November 2012 archive

Free Streaming on Xbox Music

With the approaching release of Windows 8 and Windows RT for tablets, Microsoft is upping the ante with its newly rebranded Xbox Music service (formerly known as Zune) to try and get a slice of the music market and really go toe to toe with the likes of Apple’s iTunes and other big names such …

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Skype Integrates Windows Live Messenger at a Cost

It’s been known for a little while that Microsoft is planning to lay Windows Live Messenger to rest in favour of Skype. Microsoft has already made the first step by allowing Skype to merge account information with Messenger and also Facebook (which has been available for a while now). Of course, there may be early …

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Bitlocker Chewing Up Hard Drive Space

For whatever reason, you may want to enable Bitlocker on the internal drives on one or more computers to prevent others from getting access to your data should they attempt to read those drives on other computers. This isn’t such a bad idea if you use a laptop for business use. However, once you kick …

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How to Close Apps on Microsoft Surface

Another quick Windows RT tip. There are a couple ways to close an app on Microsoft Surface or other tablets with some being more convenient than others depending upon which mode the tablet is in. Choice is good as some people will find some methods easier or more natural than others. So, here are your …

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Pinning Multiple Windows Mail Mailboxes to the Start Screen

One great feature of Windows Mail in Windows 8 and Windows RT is the ability pin individual inboxes and folders to the Start Screen. This can be useful when you want to which e-mail accounts have received mail or how much mail you have in particular Exchange folders to warrant checking it. For instance, during …

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Incoming Device – A Windows Phone

Yes, I know. I only got the Samsung Galaxy S III back in May this year but I have fancied getting right into the Microsoft ecosystem and seeing what it has to offer across the desktop, tablet and smartphone platforms. Anyway, as part of an old gadget clean out I sold my old first generation …

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Mark a Wi-Fi Network as Metered Under Windows RT

One very handy feature in Windows RT is its ability for apps to be more sensible about their network usage through awareness of metered connections. Most often these will be cellular connections (i.e. 3G or 4G dongles) but sometimes they can be Wi-Fi connections such as a cellular hotspot with Wi-Fi. By default, Wi-Fi networks …

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SlapDash Podcasts Pro – Pros and Cons

A few days back I wrote about an app for Windows 8 and Windows RT to manage podcasts in the absence of a native solution from Microsoft. I had high hopes for SlapDash Podcasts Pro but I am sad to report that it falls short. Don’t get me wrong, I love the layout and the ability …

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Hide Password Keystrokes Under Windows RT

Another quick tip Windows RT tip. If you’re in close quarters such as on a train and you’re trying to type in a password on your Windows RT tablet using the onscreen keyboard then you might be worried about others having a peek. There’s a great feature in Windows RT that can help you out. Just before …

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Security Versatility Under Windows 8 and Windows RT

Under prior versions of Windows it was pretty much a given that you would login using a username and password. These instances would far outnumber the usage of biometric scanners and smartcards although those are also valid alternatives. However, with the release of Windows 8 and Windows RT comes the ability to choose from a …

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