How to AirDrop photos and videos between Macs and iOS devices by Lesa Sinder

The Photos apps for OS X and iOS make it super simple to share photos and videos, even without an Internet connection.  Nothing feels more futuristic and Star Trek than using AirDrop to instantly beam pictures and videos to others while you’re out and about. There’s no file size limit, no setup, no software to install, and no password to memorize. And since AirDrop uses Bluetooth, you don’t even need an Internet connection or a Wi-Fi network to make it work, though you can use a Wi-Fi network if you want. That means you can use AirDrop to fling files to and fro in places that you normally can’t—airplanes, cruise ships, and camping trips, to mention a few. In this column,...

Read More

How to Find Windows 10's Secret Search Feature by David Pogue

In Windows 10, there’s a whole new Search feature. It works great — once you know the secret. First, click in the Search box, type in what you’re looking for, and see the top 10 most likely results arranged by category — like Apps, Settings, Documents, Store, or Web. (Just don’t hit Enter, or Windows will automatically launch a Bing search.) OK, that’s great. But what if you don’t find the thing you’re looking for? Click the category heading, which will lead you to a new dialog box, where you can see everything in that category. (But with a couple of obvious exceptions: If you click Web, it will launch a Bing search; click Store, and it will launch the Windows Store.) From...

Read More

Windows 10 Is Now Installed on 75 Million PCs After Just Four Weeks by Tom Warren, The Verge

Microsoft released Windows 10 four weeks ago today, and now the company is providing a fresh update on its upgrade figures. 14 million machines had been upgraded to Windows 10 within 24 hours of the operating system release last month, and that figure has now risen to more than 75 million in just four weeks. Microsoft has been rolling out Windows 10 in waves, as a free upgrade for Windows 8 and Windows 7 users. While it’s difficult to compare exact figures between Windows 10 and Windows 8, Microsoft “sold” 40 million licenses of Windows 8 a month after its debut. It took Microsoft six months to get to 100 million licenses of Windows 8, and it’s clear the free aspect of...

Read More

5 urgent questions about Windows 10 answered By Kim Komando

It's about a month since Windows 10 launched and the early reviews are mostly positive. On my site, Komando.com, I've had readers report everything from smooth sailing to minor annoyances to serious problems that made them go back to Windows 7 or 8.1. With major new software, that's to be expected. I've also been getting a flood of questions from Windows 10 users try to get the hang of the new system, and from non-users trying to decide if they should upgrade. You probably have similar questions, so I'm going to answer some of the most pressing ones here. 1. Does Windows 10 really share my Wi-Fi automatically? Windows 10 has a feature called Wi-Fi Sense that makes it easier...

Read More

The best surge protector in the world is less than $20 on Amazon By Maren Estrada

It’s easy to forget just how important surge protectors are. It’s not just about adding more outlets to a room, it’s about protecting your gear from power surges. As anyone who has fallen victim to a power surge knows all too well, it can be very costly if your expensive TVs, computers and other pricey gear is plugged in when a surge hits. Be prepared and get yourself the best and most convenient surge protector in the business with Belkin’s 12-Outlet model. It sports a list price of $49.99 but on Amazon it’s 61% off at just $19.50. A 4.5-star rating from more than 3,900 customer reviews can’t be wrong. Belkin 12-Outlet Home/Office Surge Protector with 8 ft. Cord,...

Read More

The hidden editing power of Photos for OS X by Jeff Carlson

Photos for OS X is designed to appeal to a broad audience, with simple editing tools that let anyone improve their photographs. But is that it? Even though it’s a 1.0 product (replacing iPhoto and Aperture), a lot of editing power is actually hidden beneath that user-friendly surface. Click the arrow (left) to expose the Light controls (right). For example, when you edit a photo and click the Adjust button, you’re presented with sliders for improving light and color. Dragging a slider makes the image brighter or darker (Light), or more or less saturated (Color); you can also click the Auto button that appears when the mouse pointer moves over the tool. Clicking the...

Read More

Free stuff that comes with your cellphone contract By Kevin Downey

At Komando.com, we're always helping you save some money. Sometimes we save you money by suggesting tech purchases that you don't need to make or telling you when it's cheaper to buy online. We also like to tell you about free stuff that tech companies are giving away, especially when almost no one else knows about  them. Today, we're talking about getting freebies from your cellphone company. When you think about how your cell provider locks you into two-year contracts for a couple of hundred dollars a month, who doesn't want some free stuff in return? If you look deep into the contract you signed, or read your company's data plan offerings,...

Read More

How to check your data plan usage on your iPhone by Nick Mediati

Limited data plans suck, but getting dinged because you went over your cap sucks even more. Here's how to keep tabs on your data plan so you can avoid getting penalized. If you, like many of us, have a limited cellular data plan, monitoring your data usage is essential. Between iOS’s built-in tools and apps from carriers, though, you have several options for monitoring your data usage. Check through your carrier Checking your data usage through your carrier is perhaps the easiest and most precise way to go. The four major U.S. carriers each offer an iOS app for their subscribers, and each of those apps lets you see your data usage for your current pay period. You can find apps...

Read More

5 computer security secrets you need to know By Kevin Downey

You may have recently heard conflicting reports about ID fraud, and whether you should be concerned about it or not. You should. The threat of cyberattacks and ID theft is very real. Keep these two thoughts in mind: the White House and 12.7 million. Remember, just this year, the White House revealed that it was a victim of cybercrime. Russians, it's believed, hacked the White House and accessed President Obama's private calendar. Hackers also stole Social Security numbers from millions of federal employees. The 12.7 million? That's how many Americans were victims of ID fraud in 2014. Those victims had $16 billion stolen from them in just one year, according to Javelin Strategy...

Read More

Windows 10 upgrades continue at a torrid pace by Ed Bott

More than two weeks after the worldwide launch of Windows 10, Microsoft is keeping quiet about how many upgrades it's delivered. But third-party data suggests that the upgrade pace isn't slowing. The next major milestone? 100 million installs. The day after Microsoft launched Windows 10 worldwide, the company announced that the new OS was running on more than 14 million machines. Since then, executives in the Windows division have been quiet about disclosing follow-up numbers for Windows installations. But a check of third-party data sources suggests that the upgrade pace is not slowing down. StatCounter, for example, reported that worldwide web traffic from devices running Windows...

Read More

iPad Class Powerpoint

iPad Class Click on "Square icon" on far right to make Blog Post lar...

Read More