Thursday, January 15, 2015

After CES, All Quiet on the Tech Front

After CES ended this weekend, the tech news world came to a screeching halt…meaning very few interesting stories to report. Next week, Microsoft will hold its big tech briefing about the new consumer version of Windows 10. But that is not until next Wednesday, so I won’t be able to give you the lowdown until next Thursday. But I am more than interested to see what they have planned for us.

With that said, why don’t you take over from here and see what you can find of interest. PS: While the news may not be exciting, there are some great handy-dandy tips on computing here. Enjoy. -JRC

 

Tech News and Opinions

Microsoft sets Windows 10's consumer reveal for Jan. 21

Official launch now 'early fall,' according to COO's latest schedule. Still, it will be interesting to see what Microsoft has in store for us for its next operating system.

Windows 7 exits mainstream support: What you need to know

The venerable OS is finally exiting “mainstream support” on January 13, 2015. And for months now, the Web has been flooded with a wave of confused or downright fear mongering headlines and articles implying that Windows 7 is following Windows XP into the graveyard. It's not.

Microsoft, Google Aim To Break The Language Barrier

Last month, Microsoft’s Skype calling service launched simultaneous translation between English and Spanish speakers. Now in response, Google says its translation app will soon be updated to include a similar feature.

Microsoft focuses solely on Windows on Patch Tuesday

The January 2015 edition of Microsoft Patch Tuesday might be more notable for what the monthly release of security bulletins does not contain—there are no fixes for the Microsoft Explorer browser this month.

Verizon Won't Stop Using the Tracking Cookie That You Can’t Kill

An online advertising clearinghouse relied on by Google, Yahoo and Facebook is using controversial cookies that come back from the dead to track the web surfing of Verizon customers.

 

Computer Tips and Tricks

The top 15 function keys for Word, Excel and Outlook

Despite Microsoft Office’s evolution toward menu-driven shortcuts, it’s worth remembering those funky Fn keys still serve a purpose. As part of key combos in Word, Excel, and Outlook, they make it easier and faster to perform commonly used commands.

Outlook.com now lets you save email attachments directly to OneDrive

Microsoft today updated Outlook.com, formerly known as Hotmail, with a new Save to OneDrive feature. As the name implies, you can now save your email attachments directly to the cloud.

Mastering Windows 8’s backup/restore system

Windows 8 has easily the most comprehensive backup-and-recovery system ever seen on a personal computer. With little user effort, and when applied correctly, Win8’s built-in backup tools provide automatic, frequent, triple-data redundancy.

Mozilla releases Firefox version 35.0

Mozilla has ramped up its geolocation service in the latest version of its Firefox browser, released on January 13, with version 35.0 able to share mobile device Wi-Fi and cellular signals for improved geolocation functionality.

6 Types of Browser Errors While Loading Web Pages and What They Mean

You’re guaranteed to stumble into an occasional error page while browsing the web. This guide will help you understand exactly what each erro page means and what to do when you see them.

 

Mobile Computing

Google Maps was just updated – here are 5 new features you have to check out

Google released new updates for its Google Maps apps on Android and on the iPhone. And thankfully, this is a case where all of the updates bring nifty new features and there are no big design changes that might cause people headaches.

Three money apps for tracking, organizing and reporting your finances

Between budgets and taxes, it's time to get organized. These apps will help you track, categorize, and report your finances, saving some annoying steps along the way.

Lightroom mobile app now available for Android

Edit, share and synch pictures taken on your Android smartphone with Adobe's photographic companion app.

Five ways to lower your smartphone data consumption

Which apps and services are the worst offenders when it comes to chewing through your data plan?

How to set up Chrome Remote Desktop for iOS

Google has released an iOS app that makes it possible to access your Mac or PC from any iOS device with an Internet connection.

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