How to do smarter file searches in Windows 8

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100040091 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt5.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/06/windows-8-file-explorer-search-100040091-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/category/windows-8" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">For me, one of the most awkward aspects of the Windows 8 Start screen (you know, the one with all the tiles) is file management.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Specifically, if I want to browse or search my files (Word documents, PDFs, etc.), it's not immediately clear how to do so. There's no file manager to speak of, at least not amidst the tiles, so anyone accustomed to an earlier version of Windows might be left thinking, "Dude, where's my data?"</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">As you may have learned, you can search for files the same way you can search for apps and settings: just start typing. Windows 8's dynamic search option immediately displays and filters results as you type.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Just one problem: File searches don't extend beyond what's contained in your Libraries. So if you've migrated over some folders that exist outside Libraries or prefer to organize documents and such in a different way, your searches will be fruitless--and frustrating.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">In that case, you're better off using File Explorer, the file manager formerly known as Windows Explorer. With it you can conduct much more comprehensive searches and review a more detailed batch of results.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">To access File Explorer from the Start screen, perform any of these three steps:</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">1. Type <strong style>file</strong>, then click the <em style>File Explorer</em>app.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">2. Move your mouse to the lower-left corner of the screen, right-click, and then choose <em style>File Explorer</em> from the pop-up menu.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> 3. Press <strong style>Win-E</strong> (i.e. the Windows key and E key). This is without question the fastest way to get there.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">By default, File Explorer points to Libraries, but you can make it search more broadly by clicking your desired drive or folder in the navigation pane at left, then typing your search parameters in the Search field.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If Windows 8's standard search option works for you, by all means stick with it. But my preference is definitely a quick tap of <strong style>Win-E</strong> for a more old-school file manager.</p> </span>

How to do smarter file searches in Windows 8

For me, one of the most awkward aspects of the Windows 8 Start screen (you know, the one with all the tiles) is file management. Specifi...

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How to do smarter file searches in Windows 8

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100040091 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt5.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/06/windows-8-file-explorer-search-100040091-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/category/windows-8" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">For me, one of the most awkward aspects of the Windows 8 Start screen (you know, the one with all the tiles) is file management.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Specifically, if I want to browse or search my files (Word documents, PDFs, etc.), it's not immediately clear how to do so. There's no file manager to speak of, at least not amidst the tiles, so anyone accustomed to an earlier version of Windows might be left thinking, "Dude, where's my data?"</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">As you may have learned, you can search for files the same way you can search for apps and settings: just start typing. Windows 8's dynamic search option immediately displays and filters results as you type.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Just one problem: File searches don't extend beyond what's contained in your Libraries. So if you've migrated over some folders that exist outside Libraries or prefer to organize documents and such in a different way, your searches will be fruitless--and frustrating.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">In that case, you're better off using File Explorer, the file manager formerly known as Windows Explorer. With it you can conduct much more comprehensive searches and review a more detailed batch of results.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">To access File Explorer from the Start screen, perform any of these three steps:</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">1. Type <strong style>file</strong>, then click the <em style>File Explorer</em>app.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">2. Move your mouse to the lower-left corner of the screen, right-click, and then choose <em style>File Explorer</em> from the pop-up menu.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> 3. Press <strong style>Win-E</strong> (i.e. the Windows key and E key). This is without question the fastest way to get there.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">By default, File Explorer points to Libraries, but you can make it search more broadly by clicking your desired drive or folder in the navigation pane at left, then typing your search parameters in the Search field.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If Windows 8's standard search option works for you, by all means stick with it. But my preference is definitely a quick tap of <strong style>Win-E</strong> for a more old-school file manager.</p> </span>

How to do smarter file searches in Windows 8

For me, one of the most awkward aspects of the Windows 8 Start screen (you know, the one with all the tiles) is file management. Specifi...

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Regain your PC's administrator rights, even if you don't have the password

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img alt="fire" class="largeImage imgId100022344 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt4.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/01/password_580-100022344-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/category/windows" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Your Windows PC has at least one administrator-level account. If you can't access that account, you've got a problem--you can't install or uninstall programs, or change certain settings.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I'll tell you a way to gain this access,  but first, ask yourself if you really should be doing this. If it's unquestionably your computer and you've forgotten your password (or if the previous owner failed to give it to you), you have every right acquire or change the password. But if it's a company computer and the IT department wants to keep full administrator control to itself, this is a good way to get fired. And if it's someone else's computer, it's a good way to get arrested.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">You can access the password through the free <a href="http://trinityhome.org/Home/index.php?content=TRINITY_RESCUE_KIT_DOWNLOAD" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Trinity Rescue Kit</a>. It hasn't been updated in two years, but it still works like a champ.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Before we get into details, some warnings:</p><ol style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 40px"><li style="line-height:1.45em">Since it can change or remove the password, but not reveal the existing one, Trinity won't let you <span style="line-height:1.45em">secretly gain control of the PC. The rightful administrator will find out that you've been tampering with it. </span></li> <li style="line-height:1.45em"><span style="line-height:1.45em">If there are EFS-encrypted files in the administrator's libraries, these files will become inaccessible. Decryption will only be possible if someone backed up the credentials ahead of time.</span></li> <li style="line-height:1.45em">I successfully tested this technique in Windows 7, and have every reason to believe that it will work in XP and Vista. It will not work in Windows 8.</li></ol><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Trinity downloads as an .iso file, which you can burn to a bootable CD. You can also use the <a href="http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Universal USB Installer</a> to create a bootable flash drive. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, see <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2032523/boot-discs-explained-an-overview-of-booting-your-pc-from-something-other-than-your-hard-drive.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Boot discs explained: An overview of booting your PC from something other than your hard drive</a>.)</p> <img alt="" border="0" height="93" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/0603-trinity-1-100039074-orig.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="297"><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> When you boot Trinity, you'll find yourself in an ugly, text-based environment. But not a difficult one. From the initial menu, select <em style>Windows password resetting.</em></p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> <span style="line-height:1.45em">At the next prompt, select </span><em style="line-height:1.45em">Winpass with prompt for username first, </em><span style="line-height:1.45em">then enter the login name for the administrator account.</span></p> <img alt="" border="0" height="110" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/0603-trinity-2-560-100039089-orig.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="560"><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> <span style="line-height:1.45em">Most of the questions you'll be asked are easy to answer. When you get to the User Edit Menu prompt, select the first option, </span><em style="line-height:1.45em">Clear (blank) user password. </em><span style="line-height:1.45em">That will allow you to boot into the administrator account without entering a password.</span></p> <img alt="" border="0" height="90" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/0603-trinity-3-arrows-100039097-orig.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="557"></span>

Regain your PC's administrator rights, even if you don't have the password

Your Windows PC has at least one administrator-level account. If you can't access that account, you've got a problem--you can...

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Regain your PC's administrator rights, even if you don't have the password

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img alt="fire" class="largeImage imgId100022344 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt4.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/01/password_580-100022344-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/category/windows" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Your Windows PC has at least one administrator-level account. If you can't access that account, you've got a problem--you can't install or uninstall programs, or change certain settings.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I'll tell you a way to gain this access,  but first, ask yourself if you really should be doing this. If it's unquestionably your computer and you've forgotten your password (or if the previous owner failed to give it to you), you have every right acquire or change the password. But if it's a company computer and the IT department wants to keep full administrator control to itself, this is a good way to get fired. And if it's someone else's computer, it's a good way to get arrested.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">You can access the password through the free <a href="http://trinityhome.org/Home/index.php?content=TRINITY_RESCUE_KIT_DOWNLOAD" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Trinity Rescue Kit</a>. It hasn't been updated in two years, but it still works like a champ.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Before we get into details, some warnings:</p><ol style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 40px"><li style="line-height:1.45em">Since it can change or remove the password, but not reveal the existing one, Trinity won't let you <span style="line-height:1.45em">secretly gain control of the PC. The rightful administrator will find out that you've been tampering with it. </span></li> <li style="line-height:1.45em"><span style="line-height:1.45em">If there are EFS-encrypted files in the administrator's libraries, these files will become inaccessible. Decryption will only be possible if someone backed up the credentials ahead of time.</span></li> <li style="line-height:1.45em">I successfully tested this technique in Windows 7, and have every reason to believe that it will work in XP and Vista. It will not work in Windows 8.</li></ol><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Trinity downloads as an .iso file, which you can burn to a bootable CD. You can also use the <a href="http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Universal USB Installer</a> to create a bootable flash drive. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, see <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2032523/boot-discs-explained-an-overview-of-booting-your-pc-from-something-other-than-your-hard-drive.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Boot discs explained: An overview of booting your PC from something other than your hard drive</a>.)</p> <img alt="" border="0" height="93" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/0603-trinity-1-100039074-orig.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="297"><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> When you boot Trinity, you'll find yourself in an ugly, text-based environment. But not a difficult one. From the initial menu, select <em style>Windows password resetting.</em></p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> <span style="line-height:1.45em">At the next prompt, select </span><em style="line-height:1.45em">Winpass with prompt for username first, </em><span style="line-height:1.45em">then enter the login name for the administrator account.</span></p> <img alt="" border="0" height="110" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/0603-trinity-2-560-100039089-orig.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="560"><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> <span style="line-height:1.45em">Most of the questions you'll be asked are easy to answer. When you get to the User Edit Menu prompt, select the first option, </span><em style="line-height:1.45em">Clear (blank) user password. </em><span style="line-height:1.45em">That will allow you to boot into the administrator account without entering a password.</span></p> <img alt="" border="0" height="90" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/0603-trinity-3-arrows-100039097-orig.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="557"></span>

Regain your PC's administrator rights, even if you don't have the password

Your Windows PC has at least one administrator-level account. If you can't access that account, you've got a problem--you can...

Read more »

How to child-proof the Internet

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100042896 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt4.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/06/childproofinternet_primary-100042896-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/category/security" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">The Internet is filled with websites that are inappropriate for</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px"> </span><em style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">anyone</em><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">, much less children. Kids get into trouble online all the time, even when they aren't looking for it. Misspelling a website address, screwing up a search term, or clicking a risqué ad can lead to some awkward bedtime conversations. Online bullying, predatory adults, and illegal downloading of copyrighted content are other threats.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Though we can't make the Internet itself kid-safe, we can at least make its darker crevices harder to access. Setting up parental controls and content filtering on computers, tablets, smartphones, and other gadgets is easy. More important, these precautions empower your devices to protect kids from digital dangers when you aren't around to supervise.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Start with Web filtering</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The most effective precaution you can take to safeguard kids while they're browsing is to set up Web filtering on your router with <a href="http://www.opendns.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">OpenDNS</a>. You can enable Web filtering on most devices individually, but I recommend trying the free or premium service from OpenDNS because it can filter Internet access across all computers and devices connected to your router.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">OpenDNS offers three <a href="http://www.opendns.com/home-solutions/parental-controls/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">parental control options</a>: FamilyShield, Home, and Home VIP. OpenDNS FamilyShield, the simplest option, offers preconfigured adult content filtering—just set it on your router and forget it. OpenDNS Home allows you to customize the filtering and security settings. You also need to create an account and install a program on at least one PC in your home. OpenDNS Home VIP, the high-end option, starts at $20 a year and provides additional features such as Internet usage stats and premium support.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/opendns2-100042564-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="544" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/opendns2-100042564-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a><small class="credit" style="font-size:9px;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;display:block;float:left;background-image:url(http://csmb.staticworld.net/images/furniture/techhive/backgroundwhite70.png);color:rgb(51,51,51);padding:1px 3px 2px;background-repeat:initial initial">NEOWIN</small>This is the sort of OpenDNS page you'll see when trying to visit a blocked site.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> To get started with OpenDNS, visit the company's website and choose the service that suits your needs. The OpenDNS website provides step-by-step instructions for enabling the service on many different router models.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Setting up content filtering on mobile devices for when your kids are connected to other Wi-Fi networks or to a mobile 3G or 4G network is trickier: You have to install a Web browser that offers filtering. I recommend <a href="http://www.k9webprotection.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">K9 Web Protection</a>, downloadable from the<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bluecoat.k9.android" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Google Play store</a> for Android devices and from the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/k9-web-protection-browser/id407657840" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Apple Store</a> for iOS devices. For Windows Phone 7.5 or 8 devices, give <a href="http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/avg-family-safety-8/1df94db9-d1b4-4a6a-942e-4e04c97fb32c" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">AVG Family Safety 8</a> a whirl.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Enable Windows' excellent Family Safety features</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Starting with Vista, every copy of Windows includes parental controls that allow you to control and monitor PC usage based on which account is signed into the PC. The controls let you limit how long specific accounts can use the PC and which games and programs they can run (based on content ratings or simply your fiat), and let you introduce stringent Web filtering. You can also view activity reports on those accounts—or have them emailed to you—and centrally manage the settings for all protected accounts and PCs on the <a href="https://familysafety.microsoft.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Family Safety</a>site.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">For Windows Vista and Windows 7 PCs, you must download and install the Family Safety application, a part of the free <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-live/essentials-other" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Windows Essentials</a> software package, to use all the Parental Controls features. The Parental Controls features are built into Windows 8, where they remain grouped under the moniker Family Safety.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">To enable and adjust Parental Controls settings in Windows Vista or 7, click<em style>Start</em>, type <code style="font-family:monospace,serif;font-size:1em">parental controls</code> and press Enter. In Windows 8, go to the Start Screen, type <code style="font-family:monospace,serif;font-size:1em">family safety</code>, select <em style>Settings</em>, and open <em style>Family Safety</em>.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/windows7parentalcontrols-100042502-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="569" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/windows7parentalcontrols-100042502-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Use the Parental Controls options in Windows 7 to control what specific user accounts can do on your PC.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Even if you set up OpenDNS filtering on your router, consider also using the Web filtering offered by Windows. When activated, it automatically imposes the safe-searching filter options on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. It also allows you to block downloads.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Even Mac OS X should be secured</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Starting with Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Apple has been building parental controls similar to those in Windows into Mac OS X. The most recent versions of Mac OS X let you specify computer usage time limits, identify applications that the user can run, limit applications that the user can download from the Apple App Store, and enable Web filtering. You can also specify who the user can communicate with via the Mail, Messages, and Game Center apps; and you can restrict access to printer administration, CD/DVD burning, and other features.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">To get started with parental controls in Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6, open the Apple menu in the top-left corner, click<em style>System Preferences</em>, and in the System section, open <em style>Parental Controls</em>. In OS X 10.7 and later, accounts with parental controls must be set as a 'Managed with Parental Controls' account. If you haven't yet created such an account, Mac OS will walk you through the process for doing so.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/macosxparentalcontrols-100042503-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="558" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/macosxparentalcontrols-100042503-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>The Mac OS X Parental Controls menu lets you exercise an amazing level of control over what users can do on the Mac PC.<h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em"> Lock down your iOS devices</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Apple also includes parental controls in iOS (available on iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads), but—somewhat confusingly—it refers to these settings as Restrictions. You can block access to certain apps, such as the Safari Web browser, the Camera, and FaceTime video chatting; and you can block users from performing basic tasks, such as installing or deleting apps. In addition, you can restrict access to content based on ratings or content type, and require a PIN to make purchases on the device—perfect for keeping young children from charging new apps to your credit card without your permission.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/iosrestrictions-100042501-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="419" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/iosrestrictions-100042501-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Take advantage of the Restrictions menu (in the General section of your iOS Settings app) to disable troublesome apps.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> To configure the Restrictions in iOS, open your <em style>Settings</em> app, scroll down to select <em style>General</em>, and select <em style>Restrictions</em>.</p><h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em"> Hack your own controls on Android</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Unlike iOS, the Android operating system doesn't offer built-in parental controls. But if you have the official Google Play Store app on your Android device, you can restrict the type of apps that a user can download, based on their ratings, and you can require a password for purchases. Here's how to set up this control: Launch the Play Store app, open the app options screen, select <em style>Settings</em>, and enable<em style>Content Filtering</em>.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">For devices that lack the Google Play Store app—usually cheaper or branded tablets—parental control features vary depending on the manufacturer's firmware, and they may not even exist.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Don't let that stop you: Android is a fairly open platform, and you can hack together your own parental controls by installing a utility such as <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ruimaninfo.approtect&hl=en" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Application Protection</a> to restrict which apps can be used on the device.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Do what you can with Windows Phone</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Windows Phones running Windows Phone 8 include a basic parental control feature that Microsoft calls <em style>My Family</em>. Currently it allows you to restrict app and game downloads—but nothing else. On the Windows Phone games front (ha!), you can use <em style>My Family </em>to block unrated games.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">To get started with My Family, log in to the <a href="http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Windows Phone site</a> and choose<em style>My Family</em> from the menu. From there, to enable parental restriction, add the Windows Live ID that belongs to a child's phone to the My Family<em style> </em>list; then configure exactly what downloads are to be blocked.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Don't forget about social networks</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">For kids on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking sites, consider reviewing their privacy and security settings. Ideally, of course, you either share admin rights to the social networking accounts of your minor children, or you have established rules that allow you to have access upon request.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/03/fb1-100030152-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="365" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/03/fb1-100030152-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>It's well worth your time to review the Privacy Settings menu on your child's Facebook account, which you can find by clicking the blue gear icon in the upper right corner of a Facebook page.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Once you have access to a child's social network account, make posts and most other content on the profile viewable only by people who are friended or approved. You might also want to enable some optional security features to help protect the account from being hacked. For the full rundown on how to lock down Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more, see our <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2031456/12-simple-steps-to-safer-social-networking.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">guide to safer social networking</a>.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If that doesn't put you at ease, consider using a service such as <a href="http://www.avira.com/en/avira-social-network-protection" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Avira Social Network Protection</a> to help you monitor minors' online activity and to report on any inappropriate or dangerous communication. The Internet can be a dangerous place, and putting a little time and money into child-proofing your devices can pay off down the road.</p> </span>

How to child-proof the Internet

The Internet is filled with websites that are inappropriate for   anyone , much less children. Kids get into trouble online all the time, ...

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How to child-proof the Internet

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100042896 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt4.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/06/childproofinternet_primary-100042896-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/category/security" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">The Internet is filled with websites that are inappropriate for</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px"> </span><em style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">anyone</em><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">, much less children. Kids get into trouble online all the time, even when they aren't looking for it. Misspelling a website address, screwing up a search term, or clicking a risqué ad can lead to some awkward bedtime conversations. Online bullying, predatory adults, and illegal downloading of copyrighted content are other threats.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Though we can't make the Internet itself kid-safe, we can at least make its darker crevices harder to access. Setting up parental controls and content filtering on computers, tablets, smartphones, and other gadgets is easy. More important, these precautions empower your devices to protect kids from digital dangers when you aren't around to supervise.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Start with Web filtering</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The most effective precaution you can take to safeguard kids while they're browsing is to set up Web filtering on your router with <a href="http://www.opendns.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">OpenDNS</a>. You can enable Web filtering on most devices individually, but I recommend trying the free or premium service from OpenDNS because it can filter Internet access across all computers and devices connected to your router.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">OpenDNS offers three <a href="http://www.opendns.com/home-solutions/parental-controls/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">parental control options</a>: FamilyShield, Home, and Home VIP. OpenDNS FamilyShield, the simplest option, offers preconfigured adult content filtering—just set it on your router and forget it. OpenDNS Home allows you to customize the filtering and security settings. You also need to create an account and install a program on at least one PC in your home. OpenDNS Home VIP, the high-end option, starts at $20 a year and provides additional features such as Internet usage stats and premium support.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/opendns2-100042564-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="544" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/opendns2-100042564-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a><small class="credit" style="font-size:9px;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;display:block;float:left;background-image:url(http://csmb.staticworld.net/images/furniture/techhive/backgroundwhite70.png);color:rgb(51,51,51);padding:1px 3px 2px;background-repeat:initial initial">NEOWIN</small>This is the sort of OpenDNS page you'll see when trying to visit a blocked site.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> To get started with OpenDNS, visit the company's website and choose the service that suits your needs. The OpenDNS website provides step-by-step instructions for enabling the service on many different router models.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Setting up content filtering on mobile devices for when your kids are connected to other Wi-Fi networks or to a mobile 3G or 4G network is trickier: You have to install a Web browser that offers filtering. I recommend <a href="http://www.k9webprotection.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">K9 Web Protection</a>, downloadable from the<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bluecoat.k9.android" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Google Play store</a> for Android devices and from the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/k9-web-protection-browser/id407657840" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Apple Store</a> for iOS devices. For Windows Phone 7.5 or 8 devices, give <a href="http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/avg-family-safety-8/1df94db9-d1b4-4a6a-942e-4e04c97fb32c" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">AVG Family Safety 8</a> a whirl.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Enable Windows' excellent Family Safety features</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Starting with Vista, every copy of Windows includes parental controls that allow you to control and monitor PC usage based on which account is signed into the PC. The controls let you limit how long specific accounts can use the PC and which games and programs they can run (based on content ratings or simply your fiat), and let you introduce stringent Web filtering. You can also view activity reports on those accounts—or have them emailed to you—and centrally manage the settings for all protected accounts and PCs on the <a href="https://familysafety.microsoft.com/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Family Safety</a>site.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">For Windows Vista and Windows 7 PCs, you must download and install the Family Safety application, a part of the free <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-live/essentials-other" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Windows Essentials</a> software package, to use all the Parental Controls features. The Parental Controls features are built into Windows 8, where they remain grouped under the moniker Family Safety.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">To enable and adjust Parental Controls settings in Windows Vista or 7, click<em style>Start</em>, type <code style="font-family:monospace,serif;font-size:1em">parental controls</code> and press Enter. In Windows 8, go to the Start Screen, type <code style="font-family:monospace,serif;font-size:1em">family safety</code>, select <em style>Settings</em>, and open <em style>Family Safety</em>.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/windows7parentalcontrols-100042502-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="569" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/windows7parentalcontrols-100042502-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Use the Parental Controls options in Windows 7 to control what specific user accounts can do on your PC.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Even if you set up OpenDNS filtering on your router, consider also using the Web filtering offered by Windows. When activated, it automatically imposes the safe-searching filter options on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. It also allows you to block downloads.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Even Mac OS X should be secured</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Starting with Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Apple has been building parental controls similar to those in Windows into Mac OS X. The most recent versions of Mac OS X let you specify computer usage time limits, identify applications that the user can run, limit applications that the user can download from the Apple App Store, and enable Web filtering. You can also specify who the user can communicate with via the Mail, Messages, and Game Center apps; and you can restrict access to printer administration, CD/DVD burning, and other features.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">To get started with parental controls in Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6, open the Apple menu in the top-left corner, click<em style>System Preferences</em>, and in the System section, open <em style>Parental Controls</em>. In OS X 10.7 and later, accounts with parental controls must be set as a 'Managed with Parental Controls' account. If you haven't yet created such an account, Mac OS will walk you through the process for doing so.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/macosxparentalcontrols-100042503-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="558" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/macosxparentalcontrols-100042503-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>The Mac OS X Parental Controls menu lets you exercise an amazing level of control over what users can do on the Mac PC.<h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em"> Lock down your iOS devices</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Apple also includes parental controls in iOS (available on iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads), but—somewhat confusingly—it refers to these settings as Restrictions. You can block access to certain apps, such as the Safari Web browser, the Camera, and FaceTime video chatting; and you can block users from performing basic tasks, such as installing or deleting apps. In addition, you can restrict access to content based on ratings or content type, and require a PIN to make purchases on the device—perfect for keeping young children from charging new apps to your credit card without your permission.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/iosrestrictions-100042501-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="419" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/iosrestrictions-100042501-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Take advantage of the Restrictions menu (in the General section of your iOS Settings app) to disable troublesome apps.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> To configure the Restrictions in iOS, open your <em style>Settings</em> app, scroll down to select <em style>General</em>, and select <em style>Restrictions</em>.</p><h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em"> Hack your own controls on Android</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Unlike iOS, the Android operating system doesn't offer built-in parental controls. But if you have the official Google Play Store app on your Android device, you can restrict the type of apps that a user can download, based on their ratings, and you can require a password for purchases. Here's how to set up this control: Launch the Play Store app, open the app options screen, select <em style>Settings</em>, and enable<em style>Content Filtering</em>.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">For devices that lack the Google Play Store app—usually cheaper or branded tablets—parental control features vary depending on the manufacturer's firmware, and they may not even exist.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Don't let that stop you: Android is a fairly open platform, and you can hack together your own parental controls by installing a utility such as <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ruimaninfo.approtect&hl=en" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Application Protection</a> to restrict which apps can be used on the device.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Do what you can with Windows Phone</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Windows Phones running Windows Phone 8 include a basic parental control feature that Microsoft calls <em style>My Family</em>. Currently it allows you to restrict app and game downloads—but nothing else. On the Windows Phone games front (ha!), you can use <em style>My Family </em>to block unrated games.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">To get started with My Family, log in to the <a href="http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Windows Phone site</a> and choose<em style>My Family</em> from the menu. From there, to enable parental restriction, add the Windows Live ID that belongs to a child's phone to the My Family<em style> </em>list; then configure exactly what downloads are to be blocked.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Don't forget about social networks</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">For kids on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking sites, consider reviewing their privacy and security settings. Ideally, of course, you either share admin rights to the social networking accounts of your minor children, or you have established rules that allow you to have access upon request.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/03/fb1-100030152-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="365" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/03/fb1-100030152-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>It's well worth your time to review the Privacy Settings menu on your child's Facebook account, which you can find by clicking the blue gear icon in the upper right corner of a Facebook page.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Once you have access to a child's social network account, make posts and most other content on the profile viewable only by people who are friended or approved. You might also want to enable some optional security features to help protect the account from being hacked. For the full rundown on how to lock down Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more, see our <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2031456/12-simple-steps-to-safer-social-networking.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">guide to safer social networking</a>.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If that doesn't put you at ease, consider using a service such as <a href="http://www.avira.com/en/avira-social-network-protection" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Avira Social Network Protection</a> to help you monitor minors' online activity and to report on any inappropriate or dangerous communication. The Internet can be a dangerous place, and putting a little time and money into child-proofing your devices can pay off down the road.</p> </span>

How to child-proof the Internet

The Internet is filled with websites that are inappropriate for   anyone , much less children. Kids get into trouble online all the time, ...

Read more »

Five surefire ways to maximize your laptop's battery life

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100042786 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt0.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/06/laptopbatterylife_primary-100042786-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="presentedBy" href="http://adfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/12309-189045-1105-2?mpt=%%CACHEBUSTER%%" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);float:none;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:10px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;background-image:url(http://csmb.staticworld.net/images/ads/DellLogo-Blu-54px.png);display:block;width:300px;height:30px;text-align:right;padding-right:30px;vertical-align:middle;line-height:30px;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">You adore your laptop. It lets you get down to business wherever you happen to be—airport lounge, coffee shop, your home office. It's the key to your competitive edge.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">That is, until its battery croaks. Just as you're putting the final details on your PowerPoint presentation. At the airport. Two hours before takeoff. And with no power outlet in sight. At that instant, you begin to wonder why you ever bought the ever-lovin' boat anchor in the first place.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">But love will bloom anew as soon as you recharge. Avoid the heartache, however temporary: Follow these five tips for maximizing your laptop's run time.</p><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/ac_poweradapter-100042521-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="384" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/ac_poweradapter-100042521-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Never miss an opportunity to plug your laptop into an AC outlet to top off its battery.<h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em"> 1. Plug in whenever possible</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">One surefire way to ensure that your laptop is always ready for action is to plug it into an AC outlet whenever possible. Keeping the machine fully charged makes it far more likely that you will always have the juice you need to complete your work. Purchase at least one extra AC adapter, so you'll always have one in your office and one in your laptop bag for travel. If you work at home frequently, consider buying a third adapter to leave there.</p> <q style="quotes:none;background-image:url(http://csmb.staticworld.net/images/furniture/techhive/icn-pullquote-pcw.png);color:rgb(172,31,43);font-size:24px;padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:10px;padding-left:85px;display:block;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">Terminate the offending process by right-clicking it and selecting 'Kill Process'.</q><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> A common misconception about laptops is that leaving the system plugged into AC power continuously will overcharge or shorten the life of its battery. Given that the lithium cells used in modern laptops will either catch fire or explode if overcharged, this is obviously not true. Lithium ion batteries stop charging once they reach full capacity, and keeping the battery charged reduces wear and tear on the power source, lengthening its<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2036479/keep-your-laptop-battery-healthy-use-it-sparingly.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">useful life span</a>.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">2. Adjust the screen brightness</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Modern displays with LED backlights are a major improvement over the CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent tube) backlit displays of yesteryear, in terms of both picture quality and power efficiency. Still, a laptop's display claims a significant percentage of the power that the system consumes. As such, keeping the screen backlight low can increase your laptop's run time noticeably. You should also take care in choosing where you work: A low backlight setting will be far more comfortable in a café with soft lighting than in a brightly lit room.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/windowspoweroptions-100042519-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="399" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/windowspoweroptions-100042519-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Be aggressive in conserving power while your laptop is running on battery.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Another way to reduce the power the display consumes is to tweak the automatic backlight controls in Windows. Open Control Panel, choose<em style>Hardware and Sound > Power Options,</em>and click <em style>Change plan settings</em> for the active power plan. Choosing an aggressive timeout of 1 to 3 minutes under the 'Dim the display' and 'Turn off the display' options while the machine is operating on battery power will eke out more battery life by dimming or switching off the screen after the specified amount of inactivity. You can also click the <em style>Change advanced power settings</em> option to set the level of brightness when the laptop is in the dimmed state.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">3. Track down errant apps</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">One culprit often responsible for draining the battery ahead of its time is the presence of errant software applications that suck up disproportionate processor cycles. Unnecessary utilities running in the background, or an app that is hanging, can also cause this effect. Web browsers are particularly prone to the latter problem, due to the multiple plug-ins, rendering engines, and scripting engines embedded within them.</p> <img alt="" border="0" height="313" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/windowstaskmanagers-100042529-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580">Use the tabs in Windows Task Manager to identify and kill errant programs that are sucking up battery life unnecessarily.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Modern CPUs save power by dynamically scaling back their clock speed to the minimum possible, but they can do so only when apps aren't active. If you fail to deal with rogue apps, they will not only drain battery power—they might also slow down your entire system. One clue to the existence of an errant app is if your laptop fan frequently kicks into high gear when the machine should be idle.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Resolving the problem is relatively straightforward: Press the Ctrl-Alt-Delete key combination, launch Windows Task Manager, and use it to identify processes that are showing unexplained high utilization. If a program won't exit normally, terminate the offending process by right-clicking it and selecting <em style>Kill Process.</em> For Web browsers, shutting off all instances usually works. Should all else fail, perform a system restart.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">4. Disable intensive background apps</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Errant apps aside, applications that make intensive use of the processor or network should remain closed when your laptop isn't plugged in. Peer-to-peer software such as BitTorrent clients and computationally intensive applications such as distributed-computing projects (<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/234480/foldinghome.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Folding@Home</a>, for example) are out. You can also confirm that Windows Update and other software updaters are not attempting to download large software patches.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Disabling automatic Windows Update functions outright is too draconian (particularly if you forget to reinstate the feature later), but periodically checking on your network usage for unexplained spikes will allow you to identify and stop large file transfers before they gobble up precious minutes of battery life.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">5. Disable unneeded devices</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">You can disable unneeded hardware devices or ports to squeeze out a few more minutes of power, although this option isn't possible with every laptop. Start by disabling unneeded wireless capabilities, such as built-in data modems and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios (many laptops have hardware switches for this purpose).</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The optical-disc drive is another power guzzler that can drain batteries fast, so don't leave a DVD or Blu-ray disc in the drive if you don't need it. Finally, many laptops these days come with backlit keyboards; these are great when you're in a dark environment, but you can save precious power by doing without the feature when your laptop is running on battery power.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/wifi_adapter-100042520-orig.png" style="color:rgb(68,68,68);outline:0px"><img alt="" border="0" height="423" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/wifi_adapter-100042520-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Depending on your laptop model, you may be able to use Device Manager to disable unnecessary devices and ports.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Have we missed any great tips? How do you ensure that your laptop is up for the long haul? Please share in the comments section below.</p></span>

Five surefire ways to maximize your laptop's battery life

You adore your laptop. It lets you get down to business wherever you happen to be—airport lounge, coffee shop, your home office. It's ...

Read more »

Five surefire ways to maximize your laptop's battery life

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100042786 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt0.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/06/laptopbatterylife_primary-100042786-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="presentedBy" href="http://adfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/12309-189045-1105-2?mpt=%%CACHEBUSTER%%" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);float:none;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:10px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;background-image:url(http://csmb.staticworld.net/images/ads/DellLogo-Blu-54px.png);display:block;width:300px;height:30px;text-align:right;padding-right:30px;vertical-align:middle;line-height:30px;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">You adore your laptop. It lets you get down to business wherever you happen to be—airport lounge, coffee shop, your home office. It's the key to your competitive edge.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">That is, until its battery croaks. Just as you're putting the final details on your PowerPoint presentation. At the airport. Two hours before takeoff. And with no power outlet in sight. At that instant, you begin to wonder why you ever bought the ever-lovin' boat anchor in the first place.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">But love will bloom anew as soon as you recharge. Avoid the heartache, however temporary: Follow these five tips for maximizing your laptop's run time.</p><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/ac_poweradapter-100042521-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="384" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/ac_poweradapter-100042521-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Never miss an opportunity to plug your laptop into an AC outlet to top off its battery.<h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em"> 1. Plug in whenever possible</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">One surefire way to ensure that your laptop is always ready for action is to plug it into an AC outlet whenever possible. Keeping the machine fully charged makes it far more likely that you will always have the juice you need to complete your work. Purchase at least one extra AC adapter, so you'll always have one in your office and one in your laptop bag for travel. If you work at home frequently, consider buying a third adapter to leave there.</p> <q style="quotes:none;background-image:url(http://csmb.staticworld.net/images/furniture/techhive/icn-pullquote-pcw.png);color:rgb(172,31,43);font-size:24px;padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:10px;padding-left:85px;display:block;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">Terminate the offending process by right-clicking it and selecting 'Kill Process'.</q><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> A common misconception about laptops is that leaving the system plugged into AC power continuously will overcharge or shorten the life of its battery. Given that the lithium cells used in modern laptops will either catch fire or explode if overcharged, this is obviously not true. Lithium ion batteries stop charging once they reach full capacity, and keeping the battery charged reduces wear and tear on the power source, lengthening its<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2036479/keep-your-laptop-battery-healthy-use-it-sparingly.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">useful life span</a>.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">2. Adjust the screen brightness</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Modern displays with LED backlights are a major improvement over the CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent tube) backlit displays of yesteryear, in terms of both picture quality and power efficiency. Still, a laptop's display claims a significant percentage of the power that the system consumes. As such, keeping the screen backlight low can increase your laptop's run time noticeably. You should also take care in choosing where you work: A low backlight setting will be far more comfortable in a café with soft lighting than in a brightly lit room.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/windowspoweroptions-100042519-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="399" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/windowspoweroptions-100042519-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Be aggressive in conserving power while your laptop is running on battery.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Another way to reduce the power the display consumes is to tweak the automatic backlight controls in Windows. Open Control Panel, choose<em style>Hardware and Sound > Power Options,</em>and click <em style>Change plan settings</em> for the active power plan. Choosing an aggressive timeout of 1 to 3 minutes under the 'Dim the display' and 'Turn off the display' options while the machine is operating on battery power will eke out more battery life by dimming or switching off the screen after the specified amount of inactivity. You can also click the <em style>Change advanced power settings</em> option to set the level of brightness when the laptop is in the dimmed state.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">3. Track down errant apps</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">One culprit often responsible for draining the battery ahead of its time is the presence of errant software applications that suck up disproportionate processor cycles. Unnecessary utilities running in the background, or an app that is hanging, can also cause this effect. Web browsers are particularly prone to the latter problem, due to the multiple plug-ins, rendering engines, and scripting engines embedded within them.</p> <img alt="" border="0" height="313" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/windowstaskmanagers-100042529-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580">Use the tabs in Windows Task Manager to identify and kill errant programs that are sucking up battery life unnecessarily.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Modern CPUs save power by dynamically scaling back their clock speed to the minimum possible, but they can do so only when apps aren't active. If you fail to deal with rogue apps, they will not only drain battery power—they might also slow down your entire system. One clue to the existence of an errant app is if your laptop fan frequently kicks into high gear when the machine should be idle.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Resolving the problem is relatively straightforward: Press the Ctrl-Alt-Delete key combination, launch Windows Task Manager, and use it to identify processes that are showing unexplained high utilization. If a program won't exit normally, terminate the offending process by right-clicking it and selecting <em style>Kill Process.</em> For Web browsers, shutting off all instances usually works. Should all else fail, perform a system restart.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">4. Disable intensive background apps</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Errant apps aside, applications that make intensive use of the processor or network should remain closed when your laptop isn't plugged in. Peer-to-peer software such as BitTorrent clients and computationally intensive applications such as distributed-computing projects (<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/234480/foldinghome.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Folding@Home</a>, for example) are out. You can also confirm that Windows Update and other software updaters are not attempting to download large software patches.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Disabling automatic Windows Update functions outright is too draconian (particularly if you forget to reinstate the feature later), but periodically checking on your network usage for unexplained spikes will allow you to identify and stop large file transfers before they gobble up precious minutes of battery life.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">5. Disable unneeded devices</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">You can disable unneeded hardware devices or ports to squeeze out a few more minutes of power, although this option isn't possible with every laptop. Start by disabling unneeded wireless capabilities, such as built-in data modems and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios (many laptops have hardware switches for this purpose).</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The optical-disc drive is another power guzzler that can drain batteries fast, so don't leave a DVD or Blu-ray disc in the drive if you don't need it. Finally, many laptops these days come with backlit keyboards; these are great when you're in a dark environment, but you can save precious power by doing without the feature when your laptop is running on battery power.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/wifi_adapter-100042520-orig.png" style="color:rgb(68,68,68);outline:0px"><img alt="" border="0" height="423" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/06/wifi_adapter-100042520-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Depending on your laptop model, you may be able to use Device Manager to disable unnecessary devices and ports.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Have we missed any great tips? How do you ensure that your laptop is up for the long haul? Please share in the comments section below.</p></span>

Five surefire ways to maximize your laptop's battery life

You adore your laptop. It lets you get down to business wherever you happen to be—airport lounge, coffee shop, your home office. It's ...

Read more »

Tweak your browser to show YouTube song lyrics

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100043028 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt4.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/06/youtube-lyrics-extension-100043028-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/category/browsers" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">YouTube makes a great jukebox, whether you use it to</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px"> </span><a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/231224/YouTube.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;color:rgb(37,167,215)">stream an entire playlist of songs from your favorite artist</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px"> </span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">or just listen to the occasional modern hit.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Ah, but what if you want to sing along? Or just figure out what the heck that line is in a song's chorus? (Surely it's not, "Should I give up, or should I just keep chasing penguins"?)</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"><a href="https://rob.lekensteyn.nl/youtubelyrics/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">YouTube Lyrics by Rob W</a> is a browser add-on that automatically looks up and displays song lyrics. And it works with not only YouTube, but also Grooveshark and Spotify.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The extension is available for Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Safari. Once installed, just head to YouTube and look up a song.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Assuming it's nothing too obscure and has the proper name and artist (as with the MP3s that used to float around Napster, some uploaders can't spell), YouTube Lyrics will immediately display a side panel with all the lyrics.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The extension pulls from a variety of online sources, so if the lyrics you see don't seem exactly right, you can click the <em style>Different source</em> link (when available) to get another version.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">There's also a search field so you can look up lyrics based on a specific song, even if you don't want to stream it.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> YouTube Lyrics works exactly as advertised, making your YouTube jukebox experience even more enjoyable. I'm loving this.</p></span>

Tweak your browser to show YouTube song lyrics

YouTube makes a great jukebox, whether you use it to   stream an entire playlist of songs from your favorite artist   or just listen to th...

Read more »