The essential back to school 2015 shopping guide
The saddest thing about the summer is that it must end. If you are a student -- high school or college -- you are probably sad about your vacation ending. Yeah, it stinks, but you know what makes it stink less? Buying new technology -- hopefully with your parents' money!
While laptops and calculators used to be the only tech a student would need to focus on, 2015 has so much more. There are tablets, e-readers, music players, alarm clocks, and so on. It can feel overwhelming, but don't worry -- I've got you covered. Here is the tech you need for the upcoming semester.
Apple's iPhones gaining ground in Europe
The move to bigger iPhones is arguably the best decision that Apple has made in recent years. Consumer demand has been extremely strong from launch, proof being that Apple was able to match Samsung's shipments in Q4 2014 and post record sales quarter after quarter. The result? Record earnings.
The strong iPhone sales also translate into a strong market share. In Europe, Apple's handsets are gaining ground across all five-largest local markets, at the expense of either market leader Android or third-place rival Windows Phone, according to a new report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
Tweet, share and save quotes and images with Pullquote
You’re browsing online, and find a quote you’d like to keep or share with others. Should be easy, but instead you’re copying and pasting the quote, maybe editing it for Twitter, adding a link, perhaps a bookmark. Although even then, any URLs point at the page, not the content you’re after.
Pullquote is a free Chrome extension which changes all this by providing a simple, unified way to tweet and save quotes, images and more.
Which Lumia smartphones will get Windows 10 Mobile first?
Microsoft can focus on Windows 10 Mobile now that Windows 10 is officially available to PC and tablet users. While we do not yet know exactly when the software giant plans to introduce the new version of its smartphone operating system, we do have an idea about which Lumia handsets will be the first to receive the coveted software upgrade.
Windows 10 Mobile will be available to virtually all smartphones that run Windows Phone 8.1, partly because the system requirements are pretty much the same. The Lumia devices that will get the software upgrade first are newer handsets that either sell well at the moment or are positioned at the top of the lineup.
Meet YouTube's new HTML5 desktop player
After months of testing the new video player, YouTube is finally rolling the update out to all desktop users. Even though it is not a full revamp to the video player, it lowers the size of the various elements and offers smarter automatic resolution options.
All the parts of YouTube’s video player are still where they were pre-update. Play/pause, fast forward and sound are located on the bottom left; video quality, size, Chromecast and fullscreen are located on the bottom right. For some videos, a promotional button will be located on the top right, highlighting featured content.
Do you regret upgrading to Windows 10?
Windows 10 is now with us, and, whether you've made the move from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, there is a lot to love, but also a lot to hate. With this latest release, there is also one very big difference from previous versions of Windows: it is free of charge.
This is not only likely to encourage more people into making the move to Windows 10, but it also opens up a possibility that many people would simply not have considered before. If you decide that you don’t like Windows 10 (the OS is not without its fair share of problems, after all), you can downgrade to your previous version without ending up out of pocket. The question is, how many people will go -- or have gone -- down this route?
5 things I don't like about Apple Watch
About two weeks ago, I shared how Apple Watch tickles my fancy. From likes, we go to dislikes, and keeping with the other I purposely limit the number to five. Quick recap: I bought the aluminum model on June 18, 2015 from the local Apple Store. Seven days later, I exchanged for the stainless steel variant. Except to charge or to shower, I've worn it constantly since.
Broadly, my feelings about the smartwatch are mixed. The delivered benefits are excellent, but they aren't enough to justify the lofty price. If not for using MacBook Pro and iPhone 6 Plus this summer, Android Wear and iOS incompatibilities, or the promise of watchOS 2 coming early autumn, I would not have purchased the device. I'm not dissatisfied with Apple Watch, but want more from it. As I explained on July 18, the measure of success or failure isn't sales but returns. I kept mine. How many early buyers didn't?
Outlook on the web gets a new look, name, and tools to improve efficiency
Microsoft today announces a number of changes to the online version of Outlook. One of the biggest updates sees the rollout of a new, cleaner interface which Microsoft says helps to improve efficiency. In addition to aesthetic alterations, there are also a number of new tools that make it easier to manage an inbox.
There is also something of a rebranding taking place. The Outlook Web App (OWA) is no more; say hello to Outlook on the web. The new name is a minor change, however. The big news today are the visual and productivity updates.
November Xbox One update brings Xbox 360 backwards compatibility and Windows 10
The focus of the launch of Windows 10 so far has very much been on the desktop version of the operating system and the preview builds for Windows Phone handsets. But the latest version of Windows is about creating a Windows ecosystem that embraces a plethora of platforms, and that includes Xbox One.
Microsoft has already given us a glimpse of what is in store for owners of its games console, and today the company revealed that the Windows 10-powered update will arrive in November. As well as bringing Windows 10 to gamers -- including Cortana -- the update will also make it possible to play Xbox 360 games.
New Windows 10 preview builds on the way -- time to opt back into Insider updates!
It's now a week since the launch of Windows 10, and if you've missed looking out for the release of new preview builds there's some good news for you. Microsoft disabled preview builds in the immediate run-up to the release of Windows 10, but now you can opt back in.
What does this mean? Now that Windows Insiders have the option of accessing updates from the Fast and Slow rings once again, it's safe to assume that new preview builds are on the way. With the widely-held belief that Windows 10 Service Release 1 is imminent, this is perhaps not entirely surprising -- we may even get a glimpse of Windows 10s first major update.
SysAdmin Appreciation Day: Did you appreciate your admins in the right way?
You may be wondering -- what exactly is System Administrator Appreciation Day? For the past 15 years, the last Friday of July has been a day dedicated to those who make everyone else’s job easier by making sure IT needs are met and everything is running smoothly.
Yes, System Administrators (SysAdmins) install and maintain everything from LANs to WANs and the Internet and intranet -- but you probably know them as the first person to call when your computer freezes or you can’t access your email.
Clean up after a Windows 10 upgrade and regain loads of disk space
Windows 10 itself has moderate hard drive requirements -- around 16 GB for the 32-bit OS, and 20 GB for 64-bit version -- but the upgrade process can leave behind loads of temporary files that can really impact on your free space.
Browse the root of your system drive, and you’ll probably find two sizable directories -- $Windows.~BT, and $Windows.~WS, as well as a Windows.old directory created during the upgrade. Wondering if you can, or should remove these? It’s a question of lot of people are currently wondering.
New OnePlus smartphone to launch around Christmas
With the OnePlus 2 officially announced, the Shenzhen-based startup is starting work on its third smartphone, set for launch near Christmas. OnePlus CEO Carl Pei confirmed plans to launch the smartphone around that time in an interview with USA Today.
Pei said it may or may not be higher spec than the OnePlus 2, and did not branch off into any more details. Rumors of the OnePlus Mini, Plus and Ultra have all been published, but we have yet to see any concrete proof of a size change.
Microsoft announces Windows 10-optimized PC accessories
Windows 10 is off to a very successful start. All around the world, users of Windows 7 and 8 are upgrading to the new version at a furious pace. This is a very smart move, as for the first time ever, a major update to Microsoft's operating system is being offered to the masses at no charge.
While Windows 10 should run absolutely fine on existing computers and current accessories, that doesn't mean there can't be improvements. Today, Microsoft announces updates to its well-respected line of mice and keyboards, with a focus on Windows 10. Will you upgrade your keyboard and mouse to its new offerings?
Siri might be able to transcribe your voicemails in iOS 10
The future is here. Apple is now preparing to launch a voicemail service that will use Siri to transcribe your messages. And since we all know what a pain it is to listen to those voicemails again, you will then receive a message from iCloud of the transcribed voicemail, although this is due in 2016.
Here’s the theory that Apple is using: people like to leave voicemails because it is much easier to leave an oral message as opposed to typing it all out in a text message. But, on the other hand, people don’t like to receive voicemails because it is much easier to read a message, than go through all the voicemails someone has left.
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