Update: I’ve played around a little more with the Surface Pro 3 since writing this post, and I’m not so sure that the machine actually woke up from sleep. Rather, I’ve noticed that the power button is actually very easily depressed, or rather perhaps the amount of time it must be depressed to wake it […]
Surface Pro Tip: Two-Button Shutdown
June 26, 2014 by 33 Comments
If you’re having a problem with your Surface Pro (original through Surface Pro 3), merely shutting down via the power button might not be enough to constitute what we typically consider a reboot. Instead, there’s a more complete way to shut the machine down, which Microsoft calls the “two-button shutdown,” and it can definitely solve […]
Enabling Chrome High DPI (HiDPI) Support in Windows 8.1 on High Resolution Screens
June 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment
In my transition from Android (and to a lesser extent iOS) to all-Microsoft products, one area that’s caused me some consternation is whether or not this transition should include moving from Chrome to Internet Explorer. I’m torn on that one, because first, Chrome offers some real advantages such as a much better Evernote clipper, and […]
Tip: Use Your Smartphone Camera as a Magnifying Glass
May 27, 2014 by Leave a Comment
I was trying to read the power rating on a couple of AC adapters the other day, and my poor 48-year-old eyes had a hard time reading the tiny print. Even my reading glasses weren’t enough. So, my wife made a great suggestion: take a picture with my Nexus 5, and then zoom in. I […]
Google Tasks Limitations and How to Work Around Them
January 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment
So, I switched awhile back from using Toodledo’s backend task management system to Google Tasks, primarily because I’d gotten caught up in the premium version of Toodledo and wanted to save some money. I’ve discovered, however, that Google Tasks (and I’m talking the separate tasks functionality, not the old-style in-calendar tasks) has some significant limitations […]
Windows 8 Tip: App Availability Indicator
October 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment
One of the nice things about Windows 8.1 is that various system settings are synced across machines using SkyDrive. As long as you connect to your Windows Live account when you set up a new machine, those settings can be automatically applied. I noticed the following icon on some of my Start screen tiles, and […]
Windows 8: Features, Not Bugs
September 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment
ZDNet posted a story today that listed 10 things that are wrong with Windows 8 tablets. I agree with some of the points made and disagree with others, and there were a few that I thought are worth some additional discussion. After having used Windows 8 consistently (including Windows 8.1), I’m finding myself a bit […]
Stardock Start8 Really Works
September 4, 2013 by 2 Comments
Okay, so, I gave some impressions of Windows 8 in another post, where I concluded that the new OS works fine when you have at least a Windows 8 gesture-enabled touchpad. I suggested that you avoid Windows 8 if you have a machine (notebook or desktop, really) with a non-gesture-enabled touchpad (or mouse). My reason: […]
How I’ve Learned to Work Effectively in Windows 8
August 19, 2013 by 5 Comments
When Microsoft released the new Ribbon-based interface in Office 2010, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. It was as if Microsoft had unleashed a biblical plague. Indeed, the general consensus (or hope) for awhile was that Microsoft would see the error of their ways and return to the menu structure of old. Flash […]
Enabling Windows 8 Gestures on a MacBook
August 7, 2013 by 1 Comment
Running Windows 8 on a non-touchscreen notebook is a royal pain if your touchpad doesn’t support Windows 8 gestures. These include swiping from the right to open the Charms, swiping down from the top to open the app menu (and to close running apps), and swiping from the left to open running apps. Fortunately, although […]