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  • Textures Wallpaper Collection for Your Nexus 7

    - by Akemi Iwaya
    Textures can elicit an entire spectrum of sensation and emotions when we interact with them physically or visually. Choose how you want your Nexus 7 tablet’s screen to ‘look and feel’ with the first in our series of Textures Wallpaper collections. Textures Series 1 Note: Click on the pictures to view and download the full-size versions at their individual homepages. The images shown here are in thumbnail format.                     

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  • StereoMood Updates; Now Offers Free iOS/Android App

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    StereoMood, the popular music streaming service that lets you pick tunes based on your mood, just rolled out an update that includes two brand spanking new mobile apps–one for iOS and one for Android. Grab the free apps to enjoy mood-based tunes on go. For the unfamiliar, StereoMood creates enormous playlists of music categorized by moods–whether you’re feeling happy, relaxed, melancholy, or euphoric, there’s a StereoMood playlist to match. Hit up the links below to check out the web-app or grab a copy of the new mobile apps. StereoMood / iOS App / Android App Java is Insecure and Awful, It’s Time to Disable It, and Here’s How What Are the Windows A: and B: Drives Used For? HTG Explains: What is DNS?

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  • Become a Vi Master by Learning These 30+ Key Bindings

    - by Chris Hoffman
    Vi is a powerful text editor included on most Linux systems. Many people swear by vi and find it faster than any other editor once they’ve learned its key bindings. You can even use vi key bindings in Bash. We’ve already covered getting started with vi for beginners. If you haven’t used vi in a while, you might want to give that post a look to get a refresher on the basics. How To Customize Your Wallpaper with Google Image Searches, RSS Feeds, and More 47 Keyboard Shortcuts That Work in All Web Browsers How To Hide Passwords in an Encrypted Drive Even the FBI Can’t Get Into

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  • Gmail Rolls Out New Compose Features

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    Gmail has several new features that make it even easier to compose email messages including pop-over compositions windows (similar to the Google Chat window), contact profile pictures in the address box, and drag and drop address switching. If you’ve ever had to open two separate windows in order to continually tab back and forth so you could reference one email while composing another, you’ll certainly appreciate the new pop-over compose window that allows you to work within Gmail while keeping a small email composition window open in the corner–as seen in the screenshot above. In addition to that major change, Gmail has also introduced contact photos in the address suggestion window (making it easier than ever to make sure you’re selecting the right recipient) and the ability to drag and drop addresses between the To:, CC:, and BCC: address slots. Introducing the New Compose in Gmail [The Official Gmail Blog] 6 Start Menu Replacements for Windows 8 What Is the Purpose of the “Do Not Cover This Hole” Hole on Hard Drives? How To Log Into The Desktop, Add a Start Menu, and Disable Hot Corners in Windows 8

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  • What You Said: Desktop vs. Web-based Email Cients

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    We clearly tapped into a subject you all have a strong opinion about with this week’s Ask the Readers post; read on to see how your fellow readers manage their email on, off, and across desktops and devices. Earlier this week we asked you to share your email workflow and you all responded in force. TusconMatt doesn’t miss desktop clients one bit: Switched to Gmail years ago and never looked back. No more losing my emails and contacts if my HDD crashes or when I reinstall. No more frustration with not being able to access an email on the road because it downloaded to my drive and deleted from the server. No more mailbox full messages because I left messages on the server to avoid the above problem! I love having access to all emails from anywhere on any platform and don’t think I could ever go back to a dedicated email client. How To Play DVDs on Windows 8 6 Start Menu Replacements for Windows 8 What Is the Purpose of the “Do Not Cover This Hole” Hole on Hard Drives?

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  • Print Your Favorite Video Game Character in 3D

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    Beloved video game characters of yesterday are perfect candidates for 3D printing with their simple and block-based sprite shapes. Read on to learn more about the process and mathematics of turning 2D sprites into 3D models. Courtesy of Mikola Lysenko, a computer scientist and mechanical engineer, we’re treated to not just a tutorial on how to create a 3D shape from a 2D seed image, but the mathematics behind figuring out exactly what that 2D sprite should look like if stretched out into three dimensions. Hit up the link below for his tour of techniques including multiview stereo reconstruction and space carving (and why he went with one technique over the other)–the explanation of his process is just as interesting as the cool results it yields. Turning 8-Bit Sprites into Printable 3D Models [via Hack A Day] How To Create a Customized Windows 7 Installation Disc With Integrated Updates How to Get Pro Features in Windows Home Versions with Third Party Tools HTG Explains: Is ReadyBoost Worth Using?

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  • Roll a DIY Camera Jib for $25

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    Video gear is expensive; save your pennies by building a DIY camera jib for smooth camera movement on a budget. Over at Oliva tech they explain just how few parts you need to build their DIY jib: The guys here at the studio mocked up a simple DIY jib that is not only ridiculously inexpensive to piece together, but also very straight forward. The point of this jib was to get a very wide range of motion from top to bottom with only a few feet of 0.75? square tube, 1? angled aluminum, 1/4? nuts and bolts, and nylon washers is all you’ll need to put the jib together. This light weight jib can be used on small portable tripods, but will require a fluid head for panning left and right. Hit up the link below for a detailed parts list and build guide. How to Make a DIY Camera Jib [via Make] How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 1 What’s the Difference Between Sleep and Hibernate in Windows? Screenshot Tour: XBMC 11 Eden Rocks Improved iOS Support, AirPlay, and Even a Custom XBMC OS

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  • Use a Coffee Cup Sleeve as a Temporary Lens Hood

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    Whether you left your lens hood at home or you don’t even have one, this quick and dirty hack turns a coffee cup sleeve into a temporary lens hood. Slide the sleeve around the lens, take the photos, toss it in the recycling bin. Except for making a quick cut with pocket knife to adjust the size (if need be) there’s not much else you need to do for this simple sleeve-to-hood hack. [via DIY Photography] How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 3 How to Sync Your Media Across Your Entire House with XBMC How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 2

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  • What You Said: How You Customize Your Computer

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    Earlier this week we asked you to share the ways you customize your computing experience. You sounded off in the comments and we rounded up your tips and tricks to share. Read on to see how your fellow personalize their computers. It would seem the first stop on just about everyone’s customization route is stripping away the bloat/crapware. Lisa Wang writes: Depending on how much time I have when I receive my new machine,I might do the following in a few batches, starting with the simplest one. Usually, my list goes like this:1.Remove all bloatware and pretty much unneeded stuffs.2.Change my wallpaper,login screen,themes, and sound.3.Installing my ‘must-have’ softwares-starting with fences and rocketdock+stacks plugin4.Setting taskbar to autohide, pinning some apps there5.Installing additional languages6.Tweaking all settings and keyboard shortcuts to my preferance7.Changing the icons(either manual or with TuneUp Styler) Interface tweaks like the aforementioned Fences and Rocket Dock made quite a few appearances, as did Rainmeter. Graphalfkor writes: How to Stress Test the Hard Drives in Your PC or Server How To Customize Your Android Lock Screen with WidgetLocker The Best Free Portable Apps for Your Flash Drive Toolkit

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  • HTG Explains: What Is Juice Jacking and How Worried Should You Be?

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    Your smartphone needs a recharge yet again and you’re miles from the charger at home; that public charging kiosk is looking pretty promising–just plug your phone in and get the sweet, sweet, energy you crave. What could possible go wrong, right? Thanks to common traits in cellphone hardware and software design, quite a few things–read on to learn more about juice jacking and how to avoid it.    

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  • How to Quickly Check If Your Computer Can Run a PC Game

    - by Chris Hoffman
    PC gaming isn’t quite as simple as console gaming. If you have a laptop with weak graphics hardware or an older PC, it’s important to check whether your computer can support a game before you spend your hard-earned cash. Gamers don’t have to upgrade their hardware as often as they used to. Even a gaming PC built years ago should be able to handle the newest games just fine. Laptops not build for gaming and older PCs are a different matter.    

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  • That Physics of Coffee Rings [Video]

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    The rings left behind by coffee cups are distinctly uniform in their distribution–the stain is always around the edge. This video from the University of Pennsylvania’s Physics Department demonstrates why. Check out the above video to see the physics behind the ring-shaped stains and how altering the shape of the particulate in the liquid completely changes the shape of the stain. The Coffee Ring Effect [via Neatorama] HTG Explains: Why Screen Savers Are No Longer Necessary 6 Ways Windows 8 Is More Secure Than Windows 7 HTG Explains: Why It’s Good That Your Computer’s RAM Is Full

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  • eReaderLookup Catalogs and Compares Over 100 eBook Readers

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    Although the Kindle and Nook get the most press time, there’s a world of ebook readers out there; eReaderLookup helps you search by price, size, screen type, storage, and other parameters to find the perfect ebook reader for your needs. Whether you’re trying to find a reader with an SD card slot, a large screen, or native support for an less-than-popular file format, you can plug it into eReaderLookup and see if a reader exists that fits your needs. If there is more than one reader that matches your search parameters you can easily compare them in a side-by-side setup to quickly compare the stats. Hit up the link below to take it for a spin. eReaderLookup [via MakeUseOf] How to Stress Test the Hard Drives in Your PC or Server How To Customize Your Android Lock Screen with WidgetLocker The Best Free Portable Apps for Your Flash Drive Toolkit

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  • Did Blowing Into Nintendo Cartridges Really Help?

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    Anyone old enough to remember playing cartridge-based games like those that came with the Nintendo Entertainment System or its successors certainly remembers how blowing across the cartridge opening always seemed to help a stubborn game load–but did blowing on them really help? Mental Floss shares the results of their fact finding mission, a mission that included researching the connection mechanism in the NES, talking to Frank Viturello (who conducted an informal study on the effects of moisture on cartridge connectors), and otherwise delving into the history of the phenomenon. The most interesting part of the analysis, by far, is their explanation of how blowing on the cartridge didn’t do anything but the ritual of removing the cartridge to blow on it did. Hit up the link below for the full story. Did Blowing into Nintendo Cartridges Really Help? [Mental Floss] How Hackers Can Disguise Malicious Programs With Fake File Extensions Can Dust Actually Damage My Computer? What To Do If You Get a Virus on Your Computer

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  • Toolbar Cleaner Strips Toolbars, Add-ons, and Browser Helper Objects

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    If you’re trying to remove all the crap off a friend’s bogged down computer, Toolbar Cleaner is a handy little app that does a thorough job stripping away spammy toolbars, dubious add-ons, and browser helper objects. Toolbar Cleaner is a free application that helps remove unwanted garbage from your Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome installations–including third-party toolbars, extensions/add-ons, and browser helper objects (plug-ins that modify your browser behavior and can contain malware). If you’re dealing with a machine drowning under all the toolbars and crapware that have snuck onto the system, it’s a nearly one-click solution to purging all of them. Hit up the link below to read more about the software and grab a copy. Toolbar Cleaner is freeware, Windows only. Toolbar Cleaner [via Freeware Genius] HTG Explains: Why It’s Good That Your Computer’s RAM Is Full 10 Awesome Improvements For Desktop Users in Windows 8 How To Play DVDs on Windows 8

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  • What can a Service do on Windows?

    - by Akemi Iwaya
    If you open up Task Manager or Process Explorer on your system, you will see many services running. But how much of an impact can a service have on your system, especially if it is ‘corrupted’ by malware? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post has the answers to a curious reader’s questions. Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites. The Question SuperUser reader Forivin wants to know how much impact a service can have on a Windows system, especially if it is ‘corrupted’ by malware: What kind malware/spyware could someone put into a service that does not have its own process on Windows? I mean services that use svchost.exe for example, like this: Could a service spy on my keyboard input? Take screenshots? Send and/or receive data over the internet? Infect other processes or files? Delete files? Kill processes? How much impact could a service have on a Windows installation? Are there any limits to what a malware ‘corrupted’ service could do? The Answer SuperUser contributor Keltari has the answer for us: What is a service? A service is an application, no more, no less. The advantage is that a service can run without a user session. This allows things like databases, backups, the ability to login, etc. to run when needed and without a user logged in. What is svchost? According to Microsoft: “svchost.exe is a generic host process name for services that run from dynamic-link libraries”. Could we have that in English please? Some time ago, Microsoft started moving all of the functionality from internal Windows services into .dll files instead of .exe files. From a programming perspective, this makes more sense for reusability…but the problem is that you can not launch a .dll file directly from Windows, it has to be loaded up from a running executable (exe). Thus the svchost.exe process was born. So, essentially a service which uses svchost is just calling a .dll and can do pretty much anything with the right credentials and/or permissions. If I remember correctly, there are viruses and other malware that do hide behind the svchost process, or name the executable svchost.exe to avoid detection. Have something to add to the explanation? Sound off in the comments. Want to read more answers from other tech-savvy Stack Exchange users? Check out the full discussion thread here.

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  • Why Are Minimized Programs Often Slow to Open Again?

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    It seems particularly counterintuitive: you minimize an application because you plan on returning to it later and wish to skip shutting the application down and restarting it later, but sometimes maximizing it takes even longer than launching it fresh. What gives? Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites. The Question SuperUser reader Bart wants to know why he’s not saving any time with application minimization: I’m working in Photoshop CS6 and multiple browsers a lot. I’m not using them all at once, so sometimes some applications are minimized to taskbar for hours or days. The problem is, when I try to maximize them from the taskbar – it sometimes takes longer than starting them! Especially Photoshop feels really weird for many seconds after finally showing up, it’s slow, unresponsive and even sometimes totally freezes for minute or two. It’s not a hardware problem as it’s been like that since always on all on my PCs. Would I also notice it after upgrading my HDD to SDD and adding RAM (my main PC holds 4 GB currently)? Could guys with powerful pcs / macs tell me – does it also happen to you? I guess OSes somehow “focus” on active software and move all the resources away from the ones that run, but are not used. Is it possible to somehow set RAM / CPU / HDD priorities or something, for let’s say, Photoshop, so it won’t slow down after long period of inactivity? So what is the deal? Why does he find himself waiting to maximize a minimized app? The Answer SuperUser contributor Allquixotic explains why: Summary The immediate problem is that the programs that you have minimized are being paged out to the “page file” on your hard disk. This symptom can be improved by installing a Solid State Disk (SSD), adding more RAM to your system, reducing the number of programs you have open, or upgrading to a newer system architecture (for instance, Ivy Bridge or Haswell). Out of these options, adding more RAM is generally the most effective solution. Explanation The default behavior of Windows is to give active applications priority over inactive applications for having a spot in RAM. When there’s significant memory pressure (meaning the system doesn’t have a lot of free RAM if it were to let every program have all the RAM it wants), it starts putting minimized programs into the page file, which means it writes out their contents from RAM to disk, and then makes that area of RAM free. That free RAM helps programs you’re actively using — say, your web browser — run faster, because if they need to claim a new segment of RAM (like when you open a new tab), they can do so. This “free” RAM is also used as page cache, which means that when active programs attempt to read data on your hard disk, that data might be cached in RAM, which prevents your hard disk from being accessed to get that data. By using the majority of your RAM for page cache, and swapping out unused programs to disk, Windows is trying to improve responsiveness of the program(s) you are actively using, by making RAM available to them, and caching the files they access in RAM instead of the hard disk. The downside of this behavior is that minimized programs can take a while to have their contents copied from the page file, on disk, back into RAM. The time increases the larger the program’s footprint in memory. This is why you experience that delay when maximizing Photoshop. RAM is many times faster than a hard disk (depending on the specific hardware, it can be up to several orders of magnitude). An SSD is considerably faster than a hard disk, but it is still slower than RAM by orders of magnitude. Having your page file on an SSD will help, but it will also wear out the SSD more quickly than usual if your page file is heavily utilized due to RAM pressure. Remedies Here is an explanation of the available remedies, and their general effectiveness: Installing more RAM: This is the recommended path. If your system does not support more RAM than you already have installed, you will need to upgrade more of your system: possibly your motherboard, CPU, chassis, power supply, etc. depending on how old it is. If it’s a laptop, chances are you’ll have to buy an entire new laptop that supports more installed RAM. When you install more RAM, you reduce memory pressure, which reduces use of the page file, which is a good thing all around. You also make available more RAM for page cache, which will make all programs that access the hard disk run faster. As of Q4 2013, my personal recommendation is that you have at least 8 GB of RAM for a desktop or laptop whose purpose is anything more complex than web browsing and email. That means photo editing, video editing/viewing, playing computer games, audio editing or recording, programming / development, etc. all should have at least 8 GB of RAM, if not more. Run fewer programs at a time: This will only work if the programs you are running do not use a lot of memory on their own. Unfortunately, Adobe Creative Suite products such as Photoshop CS6 are known for using an enormous amount of memory. This also limits your multitasking ability. It’s a temporary, free remedy, but it can be an inconvenience to close down your web browser or Word every time you start Photoshop, for instance. This also wouldn’t stop Photoshop from being swapped when minimizing it, so it really isn’t a very effective solution. It only helps in some specific situations. Install an SSD: If your page file is on an SSD, the SSD’s improved speed compared to a hard disk will result in generally improved performance when the page file has to be read from or written to. Be aware that SSDs are not designed to withstand a very frequent and constant random stream of writes; they can only be written over a limited number of times before they start to break down. Heavy use of a page file is not a particularly good workload for an SSD. You should install an SSD in combination with a large amount of RAM if you want maximum performance while preserving the longevity of the SSD. Use a newer system architecture: Depending on the age of your system, you may be using an out of date system architecture. The “system architecture” is generally defined as the “generation” (think generations like children, parents, grandparents, etc.) of the motherboard and CPU. Newer generations generally support faster I/O (input/output), better memory bandwidth, lower latency, and less contention over shared resources, instead providing dedicated links between components. For example, starting with the “Nehalem” generation (around 2009), the Front-Side Bus (FSB) was eliminated, which removed a common bottleneck, because almost all system components had to share the same FSB for transmitting data. This was replaced with a “point to point” architecture, meaning that each component gets its own dedicated “lane” to the CPU, which continues to be improved every few years with new generations. You will generally see a more significant improvement in overall system performance depending on the “gap” between your computer’s architecture and the latest one available. For example, a Pentium 4 architecture from 2004 is going to see a much more significant improvement upgrading to “Haswell” (the latest as of Q4 2013) than a “Sandy Bridge” architecture from ~2010. Links Related questions: How to reduce disk thrashing (paging)? Windows Swap (Page File): Enable or Disable? Also, just in case you’re considering it, you really shouldn’t disable the page file, as this will only make matters worse; see here. And, in case you needed extra convincing to leave the Windows Page File alone, see here and here. Have something to add to the explanation? Sound off in the the comments. Want to read more answers from other tech-savvy Stack Exchange users? Check out the full discussion thread here.     

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  • Why You never see a Sonic Screwdriver in Action Movies [Video]

    - by Asian Angel
    This video takes a humorous look at why you never see a sonic screwdriver in all those action movies. After all, having one would just ruin all of the ‘fun’ for everyone! Note: Video contains some language that may be considered inappropriate. Sonic Screwdriver [via Geeks are Sexy] How to See What Web Sites Your Computer is Secretly Connecting To HTG Explains: When Do You Need to Update Your Drivers? How to Make the Kindle Fire Silk Browser *Actually* Fast!

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  • Your Brain by the Numbers [Infographic]

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    Your brain is a rather impressive piece of hardware; check out this infographic to see its specs laid out including power consumption, calculation speed, and more. Hit up the link below for the full resolution image. Your Brain by the Numbers [Scientific America] Why Your Android Phone Isn’t Getting Operating System Updates and What You Can Do About It How To Delete, Move, or Rename Locked Files in Windows HTG Explains: Why Screen Savers Are No Longer Necessary

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  • Map of the Dead Helps You Plan For a Zombie Apocalypse

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    There’s no time like the present to start charting out your zombie apocalypse escape route. Map of the Dead highlights key locations–like gun stores, gas stations, and pharmacies–in your immediate area. The key to surviving the zombie horde is fast access to supplies. Unless you have a bunker under your house filled with goodies, you’ll need more fuel, ammo, and medical supplies–Map of the Dead makes it easy to see where the goods are in your locale. Make sure to mouse over the map key for some entertaining commentary. Map of the Dead [via Neatorama] The Best Free Portable Apps for Your Flash Drive Toolkit How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 3 How to Sync Your Media Across Your Entire House with XBMC

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  • HTG Explains: Why Do Hard Drives Show the Wrong Capacity in Windows?

    - by Chris Hoffman
    If you’ve ever purchased a computer with a hard disk capacity of 500 GB and opened Windows Explorer only to find that its capacity looked more like 440 GB, you may be wondering where all those gigabytes went. There are several reasons Windows could display the wrong amount of available space, from invisible shadow files, formatting overhead, and hidden recovery partitions to misleading (though technically accurate) storage capacities advertised by hard drive manufacturers. Image Credit: Norlando Pobre HTG Explains: Why Do Hard Drives Show the Wrong Capacity in Windows? Java is Insecure and Awful, It’s Time to Disable It, and Here’s How What Are the Windows A: and B: Drives Used For?

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  • The History of Digital Storage [Infographic]

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    From punch cards to hard drives to cloud based storage, how we stash our data away has changed quite a bit in the last century. Courtesy of Mashable, we have an infographic detailing the evolution of storage and comparing storage size, speed, and prices over the decades. Hit up the link below for a higher resolution image. The History of Digital Storage [Mashable] How To Create a Customized Windows 7 Installation Disc With Integrated Updates How to Get Pro Features in Windows Home Versions with Third Party Tools HTG Explains: Is ReadyBoost Worth Using?

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  • Launch Photography Is a Beautiful Collection of Shuttle Photos

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    Photographer Ben Cooper has a soft spot for the Space Shuttles; check out this excellent galleries to see everything from dynamic launch photos to beautiful fish-eye photos of the cockpits. Launch Photography [via Neatorama] How To Create a Customized Windows 7 Installation Disc With Integrated Updates How to Get Pro Features in Windows Home Versions with Third Party Tools HTG Explains: Is ReadyBoost Worth Using?

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  • HTG Explains: What is the Windows Page File and Should You Disable It?

    - by Chris Hoffman
    Windows uses a page file to store data that can’t be held by your computer’s random-access memory when it fills up. While you can tweak the page file settings, Windows can manage the page file fine on its own. The Windows page file is somewhat misunderstood. People see it as the cause of slowdowns because it’s slower to use the page file than your computer’s RAM, but having a page file is better than not having one. Image Credit: Blake Patterson on Flickr HTG Explains: What is the Windows Page File and Should You Disable It? How To Get a Better Wireless Signal and Reduce Wireless Network Interference How To Troubleshoot Internet Connection Problems

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