How to Search With Google When Using Cortana

Posted on by admin

If you launch a web search from Cortana, it uses the Bing search engine and not Google.

So, what if you’d like to use Google for web search instead?

Of course, there’s a perfectly good reason for this – Cortana’s “brains” are powered by Bing, so a multi-engine search is not possible.

For some users, this should be enough especially if they need help with simple tasks such as checking the weather, solving math problems or even tracking flights. But when it comes to search engine results, most people still prefer Google to Bing, quite honestly.

 mysystemsjournalYet there are ways by which you can redirect your search but it will only work with Firefox or Bing.

Before we look at how this possible, it must be said that this will not be possible with Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer or Opera.

(Also, if you don’t care about Google, then these solutions should work with DuckDuckGo and Yahoo too.)

Now, using Firefox is the easiest way access Google Search. There’s no need for add-ons either. Simply download the latest version of Firefox and set it as your default search engine. Cortana will follow suit if you’ve not used it before.

In fact, by default, Cortana will open Yahoo. Change that by clicking on the magnifying glass icon in the search bar.

Alternatively, for Chrome, you can use an add-on such as Chrometana. Once you’ve downloaded this, go to Extensions and look Chrometana. Click Options. Pick either Google, DuckDuckGo or Yahoo and close the tab.

You’re all set to use Google as your default search engine.

5 Precision Touchpad Features

Posted on by admin

With the introduction of trackpad gestures in Windows 8, Microsoft changed its operating system for the better.

These trackpad gestures eliminate the need for the two buttons that are present at the top of your device’s touch area. With Windows 10, they have taken this even further by improving on the foundation they set in Windows 8.

 mysystemsjournal4Apart from adding existing features, they have also added new touch controls while removing a few that served no purpose whatsoever. One example of the latter would be swiping in from the right for the Charms bar since there isn’t one in Windows 10.

The only thing that you must keep in mind is that to use these gestures, one will have to use a precision touchpad. This won’t work on older laptops.

If you want to know whether your device supports gestures, then go to the Settings app as well as Devices> Mouse & Touchpad.

If it displays “Your PC has a precision touchpad”, you can swipe and tap using these features too.

Here are 5 ‘precision touchpad’ features:

1: Select an item

Tap once on the touchpad.

2: Scroll

Put two fingers on the touchpad and swipe horizontally or vertically.

3: Open Task View

Put three fingers on the touchpad and swipe up. In other words, swipe in the direction away from you.

4: Right-click

Either tap the touchpad with two fingers or press gently in the bottom right-hand corner.

5: Open Cortana

Tap the touchpad with three fingers.

What You Need to Know About Using Cortana in Windows 10

Posted on by admin

Switching from Windows 7 to 10 can be a bit of a shock for any user. Without a doubt, Windows 10 is a much better experience overall.

Yet with so many changes, it can be quite confusing. Apart from learning how to use the Windows Store, a number of features have been moved around since the release of Windows 8.1.

 mysystemjpurnal4So, what does a new Windows 10 user do? Read Windows 10 tutorials found on Google?

No, you can ask the new digital assistant launched by Microsoft known as Cortana.

If you don’t know this already, Cortana is already placed on the taskbar and can be used to find both features as well as programs too.

Of course, you can find the information you want in Windows 10’s search function. So, if you don’t use Cortana, you can still use this feature to get your answers.

So, all you have to do is type in your question in the Cortana/Search box and the answer will show up right at the top of the results panel.

There are times when you won’t be able to find what you’re looking for with the words you type in. For this, try and change the phrasing a bit and it will still give the right information as a result.

For example, if you type in “Is this copy of Windows genuine?” or “Genuine windows”, you might not find the right answer. Yet typing in ‘Is Windows activated” does the trick.

Apart from this, you can search for both apps on your system as well as at the Windows Store. You don’t even have to open the Windows Store to find these apps.

As you will soon discover, it is very simple to use Cortana. Especially if you like Windows 10.

3 Windows 10 Tweaks For Your Taskbar

Posted on by admin

With every version of Windows, a new set of taskbar toys are thrown your way. With Windows 10, this is no exception.

By itself, the default taskbar setup will work alright. Yet if you want to customize the operating system to your PC, then a few tweaks are in order. Here are 3 tweaks to consider:

mysystemjpurnal3 1: Shrink Cortana

While Cortana has changed everything for the better for Windows, it still consumes a large amount of taskbar space. So, you can either condense Cortana or get rid of it completely. For this, right-click on the Cortana search box or any free space on the taskbar. When in the context menu, select Cortana > Show Cortana Icon. The search box disappears and will be replaced by Cortana’s icon. Now, click on the icon to activate Cortana itself.

If you want to get rid of Cortana, then click Cortana > Hidden and you can find your will a lot of space. No, Cortana isn’t removed but the icon is hidden from the taskbar.

2: Remove Task View

If you’re not one to use Task View’s virtual desktops or you use the shortcut key (Windows key+Tab), then just get rid of the icon. For this, right-click on the Task View icon or on free space in the Taskbar. Then finally, de-select ‘Show Task View button’.

3: Add Toolbars

This feature is hardly new but there are very few people who know anything about it. Two toolbars that you must absolutely have are the website launcher and a launcher to File Explorer. Using the former involves typing in a web address and your browser launches the site. For this, right-click on your toolbar and select Toolbars>Address from the context menu. For immediate access to system items, select Toolbars>Desktop.

What You Need to Know About PC Compatibility with Linux

Posted on by admin

Even Linux’s hardware support is better than what it used to be, there’s no harm in checking if it is compatible with your system.

It can be safe to say that not every laptop or PC found at your local store will work perfectly with Linux. So, if you’re buying a PC for Linux or to use the dual-boot option for the future, thinking about it before time will actually pay off.

If you already have a PC, you can test drive Linux almost immediately. It won’t take that long to figure out whether or not Linux works with your system.

 mysystemjpurnal2Not only is this easy to do but also safe to carry out. All you have to do is download an ISO, install it on a flash drive, reboot your computer and boot into a live Linux environment that is running on the flash drive.

If it doesn’t work according to your liking, then you can shut down your system and log back into Windows forgetting about Linux as a result. Keep in mind that closed-source graphics and WiFi drivers might be necessary and won’t come ‘out of the box’ either.

Apart from this, you can also find information about PC specifications that will work with Linux perfectly. One such location is the Ubuntu desktop certified hardware database. Also, the Ubuntu components catalog can provide you with information if you are looking for a list of components instead.

Of course, if you don’t want to go through list that aren’t exhaustive by any means, the simplest way to solve this issue is to buy a PC or laptop that has Linux preinstalled by its manufacturers.

Best part: you can easily save money on a Windows license too and the PC or laptop will work perfectly with Linux too.

Two companies that offer pre-installed Linux PC or laptops include Dell and System 76. You can look for a comprehensive list of manufacturers at LinuxPreloaded.com too.

What You Need to Know About Encrypting and Password Protect ZIP Files

Posted on by admin

If you’ve been wondering whether there is a way to crack a password protected ZIP file, it really depends on the software you have been using to create the ZIP file.

The ZIP format has been used for years now to compress files but encryption also is a feature that comes with it these days.

Yet the kind of encryption that is offered depends on the program you are using and that is directly related to whether it can be cracked or not.

Simply put, there are two typmysystemjpurnal1es of encryption and password protection that is available. The first of which is ZipCrypto is very easy to crack. A number of organizations including the Info-Zip organization consider it to be a weak form of encryption too.

The second, known as AES-256, is much safer. If you create a strong password, it is virtually unbreakable.

 Yet when you use it for ZIP archives, AES-256 comes with another problem. Windows’ own in-built compression tool does not support this format. Unfortunately, if they try to open an AES-encrypted file within Windows Explorer or File Explorer, none of the files in the archive will be available.

But there’s a fix for this problem: there are third-party tools such as 7-zip that support AES-256 and that you should use since you will not be able to work around this issue.

One last thing: no matter which encryption you opt for, the names of the files within the archive can still be seen. If the file names offer sensitive information, then this can cause trouble.

Apart from that, they will still not be able to open the file without the password.

Alfred Mann Foundation Creates Amazing Robotic Hand for Retired Denver Marine

Posted on by admin

The biggest challenge for those who lose limbs through amputation or trauma is that life never really returns to a sense of normalcy. If you lose a leg, going for a run feels like a luxury. Losing your sight or your hearing can completely change how you interact with the world around you.

This harsh reality was daily routine for James Sides, a retired Staff Sergeant from Colorado. During his second tour of Afghanistan, Staff Sergeant Sides encountered an IED. Trained in disposal, Sides went to work on clearing the bomb. Without warning, the bomb detonated. The blast sent shrapnel into his body and knocked him over. It also blinded him in one eye, broke his forearm and took one of his hands.

That’s where the Alfred Mann Foundation, Steve Doctrow and Rogers and Cowan thought that they might be able to help improve the quality of Sides’ life. Founded by Alfred Mann in 1985, the foundation has several core goals including the exploration of how bionics can improve quality of life for people like James Sides. Rogers and Cowan helped to facilitate this exchange and promote the project. This kind opf breakthrough is unprecedented, and the Foundation wanted big attention for their unveiling.

They fitted Sides with a device that has two components. The first is smaller than a penny. It’s a tiny sensor that must be embedded within the muscles of the arm. This transceiver uses radio frequencies to interpret muscle movements that would dictate how the hand might respond. Outsides see a man moving his hand, but the science behind this shows an incredible understanding of the human body.

Although this technology is promising, Sides is one of only seven people in the world to have a robotic arm. The Alfred Mann Foundation hopes that these early proofs of concept will give way to more affordable devices that can be deployed to the general population.

3 Tips For Website Users To Defend Themselves From Hackers

Posted on by admin

Most cyber attacks are targeted at smaller websites that do not have the skills or time to protect themselves.

One clear example of this was a number of WordPress sites that were hacked just last year itself. If you don’t want to be one of these sites, then you have to conduct regular maintenance.

This is because cybercriminals are looking for a loophole. It could be anything from easy passwords, failure to add the latest patch or even sire misconfiguration.

Yet the problem does not lie with the content management systems but with the users themselves.

Here are 3 tips that can help users defend themselves from hackers:

 mystemsjournal4

1: Update Quickly

If you are managing a site, make sure that the core content management system updates are taken care of by the hosting service. Keeping up with information about these vulnerabilities is necessary but very tough to handle. In fact, it is considered almost impossible to do this. So, it’s a good idea to use web-security services such as Incapsula, Cloudflare and Sucuri to ward off attacks until you stay updated.

2: Remember Plugins and Themes

It’s not easy to keep the main content management system up-to-date. This is because patching every plugin can be cumbersome. Yet attackers are exploiting the vulnerabilities in plugins and themes.

Use plugins built for security purposes. Some of them are iThemes Security, Wordfence and BulletProof Security.

3: Regular site maintenance

If you have a hosted website, then it requires regular responsibility without fail. Administrators should remember to backup the site. Also, they should make sure that it is copied off the web server too.

If you don’t have time to do this, then go with a fully managed site as offered by WordPress. For Joomla and Drupal, a hosted service provider can do what needs to be done.

2 Writing Tools to Check for Word Frequency

Posted on by admin

As writers we all have problem words. Words that we use all the time and can’t rid of because it is a habit.

This is where a couple of tools can come in handy where the first is easy to use while the other requires advanced understanding.

Here are two of these writing tools that can come in handy:

 mystemsjournal31: Web App Solution

Probably the easiest to get an idea of how many times you are using a particular word is by using an online app.

All you have to do is cut and paste the text and hit the count button. It will throw up a report and that should tell you all you need to know. One of these tools is Text Fixer. Just paste the text under the area ‘Word Analysis Tool’ and select the ‘Count Words’ button. Also, just uncheck the option ‘Exclude common areas from word frequency count’.

 2: Microsoft Add-In

Adding a Microsoft add-in requires you to go through Windows folders. For this, you need to look at your hidden folder by selecting Windows + E. Click the View tab and make sure you check the Hidden Items box. Now you have to look for add-ons by the developer, Gregory Maxey. A ZIP file containing a .dot and .dotm file will be downloaded. Extract the latter file.

Now copy and paste this file to the following path: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP

After this, open a Word document that you’d like to check. Now look for a new tab at the top of Word menu titled Add-Ins. When you click that tab, you’ll find a menu item for word usage. You can obtain a word frequency report that will appear as a new document.

What You Need to Know About Troubleshooting Wi-Fi Issues

Posted on by admin

Trying to figure out what is wrong with a network can be a difficult task. You need patience if you want to resolve the issue.

The problem can be either simple or a complex one depending on the situation and there are steps that you take in either case.

Apart from the complex issues that might be reason why your device cannot access the Wi-Fi network, there are two simple ones: your laptop or your router.

 mystemsjournal2

Probably the first thing that you should do is test the network by using another laptop or any other device that uses Wi-Fi. If this device can use Wi-Fi flawlessly, then the problem is with your computer instead and not the network.

Now that you know that the problem is with your system, ensure that the Wi-Fi switch is turned on your system. Usually there’s a hardware switch that you can flip off and on.

Windows will usually tell you whether it’s turned back on or not. However, if that doesn’t fix the problem, then you can try to reboot the system in order to see if that works or not.

Also, make sure you are connecting to the right network and using the right password if that didn’t work either. For that, click the Wi-Fi icon in the notification area for the networks in your area. It should say ‘Connected’ but it probably won’t.

Another thing that you can try is to shut down your firewall. Also, try checking for the number of bars right next to your network’s name to see if you have a strong connection or not.

If none of these work then there’s a problem with the network. Try rebooting it. Unplug the modem and router, wait for a couple of minutes and start it again.

Finally, if that doesn’t work, connect the laptop to the router through the Ethernet cable. This should tell you whether the issue with the router’s Wi-Fi. If that’s the problem, the go to the router’s settings and change the Wi-Fi channel.