Question 12: How to Connect Your PC to a TV?

Want to show off your latest vacation photos, play video games or browse the web on a huge screen? How about accessing all of the “smart” features of the latest and greatest TVs without spending money on a new TV? You could buy one of the many media streaming boxes that have flooded the market in recent years. But what if you could use something that is more powerful and has less limitations? What if I told you you’ve probably have one already? Connecting a PC to a TV is easy, and there are a ton of good reasons to do so.

Advantages

Traditional PCs have a number of advantages over the little streaming boxes people normally plug into their TVs. While they may not have the sleek interfaces that the streaming boxes have, they more than make up for it in functionality.

• Use any service – Unfortunately, some streaming services are only available for certain platforms. For example, iTunes content can only be accessed on an Apple TV. A PC connected to your TV can circumvent these limitations by accessing services via web browsers and desktop apps.
• Play video games – Sure, your Roku can play some popular mobile games. A Chromecast can mirror Angry Birds from your phone. What about the games that require the sort of horsepower only your PC can provide? Connect your PC to your TV for a big-screen PC-gaming experience.
• File compatibility – Media boxes often only support certain video files types. Download a player like VLC that can handle virtually any file format thrown at it onto your PC and connect it to your TV.
• Do anything – Imagine everything you do with your computer. Now imagine doing all that on your big-screen TV.

Ready to connect your PC to your TV? Read on to find out how to do it.

Connect via HDMI

Hands down the easiest way to connect your PC to your HDTV is via an HDMI cable. HDMI carries both video and audio at the same time, eliminating the need for more than one cable. In addition to less wire clutter, HDMI supports 1080p resolution, otherwise known as high definition, allowing you to take full advantage of your TV. Connecting your PC to your TV with an HDMI cable is easy. Simply run the cable from the HDMI output port on your PC to a free HDMI input on your TV, and you’re in business.

Connect via VGA + 3.5mm Audio

HDMI support is common on most modern computers, but if you’re stuck using older hardware, there’s a good chance HDMI is nowhere to be found. Don’t fret, you’ll still be able to connect your PC to your TV, although you’ll need to use two cables instead of just one. Before you get started (or buy the cables), check to make sure that both your PC and your TV have a VGA port. They look like trapezoids with fifteen little holes in them. VGA ports are most commonly blue, but they can be black or grey in color. On your TV, a VGA port is sometimes labelled as “PC In.” If you have VGA ports on your TV and computer, you’re ready to roll.

Run a VGA cable from your PC to your TV and you’re halfway there. Since VGA can only transmit the video, you’re going to need a 3.5mm audio cable to handle the audio. Plug one end of the audio cable into your computer’s headphone jack and the other end into the audio-in jack of your TV.

How to Display Your PC’s Screen on Your TV

Whether you are using an HDMI cable or a VGA cable in conjunction with a 3.5mm audio cable, the following steps will walk you through how to get your PC on your TV.

1. Connect the HDMI cable or the VGA/3.5mm cable to your PC and your TV.
2. Switch on your PC and your TV.
3. Select the input (HDMI/VGA) that corresponds to your PC through your TV’s AV menu.
4. Your PC’s screen should now be displayed on your TV.

Most modern operating systems will be able to detect your TV as a display and automatically adjust the display settings to whatever is best for your TV. However, sometimes things can look a bit off. To tweak the display settings manually, head to the “Control Panel” for Windows, “System Preferences” for Mac, or “Display Settings” for Linux.

Note: There are other ways of connecting your PC to your TV, such as connecting with component cables or through USB. However these methods often require expensive adapters or additional software to work properly. If you can, stick to the above methods as the cables are cheap, there is little to no configuration, and the end result is the same. You should also be aware that connecting a Macbook via VGA or HDMI can require a relatively inexpensive display adapter.

Connecting Wirelessly

It’s a fact that everyone hates wires. Surely there has to be some way that users can connect their PCs to their TVs without wires. While it is possible, there are some significant limitations that go along with this method. There are four main players in the wireless PC-to-TV space: AirPlay, Miracast, WiDi and Chromecast.

• AirPlay is Apple’s wireless display standard. With an Apple TV hooked up to your TV, you can mirror the display of an iPad, Mac or iPhone. The good news is that it works very well. The downside is that you have to invest wholeheartedly into Apple’s ecosystem. AirPlay does work on non-Apple machines that have iTunes, but only to stream iTunes content.
• Miracast was hailed as a universal standard for wirelessly mirroring a display on a TV. To do so, one only needs a Miracast-supported device connected to their TV and an Android device or Windows PC. However, support for the protocol is spotty, and the results are a bit hit or miss.
• WiDi is Intel’s effort to compete with Apple’s AirPlay. The idea behind it is essentially the same; however, it was never embraced by users or manufacturers. WiDi has pretty much disappeared.
• Google’s Chromecast is an inexpensive way to “cast” content from your PC or smartphone to your TV. It has the ability to mirror your entire desktop and is quite stable. Be aware that the Chromecast’s stability and performance relies on the strength of the WiFi network it is operating on.

Question 11: 4 of the Best Android WiFi Manager Apps to Better Manage Your WiFi Connection!!

How often do you use WiFi connections on your Android phone? For many, it’s a way to keep the phone bills down when you don’t have to use mobile internet. It’s also perfect if you have a mobile data plan and want to stream media to your device.

If you’re a WiFi aficionado, you’ll probably want something a little more powerful than the default Android WiFi tool. Sure, it does its job of connecting to access points quite well, but if you want functionality that goes beyond just listing the WiFi channels around you, apps can fill whatever niche it is you want it to perform.

Here are four manager apps to make WiFi management a little easier.

1. WiFi Manager

WiFi Manager is a very simple tool with some great functionality added to it. At its most basic level, you can open the app and select which network you’d like to connect to. Dive into its settings, however, and you’ll find some great little features within.

If you’re in a populated area and you’re inundated with WiFi signals around you, WiFi Manager can sort the connections by name (for when you know the name of the connection you want) or by signal strength (for when you want to see the best public WiFi connection available). You can also change the listings from “Live” networks to “Known” ones to only show connections you’ve used before. It’s very handy for cutting through the noise and connecting to your favourite access points!

Its automatic refresh feature is also a nice touch. If you’re not so keen on mashing the refresh button to find a network, you can enable auto refresh instead. It’ll then keep updating the access point list until you tell it to stop. The Radar feature is particularly useful if you want to make sure an access point is competing with others on a single channel. Just load it up, and it’ll show you on a graph the channels that each access point uses. This is great for both connecting to a public hotspot as well as tweaking your own router back at home.

2. WiFi Analyser

WiFi Analyser is another strong choice with an optional download if you want to connect to hotspots through the app. It comes with some nice features, all of which are tucked away under the “View” menu. The Channel Rating feature analyses an access point and lets you know what channels it would perform best on.

If you want to analyse the signal strength of the router you’re connected to, you can do so using the signalsensor. This shows you how strong the signal is and can even make beeps related to the current signal strength if you enable the sound.

The Settings menu has even more features to it including turning on/off the WiFi when the app is opened/closed, automatic scanning, keeping the screen turned on, and setting the channels available in your region.

WiFi Analyzer is a free app that uses bar ads and occasional fullscreen ads to cover costs. If you’re not too bothered by advertisements, it can be a very powerful tool to analyse and connect to access points. You can also use the open source version which doesn’t have as many features but still delivers the core elements with zero advertising. Plus, you may even get to add to it if you want!

3. WiFi Connection Manager

WiFi Connection Manager is another powerful entry on this list. At its base it displays all of the access points in range as well as those remembered by the device. When you start looking through its features, however, you can see how much is packed into this app.

Swiping left on the bottom menu scroller will bring you to a spectrum graph where you can see all the access points and the channels they’re on. Swiping to the right gives you access to a lot of different networking tools, such as a ping tool, scanning the LAN for devices, and even turning on computers using Wake-on-LAN.

Even the main page has its own set of tools you can use. You can edit the WiFi scan to filter specific network types, arrange the networks so your favourites are at the top, and even turn your phone into a portable access point.

This app uses small ads at the bottom as well as occasional full-screen ads. You can get the premium version here, but be sure to read the instructions and reviews on how to install it properly!

4. WiFinder

Perhaps, however, you’re not looking for something packed with features and menus. Maybe you’d like something a little simpler and easy to use. WiFinder does the job very well on this front – it’s lightweight, easy to read, and simple to navigate.

GK: 5 of the Best Android Video-Editing Apps to Create a More Professional Video!!

Whether you’re a home movie enthusiast or the next Spielberg, smartphone cameras have given people the ability to graduate from hobbyist to legitimate filmmaker. While the footage that smartphone cameras are able to capture is impressive, making a truly impressive movie lies in the editing. Unfortunately, video editing apps for Android phones has never been fantastic. Once upon a time even Google saw the market for a dedicated video-editing app, but they completely abandoned it years ago.

Fortunately there are a number of apps available that are trying to fill the void. While none of them can match the functionality one can expect from a desktop application like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere, they all offer the ability to do basic editing on the go.

1. Magisto

Magisto is unique in that it does all the heavy lifting for you. Simply upload your video clips, choose a theme and some music, and let Magisto work its magic. For someone who really isn’t comfortable or interested in doing their own editing, Magisto is a “set it and forget it” solution. The app will create beautiful videos automatically. Magisto is a blast to play with, but it may not be the best option for someone who wants to have ultimate control over the final product.

2. VidTrim

As its name suggests, the VidTrim app allows users to trim and merge their video clips. It also features a number of filters and effects to apply to your videos, akin to Instagram. Speaking of Instagram, VidTrim also has a video-sharing feature built in, allowing you to connect with other users and share each other’s videos. Finally, one of the more interesting features of VidTrim is it’s “frame grabber.” This allows users to isolate single frames from their videos and export them as a single image. It’s perfect for when you want to share a single still image frame to something like, well, Instagram.

3. PowerDirector Video Editor

Simply put, PowerDirector Video Editor is one of the more powerful video-editing apps available for Android. It boasts a slew of professional features that can meet the demands of most users. That being said, there is a bit of a learning curve involved that could intimidate some. It’s also worth mentioning that the interface is a little cluttered, making navigating the app somewhat difficult on a smaller screen. Aside from that, PowerDirector allows you to edit clips together, overlay text, and even add music and sound effects. It is a comprehensive editor; however, the free version stamps all of your videos with a watermark.

4. VideoShow

VideoShow is a popular video-editing app that has a ton of unique features. In addition to standard editing and cropping tools, VideoShow boasts voice dubbing and even a built-in video compressor. VideoShow definitely markets itself towards a younger generation. It heavily showcases “cute” features, like the ability to place stickers on your clips. As is the norm with apps gearing themselves towards youth culture, VideoShow also has tools that enable you to export your videos to various social media outlets.

5. Adobe Premiere Clip

The mobile version of the popular desktop application, Adobe Premiere Clip, is a surprisingly capable mobile video editor. Users can splice video clips, add crossfades, and add a soundtrack. Premiere Clip also has an automatic editing mode that allows the app to make the movie for you, similar to Magisto. Going manual will present you with a variety of useful options. They run the gamut from cosmetic alterations like applying filters to nuanced techniques like adjusting the exposure. Overall, Adobe Premiere Clip is a basic editor that has the little touches that the others seem to ignore completely.

General Knowledge: Windows 10 Cloud – Everything You Need to Know!!

ook out over the digital horizon, and you’ll see something floating your way that you may have heard about but probably hadn’t sighted until now. Is it a UFO? Is it a spacecraft? No, it’s Windows 10 Cloud, which by most accounts isn’t quite as exciting as the other two options, but it’s still a pretty big deal in the world of tech.

Shoving aside conspiracy theories about how Microsoft is trying to force us into exclusively using UWP (Universal Windows Platform) apps on its OS, we’re going to take a look at what we know about Windows 10 Cloud so far, complete with lovely leaked screenshots.

So What Is Windows 10 Cloud?

The simplest way to put it is that it’s Microsoft’s answer to Chrome OS, Google’s cloud-based operating system that almost exclusively runs on the web and browser-based applications, ensuring that you have a lightning-quick experience on even bare-bones PCs (subject to your Internet speed). Based on what we’ve seen so far, Windows 10 Cloud will come with the Microsoft Edge browser, the Windows Store app, and some form of File Explorer.

Somewhat confusingly, reliable Windows journalist/guru Mary Jo Foley said that according to her sources, Windows 10 Cloud won’t technically be a cloud-based operating system, and will instead be a lightweight version of Windows more in line with the maligned Windows RT. This means it will only allow people to use UWP apps/those that have been digitally signed off by Microsoft. In other words, that it’ll work with Windows Store apps only.

So Will It Force You to Exclusively Use Windows 10 Apps?

Even though early signs pointed to this being the case, the updated answer now is “not necessarily.” The folks over at Digital Trends dived into a leaked preview build of Windows 10 Cloud, and their findings suggest that you might not be stuck in Microsoft’s not-too-popular app store after all.

While the build they used did indeed lock them into using Windows Store apps exclusively, there was an option that implied users may be able to open up the mysterious OS to any and all apps in the future. Under “Settings -> Apps & features,” they found that they could toggle between the options to “Allow apps from the Store only” and “Allow apps from anywhere,” though the latter option didn’t work upon trying (it is an early build, after all).

It is, however, possible that Microsoft will take the approach of warning people from installing apps from outside their own store, but we’ll be able to override this if we so wish.

Windows 10 Cloud Will Run on Intel

Another sage of everything Windows, Paul Thurrott, made a couple of fresh discoveries surrounding Windows 10 Cloud. The first of these was that it will run on Intel hardware rather than just the mobile-oriented ARM architecture. This means that the OS will be available to a much wider audience than its apparent predecessor, Windows RT, and possibly even premium PCs as well as low-end ones.

And It’ll Be Upgradeable to Windows 10 Pro

Over at MS Power User, they discovered recently that clicking the “See how” button when you get a warning saying that the app you’re trying to run isn’t designed for Windows Cloud (such as Win32 applications), you get a link allowing you to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. We don’t yet know how much this will cost, though as it stands it looks like the “Pro” upgrade is the only option. It could well be that Windows 10 Cloud will be completely free, and Microsoft will be looking to monetize it through peoples’ use of the Windows Store as well as upgrades to Windows 10 Pro.

General Knowledge: Juggernaut - Indian Super Computer!!

Juggernaut - New Super Computer from India:

• India will likely unveil its most powerful supercomputer juggernaut in June 2017. 
• Juggernaut means a huge, powerful, and overwhelming force.
• If its processors operate at the full capacity of 10 petaflops (1 followed by 15 zeroes of floating point operations per second), a clock speed a million times faster than the fastest consumer laptops, it could earn a place among the world’s top 10 fastest supercomputers.
• EKA: Though India has built or hosted supercomputers since the 1990s, it held a ‘top 10’ spot only once, in 2007, with the EKA built by the Computational Research Laboratories, which is part of the Tata group.
• India has built or hosted supercomputers since the 1990s, it held a ‘top 10’ spot only once, in 2007, thanks to the EKA built by the Computational Research Laboratories, which is part of the Tata group. 
• This position was lost, though several ultra-fast machines exist in Indian academic institutions: they feature in the 100s or 200s in global rankings.
• The as-yet-unnamed machine will be jointly hosted at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting at Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
• Government has sanctioned ₹400 crore for the project this year. Most of the machine’s computing power will help in monsoon forecasting, using a dynamical model.

Question 10: 5 of the Best Screen Recording Software for Windows.

The most basic screen recorders will do exactly that – record whatever is on your screen. While some adopt an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach, others have integrated other useful features. To help you sort the wheat from the chaff, we have rounded up some of the best screen recording software available today.

1. CamStudio

CamStudio has been around for a long time, and for good reason. Whereas many of the free screen recorders out there are little more than working tech demos designed to entice users to buy the “full” application, CamStudio is totally Open Source. This means that you can record your screen to your heart’s content and use your recordings in any way that you see fit. CamStudio records videos in AVI format and allows you to record the whole screen or just a portion of it. With a super simple interface and videos free of watermarks, CamStudio is one of the best.

2. FRAPS

FRAPS is the number-one choice for gamers. With video game graphics blurring the lines of reality, many gamers who share their impeccable hand-eye coordination on YouTube need a screen recorder that can capture ultra-high definition resolutions. FRAPS can handle resolutions up to 7,680 x 4,800, so you can rest assured that even the most advanced gaming rig is covered. FRAPS comes in two varieties – free and paid. The free version limits videos to thirty seconds, so you can forget about Super Metroid walkthroughs until you pony up the cash.

3. ezvid

With a straightforward interface, ezvid is very easy to use. Coupled with a basic but capable built-in video editor, ezvid is a strong contender for your hard drive space. Ezvid also allows you to add slides, change the playback speed of your video, and make overlaid annotations. Most of these features can be found elsewhere, but the crowning achievement of ezvid is its capability to upload your videos to YouTube without ever leaving the app.

4. Icecream Screen Recorder

Icecream Screen Recorder is another simple, easy-to-use piece of software that just plain works. There are two flavors of Icecream – free and paid. Most users will find the free version to be perfectly acceptable, but if you’re looking for more advanced features, just be aware that they are reserved for the premium version of the app. In addition to everything you’ve come to expect, Icecream has the added advantage of recording video not only from the screen but also from the webcam.

5. eLecta

eLecta may not look like much, but if you’re interested in making tutorials, look no further. The key feature that sets eLecta apart from the competition is the ability to do picture-in-picture recording. This is ideal if you want to record reaction videos or want to conduct tutorials. The only problem is that eLecta doesn’t allow you to change the file container from within the app. It’s an annoyance but not necessarily a deal breaker. Finally, you can add your own personal watermark to your videos to deter copyright infringement.

Question 9: How to Share Your Internet Connection Between Two Windows PCs?

Using your Android device to share your Internet connection with your PC is a pretty standard procedure these days, and you’re usually just a couple of taps away from tethering with your PC – whether via USB or WiFi.

But between PCs there’s a little more to it than that. Concepts like “ICS” (Internet Connection Sharing) and “Bridging connections” don’t roll off the tongue quite as easily as tethering and are a few clicks more complex than their Android counterparts. Not too much more, mind you, so here’s a little guide to ease you through the process.

Wired/Ethernet

First up, it’s worth establishing that for standard Internet-sharing purposes, Internet Connection Sharing and Network bridging fulfill pretty much an identical function, with near-identical results when I tested the speeds of both connections. Just in case one doesn’t work for you, here’s how to do it using both methods.

Internet Connection Sharing

Connect the two computers via a standard ethernet cable. (You used to have to use a crossover cable, but PCs are clever enough these days to not require one.) Then go to the Network and Sharing Centre in the Control Panel, “Change adapter settings,” right-click the adapter that has the Internet connection (WiFi in my case), and click Properties.

In the Properties box, click the sharing tab and tick the “Allow other network users to connect …” box. Next, click the drop-down under “Home networking connection,” and select the ethernet adapter that’s connecting your two PCs together.

That should do it! If it doesn’t work for some reason, then go to adapter settings in the Network and Sharing Centre on the PC that you’re trying to get online, right-click the ethernet adapter, disable it, then enable it again.

Network Bridge

If that doesn’t work out for you, then instead of fiddling around with things like setting a static IP, you can jump straight to this like-for-like method, which should be quicker.

First, turn off connection sharing on your network by unticking the “Allow other network users to connect …” box on your connected adapter and hitting OK. Now, in the “Change adapter settings” window, hold the “Ctrl” key, then click the adapter that’s connected to the Internet and the one that you’re trying to connect.

Next, right-click one of the adapters and click “Bridge Connections.” That ought to do it. Again, you may need to disable then re-enable the network adapter on the PC looking to receive the connection for this to work.

WiFi

If your computer has WiFi but isn’t in an optimal spot to get great signal from the router, you can easily turn another computer into a WiFi hotspot. To do this, go to “Settings -> Network -> Mobile hotspot,” then switch on the “Share my Internet connection” slider. Make a note of the network name and password shown below, then just connect to the network like you would to a normal WiFi network.

Conclusion

Microsoft doesn’t get everything right with Windows, but when it comes to interconnectivity between devices, they do a pretty good job of providing us with options. If one doesn’t work, just hop on over to the next one.

A backup method, if these don’t work, is to go to the Network and Sharing Centre, right-click the adapter that’s connected to “Internet -> Properties,” then click “Internet Protocol Version 4” in the list, Properties, and enter your details for a static IP in the boxes (type ipconfig /all in the command prompt to find out your IP details). But if all else fails, go for it.