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Xbox SmartGlass Now Available for iOS

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XboxSmartGlass LogoXbox SmartGlass creates a richer, more immersive experience for Xbox owners. This is definitely one of the best things that Microsoft has released for Xbox and now it’s available for iOS devices.

With Xbox SmartGlass you can use your phone, tablet, Windows 8/RT tablets, and PCs to control your Xbox. Basically, you will be able to use any of these devices as a remote control with the added benefit of being able to use gestures to navigate and control your Xbox. Extra content will appear on the device of your choice for games, TV shows,  and movies. You can imagine Xbox SmartGlass as a second screen that you can use to add another layer of content to anything you do on Xbox, this is the same direction Nintendo went with when designing the Wii U.

Some of the cool uses for Xbox SmartGlass include displaying extra content like commentary, map UI for games, and interactive strategy guides that integrate perfectly with your TV experience.

 

Get Xbox SmartGlass:

Windows

Windows Phone

Android

iOS

 

Guide to Windows 8 Shortcuts

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Navigating any operating system can be much easier with the use of keyboard shortcuts. Here is a pretty solid list of shortcuts for Windows 8 that you can use as a reference guide.Keyboard cube

Charms Control:

  • Windows key + C: Access the charms bar
  • Windows key + I: Access the Settings charm
  • Windows key + H: Access the Share charm
  • Windows key + K: Access the Devices charm
  • Esc: Close a charm
 

Window Control:

  • Windows key + M: Minimize all windows
  • Windows key + Shift + M: Restore all minimized windows
  • Windows key + D: Show/Hide Desktop (minimize/restore all windows)
  • Windows key + Up Arrow: Maximize current window
  • Windows key + Down Arrow: Minimize/restore current window
  • Windows key + Home: Minimize all but the current window
  • Windows key + Left Arrow: Tile window on the left side of the screen
  • Windows key + Right Arrow: Tile window on the right side of the screen
  • Windows key + Shift + Up Arrow: Extend current window from the top to the bottom of the screen
  • Windows key + Shift + Left/Right Arrow: Move the current window from one monitor to the next
  • Ctrl + N: Open a new window in Windows Explorer
  • Ctrl + W: Close current window in Windows Explorer
  • Alt + Tab: Cycle forward through open windows
  • Alt + Esc: Cycle between open programs in the order that they were opened
  • Alt + Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through open windows
  • Shift + F6: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box
  • Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box
  • Alt + Spacebar: Access the Shortcut menu for current window
  • Alt + Enter: Open the Properties dialog box of the selected item
  • Esc: Close a dialog box

Search Functionality:

  • Windows key + Q: Access the Apps Search screen
  • Windows key + F: Access the Files Search screen
  • Windows key + W: Access the Settings Search screen

 

Copy/Paste Functions:

  • Ctrl + A: Select all items
  • Ctrl + C: Copy the selected item
  • Ctrl + X: Cut the selected item
  • Ctrl + V: Paste the selected item
  • Ctrl + D: Delete selected item
  • Ctrl + Z: Undo an action
  • Ctrl + Y: Redo an action
  • Alt + PrtScn: Take a screen shot of the active Window and place it in the clipboard
  • Windows key + PrtScn: Takes a screenshot of the screen and automatically saves it in the Pictures folder as Screenshot

 

Function Keys (F1-11)

  • F1: Display Help
  • F2: Rename a file
  • F3: Open Search
  • F4: Display the Address Bar list
  • F5: Refresh display
  • F6: Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box
  • F7: Display command history in a Command Prompt
  • F10: Display hidden Menu Bar
  • F11: Toggle full screen display

 

Standard Key Functions:

  • Tab: Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box
  • PrtScn: Take a screen shot of the entire screen and place it in the clipboard
  • Home: Move to the top of the active window
  • End: Move to the bottom of the active window
  • Delete: Delete the selected item
  • Backspace: Display the previous folder in Windows Explorer Move up one folder level in Open or Save dialog box

 

Taskbar and Notification Functions:

  • Windows key + 1-10: Launch a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
  • Windows key + Shift + 1-10: Launch a new instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
  • Windows key + Ctrl + 1-10: Access the last active instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
  • Windows key + Alt + 1-10: Access the Jump List of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
  • Windows key + B: Select the first item in the Notification Area and then use the arrow keys to cycle through the items Press Enter to open the selected item
  • Windows key + Ctrl + B: Access the program that is displaying a message in the Notification Area
  • Windows key + Shift + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications in reverse order
  • Windows key + T: Cycle through the items on the Taskbar
  • Windows key + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications
  • Ctrl + Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program as an Administrator
  • Ctrl + Click on a grouped Taskbar button: Cycle through the instances of a program in the group
  • Ctrl + Tab: Move forward through tabs
  • Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Move backward through tabs

 

File and Folder Control:

  • Alt + Up Arrow: Move up one folder level in Windows Explorer (Like the Up Arrow in XP)
  • Alt + Left Arrow: Display the previous folder
  • Alt + Right Arrow: Display the next folder
  • Ctrl + Shift + N: Create new folder
  • Num Lock Enabled + Plus (+): Display the contents of the selected folder
  • Num Lock Enabled + Minus (-): Collapse the selected folder
  • Num Lock Enabled + Asterisk (*): Expand all subfolders under the selected folder
  • Shift + Delete: Permanently delete the item (rather than sending it to the Recycle Bin)
  • Ctrl + Click: Select multiple individual items
  • Ctrl + Click and drag an item: Copies that item in the same folder
  • Ctrl + Shift + Click and drag an item: Creates a shortcut for that item in the same folder
  • Shift + F10: Access the context menu for the selected item
  • Shift + Click: Select a consecutive group of items
  • Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program
  • Shift + Right-click on a Taskbar button: Access the context menu for the selected item

 

Screen Control:

  • Windows key + O: Lock screen orientation
  • Windows key + . : Move the screen split to the right
  • Windows key + Shift + . : Move the screen split to the left
  • Alt + F: Close the current window and Open the Shut Down Windows dialog box from the Desktop
  • Windows key + E: Open Computer
  • Windows key + L: Lock computer

(Formerly Metro) Desktop Control

  • PageUp: Scroll forward on the Modern Desktop Start screen
  • PageDown: Scroll backward on the Modern Desktop Start screen
  • Ctrl + Esc: Switch between Modern Desktop Start screen and the last accessed application
  • Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel: Activate the Semantic Zoom on the Modern Desktop screen
  • Windows key + Tab: Access the Modern Desktop Taskbar
  • Windows key + P: Access the Second Screen bar
  • Windows key + Z: Brings up the App Bar when you have a Modern Desktop App running

Miscellaneous Functions:

  • Windows key + X: Access the Windows Tools Menu
  • Windows key + Enter: Launch Narrator
  • Windows key + R: Open the Run dialog box
  • Windows key + U: Open Ease of Access Center
  •  Windows key + Pause/Break: Open the System page
  • Windows key + F1: Launch Windows Help and Support
  • Shift + Insert: CD/DVD Load CD/DVD without triggering Auto-play or Auto-run
  • Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open the Windows Task Manager
  • Ctrl + Alt + Tab: Use arrow keys to cycle through open windows
  • Ctrl + Alt + Delete: Access the Windows Security screen

 

 

 

Ninite Can Make Your Transition to Windows 8 Much Easier

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If you’re upgrading to Windows 8 from XP or if you just plan on doing a clean install anyway, it’s time to consider how you’re going to get all of those wonderful applications you use re-installed on your system.Ninite Screenshot 1

If you’ve done a clean install, you know how much of a hassle it can be re-installing everything you need. In some cases it can take hours to get back up and running. With Ninite, you can take advantage of a set-it and forget-it mentality. Ninite is super easy to set-up and use, it is truly amazing.

To setup Ninite, simply head over to the Ninite website and choose your platform at the top of the page. Once you select which OS you use, you can begin selecting applications.ninitescreenshot4

After you have selected all of the applications you want installed, head to the bottom of the page and click “Get Installer”. Once the download is complete, just open the installer and you’re done! Yep, you can walk away and do whatever you need to do and Ninite will do all of the work, it really is that simple.Ninite Screenshot 4

What if you don’t see one of your applications in the list?

Ninite offers the ability for you to suggest applications for inclusion into the list.

What about Add-ons and toolbars, does Ninite have them? Does it allow applications to install third-party products on my system?

The short answer here is no, it bypasses all of the garbage. It installs apps just like you would have had you installed these apps yourself. Ninite itself is a legit program that runs without installing adware or spyware. So if you have apps to install, I think this one is a no brainer.

 

Microsoft Acting More Like Apple

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It’s been a crazy week for the world of computer technology. With new hardware and software making it’s debut and keynotes to present it all to the masses but as the madness continues, I can’t help but notice that Microsoft seems to be taking industry cues from other big players like Apple.Microsoft Logo

Microsoft just isn’t the trendsetter here anymore and the proof is in the products that the software giant has recently released. Microsoft is now deep into the hardware game and it’s not just gaming consoles or mp3 players anymore, were talking about a PC with the Microsoft logo on it. The comparison to Apple is obvious, but not just because of the hardware itself but also because of the way they describe it. In a recent video released form Microsoft, (shown at the bottom of this page) you can begin to feel the Apple vibe right away.

Windows 8 features a store much like the App Store in OSX. The UI is completely different from the App Store but the idea is the same. The app based system simplifies the way a user finds, downloads, installs and removes applications. This new store also sandboxes applications which can have the potential to create a more secure OS. It’s a system we have all become accustomed to using and we should feel right at home using it in Windows 8, but why? It’s because we seen this before, on Apple devices.

Having an operating system that works on virtually any modern computer is pretty awesome but you can’t deny the fact that that user experience can vary greatly from system to system. With Microsoft creating it’s own tablet, it has absolute control over the experience the user has with the device, this is the mentality Apple has continued stand by year after year, and Microsoft seems to be adopting it. I would love to see what a Microsoft desktop or laptop would look like and I wonder what effect it would have on the industry. Could you imagine if HP or Dell made it’s own operating system? Would they be Linux Based? Interesting food for thought.

When I say that Microsoft is acting more like Apple I don’t mean that they are sitting around copying them, I mean that it’s clear that Apple has become the major trendsetter for the industry. The hardware and software that Apple has created over the last decade has changed what we think a PC experience should look and feel like. I am excited to see Microsoft embrace these new ideas because it’s something that I think most of us want and it sends a message to the world that Microsoft is here to compete.



Windows 8 to be Released at Midnight and Final Thoughts

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Well, the era of Windows 8 is nigh and at 12:01 AM across all time zones, we will finally get to see how the world reacts to one of biggest changes to Microsoft Windows in the history of the company.product_win8-startscreen_Web

I have mentioned before that I think that the new Windows OS will do just fine but it will take some time for people to get used to. Most people don’t like change, it makes them uncomfortable and in some cases a bit angry. Some people will continue to hold on to Windows 7 and never let go, and they have every right to, but I think that Microsoft is headed in the right direction, it’s time to let Windows evolve.

What’s kind of strange to think about is that this release of Windows actually lacks just that, windows. For the first time Windows will be released with a new UI that doesn’t have any “windows”. How weird is that? I suppose they could have really turned things upside down on us and named it Microsoft Tiles, but that just sounds wrong. All joking aside this is a big deal for Microsoft but is it a big gamble? Maybe it isn’t.

Just where would all of those Windows 8 haters go? Would they move to Linux or OSX? I would venture to guess that most of these “h8ters”, if I may so un-elegantly put it, would just end up using a previous version like Windows 7. So how does Microsoft lose here? In the worst case scenario Microsoft completely redesigns and rethinks their UI again and quickly pushes toward Windows 9. They have had their fair share of OS failures over the years and have recovered just fine i.e. (Windows ME, Vista). I understand that putting this much time and money into a product release with this much change is a big deal but I don’t think that a Windows 8 failure is enough to make the average Windows user jump ship.

Understanding what users want and need is crucial in a release like this and Microsoft has put in billions of hours into testing Windows 8 and hopefully we will see all that hard work payoff. Windows 8 offers everything a modern OS should and they have wrapped it up in an elegant design, but there are a few major changes in Microsoft’s mentality that are reflected in Windows 8.

One of the more notable changes besides overall UI design is the sandboxing of applications. Sandboxing apps can make your system a lot more secure and it’s something that Apple has been doing for years now with Mac OS. Many developers are divided about having their apps in a sandbox environment, again it’s a change and people don’t like change, including developers. From a user perspective having an ‘app store’ is convenient and it gives us an extra sense of security knowing that these apps needed to be approved before making it into the store. Personally, I don’t have an issue with anything that has the potential to make Windows more secure.

I will be spending with weekend with Windows 8 Pro and will be talking about my experience soon after. For now we wait and see if the world will accept the change that Microsoft has put in front of us.