Note: This setting is built in to both versions of Windows 8 and Windows RT. Boot Straight to Desktop Windows 8.1 T0 find the setting, simply right-click and empty area on the Taskbar and select Properties. When the Taskbar and Navigation Properties window that comes up, select the Navigation tab. Then, check the box next to “Go to the Desktop Instead of Start when I Sign In” under the Start screen section and click OK....

Or, you might want to keep the power running in an instance where you’re just packing it up to move from one room to another, for example. Whatever the case, here’s how to make sure the Chromebook stays powered on when you close the lid. Keep the Power Running When You Close the Chromebook Lid To get started, click the clock area on the taskbar and then click the Settings icon from the menu....

Google Fit Heart and Respiratory Rate Google Fit is a useful health monitoring tool. It’s perfectly capable of monitoring a lot of health metrics. You can even sync your Fitbit data with it, with a little bit of effort. However, until recently, if you wanted to measure your heart rate or your breathing, you had to have an external device for this purpose. Afterward, you could sync that data, presumably via Bluetooth....

With Microsoft ending support for the legacy versions of IE, it means those versions will receive no more security updates or technical support. If you continue to use those versions, you’ll be more vulnerable to attacks. Microsoft says the following on its IE End of Support page: End of Life for IE 8, 9 and 10 This move has been known for a long time now and shouldn’t come as a surprise....

Here I’m using Office 2007 Professional, but this works with all versions. Pop in the MS Office disc and start the install. Enter in your Product Key and click Continue. Accept the EULA. At the Choose the Installation You Want screen – hang on. Click on Customize. Now you can select which programs and components to install. If you don’t want a program, click the drop down. Then select Not Available....

KB4476976 for Windows 10 1809 Addresses an issue that may cause Microsoft Edge to stop working with certain display drivers.Addresses an issue that may cause third-party applications to have difficulty authenticating hotspots.Addresses an issue that causes promotions of non-root domains to fail with the error, “The replication operation encountered a database error.” The issue occurs in Active Directory forests in which optional features like Active Directory recycle have been enabled.Addresses an issue related to the date format for the Japanese era calendar....

All other older versions of Windows 10 will receive patches today, too. The only version not getting fixes is version 1511. Here’s a look at what you will get. KB4517389 for Windows 10 1903 May 2019 Update As is usually the case for cumulative updates, there are no new features to report. But today’s update will bump your build to version 18362.418 and includes the following fixes and improvements:...

Windows 10 19H1 Preview Build 18282 One of the main attractions in this build is a new Light Theme. Of course, Windows 10 currently has a Dark Theme and the company is looking to distinguish the difference between the two. In addition, the company is adding a new default wallpaper as well. The modern printing experience is also being improved. The print dialog supports the new light theme. And there are a number of updated icons with your printing options interface....

Windows 10 20H1 Build 18936 Quick Event Create allows you to create Calendar events directly from the Taskbar. The new feature will make it easier to create new events and reminders from the cock and calendar flyout. The passwordless sign-in feature is being added to this build. This allows you to use your Microsoft account to sign using Windows Hello with a fingerprint or your face. Microsoft says: “Enabling passwordless sign in will switch all Microsoft accounts on your Windows 10 device to modern authentication with Windows Hello Face, Fingerprint, or PIN....

Windows 10 Preview Build 19628 Here is the list of general changes and improvements in this release: We’re adding initial support for DNS over HTTPS, so that you can opt into using encryption when Windows makes DNS queries. Follow the instructions in this blog post to opt in as it will be off by default.Thanks everyone who shared feedback about the updated version of Korea Microsoft IME introduced with Build 18941....

Note: Microsoft has recently reorganized the Insider program. The Fast ring is now known as the Dev Channel. The Slow ring is now known as the Beta Channel and Release Preview ring is now known as the Release Preview Channel. Windows 10 Preview Build 20155 Here is the list of fixes contained in today’s new build: We fixed an issue that could result in Notepad unexpectedly being removed after resetting your PC....

This is the first new Insider build for the year and introduces some minor new features like an updated notification area icon, Task Manager improvements, and other system updates. Here is a look at what you can expect. Windows 10 Preview Build 19541 As a minor aesthetic change, Microsoft has updated the notification area icon so you know an app is using your location. In Task Manager there’s an added option to show the architecture of each process in the Details tab....

Cortana in Project Spartan Cortana is built-in with Project Spartan and runs in the background. And with it, when you highlight text and select Ask Cortana, a pane pops out from the right, and it can find a lot of helpful information without leaving the page or opening another tab. For example, in the screenshot below I typed: Amsterdam And it gives me basic data from Wikipedia, the current weather, points of interest, a map of the city, and much more....

Office 2013 Support Ending for Office 365 Business Subscriptions on February 28th Users should note that this explicitly affects the Office 365 releases of Office 2013. Perpetual versions of Office 2013 such as Professional Plus, Professional, and Standard editions will continue to be available for one-time purchases. (Mainstream support for Office 2013 with Service Pack 1 will extend to April 2018 for perpetual versions of Office 2013.) Unlike Office 365 versions of the suite, perpetual versions are rarely updated....

Moving Apps between Windows Phone 8.1 SD Card the Phone’s Storage In this example I have Nextgen Reader installed on the SD card and I get an error telling me it needs to be moved on the phone’s storage. Start by going to Settings > Storage Sense. Then tap your SD card – not the phone. After that, tap Apps + Games and after a few moments you can start browsing through the aps on the SD card....

Features Jukebox ModeSync and Rip MusicPlayback modifiersCustomizationTaggingLibrary organizationDownloads lyrics, meta data, and album artPortableSkins The first thing I noticed about MusicBee is its tagging feature. It reminds me of iTunes, but without the lag. If meta data is already attached to the music, it will pull it up. The program can be skinned to a wide variety of themes. Many of these are included in the initial install. If none of them catch your fancy, there are even more available online....

Netflix in July changed pricing, spun out its DVD service in September into a new division and lost customer goodwill and market value in the bargain. Its stock is down 50 percent at this writing, Netflix needs exciting new content to breathe life into it, especially now that competitors from TV and Cable are introducing services to lure unhappy Netflixsters. So this week’s Netflix agreement with Discovery Communications to bring the AMC cult-favorite zombie show, “The Walking Dead,” to its service is fitting....

Maps Apple has ditched Google Maps for its own in-house version. It includes vector-based 2D elements, 3D maps, turn-by-turn navigation, and traffic conditions. The Maps app is also compatible with Siri, which will tell you turn-by-turn directions during your driving. Fold the map up on the screen to access other handy features. Passbook Many tech pundits were critical of the fact the iPhone 5 doesn’t have NFC (near field communication) technology....

Microsoft’s Nokia Acquisition A lot of this came to light when Finland’s largest newspaper did some digging last week and discovered that not only did Elop’s employment contract differ from previous Nokia CEO’s, but there was a huge incentive for a “change of control” that was written in. As Forbes translated it (the original newspaper is written in Finnish), if Elop met the following criteria he was headed towards a big payday:...

At groovyPost.com, we love Adobe Photoshop. CS6 has a brand new tool called Perspective Crop. Let’s review its features and demonstrate a few scenarios where it can be very useful. Photoshop CS6 Perspective Crop Tool Screencast Photoshop CS6 Perspective Crop Tool Step-by-Step Screenshot How-To Step 1 – Loading an appropriate image The purpose of the Perspective Crop Tool is to combine two operations into one – distorting to remove perspective and cropping accordingly....