Build a speedy Windows 8 PC for under $500. Whenever Microsoft releases a new desktop operating system, users inevitably ponder the purchase or assembly of a new system. Although Windows 8’s controversial interface changes and obvious accommodations for mobile hardware may cause die-hard desktop users to approach the new OS with trepidation, Windows 8 offers many enhancements worth an upgrade. First and foremost, Windows 8 is streamlined to perform well on lower-end hardware than its most recent predecessors. Its minimum requirements are similar to Windows 7, but Windows 8 uses less memory, consumes less disk space, and its UI elements aren’t as graphically rich. Windows 8 also leverages most GPUs to accelerate more OS elements in hardware than does Windows 7.
All of these changes in Windows 8 culminate in an operating system that simply doesn’t need high-end hardware to run well. Knowing that, we set out to build a speedy Windows 8-ready system for under $500. Choosing our components We chose this APU for a few reasons. The results. Digital camera buying guide. Once upon a time, cameras competed with other cameras. Now, with the rise of smartphones as everyday photography devices, cameras have had to evolve quickly to compete with those mobile devices. Compared to just a few years ago, there are many more types of cameras to choose from; manufacturers are building specialized cameras for different types of shooters, a growing number of which have Wi-Fi sharing capabilities and phone-like features.
There are a lot of different styles of cameras to choose from these days: ruggedized point-and-shoots, high-zoom pocket cameras, premium compact cameras, mirrorless interchangeable-lens models, and full-fledged DSLRs. Depending on your budget, your size requirements, and your shooting style, any one of those cameras may be the best fit. We're here to help you pick the perfect camera for your needs.
A choose-your-own-adventure camera selector Narrow down your options by clicking your way to a new camera in this interactive buying guide. Top-rated DSLRs. How to run your business in Evernote. Evernote isn’t a revolution. Like most of the technology products we tend to use regularly in our daily lives, Evernote is an evolution, a collection of good ideas that rolls into a single program the functionality of a half-dozen apps you would otherwise use separately.
Evernote was designed for individuals, but businesses have been adopting it in increasing numbers, finding unique ways to put it to use. Evernote itself has taken notice of this, and later this year it will be launching Evernote for Business, which could elevate Evernote’s business utility even further. Meanwhile, if you’re new to Evernote, or are just dipping your toes into it, here’s how to put the little app that could to its best use. Get started with Evernote Evernote is a hybrid system of offline and cloud-based features. Evernote’s core functionality is in storing your notes and keeping them organized and synchronized, in real time, among all your devices. In Evernote terms, every page you create is its own Note. 28 pieces of computing advice that stand the test of time. Technology never stops moving foward. Hardware gets faster, and operating systems gain new features and (we hope) finesse. This is natural computing law. But just because computers are one big exercise in evolutionary progress, that doesn't mean certain computing maxims ever go out of style.
Take, for example, the nuggets of wisdom in the following list. All of these things are as true today as they were 2, 5, and in some cases even 10 or 20 years ago. Below, we give you the best pieces of computing advice we've ever heard. When in doubt, punch out If something isn’t working on your PC, don’t wring your hands and yell at the screen. Expect your battery to let you down It's simply Murphy's Law: Your laptop or tablet will poop out the moment you need it most. Crowdsource your troubleshooting Back everything up Never get caught with just one copy of anything that you want to keep. Remember that thumb drives are your friends Look to last year’s model for a better value Skip the extended warranty. Control YouTube Video Viewing With Chrome Extension Magic Actions for YouTube. YouTube offers an endless supply of excellent videos, but its interface leaves much to be desired. There is no way to stop videos from automatically starting to play as soon as the page loads; if you want to watch a high-resolution version of a video, you must pick it from the video menu each and every time; and the page is full of distracting elements such as comments and video recommendations.
Google Chrome extension Magic Actions for YouTube (free) lets you fix all this, and much more. With Magic Actions for YouTube, you can customize just about any aspect of the YouTube experience. Stop videos from automatically playing as you load the page; automatically pick the highest resolution available, or a resolution of your choice; automatically use a wide player, and more.
You can pick and choose customizations using a simple interface that consists mainly of checkboxes. —Erez Zukerman. Bring the Start button back to Windows 8 with $5 Start8. News September 27, 2012 03:21 PM ET Computerworld - Stardock yesterday started selling the $5 Start8, a tool that restores a Start button to the desktop of Windows 8.
The newest beta, version 0.95, is the latest in a series kicked off in March by Plymouth, Mich. -based Stardock, best known for its WindowBlinds customizing program. The utility reinstates the Start button and Start menu to the Windows 8 desktop. Customers who pay $5 for the beta will be able to download the final version free of charge when it releases. Stardock has not named the date for finalizing Start8, but has said previously that it will ship the tool before or on Oct. 26, the retail launch date for Windows 8. The disappearance of the Start button and Start menu -- 17-year hallmarks of Windows -- triggered criticism from long-time users when Microsoft yanked the navigational tool in favor of the tile-based Start screen in Windows 8.
As Wardell noted, there are other tools that do many of the same things as Start8. . Don't Buy That Security Software! CIO. IDG News Service — Open source doesn't have to mean free of cost, but thanks to the generosity of open source developers many thousands of great applications are free. Why spend money when you don't have to? Though if you like and depend on an app, nothing says thanks like clicking the "Donate" button.
Open source applications have advantages other than free or low cost. The best security products are open source, for example OpenSSH, OpenSSL, GPG, and the iptables firewall. . [ 7 free network apps for rooted Androids ] Secure delete, data recovery, clone, encrypt The real gold on any of our computers is our personal data. Darik's Boot and Nuke Don't let your used computers out the door without first securely erasing all their hard disks. Darik's Boot and Nuke, DBAN for short, is operating system-independent and works on IDE, SCSI, and SATA hard drives on x86 and PowerPC systems. TestDisk and PhotoRec repair and recover Oh no, you hit the delete button and now you want your file back! The Ultrabook Revolution. The PC is undergoing its most radical makeover since the advent of the IBM PC three decades ago.
Ultrabooks and Windows 8 are leading the charge. Slim Ultrabook designs succeed where netbooks failed, delivering performance, battery life, and a full-featured computing experience. Ultrabooks, once seen as mere copies of Apple’s MacBook Air, are now extending its concept. Experiments such as Toshiba’s Satellite U845W, with its cinematic widescreen aspect ratio, are expanding the definition of what a PC is.
Revolutions are chaotic. Today’s Ultrabooks—skinny, light laptops that Intel is pushing PC makers to build—represent the future of the PC. The new computing revolution is upon us thanks to a legion of users and developers who are creating new ways of interacting with data and with each other in a connected society. The New Revolution Always-on connectivity, the cloud, and easy mobility define this personal technology revolution. After a slow start, PC makers are embracing the change. 10 tips & tricks for Google Calendar and Gmail.
How to Use Your Android Tablet as a Secondary Display. If you own an Android tablet, you probably get most of your real work done on a desktop or laptop PC, and use your tablet primarily for casual Web browsing and content consumption. But you can use your tablet to improve your productivity, too. Since a tablet is essentially a portable touchscreen, why not repurpose it during work hours as a secondary display? In this article I'll outline how to configure an Android tablet (or a compatible Android smartphone) as a secondary PC display. I'll explain how to install a couple of apps on an Android-based tablet and on a Windows 7 PC, and then I'll show how to configure them to work together to extend (or mirror) the PC's desktop. These capabilities are not confined to Android and Windows 7, however; do some digging on your own, and you should discover other screen-mirroring apps for any version of Windows from XP forward, as well as for Mac OS X, iOS, and Android.
What You Need Install the Tablet App, and Give Your Tablet a Name A Few Drawbacks. Get Dozens of Free Business and IT Ebooks From Microsoft CIO. The smartest folks I know are the ones who have bookshelves stacked with reference guides. Knowledge is power, and all that. Of course, now that e-books are overtaking their print counterparts, it's getting harder to judge a businessperson or IT admin by his/her covers (so to speak). Maybe the bookshelf is empty, but the Kindle/Nook/iPad/etc. might be loaded with tomes. Indeed, if you tend to prefer your books in electronic format, you'll love this: Microsoft Press offers a large selection of ebooks on a variety of subjects -- and they're all free. I know: It's not often you see the words "Microsoft" and "free" in the same sentence, especially when it comes to business stuff. But there's no question the company is giving away a boatload of useful reading material.
This last entry is contained in a second roundup of free Microsoft ebooks. A couple other worthwhile picks: "Windows 7 Power Users Guide" and "Own Your Future: Update Your Skills with Resources and Career Ideas from Microsoft. " 10 Crazy IT Security Tricks That Actually Work CIO. Network and endpoint security may not strike you as the first place to scratch an experimental itch. After all, protecting the company's systems and data should call into question any action that may introduce risk. But IT security threats constantly evolve, and sometimes you have to think outside the box to keep ahead of the more ingenious evildoers. And sometimes you have to get a little crazy. [ Find out how to block the viruses, worms, and other malware that threaten your business, with hands-on advice from expert contributors in InfoWorld's "Malware Deep Dive" PDF guide. | Keep up with key security issues with InfoWorld's Security Adviser blog and Security Central newsletter. ] Charles Babbage, the father of the modern computer, once said, "Propose to a man any principle, or an instrument, however admirable, and you will observe the whole effort is directed to find a difficulty, a defect, or an impossibility in it.
The world of network security is no different. Even bigger bonus? How to Choose a New PC Case - Page 2. If you aren't a dedicated PC builder, the last thing you probably think about is your PC case. But there are a number of good reasons for moving to a new chassis: You might need space for more components; you might want more cooling; you might long for some fancy features such as clear side panels or glowing fans and lights; or you might be interested in upgrading your front-panel connectors to support the latest and greatest connection types.
Whatever your reason for considering a new shell, we'll walk you through the process of selecting one--and we'll look at how to move the parts and pieces from your old case into your new case smoothly and efficiently. Choose a Suitable Case PC cases fall into three broad categories: Budget, Midrange, and High-End. Budget Bonanza A typical budget case is inexpensive ($20 to $40), rectangular, and featureless. Midrange Medley In this category, prices run from $75 to $200, and you'll find considerable variation in design and construction. High-End Heaven. How to Enhance Your Router With Open-Source Firmware. As the number of connected devices in our homes and offices continues to multiply, the limitations of many consumer-grade broadband routers become increasingly apparent. Not so long ago, many users had just one or two systems connected to the Web through their router. But today, many users have multiple smartphones, tablets, printers, laptops/notebooks, and desktop systems connected to their routers, along with such consumer electronics devices as Blu-ray players, HDTVs, and game consoles.
When a basic broadband router has to juggle so many connected devices simultaneously, bad things can happen. If you're lucky, everything works; but for many routers, the load that the connected devices impose becomes excessive, resulting in poor performance or instability. One potential solution is a drastic upgrade to open-source firmware that can increase the performance and enhance the stability of many routers, and also add lots of new features.
Prepare Before You Commit The Installation Process 1.