PC Tricks Archive
31 Mar 2015
Microsoft Still Thinking About Android Apps On Windows
Microsoft Still Thinking About Android Apps On Windows There are some things that just don’t go away. Whispers that Microsoft might allow the possibility of running Androidapps on Windows, natively, have been going on for more than a year now. And yet, the company is yet to confirm or deny this strategy. But there are
27 Mar 2015
BitWhisper: Stealing data from non-networked computers using heat
BitWhisper: Stealing data from non-networked computers using heat No matter how secure you think a computer is, there’s always a vulnerability somewhere that a remote attacker can utilize if they’re determined enough. To reduce the chance of sensitive material being stolen, many government and industrial computer systems are not connected to outside networks. This practice
27 Mar 2015
How to boost your WiFi speed by choosing the right channel
How to boost your WiFi speed by choosing the right channel Wireless networks have come a long way in the past 15 years. And yet, sustained WiFi speeds are still a vexing problem in a lot of situations. A number of things can come into play, such as the way your router is set up,
23 Mar 2015
Ten VPN Services You Should Know About
Ten VPN Services You Should Know About VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are no longer just for work. VPN prevents snoops from eavesdropping on your online activity, whether that’s marketers, someone malicious, or even the government. People just want to be able to surf the Web or access remote services without worrying about attackers and
21 Mar 2015
12 Tips to Speed Up Windows 7
12 Tips to Speed Up Windows 7 Windows 7 made notable speed improvements over its predecessor, Vista, but it can’t compare with the much faster Windows 8. And most people haven’t experienced the 15-second boot that Microsoft engineers were shooting for in Windows 7 (and achieved in Windows 8 for many machines). There are certainly
20 Mar 2015
How to Set Up a Microwave Internet Link Over Distance
How to Set Up a Microwave Internet Link Over Distance You too can set up a personal wireless Internet connection of your very own over distances of up to several miles. All you need are two microwave antennas; some long Ethernet cables; a couple of photographic tripods; a laptop; an old WiFi Router; and a
20 Mar 2015
How to Boost Your Home WiFi With Multiple Repeaters and Access Points
How to Boost Your Home WiFi With Multiple Repeaters and Access Points Large homes and older homes with thick walls can be a particular challenge for WiFi coverage, but one strategy is to use multiple hard-wired access points and wireless repeaters to spread the signal. Start by downloading a free analyzer app for your phone
20 Mar 2015
Build Your Own Simple Linux Banking Tool
Build Your Own Simple Linux Banking Tool In general, the numerous spreadsheet templates that are Microsoft Excel clones and load in OpenOffice and LibreOffice are digital versions of a paper-and-pen checkbook register. If you want a simple spreadsheet to enter deposit and withdrawal details to get a running account balance, these basic spreadsheet solutions are
20 Mar 2015
How to Encrypt a Windows 8 PC Drive
How to Encrypt a Windows 8 PC Drive Windows 8.1 Pro includes built-in drive encryption tools. These tools work even if you don’t have a TPM chip. TPM, or Trusted Platform Module, is encryption-ready hardware. You’ll need a spare USB thumb drive, though. Encryption tools are hidden away in the depths of the machine, so
18 Mar 2015
Adobe reinvents Acrobat for mobile and cloud
Adobe reinvents Acrobat for mobile and cloud Adobe is repackaging many of its existing e-signing and form-routing tools into a pay-as-you-go service akin to its Creative Cloud Talk of the paperless office has come and gone for years, with common document formats, like Adobe’s PDF, partly bridging the gap. Adobe’s new service, Document Cloud, is