Windows 10 is slated for final release on July 29th and this is one of the most awaited versions of Windows and comes with host of new features and improvements to existing ones. Windows 10 features all new start screen which has similarities with the traditional start screen, but with more options and better customizations. You can pin tiles on to the start screen.
Another option is to switch between the traditional start screen and a full screen start similar to Windows 8.1. Microsoft has included this option in settings. Navigate to Settings-> Personalization and select Start.
Here you will see the option to use full screen start when in the desktop. Just turn this on and you can see the start screen in full screen mode. You can also hit the top left corner to get more apps and features and also access other menus. You can also switch back to the old start menu by turning off this option.
So if you are familiar with the full screen start menu, you now have the option to enable it.
Windows 10 is the upcoming version of Windows which is slated for release on July 29th. The new version of Windows comes with some new features and also improvements to existing ones in Windows 8.1. Some of the new features includes new start screen which is customizable and also looks similar to the start screen on Windows 7, Cortana and many more.
We have already covered the FAQs on Windows 10, which gives insight into the details and features of Windows 10. Windows 10 also comes with new customization features including transparency to start screen and taskbar.
If you system is not enabled with transparency on start screen, you can easily enable it from settings. To do this, open settings and navigate to Personalization. Here you need to select Colors option.
On the right panel you will see option to enable or disable transparency for start, taskbar and action center.
Smartphones are now an integral part of our life and you might carry lot of files on your phone. The old fashioned way of transferring files is to use the USB cable or the Bluetooth connection between your phone and PC. But these traditional methods are slow.
Drag and dropping is the most convenient way to sent files. There are many app available on Android with support for PC which allows you to transfer large files from phone to PC and vice versa using the Wi-Fi connection. Here is the list of the best apps to transfer files.
1. AirDroid:
AirDroid is one of the most popular app to connect your Android phone to PC wirelessly and transfer files. AirDroid allows you to access and manage your Android phone or tablet from Windows, Mac or the Web, wirelessly, for free. Transfer files between your devices, and share files to your friends.
It has a useful interface making it easy to do file transfer. You can just drag and drop files in the PC interface and get it on your Android phone.
2. Portal:
Portal is an app from Pushbullet which allows you to transfer large files between PC and Android phone. Portal enables you to transfer many files or very large files in a snap, but requires that your phone and computer are on the same WiFi network. Portal is very easy to use. Just open the app and pull up portal.pushbullet.com on your computer and you’re ready to go.
Also See : How to Expand Your Phone Storage with Wireless USB stick
Portal can handle large files and tested for files above 1GB.
3. Infinit:
Infinit makes sending and transferring files to your contacts or your other devices easier and faster than ever. Share any files from anywhere in your phone using the Infinit share button. You can also transfer files like documents, photos and full HD movies between your own devices whether you’re using a phone, a tablet or a desktop computer.
Infinit boasts the fastest transfer speeds of any files transfer app thanks to a unique point-to-point technology.
4. FileDrop:
FileDrop is yet another free tool to connect your phone to PC. Filedrop is a tiny and cute app for sharing things over Wi-Fi. Transfer files and photos easily and also play remote slideshow using the app. The app is available for Windows and Mac.
Also See : How to Access Your Router if You Forget the Password
5. SendAnywhere:
Send Anywhere is a multi-platform file sharing service where users can directly share digital content in real time. You can send any type of file, of any size, as many times as you want. There are no limits on how much you can send and it is totally free.
You can securely send files directly between devices without relying on cloud.
Today, smartphones have become an integral part of our like and they are not just the phones for making call alone. They manage a lot of things in our daily routine. Smartphones can also be a good companion for your health and fitness. These phones can keep you in good health by tracking your fitness in the form of walking, running, cycling and work outs.
There are lots of health and fitness apps in the Google Play store, but we have picked the best ones for your phone. Here is the list of popular health and fitness apps for your Android phone which are available for free.
1. Google Fit:
Google Fit is a new app from Google which can be used to track your walking, running and cycling activities. It is compatible with all Android Wear devices and works well on all Android phones. You can set goals based on duration, distance, calories burned or steps and see your progress throughout the day. You also receive performance-based recommendations for activity goals. This app can also connect to third party fitness devices and fetch the data.
2. Runtastic:
The Runtastic Running & Fitness app uses GPS to map and track sports and fitness activities, such as running, jogging, biking, walking, hiking and many more. The app tracks details like duration, distance, elevation change, calories burned & more of your cardio and strength training workouts to help you build healthy lifestyle habits and reach your exercise goals. The app is a very useful one if you are looking to make your body more healthier and fit. It is also one of the popular apps on Google Play with millions of users.
3. RunKeeper:
RunKeeper can track your runs, walks, bike rides, training workouts and all of the other fitness activities using the GPS in your Android Phone. It get audio updates while you work out about your total mileage, calorie count, pace, speed, mileage
You can also sync your Polar Heart Rate Monitor to track your heart rate and stay in heart rate zones. It is again a highly rated app on the Play store.
4. Endomondo:
Endomondo is yet another popular app for health and fitness and whether you’re running, cycling, walking, kayaking, or something completely different, the app will keep you motivated, and most importantly – keep what you’re doing fun. The app also offers a paid subscription model with more features and options.
5. Nike + Running:
The Nike+ Running App tracks your runs and helps you reach your goals — whether it’s running your first race, or setting a new personal record. From first-time runners to marathon veterans, you’ll get the measurement and motivation you need to run farther and faster than ever before. MotionX combines your phone’s GPS and accelerometer for the most accurate tracking of your of your distance, pace and time. Measure your progress every mile with in-run audio feedback.
6. Nike+ Training Club:
Nike+ Training Club provides you with an option to choose from over 100 workouts by Nike Master Trainers, get motivation from your crew and train better together. Measure your hard-earned effort by number of workouts, minutes, average calories and NikeFuel.
7. Instant Heart Rate:
Instant Heart Rate is the most accurate Heart Rate Monitor app for any smartphone and it does not need any external hardware. Place the tip of your index finger on phone’s camera and in a couple of seconds your Heart Rate will be shown. It uses your phones built-in camera to track color changes on the fingertip that are directly linked to your pulse.
8. MSN Health and Fitness:
The app provides access a rich set of tools and content for all your health needs. Find 1000+ exercise and workout videos, nutritional and medical references, and a symptom checker to look up conditions and diets to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You can record your time, distance, pace and calories burned while you run, bike and do other outdoor activities. Turn on GPS to map your route.
The app also comes with videos on workouts and exercise to maintain your health.
Pushbullet is a popular service which allows you to connect your phone to your desktop wirelessly and then get notifications and also transfer files between the two. The company has now announced a new app Portal, which is created to move large batches of files between your PC and mobile phones. Portal app can do the transfer of files over a Wi-Fi connection between an Android app and the Portal Web app.
The process of transferring files is very simple, open the web app and scan the QR code using the Android app and you are ready to transfer files as needed.
Pushbullet also claims that the transfers are very quick and also they have tested with files upto 1GB in size. Instead of having to go and dig through your device’s storage for the files transferred between the PC and phone, just open the Portal app. You’ll see all the files and folders you’ve transferred, and you can browse, open, or share your files with just a tap.
So what exactly is the difference between Pushbullet and Portal as both comes with file transfer? Portal enables you to transfer many files or very large files in a snap, but requires that your phone and computer are on the same WiFi network. Pushbullet doesn’t need your devices to be on the same network, but this means it doesn’t handle very large files or many files as well as Portal can.
Portal is also integrated into Android’s built-in file browser, so there is deeper integration with Android as well.
Features:
- Transfer individual files, multiple files, or entire folders at once
- Easily browse, open, or share the files you’ve put on your phone
- Pictures transferred with Portal are automatically put into your phone’s Gallery
- Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or later: have Portal save files to your removable SD card
You can download the Portal app from the play store and use it to transfer large files.
If you have been using preview versions of Windows, you might have noticed a watermark with the version details on the desktop. This was available with Windows 8.1 and now with Windows 10 as well. Have you ever wondered how to remove this watermark? Microsoft has also clarified that non-genuine versions of Windows 10 will also sport a watermark once the final version is released.
Here is a simple tool called Universal Watermark Disabler, which removes the preview version watermark from your Windows 10. It even works on Windows 8.1 as well.
All you need is to run the simple app and it will prompt for permissions. Once you have completed the install process, it will log off your PC and once you log in back, the watermark will be removed from the desktop.
Feature of this app:
- Supports all builds from Windows 8 7850 to Windows 10 9926 (and newer).
- Supports any UI language.
- Does not delete branding strings (i.e. does not modify system files!).
- Removes any watermarks including BootSecure, Test Mode, Build string in evaluation and pre-release builds, “Confidential” warning text and even the build hash.
It can remove all kinds of watermarks in Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 8. The app is available free of cost.
Download Universal Watermark Disabler
Windows 8.1 comes with many new features and one of the major one is the new Windows Store which allows you to install app on your Windows 8.1 desktops and tablets from the app store. YouTube being the most popular video sharing service, you might obviously want to use it on your tablets, but Google has already mentioned that it wont be developing any Google apps for Windows 8.1 as of now.
But like any other platform, there are many alternative apps developed by other software developers, some of them providing better features than the official app (on other platforms). In this article we will cover the best third party YouTube players and downloaders available for Windows 8.1.
1. PrimeTube:
PrimeTube is the most elegant way to access YouTube from your Windows 8.1 tablet, desktop, and laptop. The app is created by the developers of the acclaimed Windows Phone PrimeTube app. Uniquely designed ,the app provides you an immersive experience to search, watch and manage your YouTube videos. Record and Upload videos to YouTube in just a few clicks. You can also manage subscriptions, favorites, playlists and watch later videos. We have covered this app on this blog.
2. TubeLight+:
TubeLite (formerly YouTube+) is the top rated YouTube application for Windows 8.1. This is a paid app with a free trial version available. The feature rich client allows you to view common video feeds like popular, trending and most recent. You can also a select a region to view region specific results. You can search for YouTube videos and filter based on category and relevance. The trial version is ad supported and fully functional.
3. Andatube:
ANDATUBE is a Free limited time YouTube client specialized in Music and Movies, where you can browse, stream,download your favorite videos with easily. One of the best feature of this app is that it shows lyrics of popular videos while playing them. More details available here.
4. MetroTube:
MetroTube is probably the most popular third party YouTube app for Windows Phone and they are available on Windows 8.1 as well. This app allows almost everything including search, subscriptions, watch later, favorites, uploads and more. The interface of the app is also pretty good.
5. Your Tube 8:
Your Tube 8 is a simple and fast YouTube client Windows 8.1 app which allows you to search for YouTube videos and view them from your Windows 8.1 device. The UI is attractive and the navigation system is simple. Search can be performed by keyword (in English), category or type or by any combination between them.
6. TubeCast:
As the name indicates, the app allows you to cast video to your DLNA device (Smart TV, XBOXOne/360, XBMC) apart from watching YouTube videos. This app is pretty popular on Windows Phone and is now offered as an universal app. The app comes in both paid and free versions. You can log into your YouTube account and watch all the videos and even watch 4k videos.
