Take Full Advantage of Your Google Account With These Useful Apps

For some, they believe that their Google account is only for accessing Gmail. Although that is correct, you should be aware that your Google account also offers lots of Google services for free. If you have a Google account, here are some not very familiar services and apps that you can enjoy to use for free. You may want to check them out and see if there's one that will suit your needs.

Google Fit

Google Fit is a free fitness app that you can use on your Android device including Android wear. This app lets you track your activities like walking, running, or biking using your Android device's built-in sensors. You can set fitness goals and track them as well as how many calories you have burned. It can also be personalized to get more accurate illustration of your activity.

Google Web & App History

Google monitors and tracks all the searches you have made in its search engine, and it can be accessed via the Google Web & App History. With the help of this app, you can check which websites you visit the most, see an Internet activity graph, and check search history. It is also separated from your browser history, which means anything that us deleted from your browser history can still be seen and accessed from here.

Google also tracks these searches to provide custom search results and relevant ads, which makes it a good way to find what Google actually know about you.

Google Photos

Need an app that you can singlehandedly use for syncing all your photos? Google Photos is the app you're looking for. This app lets you upload all your photos to Google servers, which can be accessed from any device including Android, iOS, and PC. It help you sort photos according to time, faces (face detection), and place, and even creates collages for you -- that's all done automatically. Google Photos provides unlimited storage for photos below 16 megapixels, and photos higher than that are saved in your Google Drive account.

Google Keep

Described as a note-taking app, Google Keep will surely please many people who just want a quick note-taking app with reliable features. It works well on Web. Android, and iOS devices, and you can save notes to Google Drive to be easily accessed from your PC and phone. You can take written notes, photo notes, voice notes (that will be transcribed), location-based notes and checklists. The notes are color-coded for easy categorization, and search its option is very reliable with universal search.

Google Cloud Print

The Google Cloud Print app lets you attach your printer to the web so you can print from anywhere and from any device using an internet connection. It connects to both old and new printers, including Wi-Fi enabled and dial-up printers. Aside from printing from anywhere, you can also share your printer with other users in order for them to print through it as well.

What is the Best Thing to Do When Your Laptop Suddenly Stops Working

At one time or another, someone who owns a laptop – usually one that is around 2 years and older – is working or just browsing on the laptop when it suddenly just conks out, completely turning itself off. The natural thing to do is to turn it on again, right? What if it turns itself off again? What do you do in this situation?

Try System Restore

Sometimes it’s not really your laptop that conks out but it’s Windows. It might just ground to a halt and won’t respond. After you restart your laptop and encounter the same problem, you might need to reset Windows as your only option. It won’t wipe away your files and it’s safe. It simply restores all systems on your computer when a particular ‘restore point’ was taken. You can launch System Restore from the Start Menu or the Start menu search box.

If your screen went blank but the power and battery indicator are still glowing

On top of this, you can hear the laptop humming and the hard drive spinning; you can try taking the battery and charger out, hold the power button for up to 1 minute and then tap it off and on for another minute. Allow the laptop to sit without battery power for 20 minutes and then boot up. This apparently gets rid of any static build up that is the cause of your laptop going blank or preventing further booting.

Try simply booting up without the battery

With laptops that are more than 3 years old, sometimes, the battery may be going away, and so is incapable of giving enough stored power to the laptop. Try removing the battery and then booting up using only AC power with your charger and cord. If you booted successfully, it’s time to replace your battery.

It may just need cooling off

Laptops that are more than 3 years old may tend to heat up faster, especially if there isn’t proper ventilation to allow its heat to escape and dissipate. Try cooling off the laptop for 10 – 15 minutes and then boot up. Before booting up, try putting a fan underneath and another beside it so it can stay cool faster when you’ve been working for hours on it.

Use your computer’s recovery tool

If your computer is supplied with a recovery tool or recovery partition (part of the hard drive), then you can activate this and restore your laptop to an as-new state and fix any software problems in the process. However, everything you’ve stored on your laptop since you first bought it will be lost because the restoration processor will create a fresh version of Windows, along with any pre-installed software from the manufacturer. So it’s vital that you back up anything you want to keep before selecting this option.

The best option is still a computer tech support company

When all is said and done and you don’t know or aren’t sure how to handle the above, you can always call for computer tech support and let the professionals handle it. It’s worth the time and effort after all.

Click here for more tech tips, guide and troubleshooting techniques. Feel free to comment and ask me questions.

5 Android Apps That Will Help You Stick With Your New Year's Resolution

Are you someone who's having a hard time sticking to your New Year's resolution and its spirit? Don't lose hope because now there are apps that are designed to keep you with your promise. From budget management or getting a better job to time management and health care, these 5 Android apps will help you keep on your right track to fulfilling your New Year's resolution.

MyFitnessPal

Don't know how to start your plan to lose weight? MyFitnessPal will answer all your worries. It's the fastest and easiest calorie counter app for Android. With the largest food database of any Android calorie counter (over 5,000,000 foods), and amazingly fast food and exercise entry, we'll help you take those extra pounds off! There is no better diet app than MyFitnessPal -- period. If something's not there, enter it manually or scan a UPC code. But it's the integration with fitness tracking apps and devices that really makes it a winner and gives users an overall picture of calories in, calories out.

FitStar

If you want to meet your fitness goals, FitStar is here for you. Complete with custom workouts, HD video, connectivity to fitness trackers, the app and a little determination can help you get in shape. For less than the cost of a single personal training session, get an entire year of Premium access to exclusive, personalized programs for losing weight and gaining strength, a variety of new workouts added monthly and many more. FitStar's dynamic programs continually adjust to your feedback, goals, and capabilities -- just like a personal trainer. And FitStar constantly brings you new moves and sessions to keep things fun, fresh, and fit. This is the perfect solution for your desire to lose weight and become fit this 2016.

True Food

For conscientious consumers, True Food provides a real-time guide to shopping non-GMO. The app provide updates you everyday with new alerts, news, and tips on how to avoid GMO products, and where to find suitable alternatives. With over 70% of food products in the U.S. containing GMOs, there are helpful tips on sourcing organic foods and identifying other potentially unhealthy ingredients. This app is great to have if you're concerned with keeping genetically modified foods out of your diet or if you want to learn about where they're found and why. If you go to the "More Info" section of the app (hidden under the menu), it provides information about organics, supermarkets, and GMO, and it also has a "Myths and Realities" section that you can also find interesting to read.

Overall, True Food is useful if you're looking to cut out GMO foods or interested in becoming involved in a campaign against factory farming.

Quit Smoking

Aside from the reality that it's pretty difficult to text and smoke at the same time, your phone can help you throw away that cigarette for good. Quit Smoking is a widget application "designed to gradually wean you from dependency on cigarettes." The application claims it will continuously adjust itself to your specific smoking pattern. The graphics are extensive and it appears beautifully done, but whether it actually helps you quit smoking is another matter, many users actually find it a useful app.

Using a customizable one-step-at-a-time program that compares your smoking pattern against the statistics of other users, it will gradually teach you how to minimize the number of cigarettes you take one day at a time. Track your daily cigarette consumption and manage your urges with the assistance of this great app.

Glassdoor

If your connections and resume snag you an interview, make sure you're ready for the possible questions you will likely be asked and even the scoop on whether the company's a place you want to work. The Glassdoor app has reviews of workplaces from current and past employees, salary ranges, and the lowdown that it might otherwise take you months at the water cooler to learn.

Job seekers can also get access to the latest job listings, which information were provided by those who know the company best -- the employees. You can also research for open jobs, your earning potential, and see what it's really like to work at thousands of companies worldwide. With the help of this app, looking for a new job can never get easier.

Computer Problems: Searching for an Answer to Something that is Not Even a Problem

Like any other machine, a computer problem may crop up now and then. However, not all computer problems should cause either panic or an immediate call to your tech support company. There are actually common computer problems that can be fixed with a simple Internet search. Below are some common computer problems and their immediate solutions, which you can follow by yourself. Sometimes, the problem turns out not to be a problem after all.

A Windows 10 Update Keeps Popping Up

A most recent “problem” that has bugged many Microsoft users of Windows OS below Windows 10 is the free upgrade being offered by the company. Yes, it’s free and no, it’s not a scam. It’s Microsoft’s way of thanking its legion of customers while at the same time finding retribution for the bug failures in Windows 8, so they skipped 9, and are now offering a Windows 10 upgrade for free. The popups regularly reminds the user to register and upgrade from Windows 7 or 8. However, some users are already satisfied with their present Windows OS and don’t want the upgrade. Also, this popup window still comes out even if the user purchased a computer with a pre-installed Windows 10. If the popup bothers you, a simple search on the Internet (type “how to get rid of Windows 10 popup” on any search engine) will reveal to you at least 6 ways to disable or permanently get rid of the popup window.

“My Computer is running slow”

Unless it’s an issue with the hardware or the OS itself, a computer tends to operate more slowly as time goes by or if a lot of work is being done. A simple search on the Internet can resolve this issue and there will be many suggestions to try out in order to speed up your PC such as, rebooting, closing background programs using Task Manager, deleting Temp files, freeing more hard drive space, scanning for malware or viruses, checking Windows updates, and updating the drivers. You only need to follow the instructions to go about these suggestions.

If any minor “problem” comes up, try this first

Sometimes some “problems” are merely bugs in the system. The solution may be a no-brainer: Restart the computer. Most of the time, a simple restart will freshen up your computer and gets rid of those system bugs. It seems this long standing maxim works wonders and you don’t even have to do an Internet search.

‘There is a problem with this website’s security certificate’

Website security certificates sync up with your computer’s clock and an issue crops up if you have an incorrect system clock. Follow the instructions online to enter your clock in the system tray to change date and time settings in order to correct this type of issue.

Common Mistakes People Make When Attempting to Fix Their Gadgets

So, by some fluke chance, you cracked the front panel of your gadget. Or perhaps your gadget isn’t working the right way or its operations seem sluggish. Or maybe whenever you turn on your gadget, it turns itself for no reason. Should you try to repair your gadget yourself or just bring it in for repairs?

Unfortunately, many people think that they can fix their broken gadgets by reading through tech repair websites or watching repair guide videos on YouTube. And again, unfortunately, even with the best information and the best intentions of getting something fixed, if you’re not a trained professional technician, you’re only asking for more trouble for your gadget.

Not realizing that some front and back covers are held by more than just screws

Unlike desktops, laptops, and most smartphones wherein you can remove the rear or obvious covers simply by unscrewing them off (with smartphones you simply pop off the rear covers), some gadgets like tablets have difficult front and back covers to remove. This is because aside from the screws, the covers are also held down by adhesive. Some are also held inside by plastic holders aside from the screws. Make a wrong move and you can snap the plastic holders or worse, snap your gadget cover in two. This on top of the potential for electric shocks or cutting your fingers on the broken glass. Let a professional tech company handle your gadgets instead.

Not checking the warranty on the gadget

With many “tech clinics” online, some people think that they can do a DIY job on their busted gadgets to save money. Why not just check if the gadget is still under warranty and bring it in for repairs. Being under warranty means you don’t pay for anything. It’s much easier than trying to repair it yourself and adding more to the damage.

Not even having the right tools

Just because you have a garage full of tools doesn’t mean you can go and attempt repairing your busted gadget. All computer-related and Internet-related gadgets need special tools like special torx screwdrivers, nut driver bits, and case opening tools and only trained professionals usually know how to use these tools. Just because you have a screwdriver, tweezer, and a hair dryer doesn’t make you a professional gadget repairman. This is best left with the professional tech support people who have the proper tools.

Not checking your Wi-Fi password when your Internet is always crawling

It has happened a thousand times before; people buy a Wi-Fi device or router and immediately uses it as soon as they plug it in and sees the green light. This also gives the green light to your neighbors who will obviously pick up your Wi-Fi signal and start using it. Not securing your Wi-Fi or router means that squatters will suck up your bandwidth and your internet speed will slow dramatically. All this because you didn’t secure it in the first place.

In conclusion, we might also add that assuming you got on the right track in identifying the problem, if a replacement part is needed, chances are you don’t know what that is. So in conclusion, it’s safe to say that the first mistake anyone makes in attempting to fix their gadget is THINKING that they can do it. Best if you just call your tech support company for assistance.

5 Windows 10 modern Apps That you Should Definitely Try

The all new modern apps are one of the most improved things about Windows 10. The new modern apps are now improved in terms of design and usability, especially now that they run just like any other windowed desktop application. The main advantage of modern apps is that they look and feel the same no matter what device you are using. Aside from being lightweight, they are isolated from your file system and other important parts of your operating system. And because of these great improvements made, here are some modern apps that you really shouldn't miss.

1. Groove Music (Pre-installed)

Previously known as Xbox Music, Groove is a music service by Microsoft that hopes to compete with other music services like Google Play Music, Apple Music, Spotify, etc. While Groove is a music service, Groove Music serves as the official music player and organizer app. With this app, you can play and organize all your favorite music, whether it is locally stored on your computer or on your OneDrive account. Groove Music has a simple look, with no confusing menus. And as it integrates well with your OneDrive account, you can stream your favorite music on whatever device you want to use.

Since Groove Music is designed around the Groove service, you can have access to millions of songs by purchasing the Groove Music Pass, similar to Spotify or Google Play Music.

2. Photos (Pre-installed)

The Photos app in Windows 10 is now improved and designed to be the central hub for all your pictures. Whenever you preview an image in Windows 10, it is opened via the Photos app (unless you've customized it). The Photos app integrates well with the OneDrive cloud storage and can display all the photos in your cloud, along with the pictures in the local storage. The new Photos app proves to be useful especially if you are using OneDrive to automatically back up all your photos or images in your mobile device.

3. Mail (Pre-installed)

The Mail app is lightweight and features a minimalist design, offering enhanced features from Windows 8. The app lets you add almost any email account and unlike in Windows 8, the new Mail app now supports POP accounts. Some of the best features of the Mail app include, but are not limited to, drag and drop support, touch-friendly user interface, automatic replies, and calendar integration. To describe it in simpler terms, the Mail app is the stripped down version of Outlook.

4. Fresh Paint

Fresh Paint is a free and awesome painting app from Microsoft that can be downloaded from the Windows store. Even though this is an official Microsoft app, this is not installed in Windows 10 by default. With Fresh Paint, you can draw or paint your ideas on a blank canvass. You can also import images and then work on them should you wish to do so, or you can even use the camera to capture a picture and paint it. This app supports various inputs such as mouse, touch, and stylus. In addition, you have the option to print your artwork in high definition. Fresh Paint is perfect for artists, graphic designers, or even those artists at heart.

5. Adobe Photoshop Express

One of the best photo editing software, Adobe Photoshop Express is released by Adobe as a free and lightweight app that can be downloaded from the Windows store. Even though the app doesn't have all the advanced features that can be found in Adobe Photoshop, it has all the basic features like cropping, straightening, color correction, one-touch filters, auto-fix, etc. If you're looking for a software that you can use for simple photo fixes and enhancements, this is the app for you.

Cool Shortcut Tips to Make Your Edge Browsing Experience Easy

The new Microsoft Edge browser for Windows 10 is a total welcome upgrade to the old Internet Explorer. The Edge browser provides various features such as the built-in Cortana and beautiful reading mode that helps the users improve their browsing experience. Here are some great quick shortcuts that you can do with the new Windows 10 browser so that you'll enjoy browsing more.

Ask Cortana

Because of the awesome powers of Cortana, the Edge browser can show you some additional information in a slide-in panel, which means you don't need to leave your current page in order to do a quick search.

To do this, right-click on any term you want more info on, then click Ask Cortana. A Bing search will slide in from the right, which shows you images and other information where available.

Enable Reading Mode

Turning on the Edge's Reading Mode will help you remove distracting ads on an article you're reading. The Reading Mode gets rid of most graphics on a site, and styles the text of your article in an easy-to-read font and layout.

To turn it on, press the book icon at the upper-right area of the screen. Alternatively, you can also press the [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [R] keys. This will make your article now front and center. If you want to turn it off, just press the same icon again.

Open an InPrivate Tab

This feature can be helpful, especially if you share your PC with other people. There are times when you don't want them to know what sites you've visited lately. Browsing in an InPrivate Tab prevents Edge from storing the webpages you've visited in it's history.

If you want to have more browsing privacy, click the three-dotted menu button on the upper-right hand corner of the screen. Next, select the New InPrivate window option; you can also achieve this by using the [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [P] keyboard shortcut.

Bookmark or Favorite a Page

We all have that urge to bookmark a beautiful or interesting page or site so that we can revisit it later on. With Microsoft Edge, all your bookmarks are collated in an easily accessible panel, which helps you find the page you're looking for in no time.

To do this, tap the star icon beside the URL bar on top of the screen or you can press [Ctrl] + [D] on your keyboard. When a dialog screen appears, click the Add button to save the site to your favorites. To view the list of your bookmarks, tap on the three-horizontal line button (beside the star), and then tap on any of your favorite links that you'd like to go back to.