Limit Cortana’s reach:

If you want to change Cortana’s search behavior even more, you can limit the parameters of the search itself. For example, Cortana can be told not to search the internet at all.

Click the Cortana search box in the Taskbar and then navigate to the Cortana settings screen, as shown in Figure. At the bottom should be a setting that says Search Online And Include Web Results. Switch that to Off and Cortana won’t display any more web results no matter which search engine is the default.

Figure

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Want to never see a promoted app in the Start menu again? Follow this step-by-step guide for home users and businesses.

Microsoft is to double the number of adverts for apps that appear in Windows 10’s Start menu.

Windows 10’s Start menu currently has five tiles that display ‘promoted apps’, which are Windows Store apps the user hasn’t installed on their PC. Three of these tiles are links to apps on the Windows Store and two are Windows Store apps that Windows 10 has previously automatically installed on the machine.

In future versions of Windows 10, the number of ‘promoted apps’ tiles in the Start menu will rise to 10. To make room, the number of tiles linking to apps installed on the machine will decrease, from 17 to 12.

Microsoft discussed the changes at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in late April, as part of a briefing on new features in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, due out this summer.

It remains unclear whether all versions of Windows 10 will eventually see the Start menu changes or just new installs. Microsoft has been contacted for clarification.

If you don’t want adverts appearing in your Windows 10 Start menu, here’s how to remove them.

For home users

One option for removing these tiles is to install Classic Shell. The software will allow you to customize the look and feel of Windows, including changing the Start menu to resemble that of Windows 7 or earlier Microsoft operating systems.

If you don’t want to do that, here’s how to manually remove each tile from the Start menu.

In the slides below, you can see which tiles you will want to remove to get rid of promoted apps. Figure A shows the layout of promoted app tiles before the Anniversary Update changes and Figure B shows after.

If you spend most of your day at a desk, any one of these tech tools will make your work station more comfortable and give your body some much-needed relief.

Do you work long hours on your computer? If so, we know the feeling and have identified a list of gadgets that you can use at your workstation, and which offer the necessary support and comfort as you work. While some may require making some adjustments or take some getting used to, your body will grow to love any of these devices — in the form of reduced aches and pain.

Kensington SmartFit Conform Back Rest

If you don’t have an ergonomic chair, the Kensington SmartFit Conform Back Rest lets you convert a plain office chair into one. The attachment fits onto most chairs with a back, and delivers support for your spine and lumbar using two ventilated back panels resting on four independent springs. The fit can be slightly adjusted for support that is highly comfortable, while the fabric itself can be removed for washing.

Price: $60

[ Find it on Amazon ]

Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard

The Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard sets a new standard for the support and comfort of your wrist for those who type a lot at work. The split keyboard layout and arc shape of this wireless keyboard helps keep hands and arms in a relaxed position to significantly reduce the risk of repetitive stress injuries. The numeric keypad comes as a separate device so right-handers can hold their mouse at a more accessible angle. Though the keyboard does take some getting used to, you’re soon be wondering why you ever settled for the cramped layout of a normal keyboard.

Price: $81

[ Find it on Amazon ]

Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000

The Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 adopts a similar split keyboard layout and arc shape of the Sculpt Ergonomic keyboard, though in a more conventional wired keyboard design. In addition, it comes with additional multimedia buttons that can be customized to quickly access files, launch web pages and create hot keys shortcuts to get things done faster. A dedicated slider located in the middle of the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 also makes it easy to zoom in and out.

Price: $50

[ Find it on Amazon ]

Logitech MX Master

The Logitech MX Master is a wireless desktop mouse that offers a sculpted design meant to support your hand and wrist in a comfortable and natural position. Aside from the usual plethora of technologies such as dual Bluetooth and RF wireless modes and support for pairing with up to three devices, the MX Master also comes with a couple of additional capabilities that should reduce wrist fatigue. For example, a speed-adaptive scroll wheel makes scrolling through long documents easier than ever with its ability to automatically shift between normal “click-to-click” scrolling to hyper fast scroll, while a thumb wheel offers side-to-side scrolling.

Price: $100

[ Find it on Amazon ]

Kensington Expert Mouse Wireless Trackball

Users who find that a normal mouse just doesn’t cut it for them will appreciate the use of a trackball-based solution such as the Kensington Expert Mouse Wireless Trackball. The giant trackball help keeps wrist and hand movement is kept to a minimum, and uses optical tracking technology for smooth control. Notably, the Expert Mouse Wireless Trackball works just as well for right-handed and left-handed users, while a scroll ring positioned around the trackball also makes it easy to scroll up and down lengthy documents or Web pages.

Price: $100

[ Find it on Amazon ]

Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Mouse

Shaped almost like a slightly squashed softball, the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Mousewas created to offer a more natural hand, wrist and forearm posture. While its ergonomic design may take get some getting used to, the Sculpt Ergonomic Mouse is arguably more like a normal mouse than some of the other vertical mouse designs on the market. A thumb scoop is positioned to help maintain the correct hand and wrist position, while the scroll wheel supports four ways scrolling: Left, right, front and back.

Price: $60

[ Find it on Amazon ]

Swiftpoint GT Mouse

The Swiftpoint GT mouse is a compact, travel-friendly mouse designed to reduce fatigue caused by your normal portable mouse. The Swiftpoint GT’s pen-like grip is more natural than the claw grip that is necessary for many of the travel mouse out there, yet is small enough to be used on your laptop next to the touchpad. Moreover, it has a touch surface that enables a full range of touch gestures such as swiping, flicking and zooming. You can also easily “park” the Swiftpoint GT on your laptop when moving between meetings with its included magnetic clip.

Price: $149

[ Find it on Amazon ]

Kensington SmartFit Mouse Pad

The Kensington SmartFit Mouse Pad is created to combat improper positioning of one’s wrist when using a mouse. It comes with a soft gel support to relief pressure points on the wrist, and stands out from your run-of-the-mill mousepad by how its height can be adjusted with the use of removable inserts. A nonskid base adds stability, while an anti-microbial surface to resist strains and odors to set the SmartFit Mouse Pad further apart from the rest.

Price: $20

[ Find it on Amazon ]

Ergotron WorkFit-P, Sit-Stand Workstation

Laptop users looking to get off their butts in the office can consider the Ergotron WorkFit-P, Sit-Stand Workstation, an elegant height-adjustable laptop stand. Made of solid-aluminum construction, the WorkFit-P works like a standard monitor arm in how it can be quickly adjusted various positions – including for use while standing. The large surface has more than adequate space for a laptop and external mouse, and can also serve as an adjustable tray for writing or drawing with a graphics tablet.

Price: $299

[ Find it on Amazon ]

HiRise for MacBook

While its name suggests that it can only be used for a MacBook, the HiRise for MacBook is a height-adjustable stand that works just as well for other laptops. The beautiful brushed metal design aside, the stand lifts your laptop up to a half foot off the desk, bringing it to a more optimal height for your overstrained eyes. You will need a separate keyboard and mouse to work with your machine, but laptop’ keyboard and trackpad were never great for ergonomics anyway.

Price: $70

[ Find it on Amazon ]

Ergotron MX Mini Desk Mount Arm

The Ergotron MX Mini Desk Mount Arm is a monitor arm that offers a slim profile without giving up on the expansive height adjustment range of full-fledged monitor arms, including full tilt, pan and rotation capability. This means you can set the ideal height and angle for optimal individual comfort, and adjust it as necessary to avoid the morning or mid-afternoon glare. The MX Mini Desk Mount Arm works with lightweight LCD monitors of up to 24-inches, as well as tablets such as the Apple’s iPad and Microsoft’s Surface.

Price: $315

[ Find it on Amazon ]

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Switch from Bing:
Microsoft would like you, and your personal assistant Cortana, to use Bing as your default search engine and not Google, etc. You can force Cortana to use a different search engine, but first you have to change your default web browser.

If Firefox is your default browser in Windows 10, Cortana should be using Google Search. If Chrome is your default browser, you have to install the Chrometana extension and change the default; otherwise, Cortana will be stubborn and keep using Bing.

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The Windows 10 jump lists feature offers a convenient way to start your apps–but there’s no easy way to increase the size of the list. Here’s a hack for that.

Microsoft Windows 10 gives users several choices when it comes to how and where to start their applications. Some people use the desktop exclusively and some swear by the Start Menu, while others, prefer the pinned lists that hang off the icons on the Taskbar.

However, there is one small problem with the Taskbar pinned list in Windows 10—by default, there is a 12-slot limit.

Windows 7 allowed users to extend that number with a simple change to a configuration setting. But that feature is currently missing in Windows 10 for reasons no one has been able to explain. The workaround involves editing the Windows Registry file.

Standard disclaimer: Incorrectly editing the Windows Registry file could break your computer. Create a Restore Point before making any changes.

Jump listItems

Figure A shows an example of the default jump list hanging off the Word icon in a typical Windows 10 Taskbar. Note that there are 26 copies of the example file, but only 12 are listed in the pinned section. This is despite the fact that I have actually pinned them all, which is why the Recent section is fully populated.

Figure A

To increase the number of pinned items displayed, we’ll have to change the maximum number of jump list items associated with a particular key in the Windows Registry file.

Press Windows key + R or right-click the Start Menu icon and navigate to the Run command to open the Run prompt (Figure B). Type regedit into the box and click OK.

Figure B

Navigate to this set of keys in the Windows Registry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Look through the list in the right-hand pane until you find this DWORD: JumpListItems_Maximum

In case, the JumpListItems_Maximum DWORD is not there, create it.

Right-click the JumpListItems_Maximum DWORD and select Modify. Click the Decimal radio button and change the number to a value that works for you. As you can see in (Figure C).

Figure C

To complete the change, you may need to restart your computer. You should now be able to see the number of pinned items you specified (Figure D).

Figure D

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1. Unicomp Ultra Classic

Mechanical keyboards started as a trend among PC gamers but have crossed over into the realm of developers and IT pros. Here are 10 models worth checking out.

Modeled after the grandaddy of all mechanical keyboards, the IBM Model M, the Unicomp Ultra Classic offers the same buckling spring design and a similar aesthetic (which makes sense because Unicomp bought the technology behind the Model M in the 1990s). If you want the reliability of a classic Model M, but don’t want to deal with decades of keyboard funk on a vintage model, go with the Unicomp. But, if you want the nostalgia factor, you can probably find an old Model M on eBay.

2. Das Keyboard 4 Professional

Known for its sleek designs and strong build quality, Das is one of the biggest names in mechanical keyboards. The Das Keyboard 4 Professional uses cherry MX switches with gold contacts, and has a design that would fit well in an office environment.

3. Ducky Legend

Ducky is better known for its Shine series of keyboards, but the aluminum case Legend would be more at home in an office setting. The keys are backlit by LEDs and users can choose which switches they want to use.

4. Logitech G710

The G710 is a good middle-of-the-road selection from Logitech’s G series keyboards. The G710 uses Cherry MX blue switches for a good mechanical feel, but operates quietly so you won’t disturb your coworkers.

5. Kinesis Advantage

The Kinesis Advantage combines the tactile comfort of Cherry MX brown switches with the support of an ergonomic design. It’s a little on the pricey side, but it comes with a 60 day guarantee.

6. Ultimate Hacking Keyboard

The Ultimate Hacking Keyboard bills itself as a split design mechanical keyboard for professionals. This keyboard uses Cherry MX switches and has additional modules that can be snapped into place to customize it.

7. Cooler Master MasterKeys Pro L

If you’re after cool lighting options and good performance, consider the Cooler Master MasterKeys Pro L. This keyboard is powered by a ARM Cortex M3 processor and brings a minimal design.

8. Razer BlackWidow

Razer is a big name in the gaming world and their BlackWidow is a mechanical keyboard built for gaming. It uses proprietary Razer switches and gold contact points, and offers lots of lighting options.

9. ErgoDox EZ

ErgoDox initially made noise in the keyboard market with its ErgoDox kit that required a lot of assembly, including soldering all the points by hand. The ErgoDox EZ, however, is a ready-made kit based on an open source design that is a nice split design option.

10. CODE Mechanical Keyboard

The CODE mechanical keyboard was designed with developers in mind. Using 6-Key USB rollover, it opens up many options for shortcuts.

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Pin File Explorer searches:

One of the more powerful features of the Windows 10 File Explorer is the ability to save searches. Figure shows a saved search that identifies all the Word documents in a specific folder. When you have as many .doc files as I do, this is a handy search to have around. However, it would be even more convenient if that search was pinned to the Start Menu, where I can get to it even faster.

Figure

Open File Explorer and navigate to your Users folder and then to your Searches subfolder. Right-click the saved search and pin it to your Start Menu for easy access.

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Microsoft has changed the look of the Start menu in Windows 10.

The revamped Start menu is due to be added to Windows 10 this summer, as part of a major update coined the ‘Windows 10 Anniversary Edition’.

Microsoft revealed the updated appearance in an early build of the OS, which it released to testers in the Windows 10 Insider program on Friday.

The new look Start menu makes the ‘All Apps’ list visible by default on the left-hand side. In another new addition, a selection of the user’s ‘Most-used’ apps are shown at the top of this permanently visible ‘All Apps’ list. Microsoft says the change should reduce the clicking and scrolling needed to access apps.

The Power, Settings and File Explorer icons are also always visible in the left rail of the Start menu and the ‘Recently added’ section will display three entries, instead of one. Any folders that users have added to the Start menu are now immediately accessible without having to click the hamburger icon.

The old look start menu

The new look start menu

The look of the Start menu in tablet mode has also been overhauled, turning the ‘All Apps’ list into a fullscreen menu, reminiscent of the Windows 8.1 Start screen. Gabe Aul, VP for Microsoft’s engineering systems team, says the switch to fullscreen was a ‘top request from Windows Insiders’, adding that ‘the grid-like implementation of the full-screen ‘All Apps’ list aims to provide efficiency while taking advantage of the additional real estate on the Start screen on a tablet’.

The old look ‘All Apps’ list in tablet mode.

The new look ‘All Apps’ list in tablet mode.

The final Start menu change is designed to make it easier to toggle between pinned tiles and the ‘All Apps’ list, by providing the option to do so in the menu’s left rail.

More helpful Cortana and other changes

The latest Windows Insider build, 14328, also includes a raft of features that will be available to all users following the Anniversary Update.

These new components include Windows Ink, which allows users to more easily write notes on touchscreen PCs and tablets using a digital pen. The addition of Windows Ink to Windows 10 allows users to write on digital sticky notes, draw on digital whiteboards and annotate content in a variety of apps, including Maps, Microsoft Edge, and Office. Microsoft wants support for drawing and writing using a digital pen to be present in many Windows 10 apps and says that adding support for Windows Ink only requires developers to write two lines of code.

Windows 10’s digital assistant Cortana has also been tweaked. Users will no longer have to log into Windows to use Cortana and instead will be able to use voice commands to get Cortana to make notes, play music or set a reminder from the lock screen.

Cortana can now also be used to set photo reminders, for example the user could take a picture of a cheese they want to buy next time they’re in a store, and add reminders based on content from another Windows 10 app, for example telling a user to read an article they flagged as interesting in the Edge browser. Cortana is now also accessible to all users, with Windows 10 no longer requiring users to sign-in before they can ask simple questions of the digital assistant.

Other changes include the ability to search files on OneDrive cloud storage that aren’t synced locally, tweaks to the look of and what is displayed in the Action Center and via notifications, various changes to the Taskbar — including easier access to the calendar and the removal of the File Explorer icon, as well as updates to the Settings app and lock screen.

As this is an early build of Windows 10, some of these features may change before reaching the general public, based on feedback from testers in the Windows Insider program.

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As Google reaches a major milestone, let’s reflect on its uncertain future.

Google’s Chrome browser has just reached a major milestone, hitting its 50th release.

For Google, it’s a moment for positive reflection. To emphasize Chrome’s might, the company points to the browser’s 771 billion page loads per month, 1 billion monthly active mobile users, 9.1 billion auto-filled forms, and 145 million malicious webpages averted. One might also point to Chrome’s ever-growing usage, accounting for 47 percent of all worldwide pageviews, including mobile, according to StatCounter.

Indeed, Chrome has become an indispensable tool for many web users, and has served as a leader in the browser world. It introduced the idea of limiting menu clutter around actual webpages, and popularized the syncing of bookmarks, tabs, and browser history across devices. After all these years, it remains PCWorld’s most highly-recommended web browser.

Yet for all the good Chrome has done, Google’s browser now stands at a crossroads. Aside from just another way to browse the Internet, it’s unclear exactly what Google wants Chrome to be.

Browser or platform?

In the beginning, Google’s key tenets for Chrome were speed and simplicity. The browser’s minimal menu system (or “chrome,” hence the name) got out of the way, and its JavaScript engine crushed the competition as websites grew more advanced in the late aughts.

Those advantages are less pronounced now. Nearly every other browser has embraced restraint with their own chrome, and Chrome is no longer the clear victor in benchmarks. Meanwhile, the ever-increasing demands of the modern web have given Chrome a reputation for being a resource hog and a battery killer, even if other browsers aren’t markedly better.

A few years after Chrome launched, Google started broadening its ambitions. It introduced the Chrome Web Store, and eventually the concept of native Chrome apps with offline functionality. A Chrome app launcher followed, along with push notifications from web services and Google Now. These new features were supposed to turn Chrome into a platform-within-a-platform on Windows and Mac, while making Chrome OS into a legitimate desktop operating system.

But over the last year, Google has dismantled or abandoned many of those efforts. The Chrome notification center is now dead on Windows and Mac, as Google considersembracing native notifications on those platforms. The Chrome Web Store fell into disrepair years ago, and Google has shown little interest in cleaning it up. The Chrome app launcher got nixed on Windows, Mac, and Linux because no one was using it.

As for Chrome OS, its future is far from certain. Although the platform has traction in the education world, and probably isn’t going away, a merged Chrome-Android operating system for consumers seems likely.

Amid all these retrenchments, Chrome has introduced no big noteworthy features to its desktop browser. The most interesting browser developments are instead happening on alternatives such as Microsoft Edge (with its page annotation and embedded Cortana assistant) and Vivaldi (with its web panels and tab stacking).

Google may arguably be more interested in mobile Chrome, now that smartphone usage has eclipsed the desktop. But in a world of apps, Facebook, and Instant Articles, the idea that users will spend significant amounts of time in a browser seems quaint. Perhaps that’s why Google’s 1 billion mobile user statistic is on a monthly basis, not a daily one.

So as Google celebrates Chrome’s 50th release, it should also ask itself what Chrome is now trying to accomplish. Will it recommit to its original focus on speed and simplicity, or will it try to innovate with new features? Is Chrome a platform unto itself, or just a really good way to access webpages? Are the fates of the desktop and mobile versions intertwined, or are they separate? If Google can’t answer those questions, version 100 might not be so celebratory.

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