Latest Articles
Start Screen Shortcuts - Connection Tiles For Windows Phone 8
Windows Phone has one or two frustrating omissions. One of these is an easy toggle button to enable and display wireless networking, mobile Internet, Bluetooth pretty much anything concerning communication. Rather than a simple on/off button on the Start screen, users must open the settings menu and flick the on/off switch. Surely there is an app-based solution to this?
Voice Messaging – A Secret Weapon On Windows Phone 8
One of the most important things about using a smartphone is the ease with which you can compose and send messages. These might be SMS/MMS messages, emails or even a social network. The important thing, of course, is that you are able to get in touch with the other person as easily and efficiently as possible. Certain mobile phone platforms prevent this. In the case of Windows Phone 8 there are many improvements over competitors.
Action/Strategy Intensity Makes Extraction: Project Outbreak For Windows Phone Unmissable
Those pesky zombies – even when they’re not described as such, have become the de facto earthbound opponent in many video games, and that’s the case in Extraction: Project Outbreak for Windows Phone in which a bunch of "bio-engineered weapons" have gone rogue and escaped. The result is that you take charge of a military contractor who drops in to exterminate the zombies, in a sort of action/strategy game combo.
Metro/Modern Apps Unstable? Try These Tricks
Over the past few months I've been getting to grips with Windows 8 in its most ideal format, on a touchscreen device. The experience has been largely favorable, although as far as the new Metro/Modern UI goes, I tend to restrict its use to the tablet display while enjoying traditional computing through an external monitor. This setup works for me, enabling me to get on with work while able to quickly check news, weather or listen to the radio.
3 Ways You Can Improve Smartphone Reception
Whenever I’m at my favourite pub (admittedly not often) or at my mother-in-law’s (sadly more often than I would like) I find that I have considerable trouble making a phone call. How can mobile phone networks claim such high coverage when the majority of people can easily recall occasions when making a connection has been a trial? We’ve all stood on chairs with our phones held aloft, trying to "hook" onto a stray signal, but surely there is a better way?
How to Install Flash On Your Android Jelly Bean Tablet or Phone
For the past few years, Adobe Flash has proved quite controversial. Ever since Apple opted to block support for it on iOS – thereby forcing anyone who wanted to use the iPhone or iPad to rely on other solutions (usually HTML5) its future has remained in doubt, with only traditional desktop and laptop users still regularly using it. Despite the lack of native support for Flash or the ability to easily install it through Google Play, it is actually possible to install the software on a modern Android device and reap the media streaming and gaming benefits.
Raspberry Pi Projects: A Car With Night Vision, Google Glass-like Translation, And More
We’ve previously looked at some excellent uses for this British minicomputer, but the fact is that it is just so versatile that there is always something amazing to talk about. Who would have thought that the Raspberry Pi could be used for so much more than its original purpose of educating, providing a platform for children to learn how to program?
How Your Carrier Can Make Your Smartphone Dumb & What You Can Do
Looking for contacts on my wife’s Android phone this morning, I was astonished at how slow the process had become. After eventually creaking through the menu for the details I needed, I switched the device off and back on. A short wait ensued, followed by another. Ceri isn't a habitual app user, and her phone remains unmodded, so what could have been causing these performance delays. And then it struck me. The problem wasn't with Android.
Have Office 2010? Don't Buy Office 2013, Here's Why
I’m coming to the end of my trial period with Microsoft Office 2013. Over the weeks it has been a reasonably solid experience with one or two quirks causing me no end of frustration. But do I want to upgrade? Do I want to pay for a subscription or full purchase or would I prefer to stick with Microsoft Office 2010, a suite that I've been using successfully for several years now? Indeed, should I even think of abandoning Microsoft in favour of an open source alternative?
How To Add MPEG 2 To Your Raspberry Pi Media Centre
Cueing up some videos to enjoy on my Raspberry Pi yesterday, I made a startling discovery – it wouldn't play MPEG videos! Has this happened to you? Are you running a RaspBMC media centre on your Raspberry Pi computer, or enjoy viewing videos through the desktop? Have you noticed that certain video files cannot be played back? If so, you’re not alone.
Make The Windows 8 Start Screen Work For You
So much has been written about the Windows 8 Start screen over the past few months that sometimes it seems as though we've heard every viewpoint and seen every tweak. However, it seems that there is a bit more to the controversial Start menu replacement that Microsoft introduced across every version of Windows 8, regardless of the target device. I'm of the opinion that the tile-based Metro/Modern UI is absolutely fine if you’re using a tablet computer.
Get Up To Speed With Formula 1: The Resources You Need
The new Formula 1 season is already underway, but how will you keep in touch with the sprawling racing calendar, an annual competition that runs for nine months of the year and takes place across five continents? If you don’t know where to look for any of these, don’t worry – we do!
How To Tweak The Windows And Office Ribbon Menu
That pesky Ribbon Menu. Ever since its introduction in Office 2007, I’ve been struggling to come to terms with it. I much preferred the Office 2000/2003 method of “hiding” tools that you don’t use often – and I don’t think I’m alone in the preference. I also don’t like being "shouted" at. Fortunately there are a few tweaks that can be applied to the Ribbon Menu in Office and in Windows 8.
How Xbox Live Users Can Benefit From A Windows Phone
If you’re a fan of mobile gaming and also own an Xbox 360 console, you might well be aware of Xbox Live, Microsoft’s digital delivery service that also supports multiplayer and most importantly allows you to unlock achievements in particular games and improve your Gamerscore. Some say that it has redefined gaming.
5 Tricks to Disable Annoyances and Improve Office 2013
Microsoft Office 2013 has been available for some months now, and as is always the case with a new release there are a few quirks and annoyances that have led to users wondering if they have made the right choice. If you are feeling as if there are some quirks in the application that you would rather wish weren't there then you should be pleased to know that there are workarounds and hacks that you can use to make Office 2013 far more agreeable.
My Skype Got Hacked: Here's What Happened & How I Fixed It
It’s so embarrassing. Here I am, a contributor at MakeUseOf with a background in data security, and I’m about to tell you how my Skype account got hacked. Not years ago before I became aware of the various threats and the signs that an intrusion had occurred, but recently. Just last Christmas. The worst thing about this is that I’d noticed that there was something not quite right about the way the account was behaving.
3 Reasons Why Your Raspberry Pi Doesn't Work Properly
I've been living with the Raspberry Pi for several months now, and have found this astonishing little computer to be even more amazing than expected. Despite its diminutive dimensions, the Raspberry Pi is as fruity and satisfying as its name suggests. However, there are users out there who have had less than successful experiences with the Raspberry Pi. There might well be varying reasons for this.
How To Install Apps On a Windows Phone 8 Device
Since their launch in late 2012, Windows Phone 8 handsets have built upon the legacy established with the previous Windows Phone 7, released in 2010. There are many developments and key changes, from enabling better control of the Start screen to the opening up of additional APIs to enable developers to build better apps. One particular difference is in the addition of new apps and games from the Windows Phone store.
What You Should Know About Multitasking In Windows 8
Windows 8 features two types of foreground application multitasking. The first is the traditional desktop application switching, while the second is a limited full-screen multitasking found only in the Modern applications launched via the Start screen.
Share Movies, Photos, And Documents From Windows Phone With SkyDrive
One of the improvements delivered with Windows Phone 8 is enhanced support for SkyDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage system that enables users to upload and sync photos, music, video and more between different devices. Up against competition from cloud storage services such as Box, Dropbox and Google Drive (although of these, only Box has an official app), how does SkyDrive stand up?