When working with computers, if there’s one thing that’s inevitable, that’s the need to reinstall the operating system at some point. Perhaps it was some software installation that went wrong, or maybe the registry entries getting corrupted, but ultimately, you’re bound to come across a time when you will just want to start fresh and get your computer back to the state it was in at the time you bought it first. With Windows, this has been especially true through the OS’s life cycle, starting with Windows 3.x and all the way up to Windows 8. It’s undeniable that with Windows 7 and now Windows 8, the issue has become less prominent, thanks to the OS development, but still, the time does come, and you have to be ready for it.
For those who love using their iPhone and iPod touch to capture photos when they are out and about, then the chances are that scouring the App Store for photography based apps is a regular occurrence. Apps like Instagram have the sharing segment locked down, but if you prefer to step away from the default filters included in it then you could always take a look at the Bezel Photo app that not only offers a number of filters to enhance images, but also introduces fun shapes and a flat interface.
Microsoft's Live Messenger chat platform had been embraced by millions of users around the globe, and over time, it benefitted from a number of design and function iterations, but the Redmond based company has now officially announced that the service will be eventually laid to rest on March 15th of this year. Messenger has been handling online conversations for the last 13 years, but it seems Microsoft is finally ready to retire the veteran platform in favor of migrating its users across to the recently updated Skype service.
Microsoft confirmed today at the 11th annual J.P Morgan Tech Forum at CES that the company had sold 60 million copies of Windows 8 so far, including both OEM sales and upgrades on existing machines, putting it on a similar trajectory as Windows 7 three years ago. Undoubtedly, after all of the criticism, the new operating system is off to a good start since its launch this past October.
Netflix today announced two new high quality video streams, with one featuring a whole extra for those who just can't get enough. Netflix has almost singlehandedly put the video store out of business, and with DVD and Blu-ray disc sales always under pressure from online content distributors, the streaming media company is seeking to re-double its efforts to stay ahead of the competition.
The world of tablets is certainly evolving at an unprecedented rate, and what better place to catch a glimpse of the future of the tablet market, than the Consumer Electronics Show? Panasonic has wowed onlookers by unveiling a stunning 4K Windows 8 tablet at CES 2013, and the guys over at TheVerge have had the privilege of a little hands-on. Packing a 20-inch display, it's said to be aimed primarily at photography aficionados, while an included optical stylus permits the user to smoothly operate Windows 8 and make precise alterations to photos.
For Windows Phone users, perhaps the most useful feature you can think of is not the temperature indicator within the Weather app, or where it is displayed. However, sometimes checking the current temperature in your town before heading out might just save you the time of going back indoors and pick a different jacket. LockTemp adds a small temperature indicator straight to the bottom-right corner of your lock screen.
It's always intriguing to see how the look, feel, and function of some of our treasured gadgets can be vastly manipulated when a bit of nous and creativity is applied. Apple’s iPhone is amongst the trickiest to modify with respect to both hardware and software, but no challenge is unsurmountable, it would appear, for the rampant iPhone5mod team. Last week, the Chinese company came through with the quirky magnetic case, which trebled up as a gaming controller and a keyboard for the iPhone 5, and today, the outfit famed for its iPhone conversion kits has outdone itself once more with the Translucent Mod Kit.
Mozilla has delivered the latest of its ongoing, sixth-weekly updates to Firefox, pushing the browser up to version 18.0. As you may expect, the company has packed in a whole bunch of new features, and while most concern the overall running and general performance of the app (read: under the hood housekeeping), there are one or two which many will notice from the get-go. Details, and info on where you can grab the new Firefox, are available after the break!
This past Monday, we reported on a jailbreak for Windows RT that allowed it to run apps available outside of Microsoft’s Windows Store. The Redmond company has now come out, not to condemn the jailbreak, instead simply to confirm that it poses no security threat.
