Tech News Archives - Page 132 of 135

Heads-Up: Yahoo is preparing to give your inactive account to someone else

Posted on June 13, 2013

Yahoo has just announced that come mid-July, all Yahoo accounts that haven’t been logged into within the past 12 months will be shut down.

That means any data contained within those accounts will be deleted, and the account IDs (i.e. usernames) will be made available to other users.

Of course if you have an account that you haven’t logged into in over a year, chances are you won’t really be too upset about losing it.

But what if the account ID contains your real name or some other bit of personal or financial info that you’d rather not see fall under someone else’s control? [Read more…]

Would you buy a full-size PC running Android?

Posted on June 11, 2013

Android smart phones and tablets are selling like there’s no tomorrow, and more people are switching from iPhones to Android phones than the other way around. This means that Android based devices are extremely popular, and apparently getting more so all time.

Could Android also succeed as an operating system powering full size computers? Well, we’re about to find out because Acer and Gateway are in the process of testing prototypes of all-in-one PCs running Android. Which of course begs the question: Would you buy one? [Read more…]

Free download: “Windows 8 End User Training Brochure”

Posted on June 3, 2013

Windows 8 is vastly different from previous versions of Windows, and there is indeed a learning curve involved with learning the new Metro user interface. If you have recently bought a new PC or upgraded your existing PC to Windows 8, Microsoft has a gift for you…

The “Windows 8 End User Training Brochure” is actually a pretty decent guide to learning the basics of Windows 8, and you can download the PDF file from this page on the Microsoft website for free.

Microsoft stopped providing printed user manuals with their boxed software years ago, and this free guide is certainly no substitute for one. That being said, I still believe it’s a useful download (and you can’t beat the price). It’ll help you get started navigating your way around Windows 8 and performing the most basic tasks. If you use Windows 8 it’s definitely worth a look!

Tablet PCs on pace to outsell laptops in 2013

Posted on May 29, 2013

According to a study by market research firm IDC, Android based tablets, iPads and other tablet PCs will outsell laptops in the year 2013, and by the end of 2015 they will be outselling both laptops and desktop PCs combined.

Why? Well, first of all, the amazing success of the Internet has led to the decline of the traditional PC in the marketplace. The web now allows many tasks that used to only be possible using software running on a “real computer” to be completed in the “cloud”, making the need for a fully equipped PC obsolete for the average user.

Not counting the ones used at work, most computers these days are used primarily for surfing the Internet, sending and receiving email, and chatting, all of which can be done quite easily and efficiently on a tablet. [Read more…]

Windows 8.1 to be available as a free download for Windows 8 users

Posted on May 15, 2013

windows-8-1 Microsoft has announced that Windows 8.1 (AKA Windows Blue) will be released as a free upgrade to Windows 8 some time before the Christmas season gets into full swing. I thought all along that it should be free since charging for it would be like “selling” a repair for a brand new recalled vehicle.

Of course Windows 8.1 won’t be free to those purchasing new PCs or wanting to upgrade from Windows 7 or earlier, but Windows 8 users will rightly be able to get it without having to pay for it.

The mind-boggling changes introduced with Windows 8 have led to mass confusion and frustration among long-time Windows users, as well as the largest year-to-year decline in new PC sales ever. In my opinion, Microsoft had no choice except to take quick action to stop the migration of Windows users to Macs, Linux boxes and tablet devices.

Among a number of small changes coming in Windows 8.1 are two biggies: [Read more…]