Shake the clutter away:

On a modern Windows PC with gobs of memory, it’s easy to have dozens of windows open at one time. But all that multitasking can create a distracting mess of overlapping panes that makes it difficult to concentrate on the task at hand.

The solution is a little gesture that debuted in Windows 7. Bring the app you want to focus on to the foreground, point to its title bar, hold down the left mouse button, and make a gentle left-right-left shaking gesture. It doesn’t need to be violent; just make sure you move the window an inch or so in each direction. Do it right, and every other open window is minimized to the taskbar. Shake again to restore all windows to their previous position.

Want to minimize every window, including the current one? Aim for a narrow strip at the end of the taskbar, just to the right of the system clock, and click once. Click again to restore all windows.

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Apps not required

Who said you needed to install something to control your mobile data use? Your iOS and Android devices come with all the tools you need to stay below your data cap. It takes a few taps to turn them on and configure them, which is exactly what we’re going to help you with.

Easy in Android

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Keyboard tricks for switching between programs:

Do you know all the program switching techniques for Windows? The more programs you have open, the more you can benefit from these keyboard shortcuts.

Here are three worth memorizing:

• Alt+Tab: This is the classic shortcut, the one most Windows users are likely to know. Hold down the Alt key and tap Tab to see a list of running programs as thumbnails. If you continue holding down Alt and keep tapping Tab, you’ll cycle through all of them.
• Alt+Esc: Use this shortcut if you want skip the thumbnails and just cycle through the actual programs. Keep holding down Alt and tapping Esc until you reach the window you want.
• Ctrl+Alt+Tab: Most people don’t know this one. Press this combination and you get the same thumbnails as with Alt+Tab, with one crucial difference: When you take your hands off the keyboard the thumbnails remain visible. Use the left and right arrow keys to move through thumbnails. To choose one, tap the spacebar or press Enter.

And one last secret: Add Shift to any of these shortcuts to move in reverse.

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A major update to Windows 10 is being rolled out. These are the gotchas that are catching out early users.

Windows 10 users are getting the first major update to the operating system in just under a year, with the release of the Anniversary Update.

But alongside the new features and fixes are some more unwelcome changes, ranging from less control for users to frozen machines.

Here are the main gotchas to look out for, as well as some fixes.

Less time to change your mind

With the arrival of the Anniversary Update, those upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or 8 have less time to switch back to the earlier OS.

Prior to the Anniversary Update, Windows 10 users had 30 days during which they could choose to reset their machine and restore their original OS. However, following the update Microsoft has reduced this period to 10 days.

Microsoft claims it reduced the period after noticing that most users who chose to switch back did so within a few days of upgrading, adding the change will free storage space on users’ machines.

The reduction also coincides with the end of period during which Windows 7 and 8 users could upgrade to Windows 10 for free – meaning those now paying $120 or more to upgrade will likely be less keen to switch back.

Frozen computers and broken systems

When you update software there is always risk that something will break, and that’s exactly what seems to be happening for some who have received the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

The most common complaint seems to be that the update causes the computer to lock-up soon after loading the desktop.

In response to the problem, Microsoft has been advising users to run Windows 10’s Maintenance Troubleshooter and if that doesn’t work, to perform a clean boot of the system.

Meanwhile, users are reporting the most reliable fix has been to roll back to an earlier build of Windows 10.

Another repeated complaint is that Microsoft’s virtual assistant Cortana is missing from the Task Bar, replaced instead with a search box. In affected systems, Cortana also seems to be disabled inside the Edge web browser.

Some users of Avast and McAfee anti-virus – both widely used products – are also reporting problems after the upgrade, as are gamers trying to use Xbox One controllers.

Cortana is more difficult to get rid of

If you’re not a fan of Microsoft’s virtual assistant Cortana then prepare to dislike the Anniversary Update.

Following the update, it is no longer possible to turn off Cortana from the virtual assistant’s in-built Settings menu.

Instead, if users want to ditch Cortana they will need access to specific admin tools or to edit the registry.

Users can also minimise the information that Cortana collects, although thisdoes require altering various settings.

Harder for admins to block ads

Another less welcome change is that Windows 10 Pro users lose the ability to use admin tools to block ads.

Prior to the update, admins could edit Group Policy settings to stop ads for apps showing in the Start menu and on the lock screen.

However, Windows 10 Pro users will lose that ability, and, following the update, disabling these ads via Group Policy settings will only be available to those running Windows 10 Enterprise, Windows 10 Pro Education, or Windows 10 Education editions.

Individual users should be able to turn off many of these ads by disabling Windows 10 tips, tricks, and suggestions and Windows Store suggestions in the Settings app, however.

Following the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, new installs of Windows 10 will show double the number of ads for Windows Store apps in the Start Menu. Some users have also reported a possible increase in the number of ads shown on the lock screen following the update.

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Get additional Snap Assist options:

Most users are familiar with the Snap Assist function in Windows 10, where dragging a window to either side will snap that window into one-half of the screen. However, many users are unaware of how the Snap Assist function has been enhanced for Windows 10.

Not only can you drag and snap to one-half screen—now, if you drag a window to one of the four corners of the screen, it will snap to fill one-quarter of it. This means you can easily position four windows to be open at once, as shown in Figure.

Figure

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Add more places to send files:

When you are working in File Explorer and you right-click a file and navigate to the Send To menu item, you’ll see a small list of suggested places where you can send the file. If you Shift + right-click that file instead and then navigate to the Send To Menu item, you will be shown a much more extensive list of places where you can send that file.

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The deadline for Microsoft’s free Windows 10 upgrade looms. Here’s why you don’t want to let it pass by.

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Remove Windows.old:

Hard drive storage is not as costly or as limited as it once was, but that doesn’t mean you want to waste space if you don’t have to. If you upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or 8, you probably have a folder on your hard drive that contains the old version of Windows. On the assumption you are never going to revert back to Windows 7 or 8, you can delete that folder and regain the storage space on your hard drive.

To delete the folder, open File Explorer, navigate to the hard drive where Windows 10 resides (typically this is the C drive), and right-click it. Now, click the Properties menu item to get to a screen similar to the one shown in Figure. Click the Disk Cleanup button to start the scan and then click the Clean Up System Files button.

Figure

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Create a custom shortcut folder:

If you use the Windows 10 Start Menu to get to your apps, this next advanced tip may be for you. You can create a custom Start Menu folder to contain shortcuts to any apps, documents, etc., that you care to include. You can then pin that folder to the Start Screen or the Taskbar.

Begin by opening File Explorer and navigating to this folder (Figure):

C:\Users\mark.MRKM11X\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

Note: AppData is a hidden file, so you will have to select the Show Hidden Files check box on the Ribbon. Of course, your username will be different from mine.

Figure

In the Programs folder, you can add your own subfolder. In my example I used the folder name A_Custom_Start_Folder so it would display in the “A” section of the Start Menu. You can put any shortcuts to apps in that folder you want.

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The new iPhone doesn’t come out until September, but that won’t stop the rumor mill from churning at a furious pace.

Now that WWDC is over, the iPhone 7 rumors are getting even louder, since its expected unveiling in September is probably the next time we’ll see Tim Cook on stage. Yes, that’s still a good while from now. To help keep track of all the scuttlebutt, we’re collecting every rumor we’ve heard so far—and every new one that crops up between now and the day Tim pulls the new iPhone out of his pocket. Then we’ll assess whether each rumor seems legit or absurd, and we’d love to hear your thoughts too. Sound off in the comments.

What’s the latest?

The rumor: Pricing specs for the upcoming iPhone 7 have allegedly leaked on Weibo, according to 9to5Mac. If believed, the specs show that Apple is looking to release a 256GB model of the iPhone 7 that will be the same price as the 128GB model of the current generation iPhone 6s. Furthermore, Apple would drop the meager 16GB models, offering instead 32GB, 64GB, and 256GB for the iPhone 7 and 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB for iPhone 7 Plus. And that’s not all, the rumor on Weibo has it that Apple is gearing up an iPhone 7 Pro line. This Pro model would be the only one to offer the dual-camera system that’s been rumored before, and a Smart Connector for accessories similar to the iPad Pro.

Plausible: Generation after generation, Apple has mostly retained the same pricing for iPhone models, so the fact that the 256GB iPhone 7 would cost the same as the current 128GB wouldn’t be unheard of. However, we’re a little skeptical that Apple would get rid of the 16GB base models, especially since iOS 10 seems to have been designed to optimize storage. And the Pro line would be an interesting addition, and would certainly make up for the fact that the iPhone 7 is rumored to be almost-identical to the 6s models. Apple is also making some strides in enterprise software, so an iPhone Pro would be a logical next-step.

Headphone jack after all?

The rumor: Via Engadget comes some component photos from Rock Fix, a smartphone repair shop in China. They allegedly show a dual-SIM tray, another shows a dual-lens camera for the larger Plus model, and curiously, there’s even an Lightning assembly that still has the headphone jack attached. People who need a lot of storage will be pleased to hear another photo shows SanDisk memory ships up to 256GB, which would be the most storage Apple’s ever offered in an iPhone.

Plausible? It’s hard to give much weight to photos of components, and as reported in the same Engadget article, conflicting rumors about the dual-lens camera surfaced within days. But it is plausible that these components could be for the iPhone 7—and we know plenty of people who would be thrilled if the new phone had a headphone jack after all.

New colors?

The rumor: It’s not easy being green, and iPhone owners might be starting to get envious of how many colors you can get an Android phone in. iPhones used to be pretty monochromatic, until Apple added gold and then an even brighter splash of color with last year’s rose gold hue (OK, OK, it’s pink). Japanese blog Macotara is reporting that Apple is switching it up this year, swapping the space gray color for navy blue instead.

Plausible? This is absolutely plausible. Apple’s iPhones have never been colorful, but the iPod touch comes in beautiful colored aluminum, and Apple has also set a tradition recently of switching up its Apple Watch bands to fit the season. One of the latest additions is a handsome navy Sport Band, and the Classic Buckle, Leather Loop, Modern Buckle, and two of the Hermès bands come in navy too. Navy looks great on both men and women, but we can’t help being a bit surprised it’s the “basic black” space gray color that’s rumored to be replaced.

A flat Home button?

The rumor:  Blurry, possibly fake spy photos from mobipicker (via 9to5Mac) seem to show a very flat-looking Home button. As in, maybe it’s not a button, maybe it’s just a touch-sensitive place you touch (and/or 3D Touch) instead of physically clicking it.

A fully flat Home button could have 3D Touch potential too.

Plausible? The Touch ID button got a lot faster between the iPhone 6 and 6s, but any button that physically clicks is another opportunity for hardware failure. With the rise of installment plans and the iPhone Upgrade program, we expect Apple to keep making little tweaks that make its phones more durable, so they’re turned in good enough shape to be possibly refurbished and resold. So yes, this is very plausible, and we think Apple could pull it off where the experience is the same, perhaps even using a little haptic feedback to make it feel like the button is clicking but it’s not—just like the Force Touch trackpad.

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