I am always keen to keep a finger on the pulse of the current state of antivirus software to ensure my computers remain protected from the latest viruses, etc., and have regularly blogged about the best ones at various times (type “antivirus” into the Search field to find them). Android Authority have just published their “Best Of” list, which you can read here.
Conceal secret messages inside text like a spy
Find out how to conceal important private information inside text so that anybody else who might intercept the message will not be aware of the hidden contents, using techniques described by GadgetHack.com in their article here.
OFORMs: online form format for fill-able forms
Find out why and how you would create an OFORM fill-able form in this article by MakeUseOf.com.
What is a Virtual Machine?
You probably not have used one yet, but there is a good chance you may have heard the term Virtual Machine (VM). Virtual Machines are not a new concept as I was using them on IBM mainframes back in the 70s. Since then VMs have made their way to other platforms such as Windows, iOS and Linux. There are many benefits to using a VM on your computer such as trying out different or new versions of operating systems on your computer. The YouTube video below will help explain the concept in 3 minutes. If that piques your interest and you would like to implement a VM on your computer, checkout this YouTube video too.
Want Microsoft Office on your computer but don’t want to pay a heafty price?
Over the years Microsoft Office has become the default corporate office suite consisting of word processing, spreadsheets, presentation and other office related tools. However for those that want occasional use of these capabilities at home, the suite can be somewhat expensive. MakeUseOf.com have published a few articles explaining how searching the Internet can find you some great deals on lifetime licenses for Microsoft Office (read here), or other Office alternatives that are free for most operating systems (read here), or those that are specifically for Linux (read here). If you prefer to see what these apps look like rather than reading, try watching the YouTube video below.
Essential Apps for your PC or Mac
Are you setting up a new computer or simply reviewing the apps on your PC? Well, you must read an article from TechSpot here about what they consider to be the most essential apps for your computer. I’ve mentioned many of them here in the blog, most are free, and support Web Browsing, Password Management, Cloud Storage & Backup, Security, Office Productivity, Video Chat and Messaging, Hardware Monitoring & Overclocking, File Management, plus a bunch of other stuff.
Uninstalling difficult to remove Windows apps
Luckily the situation is very rare, but occassionally the Windows Uninstall wizard doesn’t work correctly and leaves you with an application that won’t uninstall. The guys at Betechwise.com have published an article that discusses how you can use the command line to “force” an uninstall when the wizard does not work or makes it difficult to remove installed software. Read it here.
Free Microsoft Word templates
MakeUseOf.com has published an article here listing 8 sites where you can get free templates for Microsoft Word.
Erasing sensitive data from a hard disk drive
Erasing sensitive personal and financial files from your Windows based PC hard disk drive before junking it or passing it on to somebody else, is not as simple as you might imagine; as it is still possible to recover this data, even after you have deleted the files. So before disposing of your old disk drives or Windows computers, you might like to read this article from PC Mag UK first.
Yes, you should be using two-factor authentication (2FA)
DIscover what two-factor authentication is and why you absolutely should be using it now to protect your identity and stay safe on the Internet. Read Android Authority’s article here.
Problems with your Microsoft Store?
Ouch!! This has happened to me where I couldn’t download the new apps or update the installed ones in the Microsoft Store. I spent days digging a deeper hole for myself as I tried the many different published “solutions”. Eventually my computer was a mess and I had to reinstall Windows from scratch 🙁 MakeUseOf.com have just published an article listing 5 fixes to this problem. Read it here.
YouTube URL Tricks
Ever wanted to send somebody a link to a YouTube video, but take them to a specific part of that video instead of starting at the beginning? MakeUseOf.com have published a number of useful URL tricks for YouTube, including one trick for doing precisely that – check out all the tricks here.
Can you trust online reviews?
MakeUseOf.com have just published an interesting article discussing the trustworthy-ness of online reviews and how you can read between the lines to make sure you are making good buying choices. Check it out here.
Secretly educational video games for your kids
C|Net have compiled a list of video games that sneak in educational lessons while your kids have fun. Help your kids learn while they have fun playing these 13 video games. Read it here.
Need to move your iTunes library?
If you have a requirement to move your iTunes library to a different folder, computer, or drive; PC Mag have written an article for you. Read it here.