In case you’re wondering, a recovery tool is a small isolated app that doesn’t require the Android operating system to run. Back in the Windows 98 days it could be compared to booting into DOS. From the recovery system you can create backups, flash custom OS installations (ROMS), a factory reset or wipe the entire system. It also has a few other features that help with device maintenance. Finding a download link and the easiest way to install TWRP can be a bit trick....

Turn Predictive Typing On or Off The predictive typing feature tries to guess what you will type next and offers words at the top of the keyboard you can tap instead of typing the full word. Many people find this a helpful feature, but if you don’t, you can turn it off. Head to Settings > General > Keyboard and turn off the “Predictive” switch. Use Split Keyboard One trick that has been around since iOS 5 is the ability to split the keyboard on the iPhone or iPad....

In both Windows 7 and 8, there is a built-in tool to manage start-up items. But sometimes this isn’t enough and you need to turn to a third-party tool. Autoruns from Sysinternals is an overpowered startup manager like you’ve never seen before. It can manage everything from applications and tasks, to service and DLL initialization. The best part? It’s free and updated frequently. Using Sysinternals Autoruns Below you’ll see an overview of the application....

Since the online simulator doesn’t have an array of “always-on” microphones listening, you can’t just say: “Alexa” to trigger it as you do with an actual device. Instead, click and hold (or tap and hold on a touch screen device) the microphone button and speak your command (obviously, your computer or mobile device need a working microphone and speakers for it to work). Then Alexa will reply to you as it does from any of the three echo devices that include it....

OS X MavericksAvailable today. Free for any Mac from 2007 and forward.Download it now from the Mac App Store.“Over 200 new features”Be it known that during the presentation Apple slammed Microsoft for charging $200 for Windows 8 Pro.iPad AirThin, light, fast. 64-bit A7 processor (same as iPhone 5s)Weighs 1 pound.$499 16GB Wi-Fi version, $629 for cellular model9.7 inch Retina displayAvailable in silver/white/gray/black5MP cameraDual microphonesNo TouchID fingerprint sensor, or at least it wasn’t mentioned....

When you tap the button to show more apps in the Chromecast app from Google, it gives you a list of about 12 apps. These apps are from the so-called “big players” in streaming entertainment. Apps like ESPN, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, HBO Go – are displayed, and it gives you the impression that those are the only ones available. Cast Store for Chromecast If you have wanted an easy way to discover new apps for Chromecast, check out Cast Store for Chromecast....

Enable Nearby Sharing First off, you need to have Bluetooth enabled on both devices. You also need the Nearby Sharing feature turned on. You manage it by heading to Settings > System > Share experiences. There you can choose who to share and receive content from and the folder the received files are stored. Note: You can turn Nearby Sharing, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi on or off via the Action Center. Hit Windows Key + A to launch Action Center and click the appropriate button to turn the features on or off....

Disabling Live Tile notifications is easy. Right click the tile you no longer want to display notifications. At the bottom of the screen click the Turn Off Live Tile icon. When the tile notifications are turned off, you’ll see the generic icon for it. Here’s an example of several tiles turned off. Notice they all simply have their respective icon. To make a tile live again, right click it and click the Turn Live Tile On icon....

Honestly, I’m not sure why they didn’t do this earlier! The new Twitter “tweet” button comes from direct collaboration and partnership with the small company that brought us the first “retweet” button, Tweetmeme. So don’t worry, Tweetmeme isn’t going anywhere, they are onboard with Twitter for this one! The new button allows you to set up a customized Tweet button for your site. What is really noteworthy however is the recommended people to follow....

ProxMate is an extension for Google Chrome that allows you to browse the Internet and access sites that have been banned or restricted in the country. This may include websites like: Facebook, YouTube, Google Play and Pandora to name a few. First, install ProxMate for Chrome of Firefox. Then you have the option to enable or disable the add-on for different websites. By default it uses its own set of proxies....

Here are some of the best ways to use your Mac with an iPad. Sidecar First introduced with iPadOS 13 and macOS Catalina in 2019, Sidecar is the easiest (and cheapest) way to connect your Mac and iPad. A native feature built into both devices, Sidecar lets you mirror or extend your Mac display onto the tablet. To get started with Sidecar, your devices must be connected with a USB-C cable or wirelessly over Wi-Fi....

Vyew vs. Join.me: Overview The main attraction for both of these products is the price—they are both free, but with a few premium features (which we’ll discuss later). Aside from that, you’ll probably seek out Join.Me or Vyew for the screen sharing and conference calling and perhaps be swayed to make it your web conferencing app of choice based on the features and performance. That’s what we’ll be taking a look at....

Vudu, Walmart’s streaming video service, has now arrived for the fourth-generation Apple TV with purchasing limitations. The new app lets you watch the movies and TV shows you’ve purchased or added to your Vudu library via its UltraViolet technology that allows you to save a digital version of your DVDs and Blu-ray discs. However, the limitation is the inability to rent or buy videos directly from the Vudu Apple TV app....

Tech site The Verge was able to obtain footage of his goodbye speech to company employees, which you can view below. Steve Ballmer announced his retirement last month stating “There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time.” in a statement issued in a press release. When it was announced that Microsoft purchased Nokia Devices and Services for 7.2 Billion a few weeks ago, several people in the industry speculated that Steven Elop was the heir apparent....

What is a Second Mortgage A second mortgage, also known as a home equity loan, is just what the name suggests. You already have a mortgage on your home, and now you’ll be adding a second one. The key to a second mortgage is the equity you have built up in your home. Home equity is the difference between the home’s market value and what you owe the lender. For example, if your home has a market value of $500,000 and you owe the bank $250,000, your equity is $250,000....

What is a Phishing Attack? Phishing is a social engineering attack designed to steal user data such as login credentials, credit card numbers, and other personal information. The scam, which can come through as an email, text message, or instant message, masquerades as a trusted entity. It hopes you’ll bite and willingly hand over your information by clicking on a malicious link. The majority of these scams (51 percent) lead to a malware attack, according to Small Business Trends....

A MacBook battery is expected to last three to four years during regular use. Until it completely dies, the battery will start giving off a sure sign things aren’t well; they’ll be less time between a full and empty charge. Even with a completely exhausted battery, all is not lost. Your MacBook will continue to work as long as it’s plugged in. Continue to use it like that until you have time to get the battery replaced....

However, while using your device on the go, you might find that the on-screen keyboard can take some getting used to. Depending on the situation you’re in, knowing how to split the keyboard is a helpful thing to know how to do. Split Windows 10 On-Screen Keyboard in Tablet Mode Pull up the on-screen keyboard, then tap the keyboard button at the lower right corner. Then tap the split keyboard button that’s located in the middle....

Note: You can only use the homegroup feature on a home network. The Internet connection needs to be set to Home. Click Start and type: homegroup into the search box and hit Enter. Next, click Create a Homegroup. On the Create a Homegroup screen, check what you want to share with the homegroup. Click Next. Windows will generate a password for connecting to the homegroup from another computer. Make sure to copy it if you want to use it....

Touch-First User Interface More Ways to Engage With Powerful, Connected Apps Enhanced Fundamentals New Developer Opportunities New Generation of Hardware Microsoft Build Conference Press Release on Windows 8 Comment Name * Email * Δ Save my name and email and send me emails as new comments are made to this post.