Law enforcement officials hope kill switches will deter phone theft

<img src="http://static.techspot.com/images2/news/bigimage/2013-06-13-image-18.jpg" style="max-width: 98%;" /><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">Law enforcement officials and consumer advocates have come together as part of a new <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57589199-94/kill-switch-sought-as-answer-to-phone-theft-epidemic/" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">initiative</a> called Secure Our Smartphones. The goal here is to help to curb rising phone thefts by getting manufacturers and wireless carries on board with the idea of implementing a kill switch that would render stole phones useless.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">While certain crimes are on the decline, those involving phones aren't. For example, 50 percent of robberies in San Francisco last year involved a handset. 20 percent of reported robberies during the same time frame in New York involved a phone which is a 40 percent increase over the previous year.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the technology for such a kill switch already exists but thus far, getting manufacturers and providers to go along with the idea hasn’t been successful. San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said he met with Apple a year ago about the idea but was told it wouldn’t happen.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">Perhaps that’s because Apple was working on a kill switch of their own. Earlier this week, Apple unveiled a new feature that’ll be part of iOS 7 called <a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/52848-ios-7-the-biggest-change-to-ios-since-the-introduction-of-the-iphone.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">Activation Lock</a>. This security feature is said to prevent a thief from reactivating a phone as they would need to know your Apple ID and password. Even if they turn off Find My iPhone and wipe the handset, they still won’t be able to reactive it.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">Schneiderman said he hoped to get a kill switch installed in phones as early as next year.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/52903-law-enforcement-officials-hope-kill-switches-will-deter-phone-theft.html" target="_blank">Read More...</a></div>

Law enforcement officials hope kill switches will deter phone theft

Law enforcement officials and consumer advocates have come together as part of a new  initiative  called Secure Our Smartphones. The goal he...

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What do the Xbox One, PS4, and Wii U all have in common? AMD silicon

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img src="http://static.techspot.com/images2/news/bigimage/2013-06-13-image-1.jpg" style="max-width: 98%;" /><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">After consumers were told the final details about the Xbox One, Wii U, and PS4, many game enthusiasts have weighed their options and are ready to make a purchasing decision.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">So who’s the big winner? Simply put, it's AMD. After all, chips produced by the California-based company are just about the only thing that the three gaming rivals share in common.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">The Xbox One and Playstation 4 will both feature an AMD-manufactured x86 CPU and a Radeon graphics processor beneath the hood. Saeid Moshkelani, AMD’s vice president, would not disclose the underlying differences between the processors that were made specifically for each console, but he did express the importance of keeping the deals a closely regarded secret. In fact, Moshkelani admitted that neither Nintendo, Sony, nor Microsoft had any idea that AMD was supplying hardware to the competition; at least not until the official announcements had been made.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">According to <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9239807/AMD_hopes_to_bridge_gap_between_Xbox_PlayStation_and_PCs" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Computerworld</a>, AMD has also been working with developers to produce games that can be played across a multitude of different platforms, including consoles, PCs, and mobile devices. During the Computex tradeshow hosted last week, Matt Skynner, the VP and general manager of AMD’s graphics division, explained the untapped potential of unifying the three markets.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">Skynner added, “If we can create a gaming experience on the console and client as well as in the cloud … we’re going to build our brand, we’re going to build our market share, we’re going to win.”</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">To bring forth this vision, AMD is relying on a new processor that goes by the <a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/52415-amds-kaveri-solves-age-old-issue-promises-faster-on-die-gpus.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">code-name Kaveri</a> slated for release later this year. The core focus on Kaveri APUs will be to provide a big performance boost over its <a href="http://www.techspot.com/review/681-amd-a10-6800k-a4-4000/" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">current lineup</a> and the competition's (taking under consideration its integrated graphics processing unit). Not only is Kaveri the fastest processor in AMD’s product line, but it is the first to fall under their highly anticipated HSA (Heterogeneous System Architecture) program.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">Although development towards integrated technologies is well on its way, AMD admitted that it’ll be a few more years before this kind of capability becomes a reality.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/52889-what-do-the-xbox-one-ps4-and-wii-u-all-have-in-common-amd-silicon.html" target="_blank">Read More...</a></div></div>

What do the Xbox One, PS4, and Wii U all have in common? AMD silicon

After consumers were told the final details about the Xbox One, Wii U, and PS4, many game enthusiasts have weighed their options and are rea...

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Computer Tips & Tricks Everyone Should Know

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img alt="Computer Tips & Tricks Everyone Should Know" height="298" src="http://static.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/best-computer-tricks.jpg" width="640" /><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">Many hardcore computer users might think themselves above learning new tricks, but there's always new things to learn that will help improve your skills. Our bet: you will find at least one useful thing here that you didn't know before.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">Inspired and with the help of this <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/tmdp6/computer_experts_whats_a_computer_trick_you_think/" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AskReddit discussion</a>, we’ve compiled some of the most handy computer tricks you might not be taking advantage of. Our ultimate goal is to help you become more productive by shaving valuable seconds off your workflow. Of course, you can always pass along these tips to your not-so-savvy friends and family members to help them become better PC users as well.</div><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #05408f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 23px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">General Tricks</h2><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Windows hidden <a href="http://www.techspot.com/guides/676-best-computer-tricks/www.techspot.com/guides/236-windows-god-mode/" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">"god mode"</a> folder</b> Windows offers a centralized Control Panel for all of the OS settings, which makes it easy for users to tweak everything from desktop background to setting up a VPN. To enter this mode, create a new folder with this exact name (copy and paste it): <strong style="outline: none;">God Mode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}</strong>. The folder icon will change to a Control Panel-style icon, and you will be able to jump in and change all kinds of settings. <strong style="outline: none;">Note:</strong> <span style="color: purple; outline: none;">Don't try this on Windows Vista 64-bit</span> as it's known to cause a reboot loop.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/god-mode.png" style="max-width: 100%; outline: none;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Use Problem Steps Recorder</b> This handy tool automatically records any mouse clicks and takes screenshots for you. If you need tech assistance with your computer, go to Run by typing Windows + R, and then type "psr." Use the tool and by the time you are finished, you can send this information, neatly compiled automatically, to the person helping you with the issue. It will make the process of finding the problem much easier for them, which means you will be able to get your system up and running faster.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Find/Delete large files wasting space</b> A handy tool called <a href="http://www.techspot.com/downloads/5982-windirstat.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">WinDirStat (Windows Directory Statistics)</a> can be used to easily find which files and folders are taking up the most space on your drive. From there, you can delete them and open up a ton of storage space.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/windirstat-p.jpg" style="max-width: 98%; outline: none;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Reduce the number of programs running at startup</b> If your PC is taking too long to boot, it’s probably because you have far too many programs running at startup. Reducing this is easy, it will make your PC launch noticeably faster and lighter upon first load. To change the items running at startup, go to Run using the hotkey Windows key + R, and type "msconfig." A small window will appear (see the screenshot below), select the Startup tab. From here you will be able to turn off many startup programs, which can shave several seconds (or minutes) off your boot time. (Note Windows 8 has moved this functionality to the Task Manager). Try to make sure you research what you are turning off as some processes might be needed by third party programs or drivers you have installed.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/msconfig.png" style="max-width: 100%; outline: none;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Cloud backup important files</b> If you’re working on a critical paper for school, work, or any other major project, make sure you are backing up the file not just locally. You can use services like <a href="http://www.techspot.com/downloads/4736-dropbox.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">Dropbox</a>, <a href="http://www.techspot.com/downloads/5358-google-drive.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">Google Drive</a>, or <a href="http://www.techspot.com/downloads/backup/" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">any</a> of the other popular cloud storage solution which will do the legwork for you on the background. Of course, you can also throw the files on a thumb drive or external HDD just to be safe but backing up to the cloud can be done seamlessly which is twice the advantage.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/dropbox.png" style="max-width: 100%; outline: none;" /></div><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #05408f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 23px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Typing Tricks</h2><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Delete an entire word</b> Instead of deleting a single letter, pressing CTRL + BKSP will delete the entire word behind the cursor. This makes deleting text quicker if you screw up a whole word.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Move Cursor to beginning of the next or previous word</b> Moving the cursor around manually while typing is a great way to make your work take longer than it needs to. To speed of the process, move the cursor around with keyboard shortcuts. To move it to the beginning of the previous word, use CTRL + Left Arrow. To move it to the beginning of the next word, use CTRL + Right Arrow. In OS X you can accomplish the same using the Option key.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Making sub and superscript text</b> If you need to make sub or superscript text (think exponents for superscript), press CTRL + = for subscript and CTRL + SHIFT + = for superscript.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Paste plain text of what was copied</b> When you copy text from any source, programs will usually copy any formatting that comes with it. To paste this as plain text, press CTRL + Shift + V instead of the standard CTRL + V, and the system will paste unformatted text. <br style="outline: none;" />Note that many programs follow this parameter (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) but not all, particularly Microsoft programs like Word or Outlook. For those there's a few alternatives that go beyond copying and pasting in Notepad: <strong style="outline: none;">1)</strong>CTRL + ALT + V will show a 'paste special' dialog box. <strong style="outline: none;">2)</strong> CTRL + Spacebar will remove formatting in already pasted text. <strong style="outline: none;">3)</strong> Download <a href="http://www.techspot.com/downloads/6024-puretext.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">Puretext</a> and choose a hotkey to always paste plain text with it.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/plaintext.png" style="max-width: 100%; outline: none;" /></div><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #05408f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 23px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Keyboard Shortcuts</h2><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Copy only active window to clipboard</b> Normally, the Print Screen key copies the entire display (or two displays if you got them), ALT + Print Screen only copies the currently active window to the clipboard. Whether taking a screenshot to diagnose a problem, or just because you want to show something to a friend, this will come in handy.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Fix those little mistakes</b> Did you know you can undo almost any action? CTRL + Z is the ultimate hot key, and for sure you knew about it already, however note that undo doesn’t just apply to typing. If you accidentally delete or move a file, you can hit CTRL + Z to bring it right back to where it was. In Chrome and Firefox you can also undo closing a tab using CTRL + SHIFT + T.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Cycle through open windows</b> Pressing ALT+TAB allows you to cycle through currently open windows. This makes switching back and forth between running processes quick and painless. If you want a more stylish method of cycling through open programs, Windows + TAB will do the job for you.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Interrupt all processes</b> CTRL + ALT + Delete is one of the most common PC shortcuts, and one almost everyone is familiar with. The important thing to note is that it interrupts all processes, including the one that is bogging down your system, which can mean the difference between needing to restart or not.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/ctrlaltdel.png" style="max-width: 100%; outline: none;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Close the current program</b> Typing ALT + F4 will close the program that is running. This is useful as it saves you time mousing over the "X" and clicking. People will often use this as a joke, telling you to press ALT + F4 to fix a problem. Don’t fall for it unless you want to close what you are doing.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Minimize all windows</b> Sometimes you have a bunch of stuff running, and you want it all to go away so you can get to the desktop. Simply pressing Windows + D will minimize everything you have up, which will save you some time pressing the minimize button for each window. It should be noted that Windows + M offers similar functionality, but there is no undoing, so Windows + D is the more favorable approach.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Open the task manager directly</b> If you want to bypass the interrupt that happens when pressing CTRL + ALT + DEL and jump right to the task manager, typing CTRL + Shift + ESC launches it directly.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Close the current window/tab</b> Stick of moving all the way to that X button? Press CTRL + W and the current window will close. (Don’t do it now, or you will miss the rest of the tricks!)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Bring up the system information window</b> This is so much quicker than digging this out the traditional way... Just press Windows + Pause/Break and the System Information panel will be ready to go. This might be the only use for the Pause/Break key you will ever find, so enjoy it!</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/sysinfo.png" style="max-width: 100%; outline: none;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Better multiple monitor control</b> There are several useful keyboard shortcuts for controlling open windows on multiple monitors. Pressing the Windows Key + Arrow Keys will cause a window to quickly snap to each side of either monitor. Alternatively, hitting Shift + Windows Key + Arrows will cause the window to jump to the other monitor. Lastly, pressing Windows + P will allow you to quickly set up a second display or projector.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/windowsP.png" style="max-width: 100%; outline: none;" /></div><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #05408f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 23px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Web Browsing Tricks</h2><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Automatically add www. and .com to a URL</b> You can shave off a couple of seconds typing in a URL by simply click CTRL + Enter after you type the name of the site. Need .net instead of .com, press CTRL + Shift + Enter instead.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/wwwtechspotcom.png" style="max-width: 100%; outline: none;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Jump to address bar</b> There are a number of ways to jump right to the address bar from anywhere in browser. Pressing CTRL + L, F6, and ALT + D all accomplish this goal.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Bring back a closed tab</b> We covered this already, but it's super useful. Accidentally closed a tab? Simply press CTRL + Shift + T to reopen the most recently closed tab and get back to what you were doing.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Use private browsing</b> The uses for not having cookies and history saved are obvious for certain activities, you know, like shopping for gifts on a shared computer (of course!). Pressing CTRL + Shift + N will launch a new private in Chrome, CTRL + Shift + P will do it in Firefox and Internet Explorer.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/privatebrowsing.png" style="max-width: 100%; outline: none;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Cycle through open tabs</b> Pressing CTRL + TAB while in a browser will flip between each one. This can be much faster than moving the mouse and clicking on a tab. CTRL + NUM (1, 2, 3, 4, n..) will also take you to certain tab in that numeric order.</div><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #05408f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 23px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">File Management Tricks</h2><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Rename a file quickly</b> Right-clicking and selecting rename is not very efficient. Instead, simply press F2 while a file is selected to change its name. To alter the name of another file, type TAB without deselecting the current file.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Rename files sequentially in Windows</b> You actually don’t need to download any programs to perform a batch file rename in Windows. Instead, you can select all the files you want to change, right-click the first one in the list, select rename (or use F2), and type in the name. This will automatically change all the other files with the same root name with a suffix: (1), (2), and so on.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/sequentalfiles.png" style="max-width: 100%; outline: none;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Select multiple files using the keyboard</b> To select a bunch of files using your keyboard, you can press Shift + down arrow to select a single file or Shift + Page Down to select a large group of files at one time.</div><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #05408f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 23px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Security Tips</h2><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Run programs on an infected PC</b> Often times, malware will prevent a computer from running certain programs. Changing the name of the .exe file can often override this. If that doesn’t work, changing the extension to .com is another useful alternative, and the program will still be able to run in spite of the extension change.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Read installers</b> Even major programs can install toolbars and other unwanted pieces of software during installation. Take a few seconds to read each step to make sure you are not agreeing to install something other than the program you were actually seeking. Far too often people just push next over and over, and end up with a browser covered in various search bars that just aren't needed. In the worst of scenarios, these can have nefarious intentions.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Lock your computer if you get up</b> Sick of your "friends" going onto your computer at work or home and posting things on your Facebook/Twitter page on your behalf? It’s certainly an annoyance, but an easy one to prevent. Windows + L will lock your system right away, requiring a password (if you've set one) to log in again.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/lockscreen.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; outline: none;" /></div><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #05408f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 23px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Program-Specific Tricks</h2><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Photoshop: Drag the marquee without losing the ability to size it</b> The marquee tool is, at its most basic level, designed for selecting a part of an image. It’s used constantly in <a href="http://www.techspot.com/downloads/3689-adobe-photoshop-cs2.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">Photoshop</a>, and there is a handy trick many users miss. While dragging it around, you can press space, which will allow you to size it while moving it. This saves time by letting your perform two key functions at the same time.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">Steam: Move games to another drive or partition</b> By default, <a href="http://www.techspot.com/downloads/4961-steam-for-windows.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">Steam</a> installs all games to the same HDD or partition, but what happens if that fills up? The solution: download <a href="http://www.techspot.com/downloads/6022-steamtool-library-manager.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">Steamtool Library Manager</a>. It makes it easy to move games to another hard drive without messing with the functionality of Steam.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/steamtool.png" style="max-width: 100%; outline: none;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><b style="outline: none;">VLC: Fix unsynced audio and subtitles</b> In the popular media player <a href="http://www.techspot.com/downloads/3562-vlc-media-player.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">VLC</a>, if your audio loses sync with the video or subtitles, there is an easy way to fix this. Simply pressing J or K will move the audio forward or backwards. Similarly, to sync the subtitles you can press H or G.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><img border="0" src="http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/676/images/vlc.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; outline: none;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;">The combination of using these tips and tricks on a daily basis will most certainly make your computer life much more enjoyable, or at least more practical. And so, did you learn a thing or two that you didn't know before?</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.techspot.com/guides/676-best-computer-tricks/" target="_blank">Read More...</a></div></div>

Computer Tips & Tricks Everyone Should Know

Many hardcore computer users might think themselves above learning new tricks, but there's always new things to learn that will help imp...

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Zeus Trojan returns: Facebook being used to spread the infection

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img height="508" src="http://static.techspot.com/images2/news/bigimage/2013-06-05-image-4.jpg" style="max-width: 98%;" width="640" /><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">The infamous Zeus malware has once again resurfaced, but this time it’s using Facebook to further its crime spree. First detected in 2007, Zeus has infected millions of computers over the past six years. Despite the efforts of numerous security firms to combat the Trojan horse, it has only gotten stronger with age.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">Following the initial infection, the virus lays dormant until an online banking site is opened. It then uses keyloggers to steal the unsuspecting victim’s usernames and passwords. Sometimes the Zeus malware goes even further - it replicates the bank's website, using a fake interface to obtain social security numbers, credit card digits, and other sensitive information. Eurograbber, a Trojan that employs similar methods to that of Zeus, reportedly <a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/51037-trojan-bypasses-two-factor-authentication-steals-465-million.html" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">stole $46.5 miillion from European users</a>.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">It is for this reason that Zeus is so effective. Even when your bank account is fully drained, the malware continues to search for any tidbits of data that can be sold on the black market. And unlike most malicious software, there are little to no warning signs - the computer will continue to operate normally, as an outright crash was never the intent.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">Eric Feinberg, the founder of Fans Against Kounterfeit Enterprise (FAKE), believes that bogus Facebook pages are now being used to spread the malware. One such page was called “Bring the N.F.L to Los Angeles.” After asking a security team to analyze the shady links that were posted throughout the group, Feinberg's theories were proven to be correct.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">The big concern is how little Facebook is doing to combat the threat. In response to Feinberg’s outreach to the social media giant, Facebook suggested that users should take matters into their own hands by signing up for scanners that can identify and remove the Trojan. According to <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/malware-that-drains-your-bank-account-thriving-on-facebook/" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>, Feinberg added, “They’re not listening. We need oversight on this.”</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/52795-zeus-trojan-returns-facebook-being-used-to-spread-the-infection.html" target="_blank">Read More...</a></div></div>

Zeus Trojan returns: Facebook being used to spread the infection

The infamous Zeus malware has once again resurfaced, but this time it’s using Facebook to further its crime spree. First detected in 2007, Z...

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Asus Zenbook Infinity with Gorilla Glass exterior unveiled at Computex 2013

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img src="http://static.techspot.com/images2/news/bigimage/2013-06-05-image-3.jpg" style="max-width: 98%;" /><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">Computex 2013 has already proven to be an excellent marketing venue for Asus, and it’s only been one day. Following up on its promise, the Taiwanese company has unveiled the new Zenbook Infinity, becoming the very first laptop to sport an entire Gorilla Glass 3 exterior.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">Not only does it provide the Zenbook with a beautifully glossy and intricate appearance, but the material is scratch resistant and mighty strong. The official word is that Gorilla Glass 3 will make the new laptops three times more resilient than past Zenbook products. In fact, an ASUS project manager said that the laptop had to undergo several <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/03/asus-zenbook-infinity-gorilla-glass-3/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">drop tests</a> prior to its release, although it might be unwise to test this theory.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">According to reports, Gorilla Glass 3 has also enabled ASUS to slim down the device. At a maximum thickness of just 15.5mm, the Zenbook Infinity will be 14 percent thinner than its predecessors.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">Despite the allure of its physical attributes, this Ultrabook offers more than just good looks. It will surprisingly feature a built-in touchscreen as well as a backlit keyboard. Two USB 3.0 ports will also reside on each side, with a micro-HDMI port, a Mini DisplayPort, and an SD card slot also making appearances.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">Unfortunately, this is the only information that has been made available about the device. The Zenbook Infinity is expected to go on sale during Q4, and we will hopefully know more about the underlying hardware at this time.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/52796-asus-zenbook-infinity-with-gorilla-glass-exterior-unveiled-at-computex-2013.html" target="_blank">Read More...</a></div></div>

Asus Zenbook Infinity with Gorilla Glass exterior unveiled at Computex 2013

Computex 2013 has already proven to be an excellent marketing venue for Asus, and it’s only been one day. Following up on its promise, the T...

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Samsung unveils dust / water resistant Galaxy S 4 Active smartphone

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img src="http://static.techspot.com/images2/news/bigimage/2013-06-05-image-9.jpg" style="max-width: 98%;" /><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">Interested in Samsung’s new <a href="http://www.techspot.com/review/664-samsung-galaxy-s4/" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">Galaxy S 4 smartphone</a> but don’t think it’ll keep pace with your active lifestyle? No worries as Samsung has you covered with a new variant of the smartphone aptly known as the <a href="http://www.samsungmobilepress.com/2013/06/05/Samsung-Introduces-the-GALAXY-S4-Active-:-The-Perfect-Companion-for-Exploration,-Activity-and-Adventure-1" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Galaxy S 4 Active</a>.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">As you might have guessed, the reincarnation is essentially a more rugged version of the original. Specifically, it carries a protection rating of IP67 which means it’s protected from dust and can withstand being submerged in water up to three feet deep for 30 minutes. It could be a nice alternative to adding a bulky aftermarket case in those respects.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">With summer just around the corner, you’ll be able to use the Active in and around pools and other swimming holes with little concern. And that’s exactly how Samsung intends buyers to use it as evident by the “Aqua Mode” that increases quality and clarity for enhanced underwater pictures and video.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">Samsung has also swapped out the 5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display for a 5-inch full HD TFT LCD panel. Inside is the same 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU, 2GB of RAM and 2,600mAh battery. Many of the original S 4’s software features will also carry over including Smart Pause, Air View and Air Gesture.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">It’ll be available in urban grey, dive blue and orange flare when it hits retail outlets in the US and Sweden later this year. No word on an exact launch date or price point at this hour.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/52802-samsung-unveils-dust-water-resistant-galaxy-s-4-active-smartphone.html" target="_blank">Read More...</a></div></div>

Samsung unveils dust / water resistant Galaxy S 4 Active smartphone

Interested in Samsung’s new  Galaxy S 4 smartphone  but don’t think it’ll keep pace with your active lifestyle? No worries as Samsung has yo...

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Omnidirectional "treadmill" lets you run through your favorite games

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; outline: none;"><img alt="kinect, gaming, omni, kickstarter, virtual reality, vr, oculus rift, omnidirectional, the omni, virtuix, treadmi" src="http://static.techspot.com/images/teaser/omni-vr.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">Using Kickstarter to help fund the project, Virtuix hopes to take virtual reality to the next level with Omni, <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1944625487/omni-move-naturally-in-your-favorite-game" style="color: #05408f; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">an omnidirectional "treadmill"</a>. The company's innovative 360-degree base translates real-world steps into in-game motion as gamers walk and run their way through their favorite titles -- in any direction. When the base is combined with optional VR glasses (e.g. Oculus Rift) and Microsoft's Kinect, gamers can enjoy a truly visceral VR experience. </div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">With more than $500,000 pledged on Kickstarer at the time of this writing, the Omni VR system blew past its $150,000 goal in less than four hours. Pledges of $349 or more score project backers a full Omni platform with the necessary bells and whistles; however, contribution options under $429 are currently sold out. Keep in mind that Kinect hardware and VR glasses are sold separately.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">According to Virtuix, its patented omnidirectional base allows users to comfortably walk or run using their natural gait. The base features a low-friction surface filled with grooves. Gamers are outfitted with a special pair of studded shoes which fit neatly into those grooves as they walk in place; this design provides stability, balance and eliminates unwanted sideways sliding.</div><div class="video-container" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 401.625px; position: relative;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qGFuedKS9Mg?rel=0" style="height: 393.578125px; left: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; outline: none; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 699.71875px;" type="text/html" width="560"></iframe><br style="outline: none;" />Omni unboxing and hands-on</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">Because the Omni base translates movement into keyboard strokes, it's theoretically compatible with any PC game. Sorry console gamers -- this is a computer-only device (for now). Since it only tracks footsteps, Omni will be the perfect companion to other immersive hardware like the Oculus Rift (VR glasses), Microsoft Kinect (for body motion input) and Razer Hydra (motion-sensing controllers).</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;">Most units are expected to begin shipping in January 2014.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/52800-omnidirectional-treadmill-lets-you-run-through-your-favorite-games.html" target="_blank">Read More...</a></div></div>

Omnidirectional "treadmill" lets you run through your favorite games

Using Kickstarter to help fund the project, Virtuix hopes to take virtual reality to the next level with Omni,  an omnidirectional "tre...

Read more »