Is Java Unsafe & Should You Disable It?
Oracle’s Java plug-in has become less and less common on the Web, but it’s become more and more common in the news. Whether Java is allowing over 600,000 Macs to be infected or Oracle is sitting on their hands and only patching a serious Java vulnerability four months after it’s initially reported, news about the Java plug-in is rarely good. The reality is that you probably don’t need Java installed.
Five Surprising Facts About Windows 8
Windows 8 is full of surprising changes – whatever you think about Windows 8, Microsoft certainly isn’t being timid this time around. From integrated antivirus protection and less-disruptive updating to the removal of the Windows Aero 3D interface and the lack of DVD or Blu-Ray playback support in Windows 8, Windows 8 is sure to be full of surprises for the average Windows user. Here are some of the biggest ones you may not have already heard of.
What Is the Windows Host File? And 6 Surprising Ways to Use It
The Windows Hosts file allows you to define which domain names (websites) are linked to which IP addresses. It takes precedence over your DNS servers, so your DNS servers may say facebook.com is linked to a specific IP address, but you can have facebook.com go anywhere you want. The Hosts file can be used to block websites, redirect them, create shortcuts to websites, create your own local domains, and more.
Never Be Embarrassed By Your Computer's Speakers Blasting Sound Again [Windows]
Have you ever pulled out your laptop in public and had to fumble for the mute button as its speakers blasted loud sounds? Or have you used your computer late at night and accidentally woke people up when a video appeared on a webpage? Unfortunately, our computers can’t read minds (yet) and don’t know when we want them silent and when we want them loud. There are some settings you can tweak – and a useful application you can install.
Which Windows 8 Version Is For You?
If you’re interested in upgrading, you’ll also need to know which edition of Windows 8 is right for you. The good news is that Microsoft has simplified the different editions of Windows in Windows 8 – gone are the Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate editions. The list of available Windows 8 editions is actually fairly short. If you ignore the edition designed specifically for ARM tablets, there are only two PC editions of Windows 8 to choose from.
Access Your Files From Anywhere With Google Drive [Android]
If you’re using Google Drive on your computer and you own an Android smartphone or tablet, you should install Google Drive for Android. With the app, you can access the files in your Google Drive from anywhere – just drop a file into the Google Drive folder on your computer and it will be available in the app. Google Drive for Android also incorporates Google Docs, so you can edit your documents and spreadsheets on the go.
Use Google's Chrome To Phone To Send Web Pages, Maps, & More To Your Android
Chrome to Phone is made up of a Chrome extension and an Android app that work together. Install both and you can quickly send web pages, maps, videos, and phone numbers from the Chrome browser on your computer to your smartphone (Android 2.2 or newer). Chrome to Phone is ideal when you’re looking up information on your computer and want to take it with you.
See New Gmail Messages In Your System Tray With Google Notifier For Gmail
While Google’s official Gmail Notifier for Windows is a bit old these days, it’s still one of the email programs we list on our Best Windows Software page. Many of us live in the browser and can get by with a browser extension for checking Gmail, but Gmail fans that don’t leave a browser open all the time will find a lot to like in the Gmail Notifier. As our Best Of page says, it’s just “simple and handy.”
How To Resolve Problems With Flash On YouTube
Are YouTube videos displaying a green screen? Is your browser crashing when you try to watch them? Or do they just not play properly? Issues with Flash, which YouTube uses to play videos, may cause all these problems -- and more. These quick troubleshooting steps will resolve problems playing videos on YouTube for almost everyone.
Speed Up & Maintain Your PC With Auslogics BoostSpeed 5.4 [Giveaway]
Auslogics BoostSpeed 5.4 is a one-stop PC optimization and maintenance application. It includes quick-scanning features that will easily optimize any user’s system, as well as a suite of advanced utilities that even experienced computer geeks can appreciate. The biggest new feature in Auslogics BoostSpeed 5.4 is full Windows 8 support. Interested?
Make Windows 7 Faster By Removing Context Menu Entries
Windows 7’s context menus can become cluttered over time, filled with different options from the various programs you’ve installed. Worse yet, badly behaved context menu entries can add delays before the context menu appears, slowing you down and making you wait every time you right-click a file or folder. Even if it pops up quickly, you might want to remove some context entries just to tidy things up.
How To Shut Down Windows 8
Windows 8 brings the biggest changes to the familiar Windows interface since Windows 95. The Shut Down option isn’t where you’d expect to find it – in fact, the entire classic Start menu and Start button have been removed. There are a variety of ways to shut down Windows 8, and you’ll need to know at least one of them if you want to shut down a Windows 8 PC.
How To Customize The Orange Bar Menu In The Firefox Browser
Firefox’s interface is completely customizable, including its orange Firefox menu button. You can change its name or color to anything you want – you can even set a custom background image or add your own logo. After you’ve tweaked the look of the button itself, you can easily customize the options that appear when you click the Firefox menu button. To make most of these changes, we’ll be editing Firefox’s userChrome.css file.
Manage And Tidy The Windows 7 System Tray
Every Windows user has seen the Windows system tray (also known as the notification area) become cluttered over time. We’ve covered disabling distracting desktop notifications in the past, but what if the icons themselves are the problem? With Windows 7, Microsoft has included a variety of tools that put you in control over which icons appear.
Bitdefender Sphere: Total Protection For All Your Devices [+Netbook Giveaway]
Bitdefender Sphere is total protection for all the devices in your household. Instead of purchasing a different security product for Windows, Mac, and Android – and managing individual licenses – you can buy Bitdefender Sphere for $99.95 and install the included products on an unlimited number of devices. This week we’re giving away 25 one-year subscriptions of Bitdefender Sphere, worth a total of $2500! Plus, we've also got a $300 ASUS netboook up for grabs! Read on to find out more.
What Is the Benefit or an Online/Cloud-Based Anti-Virus?
It seems like all the apps we use on our computers are migrating to the cloud these days. Email, chatting, editing documents and pictures – increasingly, we're using cloud-based solutions for almost everything.. There are even cloud-based antivirus solutions that run in your browser. Online antiviruses can be useful, but they’re no replacement for an installed antivirus program – antivirus is one area browser-based apps just don’t cut it.
When Power Saving Fails: Fixing Windows 7 Hibernation Issues
When you use the hibernate shut-down option, Windows 7 saves the contents of your computer’s memory to disk and powers off the computer. If your computer can’t hibernate or isn’t resuming from hibernation properly, there are a variety of possible problems -- including a particularly obscure bug you'd never think to check.
Secure Your Dropbox, Google Drive, or SkyDrive With BoxCryptor [Giveaway]
Cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and SkyDrive are slick and easy-to-use, but security is always a concern. If someone gained access to your account, they could view all your files. Encrypting your files protects them from prying eyes – if your account gets hacked or one of the service’s nosy employees snoops around, they won’t be able to view your files without your encryption password. Encryption can be hard to use, but BoxCryptor makes it easy. This week we’re giving away 25 copies of BoxCryptor’s Unlimited Business edition – that’s $2500 worth of software licenses!
Quickly Edit CSV Files With Advanced Find & Replace Tools in Notepad++
Notepad++ is an extremely powerful (and free!) text editor. Its find and replace tools can do everything from a simple search and replace in a single file to a regular expression-based search and replace across thousands of files at once. Notepad++ is particularly ideal for quickly editing and changing data in CSV files, but it’s also amazing for editing HTML, CSS, TXT – or any other type of file that can be opened and edited as text.
How To Make Text Easier To Read In Windows
Most of us spend hours reading on the computer every day, but our computers probably aren’t optimized for reading. The text on our monitors may not be sharp enough or may be too small, especially if we have high-resolution monitors. Websites usually aren’t optimized for reading long-form articles either – they’re cluttered with too many navigation elements, flashing advertisements, and often use text that’s too small.