6 Reasons why you shouldn't hate the Windows 8.

     A lot of people have told me :"If I get Windows 8 I will most likely disable Metro. I am probably going to hate it." I talked about in my last article, before I started using the final version of Windows 8 Pro, I used to hate metro, it was very unintuitive. The scroll wheel on my mouse didn't move down the menu like I expected it to and I had to hold the bar at the bottom and drag it over, painfully. Now, however, the Start Screen works with the scroll wheel as well as various touchpad gestures on laptops making it much more non-touch friendly. Although I wish I had a touchscreen on my laptop, I'm able to enjoy my Windows 8 experience just fine with a mouse and keyboard. The first thing you’ll notice, that is a little hard to get used to, is the fact that Apps from the Windows Store are full screen as opposed to windowed desktop apps, which are also available in Windows 8 (there are various multitasking features built into Windows 8 to make up for this). Once you learn the simple gestures and shortcuts that have been implemented into the operating system things are easier to manage.

1. Windows Store Apps:

  One of the great new features of Windows 8 is the Windows Store, in which you can find both Windows 8 Apps as well as Desktop style applications. So far desktop application listings simply direct you to the publishers website, Windows 8 Apps however download and automatically update directly from the store. There has always been a need for a one place fits all type store in Windows and now we have it. So far my favorite apps from store are Netflix and pretty much all the games Microsoft has published. Some of the classics have been given a much needed update, including Minesweeper which now includes an "Indiana Jones" type adventure mode.

Example of a Windows 8 App listing

Example of a Desktop App listing 

  There are many misconceptions about the Windows Store. First is that it will be bad for games, because of rating restrictions. This is untrue, games rated M and under are welcome in the store. The only exception is games with an Adult rating can not be in the store. A lot of the games in the Windows Store have heavy Xbox live integration and this is a great feature for multiplayer as well as showing off your scores to other people. Unlike Apple’s App store, open source applications are allowed in the Windows Store which means many free and open programs should be seen in the store. Others fear that Microsoft will limit what applications are in the app store, but this is simply not the case. The certification process is easy and automated, and the Windows App SDK allows you to make sure your app is certifiable. Most applications that exist will need very little changes in order to enter the Windows Store. A while ago I read a great article about someone taking Minecraft and proving how easily it was certified. You can read about that here.

2. Easier Uninstallation of Apps:

  I'm sure that if you're like me and you download various games and programs on your computer you find it annoying when you have to go uninstall them, having to find the uninstaller in the control panel and then click next 15 times and sometimes the installer doesn't even work. Well this problem is completely solved for Windows 8 Apps you right click the live tile and click uninstall and it's gone no clicking next or anything extra. Unfortunately the same process is not as easy for desktop applications if you click uninstall on a desktop app then it will simply open up the program manager in the control panel. I'm hoping in the future that this process will be fixed for desktop applications as well.

3. Multitasking with Windows 8 Apps:

Snapping Apps to left or right of screen.

A great feature in Windows 8 is the ability to snap apps to either side of the screen and use them while in another app or while using your desktop. You can continue to use your programs in the desktop while messaging someone on Facebook or another instant messaging service.

Resizing snapped apps.

    You can also slide the separating border between the apps you have snapped to either side either to take up 2/3rds or all of the screen. If you decide to take up the whole screen the other app or the desktop will hide on what I call the multitask bar until you decide to close it.

Multitask Bar

       The multitask bar appears when you move your mouse from the top left corner down the left side of the screen but, only when you have multiple apps open, for example your desktop and the messaging app. If you right click on any of the apps listed you are given more options but you can also drag and drop the application to snap to either side or drag it all the way down and let go to close it.

Dragging to snap an app to the left of the screen. 

Pulling the app down from the multitask bar and letting go to close it.

Closing a Windows 8 App.

     To close an app simply click and hold on the very top and drag down and let go. If you want to quickly switch between multiple apps just click the very top left corner without having to bring up the multitask bar and it will take you to the next app that's open or your desktop. Unfortunately to scroll through desktop applications you have to use the usual Atl+Tab shortcut. Windows Key + Tab does the same thing with the multitask bar.

4. Easy Searching and Sharing:

 Start Screen with Charm Bar showing.

   One of the key elements in Windows 8 is the Charm Bar this can be accessed at anytime by moving your mouse from the top right corner down the right side of the screen. The Charm Bar contains a Start Button, Search, Share, Devices, and Settings. It changes based on which app you're using at the time. For example on the desktop if you try and share there isn't anything to share from. If you try and share from in Sky Drive or another application with content it will let you share with Facebook via people as well as other apps you may have installed. The Settings and Search also change based on what application you're using.

A basic search from the Start Screen

     Searching for things on Windows 8 is very simple. You can either search through everything or search within the application you're currently running. If you want to search through every thing use the Windows key to get back to the start screen and simply type what you are looking for. You can then filter your search to a specific app or category. You can also search in certain applications in a similar manner like in the Windows Store. In some applications, like Netflix, you must press the search button located on the Charm Bar.

An example search in the Windows Store.

To search for something in the Windows Store, just like on the Start Screen, start typing what you’re looking for and it will automatically begin a search for you.
5. Improved navigation in Windows Explorer.

Basic Windows Explorer window.

   Windows Explorer has been an important part of the Windows Operating System since Windows 95. It's seen many changes, some good and some bad, but I would say that the newest version of Explorer has added some much needed features. The first thing you might notice is the tabbed setup of various available options. These tabs changed based on where you are. My Computer, Music, Pictures, and Documents all have different options that are displayed that help you complete tasks for those different areas of your computer. The options are also collapsible for when you want more space and don't need them. One of the smaller but very useful added features is the up arrow that you can use to navigate between folders.

CMD and PowerShell easily accessible in the file menu.

    For advanced users the added open command prompt and Windows PowerShell options are awesome. I use them on a regular basis. It even lets you open a command prompt directly as an administrator. Another thing that the new Explorer does is display options openly so that casual users will be able to do things they didn't even know there were options for, a lot of which were hidden before such as showing file extensions and hidden files.

6. Faster Boot and more memory for programs.

New and improved Task Manager.

Previous to Windows 8 booting your computer took forever! Every time I boot my computer into Windows 7 I wonder if there is something wrong with it because it takes so long. The boot sequence was completely rewritten to remove parts of it that were no longer needed or that could take place in the background once the computer was in a state where the person could use it. Of course if you are using an SSD booting will be almost instant. However my laptop that only has a regular hard drive boots at least 5 times faster than Windows 7 ever did.

    Windows has never been known for it's CPU and Memory usage. Vista being a prime example, using so much CPU and memory, there was almost nothing left for programs to run. Windows 8 has been optimized to use very little memory and CPU power so that your programs can be free to utilize your computer’s resources to their fullest.

    In conclusion I would just like to say Windows 8 isn't as terrible as people say it is. In the end it's preference of rather you like it or not. However, I hope that I have at least shown you a few good things about it so that you will give it a try and determine first hand if it's for you.

Windows 8 Release and my experience so far.

     I haven't posted anything for a while I've been pretty busy with school and what not. Now most of you probably know that Windows 8 was officially released on October 26th. I'm a Computer Science major at my college so in August I was able to download and install Windows 8 Pro before the official public release of the operating system. I must say that during the beta of Windows 8 I hated it and didn't like it and I thought "Metro" as it was called was horrible and not optimized for computers with mouse and keyboard. After using it full time I can tell you that I haven't gone back to Windows 7 since. The lack of start button seems odd, at first you find your self looking for it but, after a while the Start Screen seems so fluid and natural. I really like all the Metro apps that I have tried thus far especially the games. Now a lot of it was meant to be more touchscreen friendly but, I have found the final version of Windows 8 works quite well with mouse and keyboard. The key is to get used to it and learn all the different features and shortcuts of the Metro/Desktop hybrid interface that is Windows 8. I would say that overall the operating system is much faster it uses less than half the cpu/ram needed to run Windows 7 so you have more resources to run your many applications. Multi-tasking seems daunting at first but once you realize you can snap metro apps to either side and quickly flip between them it because fairly easy to multitask. I will say there are some aspects of Windows 8 that bother or annoy me and I hope they fix them. First of the fact that desktop applications don't show up as individual programs in the Metro style multitask sidebar while you're in a metro app is slightly bother some. Second it takes a while to find how to shut down and restart your computer it's kind of hidden in the Charm Bar. I easily corrected this by making a shut down shortcut on my Start Screen. Another thing is I really hope that some of the more major programs especially those that are free and open source start to show up in the Windows Store. I really love the Windows Store having one place to get programs for is awesome. I definitely recommend Windows 8 but it does have a bit of a learning curve but once you understand how it all works you won't go back to Windows 7. Anyways hope you enjoyed my little incite on Windows 8 and my experience with using it. I posted a really good article below about misconceptions about Windows 8 I really encourage you to read it if you feel like you have doubts about the os or just want to research a little more.

Why Does Everyone Hate Windows 8? Should I Upgrade?

How to Not Get Lost in Windows 8: The Best Shortcuts and Tricks

No you haven't been "HACKED!!"

    

People on Facebook need to do a little reasearch and learn what Hacking, Cracking, and Hijacking is. 99% of the time someone says their Facebook was "Hacked" the term is miss used to mean that someone other then themselves posted a status on their account. The only way this can happen is if you have in one way or another given that person access to your account. In most cases you left your account logged in on a computer where others openly have access to it or you gave someone your password. The last senario is you have a bad password and someone guesses it. I promise you no one that you know has the knowledge or ability to crack Facebook's servers and database to gain access to your account. They could use social engineering to figure out what the password is through you or your friends but they aren't going to brute force or gain access to your account in an actual technical manor. Facebook's security is too good for that. Even if they were able to break in all of the login information is encrypted. Think about this logically no one that is skilled enough to gain access to your account by cracking Facebook and decrypt your login information is going to waste their time to "Hack" into your account and post a couple stupid messages while taking a chance that they by illegally obtaining information would be arrested for that action.

Now what is hacking? and what is Cracking?

"A hacker is a person who is proficient with computers and/or programming to an elite level where they know all the in's and out's of a system. There is NO illegality involved with being a hacker.

A cracker is a hacker who uses their proficiency for personal gains outside of the law. EX: stealing data, changing bank accounts, distributing viruses etc.

What the hacker does with their knowledge of systems within the definition of the law is what defines them as a hacker vs a cracker. It's then safe to say that all crackers are hackers, but not all hackers are crackers. This is an important distinction.

The term cracker and hacker are used interchangeably (albeit incorrectly) largely due to the ignorance of the general populace, especially the media."  Source

What is social engineering?

"Social engineering, in the context of security, is understood to mean the art of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information.[1]While it is similar to a confidence trick or simple fraud, it is typically trickery or deception for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or computer system access; in most cases the attacker never comes face-to-face with the victims." Source

Now the last thing I will talk about is Account Hijacking. This is when someone or something (in most cases an app you yourself added to your Facebook account) has taken over your account and is posting to your profile and you have no control of it. There is a partial Hijacking where you can login and still have access to your account. There is also a total Hijacking where your password has been changed and you are locked out completely. 

The easiest way to prevent this from happening is to:

A. Don't leave your self logged in on a device others you don't trust have access to.

B. Don't share your passwords with ANYONE. 

C. Make a password over ten characters with Upper Case, Lower Case Alphabetical characters as well as Numbers and special characters if possible.

 D. Don't add ANY Facebook apps to your Profile. Anything that says it can tell you who visited your profile those are a lie and can't access that information because Facebook it's self doesnt store it! These will auto-post on your profile because when you add them YOU GAVE THEM PERMISSION to post things on your profile when ever they want. Many apps will post links that will take your friends to another web page that look exactly like Facebook and ask them to login and STEAL their email and password in order to login in an unauthorized manor!

Now I found a great article about this although I dislike they use the word Hacked in a deragator manor instead of the proper word cracked.

http://counterintuity.com/blog/2012/05/15/its-your-fault-your-facebook-got-hacked-and-how-to-fix-it/

If you would like to know more about this feel free to post a comment. If someone has gained access to your account either a person or an app. Remove all the apps you added and change your password! If you completely loose access to your account contact the Facebook admins.

More information on the subject: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_(term)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_(computer_security)

It's OVER 9000!!

We have finally reached our goal of having over 9,000 views on the site! This is such a great day and we will celebrate it with a video of Dragon Ball Z! Our next goal is 10k! Keep up the good work I will try and post more often and hopefully we will have other writers posting as well!

Mint.com Finances the easy way.

     In a world where spending money is as easy as sliding a card or taping your phone against a scanner it's no wonder people have a hard time keeping track of their finances. I my self struggle with keeping my money in order, not spending too much, and knowing how much money I actually have in my accounts. Mint.com is made by the same people that brought you Turbo Tax, Intuit Inc. It's very easy to setup and use. Once you go to the website and input your login information for each of your different accounts you'll be able to easily manage your finances. It let's you put Credit Cards, Bank accounts, and loans as well as other financial stuff I haven't even tried to figure out yet. Once you have it connected to all your accounts it will import all your purchases and account info. It lists and categorizes every purchase and deposit that you have on your accounts. One of the best features that Mint.com offers is easy budgeting. By default it gives you a basic budget that it allows you to tweak and categorize to fit your needs. It also tells you how much money you can spend  in each of the categories and if you don't have a smartphone you can have it text it to you when you reach the limit on your budget that you have setup. If you have a smartphone then your in luck because the Mint.com app is amazing. I have it on my Android device and I use the widget it comes with to tell me how much cash is in my bank account and how much money I have used on my credit cards. Now keep in mind because Mint.com imports data from outside sources it might not update right away however I find it's usually pretty up to date. This website and app have helped me out a ton and I hope you guys find it useful as well. I posted links below to the website and the smartphone app.

www.Mint.com

Mint.com for Android

Miracle Fruit Tablets

    

This is completely unrelated to tech news what so ever, but I thought I would post about it anyways since I had such an amazing experience with these. For my birthday I thought I would try something new and exciting so I ordered these "Miracle Frooties Tablets" which are freeze dried miracle fruit also known as Synsepalum dulcificum. What is Miracle Fruit you ask? Well it's a fruit that causes temporary modification to your taste buds. I like to compare it to when you brush your teeth or eat gum except completely different and amazing. These awesome tablets make foods that are normally sour or not so tasty sweet! While using these I've tried lemons, limes, kiwis, raspberries, and even vinegar! It makes all of these taste so sweet it's well a miracle. Keep in mind though even though they are sweet  they are still acidic I wouldn't recommend eating too many lemons or drinking a lot of vinegar since it'll cause a bad stomach ache. I have tried these with many people since I got them and yes they really do work so give them a try. It's one of the best experiences I've ever had I left a link to buy them below!

Miracle Frooties Tablets on Amazon.com
Miracle Frooties Extra Large Tablets on Amazon.com

Miracle Fruit on Wikipedia.org