This article first appeared on Mashable

Those of you running the latest iOS 8 software on your iPhone or iPad might notice your battery life dwindling faster than usual.

That's because the handful of shiny new features added to the mobile operating system are working harder to make your mobile experience more productive. Of course, ironically, that productivity lasts for less time than before.

Users with iOS 8 running on a new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus are less likely to feel the effects of this, thanks to a stronger (and newer) battery that lasts longer than previous models. But regardless of the model you have, there are quick and easy ways to preserve battery life and add extra hours to its daily longevity.

Some tips are less obvious than others — and many tips can be used for previous software versions too, like iOS 7 — so let's take a few minutes to explore what can save hours of time:

1. Identify culprits

You can find a list of apps using the most battery resources in the battery usage section of the device's main Settings menu.

First, you'll want to figure out which apps are sucking away your battery life most. Apple has added a new tool in iOS 8 that gives a percentage breakdown of the biggest drainers. To identify which apps you should close when not in use, visit Settings > General > Usage > Battery Usage. You can then close out of these apps or just delete them, if they can be spared.

2. Manage Background App Refresh

Just like with iOS 7, the latest Apple software comes with Background App Refresh set to "on." The feature lets apps run in the background while you multitask and continually refreshes content when running on Wi-Fi or a cellular network. It's handy for constant refreshing, but certainly not worth the battery life it drains along the way.

To disable this feature, visit Settings > General > Background App Refresh. You can pick whether you want to turn off the function in general or via an app by app basis.

3. Cool it with notification widgets

iOS 8 finally has widgets that you can access from Notification Center — just pull down from the top of the screen and customize your Today view. These widgets can offer up sports scores, weather updates, transit information and more. The only downside is that some of these widgets poll data frequently and that can be taxing on your battery. The good news is you can select which widgets you want to enable (and which ones you want to keep at bay) by tapping the "Edit" menu at the bottom of the Today screen.

4. Shut down parallax

Some people like how Apple's parallax feature makes it seem like the wallpaper can move behind the apps; others think it's dizzying. Either way, it's one of the biggest offenders of battery life for iOS 8. To turn it off, visit Settings > General > Accessibility and switch Reduce Motion to "on."

5. Stop location-tracking apps

Location-tracking apps can be great for when you need GPS directions or even if you want to keep a geo-log of where you take your pictures, but the constant monitoring is eating away precious hours of device life. You can turn off Location Services completely (Settings > Privacy > Location Services) or disable certain apps one by one. We recommend the latter option, so you can still leave on key location-based functions such as Find My iPhone if it's ever lost.

There's more, too. Selecting the System Services option under Location Services will reveal a collection of other app features that are stealing away battery life, including "Popular Near Me" and "Frequent Locations."

6. Turn down the brightness

This may seem obvious, but your display is draining your battery, and there's no need to have it shine any brighter than necessary. Use the Control Center or visit Settings > Wallpapers & Brightness and disable Auto-Brightness and decrease the setting manually.

7. Don't fetch

We understand the constant need to be connected and not miss emails, but the fetch function — which pushes email notifications to your homescreen — is always looking for new mail and exhausts the battery along the way. Give it a rest and check your email manually via the Mail app instead. To turn off the feature, visit Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Fetch New Data.

Although these little steps may seem like, well, little steps, they'll be able to take your mobile device's daily lifespan a long way.

Printers can cause us a lot of trouble like any other electronic machine. A printer issue could delay all other tasks and majorly inconvenience people who are in a hurry. The printer may need to be repaired or replaced but most of the time there is a simple solution to the problem.

Issue 1: Printer is too slow

The printer’s performance can be improved by reducing the print quality of the output; this also saves up on ink. The process to accomplish this varies for each printer model. The settings can be changed by going through the properties of the printer in question.  Other solutions to the problem include only printing web pages, which do not have graphics, or adding a RAM to your printer.

Issue 2: Ink and toner is too expensive

The printing industry has a very clever policy: they sell their printers at next to nothing and make all their money through consumables such as printer ink and toner. This is an old strategy and there is no getting around it. There is an option of remanufactured and refilled cartridges but that is not recommended, as these are sold by third party vendors and are not worth the money. The solution is to buy cartridges with a higher capacity.

Issue 3: Print jobs are being sent to the wrong printer

In a workspace with more than one printer, the computer could send the printing command to a printer other than the one you asked for. This happens when the default printer for the system has been changed. The steps for fixing this problem depend on the operating system. For Windows users, the Printers option comes under Devices in the Control Panel and the default can be selected by right clicking the desired printer and setting it a default.

Issue 4: Poor Print Quality

Blocked nozzles on an inkjet printer can cause unwanted horizontal streaks, wrong colors or poor color saturation. This has a fairly simple solution: cleaning the print heads. The printer software usually has a maintenance option which allows you to clean or align the print heads. The manual should be consulted to find the control panel for the printer. The heads should then be cleaned using special kits. Another solution could be replacing the cartridge.

The paper type also affects quality of prints. You cannot use photocopier paper for your printer as it is highly absorbent and will soak up ink. To get the best prints, you need high quality paper. This applies to any type of printer, be it inkjet or laser.

Issue 5: Getting out-of-ink messages even when cartridge is full

The printer’s warning about the ink cartridge being empty is not usually accurate, but there is a solution to this annoying and misleading warning. The ink cartridges can be reset or revived to get the printer to work again. The way to do this is different for each model and manufacturer. The manual should be consulted and if it does not specify the procedure, then call a customer care representative. 

Malware, worms, viruses and spyware all affect computers and harm them. While they may sound alike, all are different from each other and affect the computer in different ways. People usually tend to think that malware, spyware, viruses and worms are alike, but in reality, they are not. Here are the differences between them:

Malware is a general term used to describe any kind of threat to a computer that may cause it harm and damage it to steal you information. The word malware is made up of two words, malicious and software. Therefore, any kind of intrusive software program that threatens the computer and the data inside is considered malware. Viruses, worms, adware, Trojans and spyware, all come under the broad category of malware as they are made to perform harmful operations on the computer machine.

The word virus used to be a general term for computer infections before malware. Now, virus is a specific program that self-replicates. Viruses, once inside the computer, copy themselves from file to file by attaching themselves to something running on the windows. Viruses can spread from one file to another or from one PC to another PC when files are shared. This way, they can harm more than one computer.

Viruses usually get attached to files that are executable, but there are different kinds of computer viruses affecting them in various ways. Some viruses attach themselves to the boot record, autorun scripts, office macros or temporary files. Viruses are mainly designed to wreak havoc inside the computer and make the files useless. Most viruses corrupt files and make it hard to work properly on the windows. To avoid this, one should make sure that antivirus software is installed. It is also best to avoid downloading files from unknown sources or sites. The file names can also suggest if a virus is attached to them, so be sure to look out for that.

Spyware is a software that collects all the information on the PC and sends it to the creator. Private information is sent over the internet to someone without anyone ever finding out. Most spywares are part of marketing strategies over the internet that tells companies what the users prefer so they target them accordingly. However, spyware can also be used to collect password and credit card information, which can be very invasive. The information revealed to an interested party can be benign or very dangerous. Different tool bars that are run on the browser are a good example of spyware.

Worms, like viruses, are also self-replicating but they do not attach themselves to files. Instead, worms use the internet to replicate themselves by finding a hole in any software used. Worms are programs that run at the back of the PC without the user knowing of their presence. They travel over the internet at great speed and infect many PCs. Worms are the most common known malware and are often confused with viruses. Some of the most famous worms are the ILOVEYOU worm, code red worm and SQL Slammar. The iloveyou worm was transmitted through emails and caused huge losses to companies. Code red worm affected many websites and SQL slammar slowed down the speed of the internet. To prevent worms, one needs to make sure that the firewall is intact and an upgraded antivirus program is installed. 

Mobile applications are revolutionizing the way we conduct our daily activities. When it comes to fitness there is no better way to assess your progress than using your mobile phone. Realizing this, there are many app developers that have delved into making mobile applications for fitness purposes, each being tweaked to perform optimally for certain endeavors.  

In this regard, there are apps that are primarily meant to track your fitness levels while others are designed to help you attain the fitness level that you desire using workout plans. Let’s have a look at some of the best fitness applications in 2015. 

Nike+ Training Club

This free application has been developed with one goal in mind – making fitness goals as easy as possible to achieve. In doing so, the developer of application and the fitness experts at Nike Master Trainers collaborated in designing and making the best fitness application possible. There is a variety of fitness exercises categorized for fitness objective such as getting strong, getting lean, getting focused, getting toned. The application also has a work-out comes with a work out plan and video tutorial of the exercising, making it easy to follow. It is available for iOS and Android platforms devices.  

Runkeeper

Runkeeper is a workout log application that helps you to keep track of your exercising regime and your fitness level. This free app is able to track the length and time of your run, walk of cycling exercise using the GPS in your phone. Additionally, the app has a “Goal” section through which you set your fitness goals and at the same time, it can suggest some goals for you and ways of achieving the goals. It also has workout plans that one can follow, with more advanced workout plan available on payment of a subscription fee.

Fitnet

This is fitness tracking app that utilizes the device’s camera to measure how well you are following the fitness exercising from a video tutorial. The premise behind this app is that by showing you how often you fall out of steps and out of rhythm of the exercise routine in real time, you are able to improve.

Lose it

This is a free fitness app that focuses on the amount of calories that you take in and the amount that you use. It uses goal to indicate the amount of weight loss that you are seeking while displaying the progress in a simple to understand graph. 

We have entered the digital age where everything is online. Your pictures, important documents, contact list and every else that you value is on your computer, which is why getting hacked is everyone’s biggest fear. There are many ways to tell whether your security and privacy has been compromised. Here is a list of the telltale signs that will alert you to take action.

Fake Antivirus Scan

If you receive a notification from an antivirus you have not installed, then bear in mind that your computer has been hacked by malicious software. The notification is usually a “scan” of the computer reporting there are many viruses on your system that need to be deleted. Closing this message will not save you as the damage has already been done. The “antivirus warning” is yet another scam to get you to visit their genuine-looking website and buy the antivirus program. Many people fall for this and disclose their banking information, falling further into the hacker’s clutches.

New Toolbars in Browsers

Another highly common sign is new toolbars popping up in your browser which you do not recall installing. These toolbars advertise great utility and service but should not be trusted unless they are from a recognized vendor. Remove and install the toolbar(s) immediately.

Unrelated Search Results

Hackers get paid to redirect unaware users to a specific webpage. They are paid per clicks, which is why they try to get you to visit the link as often as they can. The links are highly disguised, so in most cases, the users have no idea they have been hacked.  To check whether your system is being exploited, make two searches that are unrelated to each other and see if the same webpages appear in both results. If this happens almost all the time, then you need to take some precautionary steps.

Frequent Popups

Getting popups is a popular sign of malware and it can also be very frustrating. These popups appear in your browser from websites that do not generate them. The problem can be curbed for the time-being by using an anti-popup extension but you should not stop there; your computer has been hacked and you need to get rid of the malware immediately.  

Fake Emails

Everyone in your friend list or just a few of your contacts may receive emails from the malware to get them to click on a link and visit some website. This is a scheme to trap more victims. The malware hunts down the email-addresses and sends an email with your name but a different email address to your entire email list. 

Incorrect Passwords

If you are not able to access your online accounts because of an incorrect password, then it could mean you have been hacked. The password needs to be one you are completely sure of. It could also mean that that specific account was hacked by someone. It results from responding to phish email, which hands over the logon information to the hacker, who can then change the password and use the account to exploit others.

Unsolicited Software Installs

A software on your computer that you do not remember installing is an indication that your computer has been hacked. Malware programs are now Trojan or Worm viruses, which means that they get installed in your computer like any other legitimate software. Most of the time the program is installed by some other software and it is stated explicitly in their license agreements, an information which everyone usually ignores. 

iPhone passwords/passcodes help restrict access to your phone. However, in case you forget or enter the wrong passcode you also get locked out. The iPhone usually gives the user six attempts to enter the correct passcode before the phone is locked and subsequently disabled. Although this seems like a reasonable number of chances to help you remember and enter the correct passcode, many people still find themselves with locked or disable devices from time to time. It is helpful to know that Apple offer a variety of ways users can unlock their devices and regain access.  

Ways to unlock your Locked iPhone

1. If you have synced your Phone with a Computer

Connect the iPhone to the computer you had previously synced it with. Apple devices can only be synced with one computer, so make sure you use the right computer; don’t be alarmed if you get an error code. After connecting to iTunes, right click on the device name and then click Back Up. Once the backup process is done, restore the device.

2. If you have never synced the iPhone with iTunes

If you have never synced the iPhone with iTunes, or do not have access to the specific computer you used, you should follow the following steps. Note that this procedure wipes out the data store in the phone. To put the phone in recovery mode:

• Remove the data cable from your phone.
• Turn off the device by holding down the power button and sliding to power off.
• Hold down the Home button to until the screen display reads ‘Connect to iTunes’ at which point you should release it.
• iTunes will restore the device to factory settings. You can then download all the apps and music you had previously bought from iTunes for free.

3. If you have no Computer

To unlock your disabled iPhone device when you have no access to a computer requires that you have previously set “Find My iPhone” on when you were setting up the device. You should then connect your iPhone to an Apple device which has the “Find My iPhone App”. Locate and use the “Erase Phone/iPad’ option to reset the phone back to factory settings. Still under this method, you can use a computer and connect to iCloud.com and use a previous back up of your iPhone to reset the passcode.

With the above steps you can be sure that you can unlock your device easily and efficiently if it were to be locked. 

We built Fynd backend system on an awesome full-stack framework called Meteor. We benefited greatly from the Meteor community, especially here in Singapore and would like to contribute back. Our technical co-founder Albert Tirtohadi shared on Meteor Singapore meet-up on how to integrate Paypal Express Checkout in Meteor App. Here is the video of the talk, the slides and the Github link that contain the source code. We all are still learning so if there is anything that we can improve, please drop us a comment bellow!

Here is the demo website: http://getfynd.meteor.com

Here is the source code in GitHub:

https://github.com/tirtohadi/meteor-paypal-demo

Here is the slide deck (Slideshare):

Lastly, here is a photo of our recent Fynd Hackathon. Meteor FTW!

Computing has come a long way since the days of huge, power draining room-sized computing machines. A testament to this is the Raspberry Pi. Over the years, computers have been gaining processing power while their size reduces. This is easily visible in the size and capabilities of smartphones and tablets. The Raspberry Pi is a single board computer introduced back in 2012 by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The main intention for developing this device was to create a simple and affordable means of teaching basic computing and programming to students across the world. The foundation has licensed 3rd party manufacturers to manufacture and distribute microcomputer worldwide.

Raspberry Pi is designed to offer the basic functionalities of modern computers including programming, playing video and surfing the web as well. The card sized computer comes with a variety of connections to ensure that it can be connected to other hardware parts including regular keyboards, computer screens and TVs and even Ethernet cables. To achieve all this, the computer comes with the following features and capabilities.

Initially, the original Raspberry Pi models came with 256MB of RAM which could be split between the CPU and GPU. However, subsequent versions come with a 512MB RAM. All models however use the same CPU chip, the BCM2835. This chip clocks in 700MHz; same as a variety of older smartphones.

The latest Raspberry Pi comes with a Cortex-A5 CPU clocking 800MHz. it also ditches the single core processor used by earlier models for higher performing four core alternatives. RAM is expanded to 1GB to enhance performance. Other features include four USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, Videocore GPU and a 40-pin GPIO.

The Raspberry Pi comes with Linux kernel based operating systems; it is however important to note that it will not run any regular Linux versions such as Ubuntu. Suffice it to say, some prior knowledge of Linux is a prerequisite when it comes to using this computer. It is also compatible with a host of other custom operating system. The latest model is expected to support the use of Windows 10. The computer supports programming languages such as Python and Scratch making it a useful asset in learning programming.

Raspberry Pi has received a warm reception from computer users all over the world. This has led to the development of a variety of accessories to be used with the computer in increasing its capabilities. Users will find cameras and a host of other accessories designed to be used with the Raspberry Pi. 

Computer technology has been moving towards miniaturizing computer systems and making them lighter for a while now. Not just mobile phones and tablets, but laptops are getting lighter and lighter. With the development of better and smaller processors, more efficient thus smaller heat exchangers, tougher casing materials, and utilization of Solid State Drives, the thickness of laptop computers seems to be getting ever so thinner with time, giving rise to the Ultrabooks computer category. 

However, it is not just a matter of miniaturizing a computer system. The laptops in question should have some elements embedded in them for it to suffice as a proper Ultrabook. Above the slick and a compact designs, Ultrabooks should have high-performance processors, premium display and should be light-weight.

There are many laptop computers that fit this bill. However, there are those that perform better than others. In this regard, we shall take a look at some of the thinnest laptops available in 2015.

Dell XPS 13

This is possibly the best Dell laptop model in the market. A true work of functional art that features both superior design and great performance embedded in one machine. In terms of performance, the Dell XPS 13 has Intel’s 2.2 GHz core i5-5200 processor. It has a screen resolution of 3200 x 1800, and its graphics are handled by Intel HD Graphics 5500. It has an 8GB Ram, further enhancing its performance. For storage, it has a 230GB SSD. At 0.6” tall, 11.98” wide and 7.88” long, it is one of the thinnest and slickest laptops in the market.

Samsung ATIV Book 9

This is another computer that features in our thinnest laptops list. It incorporates a slick design and stunning performance. It features a Core i5 1.6GHz processor with a 4GB ram, a 128GB SSD and 13.3” screen with a 3200x1800 resolution. It is also light-weight at 1.39kg making it easy and convenient to carry around.

Apple’s 2015 MacBook

MacBooks have been known for their slick design and thinness. The 2015 release is no different. It is light (a mere 2.04 pounds) and thin with a stunning finish to it. Powered by the Intel’s Core M processors and an 8GB Ram, its performance is quite commendable. Additionally, it has a memory of 256GB although there is a variant with a storage space of 512GB. At its thinnest point it is 13.1mm thick, making it the thinnest Mac to date.  

Another laptop that comes shy of making the above list is the ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi.

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Computers are made of a variety of components each with a specific task to perform. RAM (Random Access Memory) is one of the main components of a computer. It usually holds applications and any additional data when they are running. RAM issues are usually minimal especially since modules tend to last over an extended period even with regular use. This is because the modules do not have moving parts which are susceptible to wear and tear; they also consume low amounts of power as well. However, if your computer is experiencing performance and speed issues, then memory corruption and in this case, RAM issues may be the main culprit.

Once you detect performance issues, and suspect that the RAM may be the root of the problem, the following tools will help come up with a diagnosis.

Memtest86+

This program is designed for the sole purpose of diagnosing RAM issues. This is the leading tool when it comes to RAM testing. It has been around for decades and comes in different versions, each with improvements on the previous one. To use memtest86+, you need to download the relevant files in ISO format and then burn them onto a CD. When turning on your computer, set it to boot from the disc so as to run the software. This runs tests on the computer’s RAM modules before starting up the computer. This software can be used on a variety of Operating Systems including Windows, Mac and Linux.

Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool 

If you own a Windows computer, you can use the inbuilt memory diagnostics tool. Just go to Control Panel and click on Administrative Tools. You will then be prompted on whether you want to run the tool immediately and therefore restart the computer or run it the next time you reboot. The tool uses two test passes to diagnose RAM. As the tool runs, you can easily check the status field located at the bottom of the screen. The user can change settings before running the test by pressing F1. However, this is not always necessary given that the default settings are adequate.

Alternatively, you can test whether your computer’s RAM is damaged by simply opening up the computer and removing the modules one by one so as to find out which is damaged. Remember to switch the modules between the slots to ensure that there is no problem there. 

The expression “a picture is worth a thousand words” expresses the power of images in communicating or evidencing ideas and concepts. Images displayed on a computer screen can be explained using numerous words. Since this can prove to be difficult at times5, why not take a screenshot and use it instead.  

In this regard, many people have effectively used screenshots to save information displayed on computer screens in simple to understand image formats. Thereafter, one can share the information quite easily.

Every computer operating system has its own methods of capturing screenshots, even mobile phones provide that. For Mac’s OS X, there are different ways of taking screenshots as listed below.

Taking Partial Screen Shots using Command+Shift+4

This method entails using the Command, Shift and number 4 keys from the keyboard. Press Command, Shift then Four. The cursor turns to a cross-hair reticle. Using the crosshair, click on the screen to initiate the process then drag the cross-hair reticle over the area you want to capture in the screenshot; a pale rectangle will appear(it functions much the same as cropping an image so it should not be difficult). If you are satisfied with the captured image release the mouse to save it, otherwise press escape to erase the screen highlight. The image will be saved by default on your desktop with .png file extension.  

This method is best used when you want to reduce the amount of image processing such as cropping after taking the screenshot.

Taking Screenshots of the Entire Screen Using Command+Shift+3 

This particular method is best used in situations where you want an image showing content of the entire screen. Unlike the method above, the resulting image in this method takes a screenshot of the screen as it is. It is therefore prudent to make sure that the screen has the exact content that you want to capture.  

Press Command, Shift and 3. If your computer sound is on, you will hear a brief camera shutter sound, indicating that the screenshot has been taken. Just as in the previous method, the image is saved on the desktop with a .png file extension.

Taking a Screenshot and saving it on the Clipboard

This method takes screenshots but instead of saving it as an image in a .png format on the desktop, it saves the image on the clipboard which is a temporary memory utilized for the copy-paste function.

Take the screenshot using Command, Control, Shift and 4 to take partial screenshots or Command, Control, Shift and 3 for screen shots of the entire screen. Thereafter you can paste the image in any compatible application. 

Computers were designed to ease the process of getting a variety of both mundane and complicated tasks. It is only fair that using this convenient machine should be made even more convenient; shortcut keys are the best means of achieving this. Computers and in this case Macs, come with a host of keyboard shortcuts designed to make it easier to get work done without having to use the mouse and longer navigation processes. To ensure that you can use your Mac computer with utmost convenience as well as making your work more efficient we have compiled a collection of useful shortcut keys for Mac computers.

Below you will find a collection of useful Mac OS X shortcuts to help you improve productivity when working.

When shutting your Mac down, you can avoid the time consuming process that comes with the regular shutdown procedure of using Apple Menu and then Shut Down. Just press Command + Option + Control + Eject to immediately shut down the computer. Remember to close any applications before using this shortcut. Alternatively you can use Command + Option + Eject to put the computer on sleep mode.

If you usually surf the internet on a regular basis, you come across a lot of content you would like to share with other people. When surfing the internet using Safari, just press Command + Shift + I to automatically begin a new email with the link to the webpage you are on pasted in the message body.

Today, screenshots for just about any window are usually captured and sent for various purposes. To capture a screenshot of the window you are viewing only, press Command + Shift + 4. After the crosshairs appear press Space to create a camera image that can be placed on the window you want to capture and then click on it.

If you usually use your computer for writing, you can reduce the time it takes to look up the meaning of a word on your Mac. Use Command + Control + D while the cursor is placed on the word you want to look up. a dialog box with the defined word appears with the required definition.

When you are busy working and one of the running applications decides to start acting up and crashes, press and hold for three seconds, Command + Shift + Option + Esc  so as to Force Quit the application immediately. 

In today’s world, email has taken a front seat in a variety of communication contexts. Maintaining an organized record of all important emails, contacts and calendars is vital. We access emails anywhere from our computers or mobile phones. Microsoft Outlook is the leading application used for this exact purpose. It makes organizing the above data components into one central location easy and convenient. All Outlook data is stored in files with a .pst extension either stored in the My Documents folder or in the C: drive of your computer. Since there is a risk that you may lose the data in your computer through various occurrences, it is recommended that you back up the Outlook .pst file from time to time to minimize the chances of losing all your data.

Below we will look at how to locate, backup and restore the Outlook files on another computer or any other storage media.

Locating the .pst File

As previously stated, all Outlook files are usually stored in files with the .pst extension, which is also referred to as Personal Folders file. This means that you can find their location by searching for the .pst file extension. Remember to turn on search for all hidden and system files before you run the search.

Backing up the Outlook.pst File

After you have located the Outlook.pst file you can then move on to the backup phase. This step is rather easy to get done, just copy the outlook.pst file to the backup destination of choice. Before you start copying the files you will have to first make sure that Outlook is closed.

Restoring the File

The outlook.pst file can only be useful if it can be restored, it is best to test your back up before you delete the primary file to avoid losing any data. Copy the file to a location you want to work with it, for instance in the My Documents folder of another computer. For files being restored form a CD/DVD backup, remember to unmark the Read Only attribute.

To restore the file, open Outlook and then click File, then Open and then Outlook Data File…

Now you can check whether the files were properly backed up and even use them on any other computer that you wish.

This process is quite useful especially when it comes to restoring Outlook files after a disaster which results in the loss of the primary files. 

Computers have become an essential electronic device today apart from mobile phones. Computers have a wide range of applications ranging from office processing operations to gaming and web surfing. Making your own computer from scratch might seem like a daunting task but it also gives you the opportunity to create a machine which is tailored to your specific needs. It is also worth noting that by putting together your own computer you get to learn more about computers and improve your computer maintenance skills as well.

To put together you own computer, you first have to keep some considerations in mind. Below we will look at the some of the essential steps of assembling your own computer.

Before you assemble a computer, first make up your mind on the type of computer you are looking to create. This is determined by the intended application; these include gaming, regular word processing or web surfing. This determines the specific parts to be used to attain the necessary processing power.  

Once you have made up your mind on the type of computer you are interested in putting together move on to the next step; sourcing the necessary parts. All computers basically have the same general components including:

The Motherboard

The motherboard is the backbone of the computer. It connects all the different components of the computer. It comes with a variety of ports and sockets on which to connect the other components. The type of motherboard chosen is determined by the type of processor to be used. This is because different processors come with different sockets.

Processor

This component is responsible for the processing of all operations the user requires done by the computer. In other words the processor is the brain of the computer. It determines the speed of operations. When choosing a processor it is important to take heating under consideration as well.

RAM

Random Access Memory is used to store applications temporarily while they are running. The RAM chosen influences the speed of the computer. It is important to note that the Ram chosen relies on the capabilities of the motherboard in use.

Hard Drive

This component is used to store applications. The size of the drive determines the number of applications and data that can be stored in it. As the price of hard drives has been reducing over the years, you can get the capacity you need at an affordable price.

With these components you are now ready to put together your own computer. 

The photo-editing capabilities of Adobe Photoshop make it one of the most popular software to utilize when editing images. However, the price tag on the software can be prohibitive to many. At the hefty price of around $650, there are many people who are not willing to cough up such an amount, especially if they only utilize photo-editing programs to perform basic editing. Others still are not able to purchase the computer software program due to financial constraints.

However, you should not be overly worried if you find yourself in such a situation. There are numerous alternatives to Adobe Photoshop which are cable of performing the same functions and are free to use. They include: 

Paint.net

This is a free software that runs on windows. It emerged as a replacement of Microsoft’s paint but has grown in terms of its capabilities and support with numerous tutorials and plugins. It is capable of handling every day image manipulations as well as some of the more advanced operations like multiple layer manipulations.

Seashore

Seashore is a free image editing software for Max OS X’s. Its capabilities include multiple-layer editing, alpha channel editing as well as texture and gradient anti-aliasing in the case of brush strokes as well as text.

Pixlr

Pixlr is a browser based and as well as mobile and computer app based image editing that that can suffice to perform every day photo editing. The browser editor is more powerful than the above alternatives. However, it is important to note that there are some advanced editing tools on this solution that require an annual subscription of $15.  

Affinity Photo

This is another image-editor that created for OS X. This particular software is intended for professional user, thus it is has been developed to be fast and efficient while providing an advanced set of processing tools. Its inpainting tool enables some advanced image processing capabilities such as RAW processing.

Gimp

Gimp is a multi-platform image editing software that can works in Windows, OS and in Linux. Despite being open software, it is one of the most capable image processing softwares there is. However, it is not as user friendly as the other image processing software available, therefore, it takes some getting used to.

Picasa

Picasa is also another image editing software that is free for Windows and OS X operating systems. It has the basic tools required to edit your photos for social media uses, while the filters are able to do some few advanced editing jobs.

A super tool that laptop repair professionals use to scan the health of hard disk is a tool called HD Tune. You can get it from their website, HDTune.com. HD Tune allows you to run full health checks on your heard disk, scan for errors and also check the health status of your hard drive.

It comes with Free Trial where you can download and test out it capabilities The current stable version is HD Tune Pro 5.60 that comes with improved temperature detection, ability to save screenshots, command line options to list all the available drives in your machine and also an improved volume detection capability. If you have a hard disk problem, you can rely on HD Tune

Geeks! Can you do this?

This article first appeared on taken from Gizmodo

A new system from MIT’s CSAIL, or Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, does something incredible to fix buggy software: It borrows healthy code from other applications–and then fixes the bug without ever accessing the original source code.

Think of it as an organ transplant. Except in this case, the sick patient is a buggy software app. And the “donor organ” is a piece of code from another application, even if it’s written in a whole different language. That’s a crude and imperfect metaphor, but it helps explain CodePhage, a system that was presented by MIT researchers at the Association for Computing Machinery’s Programming Language Design and Implementation conference this month, as MIT News explains today.

CodePhage’s creators explain it like this: A program with a bug is the “recipient.” When CodePhage identifies a bug, it searches for a fix from a slew of other programs and repositories. Once it finds a good piece of “donor” code, it patches it onto the recipient and tests whether it fits—without ever gaining access to the source code. It keeps doing this until it finds the ideal donor.

What’s really cool about this system is that it can fix bugs using solutions that might not even be written in the same language, creating a kind of patchwork of good ideas from a broad range of sources. You can find a full run-down of how CodePhage works in this presentation by one of its creators, Martin Rinard, but to MIT News Rinard explained how CodePhage is part of a broader effort to create a system that will reduce the need for new code completely:

“The longer-term vision is that you never have to write a piece of code that somebody else has written before,” Rinard says. “The system finds that piece of code and automatically puts it together with whatever pieces of code you need to make your program work.”

The intricacies of how the system checks and re-checks its fixes using a symbolic expression are complex, of course, but even from a layperson’s perspective it’s easy to see how a system like CodePhage could be a forerunner to systems that are constantly finding and patching bugs, drawing on the collective intelligence of multiple authors and sources to built better applications.

For more, check out MIT News’s writeup.

Image: ChromaWise

As one of the largest companies in the IT industry, Microsoft has been on the back foot when it comes to the smartphone industry. Users of its Microsoft phones have been forced to choose from a smaller group of apps as compared to their Android and iOS counterparts. However, Microsoft sees this and plans to introduce some changes with its Windows 10 Operating System. Developers of Android and iOS based apps will have the opportunity to list their apps on the Windows store as their devices will now support the apps.  

Microsoft has been suffering from a limited availability of developers willing to create apps for their devices. This has affected the user satisfaction on their devices as users always seem to get the latest apps after they have been available on the other two main platforms for seemingly ages. One of the main reasons why Microsoft has been struggling in this area is because of having a low market share in the smartphone market. However, this is about to change as the company plans to market over a billing devices over the next few years. Microsoft intends to run windows 10 on all their devices, from gaming consoles and mobile phones to PCs. This they figure should work to attract developers back to the fold as the opportunity to market apps to users who do not have them arises.  

To Run Android Apps

Windows 10 comes with a layer that allows their smartphones to run Android apps on their devices without having to rework them. The Android apps will be ran on a subsystem on the Windows 10 platform. The subsystem which is much like an emulator allows the apps to run unmodified; it runs Android Open Source Project.

To Run iOS Apps

On the iOS front, developers have been provided with a complier that allows them to recompile their apps in a simple and convenient way so as to be supported on Windows 10 platform.

With the above changes promising a lot for Microsoft devices users, it is plain to see that the company is moving ahead with their promise to create a Universal platform. With developers having the ability to post their apps on the Windows store with ease, the future looks bright for users. All that stands now is to see just how developers take this opportunity.