Bethany Ramos | WindowsTalk.org

May

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview Is Now Available

Microsoft recently announced that the Windows 8 Consumer Preview is now available, marking yet another important milestone in the Windows operating system. This latest preview is available for user download at Preview.Windows.com.

What You See Is What You Get

This Consumer Preview is going to provide customers with a better experience to test out the new Windows operating system, following the popular download of the Windows 8 Developer Preview that received 3 million downloads last year.

When downloading the preview, here’s what you can expect:

Big product changes and major improvements. Microsoft wants to let customers know across the board that Windows 8 has progressed with some major changes. The total user experience has been improved when it comes to touch, keyboard, and mouse. The Consumer Preview will show customers improved quality, performance, and reliability in the use of all systems.
New and better apps. With the Windows 8 Customer Preview comes the beta opening of the Windows Store, making a wide variety of new apps from Microsoft and third-party developers available. Customers can get personalized recommendations for apps directly from the Windows Store; Windows 8 users can transfer their apps and settings across multiple PCs.
Quick connection to the cloud. The Consumer Preview will also display the new integration of content from Windows PC and Windows Phones to the cloud. Customers can take advantage of extra features with an optional sign-in with a Microsoft account to communicate via e-mail, use cloud storage, and connect to multiple services with both Windows-based PCs and Phones.
IE 10 platform preview. Microsoft has now made available their revamped browser to offer a new Internet experience when browsing with Internet Explorer 10, designed for Windows 8 devices. The new browser is quick and Internet-focused to improve web experience with accelerated hardware.
New hardware capabilities. Microsoft has also revealed that Windows 8 can run on a variety of new x86- and ARM-based reference hardware, although the hardware will only be available to some developers for trial and testing purposes.

Continue reading here.

Categories Microsoft, Press Pass, The Desktop Experience
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May

Auslogics Disk Defrag Pro Review

by Bethany Ramos

Auslogics Disk Defrag Pro is advertised to offer more speed for your hard drive so that almost every aspect of your PC will work faster.

Auslogics Disk Defrag Pro System Requirements

Windows 7, Vista, 2008, XP
32-bit and 64-bit compatible
25 MB available in hard disk space

Through the official website, a complete free trial is available, or you can purchase the product for $29.95.

Auslogics Disk Defrag Pro is advertised to:

Defrag system files
Move beyond basic defrags for further fragmentation
Offer the choice of 4 different disk optimization algorithms
Use special algorithms for VSS and SSD-enabled drives
Provide detailed reports and performance charts

In layman’s terms, using Auslogics Disk Defrag Pro will help to increase the speed at which you access files on your computer so that your PC will work faster in almost every task. The use of four different algorithms enables what Auslogics advertises as “intelligent file placement” to keep your hard drive running at optimal speed.

If you are anything like me, then choosing the right defrag algorithm will be totally over your head. This is precisely why the Auslogics software includes the Defragmentation Wizard, which will help to match the best algorithm to run with your PC – doing the hard work for you.

The Disk Defrag Pro Wizard screen

Upon installing the software, the user interface was overwhelming at face value for someone like me who isn’t experienced with disk defragmentation. But after a few moments, it became easier to understand and was simple to operate, even for a beginner. Using the software was fast and informative, providing visible results after the defrag was completed.

Disk Defrag Pro Overview screen

More experienced users may appreciate the configurability of the software. If an initial algorithm doesn’t provide the quick results that you need to speed up your computer, you can customize the algorithms as needed to better personalize the software to your PC.

Auslogics Customer Reviews

Overall feedback on the software is positive, especially for customers who tested out the free version first. Customers across the board appreciated the customization and scheduling features of the software, though some complained about having to pay for the full software after using the free trial.

The bottom line is that although the software isn’t difficult to use, newbie computer users may have a hard time understanding and using it to its fullest capability. If you have any questions about whether or not the software is right for you and could benefit your computer, it would be best to download the free trial first to see if you can better understand the user interface before you buy.

Special WindowsTalk review offer: buy Auslogics DiskDefrag PRO with a 20% Discount, click here.

You can also get Auslogics BoostSpeed 5 PRO with a 20% Discount. Click here.

Categories Reviews, Software
Comments (7)

Apr

Coffee Makers and Technology: What the Future Holds for Java Addicts

by Bethany Ramos

Have you ever taken a good hard look at the trusty Mr. Coffee maker you use day in and day out? While it may seem like a simple device that does its job by brewing cup after cup of delicious, hot coffee, it’s actually the byproduct of the influence of technology in the coffee industry over the past two centuries.

Most of us are thanking our lucky stars for the use of technology when it comes to brewing coffee. It means we can now have our morning brew faster, fresher, and more flavorful than ever before. Yes, we have definitely come a long way from brewing coffee grounds in a sock over a campfire like the cowboys used to do, and we have technology to thank for it…

Coffee Technology: Where Did It All Begin?

The first major technological innovation in the coffee world was the invention of the first espresso machine in France in 1822. By the time that 1933 rolled around, the first automatic espresso machine had been manufactured by Dr. Illy, the founder of the Illy brand of Italian gourmet espresso. A model closer to what we know as a modern-day espresso machine was created by Achilles Gaggia in 1946, yet the first pump driven espresso machine wasn’t introduced until 1960.

When it comes to coffee, vacuum brewers and percolators were used throughout the 1800s, but it wasn’t until 1963 when Bunn made the first commercial drip brew coffee maker available for household use. Mr. Coffee hit its peak in popularity when it was introduced to the market in 1972.

The Best of the Best in Coffee Technology

While we still use the basic models of espresso machines and drip brew coffee makers today, coffee technology has made leaps and bounds. Standard espresso machines are now souped up with all the bells and whistles so that you can brew barista quality espresso drinks like lattes and cappuccinos with the touch of a button.

That’s right - a super automatic espresso machine will brew a customized beverage of your choice using a one touch brewing system; you can also customize and save several personalized beverages per machine, depending upon the model.

If you’re looking for convenience, the Keurig single cup brewer takes the cake. This brewing system uses pod brewing technology to brew a single cup of coffee in under 60 seconds, with a wide variety of K Cup flavors available to brew coffee or tea.

When it comes to the future of coffee technology today, caffeine addicts can rejoice. Technological advancements are making coffee more portable than ever with devices like the Handpresso portable espresso maker for espresso on the go, or a mobile coffee maker that can be built into your vehicle.

Oh, and don’t forget about the latest and greatest Sirena espresso machine available at Starbucks, designed by none other than BMW. For only $599, you can take home a top-of-the-line espresso machine that will purr like a luxury sports car every time you brew…

Categories General, Technology
Comments (13)

Apr

FindTheBest: Quick Online Shopping for Informed Consumers

by Bethany Ramos

Today, Internet shopping has become more than a passing trend. Purchasing items online is often the primary method of shopping used by most Americans since it is fast, convenient, and cost-effective to browse online instead of hitting the local mall.

According to research from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 80% of people from ages 22 to 44 buy products online. This number stays strong at 72% of customers from ages 55 to 64, and 71% of customers from ages 18 to 32.

Clearly, the majority of us shop online for any given item we may need. If you have ever found yourself overwhelmed and overloaded by the vast shopping results available to you online, it may be time to narrow down your search.

FindTheBest: Quick, Unbiased Shopping

FindTheBest is a new shopping search engine designed to do just that. Customers will be happy to know that FindTheBest is an unbiased shopping search engine that is designed to organize and present search results in a user-friendly format so that consumers can make quick, educated shopping decisions for any item they are looking for.

FindTheBest compares themselves to Kayak, a travel website that performs as an impartial search engine when shopping for hotels, flights, cruises, and vacation packages. FindTheBest gathers their data from expert sources in each shopping category to create a score based on product reviews for one overall product rating.

The product rating system goes a little something like this:

Green Score: Good reviews
Yellow Score: Mixed reviews
Red Score: Bad reviews

Many shoppers out there may be breathing collective sighs of relief since it can be tedious to research for credible reviews when deciding whether or not to purchase a product. FindTheBest makes the process easy for you by lumping all of the reviews together to create one total shopping score so that you can determine whether or not a product is reliable enough to buy.

FindTheBest Categories

Even better, FindTheBest has boiled all of their products down into nine basic categories:

Motors
Electronics
Education
Home/Family
Finance
Health
Software
Sports/Recreation
Travel/Lifestyle

To give you an example, let’s dive into the Home/Family category, shall we? For all of the pet lovers out there, if you click on an item like dry dog food, you’ll find all of the search results listed by rating from good to bad with the price clearly displayed on the sidebar. When you click on a top-rated dry dog food product rated at 100, it will tell you exactly where the green rating came from to verify its credibility.

One final note: an excellent feature available on each product is a quick cost comparison. This will tell you how much more expensive a product is compared to average products in the same category. When shopping for dry dog food, you may find that a premium brand is 65.7% more expensive than average dry dog foods on the market. Armed with that savvy consumer knowledge, you can then decide if a product is worth your time and money.

Categories General, Reviews
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Mar

Review: PC Magnum Privacy Software

by Bethany Ramos

According to the official website, PC Magnum boasts “the ultimate in PC privacy”. This program is designed to protect Internet and PC users from:

All websites that store a cookie on your PC without permission.
A visual archive of website images stored on your PC.
Sensitive files that have not been discarded from your recycle bin.
Recently opened documents on your computer that leave a digital paper trail.

Since Windows stores almost every activity completed on your computer, as well as every website visited and document opened, PC Magnum aims to protect user privacy through automated cleaning.

PC Magnum Scanning... (Click to enlarge)

PC Magnum Pros

PC Magnum will remove private and embarrassing information from your PC so that a third party can’t find out about your computer habits and Internet use without your knowledge. This automated cleaning feature may be ideal for those who are unfamiliar with the Internet or who don’t want to take the time to manually clean their PC and Internet browser themselves.

PC Magnum will scan for, clean, and remove cookies from Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome. This includes browsing history, image cache, download history, and typed URLs from these same browsers. And for all of the Facebook junkies out there, PC Magnum will also remove the digital trail of your Facebook history since any visits to Facebook will be logged into your PC.

As far as setup and use, PC Magnum is easy to download and install, although it was slow to load upon installation.

PC Magnum scanning results

PC Magnum Cons

As you delve further into the program description, it seems like PC Magnum is designed for people who may be using the Internet or their PC for “scandalous activities”. You get the idea… PC Magnum advertises that it will delete racy images that have been downloaded from the Internet, as well as any incriminating links from your browsing history.

With that being said, there is probably no reason to use this program if you aren’t embarrassed of what you look at on the Internet and don’t have a reason to hide it from other people in your household. On top of that, PC Magnum seems to do the same cleaning that you can easily do manually by deleting cookies in your browser and emptying the recycle bin on your computer yourself.

So what is the conclusion for PC and Internet users everywhere when it comes to PC Magnum? If you do have a reason to hide any information you have accessed online or on your PC, this program will be helpful to you. This program may also benefit any PC and Internet users that are clueless about clearing their browser history. However, many of the tasks that this program offers can be done manually, if desired.

Run a Free PC Privacy Scan Now!

Categories Reviews, Software
Comments (30)

Mar

5 Little Known Computer Tricks You Need to Know

by Bethany Ramos

Most of us use a computer on a day-to-day basis, whether it’s for a 9-to-5 workday or to check Facebook into the wee hours of the night. As a regular computer user, you may think that you have mastered the basics of your PC, but it’s time to think again…

Here are five important tricks to remember to enhance your experience each and every time that you use your PC:

Lay off the double clicking. If you’re familiar with Windows, double-clicking is the best way to open an icon. But double-clicking should not be used to open links in a web browser or to complete almost any other task on your PC. If you have a diehard double-click reflex, you may accidentally submit an online form twice or miss some critical information when using software on your computer. The moral of the story? Train yourself to single click, unless absolutely necessary.
Watch out for viruses in Microsoft Office Documents. If you use Microsoft Office regularly at home or at work, you most likely take advantage of a number of built-in apps that help to automate more complicated tasks in the program. However, these very same apps may contain harmful viruses designed by savvy coders that will detrimentally affect any work you have completed and saved in Office.
Don’t cry over spilled milk. If you happen to spill a drink into your laptop, it’s understandable that panic may start to set in. But the first course of action to circumvent any issues and protect your data is to unplug the power cord and pull the battery out of your laptop instead of waiting for Windows to power down. After that, detach any other connections and tilt your laptop so that you can drain out the spilled liquid carefully. If you’re dealing with a big spill, it’s best to take your laptop to a professional after managing the mess.
Pay attention to error messages. When your computer crashes, it’s important to pay attention to any error messages that display by writing down the letters and numbers exactly. You may also want to take a screenshot with your phone so that you can provide the information to tech support and correct the issue right away.
Out with the old, in with the new. If you download and install new Internet apps regularly, it’s important to “clean house” and remove old apps from your PC. This can be done under the control panel entitled Programs and Features by clicking Uninstall to remove any apps that you no longer use. The more that you can clean off of your computer, the less likely that you are to have any unforeseen issues arise.

Categories Microsoft, The Desktop Experience
Comments (43)

Mar

Bitdefender Internet Security 2012 Review

by Bethany Ramos

The newest Internet security software by Bitdefender Antivirus promises “enhanced silent security”. The purpose of this antivirus security? To eliminate interruptions, configuring, and pop-ups, all in one fell swoop.

Bitdefender Internet Security 2012 is designed to integrate anti-spam, antivirus, anti-phishing, firewall, and parental controls into one software program. In addition, the program will protect social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter from harmful links and breaches of security.

For most people, this last point alone is a big selling feature. How many of us have had to spend hours doing damage control or recreating a new Facebook account because it was hacked by some random person who clogged our newsfeed with links to their viral video?

Bitdefender Features at a Glance

Protects against identity theft attempts.
Blocks spam, spyware, and viruses.
Protects kids with advanced parental controls.
Filters harmful links from social media accounts (Facebook and Twitter).
Serves as a firewall to protect your Internet connection.

How Bitdefender Works

At its most basic level, Bitdefender focuses on both live and virtual threat detection and can also provide the same security in cloud-based services. The program will monitor the behaviors of different processes running on a computer at any given time to detect both new and unknown threats from viruses.

In the event of a security breach, Bitdefender offers Rescue Mode as a new feature. It will quickly and safely reboot your computer in a trusted environment for the purpose of speedy restoration with minimal to no damage.

When it comes to Internet usage, Bitdefender has also integrated a new virtualized browser. An isolated browser will be provided within an operating system to block any potential threats online, including pop-ups. Bitdefender will monitor all Internet connections in a two-way firewall setting, which will prevent any third parties from accessing your Wi-Fi connection without your permission.

Another new feature provided by the program is advanced social network protection. By using Bitdefender, you will be able to protect yourself and your friends in social networks from online threats that attempt to hack and spread viruses through social media. All links that you receive directly from friends via Twitter and Facebook will be filtered and monitored through your privacy settings.

Last but not least, if you’re worried or intimidated by the security processes used in this program, the good news is that the software was built with a user-friendly autopilot feature. All security-related decisions will be automatically made by Bitdefender for your protection online without requiring constant input from you.

Customers Weigh In

So what do actual customers have to say about the Internet protection software? A quick visit to Amazon.com resulted in these select quotes:

“I am doing computer repair repair business in Norfolk VA (…) I have been trying almost all virus protection software on market for several years.
Installation is very easy and it has auto pilot mode which means you don’t need professional help for setup and installation.
I am really much happier using latest Bitdefender product with no problem. I always recommend it to my clients”
“I have used Bitdefender for years now. I tried Norton and it slowed my computer, McAfee was expensive and bland, I tried PcCillin and it blocked many programs without warning and I tried several others with varying degrees of success and expense and then I found Bitdefender which seems to run seamlessly in the background and always warns me before blocking anything that I might be working on..”
“Bitdefender is awesome…”

Bitdefender Internet Security 2012 in the news:

Categories Reviews, Security
Comments (8)

Feb

Will Windows 8 Squash the iPad 3?

by Bethany Ramos

The newest edition of the iPad is widely anticipated – especially as the demand for tablet notebooks continues to grow for everyday purposes like textbooks, medical diagnostics, and even convenient flight logs for pilots. The iPad continues to improve and make impressive changes, including more advanced capabilities with the introduction of new apps.

It’s rumored that Apple will introduce iPad 3 in March 2012. Fans of the iPad can expect more of a good thing, like enhanced high-res display, better graphic performance, and Siri capabilities.

For those anticipating the release of the latest iPad notebook, you may be asking yourself if it’s possible to have too much of a good thing?

The competing Windows 8 tablets are expected to be released by the end of 2012 and may give the iPad 3 a run for its money.

However, in order for the same iPad apps to be compatible with the Windows 8 tablet, rewriting is necessary for the crossover. Industry experts estimate that Windows 8 based hardware won’t likely become mainstream until early 2013. This indicates that even though the Windows 8 tablet is likely to be a large competitor of the iPad 3, iPad 3 sales won’t likely be affected in 2012.

Nonetheless, there are still a few competitive features that give the Windows 8 tablet an edge over the iPad 3:

Dual-purpose capabilities. While the iPad is popular for a reason, Microsoft plans to corner the market by making the Windows 8 tablet a desktop capable device. This means that the convenient tablet can also be used as a proper PC with keyboard and mouse capabilities.
Metro interface. The newest interface available from Microsoft is Metro, which has received rave reviews from users thus far. For that reason alone, many people may opt for a Windows 8 tablet over an iPad in order to use Metro instead of iOS.
Beaming content. Microsoft is currently working on the technology to beam content from a Windows 8 tablet to a Windows Phone 8, enabling a user to transfer content from a tablet to a PC or a phone through a wireless connection, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi direct. That alone may be enough for users to choose the Windows 8 tablet over the iPad thanks to its impressive content streaming capabilities.

Last but not least, we can’t overlook the corporate appeal of the Windows 8 tablet. Apple hasn’t yet cornered the large corporate market, which is a business niche that Microsoft is quite comfortable in. Small to large corporations may choose to use the Windows 8 tablet since it can connect securely to PC systems that are already in place within their companies.

Bethany Ramos is a full-time freelance writer that co-owns her own e-commerce website, The Coffee Bump. The Coffee Bump specializes in a wide variety of Bunn coffee machines and assorted coffee and espresso products.

Categories Hardware, Microsoft
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Jan

5 Important Tips for eReader Care

by Bethany Ramos

If you were one of the lucky ones to be gifted a top-of-the-line eReader for Christmas this year, you may be wondering exactly what you can do to protect your brand-new toy. If you want to extend the shelf life of your eReader and keep it in the best condition, it takes a little planning and TLC.

Get a case. If your eReader didn’t come with a screen protector or a case, it’s a great idea to get one. Whether you want to admit it or not, most of us can be pretty clumsy if we’re not paying attention. If you’ve already dropped your iPhone multiple times, then your eReader could probably use some added protection. A screen protector can save your screen from chips and cracks and is much cheaper than springing several hundred dollars for a new device if you were to break your Kindle.
Get a second charger. For less than $10, you can get another USB charger for your eReader. This is a great tool to have on hand so that you never have to go without if your Kindle is low on a charge. This is also an especially helpful accessory to have if you accidentally lose a charger or forget to bring one with you when you are traveling.
Keep it clean. You can clean your eReader with a soft, slightly damp cloth – but make sure that you dry it immediately with a soft towel to prevent any moisture damage. You can also use a special screen cleaning cloth with a lens cleaner, if it makes you feel more comfortable. Just make sure that you don’t use abrasive products, like harsh glass cleaners, on the screen of your device.
Read the instructions. A device like the Kindle lets you read the instructions directly through the device so that you can fully understand all of the buttons and features available to you. The instructions will tell you where to find the battery and how to change it if necessary. This type of basic understanding will likely prevent you from making simple mistakes that could be avoided when you understand exactly how your device works.
Backup your data. Cloud-based services like Dropbox will let you back up the e-books that you have on your eReader. This is beneficial since the e-books that you buy can’t be re-downloaded if they were lost. In some cases, you may delete files on your device by accident, making backups a necessity to prevent any unexpected errors that could erase your data.

Bethany Ramos is a full-time freelance writer that co-owns her own e-commerce website, The Coffee Bump. The Coffee Bump specializes in a wide variety of commercial coffee makers and assorted coffee and espresso products.

Categories General, Technology
Comments (22)

Dec

Which Internet Browser Should I Use?

by Bethany Ramos

So many browsers, so little time… As it turns out, the majority of computer users automatically use some version of Internet Explorer by Microsoft. Most Internet Explorer users are happy with the browser’s performance and don’t give it a second thought. But what many people don’t realize is that there are several other competitive browsers available that may offer better features tailored to meet your needs.

Let’s start with the most familiar…

Internet Explorer 9

Internet Explorer 9 is the latest browser version available, and it offers the ability to pin favorite websites in the taskbar. This will provide quick shortcuts to the websites that you use the most on a day-to-day basis. The browser now has a redesigned Notification Bar that will allow you to browse the Internet and process notifications when it is most convenient for you. Internet Explorer also now (finally) has a download manager and the One Box feature for singular search and navigation.

Firefox

Firefox is holding second place in the market next to Internet Explorer. It can be used with Windows, Linux, and OS X and provides a wide variety of features. These features include spell-checking, a download manager, private browsing, and tabbed browsing. You can also explore through literally thousands of Add On features that can be downloaded and installed directly to improve your browsing experience.

Safari

Safari is the browser by Apple used by Mac users, and there is also a version available for Windows. Safari is aesthetically pleasing, to say the least. It offers searchable history, full page zoom, and fast performance, similar to Google Chrome. If you’re an RSS user, Safari provides an RSS reader, RSS bookmarking, and RSS aggregation.

Chrome

Chrome by Google made a splash in December 2008. It offers the simplicity that has been trademarked by Google with improved speed, stability, and security. Chrome is minimalistic, which sets it apart from many competing web browsers today. However, Chrome is much faster than other browsers and offers convenient tabbed browsing. Security is another attraction for Chrome users; Chrome relies on the Google sandboxing technology to protect a computer from viruses, spyware, and other malicious programs from fraudulent websites.

Opera 11

Many computer users may not be familiar with the Opera 11 browser, but it is ideal for those with older, slower computers. It uses significantly less memory than other browsers and can load quickly, even if you have a slow connection. Unfortunately, it isn’t compatible with quite a few popular websites and also won’t support instant streaming on Netflix.

Bethany Ramos is a full-time freelance writer that co-owns her own e-commerce website, The Coffee Bump. The Coffee Bump specializes in a wide variety of coffee makers Bunn and assorted coffee and espresso products.

Categories Microsoft, Software, The Desktop Experience
Comments (30)