Use the top Windows 8 tips to enhance your Windows experience

Microsoft has finally launched the upgrade to Windows 8, the Windows 8.1 that will enable easier browsing and a seamless user interface if all the shortcuts and tricks are used to the fullest. Here are some tips that will help you use your Windows PC to its best:

• Click and drag to move any tile. You can view the Start Screen by moving the tile towards the top or the bottom of the screen and zooming it out.
• You can use the mouse wheel to horizontally scroll through the tiles in case you haven’t noticed yet.
• You can pin any desktop shortcut to the Start Screen by clicking on the ‘Pin to Start’ option on the dropdown that appears on right click.
• You can also pin any program you want to the taskbar by selecting the ‘Pin to Taskbar’ option on right click.
• You can use the magnifying glass on the bottom-right of the screen to get a view of the Start Screen as it is.
• What’s more is if you right click on any given group of tiles in this situation, you can have the option to name or rename the group to make the screen more organized.
• You can move whichever tile you want to a speed bump to create another speed bump.
• You can resize all the user tiles or the live tiles simply by clicking on the ‘resize’ option that comes with the dropdown menu on right click.
• You can show and hide the admin apps in the settings from Charms.

Useful keyboard shortcuts :

You can use the following keyboard shortcuts to get your job done faster and in fewer clicks. All you have to do is remember these tips:

• You can switch between the Start Screen and the Desktop with the Windows key.
• You can use the Windows key + D to open the Desktop.
• You can use the Windows key + (.) for pinning and unpinning Windows apps on or from the side of the screen. This comes in handy especially when the right click is not working.
• Windows key + X opens the power user menu where you can get access to features like the Command Prompt and Device Manager.
• You can go to Charms by pressing Windows key + C.
• You can enter ‘Settings’ without having to visit Charms by pressing Windows key + I.
• You can press and hold the Windows key to see all the open tabs at a glance if you still haven’t noticed that.
• You can have a screen shot simply by pressing the Windows key + print screen, which is nothing new. What’s new is it will automatically be saved in the ‘My Pictures’ folder so that you do not have to go to Paint and then copy paste it there.

There are many more shortcuts to Windows 8 but these are the simplest and most useful ones which can be used on a daily basis. Hope this was helpful and if you already know some or all of them, this can serve as a reminder list.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Sony Settles 2011 PSN Hacking Lawsuit; PS3, PSP Games Offered as Compensation

Sony Settles 2011 PSN Hacking Lawsuit; PS3, PSP Games Offered as Compensation

In 2011, PlayStation Network was attacked by hackers, bringing the service down for three weeks and making millions of users' personal information vulnerable to theft. Sony eventually fixed the problem and offered games and other services in a "Welcome Back" program to apologize for the outage. But some people didn't think that was enough compensation, and so a class-action lawsuit was filed against Sony.

Recently, the company came to an agreement with the group suing it, and will provide several more games and credit for PlayStation users. In the agreement (which you can read in its entirety below), Sony lays out a number of different benefits for its users.

Users who did not receive games during the Welcome Back program can receive two benefits--either a game for either the PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Portable, three PS3 themes, or a three-month subscription to PlayStation Plus. Users can choose two of the same benefit. These are given out on a first-come, first-serve basis until the total compensation value reaches $6 million. If that cap is reached, users can then receive one month of PS Plus.

Those who received games during the Welcome Back program can get one game for PS3 or PSP, three PS3 themes, or one three-month subscription to PS Plus. These will be given out until the total value reaches $4 million, after which a month of PS Plus will be offered. It is important to note that the PS Plus benefits are available only for users who have never before subscribed to Plus.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Dell, BlackBerry downplay threat from Apple-IBM deal

Dell, BlackBerry downplay threat from Apple-IBM deal

IBM's recent move to partner with Apple to sell iPhones and iPads loaded with corporate applications has excited investors in both companies, but two rivals say they are unperturbed for now.

Top executives at Dell and BlackBerry scoffed at the threat posed by the alliance this week, arguing the tie-up is unlikely to derail the efforts of their own companies to reinvent themselves.

"I do not think that we take the Apple-IBM tie-up terribly seriously. I think it just made a good press release," John Swainson, who heads Dell's global software business, said in an interview with Reuters in Toronto on Thursday.

PC maker Dell and smartphone maker BlackBerry are in the midst of reshaping their companies around software and services, as the needs of their big corporate clients morph.

Swainson, who spent over two decades in senior roles at IBM, said, "I have some trouble understanding how IBM reps are going to really help Apple very much in terms of introducing devices into their accounts. I mean candidly, they weren't very good at doing it when it was IBM-logoed products, so I do not get how introducing Apple-logoed stuff is going to be much better."

While conceding that Apple products hold more allure, Swainson said they lack the depth of security features that many large business clients like banks covet.

IBM and Apple could not immediately be reached for comment.

BlackBerry chief executive John Chen similarly downplayed the threat of the alliance in an interview with the Financial Times on Thursday, likening the tie-up to when "two elephants start dancing."

NO COMMENT ON POSSIBLE ALLIANCE

Dell and BlackBerry declined to discuss whether they would consider teaming up, but some analysts, bankers and others have argued in the past that a partnership between the two underdogs potentially made sense.

Texas-based Dell has a huge sales team, vast network of business clients and is focused on growing its security and device management capabilities, long strong suits for BlackBerry.

The Canadian company is building on its heritage by adding capabilities to manage not just BlackBerry, but iOS, Android and Windows-based devices on its infrastructure.

"Dell's always been in a partnership-driven model. As Dell has evolved it has focused on some pieces of the equation, but not all," said Swainson, adding that the need to broaden partnerships is growing, but declining comment on a potential tie-up with BlackBerry.

Chen told the Financial Times that BlackBerry was in early discussions with some companies about working together in parts of the enterprise market, but did not name them.

Whether a BlackBerry-Dell partnership will materialize is unclear for now.

Initial speculation about a tie-up between the two began a year ago, when both players were exploring buyouts. At the time, one source told Reuters that BlackBerry had held talks with private equity firm Silver Lake Partners about collaboration in enterprise computing.

Silver Lake, along with Dell's founder, Michael Dell, were at the time in the midst of taking Dell private.

At the time, the source said if the buyout succeeded, one option was a collaboration with BlackBerry in mobile computing.

Both Swainson and Chen were senior advisors with Silver Lake before moving into their roles with Dell and BlackBerry.

BlackBerry, under the leadership of Chen, has been busy forging alliances and earlier this week announced it was going to allow third-parties to host its device management services.

Posted by : Gizmeon

New App or New Ad? Instagram Teases Us With Bolt

What exactly does Facebook have up its sleeve?

An ad for a new app called Bolt mysteriously appeared on Instagram on Wednesday. Android users reported seeing a new banner-style app-install ad on on the service, according to TechCrunch, which featured a "one tap photo messaging" app called Bolt.

The ad included what appeared to be an install button similar to the app-install ads from your Facebook News Feed.

The button was a dead link, however, and the ads were removed shortly after they appeared, according to The Verge. "We don’t have anything to share right now," an Instagram spokesperson told Mashable.

There are a few possible explanations for Bolt. Instagram could indeed be testing app-install ads, a popular and lucrative ad format for its parent company, Facebook. Instagram only began advertising last fall, and it seems early for Instagram to bring banner style ads to the platform, especially given user backlash following the initial ads Instagram started with.

It's also possible that Instagram and Facebook have another new app in the pipeline, and accidentally shared the news before it was ready. This has happened before. Facebook uncharacteristically botched a product launch last month when it accidentally pushed its Snapchat competitor, Slingshot, into the app store too early. It was removed shortly after, and Facebook offered no real explanation for the slip-up.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the company would release more standalone apps in 2014, so another app wouldn't be a major surprise.

The idea of another messaging app, though, would be a bit of a shock. Between Instagram, Messenger, Slingshot and WhatsApp, the company already owns four messaging apps, and recent changes to Messenger already include a one tap photo sharing feature.

Facebook, along with other social companies like Twitter, is fond of testing new features will a small group of users. It's possible these banners, whether for a Facebook-owned app or a fictitious one, were simply a test that was pushed out to more users than intended.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Google Updates Gmail App With Better Google Drive Integration

While sharing documents and files between Gmail and Google Drive has been a nearly seamless experience on the web for some time, integration between the two apps on the mobile side has been lacking— until now.

Google rolled out an update to Gmail's iOS app Thursday that makes it easier for users to view and share documents and files between Drive and Gmail.

Gmail users on iOS can now view and save files on Google Drive directly from the Gmail app with "Save to Drive" and "Insert from Drive" options. Users can also now edit a file's sharing settings from within the Gmail app.

"The apps will even tell you if your file isn’t shared with the person you’re sending it to so you can change the sharing settings before you send it," Google software engineer, Simon Forsyth, explained in a blog post.

The update also brings new account management options for users who have multiple Gmail accounts. Those who have more than one account can choose which accounts appear within the app while remaining signed into the account elsewhere on their device.

Gmail's settings menu has also been tweaked so users can swap out their profile photo from within the app. The updated iOS app is available in the App Store. A similar update rolled out to Gmail's Android users earlier this month.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Comic-Con Bans Google Glass During Film Screenings

Comic-Con 2014 kicked off in San Diego on Thursday with a new rule for attendees: Google Glass is banned from all film screenings.

The announcement was included in Comic-Con's official Convention Policies handbook. However, the blacklisted devices are called "Glasses" in the book, contrary to Google's pronunciation: Glass. This is the first time the wearable has been cited as a banned object during parts of the four-day convention.

"You cannot wear Google Glasses during footage viewing in any program room," the handbooks reads. "If your Google Glasses are prescription, please bring a different pair of glasses to use during these times."

In the past, other audio and video equipment have not been allowed due to the exclusivity of the films being screened. The lack of recording devices stops clips from leaking out to audiences who did not pay to see them at Comic-Con.

This year's previews include highly anticipated movies like The Giver and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The Comic-Con ban comes almost a month after the United Kingdom blocked Glass users from wearing the device to movie theaters.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Google's $1 Billion Acquisition of Twitch Reportedly a Go

As previously rumored, Google is reportedly going to acquire Twitch for $1 billion.

The newest report comes from Dean Takahashi at GamesBeat, citing "sources familiar with the matter." Although the terms of the deal — and the timing of the announcement aren't known, Takahashi says the deal is a lock.

YouTube will reportedly take control of the acquisition and Twitch will be used to expand YouTube's global video dominance into the growing segment of users who broadcast — or watch broadcasts — played other users playing video games.

Variety was the first to report the Google/Twitch deal back in May. At the time, the deal was said to be an all-cash offer.
ESPN for the next generation

Twitch got its start in 2011 as part of the early livestreaming community, Justin.tv. It's appeal at the time was that it was one of the few places gamers could stream real-time game sessions.

The site quickly took off and now boasts more than 50 million monthly active users with 1.1 million broadcasters. Both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One let players easily broadcast directly to Twitch, which has increased the output of content and reduced the friction of sharing gameplay.

When asked about the appeal of watching other people play video games, the easiest comparison to make is sports. How many millions of viewers tune into Monday Night Football, Nascar or Formula 1; should digital are digital competitions really that different?

Mashable reached out to Google for comment but had not heard back as of press time. Twitch representatives declined to comment on this story.

Posted by : Gizmeon