There are not many Windows 8 features that excite me as much as the planned integration of Microsoft’s online storage and document editing service SkyDrive in the operating system. A new blog post over at the Building Windows 8 blog reveals how the Redmond company intents to integrate SkyDrive into the Windows operating system. The [...]
Microsoft Windows Operating System
Microsoft Extends Vista Extended Support Cycle To 2017
Microsoft initially planned to end support for some Windows Vista versions, Windows Home Basic and Ultimate for example, in April 2012. The effect would have been devastating for customers running those editions of the operating systems, as they would not receive patches, both normal and security related, anymore after that date. It would also mean [...]
Is Tablet-Creep in Operating Systems a Bad Thing and Must we Accept it?
Like it or not, it would appear that the tablet-ification of our desktop operating systems is inevitable. Setting aside the new Metro interface that will take the main focus of Windows 8, Apple are slowly creeping more tablet features into OS X and even Canonical are getting in on the act with their Unity interface for [...]
How To Verify That A Browser Extension Is Not Phoning Home
Extensions are little helper programs that make life on the Internet a tad more comfortable for the user. Some change the way we access information on the Internet, others add extra features and functionality to a website, and others help you stay safe and secure online. Most Internet users who use extensions never bother to [...]
USB Oblivion, Erase Your PCs Device Connection History
Windows keeps a record of all USB devices that have been connected to the computer in the past. The records are stored in the Windows Registry, and programs like USB Deview display them directly in their interface. Sometimes you may want to erase information about devices that have been connected to the PC in the [...]
VLC 2.0 Has Been Released, Download Links Inside
We have followed the latest VLC development ever since Videolan pushed the first build of the media player’s new version to the public ftp server. It did not take long after that initial release before the first release candidate build was made available. The developers today have released the final version of the media player. [...]
DriverIdentifier, Scan Your PC Hardware For Driver Updates
I’m not a big fan of applications that scan a system for hardware driver updates, as it can happen that updates are suggested that are either not compatible with the installed hardware, or not beneficial to the system. These programs have their purpose, but only for users who care to double-check suggested driver updates before [...]
Merge Subtitles and Movies With Movie Subtitler
Movie subtitles repositories are popular sites on the Internet, as they provide users with movie subtitles in many different languages. This can be useful if you got hold of a movie in a language that you do not understand for instance, if you want subtitles displayed to learn a language, or if you are hearing [...]
VLC Media Player 2.0 Final To Release This Week
Back in January we reported that VideoLan was about to release VLC 2.0, and that a first release candidate was to be released in that week. This release candidate has been out for about a month now, and VideoLan is preparing to ship the final version of VLC Media Player 2.0 later this week. The [...]
Mozilla To Release Firefox Version For Windows 8 Metro UI
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that Microsoft’s upcoming operating system Windows 8 will ship with two different interfaces. First a classic interface that is more or less identical to what current Windows users are working with, and the new Metro user interface that is more tablet centric and minimalistic. [...]
System Explorer, A Lightweight Task Manager Alternative
When we first reviewed System Explorer back in 2007, we came to the conclusion that it was a great Task Manager, Process Explorer and Autoruns hybrid. The developers of System Explorer have released version 3.8.0 yesterday, and I would like to use this release to publish an updated review here on Ghacks. System Explorer is [...]
Messenger Plus! Is A Skype Chat Log Viewer, Call Recorder And More
Skype is a popular voice over IP software that you can use for a number of purposes. From audio and video calls over the Internet, to landline calls or messaging. The software has been recently acquired by Microsoft and it is expected that the Redmond company will integrate the technology into several of its core [...]
The Alternatives to Windows 8
Windows 8 is unique in that it is the first version of Microsoft’s mighty operating system that faces serious and stiff competition from its rivals. For the first time there are not just one but a great many serious contenders for the role of your desktop OS. So with so many people wary about the [...]
ReactOS, the Windows XP Alternative
While we wait for the Windows 8 beta to be released at the end of the month questions are looming over what will happen with legacy software support and how we’ll run our older, but still useful and trustworthy, software in the future. Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate can run the free XP Mode, a fully-licenced [...]
Get News Notifications On Your Desktop With Feed Notifier
RSS feeds are dying. That’s what I’m hearing left and right. Many say that social networking sites have replaced them. And while social networking sites like Twitter or Facebook may be useful to stay up to date, they are nowhere near as accessible as a feed reader. You first need to follow users who post [...]
Record Skype Calls Automatically From Selected Contacts
Sometimes you may want to record a Skype call you are about to make. Maybe because you are interviewing someone, need the recording for your records or because it is for research or study purposes and you’d like to get back to it later on. We have covered several Skype recorders in the past, including [...]
How To Bypass SmartScreen Filter (Windows Protected Your PC) In Windows 8
SmartScreen Filter is a security module that is integrated into several Microsoft products such as Internet Explorer or Windows Live Messenger. It basically warns users if they are about to open a potentially dangerous website or file. A warning is displayed and it is up to the user to continue or stop at this point. [...]
Disk Encryption Software TrueCrypt 7.1a Released
I have been using the open source encryption software TrueCrypt for a long time to keep my data secure on connected hard drives. The program has evolved over the years, and can now create encrypted file containers, encrypt full partitions and even the whole computer system. TrueCrypt is that solid that its developers need to [...]
DHE Drive Info, Portable Hard Drive Information Software
DHE Drive Info is a free portable software for the Windows operating system that displays extensive information about all connected hard drives and their partitions. It may take the program a few seconds to scan all drives before information about them are displayed in list form in the main application window. Each device is listed [...]
Zer0 Makes Sure Deleted Files Can’t Be Recovered Anymore
Every now and then you may want to make sure that files that you delete on a PC cannot be recovered anymore by other users. This may be important if you are passing on the PC to another user, working on a multi-user PC or system that others may have access to. It may even [...]