Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Just Another Bad Day for Windows 8

Our first story may look like one of the many stories published here and other places about the disaster that it Windows. But, in this case, it was written by one of Microsoft’s biggest supporters… Paul Thurrott. He has been writing and speaking about Microsoft and Windows for many years. He runs WinSuperSite.com and appears weekly on the Podcasts “Windows Weekly” and “What the Tech” is also the author of several books about Windows, one of which is on my desk (Windows 7 Secrets)…and I just downloaded his latest book on Windows 8 to try and help me figure out the mess on my laptop…called Windows 8.1.

So when he publishes and article like this one, everyone, including Microsoft, should listen carefully. I respect and enjoy what he writes and listen nearly every week to his podcasts. I have disagreed with him more than a few times, especially when he talks about Windows 8. Well, in our first article today, he is throwing in the towel and jumping over to my side. Needless to say I was shocked…and delighted. I can hardly wait to hear his podcasts in the next couple of days. 

Well, there is more to this blog that Windows 8, so let’s just move forward from here. -JRC

PS: Sorry for being late with this edition but our Internet connection has been down for 24 hours. – JRC

 

News and Opinions

What the Heck is Happening to Windows?

Windows 8 is not well-designed. It's a mess. But Windows 8 is a bigger problem than that. Windows 8 is a disaster in every sense of the word. This is not open to debate, is not part of some cute imaginary world where everyone's opinion is equally valid or whatever. Windows 8 is a disaster. Period.

Today We Fight Back Against Mass Surveillance

Since June, ongoing revelations about the NSA's activities have shown us the expanding scope of government surveillance. Today is the day people around the world are demanding an end to mass spying.

Tim Berners-Lee: We need a Web that's open and international

In an interview with Wired, the inventor of the World Wide Web stresses the importance of an open environment following efforts by certain countries to centralize the Web

Microsoft OneDrive to debut with Dropbox-like bonus storage

Microsoft announced its OneDrive rebranding of SkyDrive recently, and it appears the service will soon debut with some new additions.

Microsoft to patch Windows, Forefront this month

This Patch Tuesday will see just five updates and just two critical. Every version of Windows is affected

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

Convert PDF To Word

Convertii (www.convertii.com) is a free online service that lets you convert a PDF file to an editable MS Word document. It's better than many such converters I've tried, in that the results it produces are pretty good. It's totally free to use.

Google Now notifications now in Chrome beta

Google Now notification cards are coming to desktop versions of Google Chrome, but if you're running the Chrome beta you can get them, well, now.

How to Stay Anonymous Online

Privacy is not just about government spying; it's also about how much big companies like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft have collected about you in order to serve up targeted ads.

Top 10 DIY Office Upgrades

So maybe your workspace isn't a cluttered mess, but maybe it just isn't the haven of productivity you wish it was. If you're looking to upgrade to something more impressive, here are 10 cheap DIY upgrades to make it a battlestation worthy of your time."

Windows XP: What to expect once Microsoft shuts down support

Even though the world won't end because of Microsoft's withdrawal of support for Windows XP, those left clinging to the OS after April's deadline still face a number of issues.

 

Portable Computing

MediaMonkey 4.1 Adds Wireless Syncing, iOS 7 Compatibility, and More

MediaMonkey, one of our favorite media players for Windows, updated to version 4.1 today, bringing a bunch of long-awaited features—especially for syncing Android and iOS devices.

Google Now gets Olympics cards and new commands

The Google Now app… Excuse me, that is to say, Google Now within the Google Search app received new functionality today, bringing options for event reminders, new voice commands and quick access to the Olympics

5 great Android apps that do amazing things the iPhone can’t

The simple truth is that there are still tons of amazingly useful things Android devices can do that the iPhone and other iOS devices simply cannot.

Game Over: You Can't Download 'Flappy Bird' Anymore

Creator Dong Nguyen officially pulled the app from Apple's App Store and Android's Google Play platform, saying he could no longer handle the pressure and stress following its instant success.

Candy Crush, Outlook among top battery-sucking Android apps?

"An analysis of which apps most suck the life out of your phone's battery claims that two well-known names are near the top."

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