Schedule Windows to Sleep and Wake Automatically There are third-party power management programs that do this, many of which come bundled with laptops. But if you are on a plain vanilla Windows desktop, you may want just to go ahead and do it natively. Here’s how: Disable hybrid sleep/hibernation. (Optional, but recommended.) Create a script file (.bat) to put your computer to sleep. Create a script file (.bat) to wake your computer....

If holding CTRL or Shift to select multiple files in Windows 7 isn’t your gig, then checkboxes make a great alternative. Included in Windows 7 is a Groovy checkbox feature for selecting files, however, by default, it’s disabled, so most users don’t even know it’s an option! I like the checkbox feature as it’s easy to use and avoids becoming annoying by auto-hiding until you hover over them with the mouse....

What is File History in Windows 10? File History is a built-in tool that was first introduced in Windows 8. It allows you to recover files you might have accidentally deleted or restore a modified document to an earlier version. It’s essentially like Apple’s Time Machine but for Windows. To use it, you’ll need an external hard drive or a large-capacity USB flash drive. You can set it up to use a network location, too....

Share Files from SkyDrive Compose your message in Outlook.com and when you’re ready to attach a file, click Insert > Share from SkyDrive. A separate window will open to the files and folders stored in your SkyDrive. Just select the ones you want to share. You can also share complete folders too. In this example I am sharing some photos and a folder from my SkyDrive. Notice that it displays thumbnails of your photos which makes it easier to know what you’re sharing....

Pair Bluetooth Speakers with Google Home To set it up, open the Google Home app on your phone or tablet and head to Device Settings and follow the onscreen pairing instructions and make it your default speaker. Find the “Default Music Speaker” menu and you’ll find the option to pair another Bluetooth speaker. There are several scenarios when you might want to use this new feature. For example, the Google Home Mini isn’t known for its incredible sound (although it’s probably best for smart speakers in its class)....

Unfortunately, even after getting started with your Netflix stream on a server, getting a black screen is a likely possibility. Luckily, we have some troubleshooting steps you can take to get rid of the black screen and have a quality streaming experience. If you want to get started, here’s how to stream Netflix on Discord. How to Stream Netflix on Discord on Windows and Mac The process of Streaming Netflix on Discord is straightforward....

All you need is Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari, and your Android smartphone (it can be an older one, too, as the app runs on Android 2.2 and up.) You can even use it with an iPad or Kindle by accessing a URL — you can find links and extensions here. Send Text Messages via Gmail Note: This is how to do it using Google Chrome, but the process is similar to other browsers....

These apps are only as good as the hardware you’re using, however. You may need to adjust your microphone settings for your environment and get it ready to speak with friends, family, and colleagues. To make this easy, Windows 11 includes a built-in tool to help you test your microphone. If you’re unsure how, here’s how to test a microphone on a Windows 11 PC. How to Set Up a Microphone on Windows 11 Before you begin, you’ll need to make sure your mic is working properly on your PC....

It means that Google tracks and logs everything there is to know about you. This includes Google searches, reservation emails you receive and even specific locations you visit. If you aren’t too keen on having Google monitoring your every move, in this article, you’ll learn how to turn off all Google tracking activities. Which Activities Does Google Track? While most people know that Google Chrome logs your searches and sites you visit, few people realize how other services also track activity....

Note: Microsoft is continuously adding new features to Cortana and some features might change. This tutorial covers the latest version of the Anniversary Update with the latest updates, which at the time of this writing is KB3176934 which was released yesterday. Disable Cortana Anniversary Edition The first thing to do is launch Cortana and open the Notebook and select About Me at the top of the list. Then click on your Microsoft Account email....

Using the New Control Center in iOS 11 Control Center has evolved over the years, but the last major update came with the totally redesigned iOS 7 in 2013. Since then, improvements to the Control Center has been mostly fit and finish, but this year’s iOS 11 brings a refreshing design change that’s not only beautiful but intuitive and easy to use. When you use the swipe up gesture, you are greeted by a full-screen interface with control panel-like widgets....

However, for the pedometer feature, the watch can track your number of steps on its own. In fact, it’s more than a steps counter. The built-in pedometer feature will track total steps, total distance walked, flights of stairs climbed, and calories burned. Here’s how to set it up on your watch and view your results. Use Apple Watch as a Pedometer Without an iPhone Bring up your apps list and open the Activity app on your watch....

Rainmeter is a bit tricky to navigate, and not all of the themes and skins are going to work incredibly well. The skins are very community based mainly those created by independent creators, so it’s all about trial and error. In this article, I’ll guide you through the basics of setting up Rainmeter, finding skins/themes, and setting them up on your desktop. Rainmeter is very simple to use with the right skins, and the final product can be amazing....

Microsoft Edge Browser Task Manager The idea of a task manager for Microsoft Edge is similar to having Task Manager for Windows 10 on your PC. To get started, launch Microsoft Edge and click the Options button (three dots) in the upper-right corner of the screen. Scroll down and click on More tools > Browser task manager. When the Browser Task Manager opens you will notice it is virtually identical to Google Chrome’s Task Manager....

Chromecast Backdrop for Android or iOS The first thing you need to do is make sure you have the updated version of the Chromecast app for Android or iOS if you don’t have the latest version already. Once installed, tap on the settings menu and then Backdrop. From there you can select the items you want to display as the backdrop. You can choose your Google+ photos or a specific album....

Fact: a smartphone’s screen can show a lot of sensitive information. This is why using third-party apps can be quite dangerous. Therefore, it’s quite handy that Google has included a recorder on the Android platform. While the names might sound extremely similar, it is very important to know that this is something completely different from the Google Recorder app. The Screen Recorder feature actually allows you to capture everything that’s happening on your screen, both video and audio....

A while ago, the lucky ones were those who wanted a top Nokia Windows Phone, for as little as a penny. Well, if you had your eye on the HTC One X, but haven’t bought it yet, you’re in luck. Starting now, you’ll be able to get it at $99 with a two-year contract, instead of the $199.99 it used to cost. The interesting thing is that the news of the smartphone’s price drop starting this Sunday broke on the xda-developers forum....

Since its release on 12/1/2011, Infinity Blade II has won multiple awards and is ranked near the top of iOS action role-playing games. If you’ve never seen or played the game, here’s a quick description from the developers. Infinity Blade II will remain free on the iPhone and iPad through June 4th so grab a copy now before it returns to its normal price. Apple iOS Download Link : Infinity Blade II Download Link Comment Name * Email *...

With the wave of Twitter and mass mobile messaging, the number of characters in a message has become valuable real estate. So much so that many URL shortening web companies have appeared and taken on the job of saving you precious text characters. Personally, my favorite URL shortener which I’ve been using for a long time is is.gd. First off you might ask: What is a URL shortener? Or more specifically what is is....

iTunes in Microsoft Store on Windows 10 You now can search for “iTunes” in the Store or just head to this link to download iTunes for Windows 10. It’s important to note that when you install the Store version, it will remove your previous desktop version of iTunes and migrate your settings over. This is similar to how Spotify worked when it came to the store after Microsoft killed its Groove Music service....