The following MyAnswers solution 2323 is now available:
As the number of tiles on my Start screen in Windows 8 start to grow it occurred to me you can group tiles together so it is easier to move a group of tiles closer to the left or further away to the right. The question then became, how to set up a new group of tiles on the Start screen of Windows 8?
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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)
I’m hearing that Microsoft have done a couple of backflips recently which to me is heartening. It does show their initial decisions were wrong or flawed, but no one is perfect. Microsoft decided to incorporate a version of Flash into Windows 8 and Windows RT. In Windows 8 Metro (now called Motion) Flash was restricted to only sites allowed by Microsoft, but at least if you went to Desktop mode there was no limitation. In Windows RT you could only visit sites allowed by Microsoft.
To me the power of using Windows is the relatively open nature, but more importantly you get to experience the internet unlike on iOS and Android devices which can’t display the many Flash based sites. That means often when using an iPhone or an Android tablet I have to resort to using my notebook to complete a task and that to me is annoying.
From the following article it appears that Microsoft may have realised the opportunity they have to differentiate their tablet products from Apple and Google products. That is Apple and Google products don’t give you full access to the internet and ultimately right now you have to often resort to using a desktop or notebook computer running Windows in my case, or perhaps a Mac for Apple users. That makes iOS and Android devices a companion device and not your primary device. Personally I want a device which can do all the things I need to do and tablets using iOS and Android can’t do that. Microsoft’s one opportunity is to do what they did up until Windows 7 and that is to provide access to the full internet. That to me is a winning strategy and should have been obvious to Microsoft.
Flash in Windows 8... Read More
According to the article in order to have access to all sites (unless on the blacklist), you’ll need to update Internet Explorer with the latest patches.
- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.
It has been reported in the press that Microsoft will be closing down Windows Live Messenger and migrating users to Skype. Initially this was to occur on March 15th 2013, but this has now been extended to April 8th. An exception is Messenger won’t be retired in China at this time.
I’m not sure if will affect any clients as everyone I ask have already moved away from using Windows Live Messenger. In any case consider it a heads up if you’re still using Windows Live Messenger.
Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
Call 0415 910 703 for computer advice and support.
Today I was repairing a Windows XP computer and went to reinstall the Google search provider in Internet Explorer 8. In the past this was pretty easy. Select the option in Internet Explorer 8 to find more search providers and simply select Google. For some time however Microsoft have no longer included the Google search provider.
I decided since this situation had occurred on a couple of occasions in the past, that I’d recreate the Search Provider for Google Australia and make it available on my Fun With Search page. I use this page often myself when repairing clients computers and I felt the Internet Explorer 8 search provider for Google would make a good addition.
So if you no longer have the Google search provider available, now you can find it on http://www.justlocal.com.au/clients/search-fun/.
Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
Call 0415 910 703 for computer advice and support.
I received an email tonight with the subject “Friendly reminder on product launch opportunity”. What interested me about this email is it was unexpected, felt like spam or potentially malicious, but I couldn’t be certain. I was in the middle of testing a free method to reduce spam coming to my email account and the email was marked as spam.
Microsoft’s DCCN service is for OEM if I’m reading things correctly. I’m not an OEM and I don’t believe I’ve registered with Microsoft as an OEM. The email contains a number of links none of which are to a Microsoft site. Whilst I could be wrong I suspect it is from a marketing organisation on behalf of Microsoft but there is no way to know. The email was sent from the UK which in itself was strange.
I’m sharing this example as it shows that even I’m not sure this email is legitimate. In this case if I was interested in the material in the email my best approach is still not to click on a link, but to find the relevant Microsoft site by opening my browser and going direct to the site.
If this really is a Microsoft initiative they really should use their own domains when sending out emails. I personally am not going to take the risk. I’d rather delete the email. I’d suggest if you aren’t certain of an email don’t take the risk. Delete it. If the material interests you open your browser and go direct to the site.
If you’re sending emails to your customers make sure there is nothing suspicious. Keep everything simple. Every day your customers are receiving unwanted and potentially harmful emails that often look legitimate. Your email may actually look more suspicious as this one did for me than a fake email.
When in doubt trust your instinct.
Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
Call 0415 910 703 for computer advice and support.