Tag Archives: Windows 8

Shop At Amazon With The Official Windows 8 App

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The story behind Amazon stretches back to the mid 90’s when only a select few used this electronic medium for their purchases. It's an altogether different story now, as this E-commerce giant has become the world's largest online retailer boasting a massive product portfolio in its arsenal. The latest offering from Amazon is the brand new Amazon Windows 8 app. This Modern-UI app caters to Windows 8 and Windows RT users want to browse through Amazon's huge product catalogue and shop the products without launching the Amazon website in a web browser. It allows you to sign in to your Amazon account, browse products, and make purchases right from the app itself, in a completely metro environment. Read More

Easily Change Window Border Width & Padding In Windows 8 With Tiny Windows Borders

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Content before chrome - that’s one of the two principles of Microsoft’s 'Metro' design language. Yet when you look at the Desktop in Windows 8, there are still plenty of places where chrome can be further reduced for better looking content.  Heavily padded windows borders are a good example of that. We have previously discussed how you can change window border size in one of our earlier posts on the best Windows 8 tweaks, hacks and tips but that method involves heading deep down into the dreaded Windows Registry and manually changing values stored in oddly-named variables – something certain people feel is a little too risky, even though it isn't if you follow the instructions properly. If the idea of editing your computer's registry makes you uncomfortable, fret not! We have found a useful little app called 'Tiny Windows Borders' that lets you change the dimensions of your windows borders with sliders. Now that sounds much safer, doesn't it? Read More

Get Breaking News Of Your Favorite Sports With Official ESPN App For Windows 8

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All around the year, sports fans are kept engaged with their sports, leagues and clubs such as NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAAF, NCAAB etc. Each one of these has their own loyal fan following and attracts a considerable number of people. The more fortunate fans get the opportunity to witness the action live in the stadiums; however, those who miss the live action can get their fill either by watching the replays, or just checking out the scores and reading about the exciting moments in the game. You can turn on your television and wait for the news regarding your favorite sports to be broadcasted, or just log on to the internet and search for whatever you need. ESPN is a name every sports fan is sure to recognize. Its extensive coverage of all sports in different forms including television, podcasts, and website content make it one of the most popular sources for everything sports. Today, ESPN has released its Windows 8 app that lets users browse through all the information available on the ESPN website in a Modern UI interface. You can read the leading articles, view latest scores, watch videos and photos related to different sports events, listen to podcasts and much more. The app also syncs with your myESPN account to offer you a completely personalized experience and allows you to share your favorite sports highlights with your friends. Read More

EnhanceMy8 Is A Powerful Windows 8 Maintenance Utility

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Windows 8 has allowed Microsoft to pursue new frontiers beyond its decades old Windows model. The hybrid new OS has opened fresh opportunities for its maker, both in the desktop and tablet industry. The number of new features, settings, UI elements and other tidbits that it comes with is incredibly impressive. Not only is Windows 8 fast, but the beautiful transition animations in its Start Screen and Modern UI apps are simply gorgeous. If you've already made your jump to Windows 8 and want to tweak it to make it even faster, try taking EnhanceMy8 for a spin. The software hooks you up with some system maintenance tools such as Disk Cleaner, Disk Defragmenter, System Info and Registry Cleaner, along with several of other tweaking options in order to – as the name implies – enhance your Windows 8 experience. Read More

Gallery HD: Modern UI Image Viewer For Windows 8

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Taking pictures of the important moments in your life is a great way to preserve those memories forever. With pictures, you can share the fun and happiness with your loved ones who weren't lucky enough to be there with you at the occasion. For showing your picture albums to others or viewing them yourself, a good image viewer is quite indispensable. If you are using Windows 7, the default Windows Picture Viewer qualifies as a basic image viewing tool and there are a lot of third party utilities available like Picasa, FastStone Image Viewer, XnView, Windows Live Photo Gallery etc. that providing you with several extended options. However, if you have already upgraded to Windows 8, there haven't been many Modern UI apps available for viewing your images. Gallery HD aims to change that. It is an app for Windows 8 that provides you with a user friendly interface to view the images stored on your computer. The application shows the images stored in different folders, allows you to select your favorites ones, and display the pictures in a slideshow. Whenever needed, you can view the metadata information of each image without leaving the app. Keep reading to find out more. Read More

Reboot From One Windows Installation Directly Into A Secondary One

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Even after the final release of Windows 8, a lot of people, including myself, are still reluctant to upgrade to the latest operating system and leave Windows 7 behind. However, one should not form an opinion about anything without actually experiencing it first hand. In order to get a feel of Windows 8 (and because this line of work requires it), I installed Windows 8 as a secondary operating system on my computer. So, whenever it is required, I can now use Windows 8 without having to completely ditch my primary operating system. Since my work requires me to constantly switch between the two operating systems, I have to restart the computer a lot during the day. The biggest annoyance in this regard is that in order to boot into the required operating system, I am forced to sit and wait in front of the computer screen until the boot menu appears. Today, I came across a simple tool called Reboot-To that allows users to reboot directly into a specified operating system without having to wait for the Windows boot menu. You can select the operating system you want to reboot into while you're logged into one, and use the time the computer takes to restart to stretch your legs or get a cup of coffee. Read More

The Best Way To Resize Images In Windows 8 And RT

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As a blogger, I have to work with screenshots, and one of the real pains (besides taking screenshots) is to resize them. There are many things to be kept in mind, like the maximum width, maximum image size, and so on. Resizing images one by one takes up a lot of time, so I planned to devise a solution for this: using batch image resizers. And since I’m using Windows 8, there’s a Modern UI app for that. And I thought, why not share this tip with our readers? So here you go, two of my favorite image resizing options for Windows 8 users. Read More

Set Windows 8 Start Screen Background To Change After Specific Time

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The Windows 8 Start Screen has been the topic of discussion for a long time now. The Start Screen is the main workspace for the users of Windows 8. Instead of downloading and installing the applications in desktop mode, the Windows Store will contain all the apps that you can get on your Windows 8 device, just like the Android and iOS platforms. Since the Start Screen is the main interface that you will be looking at whenever Windows starts or whenever you exit an app, customizing it to your own taste seems like a good idea. The default Windows options for the Start Screen lets you change the background color and apply themes; however, a much-needed option i.e. the ability to set a custom wallpaper is still missing from PC Settings. Windows 8 Start Screen Customizer is a tool for Windows 8 that lets you change the Start Screen background, choose the number of app rows to show, and tweak the opacity settings for Start Screen and app tiles. Moreover, you can choose a large number of images and set the background to change after a specified time interval. Read More

StartW8 Is A Simple & Elegant Start Menu Replacement For Windows 8

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Ever since the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 came out, we have seen a lot of developers release Start Screen replacement utilities. Some of them just change the outlook of the Start Screen, while others completely bypass the Start Screen and install the Windows 7-style Start Menu in the taskbar. The main problem people are having with Windows 8 is the huge shift in user experience that has been forced upon them by Microsoft. If you have been using Windows for quite a while, it is sure to take a lot of time to get used to the new interface. Till you are comfortable with everything that is Windows 8, you can keep trying your hand at Start Screen replacement applications. Enter StartW8, another free application that replaces the Start Screen with a Windows 7-like Start Menu that does a good job matching the new UI. It lets you launch the menu with the Windows key and sets the OS to sign in directly to the desktop, bypassing the Start Screen entirely. Read More

Apply Custom Icon Packs On Windows With One Click Using 7Conifier

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If you’re not convinced with the way your Windows 7 or Windows 8 taskbar and other system icons look, it’s time to step ahead and take a DIY approach to work on the cosmetics a little. Head over to Deviantart and you will find hundreds if not thousands of icon packages ready to be applied to rejuvenate your desktop and give it a fresher look. You can always try applications like Stardock’s Icon Packager, which replaces most of the system icon files with your desired ICO files. Then again, Icon Packager is a paid app. Freeware aficionados can rather lay their hands on 7Conifier instead. Even though, it’s not as feature-rich as the likes of Icon Packager, it handsomely suffice the job per se. The tool can replace Taskbar, Start Menu, Desktop and other system icons with custom icon packs. It comes with six icon packs out of the box, but should you need adding your own collection, you can do that too. Read More

Files&Folders Is A Windows 8 File Manager With SkyDrive Support & Native Media Player

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On any computing platform, a good file explorer is essential in order to access stored data. By now, most of us know that Windows 8, available for PCs as well as tablets, has a new Start Screen that acts as a primary dashboard. Desktop is no longer the main workspace. It doesn't even support any third-party apps on Windows 8 tablets running Windows RT. While File Explorer is still available in Desktop Mode on all versions of Windows 8, having a full touch-friendly, Modern UI app for it can come handy, especially on tablets. Developers are slowly coming up with a lot of apps for Windows Store, and with each new app, the quality is also increasing. Previously, we covered a file explorer for Windows 8 called Metro Commander than offers all basic file management options including copy, paste, move etc. Today, we have another file manager for Windows 8 users called Files&Folders that allows you to work with files and folders in Modern UI. It provides options to navigate throughout your storage, access your SkyDrive account, copy, cut and move data. Moreover, you can view images and play audio and video files using the built-in media player. Keep reading to find out more about Files&Folders. Read More

How To Play MKV Files In Windows Media Player In Windows 8

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If you're like me, you'll probably have several MKV videos in your computer. If yes, you might have to use another video player for playing such files. The Windows' default Windows Media Player is pretty impressive though, but sadly it doesn’t support playing MKV files yet. Microsoft has added support for many commonly used formats like MP4, but not MKV. Fortunately, such a problem is solved by using codecs. You may use other media players like VLC, for playing MKV files. You can even find some MKV players on the store. But if you think differently, and want to play them using Windows Media Player, you need to install a codec. Without it, WMP won't play this file type. Fortunately, the codec is now available, so let’s install it and enjoy playing MKV files in Windows Media Player. Read More

PrimeTube Is A Great Windows 8 YouTube Player With Push Notification Support

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Windows 8 gives us a huge library of apps to play with, but various official apps are still missing the action. To our disappointment, YouTube has remained one such application that is still absent from scene, and from what it seems, Google has no plans to announce it, whatsoever. There’s a whole variety of unofficial YouTube apps available at Windows Store, but none of them really steal the show. Nevertheless, until Google cooks its own official client, you can try giving PrimeTube a shot, which in all honesty, seems to be the best in business so far. Read More

How To Reverse (Normal) Scrolling Direction On Microsoft Surface

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Microsoft Surface’s biggest selling point is how – at least according to Microsoft – it combines the best of laptops and tablets. It’s the Touch / Type Cover that bridges this gap, letting you touch-type at fast speeds for high productivity. Now, these magnetically attached Covers use the same kind of scrolling as it does on the touchscreen: you swipe up if you want to go down, left to go right, so on and so forth. If you happen to not like this, “rilot” over on XDA Developers has discovered how to go back to traditional scrolling on the Touch Cover for Surface. We’ve discussed how you can do this on your own Surface after the jump. Read More

Add Sticky Notes & Other Widgets To Windows 8 Lock Screen With IncrediLock

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It’s probably safe to say that Windows 8 has garnered mixed reactions from its user-base. But where elements like the Start Screen have received some backlash, one dainty new feature that is praised is the lock screen. The lock screen showcases the current time and date, along with the Wi-Fi signal strength.You can customize its background and have certain apps display notifications on it. Apart from this, there isn’t much to tinker with, but it seems third-party apps are soon going to remedy that. Enter TuneUp IncrediLock, a Windows Store app that lets you add widgets to the lock screen. Even though IncrediLock only lets you add sticky notes at the moment, additional widgets are likely to be added later down the road. What’s more, you can browse and apply about 400 gorgeous lock screen wallpapers. Read More

How To Disable AutoPlay & AutoRun In Windows 8

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AutoPlay has always been a nuisance for Windows users, and it is also a part of the latest version of Windows. No doubt, most viruses spread using USB flash drives (or even CD/DVDs). The virus is executed when you open the drive directly (using AutoPlay, or by double clicking the drive). And sadly, such viruses can penetrate Windows 8 as well. Yes, Windows 8 has AutoPlay turned on by default. Fortunately, you can turn it off quite easily, and we will show you how to do just that. Read More

Edit & Stylize Images The Easy Way With Photo Studio For Windows 8

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A very important aspect of image editing is the tool that you're using for the job. For instance, Photoshop is one of the most famous image editing software out there, but it also has a high learning curve. If you aren't already familiar with its interface, using it to perform even the simplest editing operations can prove to be quite difficult. However, touching up photos or images to make them look better for your favorite social network does not require mastering advanced tools. Also, most of these tools aren't available on both desktop and mobile platforms. This is why apps like Photo Studio exist. This free Windows 8 and RT app provides you with basic image editing options, adjustments, Instagram-like filters and frames to make your photos share-ready. More details after the break. Read More

Follow Your Favorite Upcoming Games With GameTracker For Windows 8

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There was a time when video games were considered to be something only for kids, but nowadays, games like Blizzard’s World of Warcraft, StarCraft and Valve’s Dota 2 have gained a lot of popularity across all generations of gamers. Gaming tournaments are now rewarding teams with prizes of up to US 1 million dollars making them popular with both casual as well as professional players. While some professional players, play games in order to earn money, most of us only play to relax and enjoy. With all the games, and their sequels, coming out on different platforms, it is difficult to keep a track of all their release dates and the latest news about them. Read More

Set Windows 8 Lock Screen To Cycle Through Background Images With Chameleon

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In Windows 7, there are no native options to customize your lock screen. For instance, if you want to change the background, you have to use a third party application, such as Windows 7 Logon Screen Tweaker, a portable tool that lets you change Logon screen UI elements such as the background and Windows 7 logo, and perform several other tweaks. In Windows 8 & RT, you get native lock screen customization options within the Personalize section of PC Settings, one of which is setting a custom background image. Now, you can pick any image from local storage, but unlike the desktop, the Windows 8 Lock screen does not cycle through a group of backgrounds of your choice. That is where Chameleon comes in. This Windows Store app takes Lock screen background customization one step further by automatically downloading and applying a different background after a user specified time interval. The app has built-in streams for famous wallpaper sources, including National Geographic Photo of the Day and Bing Picture of the Day. More on the app after the jump. Read More

Run Modern UI Apps Within Windows 8 Desktop With RetroUI Pro

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Up until now, the Start Screen replacement apps we reviewed for Windows 8 – including the ever popular Start8 from Startdock, or the more feature-laden Classic Shell – simply restore the Start Menu in Desktop mode. RetroUI Pro (previously RetroUI) is a similar application that does not merely reinstate the Start Menu, but it also keeps it persistent even in Start Screen mode. After its latest update, it now allows you to run Modern UI (Windows Store) apps in windowed mode, i.e., within the desktop environment. RetroUI packs in a plethora of features that we haven’t seen in other Start Menu alternatives. For instance, it features a TabletView window that provides quick access to some of the frequently used apps and allows you to pin your own apps and webapps of choice there too. Since it’s a paid app, we’d put it up against Stardock’s variant i.e. Start8. Read on to find out if it successfully knocks out the competition. Read More