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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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• How to Enable or Disable the Startup Sound in Windows 8

  - by Taylor Gibb

  We have all been in that awkward situation where you sit down in a meeting room only to have your Windows laptop play the Startup sound. Here’s how to disable it or even enable it if you so choose. 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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• How to Sync iTunes to Your Android Phone

  - by Zainul Franciscus

  If you have iTunes, and you don’t have an iPhone – but an Android phone instead, syncing iTunes to your phone can be frustrating. So here are some tips to sync iTunes and make sure your cover art works well on your Android phone.How To Recover After Your Email Password Is CompromisedHow to Clean Your Filthy Keyboard in the Dishwasher (Without Ruining it)Learn How to Make HDR Images in Photoshop or GIMP With a Simple Trick

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• 10 Useful Windows Commands You Should Know

  - by Chris Hoffman

  There are some things you can only do from the command line, even on Windows. Some of these tools don’t have graphical equivalents, while others are just plain faster to use than their graphical interfaces. We can’t possibly cover all the useful commands you can use in the Command Prompt or PowerShell here. We’ll be focusing on commands that should be useful even if you’re not a command-line person.    

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• Horse Drawn Fiber Optics Bring Broadband to Remote Areas

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  When you think of fiber optics and high speed internet the last thing you likely think of is… horses. Yet horses have been put to use rolling out fiber optics to remote rural locations. In Vermont a Belgium draft horse named Fred, seen in the photo above being tended by his handler Claude, is a distinctly 19th century solution to a 21st century problem; how to run fiber optic cable through remote areas where trucks cannot easily pass. The man and animal are indispensable to cable and phone-service provider FairPoint Communications because they easily can access hard-to-reach job sites along country roads, which bulky utility trucks often cannot. “It just saves so much work – it would take probably 15 guys to do what Fred and Claude can do,” said Paul Clancy, foreman of a line crew from FairPoint. “They can pull 5,000 feet of cable with no sweat.” You can read more about the use of draft horses to draw lines and the roll out of broadband to rural Vermont at the link below. Vermont Uses Draft Horse to Lay Cables for Internet Access [Reuters] How To Encrypt Your Cloud-Based Drive with BoxcryptorHTG Explains: Photography with Film-Based CamerasHow to Clean Your Dirty Smartphone (Without Breaking Something)

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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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• 6 Ways To Customize the Windows 8 Start Screen

  - by Chris Hoffman

  While you can’t get rid of the Start screen in Windows 8, there are lots of ways to customize the look and feel of the Start screen and make it your own. In addition to removing tiles you don’t want to see, you can turn the Start screen into a full-screen desktop application, folder, and website launcher. You can tone the colors down or use an even more colorful design. 7 Ways To Free Up Hard Disk Space On Windows HTG Explains: How System Restore Works in Windows HTG Explains: How Antivirus Software Works

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• How To Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts For Browser Actions and Extensions in Google Chrome

  - by Chris Hoffman

  Geeks love keyboard shortcuts – they can make you faster and more productive than clicking everything with your mouse. We’ve previously covered keyboard shortcuts for Chrome and other browsers, but you can assign your own custom keyboard shortcuts, too. Google Chrome includes a built-in way to assign custom keyboard shortcuts to your browser extensions. You can also use an extension created by a Google employee to create custom keyboard shortcuts for common browser actions – and less common ones. Image Credit: mikeropology on Flickr (modified) Can Dust Actually Damage My Computer? What To Do If You Get a Virus on Your Computer Why Enabling “Do Not Track” Doesn’t Stop You From Being Tracked

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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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• 5 Ways To Quickly Launch Programs On Windows

  - by Chris Hoffman

  Do you still launch programs on Windows by hunting down a desktop shortcut and double-clicking it? There are better ways – Windows has several built-in tricks for quickly launching applications. Even if you know all the built-in tricks, you may want to try out Launchy or another third-party launcher – some people swear by them. They offer more features than the Start menu search built into Windows. HTG Explains: Is ReadyBoost Worth Using? HTG Explains: What The Windows Event Viewer Is and How You Can Use It HTG Explains: How Windows Uses The Task Scheduler for System Tasks

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• 9 Gigapixel Photo Captures 84 Million Stars

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  The European Southern Observatory has released an absolutely enormous picture of the center of the Milky Way captured by their VISTA telescope–the image is 9 gigapixels and captures over 84 million stars. From the press release: The large mirror, wide field of view and very sensitive infrared detectors of ESO’s 4.1-metre Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) make it by far the best tool for this job. The team of astronomers is using data from the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea programme (VVV), one of six public surveys carried out with VISTA. The data have been used to create a monumental 108 200 by 81 500 pixel colour image containing nearly nine billion pixels. This is one of the biggest astronomical images ever produced. The team has now used these data to compile the largest catalogue of the central concentration of stars in the Milky Way ever created. Want to check out all 9 billion glorious pixels in their uncompressed state? Be prepared to wait a bit, the uncompressed image is available for download but it weighs in at a massive 24.6GB. 84 Million Stars and Counting [via Wired] 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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• How to Send the Contents of the Clipboard to a Text File via the Send to Menu

  - by Jason Faulkner

  We have previously covered how to send the contents of a text file to the Windows Clipboard with a simple Send To shortcut, but what if you want to do the opposite? That is: send the contents of the clipboard to a text file with a simple shortcut. No problem. Here’s how. Copy the ClipOut Utility While Windows offers the command line tool ‘clip’ as a way to direct console output to the clipboard, it does not have a tool to direct the clipboard contents to the console. To do this, we are going to use a small utility named ClipOut (download link at the bottom). Simply download and extract this file to a location in your Windows PATH variable (if you don’t know what this means, just extract the EXE to your C:\Windows folder) and you are ready to go. Add the Send To Shortcut Open your Send To folder location by going to Run > shell:sendto Create a new shortcut with the command: CMD /C ClipOut > Note the above command will overwrite the contents of the selected file. If you would like to append to the contents of the selected file, use this command instead: CMD /C ClipOut >> Of course, you could make shortcuts for both. Give a descriptive name to the shortcut. You’re finished. Using this shortcut will now send the text contents copied to your Windows Clipboard to the selected file. It is important to note that the ClipOut tool only supports outputting text. If you had binary data copied to your clipboard, then the output would be empty. Changing the Icon By default, the icon for the shortcut will appear as a command prompt, but you can easily change this by editing the properties of the shortcut and clicking the Change Icon button. We used an icon located in “%SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll”, but any icon of your liking will do. As an additional tweak, you can set the properties of the shortcut to run minimized. This will prevent the command window from “blinking” when the send to command is run (instead it will blink in your taskbar, which is hardly noticeable). Links Download ClipOut Utility     

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• How To Run Chrome OS From a USB Drive and Use It On Any Computer

  - by Chris Hoffman

  Google only supports running Chrome OS on Chromebooks, but don’t let that stop you. You can put Chrome OS on a USB drive and boot it on any computer, just as you’d run a Linux distribution from a USB drive. If you just want to test Chrome OS, your best bet is running it in a virtual machine. This ensures that you won’t run into any hardware-related issues. Your computer may not be able to run Chrome OS properly. Note: You’ll need a USB drive with at least 4 GB of space for this. 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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• Minimize Apps to the System Tray in Windows with MoveToTray

  - by Asian Angel

  Would you like an easy way to minimize apps to the System Tray in Windows and keep your Taskbar clear of clutter? Then all you need is the MoveToTray app to make it happen. MoveToTray does not require installation. Just double click on the exe file or create a shortcut to the app to activate it. When you see the icon for MoveToTray appear in the System Tray you are ready to minimize those apps. To minimize the active app window use the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl + Alt + M” and watch it instantly disappear to the System Tray. To maximize the window simply double click on the app’s icon in the System Tray. Sometimes an app’s regular icon will not display in the System Tray and a copy of MoveToTray’s icon will appear in its’ place (i.e. Paint.NET in our example). Note: There may occasionally be an app that will not minimize to the System Tray. Only one (CubicExplorer) would not minimize during our tests. Download MoveToTray at Softpedia View the Original Blog Post on MoveToTray HTG Explains: What’s the Difference Between the Windows 7 HomeGroups and XP-style Networking?Internet Explorer 9 Released: Here’s What You Need To KnowHTG Explains: How Does Email Work?

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• AllSparkCube Packs 4,096 LEDs into a Giant Computer Controlled Display

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  LED matrix cubes are nothing new, but this 16x16x16 monster towers over the tiny 4x4x4 desktop variety. Check out the video to see it in action. Sound warning: the music starts off very loud and bass-filled; we’d recommend turning down the speakers if you’re watching from your cube. So what compels someone to build a giant LED cube driven by over a dozen Arduino shields? If you’re the employees at Adaptive Computing, you do it to dazzles crowds and show off your organizational skills: Every time I talk about the All Spark Cube people ask “so what does it do?” The features of the All Spark are the reason it was built and sponsored by Adaptive Computing. The Cube was built to catch peoples’ attention and to demonstrate how Adaptive can take a chaotic mess and inject order, structure and efficiency. We wrote several examples of how the All Spark Cube can demonstrate the effectiveness of a complex data center. If you’re interested in building a monster of your own, hit up the link below for more information, schematics, and videos. 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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• How to Disable Compatibility Mode in Internet Explorer

  - by Taylor Gibb

  Compatibility mode in IE is a feature that helps you view webpages that were designed for previous versions of the browser, however having it enabled can break newer sites that were designed for modern browsers. Here’s how to disable it and make sure it only runs for older sites. 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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• Turn Your Desktop to the ‘Dark Side’ with the Moonlight Theme for Windows 7

  - by Asian Angel

  Do you love the peaceful, calming look moonlit scenery? Then you will definitely want to download the Moonlight Theme for Windows 7. This awesome theme comes with sixteen wallpapers full of moonlit goodness that will have your desktop howling at the nighttime skies. Download the Moonlight Theme [Windows 7 Personalization Gallery] How To Properly Scan a Photograph (And Get An Even Better Image) The HTG Guide to Hiding Your Data in a TrueCrypt Hidden Volume Make Your Own Windows 8 Start Button with Zero Memory Usage

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• How Is My Computer Able to Restart Itself?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  It’s such a common place activity that most of us have likely never stopped to even think about it: the automatic restart. Whether user or application-initiated, what exactly happens when your computer cycles its own power? Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-drive grouping of Q&A web sites. 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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• How to Create a Folder from Selected Files in Windows

  - by Lori Kaufman

  We’ve previously written about a tool that allows you to create a bunch of folders at one time from a list of words or phrases. However, what if you want to create one or more folders from a bunch of selected text files? There’s a simple, free tool, called Files 2 Folder, that allows you to do that. Installing Files 2 Folder adds an option to the context menu for Windows Explorer. Simply extract the .zip file you downloaded (see the link at the end of this article). Right-click on the Files2Folder.exe file and select Run as administrator. If the User Account Control dialog box displays, click Yes to continue. 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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• So Pretty [Halloween Horror Short Film]

  - by Asian Angel

  A young woman riding the train at night becomes involved in an interesting conversation with a young man about vampires. She thinks vampires are mysterious and misunderstood, but will she still feel the same way by the time the train ride is over? The Continuum: Halloween Short Film – “So Pretty” [via Neatorama] 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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• The Evolution of Computer Keyboards

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  While the basic shape of keyboards has remained largely unchanged over the last thirty years, the guts have undergone several transformations. Read on to explore the history of the computer keyboard. ComputerWorld delves into the history of the modern keyboard, including the heavy influence IBM’s extensive keyboard research on early keyboards: As far as direct influences on the modern computer keyboard, IBM’s Selectric typewriter was one of the biggest. IBM released the first model of its iconic electromechanical typewriter in 1961, a time when being able to type fast and accurately was a highly sought-after skill. Dag Spicer, senior curator at the Computer History Museum, notes that as the Selectric models rose to prominence, admins grew to love the feel of the keyboard because of IBM’s dogged focus on making the ergonomics comfortable. “IBM’s probably done more than anyone to find [keyboard] ergonomics that work for everyone,” Spicer says. So when the PC hit the scene a decade or two later, the Selectric was largely viewed as the baseline to design keyboards for those newfangled computers you could put in your office or home. Hit up the link below to continue reading about how the Selectric influenced keyboards throughout the 1980s and what replaced the crisp clacking of early IBM-styled models. 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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• Ask the Readers: How Do You Score Free Wi-Fi While Traveling?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  The holiday season is in full swing and that means many of us will be traveling–and searching for Wi-Fi nodes in the process. Help your fellow readers out by sharing your best Wi-Fi finding tips and tricks. Internet access is a necessity for the modern traveler but finding it is a bit more difficult than simply plugging into your home Wi-Fi. This week we want to hear all about your tips, tricks, and methods for scoring free Wi-Fi service in your interstate (and even international) travels. How do you keep the bounty of the internet flowing to your laptops, netbooks, tablets, and smart phones as you traverse the world? Sound off in the comments with your best tips and then check back on Friday for the What You Said roundup. HTG Explains: Understanding Routers, Switches, and Network Hardware How to Use Offline Files in Windows to Cache Your Networked Files Offline How to See What Web Sites Your Computer is Secretly Connecting To

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• Handy Flowchart Picks a Christmas Film for You

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’re having trouble picking a holiday film, this handy flowchart can help. Need a film with just the right touch of animation and creepiness? Belief in Santa Claus and swimming pools? The chart has you covered. So You Want To Watch A Movie [via Neatorama] Secure Yourself by Using Two-Step Verification on These 16 Web Services How to Fix a Stuck Pixel on an LCD Monitor How to Factory Reset Your Android Phone or Tablet When It Won’t Boot

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• XboxMP Helps You Find Multiplayer Games for the Xbox

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Searching for the perfect versus or cooperative Xbox multiplayer game can be challenging–the game publisher says it plays four but what exactly does that mean? XboxMP catalogs games with detailed breakdowns of what the multiplayer experience actually entails. You can search first generation Xbox games, Xbox 360 games, and Xbox Live Arcade games with a variety of detailed criteria including the number of players it supports for local, system link, and online play (it may be a deal breaker, for example, that the only way to play the game with 4 players is to have two Xboxes or an Xbox live account). In addition to the multiplayer game data each game listing also includes addition information about the general game play including peripheral support and other features. Hit up the link below to check it out and, for more help finding multiplayer cooperative games, make sure to check out previously reviewed Co-Optimus. XBoxMP 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 HTG Explains: Why You Shouldn’t Use a Task Killer On Android

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• How to Lock Down IE 10 by Disabling Flash in Windows 8

  - by Taylor Gibb

  Microsoft now includes Flash along with their Internet Explorer browser in Windows 8. Flash has been known as a big culprit when it comes to security vulnerabilities in the past, so here’s how to disable it. Note: We have outlined two methods for achieving the same goal, there is no need to do both. 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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