Ever faced a situation where your laptop battery has run out, especially when you need it most?

It’s not the best situation to be in, quite frankly, if there isn’t any power outlet in sight, and you have an important task to complete.

 

So, in order to avoid the stress that comes with not being able to use your laptop when you absolutely need to, here are 4 tips to increase the battery life of your laptop:

 

#1: Keep it plugged in whenever possible

Don’t think that keeping the power cord connected to an AC outlet all the time will reduce the battery’s life. That’s not true. In fact, keeping the battery charged will ensure that you maximise the laptop’s run time but most of all, will reduce the wear and tear on the battery, thus lengthening its lifespan.

 

#2: Deal with ‘rogue’ apps

Allowing rogue applications to run means that they suck disproportionate processor cycles, and in turn, drain the battery faster than it ideally should. Apps that hang or even unnecessary utilities that run in the background also causes the battery to drain. But that’s not all – these apps also slow down your computer as well. For this, hit Ctrl-Alt-Del, and look for apps that are using up a lot of memory and terminate them.

 

#3: Disable unneeded devices

While not all laptops can disable unnecessary hardware devices or ports, most of them can. Start with wireless devices such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Make sure you don’t leave a DVD or CD in your optical disc-drive as this will drain power too. Some laptops has switches for these devices that you can turn off. You can even disable the backlit keyboard feature if you don’t need it either.

Every business is valuable, no matter how small it might be. It is definitely mandatory to take the necessary steps to safeguard information related to your business from hackers, thieves and so on and so forth.

While IT security might seem complex and expensive, the truth is that you can take a few simple steps to ensure that your information remains safe.

 

So, here are 3 simple security tips that you can implement with great effect:

 

#1: Encrypt your hard drive

The first thing that you should do is encrypt all the PCs in your company so that all the information remains protected. Of course, you have the option of encrypting certain folders as well but that wouldn’t as effective as protecting the entire drive. DiskCryptor and TrueCrypt are examples of software that can be used for this purpose at no cost.

 

#2: Find A Password Manager

Using the same password across several sites can be a disaster and which could entail financial loss and identity theft as well. So, instead of having to remember the different passwords that you have for all your accounts, use a Password Manager. Some examples of Password Manager software includes Sticky Password Pro, Roboform and LastPass.

 

#3: Stay Updated at all times

It goes without saying that your PCs should have the latest security patches and the software updates. For this purpose, ensure that Windows Update is configured to download updates periodically and correctly too. Also, check regularly for failed updates or download errors. This goes for Oracle’s Java Runtime Environment, Adobe Reader and Apple QuickTime.

Depending on how much time you spend on a computer carrying out useful tasks give you a clear picture as to whether you are an expert user or a rookie.

Most expert users know how to spend their time and in all probability, leave earlier on Friday, thanks to getting their work done faster in the process.

With that said, here are 5 time-saving tricks for PC users:

#1: Use InboxZero to Organize Email

For every minute that you spend sending emails, you lose at least five minutes looking for some. This is why it is imperative to save time by organizing email, and an excellent application that can help you do that is InboxZero.

#2: Learn MS Office Keyboard Shortcuts

If you compare the time spent in using a mouse as opposed to keystroke combinations, any expert user will tell you that the latter saves you time – hands down! Windows has a lot of them that you can use for virtually any task. If you don’t not want to look at a cheat sheet, no problem – try KeyRocket, which will make suggestions while you work.

#3: Speed up Your PC with a disk visualizer

Make it a point to clear up your disk space by using software such as WizTree, for example, which performs scans of your hard drive and tell you where your space is being used up in excess.

#4: Use online storage and syncing for your files

Using online storage to store and sync your files can save you time with everything that you need at your fingertips. It doesn’t make sense to switch computers, and email yourself the files that you need, right?

Experts are positive, for the most part, when it comes to Google Chrome’s security features. However, Google Chrome does have it weaknesses if you don’t take the necessary steps to beef up security.

So here are 3 tips so as to browse the internet with Google Chrome safely:

#1: Use Google’s Privacy Features

Google Chrome offers features such as phishing, autocorrect and malware-protection. All you have to do is get to Settings, Privacy and Advanced Settings to get there. Check the boxes labeled “Use a web service to help resolve navigation errors” and “Use a web service to help resolve spelling errors” as well as “Enable phishing and malware protection”. As a precautionary measure, try disabling JavaScript.

#2: Keep your credit card details and password safe

Allowing Chrome to save your passwords means giving other people who use your system access to your personal information. Simple solutions include not allowing other to use your Windows account but enabling the Guest account or even enabling the Standard account instead.

Alternatively, you can password-protect Chrome if you don’t want to create another Windows account, and that can be done by installing extensions such as Secure Profile, ChromePW and Browser Lock.

#3: Protect Your Google Account

When you use Chrome’s sync feature, you can also add another layer of security to protect your Google account, if you use a lot of its services. For this, enable Google’s 2-step verification process and which need you to enter a code received by email or text when you access your Google account from another computer or mobile device.

Even if you’re a user of LinkedIn along with the 200 million others, there’s every chance that you aren’t using all of the features of this business and career networking service.

Staying in touch with your LinkedIn is probably a good idea despite the fact that you aren’t looking for a job as it will give you that competitive edge while also giving your boss something to think about in terms of your value as an employee too.

So, here are 5 easy steps to becoming a LinkedIn power user:

Step 1: Polish Your Profile
The professional profile is the most important element of LinkedIn. It’s often the most neglected part as well. Even if it is where you display your skills, education and work experience, it’s a good idea to add some personality and most importantly – up to date.

Step 2: Stay and Get Connected
LinkedIn is very valuable in the sense that you get and stay connected with people that you might have worked with, met sometime back, did business with or even were in a collaboration with. Of course, this works only if you stay in touch with each other.

Apart from this, you can even search for contacts that you might have made through email – only ones that have lasting value. Also, make sure that you send personalized messages.

Step 3: Get Search-Savvy
Just typing keywords related to your job search won’t suffice. You have to do more than that. For example, use the Advanced People Search feature and look for the hiring manager or for people who are in the department you want to work with. Look if you are connected to any of these people or better still, ask for an introduction if you can.

Step 4: Join a Number of LinkedIn Groups
Joining LinkedIn Groups is one of the best ways to connect with professionals from your industry and keep in touch with the latest happenings but most of all, they can help you find employment. Apart from that, they can not only help you expand your network but also gain a lot of influence within your industry.

Almost everyone knows how to share a Dropbox folder but usually aren’t aware of the options available to them. For one, you don’t need an account to gain access to files but really only an internet connection and a browser.

Which brings us to the ways in which one can share files on Dropbox: a regular share as well as a share link.

The first approach requires both users to have a Dropbox account, and for one person to invite another, which when accepted, will be able to access the contents of the folder that you’ve shared with them. In fact, if you change the contents in the folder, these changes get synced in both folders.

Since this requires one to have a Dropbox folder of their own, if the files that you wish to access are larger than 2 GB, you might need to subscribe for a paid account that offers you more space.

And which brings us to the second way by which we can share files using Dropbox. All you have to do is locate the shared link to the folder and send it to the people who would like to access its contents.

Of course, this won’t work in cases where you have to edit documents in the folder, and which is why you’ll have to use the first method instead.

As for locating the share link, right-click a folder or file within your Dropbox account, and select ‘Dropbox’ from the drop-down list as well as ‘Share link’. There’s another way of accessing this option, and which is simply locating the ‘Share Link’ to the right of the folder in your Dropbox account.

Even if the hotel you are staying in offers you free Wi-fi, there’s always a chance that it is slow and unreliable. What’s for sure, however, is that you cannot depend on it to get your work done not unless you make arrangements for an internet connection, by other means.

With that said, here are 4 ways to deal with unreliable hotel Wi-Fi:

#1: Request the front desk to reset the router
In some cases, there might a problem with the router. Call the front desk and inform them that you can’t access the network. In fact, ask them to reset the router. After you’ve spoken with them, wait for 5-10 minutes and then try to reconnect.

#2: Find an Ethernet option
Some hotel rooms have an Ethernet cord or port which can help you jack into the network without needing to access the Wi-Fi offered by the hotel. If you want to share this connection with your tablet, you can use Connectify Hotspot – a popular software router. You can plan for this by carrying a travel router such as TP-LINK TL-WR702N.

#3: Use your phone’s hotspot feature
Most Android phones and iPhones have a mobile-hotspot feature which can accessed by a mere pinch. All you have to do is contact your carrier to check if they have such an option and how much it will cost you on a monthly basis.

#4: Try wardriving
You can use your favorite Wi-Fi finder app so as to find other wireless networks whether at the nearest coffee shop or even at another hotel.

Almost everyone who uses Windows 8 for the first time feels confused about the new Metro UI, with the omission of the ‘Start’ button being one of the widely discussed topics.

Another aspect that has been overlooked in recent times is how one can uninstall an app although, and quite obviously, the converse seems much simpler.

Even if you go the Charms bar and open ‘Settings’ or even open ‘Change PC Settings’, you won’t find what you need there. Nor will you find a way to uninstall apps using the Control Panel either.

Yet the answer to this question is based on the fact as to whether you have a mouse for your desktop or not. If you are using a desktop, then all you have to do is position the cursor on the tile, right-click and then select ‘Uninstall’ that is at the bottom of the list that appears when you right-click.

But what if you are using a touchscreen device, which obviously doesn’t have a ‘mouse’?

For most people, the answer would be to tap and hold the tile, and which would bring up the toolbar as mentioned earlier, when you use a mouse.

But that’s not the case. What you will have to do with is not only tap and hold the tile but also drag it down a bit and after which, release it. You will see a small check mark at the corner of the tile along with the tool bar down below.

Finally, tap the ‘Uninstall’ option and you’re done.

While being anonymous on a social media site defeats the purpose, the truth is some people overlook their privacy settings when using one of these social networking sites.

This also gives cybercriminals the perfect chance to obtain revealing information about you and which can lead to untoward issues in the real world.

So, here are steps to how one can improve privacy on 3 of the most popular social media sites:

#1: Facebook

You can set your “Privacy Settings” to allow only Friends and Friends of Friends to look for you. Also, make sure that only Friends are allowed to see the posts that you make by adjusting the settings to “Who can see my stuff?”. Finally, go to the Timeline and Tagging Settings and set “Review Posts Friends Tag You In Before They Appear on your Timeline” to on.

#2: Twitter
Even though Twitter doesn’t pose the risk of sharing your private information, there are ways by which information can slip through the cracks. First, do not link Twitter to Facebook and better still, turn off the geotagging feature in the Account Settings section. And if you must, you can go private by selecting the ‘Protect my Tweets’ option in Account settings.

#3: Google+
Google+ offers an interesting feature called “Circles” where you get to share certain kinds of information with only certain people like posts which only your friends, family and co-workers can read.

Yet if one wants to ensure better privacy, they should not only limit who can see them by going to Account Settings and unchecking the option “Help Others Discover My Profile in Search Results”. Also, customize who can see how much information of yours by Profile and Privacy menu and making changes by clicking the “Edit visibility on Profile” button.

Teaching children about computers might be the best thing that you can do for them. However, with the information that is more suited to adults online, it’s disastrous to actually think of giving them free rein with a PC with an internet connection.

However, thanks to a powerful operating system such as Linux, one can avoid these pitfalls by using operating systems that have built keeping children in mind.

So, here are 3 operating systems that will ensure that you PC remains child-friendly:

#1: Qimo for Kids
Based on the popular Ubuntu Linux distro, this is the best operating system available for kids. Not only does this operating system come with pre-installed apps for kids but also has built-in filtering controls that would ensure that kids are not able to access adult content freely available over the internet. And just like more Linux distros, all you need is 6 GB of hard disk space, 256 MB RAM as well as 400 Mhz CPU to run it on.

#2: Edubuntu
Also based on Ubuntu Linux, this operating system is an excellent option for older children. While it does come with some preinstalled educational applications, there are no filtering controls much like Qimo. Simply put, it is a simple Ubuntu Linux distro offered with educational tools such as Compriz, KDE Education Suite and Tux4Kids.

#3: KIDO’Z Environment
Available for Windows, Mac, Chrome and Linux users, this subscription based application is also an external alternative for children and is noted for being very safe to use. With a built-in browser that blocks ads and provides robust content filtering, the interface has also been designed so that kids can use it easily. However, in order to access all these features fully, a subscription fee of $4.99, $39.99 a year and $59.99 for a lifetime have to be paid – a small price to pay in order to protect your child.