There aren’t any noticeable differences that you’ll see in the UI or new features. However, it does fix bugs and improves security settings under the hood. This is update comes after April’s update KB3147458.218 which also had bug fixes and security updates. Windows 10 Cumulative Update KB3156421 Build 10586.318 According to Microsoft’s Windows 10 Update History page, this latest update includes the following key changes: Improved reliability in a number of areas including Cortana, Bluetooth, Shell, Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge, Miracast, and USB....

In fact former Windows employee Michael Bibik created the Fixing Windows 8 website to start a protest campaign. Some people say the Metro UI should be on tablets only and the Desktop remain the same on computers. I was initially hesitant about the new Metro UI and lack of the Start button. I’ve been testing out Windows 8 Consumer Preview since it was released and I’ve found it to be a fluid experience....

A stand-alone retail version is also available to purchase. The prices are $119 for 8.1 Basic, $199 for 8.1 Pro. As with Windows 8, if you want the Windows Media Center pack you’ll need to shell out an additional $9.99 and you’ll need to be running the Pro version. To makes things a bit more confusing, if you purchase the Basic version of 8.1 and want to upgrade to the Pro version, it will cost $99....

Another way to help the transition is to make your desktop background and Start screen background the same. For a lot of users this can make the experience from switching between environments less jarring. For example, here’s a look at my Desktop background: Then when switching to the Start screen for the modern view with live tiles, it’s something completely different: Keep the Windows 8.1 Background the Same for Desktop and Start Menu There’s a couple of ways to make sure the backgrounds in both environments are the same in Windows 8....

This is the beginning of the total phasing out of the operating system in favor of Windows Phone, Microsoft’s all-new mobile OS, built from scratch, that already runs on a plethora of new devices and growing based on Microsoft’s partnership with Mobile Phone maker Nokia. According to the announcement, the service will be discontinued on May 9. Still, if you still use a Windows Mobile 6.x smartphone and you have apps that were bought and / or downloaded from the service, they will keep working as usual although after May 9 you won’t be able to buy or download any additional apps....

Upgrade XP to Windows 7 or 8.1 Upgrading the OS might be a good option if you have newer hardware that will support it. If you’re still rocking that $350 Dell or Emachines (remember them?) that you got as a package deal in 2005, then chances are you’re out of luck. Even if you’ve upgraded the memory and hard drive capacity the Windows 7 or 8 experience is going to be lousy…and hardware driver support might be non-existent....

The best app I’ve used that works the PS3 controller is called Sixaxis Controller. Unfortunately, it isn’t free. It costs roughly $1.99 depending on which region your are viewing the Play market from. Note: Google’s Play Market compatibility checker cannot be trusted to ensure this app will function properly on your device. The developer, Dancing Pixel Studios, also published a free app to test if the app will work with your phone....

Yahoo Search Direct works very differently than Google Instant in terms of displaying results. Rather than using the normal results list, there is a smaller box directly below the search bar. You’ll see a list of suggested searches, and your “direct” results will show up in the new box. If you search for something such as the weather, instead of a link to a website you’ll see instant weather results....

While it is chock full of excellent system info, it opens to the Processes tab by default. That’s good if you are looking for an app or service to kill because it’s spiking your CPU and eating RAM. But you might be interested in a different tab such as Performance and want to make it the default. Starting with Windows 10 version 1903, you can set it to do just that....

You’re not stuck with system defaults, though. You can manage Search Indexing on Windows 11, so the search feature works better for you. This guide will look at different ways you can tweak and manage Search Indexing on Windows 11. Manage Search Indexing on Windows 11 We have already shown you how to hide files and folders from search. However, there are other aspects you can manage, like switching between Classic or Enhanced indexing, disabling content indexing, or disabling indexing altogether....

After all, an Android phone is just a small touchscreen computer—it can handle basic document editing (even if it is a little fiddly). If you need to view or make changes to Excel files in the XLSX format, you can quickly do it on Android. Here’s what you’ll need to do. How to Open XLSX Files in Android You can quickly open XLSX files in Android using Google Sheets, which (depending on your Android device) should be available on your device already....

Open the Dropbox application on your Android device, tap on the menu button and tap Settings. Under Dropbox account, check the option that says Passcode Lock. It will redirect you to the Passcode lock setup screen. Tap Turn Passcode On. Enter the numbers you want to use as your passcode and confirm. You can add a second layer of security by checking Erase Data From This Device After 10 Failed Passcode Attempts....

Apple is reportedly working on a fix for that SSL security hole in OS X. Apple has fixed the bug for iOS, but its desktop operating system is still vulnerable. While it sounds scary (and it can be if someone gains access to your system), you’re not in as much danger as you may think. Below are a few tips you can follow to help protect your computer and your data from unauthorized intruders making use of the man-in-the-middle attack....

How to Delete Photos on Mac When you delete photos on Mac (and videos), they’re placed in the Recently Deleted album in the native Photos app. They’ll stay there for 30 days before being automatically removed from iCloud and your devices, including Mac. Beneath each photo is information on when the photo will get deleted. Some important points to consider: If you aren’t using iCloud Photos, any deleted photos and videos in the Photos app on Mac are only removed from that device....

Remove Trusted PC from Microsoft Account First log in to your Microsoft Account. Under your Account Summary you’ll see a list of your trusted PCs. Here you can see I have several, to many actually. At the bottom of the list click Edit Security Info. Next you’ll have a list of each of your computers under Trusted PC. Just click the Delete link under the one(s) you want to remove....

Although we frequently focus on Technology, I love handy DIY tricks, so I thought I’d share this little adventure I had a few days ago. I started the adventure by calling my local post office, and that was a waste of time. They suggested a local locksmith and hung up on me. Yelp pointed me at a local locksmith who quoted me $250 for an onsite replacement plus an additional $150 an hour after 30 minutes....

But now the feature is being baked into Gmail on the web or via the mobile app. Google recently announced the feature in a post that celebrates 15 years of Gmail. It’s important to note that Google started a gradual rollout of this feature on April 1st (no joke) and not everyone has it yet. If you don’t see it yet, try logging out and back in or updating the app on your phone....

Thankfully, Google Maps allows you to store your home and work addresses in Google Maps. This saves you time when you’re heading to the office or back to your home. Rather than typing in a full address, searching for home or work will bring up the information and directions you need, saving your time. If you want to know how to set home and work addresses in Google Maps, here’s what you’ll need to do....

Old Original Article… As a blogger, I was surprised when I couldn’t find a simple way to take screenshots on my new Android mobile phone especially since the process is so dead simple using an iPhone. Anyway, a lot of people have been asking about this including grooveDexter on his Samsung Galaxy S. Fortunately, after playing around all hope is lost! There actually IS a way to take screenshots on an Android and this groovy guide will show you how in our typical step-by-step process....

If you’re using Gmail, the answer is simple. There are a number of useful search features in Gmail that will let you sort your emails by their sender. This makes it easy to find the emails you’re looking for, saving you time—especially if your inbox is overflowing. Want to get started? Learn how to sort by sender in Gmail by following the steps below. Using the Find Emails From Tool If you’re trying to look for all of the emails from a single sender, the easiest method (if you’re using the Gmail website) is to use the Find Emails From tool....