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• How to Add a Taskbar to the Desktop in Ubuntu 14.04

  - by Lori Kaufman

  If you’ve switched to Ubuntu from Windows, it may take some time to get used to the new and different interface. However, you can easily incorporate a familiar Windows feature, the Taskbar, into Ubuntu to make the transition easier. A tool called Tint2 provides a bar at the bottom of the Ubuntu Desktop that resembles the Windows Taskbar. We will show you how to install it and make it start every time you log into Ubuntu. NOTE: When we say to type something in this article and there are quotes around the text, DO NOT type the quotes, unless we specify otherwise. Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a Terminal window. To install Tint2, type the following line at the prompt and press Enter. sudo apt-get install tint2 Type your password at the prompt and press Enter. The progress of the installation displays and then a message displays saying how much disk space will be used. When asked if you want to continue, type a “y” and press Enter. When the installation has finished, close the Terminal window by typing “exit” at the prompt and pressing Enter. Click the Search button at the top of the Unity bar. Start typing “startup applications” in the Search box. Items that match what you type start displaying below the Search box. When the Startup Applications tool displays, click the icon to open it. On the Startup Applications Preferences window, click Add. On the Add Startup Program dialog box, enter a name for the startup application. This name displays in the list on the Startup Applications Preferences window. Type “tint2” in the Command edit box, enter a description in the Comment edit box, if desired, and click Add. Tint2 is added as a startup program and will start every time you log into Ubuntu. Click Close to close the Startup Applications Preferences window. Log out and log back in to make the Taskbar available on the desktop. You do not need to reboot the computer for this change to take effect. Now, when you minimize a program, an icon for it displays on the Taskbar at the bottom of the screen, just like the Taskbar in Windows. If you decide that you don’t want the Taskbar to display every time you log into Ubuntu, you can uncheck the Tint2 startup program on the Startup Applications Preferences window. You don’t need to delete it from the list.

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• How To Use USB Drives With the Nexus 7 and Other Android Devices

  - by Chris Hoffman

  The Nexus 7 may not have a lot of storage space – especially the original 8 GB model – but you can connect a USB drive to it if you want to watch videos or access other files. Unfortunately, Android doesn’t automatically mount USB drives by default. You’ll need to root your device to enable support for USB drives. Why Does 64-Bit Windows Need a Separate “Program Files (x86)” Folder? 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

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• Desktop Fun: Spring Leaves Wallpaper Collection [Bonus Size]

  - by Asian Angel

  Spring has arrived once again and those of you in the Northern hemisphere have lots of fresh beautiful foliage to look forward to. Turn your desktop into the perfect green machine with our Spring Leaves Wallpaper collection. 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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• How to Disable Application Switching in Windows 8

  - by Taylor Gibb

  Application switching allows you to quickly switch between your open Metro apps by sliding your finger across the left side of the screen, or moving your mouse to the corner. If you don’t like this behavior, it’s easy to disable. 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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• How To Extract Individual Files From a Windows 7 System Image Backup

  - by Chris Hoffman

  Windows 7’s backup control panel has the ability to create full system image backups. While Windows says you can’t restore individual files from these backups, there’s a way to browse the contents of a system image and extract individual files. System image backups are meant for restoring an entire system. If you want to easily restore individual files, you should use another type of backup – but you don’t have to restore an entire system image to get a few important files back. HTG Explains: How Antivirus Software Works HTG Explains: Why Deleted Files Can Be Recovered and How You Can Prevent It HTG Explains: What Are the Sys Rq, Scroll Lock, and Pause/Break Keys on My Keyboard?

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• 5 Cmdlets to Get You Started with PowerShell

  - by Taylor Gibb

  PowerShell is quickly becoming the preferred scripting language and CLI of Power Users as well as IT Pros. It’s well worth learning a few commands to get you started, so we’ve got 5 useful cmdlets for you to learn today. HTG Explains: What Is Windows RT and What Does It Mean To Me? HTG Explains: How Windows 8′s Secure Boot Feature Works & What It Means for Linux Hack Your Kindle for Easy Font Customization

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• Add Multiple Types of Items to the Desktop Context Menu in Windows 7 or 8

  - by Lori Kaufman

  The context menu in Windows provides a convenient place to start programs, access websites, and open folders. There are several ways to add programs to the menu including a registry method and a free tool. We’ve found another free tool, called Right Click Context Menu Adder, that allows you to add more than just programs to the desktop context menu and the folders context menu. It allows you to add folders, web addresses, and files to the menus, as well as programs. Right Click Context Menu Adder is portable and doesn’t need to be installed. To run it, simply extract the .zip file you downloaded (see the link at the end of this article) and double-click on the .exe file. How to Banish Duplicate Photos with VisiPic How to Make Your Laptop Choose a Wired Connection Instead of Wireless HTG Explains: What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Should I Be Using It?

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• Movie Poster Colors Over Time

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  This spectrograph-like image records tens of thousands of movie posters over the course of a century, showing a steady shift towards posters that emphasize black, purple, and blue color tones. It’s a neat look at how the color tastes of an entire industry shift over time. Vijay Pandurangan had a disagreement with a friend about whether or not movie posters were becoming darker/bluer over time. Rather than simply agree to disagree, he whipped up a piece of code that downloaded and analyzed thousands of movie posters proving that, in fact, there was a slow and steady shift towards darker and bluer posters. Hit up the link below to see the interactive version (and larger!) version of his infographic as well as his explanation of the process and the source code. Colours In Movie Posters Since 1914 [via Flowing Data] HTG Explains: What Is Windows RT and What Does It Mean To Me? HTG Explains: How Windows 8′s Secure Boot Feature Works & What It Means for Linux Hack Your Kindle for Easy Font Customization

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• Who Needs a Scanner? Scan a Document to PDF With Your Android Phone

  - by Chris Hoffman

  Scanning documents and OCRing them once meant slowly feeding them through a desktop scanner before running slow, clunky OCR software. With the advent of powerful smartphones, you can now quickly scan and OCR documents with your phone’s camera. This is perfect for receipts or any other physical documents you run across that you might want to read later. No need to save all those business cards, pamphlets and other pieces of paper — just scan them with your smartphone’s camera.    

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• How to Stop Windows 8 Waking Up Your PC to Run Maintenance

  - by Taylor Gibb

  Windows 8 comes with a new hybrid boot system, this means that your PC is never really off. It also means that Windows has the permission to wake your PC as it needs. Here’s how to stop it from waking up your PC to do maintenance tasks. 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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• How to Use a PIN Instead of a Password in Windows 8

  - by Taylor Gibb

  Entering your full password on a touch screen device can really become a pain in the neck, luckily for us we can link a short 4 digit PIN to our user account and log in with that instead. Note: PIN codes are nowhere near as safe as using an alphanumeric password, however, they do still have a purpose when you don’t want to enter your 15 character password on a touch screen device. Creating a PIN Press the Win + I keyboard combination to bring up the Settings Charm, then click on the Change PC settings link. This will open up the Modern UI PC Settings app, where you can click on the Users section. On the right hand side you will see a Create a PIN button, click on it. Now you will need to verify that you are the owner of this user account by entering your password. Then you can choose a PIN, remember that it can only contain digits. Now when you get to the login screen you will have the option to use a PIN. How To Boot Your Android Phone or Tablet Into Safe Mode HTG Explains: Does Your Android Phone Need an Antivirus? How To Use USB Drives With the Nexus 7 and Other Android Devices

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• Ask the Readers: Have You Cut the Cable Cord?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  The proliferation of streaming services and diverse media content has made cutting the cable cord an appetizing option for many people. Have you cut the cord, stuck with traditional services, or mixed the two together? It’s easier than ever to ditch the cable subscription and still keep watching your favorite TV shows and movies (but still tricky to catch live events and television without a cable subscription). This week we’re interested in hearing all about your media arrangements: Do you have a traditional cable bundle? Ditched it for a Netflix-only experience? Pay for both because you just can’t get enough of live TV and streaming content? Sounds off in the comments with the state of your media setup, the more detailed the better, and then check back in on Friday for the What You Said roundup. 6 Ways Windows 8 Is More Secure Than Windows 7 HTG Explains: Why It’s Good That Your Computer’s RAM Is Full 10 Awesome Improvements For Desktop Users in Windows 8

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• Scrollbars: A Retrospective

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  It’s easy to overlook the humble scrollbar, a much used but hardly thought about user interface element. This graphic compares scrollbars over the last thirty years. Some of the more modern Windows incarnations are missing but, on account of the Vista/Windows 7 scrollbar looking pretty much like a gray version of the XP one, we’ll forgive them. A full resolution version of the image is available at the link below. Scollbars Through History [via Geeks Are Sexy] How To Delete, Move, or Rename Locked Files in Windows HTG Explains: Why Screen Savers Are No Longer Necessary 6 Ways Windows 8 Is More Secure Than Windows 7

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• Moviebarcodes Showcases Entire Movies as Frame-based Barcodes

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’ve ever wanted a chance to look at at an entire movie in a single glance, here’s your chance. Moviebarcodes shares mock-barcodes generated by turning each frame of a movie into a thin stripe, offering a glimpse into the color choices and shot lengths in popular movies. The barcode seen above was generated from The Matrix; you can see where the green indicates scenes that were shot inside the matrix and thus given a subtle green tint. In the barcode below, generated from the movie Pleasantville you can see the transition in the movie between the color and black and white scenes. In the case of Pleasantville, elements of the black and white world turning to color represent pivotal moments in the plot development which are now neatly mapped out below: Check out the hundreds of barcodes at the link below; you can even order prints of your favorite movies. Find a great rendering in the mix? Share a link in the comments below. Moviebarcodes [via Cool Inforgraphics] How to Create an Easy Pixel Art Avatar in Photoshop or GIMPInternet Explorer 9 Released: Here’s What You Need To KnowHTG Explains: How Does Email Work?

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• HTG Explains: How Antivirus Software Works

  - by Chris Hoffman

  Antivirus programs are powerful pieces of software that are essential on Windows computers. If you’ve ever wondered how antivirus programs detect viruses, what they’re doing on your computer, and whether you need to perform regular system scans yourself, read on. An antivirus program is an essential part of a multi-layered security strategy – even if you’re a smart computer user, the constant stream of vulnerabilities for browsers, plug-ins, and the Windows operating system itself make antivirus protection important. 8 Deadly Commands You Should Never Run on Linux 14 Special Google Searches That Show Instant Answers How To Create a Customized Windows 7 Installation Disc With Integrated Updates

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• The Most Ridiculous Computer Cameos of All Time

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  For the last half century computers have played all sorts of major and minor roles in movies; check out this collection to see some of the more quirky and out-of-place appearances. Wired magazine rounds up some of the more oddball appearances of computers in film. Like, for example, the scene shown above from Soylent Green: Spoiler alert: Soylent Green is people! But that’s not the only thing we’re gonna spoil. Soylent Green is set in 2022, and at one point, you’ll notice that a government facility is still using a remote calculator that plugs into the CDC 6600, a machine that was state-of-the-art in 1971. Come to think of it, we should scratch this from the list. This is pretty close to completely accurate. Hit up the link below to check out the full gallery, including a really interesting bit about how the U.S. Government’s largest computer project–once decommissioned and sold as surplus–ended up on the sets of dozens of movies and television shows. The Most Wonderfully Ridiculous Movie Computers of All Time [Wired] Why Enabling “Do Not Track” Doesn’t Stop You From Being Tracked 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

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• What Happens When You Load a Web Page? [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  When you type in a URL and the web page loads, everything seems so simple. Peel back the layers, however, and you see a complex delivery system built around data packets. Watch this informative video to see how your web requests actually work. Courtesy of The World Science Festival, we find this well put together video demonstrating how a trans-Atlantic web page request works. [via Boing Boing] HTG Explains: What Is RSS and How Can I Benefit From Using It? HTG Explains: Why You Only Have to Wipe a Disk Once to Erase It HTG Explains: Learn How Websites Are Tracking You Online

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• How to Run PowerShell 2 and 3 Concurrently in Windows 8

  - by Taylor Gibb

  Windows 8 comes with a shiny new version of PowerShell, version 3. But while playing around with it, I have noticed a lot of scripts that I had written for version 2 are now throwing errors, so here’s how to get version 2 back while not losing version 3. How to Banish Duplicate Photos with VisiPic How to Make Your Laptop Choose a Wired Connection Instead of Wireless HTG Explains: What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Should I Be Using It?

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• Bring the Beauty of the Emerald Isle to Your Desktop with the Ireland Theme for Windows 7

  - by Asian Angel

  This beautiful theme shows the Emerald Isle at its’ best with images of green landscapes, gorgeous seaside cliffs, cities at night, waterfalls, ancient rock formations, and more. The theme comes with 17 wallpapers and 22 Celtic system sounds to help bring Ireland straight to your desktop in style. Download the Ireland Theme [Windows 7 Personalization Gallery] How to Enable Google Chrome’s Secret Gold IconHTG Explains: What’s the Difference Between the Windows 7 HomeGroups and XP-style Networking?Internet Explorer 9 Released: Here’s What You Need To Know

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• Team Fortress 2 Is Now Free [Gaming]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Wildly popular computer game Team Fortress 2 is now free Previously $10, Valve dropped the price for Team Fortress 2 to $0. The new model is a “freemium” one wherein the majority of the game is free but you can purchase small upgrades in-game (like expanding your backpack from 50 slots to 300 slots to hold more gear or purchasing items instead of searching them out in the game). Check out the trailer and then hit up the link below to grab a copy. Team Fortress 2 [via Mashable] What is a Histogram, and How Can I Use it to Improve My Photos?How To Easily Access Your Home Network From Anywhere With DDNSHow To Recover After Your Email Password Is Compromised

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• Pin Your Favorite Websites to the Metro Start Screen in Windows 8

  - by Lori Kaufman

  It’s easy to pin apps and folders to the Metro Start screen in Windows 8. What about your favorite websites? Windows 7 allows you to pin websites to the Taskbar. It’s also easy to pin your favorite websites to the Windows 8 Metro Start screen. Open Internet Explorer 10 from the Metro Start screen and navigate to a website you want to pin. Once the site has loaded, click the Pin to Start button on right side of the bar at the bottom. HTG Explains: Is UPnP a Security Risk? How to Monitor and Control Your Children’s Computer Usage on Windows 8 What Happened to Solitaire and Minesweeper in Windows 8?

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• How to Disable Screen Auto-Rotation in Windows 8

  - by Taylor Gibb

  Windows 8 is strongly aimed at tablets, most of which allow use in both landscape and portrait orientations. Depending on your personal preference, you may wish to disable this auto-rotating behavior. Here’s how to do it. Note: While testing out devices we noticed that the setting to disable screen rotation isn’t available on all devices, so we have provided a way to disable it in the registry as well. How To Use USB Drives With the Nexus 7 and Other Android Devices Why Does 64-Bit Windows Need a Separate “Program Files (x86)” Folder? Why Your Android Phone Isn’t Getting Operating System Updates and What You Can Do About It

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• 6 Ways To Secure Your Dropbox Account

  - by Chris Hoffman

  Dropbox is a hugely popular cloud storage service beloved by many. Unfortunately, it’s had a history of security problems, ranging from compromised accounts to once allowing access to every Dropbox account without requiring a password for several hours. If you’re using Dropbox, there are a variety of ways you can secure your account against unauthorized access and protect your files even if someone does gain access to your account. Why Does 64-Bit Windows Need a Separate “Program Files (x86)” Folder? 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

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• Beginner: How to Make Explorer Always Show the Full Path in Windows 8

  - by Taylor Gibb

  In older versions of Windows the Title Bar used to display your current location in the file system. In Windows 8 this is not the default behavior, however, you can enable it if you wish to. Display the Full Path in the Windows Explorer Title Bar Press the Windows + E keyboard combination to open Windows Explorer and then switch over to the View tab. On the right-hand side click on options and then select Change folder and search options from the drop-down. When the Folder Options dialog opens, switch over to the View options. Here you will need to tick the Display the full path in the title bar check box. That’s all there is to it. How To Switch Webmail Providers Without Losing All Your Email How To Force Windows Applications to Use a Specific CPU HTG Explains: Is UPnP a Security Risk?

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• Instapaper Updates; Sports Native Social Media Sharing, Browsing, and More

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Popular web content manager Instantpaper has updated to version 3.0 and brings a host of new features like native support for social media sharing, a recommendation system, in-app web browsing and more. Last year we shared a detailed guide with you on how to use Instapaper to save content from the web to your iOS device for later reading–definitely check it out if you’re unfamiliar with Instapaper. Some of the new features in Instapaper 3.0 include a social recommendation system where you can follow other Instapaper users and see the articles they are liking/sharing, native support for sharing to Twitter, Facebook, and other social media systems, smart rotation lock on the display, and more efficient article downloading and storage. Check out the link below to read a full rundown of the new features on the Instapaper blog. Instapaper 3.0 Is Here! [Instapaper via O'Reilly Radar] HTG Explains: What Are Character Encodings and How Do They Differ?How To Make Disposable Sleeves for Your In-Ear MonitorsMacs Don’t Make You Creative! So Why Do Artists Really Love Apple?

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