2 Windows 8 Swype-Like Touch Keyboards Tested

On more than one occasion, I’ve found myself attempting to drag my finger around the keyboard on my Windows 8 tablet, only to be disappointed when only a single letter is entered. After typing so much on my Android phone, I’ve become accustomed to the Swype-like interface on the keyboard. It’s simple, intuitive, and fast. So why can’t a Windows 8 tablet do that? Well, it can—sort of. While Microsoft doesn’t seem to have given developers full reign over creating custom keyboards for Windows 8 as Google has done with custom keyboards on Android, there are a couple limited options...

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How To Update Corsair SSD Firmware

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Every Solid State Drive (SSD) manufacturer pushes out firmware update to address technical issues, bugs, and improve SSD performance. Upgrading an SSD’s firmware is not as difficult as it sounds. In fact, updating the firmware of a Corsair SSD is as simple as updating just any other Windows application. Just like other major SSD manufacturers, [...]

How To Get Windows Experience Index (WEI) Score In Windows 8.1

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Windows Experience Index (WEI), one of the hundreds of features introduced with Windows Vista, is designed to help you better understand your computer’s capabilities. It scans your computer hardware and assigns it a score after running a number of tests. These ratings help users in purchasing software and games. For instance, a base score of [...]

3 More Awesome Google Services That You Probably Never Knew Existed

Though it’s where its fame and fortune first came from, Google has advanced far beyond just being the world’s most popular search engine. You and I both know that Google plays host to many amazing services that we use on an everyday basis. Gmail is a great example. I have Gmail. I bet you too have Gmail! How about the late, great Google Reader? That was a service that so many of us would already love to have back. Why Google, why? These are just two examples, and you’d be pretty surprised to know how many other goodies Google has...

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CoffeeScript Is JavaScript Without The Headaches

I’ve never really liked writing JavaScript all that much. From the day I wrote my first line using it, I’ve always resented that whatever I write in it always ends up looking like a Jackson Pollock painting. Blegh. Yep. Despite its power and flexibility, JavaScript is by no means a pretty language. It takes verbosity to an extreme and has so many quirks and idiosyncrasies, even the most famous book about the JavaScript programming language nods to its inherent nastiness with its title ‘JavaScript: The Good Parts’. A Better JavaScript It doesn’t have to be this way though. JavaScript has...

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Get Creative And Make Your Own Maps With Custom Layers On The New Google Maps

With Google unveiling a completely revamped Maps, now available to all, creating your own maps has become easier than ever. You can create private and public maps, share the maps with specific individuals, add descriptions to locations, and choose from several map styles and appearances. The new Google Maps features makes map creation easier than ever, and with Google’s solid sharing settings, you have complete control over who sees the maps, who can add items to the maps, or if you prefer, you can simply keep the maps completely private. Getting Started After launching Google Maps, click on the settings...

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Keyboard Shortcut for Google Voice Search

If you use Chrome, you've probably noticed the small microphone icon from Google's search box. It lets you search Google using your voice and it's now just as good as the voice search feature from Google's mobile apps.



There's even a keyboard shortcut for this feature: Ctrl+Shift+. (or ⌘-Shift-. for Mac). Yes, that's a dot, full stop or period.

"Say your question and hear an answer back on your desktop Chrome browser. All you will need is a built-in or attached microphone. Also, be sure to have the volume up on your computer to hear your answer loud and clear. Please note Voice Search with spoken answers back is available for US English only," informs Google.



"Open the Chrome browser and go to http://www.google.com/. You'll see a small gray microphone on the right-hand side of the search box. Click the microphone or press Ctrl+Shift+Period (Mac: ⌘-Shift-Period) with your cursor in the search box to start voice search. When the large red microphone icon appears, begin speaking. You can press ESC or click the red button to cancel. As you speak, Google will interpret your voice input. Afterwards, your results show up just as if you had typed the search term," mentions a help center article.



{ via Mike Downes }

To The Manner Born: Essential Technology Etiquette Tips For Our Digital Age

Technology impacts society in many ways — some of which are obvious and others more subtle — and those changes often call for changes in behavior. Etiquette is an important social construct that we tend to forget or ignore, but I would argue that etiquette has never been more important than now. One misstep could permanently damage or fracture your relationship with another. Technology etiquette could easily fall under the topic of “common sense” yet there are many who remain ignorant — and that’s not a judgment against those who don’t know any better. For a long while, I never...

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6 LEGO-Tastic Brickfilm Channels To Follow On YouTube [Stuff to Watch]

Brickfilm – the art of bringing plastic building blocks to life, for the purpose of video entertainment. The Brickfilm scene is huge online, having started way back in the mid-80s when actual film was required. These days brickfilmers benefit from advancements in digital SLRs, stop-motion techniques and the endless range of LEGO on offer. If you’ve not encountered much in the way of stop-motion animation and plastic building blocks, be prepared for a pleasant surprise. The production values, time, effort and scale of some productions is mind-boggling. Some people even go as far as recreating some of their favorite movie...

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