missed Microsoft’s two-and-a-half-hour dog-and-pony show, there’s an excellent 12-minute YouTube recap, put together by blogger Bavo Luysterborg (better known as Bav0).
The Windows 8 debacle’s impact on Microsoft is abundantly clear in the presentation. CEO Satya Nadella stated that the grand goal of Windows 10 was to make PC users not just want to use Windows, but to love using the OS. Lofty statements are expected at press conferences, but the announcement that really caught everyone’s attention was the use of Windows 10 and “free” in the same sentence. Operating Systems VP Terry Myerson declared “we will be making available a free upgrade to Windows 10 to all devices running [Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1].”
Most surprising, however, was the statement that all Windows 7 users will get a free upgrade for a year after Win10’s release — and once they’ve upgraded, all future changes to Windows 10 will be free. There is, of course, some ambiguity I’ll discuss at the end of this article. (Has Microsoft taken another lesson from Apple, or it is a sort of unspoken apology to those who bought Windows 8?)

Taking in the new user interface

If you’ve followed Win10’s development at all, you already know that the next Windows incorporates a variant of the Windows 7 Start menu — so desperately missed in Windows 8. Figure 1 shows a new Start menu that combines Win7’s quick-access list with Win8’s tiles.

Figure 1. Windows 10's Start menu melds elements of Windows 7 and Windows 8.

The Start menu in Windows 10 Preview build 9926 clearly needs work; it’s missing drag-and-drop reorganization, custom menus, and so forth. But you get a good feeling for the overall design.
Presumably, we’ll be able to move and manage entries in the left column. The tiles on the right can be moved, removed, and reorganized under custom headings. You can also add new tiles. As in the original Metro Start screen, the tiles are “live” — they can automatically update bits of information displayed within the tile.
Universal — aka Metro, aka Modern — apps become more useful in Windows 10. No longer confined to running full-screen, they now peacefully cohabit the desktop, running in their own resizable and manageable windows (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. In Windows 10, a native Universal app can run in its own resizable window on the desktop.

If you’re a fan of Windows 8’s Metro Start screen — I know there are at least two of you out there — Win10 won’t disappoint you. Clicking the four-headed arrow at the top of the Desktop Start menu expands the menu to full-screen. It’s a workable compromise to the Desktop/Metro interface dilemma.
If you’re skeptical, give the January Win10 Preview a try. Again, the Start menu isn’t complete, but I think you’ll be comfortable with the overall structure.
On the other hand, Microsoft killed off the much-maligned, clumsy-to-use Charms bar (all together now: Hurray!) and replaced it with Notification — a popup window (see Figure 3) with general system notifications at the top and various shortcut buttons at the bottom. (In this build, the window is, in places, still called Action Center.) Soon, Windows 10 machines will interact with their users just as with nearly every Android and iOS device.

Figure 3. In Win10, the dysfunctional 

 Charms bar is replaced by the far more useful Notifications.

There are lots of other changes in Win10’s interface (many of which appeared in build 9860), including multiple desktops, multi-monitor support, and window-snapping to the four corners of the screen.

Cortana takes up residence on your desktop

If your PC doesn’t have a microphone, I recommend going out and buying one. Launched on Windows Phone, Cortana is Microsoft’s digital-assistant answer to Apple’s Siri. Cortana, however, is a bit more refined: running in the Win10 Search box (shown in Figure 1), she responds to both speech (“Hey, Cortana!”) and keyboard entry. Voice input is enabled by clicking the search box, clicking the three-bar icon in the upper-left corner of the search window, and then selecting Settings. When you give Cortana a search task, she’ll look on the local system, in OneDrive, and out on the Web (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. You can chat with Microsoft's digital personal assistant, Cortana, in the Win10 Search window.

Cortana isn’t the all-knowing, all-seeing app Microsoft’s ads would have you believe, but I find her surprisingly clever and useful — if still very buggy in build 9926. (Tip: Don’t pause after saying “Hey, Cortana.”) But then, I also like Siri and even use Google Voice from time to time. There’s a battle between the next generation of digital assistants brewing, and that’s good for all of us.
(Cortana has an interesting backstory [YouTube video]; she evolved from the central AI entity in the Halo games.)

Significant changes coming to “Universal” apps

Among the Windows 8 users I know is a near-unanimous consensus: the built-in Metro/Modern/Universal apps are dreadful. Metro Mail, Calendar, People, Videos, Music, and so on are so horribly deficient, almost no one wanted to use them.
That should change — at least a little bit — with Windows 10. Mail is being rewritten and relabeled (groan) Outlook. That will make Microsoft’s tenth different mail app. Unlike the Metro-based Mail, however, demos of the new Universal Outlook look almost as good as, say, Gmail on the Android or iPad. Yes, there’s a chance that Microsoft’s going to make a native mail app that people will actually use — but don’t hold your breath.
Other Universal apps are going through major facelifts. For example, the new Photos app in build 9926 is buggy and not especially capable, but it looks workable. The new Maps app lets you download maps for offline use — Microsoft is catching up with Garmin, circa 2001. Videos, Music, Messaging, and People will reportedly all be enhanced. We’ll have to wait and see; it’s a low bar.
For gamers, the real Win10 surprise is Xbox. According to the presentation, the shipping version of Windows 10 will let you stream Xbox games from an Xbox One device to your PC. Many hardcore gamers were puzzled as to why you’d do this, and it isn’t clear to me whether the stream will come through Win10’s new included Xbox app. But Microsoft’s Xbox chief promoted this capability as a really big deal.
(In another Windows 10 announcement, Microsoft showed [YouTube video] Office for Windows 10 on tablets. It looks as good as Office on the iPad or Android.)

Continuum coming — but only on Surface for now

Continuum is Microsoft’s answer to the problem of attaching and detaching keyboards on portable, convertible PCs. As shown in the presentation, when you detach a keyboard, Windows 10 will ask for verification that you want to switch into Tablet Mode (i.e., apps open in full-screen, the Start menu expands to full screen, and so forth). When you reattach the keyboard, a second popup asks whether you want to leave Tablet Mode.
Exactly how Continuum will work on specific devices is still unknown. As best I can tell, only Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 has built-in support for the technology. Apparently, it won’t be easy for other hardware manufacturers to work out the events that will trigger Continuum. It’s also unknown whether there will be Continuum drivers for current convertibles.

Loads of misconceptions about Project Spartan

Microsoft’s new browser, code-named “Project Spartan,” doesn’t appear in build 9926. Not surprisingly, there’s a lot of misinformation about the app.
Based on the public demos, Spartan looks good — it’s similar to Google Chrome. (Rumor has it that Spartan might even run Chrome extensions.)
Spartan’s key enhancement is your ability to manage interesting Web content. You can, for example, mark up displayed webpages with either a digital pen or a keyboard and send the annotated pages to other people or post them in OneDrive. Of course, Cortana is built into Spartan; there’s a view that makes reading text easier, and you can save pages offline.
Spartan is a Universal app — it’ll run on the desktop only inside a Universal-app window. It doesn’t speak ActiveX or support Browser Helper Object modules.
Most important, Spartan doesn’t replace IE. For better or worse, we’re going to have IE around for a long time. (In fact, if Spartan tries to open a page that requires IE, it uses the IE 11 rendering engine.)
As with much about Win10, the details about Spartan are still under wraps. But it seems that Microsoft will give us a more secure alternative to Internet Explorer.

Will HoloLens make Microsoft cool again?

One of the more mind-blowing parts of the Win10 presentation was Microsoft’s new HoloLens technology. Think of it as a third-generation Google Glass. (Google, ironically, has ended its Glass demonstration program; it’s unknown what Google will do with Glass next.)
Despite the name, HoloLens (more info) isn’t a Star Trek–like holographic machine. Unlike Oculus VR (site), it isn’t strictly virtual reality, either. The headset implements a sophisticated form of assisted reality — a blending of physical and virtual worlds. Essentially, digital images are superimposed on what’s around you, beyond the headset. HoloLens technology places images in the context of what you would normally see.
What’s Windows 10’s connection to HoloLens? The next Windows will have HoloLens APIs — the routines that apps will call to control the headset.
HoloLens has the potential to radically change the way we use computers. Wired’s Jessi Hempel gives a thorough, first-hand review of the technology, which is due out sometime later this year.

A looming question: Will we be tethered?

As discussed above, Windows 10 will be free to Win7 and Win8.1 users. And, unlike Windows 8, it nicely blends the use of tablet and desktop PCs. So what, you might ask, is the catch?
Microsoft hasn’t explicitly said one way other the other, but based on hints and comments, it seems likely that many Windows 10 users (anyone who doesn’t fall under a corporate volume license) will have to stay tethered to the Microsoft mother ship most of the time. Likely, Microsoft believes that keeping Win10 users continuously updated to the same version of Windows will reduce support issues and costs.
What does that mean? On the plus side, that means you’ll get all of the new updates as soon as they’re available.
On the minus side, you’ll also get all of the new updates as soon as they’re available.
In other words, all updates will be installed automatically, whether you like it or not. If you fear and loathe Microsoft’s Automatic Updates as much as I do, that’s a bitter pill to swallow. Time and again, Microsoft has shown that it’s incapable of reliably patching its own software.
Can it do any better with Windows 10? For the near future, that’s essentially an unanswerable question — though to Microsoft’s credit, Office 365 depends on a regular phone-home model and has had few updating problems. Still, Windows is a much more complicated system.
It appears that Windows 10 is the operating system Win8 should have been — and significantly much more. If Microsoft stays on track, we’ll have a successor to Windows 7 we can all live happily with. Let’s keep our fingers and toes crossed.

Source: http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/whats-new-and-expected-in-win10-build-9926/

Windows 8.1 Goes Retro with XTree Clone

Awwww, man. This really takes me back. A new app is available in the Windows store that brings back some memories and really brings a retro spin on file management for Windows 8.1. Provided as a Metro app, File Manager Gold is an XTree clone. Remember XTree and XTree Gold? XTree was a file management software that ran as a DOS app, and of course, would run in a CMD Windows for Windows 3.0. The first release was in April of 1985 and brought a really simple way to navigate and work with files and folders in the file system. But, now you can get that same nostalgic feel in Windows 8.1 with File Manager Gold.

 File Manager Gold is normally $5.99, but is free for now, with no clue as to when this will change. Grab it in the Windows store by searching for "File Manager Gold" or just click the following link: File Manager Gold in the Windows Store Big tip: when selecting a folder to manage in either pane, just choose the C:\ drive and then navigate from there. I've found that if you choose a folder full of files, it takes a long, long time to enumerate each one before the display is updated.

Source: http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/windows-81-goes-retro-xtree-clone

Download GOM Player App For Windows 8.1 And Windows 10

Published on Dec 30th, 2014

As an avid user of GOM Player, I can tell you that it’s one of the most underrated media player. I have been using it since the release of version 1.0, and I always recommend it over other media players for its beautiful interface, rich set of features, and support for popular codecs out of the box.
In the first quarter of this year, the metro or modern version of VLC player was released for Windows 8/8.1. Although VLC player app lacks most of the features present in desktop version, it still is the best media player app available on the Windows Store.

GOM Player app

The good news is that GOM Player app has been released for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. GOM Player lovers can now visit the official Windows Store on their Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 devices to download and install the app.





GOM Player app for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 sports a clean but elegant user interface.
Just like the desktop version of the player, GOM Player app supports many popular formats including .avi, .mp4, .mkv, etc.
The ability use and adjust subtitles is one of the killer features of GOM Player app. The app offers settings to change the size, position and default font of subtitles. More importantly, it lets you adjust sync subtitles with the video. In addition to that, you can rotate or mirror your video.





With default settings, it starts playing the video where you had stopped.
While watching a video, simply right-click anywhere on the screen to see pause, lock, size and ratio, volume, subtitles, and settings. When the lock feature is turned on, media control buttons will not appear when you perform a right-click on the screen (only Unlock option appears when you perform a right-click), useful while watching movies on tablets.





Another worth mentioning feature is support for keyboard shortcuts. Just like the desktop version, you can use left and right arrow buttons to rewind (10 sec) and fast forward (10 sec) operations. Many of the keyboard shortcuts of the desktop version work great here as well.

Download GOM Player app

Overall, I am impressed with GOM Player app for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. Although it’s not as powerful and feature-rich as the desktop version, it’s easily the best media player app available on the Store. Those of you who have been using the VLC app on your tablets, this is the best time to try out GOM Player app.
Visit the following page to install the latest version of GOM Player app on your Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 PCs.

GOM Player app (Windows Store link)


Source: http://www.intowindows.com/download-gom-player-app-for-windows-8-1-and-windows-10/

How to get Windows 10's best new features today

Windows 9? Fuhgeddaboutit. Microsoft skipped that digit and jumped straight to Windows 10 for the next-gen version of its operating system. Revealed at a preview event on September 30, Windows 10 aims to atone for the sins of Windows 8 by wooing PC power users with a mix of compromise and outright bribery. 

A reborn Start menu, windowed Metro apps, virtual desktop support, and enhanced Command Prompt tools are enticing lures indeed. Alas, Windows 10 itself isn't expected until the middle of 2015—a veritable eternity for folks slogging through Windows 8's Live Tiles. But fear not! You don't have to wait to get the best of Windows 10 today.
Microsoft will offer a Windows 10 Technical Preview in the months ahead of the operating system's launch, but if you don't like the idea of slapping pre-release OSes on your computer, some handy-dandy software can deliver some of Windows 10's highlight features to your Windows 8 PC today. 
Consider it a taste of things to come. Let's dig in!

 

The return of the Start Menu

A slew of Start menu replacements hit the web the second the Start Menu-less Windows 8 hit the streets, but when it comes time to put your cash on the line, the decision boils down to just two programs: Stardock’s Start8 and Classic Shell.

Stardock

Stardock’s polished Start8 Start Menu matches the color of your taskbar. (Click to enlarge.)

Those reviews have all the nitty-gritty details, but you’ll probably want to start with Classic Shell since it’s donationware. Classic Shell includes options for both Windows XP- and Windows 7-style Start menus, along with numerous customization options. You can tinker with what’s listed in the Classic Shell Start Menu, or even change the look of its Start button to an icon of your choice. Cool stuff, indeed.
Start8, meanwhile, offers either a Windows 7 Start Menu or a Modern UI-tinged Windows 8 Start Menu that’s more in line with what Microsoft itself is cooking up. The $5 Start8 app is more polished and easier to use than the open-source Classic Shell, which is chock full of ugly buttons. Start8 still offers plenty of options and features, though, and you can’t go wrong with either program.
You might also consider Start Menu Reviver. We didn't like it quite as much as Start8 or Classic Shell, but its tile-infused interface mimics the look of Windows 10's Start menu much more closely than its more classicly themed counterparts.

 

Windowed desktop Metro apps

Image: Microsoft

A Metro app running in a desktop window in Windows 10.

Sure, the Windows 8.1 spring update added plenty of mouse-friendly features, but it still doesn’t let you use Modern apps in desktop windows. If you want that capability today, you only have one place to turn: The utterly superb ModernMix software.
Again offered by Stardock—do you get the feeling that the folks at Stardock weren’t impressed by Windows 8?—ModernMix exists solely to let you run Windows Store apps in desktop Windows. It’s wonderful if you use Windows 8’s native apps, such as email, calendar, and Music, all of which stick to the Modern UI.

ModernMix in action. Seriously, buy it today.

ModernMix runs like a charm even with the updates recently introduced to Windows 8.1. It’s well worth the $5 admission price.

 

Virtual desktops

Image: Microsoft

Windows 10's virtual desktop feature in action.

Windows has long limited you to a single desktop interface. OS X and Linux operating systems, on the other hand, support virtual desktops—essentially multiple, configurable, virtual desktops you're able to switch between, so that you can have completely separate desktop interfaces for work and play or whatever.
But Windows 10 ditches that one desktop frame of mind, adding support for multiple desktops via a new "Task View" feature.

One PC, many virtual desktops, courtesy of Dexpot.

Why wait? If you want to start using virtual desktops on Windows today, just download Dexpot. It's not only free for personal use, it's chock full of UI hints that remind you that new desktop experiences are just a click away. Dexpot is insanely customizable and so finely polished that it makes virtual desktops feel like a native part of Windows—which they will soon indeed be.

Note: Microsoft also offers a free mutli-desktop utility here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/cc817881.aspx

Bringing it all together

There you have it: For less than the cost of a large pizza, you can have Windows 10’s most-anticipated improvements right now. Give yourself time to get used to Dexpot and you'll wonder how you ever managed to work without virtual desktops. And once you’ve welcomed a Start Menu replacement and ModernMix into your workflow—especially paired with the Windows 8.1 spring Update’s tremendous tweaks—you might just be surprised how well those newfangled Modern apps translate to the familiar desktop experience.
Now if only there was a tool that added keyboard shortcuts to the Command Prompt...
Editor's note: This article was originally published on April 16, 2014 but was updated with virtual desktop information and tweaked language on September 12, 2014 when leaks of the Windows Technical Preview appeared. The article was updated again on September 30 2014 when Windows 10 was revealed.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2144540/dont-wait-for-windows-9-how-to-get-a-start-menu-windowed-metro-apps-today.html

Other links:
UxStyle memory patching: http://uxstyle.com
UltraUXThemePatcher: http://www.syssel.net/hoefs/software_uxtheme.php?lang=en
Windows 10 Theme for Windows 7: http://cu88.deviantart.com
Windows10 Theme for Windows 8.1: http://cu88.deviantart.com
Taskbar UserTile/Mosaic/Aura: http://angelwzr.deviantart.com
WinMetro: http://iobit.com/iobit-winmetro.php
Newgen: http://nsapps.net
RocketDock: http://rocketdock.com
expstart: http://coderforlife.com
Desktops: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/cc817881.aspx
Start Menu Reviver: http://www.reviversoft.com/start-menu-reviver/
Read more at http://www.windowsxlive.net/windows-10-ux-pack/#g1wO18TZ9V0BMQf3.99

 

Best Of Windows 8 Modern Apps

Christian Cawley,On 15^th December, 2014, 

From slightly ropey beginnings in 2012, Windows 8 has developed and evolved. By now, you should be using Windows 8.1, a much more stable and user-friendly version, one that has an improved selection of apps available, free and paid.
We’re talking games, note-taking apps, video streaming, cloud storage, utilities, audio streaming and MP3 players and even e-readers. The selection is considerable.
Last updated: December 9, 2014
Below are the Windows 8 Modern apps that you should install, or consider installing, on your computer.

Cloud Storage

Dropbox, Box and OneDrive all naturally have apps for Windows 8, enabling you to access your cloud-stored data using the Modern interface.

Box

Offering 5GB of free storage, Box is a popular cloud storage solution among home and business consumers alike.

Dropbox

There is room for improvement in the Dropbox Windows 8 app, but it is functional and allows you to open, edit save and share your data with contacts. Although it doesn’t use the Dropbox folder on your PC (for instance if you are also using the desktop version) it does make your files available quickly.

RainbowDrive

Provides a single user interface to your (native) OneDrive, Dropbox or other cloud account, saving you the trouble of having to open different apps to browse your favourite photos. RainbowDrive also supports multiple accounts for each provider, potentially enabling vast storage.

Food and Drink

Cooking isn’t for everyone, but if you have an interest in getting to grips with one of life’s most vital skills, having a computer on hand is particularly useful. Touchscreen devices like Windows tablets are of considerable use in the kitchen, along with these apps.

Jamie Oliver

Perhaps the ideal kitchen companion, featuring a collection of free recipes and in app purchases of some curated menus from the world-famous celebrity chef’s impressive repertoire. Check our review of Jamie Oliver’s app to find out just why we included it in this Best of Windows 8 Modern Apps list.

Timed2Perfection

If you’ve ever come across a recipe with temperatures that don’t make sense, this app is for you. Banish problems getting your meals cooked properly with this Windows 8 app, which displays the correct temperature and cooking times for different foods as well as an illustation of gas mark, Celsius and Fahrenheit.

Recipe+ Nutrition Profiler ($4.99)

Designed to display nutrition information for existing recipes or ones you create. Works offline and features a database of over 12000 food types, this is a great way to find out just what foods in your diet are healthy and where you can make improvements.
You may also be interested in Go Veggie ($4.99), YumvY Cooking Companion, Baby Food Recipes ($1.49) and Allrecipes.

Games

Video games on Windows 8 are touch optimized experiences, although they can often be accessed with keyboard and mouse. While there are several platform-specific games, you’ll find that quite a few of these titles are available on mobile devices. We’ve collected the best exclusive titles for Windows 8.

Halo: Spartan Assault ($4.99)

Awesome top-down spin-off of the popular Xbox 360 game, this is an unusually strong title for touch devices and unmissable if you own a Windows 8 device. An excellent companion to the main Halo series, we absolutely loved this game, and you can read more about it in my Halo: Spartan Assault review.

Medieval Apocalypse

This hack’n’slash RPG takes you into an apocalyptic medieval world where you play a knight completing quests to defeat zombies and collect gold. Yes, that’s right – a zombie/knight hack’n’slash with fast, frantic gameplay. Oh and it’s free too, which really seals the deal.

Taptiles

A beautifully produced free game is a new variation on the classic Mahjong – this time with Xbox Live integration to unlock achievements and challenge friends. Features several game modes, and you can use your fingers to rotate the game tiles for a better look at what can be paired off.

Non-Exclusives on Windows 8

Many other games can be found in the Windows 8 app store, such as the ever-popular Radiant and its follow-up Radiant Defense, Pinball FX2 and the popular Angry Birds titles, Angry Birds Space ($3.49) and Angry Birds Star Wars ($3.49) (largely the same as Angry Birds Space, but with added Star Wars-style goodness; it’s also virtually the same game as the iPad version, which Tim Brookes reviewed in 2013).
Meanwhile, The Chess Lv.100 is great for lovers of the ancient game, and Wordament is aimed at word game fans. For fans of the bigger game titles, GTA San Andreas ($6.99) is optimised for touch devices while Asphalt 7: Heat should satiate the needs of the speed freaks. Also consider the Xbox Games tool.

Image and Photo Editors

Whether you’re editing photos or creating a work of digital art from scratch, Windows 8 has on offer several great tools, free and paid, to help you achieve your finished piece.

Fhotoroom

Excellent photo app migrated from Windows Phone, with a collection of basic editing tools and over 70 styles, frames, filters and light leaks.

Fresh Paint

Easy to use painting/art Windows 8 app with very low learning curve, this is ideal for kids and adults, – all you need is a desire to paint! If you’re using a tablet with a stylus, such as the Surface Pro slates, this app suddenly becomes all the more powerful.

Gallery HD

Find photos and videos on your computer, network or external storage and enjoy them in stunning slideshows with fade and zoom effects. This is a great way to unify your images and view and edit them in a single app in Windows 8’s touch screen interface.
Other apps for your consideration include makeover app Perfect365, and annotation app Skitch Touch.

Music Players

Rock out with your Windows 8 computer thanks to this collection of MP3 players and audio streaming apps.

TuneIn Radio

Does it get better than free Internet radio? The popular mobile radio streaming app, now on Windows 8. Pretty much any channel in the world can be tuned into with this app, saving you the bother of finding the right stream in your browser. Curiously there is no TuneIn Radio Pro available for Windows 8.

VEVO

Provides access to the amazing free VEVO service, where videos, live concerts and new artists await! Note that some events may need to be booked or a nominal fee paid.

Clouder!

Browse and listen to thousands of SoundCloud tracks, share with friends and explore playlists uploaded by other users. You can also mark tracks as favourites and play them from your personal dashboard.
Other worthy Windows 8 audio apps include Webradio and Mix Radio (formerly known as Nokia Music).

Productivity

Like any computer platform, Windows 8 is designed for productivity as well as entertainment. It’s not all about cooking, either, with tools for note-taking, remote desktop and more.

OneNote

Make notes, plan outlines, clip resources and sync your digital scrapbook to the cloud with this fast, impressive app with its unique finger-friendly dial menu. Features OneDrive syncing, enabling you to instantly see your notes on other devices. Note that EverNote Touch is also available if you prefer that notebook syncing service.

Word Viewer

Don’t have Microoft Word installed? Don’t worry – if someone emails you a .DOC or .DOCX file you can use this viewer app to open and read it. Be aware that this is purely a viewer, however. You will be unable to make any edits only open, view and print documents.

TeamViewer Touch

Setup a connection to another computer in seconds, whether it is a Windows, Mac or Linux device. Connections are secure and no configuration is required for firewalls and proxies. If you regularly have to access other computers for support or collaboration, TeamViewer Touch should be your number one choice.

Reading

Whether you’re using a tablet computer, a desktop, laptop or hybrid, reading apps are vital to digesting information from the latest bestsellers to reports in PDF format.

Kindle

Access to over 1 million books on the Kindle Store is granted to you with this app, which can sync across devices. Get reading!

Audible

The popular audiobook streaming service is now available for Windows 8 users, where a library of 100,000+ books is waiting to be read to you. Our Audible review explains how it all works, but if you’re a fan of having a renowned actor read a book to you, you’ve probably stopped reading and bought it already.

Nextgen Reader ($2.99)

Originally designed as a Google Reader Windows 8 app, this tool now offers support for many other RSS feed reading services and has grown beyond its initial purpose into an extremely usable reader, complete with sharing options.
Want more than three? Try the Nook e-reader, the stunning Wikipedia app, Comixology’s Comics app with access to over 30,000 comics, and Comix, a player for your own CBR and CBZ files.

Shopping

Your Windows 8 computer is a hub to the online marketplace, where names such as Amazon and eBay can be connected to directly from within a dedicated app and a purchase made. Who needs a browser?

eBay

Easily search, bid, buy and list your own items for sale or auction with the official eBay app for Windows 8. Very similar to the eBay apps for other platforms and just as easy to use.

Amazon

Using this Amazon Windows 8 app is faster than using the website. Search is fast, processing purchases efficient – try it!

CPlus

Whether you’re looking for something for sale, somewhere to live or even somewhere to work, this remarkable Windows 8 app lets you win at using Craigslist. Previously known as Craigslist+.

Social Networking and Communication

Chat online? Enjoy Facebook and Twitter? Perhaps you socialise on the front page of the web, Reddit, commenting on stories big and small?

Facebook

Offering a superior Facebook experience that matches the popular social networking site, the only thing you can’t do with this app is play games! Pages can be accessed, although you cannot share links to them at present. Unlike other platforms, Facebook chat remains within the app, rather than in a third party.

RedditToGo

Metro-style Reddit experience, this app shows the front page and all subreddits, any of which can be pinned to the Start screen. There’s far more to it than this, however, as explained in our RedditToGo review.

Twitter

Limited compared to some of the alternatives, Twitter nevertheless offers everything you would expect as well as the Discover tool to find trends and follow suggestions. This is the only reliable and free Twitter app for Windows 8.
Other social apps you might be interested in are StumbleUpon, Tweetro+ ($9.99) (a multi-account Twitter client), IM+ (an all-in-one messenger for reaching chat contacts across several networks) and the VK app for the popular V Kontakte social network

Utilities

Windows 8 can be your toolbox. It can be your search tool, your calculator and even your digital nightstand.

Toolbox for Windows 8

This Windows 8 app displays up to six from a choice of 12 different tools (including clock, calculator, weather, timer, web search and social Facebook) in a single full-screen app. Useful!

FileBrick

Access all of your local and cloud storage from one simple app. File Brick also acts as a DLNA server and facilitates sharing from YouTube, Picasa and Flickr.

Network Speed Test

Giving you everything you need to check the speed of your Internet connection, this app is provided by Microsoft and helps you to determine what online activities you can expect to perform.
Meanwhile you can convert any unit you like with YourConverter, perform advanced calculations with Calculator – Calc Pro HD ($7.99), and make writing code simpler with Code Writer.

Video Players & Companion Apps

Watching TV and movies, streamed content from popular online movie subscription services? You need these apps.

Netflix

Enjoy TV episodes, movies and original content from the world’s leading streamed subscription service. This Netflix app is comparable with the browser interface, and in some ways better, as Justin Dennis discovered.

Hulu/Hulu Plus

What could be better than unlimited streaming of top TV shows and fantastic movies? Hulu Plus offers more than the standard Hulu service, and for many users is worth the upgrade.

Xbox SmartGlass

If you own an Xbox One and a Windows 8 device, this is the ultimate companion app, a second screen to interact with your console and TV. An Xbox 360 version of SmartGlass is also available.

Vyclone

The popular online collaborative video app seen on Android and iPhone is now on Windows 8, enabling you to upload clips and mix it with that of other people at the same event.

Hyper For YouTube

One of the most popular YouTube apps for Windows 8, Hyper enables you to view in SD, 720p and Full HD as well as download videos and MP3s to your tablet or computer. We were so impressed, we thought we would show you the benefits of Hyper For YouTube.

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-windows-8-modern-apps/