How to Record Your Desktop to a File or Stream It Over the Internet with VLC

VLC is full of powerful features, including the ability to record your desktop. VLC is great for quick captures, although it doesn’t necessarily have the more advanced features of a dedicated screencasting application.

How to Make Any Computer Boot Up or Shut Down on a Schedule

Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux all allow you to schedule boot-ups, shut-downs, and wake-ups. You can have your computer automatically power up in the morning and automatically shut down at night, if you’d like.

This is less necessary than ever thanks to sleep mode — a typical laptop just enters low-power sleep mode it can quickly resume from when it’s not being used — but may still be useful for desktop PCs.

How To Monitor File And Folder Changes in Windows

If someone else is using your computer or if you need to see what changes were made to your files and folders during a specific time, you can use Nirsoft’s handy FolderChangesView application. Nirsoft is a great freeware provider that produces amazing little tools for your PC, and the best part is that they never bundle crapware with their programs like so many other software vendors do.

5 Ways to Type Faster on Your Smartphone’s Touch Keyboard

For those of us who didn’t grow up with smartphones, typing on a touch keyboard can feel awfully slow. But there are tricks you can use to speed up typing on a touch keyboard, just like a physical one.

These tips apply to any smartphone with a touch keyboard, from iPhones and Android phones to Windows phones and BlackBerries. They all work in a fairly similar way.

Most Ugly People In The World

This is just for your weekend laugh, check out these amazing people around the world

How Can I Tell What is Listening on a TCP/IP Port in Windows?

Whenever an application wants to make itself accessible over the network, it claims a TCP/IP port, which means that port can’t be used by anything else. So if you need to use an in-use port, how do you tell what application is holding it?

There’s a number of ways to tell what application has the port locked, but we’ll walk through the built-in way using the command line and Task Manager, and then a great freeware application that does it all in one utility.

Set up your own wireless hotspot

Public Wi-Fi is something people are coming to expect. Cafés and restaurants offer wireless internet access for customers; offices provide a connection for visitors, so that guests can check their email while they’re on-site.
If you manage IT for any business, it’s worth considering running your own hotspot – either as a commercial venture, which people pay to use, or as a complimentary service to visitors. Even within your own home, hosting a hotspot can be a useful service for neighbours and guests. There are, however, numerous technical and legal issues to consider.

How to Connect Your Android Phone to Your TV

A decade ago the idea that you’d want to mirror the screen of your mobile phone to your television would seem silly but now that there is so much content on our mobile devices from games to HD video, it’s downright useful to blow up your phone’s tiny display to television size. Read on as we show you how.

How to Block SMS Text or Calls from Contacts on Your iPhone

If somebody keeps spamming your phone with unwanted texts, or calling you when you don’t want it, you might be interested to know that you can easily block contacts from texting, calling, or even trying to FaceTime you in iOS even if they aren’t actually a contact.

11 Essential Tweaks for Your New Samsung Galaxy S5

The Galaxy S5 debuts new hardware and software from Samsung. Even those who have owned a Galaxy phone before are sure to find a few unexpected treats in this device. Samsung has traditionally engineered one of the more extreme Android skins, but TouchWiz has come a long way since its early days of iPhone cloning.

How To Install and Test Windows Without Affecting The Currently Installed OS

Most of you will have heard by now that Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 10, is now in testing phase and begins the long road to a final release sometime in 2015. This will please a lot of people because many of the changes in Windows 8 that made it so unpopular are being scaled back or even reversed completely. For Windows 8 or 8.1 users, this may be good news if you’re currently one of the many not entirely happy with features like the Start Screen or the heavy reliance on the Modern UI.

How to Encrypt Your DNS for More Secure Browsing

We’ve been touting the benefits of third-party DNS servers for a while now, but one additional benefit that might be of interest is the ability to encrypt all of your DNS requests, further protecting you from anybody spying on you in the middle.

How to Create Encrypted Zip or 7z Archives on Any Operating System

Zip files can be password-protected, but the standard Zip encryption scheme is extremely weak. If your operating system has a built-in way to encrypt zip files, you probably shouldn’t use it.

To gain the actual benefits of encryption, you should use AES-256 encryption. 7z archives support this natively, but you can also encrypt Zip files with AES-256 encryption.

3 Alternatives to the Now-Defunct TrueCrypt for Your Encryption Needs

TrueCrypt’s dramatic shutdown in May, 2014 left everyone shocked. TrueCrypt was the go-to recommendation for full-disk encryption software, and the developers suddenly said the code was “not secure” and halted development.

We still don’t know exactly why TrueCrypt was shut down — perhaps the developers were being pressured by a government, or perhaps they were simply sick of maintaining it. But here’s what you can use instead.

How to Create Fillable Forms with MS Word 2010

Creating forms with Microsoft Word is easy, but the challenge comes in when you decide to create fillable forms with options that you can send to people and have them fill out digitally. Whether you need a form for gathering information about people or if you are trying to take a survey to test out user response to software or a new product, MS Word has the solution for you.

Unprotecting Excel Spreadsheets Without The Password

 

Spreadsheets and Microsoft Excel in particular are great tools for any kind of numerical analysis, but they’re good for handling and storing other data as well. I seem to recall a survey a few years ago that Excel was the #1 database in the world with Access, Oracle and SQL Server lagging very far behind. Of course, it all depends on your definition of a database but the point is made.

Baby Safety Tips

1.    Have your baby tips on safety in hand and do a safety check around the house, picking out any safety issues you want to fix. Afterwards, commit yourself to addressing and fixing all the items that you spotted.

How to Display Owner Information on the Lock Screen on Your Android Phone

If you lose your Android device, it’s not likely you’ll get it back. However, there are some kind souls out there who will try to return it, but if the device is locked, they won’t know how to reach you.

You can easily display your contact information on the lock screen, someone who finds your device can contact you to return it. We’ll show you how using a Google Nexus 7 as an example.

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According to reports from telegraph, billionaire Peter Thiel is on a mission to cheat death. Will he succeed? Read more details below according to the telegraph of the UK.....

Jumpshare is a Super Easy Way to Share Files Online

These days, you can share files using all of the different cloud storage providers like Dropbox and OneDrive, but if all you want is a super easy way to share files with people, Jumpshare might be worth a look.

How to Add Websites to the Home Screen on Any Smartphone or Tablet

Your smartphone or tablet’s home screen isn’t just for apps. Whatever platfgorm you’re using, you can pin your favorite websites to your home screen so you can quickly access them.

Some platforms offer bonus features. For example, Chrome for Android opens these websites in their own windows with no browser interface, while Windows 8 and Windows Phone offer live tile updates on some websites.

How to Securely Transfer Files to Someone Else with SFTP

Data is transferred in cleartext, making it unsuitable for confidential file transfers.  In this guide we’ll go over the secure version of FTP – SFTP, and why it makes for an excellent way of transferring files to other people across the internet.

How to Close/Stop a Running App on an Android Device

Android apps don’t actually stop running when you return to the Home screen or switch to another app. There is no real need to exit an app unless it is misbehaving or you want to uninstall it. Then, you can “force stop” an app.

Forcing an app to stop is easy using the Settings in the Android system. We will show you how to force stop an app on a Nexus 7 (a stock Android system) and on a Samsung Galaxy S4 (a slightly modified Android system) as examples.

How to Get Your Android Device to Show up in File Explorer (If It Isn’t)

We love using our Android phones and tablets to listen to tunes and watch videos, but in order to get those files on your device, sometimes you have to transfer them over from your laptop or desktop PC. When things work right, it’s great, but it can be frustrating if your device stops appearing in File Explorer.

How to Create a Strong Password (and Remember It)

“Be sure to use a strong password” is advice we all constantly see online. Here’s how to create a strong password — and, more importantly, how to actually remember it.

Using a password manager helps here, as it can create strong passwords and remember them for you. But, even if you use a password manager, you’ll at least need to create and a remember a password for your password manager.

How to Create a Password Protected Folder without any Extra Software

There are a lot of methods that you can use to create a password protected folder, most of which require the use of some third party software. Using this neat method you can hide your folders with a quick batch script.

It’s important to note that this will not actually conceal your data from somebody who knows what they are doing.

Disguise and hide your sensitive folders with ‘Disguise Folders’ for Windows 7

Everyone has documents and files of sensitive nature that they would like to keep away from prying eyes. Users have a handful of options to do this, ranging from the most secure, such as mounting virtual archives using programs like TrueCrypt, physically encrypting and reprocessing files, or hiding and embedding them within other larger files …  to less secure options that merely hide files cosmetically.

Protect and encrypt your folders and data with A+ Folder Locker Free Edition

Keeping your data private can be a challenge.There is always a risk of getting ones PC hacked and various other security breaches. With A + Folder Locker Free edition you can protect your data at the right click of the Windows context menu.

Get a military grade, secure password vault on your desktop or device with Ever Password

EverPassword is a great tool that will manage your passwords for various websites, as well as other private information such as credit card and bank account information. It uses a 256 bit encryption to keep your data secure, can sync data across more than one device or platform, and it’s free for anyone to download and use

Surf the net anonymously and go around firewalls and geo-restrictions with Ultrasurf

Ultrasurf is free, proxy-based ‘anti censorship’, ‘pro-privacy’ software. It tunnels through firewalls (whether at work or country-wide), encrypts online communications, hides your real IP from the websites that you are visiting, automatically deletes your browser history, and provides you with a US-based location so that you can access geographically restricted websites such as Hulu or Pandora.

Protect your PC from data theft by USB or CD, with “URC Access Modes”

If you are a business, public venue, or even a normal user concerned with the illegitimate copying or transfer of files or data from your computer(s) via USB or CD, then this program is for you.

‘URC Access Modes’ is a FREE program that will allow you to shut off and password protect USB and CD access on any machine that you have administrator access to.

8 Reasons to Install CyanogenMod on Your Android Device

CyanogenMod is the most popular custom ROM for Android devices. While it’s an unofficial build of Android, it probably provides an experience closer to Google’s original vision than the software on your current Android phone or tablet does!

We used CyanogenMod 11 for this article. If it supports your device, it’s easier than ever to install thanks to the CyanogenMod installer app.

How to Record a Phone Call on Your Android Phone

Ever wished you had recorded a call? Maybe you got bad customer service from a company over the phone and you want proof. Or, maybe you received training or help that you want to reference again in the future.

VIDEO: How To Install Rear View Reverse Backup Camera on Car

Be Prepared: Create a Recovery Drive for Windows, Linux, Mac, or Chrome OS

Computers don’t come with operating system installation CDs anymore. If your operating system won’t boot, you’ll need a bootable recovery drive to fix it. All operating systems allow you to create these.

These recovery drives provide access to the same recovery options your operating system includes. You can always create them later, although you may need access to a computer running the same operating system.

How to Password-Protect a Printer

If you share a computer, you might want to limit who can use it to print. Unauthorized printing gives others the opportunity to walk away with digital material, and it wastes resources like ink and paper. Luckily, you have a couple of ways to secure your printer without compromising your own ability to print.

Set a Password

How to See What Web Sites Your Computer is Secretly Connecting To

Has your Internet connection become slower than it should be? There may be a chance that you have some malware, spyware, or adware that is using your Internet connection in the background without your knowledge. Here’s how to see what’s going on under the hood.

It’s worth noting that most third-party firewalls will probably give you this same type of information as well as block things that are trying to connect… unless the applications managed to add an exclusion already. Better check anyway.

3 Free Norton Ghost Alternatives to Create a Full Windows Image Backup

If you’re constantly testing software, trying out new Windows settings or tweaks or even purposely infecting your own machine with malware, it’s essential to have a complete copy of your Windows partition to hand so you can quickly restore it to its exact state to before you started messing around. Even if you don’t use your computer very often or for those things, a full backup could save you time and money, reinstalling Windows and all your applications again would be a long, laborious and possibly expensive process.

How to Open the Command Prompt as Administrator in Windows 8.1

Normally, the command prompt can be opened as a regular user to run commands that don’t require administrative rights. However, if you need to run a command that requires administrative rights, you must open the command prompt window as administrator.

Why is Google Services Draining So Much Battery on Android?

Google Services shows up on Android’s Battery statistics screen as one of the many things draining your battery. It can sometimes drain an excessive amount of battery power, but you can solve this problem.

“Google Play Services” used to appear on Android’s battery screen as its own entry, and it was a big battery hog for some people. Google Play Services is now just one part of the Google Services app.

How To Use BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) on Your Computer

 

 

BBM is by far the greatest mobile messaging application. Here is a way to have BBM on your desktop computer, using a very simple method involving BlueStacks.

How to Access a Windows Desktop From Your Tablet or Phone

iPads and Android tablets can’t run Windows apps locally, but they can access a Windows desktops remotely — even with a physical keyboard. In a pinch, the same tricks can be used to access a Windows desktop from a smartphone.

Microsoft recently launched their own official Remote Desktop app for iOS and Android devices. Microsoft’s official apps are primarily useful for businesses — if you’re a typical home user, you’ll want to use a different remote desktop solution.

What is the System Reserved Partition and Can You Delete It?

Windows 7 and 8 create a special “System Reserved” partition when you install them on a clean disk. Windows doesn’t assign a drive letter to these partitions, so you’ll only see them when you use Disk Management or similar utility.

The System Reserved Partition was introduced with Windows 7, so you won’t find it on previous versions of Windows. The partition is also created on Windows Serer 2008 R2 and newer Server versions of Windows.

How to Bypass and Reset the Password on Every Operating System

Passwords can be reset or bypassed on every operating system. On Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X, you can gain access to a computer’s unencrypted files after resetting the password — the password doesn’t actually prevent access to your files.

On other devices where you can’t gain access to the files, you can still reset the device and gain access to it without knowing a password. These tricks all require physical access to the device.

How to Tell if An Android App is Potentially Dangerous

Yes, some Android apps can be malicious — Apple, Microsoft, and the media seem happy to remind us about this. Take a few basic precautions and you can avoid these potentially dangerous apps.

Google doesn’t manually approve apps like Apple does, but they do scan apps in the Google Play Store for malware. Permissions, reviews, and other reputation information can also tell us a lot.

How to Create a Virtual Hard Drive in Windows 7

Have you ever wished you had an extra Hard Disk to store files, share, or set aside as an encrypted vault? One of the new features in Windows 7 is the ability to create Virtual Hard Disks and we’ll show you how. 

How to Create an Encrypted Container File With BitLocker on Windows

BitLocker normally encrypts entire drives and partitions, but you can also create encrypted container files with tools built into Windows. Such encrypted VHD files can easily be moved between systems, backed up, and hidden when not in-use.

This trick allows you to create TrueCrypt-style encrypted volumes as files on your computer. Like other BitLocker features, it requires a Professional or Enterprise edition of Windows, or Ultimate for Windows 7.

How do You Search for Multiple File Types at the Same Time in Windows 8?

Searching for a singular file or file type is one thing, but what do you do when you need to search for multiple file types at the same time? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post comes to the rescue for one reader’s file search dilemma.

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.

How to Factory Reset Your Android Phone or Tablet When It Won’t Boot

Safe mode can help you troubleshoot your Android, but sometimes you’ll need to wipe everything and restore your device to its factory state. You can even perform a factory reset when your Android phone or tablet won’t boot normally.

Ensure you have any important data backed up before doing a reset. This includes your Google Authenticator credentials, which will be lost during the reset. Disable two-factor authentication on your accounts first or you’ll experience some trouble afterwards.

How to Locate Your Lost or Stolen Android Phone (and Wipe if Necessary)

Thanks to a new native Android tool, you can now easily locate your phone and (in a worst case scenario) perform a remote data wipe. Read on as we show you how to activate the feature on your phone.

How to Remotely Track Any Lost Smartphone, Tablet, or PC

Whether your device was stolen or simply lost, you can remotely track, lock, and wipe it. Don’t wait until you’ve lost your hardware to think about this — these features need to be enabled ahead of time.

This requires that the device is powered on and has a connection to the Internet. This is easy if you’re tracking a phone with a data connection, but harder if you’re tracking a laptop that may be offline or powered off.

How To Secure Your Wi-Fi Network Against Intrusion

Insecure Wi-Fi is the easiest way for people to access your home network, leech your internet, and cause you serious headaches with more malicious behavior. Read on as we show you how to secure your home Wi-Fi network.

Don’t Have a False Sense of Security: 5 Insecure Ways to Secure Your Wi-Fi

You’ve got WEP encryption enabled, your network’s SSID is hidden, and you’ve enabled MAC address filtering so no one else can connect. Your Wi-Fi network is secure, right? Not really.

How an Attacker Could Crack Your Wireless Network Security

It’s important to secure your wireless network with WPA2 encryption and a strong passphrase. But what sorts of attacks are you actually securing it against? Here’s how attackers crack encrypted wireless networks.

5 Cooling Solutions to Prevent Your PC From Overheating

Computers need cooling to remove the heat their components generate during use. If you’rebuilding your own PC — especially if you’re overclocking it — you’ll need to think about how you’ll cool it.

Heat build-up can actually damage your computer’s hardware or cause it to become unstable. Modern PCs may shut down and refuse to operate if they reach a potentially unsafe level of heat.

What is the Difference Between TCP and UDP?

You’ve probably seen references to TCP and UDP when setting up port-forwarding on a router or when configuring firewall software. These two protocols are used for different types of data.

Both of these protocols are used to send data over the Internet or a local network. When configuring some network hardware or software, you may need to know the difference.

6 Advanced Tips for Securing the Applications on Your PC With EMET

The Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit is Microsoft’s best-kept security secret. It’s easy toinstall EMET and quickly secure many popular applications, but there’s a lot more you can do with EMET.

EMET won’t pop up and ask you questions, so it’s a set-it-and-forget-it solution once you set it up. Here’s how to secure more applications with EMET and fix them if they break.

How to Install Software on Linux

Installing software works differently on Linux. Instead of visiting a website, you’ll usually need to grab the software from your Linux distribution’s software repositories with its package manager. This sounds complicated, but is actually simpler than installing software on Windows.