Sunday, November 17, 2013

All the New Stuff in Windows 8.1

Microsoft showed off an in-depth look at Windows 8.1 today, and released a preview for everyone to try out. Here are all the new features you'll find in the next version of Windows.

We've seen most of these features in Microsoft's "first look" video (embedded above), but today they gave us a closer look at all the new features in 8.1. Most of the new features are specific to Windows' tiled "Modern" interface, but there are one or two updates for desktop users as well. Here's what you'll see.

All the New Stuff in Windows 8.1S

The Start screen has a few improvements. You get two new tile sizes: one small square one and one large one, so you can configure the Start screen a bit more like Windows Phone 8. You can also select multiple tiles and put them into a named group, and swipe up gesture for the "All Apps" view. The All Apps view has a few new organization methods, too—you can view them by category, most used, and date installed, not just alphabetical.

The new Start screen has more colors to choose from, and you can even put your desktop wallpaper behind the Start screen as well. You can also turn the lock screen into a photo slideshow, sourced from your PC or SkyDrive. While you're on the lock screen, you can launch the camera or answer Skype calls without logging in.

All the New Stuff in Windows 8.1S

One of Windows 8's coolest features is the side-by-side window snapping, and Microsoft has made a big improvement to this feature: now you can resize those snapped windows however you want. Before, you could only have Windows split 50/50, or into thirds. Now, you can actually drag the slider to make each app take up as much or as little space as you want.

Furthermore, you can have more than two apps or windows on-screen at once—in fact, you can have up to four, as long as your monitor is big enough (Engadget reports that the Surface Pro is still limited to two). You can also move them between monitors, if you have more than one.

Windows 8.1 also comes with some handy improvements to the Windows Store and its built-in apps. The whole store has been given a facelift, and it will now automatically update your apps unless you're on a metered connection. Internet Explorer 11 now has unlimited tabs, the camera has a panorama feature, and the new Mail app will have a "sweep" feature that deletes multiple emails of the same type (e.g. newsletters). All apps are supposed to be faster, and push notifications are easier for developers to implement, so hopefully more apps will support them.

All the New Stuff in Windows 8.1S

Microsoft has also made a big update to search in 8.1 If you open the search charm, you'll see that all your search results are grouped into one place: no more switching between files, settings, apps, and the web. If you press enter, you'll be taken to a full-screen view of your search results. If Bing understands the person, place, or thing you've searched for, it'll load a full-screen app-like view called "Search Heroes," with intelligent results similar to Google's Knowledge Graph, that offers photos, videos, and relevant facts all in one unified interface.

Laslty, SkyDrive is even more integrated with Windows 8 now, automatically updating with new files in the background (like Dropbox) and staying in sync with all your other devices.

All the New Stuff in Windows 8.1

The desktop didn't get as much love as we would have liked, but there are two features desktop enthusiasts have been asking for: boot to desktop and a Start button.

Boot to desktop does exactly what it sounds like: You can tell Windows 8 to boot straight to the desktop instead of going to the Start screen first.

The Start button won't show you the Start menu from Windows 7; it just brings up the Start screen. It's minor, but nice if you're used to clicking that button in the bottom left-hand corner. As for us, we'll just stick with true Start menu apps like Start8.

All the New Stuff in Windows 8.1

They've also added the ability to shut down from the Win+X menu. Just press Win+X or right-click on the Start button and choose Shut Down from the menu. This is much faster than Windows 8's previous method of shutting down, which required you to open the charms menu. Again, if you use a Start menu replacement tool this won't affect you much, but it's nice that they've added it.

All in all, it's a good update if you're using Windows 8 on a touch-enabled device, but desktop users probably won't find anything too exciting in this update—after all, if you wanted the Start menu back, you probably have it already. If you want to try out some of the new features yourself, download the Windows 8.1 preview and take it for a spin.

Six Scientifically Supported Ways to Crush Procrastination

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

View the original article here

Turn a Set of IKEA Drawers Into the Perfect Home Server Cabinet

If you have a home server—whether it's a pre-bought model or one you built yourself—you need a good place to put it. IKEA Hacker Lauzer put his in a modded IKEA cabinet that keeps it within quick reach.

Why put your server in the closet, after all, when it's so hard to get to (and there aren't always outlets)? Lauzer took apart an old set of IKEA Vestby Drawers he found online (sadly, they're discontinued, but many different pieces would work with this), painted them black, and added some glass to the front to keep the whole thing visible. It looks a lot nicer than the original drawers, but was less work than building something from scratch, so it's perfect for a quick build. Check out the full post below for step-by-step instructions.

Vestby Server Cabinet | IKEA Hackers

The Best Led Project Ever!

PDF Downloads
As a Pro member, you will gain access to download any Instructable in the PDF format. You also have the ability to customize your PDF download.

Upgrade to Pro today!

View the original article here

Tackle the Most Fun Things on Your To-Do List First

Tackle the Most Fun Things on Your To-Do List First

You've probably heard the advice to "eat a live frog" or start with your worst task first. Super-productive writer-producer-director Joss Whedon, however, suggests the opposite approach: Jump start your day with the thing you want to do most.

"Absolutely eat dessert first," Whedon says in an article on Co.Create:

“Some people will disagree, but for me if I’ve written a meaty, delightful, wonderful bunch of scenes and now I have to do the hard, connective, dog’s body work of writing, when I finish the dog’s body work, I’ll have a screenplay that I already love. I used to write chronologically when I started, from beginning to end. Eventually I went, That’s absurd; my heart is in this one scene, therefore I must follow it. Obviously, if you know you have a bunch of stuff to do, I have to lay out this, all this dull stuff, and I feel very uncreative but the clock is ticking. Then you do that and you choose to do that. But I always believe in just have as much fun as you can so that when you’re in the part that you hate there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, that you’re close to finished.”

Both approaches have merit. If you have tasks that stress you out just thinking about them, eat the frog in the morning to get it out of the way. Otherwise, leaving those tasks for last could make you get through them more quickly (especially when you're on a deadline).

Whedon is also a fan of David Allen's Getting Things Done. Though he hasn't finished the book, he offers a lot of great advice on juggling multiple projects and more in the link below.

How to Be Prolific: Guidelines for Getting It Done from Joss Whedon | Co.Create

Photo by Liz Henry.

How to Treat Minor Injuries Without a First Aid Kit

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

View the original article here