Classic Shell brings back the Start menu to Windows 8
I bought my wife a new laptop for Valentine's Day and oh my it has Windows 8!! What a difference in both good and bad. I did get a laptop with a touch screen so Windows 8 makes a little more sense but still, it's just dang awkward! One of the first things I thought would help would be to bring back the start menu. I looked around and tried a few of the apps out there and there are a lot. I settled on Classic Shell. It's free and you can customize a lot in it. Check it out if you are wanting a start menu like we have had for years. Here is a little more info in this PC World article.
Review: Classic Shell brings the Start menu to Windows 8 for free | PCWorld.
Phonoscope.com Speedtest
Haven't really looked for a new speed testing site lately but ran across this one the other day and thought it was very informative.
Free Anti-Virus Comparison
I've used AVG off and on for years but some things like advertisements in the interface and email has gotten old and something else the other day got on my nerves but I can't remember what it was now! Anyway, it's time to check out other free options since I can't remember the last time I paid for anti-virus software. I've used Security Essentials over the years and seem to pick up bad things while using it! I'm pretty sure I've used Avast before and removed it for some reason but don't remember why. I've used Avira before but like this comparison says, the interface just isn't very pleasing or something and I had to uninstall it but it's been a while since I tried it so it may be time to give it another try too. I'm installing Avast today again to give it a try.
What do you use and why? Do you pay for anti-virus software?
A Free Anti-Virus Comparison: 5 Popular Choices Go Toe-To-Toe.
Cancelbot
Found this the other day reading some contract wording that does't get read all the time. Never know where you might learn something!
From Wikipedia - A cancelbot is an automated or semi-automated process for sending out third-party cancel messages over Usenet, commonly as a stopgap measure to combat spam. More here
Galaxy S3 takes panoramic photos!
The Samsung Galaxy S3 has a pretty nice camera. I'm certain it's the best camera I've had on a phone so far and I recently realized it would take great panoramic shots.
To start snapping high-quality, panoramic shots, just follow the easy steps below:
Open the Camera app.
On the viewfinder screen tap the square symbol on the left.
Tap Panorama in the camera mode list that pops up.
When you're ready to take the first shot, tap the camera icon and directional arrows appear. The app will then prompt you to pan left or right in landscape view.
As you pan, a guide appears onscreen. Use this to frame your panoramic shot.
Continue guiding the smartphone as smoothly as you can. The camera will automatically capture consecutive frames. It's easy!
Tap the red button on the right to stop capturing.
The camera will then link the shots into a single photo.
That's it!
Customise Your Galaxy S3 App Drawer
The Galaxy S3's App Drawer is where all of your mobile apps are stored. You can access the App Drawer at any time by clicking the Apps icon in your fixed-apps tray at the bottom of the device's display. And you can customise your App Drawer by tapping the Menu key when the Drawer is open.
You can set the App Drawer to organise applications in alphabetical-list or alphabetical-grid form. Or you can customise the Drawer yourself and rearrange apps any way you want. To organize or customize your App Drawer, open it up and then tap the Menu button. Next, choose the View Type option and select the setting you want.
You can also hide apps, view all downloaded apps, quickly uninstall multiple apps at one time and share applications by choosing the appropriate options from the App Drawer's Menu.
Samsung Galaxy S3 IMEI Number
You can display your IMEI number by typing *#06# into your phone.
ShouldIChangeMyPassword.com
Should I Change My Password dot com is a simple webapp that can tell you if you may be at risk. With so many sites being compromised and user data released publicly on the web, you may have fallen victim. See if you show up in their database. ShouldIChangeMyPassword.com
Online Audio Cutter
Ever need to edit MP3s? My son sings old Elvis music and I find myself needing to modify songs sometimes by chopping off the long pause at the beginning or shortening them to fit in a certain time frame during a play or something. I've used Audacity in the past and it works great but I didn't have it loaded on my machine recently and found this website that did the trick in record time! No software needed... Check out MP3Cut.net if you ever need to shorten Suspicious Minds like I did!
Galaxy S3 Lock Screen Customization
After you set up a screen lock, you'll also be able to control what info appears on it. Go into Settings, tap on Security, then tap on Lock screen options. From here, you'll be able to set up Shortcuts, turn on the Information ticker, get quick access to the camera, set up a Clock or Dual clocks, turn on weather widget and you can even toggle the Ripple effect.