Shake up your home screen

The beauty of Android is that you can tailor nearly everything about your phone's operating system to fit how you actually use it. All you need is a launcher -- an app that lets you tweak your phone's home screen.

There are roughly two kinds of launchers available; design launchers and "smart" home screen replacements. I'll walk you through some of the most popular titles in each category.

Nova Launcher

First up is a design launcher called Nova, which has been a popular choice for the last few years. This free app lets you change the number of apps you can fit on your home screen and alter scrolling effects, but that's just the beginning.

You can also completely overhaul your phone's aesthetic with icon packs, widgets, and wallpapers. Many people who build beautiful Android designs do so on Nova.

Nova also offers a paid app called Prime, which adds gesture controls and makes it possible to hide apps.

Apex Launcher

Like Nova, Apex is a design launcher that gives you a ton of freedom to change your phone's design. The apps are quite similar, with ways to change the layout of your home screen and play around with animations when you swipe through screens and menus. Likewise, you can build your own custom themes, or install existing ones.

Apex has a $4 paid app (converted, that would be about £2.35 or AU$4.24) that adds additional gestures and support for more themes built by the Android developer community.

Themer

If you want to change your phone's look without a lot of hassle, Themer is for you. This app was built by Mycolorscreen, which runs a website of the same name that highlights custom Android designs.

Themer comes packed with several hundred themes that you can use with a few taps. The themes really run the gamut, from designs that look like a scribbled-on notebook to ones that resemble a spaceship control panel.

Go Launcher EX

The last design launcher on my list is Go Launcher EX. This colorful, and at times cartoony, launcher comes with tons of add-ons, including widgets, wallpapers, and themes.

The downside of Go is that you need to download each add-on from Google Play to use it. Also, many themes cost money or credits to unlock.

Aviate

Now on to the "smart" home screen replacements. These apps get that name because they learn what information and apps you need throughout the day and display that for you.

Yahoo-owned Aviate organizes all of your apps into boxes to keep things tidy, and then surfaces collections of apps when it thinks you'll need them. For example, when you get to the office, Aviate makes it easy to get to your email, calendar, and to-do list apps. Likewise, when you plug in your headphones, your music apps appear.

EverythingMe

Another smart home screen replacement, EverythingMe relies on search to help you find what you need. You can search for anything using the prominent search bar on your home screen to find apps, web results, contacts, settings, and more.

EverythingMe also organizes your apps into smart folders based on topics, such as social or productivity apps. Within those smart folders, EverythingMe recommends other apps you can download. Lastly, there's a widget on the home screen that changes throughout the day to highlight the apps it thinks you need.

Terrain

Terrain is newcomer home screen replacement, and it's one of the most understated of the bunch. The app largely leaves your home screen untouched, and instead hides away valuable information in easy-access menus on both sides of the screen.

On one side, there's a space for you add helpful widgets, such as settings, your calendar, and stories from your favorite websites. The other side is your app drawer, where all of the apps on your phone are organized in an alphabetical list.

Reference:http://www.cnet.com/

Windows 8 brings quite a few password-related changes. It uses Microsoft accounts by default, which means that your log in password is the same as the password for your Microsoft account online. You can reset this password online if you ever forget it. Windows 8 also allows you to create picture passwords, an ideal feature for touchscreen tablets.

The new version of Windows also has many of the features built into previous versions of Windows, such as the hidden ability to log on automatically. Features such as picture passwords can be used by any type of user account, but you’ll have to reset your Windows password the old-fashioned way if you’re using a local user account and forget its password.

Automatically Log Into Windows

Passwords are an important security feature, but you may not want to bother with them. If you have a desktop computer in a secure location, you can choose to skip the password prompt entirely and have Windows log in automatically.

To do so, press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog. Type netplwiz into the dialog box and press Enter.

Uncheck the “Users must enter a username and password to use this computer” checkbox and click OK.

You’ll be asked to enter your password. Windows will remember this password and use it to sign you in automatically.

Change Your Password

To change your password, open the Settings charm (press Windows Key + I to quickly open the Settings charm) and select Change PC settings.

Select the Users category and click the Change your password button. You’ll be asked to provide your current password and a new password.

Note that you can’t change a Microsoft account’s password from the desktop version of the Control Panel. You’ll just see a link taking you to the PC settings application. IF you’re using a local user account instead of a Microsoft account, you can change the password from the Control Panel normally.

Reset a Microsoft Account Password

There are a number of ways to receive a reset link, including via email to the address associated with your account, a code sent via SMS message to a phone you’ve associated with your account, and a PC you’ve trusted to access your Microsoft account.

Reset a Local Account Password

If you’re using a local user account, you’ll have to use the traditional methods to gain access if you forget your password.

Like Windows 7, Windows 8 includes a tool that allows you to create a password reset disk. If you create a password reset disk ahead of time, you can use it in the future if you ever forget your password. To open the tool, press the Windows key to access the Start screen, type password reset disk, and tap the Settings category. Open the Create a password reset disk tool.

Of course, you can always reinstall Windows 8 and create a new local user account to regain access to your computer.

Create a Picture Password

Windows 8 also allows you to log in with a picture password. Like a lot of things on Windows 8, this feature is designed for a touch screen, It’s easier to log into a touch-based Windows system with a few gestures on a picture instead of tapping away on a virtual keyboard. However, bear in mind that these aren't as secure as real passwords. It’s often possible to see where you’ve touched a touch screen by the residue your fingers leave behind.

Picture passwords don’t replace your current password. They’re an alternative method you can use to log in. You’ll still be able to log in with your current password.

To create a picture password, click or tap the Create a picture password button in the Users section of the PC settings application. (You can also choose to create a PIN from here. The PIN will allow you to unlock a tablet by tapping a few numbers instead of entering a password, but it’s obviously less secure than a proper password that can incorporate more than just numbers.)

You’ll have to enter your current password before creating a picture password. After you do, you’ll be able to choose your own picture.

The picture password will incorporate a number of circles, straight lines, and taps at locations you choose on the picture. Windows remembers the size, position, and direction of the gestures. For example, a simple picture password could be a family photo where you tap people’s faces in a certain order. However, that would be rather obvious. Try to create a less obvious one incorporating other elements, such as circles or lines.

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-change-reset-and-picturize-your-windows-8-password/

For more information about Windows 8, you can visit: How to Install Windows 8 in Simple Steps .

Question: how do you improve on perfection?

Answer: you wait for someone else to have a go.

A quick look around the smartphone market reveals that Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems are top dog, while Nokia’s Symbian, RIM’s BlackBerry and Microsoft’s Windows Phone are eager for scraps thrown from the table.

In a realistic world, most people would recognise that the iPhone wields the same rows of apps as it did when released in 2007 – over five years ago – and that upgrading an Android phone to the latest release is like a trip to Las Vegas, requiring lucky wins with the network and the manufacturer to even get a sniff of an upgrade.

Since Windows Phone was first released in 2010, Microsoft has (unusually for them) attempted to bring a new paradigm to smartphones. While its successful tile-based user interface has been spun off into the main Windows operating system, and the focus on social networking has been adopted by competitors, it has on the whole remained bubbling under the surface.

But is it ready to strike like a shark, or sink like so much rotting flesh?

What’s New Since Windows Phone 7.5?

Windows Phone’s launch in 2010 was arguably too early. Updates the following year added vital copy and paste functionality but it wasn’t until the release of the Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango” update in late 2011 that the platform was rounded off with a range of excellent features.

Building upon this, Windows Phone 8 is faster, with a new approach for the desktop tiles which can be adjusted to three different sizes. The speed comes thanks to the dual-core processor support (see below) which is one reason why Windows Phone 7 devices cannot receive a software upgrade; the other reason is that Windows Phone 8 shares core components with Windows 8 (see below).

Support for resolutions of 1280×720 and 1280×768, MicroSD cards (missing previously as an antipiracy device), NFC for payment and content sharing, 128-bit Bitlocker encryption, Secure Boot, and VoIP and video chat (most obviously Skype, but other platforms can be used), in app purchases and over the air updates provide users with much-needed current and relevant technology.

Meanwhile, Windows Phone 8 is jam packed with new features. While background multitasking is long overdue, the creation of Rooms for private online chats with families and friends and a Kids Corner feature to prevent tiny fingers interfering with your contacts and data are ideal and feature in the platform’s advertising campaigns. Lenses are available for third party developers to access the camera and apply skins to the interface, while Internet Explorer 10 provides surprisingly fast browsing of the web.

Zune has been vanquished from Windows Phone 8. Xbox Music and Xbox Video have usurped it, while the desktop application is no longer needed to sync your phone. If you have Windows 8, no additional software is required; for Windows Vista and 7 users, a (shall we say) low-fi sync tool is provided that is a little clunky, to say the least.

One of the most impressive new features is Xbox SmartGlass, which allows remote control of an Xbox 360. Although this is also available for Android and iPhone, it remains extremely useful and further underlines the importance of the Xbox brand to Windows Phone.

Similarities with the Windows 8 Desktop

Along with integration with Windows 8 and the reliance on the same kernel, file system, drivers and more, Windows Phone 8 also bears a striking resemblance to its desktop/tablet brother.

This should come as no surprise as both sport versions of the Metro UI tile-based and touch-friendly system first seen in Windows Phone 7.

Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 both sport live tiles, designed to display updates to the user (and arguably more useful than iPhone or Android widgets). The People hub can be found on Windows 8 as well, along with the whole practice of “pinning” tiles from favoured applications to the Start screen – another shared element.

It Looks Like It’s Alive – Is it?

While Windows Phone 7 is being left as a low-end OS for developing markets, Windows Phone 8 is carrying the torch for live tiles and ease of use Microsoft-style in North America, Europe, Japan and Australia.

Fortunately, the core user experience is maintained, which means that the fascinating live tiles and the “flowing” nature of the Start screen remain. Like its predecessor, Windows Phone 8 really is a pleasure to use. It almost feels like fun, and proves that whatever faults might arise, whatever shortcomings the platform might be recognised as having, usability is not among them.

The new mobile OS relies on a dual core mobile processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor) which is reserved for a few native tasks but really in place for third party apps and games. Windows Phone 7 was tailored to run effortlessly on the provided hardware (which is why a dual-core CPU wasn’t required previously) and the same is true of Windows Phone 8.

It glides!

Over the past few years, Mac OS X has been slightly revised to more closely resemble iOS, and Microsoft have taken the same approach with Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 (ironically a reversal of the situation in their earlier mobile project Windows Mobile, which attempted – with some success for several years – to replicate the desktop experience on a handheld device.

However, similarities aside, there is one clear difference. Metro/Modern/whatever-you-want-to-call-the-tile-based-interface is completely at home on Windows Phone devices, and you won’t find a more intuitive, smooth and pleasing to use – not to mention fast and efficient – implementation of any mobile phone platform than you will on a Windows Phone 8 device.

Built-In Apps

There are a whole bunch of excellent built-in apps on Windows Phone 8, from the native email and calendar tools (capable of syncing with Gmail and Google Calendar as well as Exchange) to useful additions courtesy of Nokia, whose Lumia-only apps have been upgraded for Windows Phone 8 and shared across the ecosystem. Nokia Drive is particular impressive but is just one aspect of a wider Nokia Maps tool that also includes an augmented reality tool, City Lens, for finding useful businesses in your vicinity.

Microsoft Office is built in, along with Internet Explorer 10 and Xbox Live integration. Thanks to the People hub, Facebook, Windows Live, Google, Twitter and LinkedIn exist side-by-side, updates displayed either within the hub or on the associated live tile.

Along with the expected alarm and calculator tools, Windows Phone 8 also includes the Wallet, a PIN protected system for storing coupons, credit cards and memberships safe.

And if this lot isn’t enough (don’t forget the Xbox Music and Xbox Video tools for streaming entertainment or playing content saved on your phone) the Windows Phone Marketplace – now renamed to Store (in keeping with Windows 8) – provides access to around 100,000 apps and games.

The majority of Windows Phone 7 titles will run on Windows Phone 8 (see below) but most importantly the platform has been opened up considerably in comparison to its predecessor, meaning that many new types of app can be developed.

The Old “App Support” Question

As of 2012, Apple claims to have over 500,000 apps for the iPhone (with an additional 200,000 for iPad) while Android offers 600,000 across all device form factors.

By way of contrast, Windows Phone has just over 100,000. Now, I could go on about how the Windows Phone Store reached the important 50,000 apps stage faster than iPhone and Android.

But I won’t.

What is most important about any of these app stores is that they offer functional, usable and compelling applications. It’s far easier to find a compelling app searching through a list of just 100,000 than it is when the list is five or six times that number. Similarly, it’s a lot harder to find apps that are – basically – crap when the app store is smaller.

But the point about the argument that Windows Phone “doesn’t have enough apps” isn’t that most of those found on the App Store and Google Play are rubbish. It’s that “of course it doesn’t have as many apps, it’s considerably younger!”

This was certainly the case with Windows Phone 7.5 – things are a little different with Windows Phone 8 as there are various developers who have not yet upgraded their apps to run on the new platform. This doesn’t seem to be a major piece of engineering – Xbox Live games have all transferred to the new platform without any trouble, as have various third party titles – but at the time of writing, TuneIn Radio is unavailable on Windows Phone 8. It isn’t alone, but its absence is notable and a little embarrassing for a new mobile OS.

Conclusion

With such good quality Windows Phone 8 devices from HTC and Nokia, it’s hard to find fault with the platform. Unlike the previous release, Windows Phone 8 finally feels like a platform that is ready for the big time – or at least to compete with Apple and Google.

Here’s an interesting thing: I have three Facebook friends using a Windows Phone. Nothing to do with my evangelism of the platform, I’m sure, but the fact that these people use them – one an otherwise Apple-mad designer – should confirm that this isn’t a niche platform. Like Xbox 360 before it, Microsoft can and will (and it seems, have done) throw money at the platform to buy success.

For Microsoft, that means users buying into their slightly-more-open-than-Apple ecosystem, and with the discarding of the damaged Zune brand and the incorporation of the various successful Xbox brands as well as the excellent Nokia Maps suite – not to mention the improved social networking tools – Windows Phone offers an excellent way into that fenced (not walled) garden.

Some people will still be discouraged by the number of apps available, but this is easily the most pleasurable and user-friendly mobile OS. Windows Phone might not be perfect, but it’s no further way from that ideal than Android and iOS.

Source from: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/windows-phone-8-the-complete-review/

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It’s no secret that Windows 8′s new interface is a “touch-first experience” – Microsoft said it themselves. If you’re curious about upgrading to Windows 8, you can try Windows 8 on your PC – but unless you’re using a PC with a touch screen, it just isn’t the same. Assuming you have an iPad or Android tablet lying around, you can test Windows 8 with a touchscreen before you purchase a new Windows 8 PC or tablet.

You can’t actually install Windows 8 on your tablet, but we’ll be using a few tricks to experience Windows 8 on your existing tablet’s touch screen.

What You’ll Need:

• A copy of Windows 8. If you don’t already have a copy, you can try the Windows 8 Enterprise evaluation edition, which is intended for IT professionals and app developers to test Windows 8 before deploying it. It will expire after 90 days and can’t be upgraded to the full version of Windows 8, so it’s not a good idea to install it on your computer. Still, it’s perfect for our experiment in a virtual machine.
• A virtual machine program. We’ll be using VirtualBox here, but VMware Player or another virtual machine program will work, too.
• An iPad or Android tablet. We used a Nexus 7 here, but a larger tablet is probably more ideal. Microsoft isn’t shipping Windows 8 on 7-inch tablets.
• The Splashtop app, which we’ll be using to access the Windows 8 virtual machine from our tablet. It’s free for Android tablets and $1.99 for iPads.

Disclaimer: The actual experience here isn’t the same as using Windows 8 on an actual Windows 8 tablet. The virtual machine and remote streaming software detract from the computer’s performance, slowing Windows 8’s smooth interface. Splashtop also can’t function exactly like a touch screen (unless you want to buy Splashtop’s Win8 Metro Testbed app, which is intended for app developers and costs $50).

Preparing The Virtual Machine

The first thing you’ll need to do is install Windows 8 in a virtual machine. 

After you’ve got Windows 8 running in a virtual machine, you’ll need to install the Splashtop Streamer application in your Windows 8 virtual machine. This will allow you to access the virtual machine and control it from  your tablet. Ensure you install the Streamer inside your virtual machine, not on your host operating system.

Complete the install process and set up a Splashtop account. You’ll need the account to access your Windows 8 virtual machine from your tablet.

You’ll also need to enable bridged networking mode. By default, your virtual machine will be isolated on a different local network. Splashtop will prompt you to purchase the Anywhere Access Pack unless you enabled bridged networking. To do so, click the Machine menu and select Settings. From the Network section, click the Attached to box and select Bridged Adapter. This setting will take effect immediately – you won’t have to reboot your virtual machine.

Using Windows 8 On Your Tablet

Install the Splashtop app on your tablet and log in with the Splashtop username and password associated with your account. You’ll see your Windows 8 PC in the list – tap it to connect.

Once you have, you can use Windows 8 on your tablet’s touch screen. Unfortunately, Splashtop itself is controlling the mouse cursor remotely, so this won’t feel quite like using a touchscreen. Still, many of the operations work well with touch.

You can tap something to left-click it or touch-and-hold something to right-click it. This is just how tapping and long-pressing work on Windows 8. To scroll, place two fingers on the screen and drag them over the screen. You’ll see a full list of supported gestures when you first connect to your Windows 8 system with Splashtop.

You can access a keyboard by tapping the arrow button in the corner of your screen and tapping the keyboard button. This allows you to tap the Windows key to return to your home screen after using an app, since Windows 8's touch gestures for accessing the charms, switcher, and other operating system features by swiping in from the side of the screen don’t work with Splashtop.

Moving your cursor to a corner of the screen doesn’t work by default, either. To use the corners, tap the arrow button in the corner of the screen and tap the trackpad button to enable Trackpad mode. In trackpad mode, you can easily move the cursor to the corner of the screen to access the charms, switcher, and other features.

The Takeaway

Unfortunately, Splashtop doesn’t perfectly match the experience of using Windows 8 on a tablet. The smoothness of the interface is replaced by the jerkiness associated with all remote desktop software, and the swipe gestures to access critical navigation features aren’t available.

However, in many ways this experience is more instructive than using Windows 8 with a mouse and keyboard. Tapping elements on the screen with your finger feels more natural than using a mouse and keyboard with the new Windows 8 interface. Being able to hold the Windows 8 interface in your hands will give you an idea of whether you actually want a Windows 8 tablet or not. If you’re interested, you probably should look for a local electronic store, many of which have demonstration Windows 8 PCs and tablets set up. You can try Windows 8 and get the real experience in person.

Source from: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-test-windows-8-on-a-tablet/

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Most people don’t stop to think about the PDF reader they install – they just install Adobe Reader. Adobe’s PDF Reader isn’t the only option, though – there are quite a few high-quality, free PDF viewers available for Windows.

The alternative PDF readers run the gamut from minimal, lightweight applications built for nothing more than viewing PDFs to more full-featured applications that include annotations and highlighting. 

Built-In PDF Readers

If you’re using Google Chrome, you already have a PDF reader. It’s not feature-packed, but it’s a quick, minimal way to read PDF documents in your browser without installing and launching a separate application. It makes PDFs look like any other web page, aside from a toolbar that appears when you hover your cursor over the document.

Mozilla is working on integrating a built-in PDF reader, known as PDF.js, into Firefox 14, the next version of Firefox that will be released. Firefox should have a built-in PDF reader by Firefox 14 – or, hopefully, Firefox 15 at the latest. Windows 8 also comes with its own PDF reader – PDF readers are becoming more integrated into the browsers and operating systems we use every day, gradually eliminating the need for dedicated PDF readers.

Foxit Reader

Foxit may be one of the first names that comes to mind when people think about alternative PDF readers, as it was one of the first alternative PDF readers to gain steam – and it’s still a great option today. Unfortunately, it does try to install a toolbar and change your web browser’s home page during installation. Unlike some of the more lightweight option, Foxit has built-in support for annotations, highlights and other PDF-editing features – it’s a more full-featured alternative to Adobe Reader.

Sumatra PDF

Sumatra PDF stands out as the most lightweight PDF reader available. It’s very lightweight, has a simple interface, and is also available as a portable app that you can take with you anywhere. It doesn’t have any editing options or other advanced features – it’s just a window that loads extremely quickly and displays PDFs. It’s also packed with keyboard shortcuts, making it even more ideal for quickly reading PDFs. Sumatra also supports other types of files, including eBooks in ePub and Mobi format and comic books in CBZ and CBR formats.

Nitro PDF Reader

Nitro stands out among free PDF readers with some unique features, as well as a slick interface – although people that dislike Microsoft's ribbon interface may prefer another application’s interface. It’s got some features you won’t find elsewhere – for example, its QuickSign feature allows you to capture a digital image of your signature and apply it to PDF documents. Nitro PDF can also convert files from Microsoft Word and other formats to PDF, convert PDF files to text, and extract images from PDF files.

PDF-XChange Viewer

PDF-XChange Viewer is a fast application, although it isn’t as lightweight as some of the other available PDF readers. It’s got good support for editing and annotations, although more complex edits will require a more full-featured, paid application like Adobe Acrobat. 

Adobe Reader

Adobe Reader is still the standard PDF reader, although it’s definitely not the fastest. While most PDF documents work perfectly fine in other PDF readers, every now and then a document will only work in Adobe Reader. If you prefer another PDF reader, don’t be surprised if you have to occasionally fire up Adobe Reader to view a more complex PDF that just isn’t working properly in other PDF readers. There’s a reason Chrome’s in-browser PDF reader prompts users to open (or download) Adobe Reader in some cases.

Source from: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-pdf-readers-windows/

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