Apps and Tools
(Credit: CNET) "What was Microsoft thinking?" That's the standard reaction of longtime Windows users to their first experience with the latest version of the operating system.
Debunking five Windows 8 myths
Dear Lifehacker, I know MP3 is the most popular audio format out there, but there are so many others—like AAC, FLAC, OGG and WMA—that I'm not really sure which one I should be using. What's the difference between them, and which one should I use to rip my music? Sincerely, Frustrated with Formats Dear Frustrated, You aren't alone in your confusion, but luckily, it's pretty simple once you understand it all. Here's a quick lowdown on the differences between each of these audio formats.
What’s the Difference Between All These Audio Formats, and Which One Should I Use?
Audio compression formats compared - PC World Business
Although MP3 is the most popular format for compressing digital audio, there are literally dozens of other formats from which to choose, including AAC, Windows Media Audio (WMA), Ogg Vorbis and MPC, to name a few.
Microsoft showed its first public demo of Windows 8 on Wednesday, and it's not at all like the Windows operating systems you've come to know over the past 25 years. The next version of Microsoft's operating system ("Windows 8" is just a codename) is a radical departure, designed around touch screens. If this revelation is making you weak in the knees, worry not. Here's a handy FAQ on the early Windows 8 build that Microsoft demonstrated:
Windows 8: What You Need to Know
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It's the fifth year of PCMag's look at the best stuff you don't have to pay for, and it's our biggest list of great free software yet. It's simple math: Every year this list gets bigger and, consequently, the amount of money you can save gets greater. When we did our first Best Free Software story five years ago, the list contained a mere 157 products. This year, we've selected 273 apps in 40 categories.
The Best Free Software of 2012
If your hard drive is starting to fill up, you may be wondering what exactly is taking up all that space. That's where a disk space analyzer comes in: it scans your disk and shows you, in graphical form, where all that space is being wasted, giving you an idea of where to start cleaning. Our favorite analyzer is the powerful, free WinDirStat. Scan all of your disks, one of your disks, or just a folder to analyze Creates a clickable map of the data on your disk, color-coded by type Provides additional information about specific data when you click on an item on the map Easily revel specific folders in Windows Explorer, open them in a command prompt, or copy their path Delete space-hogging folders right from WinDirStat's interface Show basic information about any file or folder you select View your entire disk by order of file/folder size so you can see the largest space hogs View your space consumption by file extension, so you know what file types are taking up the most space
The Best Disk Space Analyzer for Windows
WindowPad Uses Your Number Pad to Snap Windows to the Screen Edge
Windows: WindowPad takes the number pad that you rarely use and turns it into a quick shortcut for organizing all the windows on your screen. We all love Windows 7's Aero Snap feature, which divides your screen up equally between two Windows, and there are a lot of tools out there that beef up that functionality. WindowPad is an awesome little utility that uses your number pad to "visualize" your screen. Hitting Win+7, for example, moves your current window to the top left corner of your screen—the same place where 7 resides on your number pad. Pressing Win+9 will move it to the top right, Win+8 to take up the top half of the screen, Win+5 to the center, and so on (see the graphic to the right by Jim Priest for a good visualization).
How do I… Add Macs To A Windows Workgroup?
The TechRepublic CIO50 list celebrates the most influential and innovative tech chiefs, voted by their fellow CIOs Love 'em or hate 'em, Macs are making a comeback. Apple's OS X has proven to be popular. So, as a result, Macs are again appearing within business workgroups .
Categories: How do I...? , Switching from Windows Update for Snow Leopard (2/2010): To set up Windows file sharing: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences and click Sharing. Select File Sharing in the list, then click Options.
How Do I Network My Mac and PC? :: My First Mac - Help Buying and Getting Started with Your New Mac
I'm sorry for reviving an old thread, but it deals exactly with what my issue is. When I had windows XP, my Mac would automatically detect my windows shared folders. I didn't have to go to Connect to Server and type in my samba address. After having installed Windows 7, my other Windows 7 and my Windows XP machines still automatically detect the shared folders, but as has been stated in this thread, now I have to go to Connect to Server. Does anyone know how this could be made automatic?
File Sharing between Windows 7 and OS X
Keyboard shortcuts are the essence of PC productivity. While newbs slowly mouse around their screens in search of buttons to click, seasoned tech vets hammer through a day’s work with ease thanks to a wealth of arcane hotkey combos that knock out useful tasks in seconds. Of course, every PC user knows a few handy shortcuts, and hardened system tweakers like you have forgotten more hotkeys than most users will ever learn. But here are 10 cool combos that even you might not know. 1. Windows Logo + L
10 Coolest Windows Shortcuts You Never Knew About | TechFlesh- News,... - StumbleUpon
Edit the Start Menu folders in Windows 7 - SharePoint Comic
I don’t know about you, but the first thing I like to do on a new machine after installing all of my programs is to organize the start menu. A bunch of icons just ercks me when they can be logically organized. For example, all of the Windows applications could go in a folder called ‘Windows’. To do this in Windows 7, click your Start button, then type in the search box ‘shell:start menu’ That will open your User’s start menu, where you can hop in the Programs folder to create folders, move shortcuts, etc…Is your Start menu getting so cluttered you can’t find anything? The All Programs section of the Start menu may be in alphabetical order (sometimes by company names rather than program names), but would you rather have it categorized? There is an easy way to organize the All Programs section of the Start menu without using third-party software. To manually organize your Start menu, click on the Start orb, right-click on All Programs and select Open from the popup menu. This opens the folder containing program shortcuts for the currently logged in user only. If you want to open the folder containing program shortcuts for all users, select Open All Users from the popup menu.
How to Reorganize the All Programs Section on the Windows 7 Start Menu
How To: Slipstream Windows XP SP3 and Vista SP1
There’s nothing we dislike more than firing up a fresh, new installation of an operating system only to find a slew of hotfixes, updates, and patches awaiting us through the Windows Update mechanism. Granted, we can take some small comfort from the fact that the updating process is relatively automatic—but not so when it comes to outfitting a new OS installation with all the requisite driver packages. This list can be a doozy: videocard drivers, soundcard drivers, motherboard drivers, etc. But you can reduce the time and effort it takes to get a fresh install into tip-top shape.The best desktops are the ones that are the most functional for their users, and Flickr user azr 's first desktop works well for him. It goes light on the widgets, keeps them all neatly to the side where they're out of the way, and features a gorgeous wallpaper that seals the deal perfectly. If you want the same look for your Windows desktop, this one is pretty easy to recreate. Here's what you'll need to download: The wallpaper from Wallbase The Rainmeter system management and configuration tool for Windows The Gnometer suite of skins for Rainmeter to get the system monitor and weather widgets on the right side of the screen The Elemental theme for Rainmeter to get the clock in the center of the screen That's all you need!
The Reflection in the Water Desktop
Chrome Themes