Computers and hardware

The three quickest ways to open the Control Panel in Windows 8

When I'm not blogging for CNET, I test and review laptops and desktops. During the getting-to-know process for each system I review, one of the places I usually stop by first is the Control Panel to tweak a setting or two before I start running benchmark tests. In the good old days of Windows 7 and XP, I simply clicked on the Start button and selected the Control Panel from the Start menu. With Windows 8, however, that path does not exist.

If you are using a tablet or refuse to engage in keyboard shortcuts, you'll need to … Read more

Test your RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic tool

RAM sticks, known for their chip creep and random failures, are among the more annoying pieces of hardware to pinpoint as the source of a technical issue. Before you start digging around in the tower, it's best to start with a quick and free memory check via Windows. This way, you'll know whether or not it's worth swapping around sticks of RAM to see which one is the dud.

Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Open the Start Menu and type in mdsched.exe, then press enter.

Step 2. A pop-up will appear on your … Read more

Use Bump to share files between your phone and computer

Bump is a popular app for sharing photos and contact info between smartphones. Several months ago, they added the ability to share photos with a computer as well, but you could only share photos in one direction (phone to computer). Bump's announcement yesterday revealed that you can now use the app to share any file type between devices in both directions. Here's how to use Bump to share files between your smartphone and computer:

Phone to computer

Step 1: Install the latest version of Bump (iOS | Android) on your smartphone and enable location services.

Step 2: On your … Read more

Charge your iPad from any USB port for $5

At CES last month I encountered Digital Innovations' ChargeDr, a small USB dongle that promised to do the seemingly impossible: boost the power output of a typical USB port, thus allowing it to charge an iPad (or other tablet).

I got it home, tested it, and discovered that, hey, it actually works! Technically speaking, there's no actual power boosting going on, but who am I to argue with this weird science? Without the dongle, my iPad says "not charging." With it: "charging."

And my tests bear out the claim. My iPad 3 went from 30 percent to 75 percent in about 2.5 hours. Not bad for a lowly USB port.… Read more

How to review completed Reminders in OS X

In Mountain Lion, Apple split off its reminder options from the provided calendar program and put them into a separate program similar to the Reminders app in iOS. This program lets you keep track of your projects, routines, or what have you, with to-do lists for each. As you make progress, you just mark each reminder as completed, and it drops off of its respective list.

But if, say, you inadvertently mark the wrong reminder as completed, don't worry, you can still get it back.

The Reminders program does have a Completed section that you can click to see … Read more

How to hide the Ribbon in Office 2013

Starting with Office 2007, Microsoft replaced the standard menu and toolbars with the Ribbon. It was designed to help Office users find commands more easily. Office 2013 still uses the Ribbon, but if you'd rather have more work space or prefer less clutter, you can hide it. In fact, you can choose between three different views: full Ribbon view, tab-only view, and autohide view.

To switch among the different Ribbon views, click on the Ribbon display option button, located between the Help and Minimize buttons.

Autohide Ribbon hides the ribbon at the top, then reappears when you click the … Read more

Add Pandora controls to your Chrome toolbar

Pandora's Web-based client keeps a tab open in your Chrome window. Unfortunately, if you're one of those people who has a lot of tabs open, you may accidentally close the Pandora tab in the middle of a great song. You could easily re-open the tab, but you probably won't continue hearing the same track.

With the SoundControl extension you can control Pandora from the Chrome toolbar, and even hide the actual Pandora tab from your window. Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Head to the SoundControl extension page in the Google Chrome Web … Read more

How to install the 64-bit version of Office 365

Office 365 is installed as a 32-bit program on your Windows PC by default. Microsoft recommends the 32-bit version, even on 64-bit systems, to avoid compatibility issues with third-party add-ons. However, there may be instances when you'd want the 64-bit version, like if you're using a very large database or worksheet.

Here's how to install the 64-bit version of Office:

Step 1: Go to Office.com and log in using your Microsoft account.

Step 2: Click on the "My Account" shortcut.

Step 3: Click on the "Language and install options" link under the … Read more

How to use Office on any PC with Office on Demand

Many of the new features of Microsoft Office 2013 are cloud-based. One of the more intriguing of those features is Office on Demand. Office on Demand allows subscribers of Office 365 to stream Office to any Internet-connected Windows 7 or Windows 8 PC.

If you're traveling without your own PC with Office on it, but can get to a guest machine, Office on Demand is a convenient way to access Office. You can even use it to edit your files stored on SkyDrive. And once you log out of the PC, the programs and documents are no longer accessible … Read more