Tutorial on how to set or run animated screensaver as desktop wallpaper on Windows 8 or Windows 7. True, it’s nothing new thanks to the fact that the trick of having a screensaver as a wallpaper has been around for some years, but we’d forgotten all about it and, we’re willing to guess, so have you. It’s really so simple that everyone should be at least giving it a try.

The iOS 7 theme for Windows 8 (and 7) is intended to emulate the look of Apple’s mobile operating system, but because of the nature of Windows being a desktop-like environment (despite the recent touch-based support), it arguably appears more similar to OS X. Not that this is a bad thing though. The folks behind this skin seem to have found a nice balance between the two, and considering how Apple is also in the process of amalgamating its two key ecosystems, the crossover doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

The introduction of USB to the computing world could be such a huge technological marvel, it’s hard to fathom that the early adopters of the interface would’ve imagined that when they introduced it to the market. Yet today, we have everything running on USB – from speaker systems to input/output devices to rechargeable batteries and whatnot. So much so that the USB port has become a standard electrical supply for a lot of non-computing gadgets as well.

Regardless of whether your desktop computer operating system of choice has that Microsoft feel about it, or slants more towards an Apple inspired offering, it’s probably fairly accurate to assume that there are things that you would like to change about the aesthetics. Mac OS X is currently enjoying its most successful spell to date with Apple reaping the benefits that come attached with the current surge in user adoption. However, Microsoft is also reporting a recent surge in profits that has a lot to do with the success of Windows 8 since launch.

As operating systems have evolved, their primary goal has always been to make computing easier for the end user, be it a tablet, a smartphone or a desktop computer. Thanks to hybrid operating systems like Windows 8, and the deep integration that Apple’s OS X and iOS enjoy, the difference between various hardware platforms is quickly diminishing, making room for a more streamlined, unified experience. However, good as the intention may be, in doing so, some of the convenience aspects beget a security risk, thereby exposing the system in question to security breaches and execution of undesired code. One such feature in Windows – the most widely used desktop operating system – is the AutoPlay (or AutoRun, as it was formerly known). In this article, we’ll tell you how to disable AutoPlay / AutoRun for good at a system-wide level.

Microsoft today made Internet Explorer available to Windows 7 users, which means Microsoft’s 2nd newest operating system now has browser parity with the newest, Windows 8.

With Windows 8, Microsoft made some different (if not difficult) choices, especially when it comes to licensing. You would already know that Windows is a closed-source operating system, and hence, when you purchase a copy of Microsoft Windows, you’re basically acquiring a ‘license to use’ for the operating system, and not the OS itself. When the company released Windows 8, one of the approaches that they took to making it even more popular (and combat piracy at the same time) was making it available for lower prices as compared to previous versions. This, at the same time, brought on some tough licensing choices, too. For instance, Microsoft had to do away with native DVD playback capability in Windows 8, because the patent holder for MPEG-2/4 (the video codec required to play said media) charges Microsoft $2 per copy of Windows 7 (the relative figure) sold. They had to cut back on such costs to achieve the pricing point that Windows 8 claims.

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.

The Universal Serial Bus interface, more commonly known as the USB, is perhaps the most useful invention in the world of computers and technology after the floppy disk. The bus provides a standardized media and input/output interface that has truly revolutionized how removable devices and other peripherals connect and interact with computers all over the world. Today, USB-interface is used not only for removable storage media, but also for the likes of printers, human interface devices (like mice and keyboards), gamepads, speakers, device connections, and lots of other cool gadgets that you’d just like to have sitting around on your desk while you work. If you really think about it, you’ll hardly find yourself using any other port on your PC or laptop more than the USB ports.

The problem with running on old software is, you’re always likely to be left behind. In order to coerce consumers into updating or upgrading, the newest software is developed first, and anybody left behind is, well, simply left behind. While those on Windows 8 can already enjoy Internet Explorer 10, anybody still straggling on Windows 7 will still be waiting for the new version, and although it’s not quite ready for end-user release, a preview version has now been dropped by Microsoft.

If you’re using a desktop computer and it is powered by Windows 7, then you and your computer are now, almost three years after its release in late 2009, part of the majority. Yes, according to the latest statistics, Windows 7 is the most popular desktop operating system today. Check out the details after the jump.

Microsoft’s Windows OS has yielded a reputation as being something of a magnet when it comes to malicious software and security threats in general, so the news that your login password could be pretty easy for an unscrupulous individual to find is, rather than being surprising, something of a disappointment.