12 Essential Windows Apps to Make Your Life Simpler in 2016 | Dramel Notes

Many of us spend far too much time in front of our screens, whether for work or entertainment.

To help you start 2016 off on the right note, we’ve put together this list of the 12 must-have apps for Windows. Our list includes apps to make your work life easier, as well as ones to help you wind down after a hard day. We’ve also added a few apps to help you stay on top of the day’s news and weather. Welcome to 2016.

Making Your Workday Easier

f.lux: Eye Care

Working on your computer late at night shouldn’t ruin your eyes. Long popular on Macs, f.lux makes the color of your computer’s display adapt to the time of day for a more comfortable and engaging experience.

Best of all, tell f.lux what kind of lighting you have, and where you live, and then forget about it. The app will do the rest.

Download: f.lux for Windows desktop (free)

Microsoft OneNote: Notes & Data Collection

If you’re a Windows user, you’re probably already using Microsoft OneNote, a collaboration tool that seems to get better with each new product release.

With Microsoft OneNote, you can keep track of information through notes (handwritten or typed), drawings, screen clippings, and audio commentaries. Best of all, the application works across multiple platforms, so your lists can sync and be available wherever you need them.

Download: Microsoft OneNote for Windows desktop, from the Windows Store, and more (free)

Skype: Conference Calls

One of Microsoft’s most popular applications, Skype for Windows, features instant messaging, voice calls, and one-on-one as well as group videos calls for up to 25 participants.

Skype-to-Skype calls are free, while calls to mobile devices and landlines are available by buying Skype credits or signing up for a monthly subscription plan. Don’t like Skype? Choose from one of plenty alternative VoIP services, like Google Hangouts.

Download: Skype for Windows desktop and from the Windows Store (free)

Wunderlist: To-Do List & Tasks

Redesigned for Windows 10, this modern cloud-based task management application was acquired by Microsoft in 2015.

Now offering Microsoft Cortana support, Wunderlist features impressive backgrounds and themes. We expect big things from Wunderlist in 2016, courtesy of Microsoft.

Download: Wunderlist for Windows desktop, from the Windows Store, and more (free)

Drawboard PDF: PDF Viewer

This PDF viewer offers integrated annotation capabilities that let you read and create free-form markups, making it an excellent tool for those who are tired of printing out paper copies of documents.

Download: Drawboard PDF from the Windows Store ($5)

Stardock Fences: Desktop Organization

The start of a new year is a great time to get organized. With Stardock Fences, you can tame your cluttered desktop by separating app icons and files into shaded groups. Other features include the ability to swipe between multiple pages of fences, creating a desktop portal from any folder, and double clicking to hide or show icons.

One of the most important features is the ability to change the style and color of Fence backgrounds. This includes the capacity to tweak its transparency, color intensity, tint, and saturation.

Download: Fences for the Windows desktop (30-day free trial, then $10)

Sticky Notes Pro: Quick Notes

Sometimes, all it takes to remember things is a sticky note. However, instead of using a paper one, we suggest Sticky Notes Pro. Much better than the native Windows Sticky Notes tool, Sticky Notes Pro allows you to choose the color of each note, change its size and font, and much more.

If being better organized tops your New Year’s resolutions, you can’t go wrong with Sticky Notes Pro.

Download: Sticky Notes from the Windows Store ($8)

Catching Up on News and Weather

Flipboard: Digital Newspaper

Searching for news doesn’t have to be a chore thanks to Flipboard. Offering curated news and information, according to your personal interests, Flipboard features a beautiful and intuitive design for easy navigation.

With Flipboard, the latest news on the 2016 U.S. presidential election is just a few clicks away, as are the most recent scores from your favorite sports teams. More concerned with how your portfolio is doing? Flipboard has that covered, too.

Download: Flipboard in your browser or from the Windows Store (free)

StumbleUpon: Random Entertainment

With StumbleUpon, you can “discover the best of the web, one click at a time.” Enjoy videos, photos, and web pages personalized for you.

Don’t like a recommendation? Rate content giving it a thumbs up or thumbs down. The recommendations get better the more you rate a video, photos, or website.

Download: Stumble Upon in your browser or from the Windows Store (free)

The Weather Channel: Forecasts & Alerts

Don’t be caught off-guard on what’s happening on the outside. The Weather Channel application offers current conditions and forecasts, videos, weather maps, news, and special alerts.

When the weather forecast calls for higher-than-normal temperatures and sunny skies, or lots of snow, The Weather Channel has you covered.

Download: The Weather Channel in your browser or from the Windows Store (free)

When It’s Time to Relax

iHeartRadio: Custom & Broadcast Stations

Yes, you can still listen to free music from the Internet. With iHeartRadio, you have access to hundreds of broadcast and custom radio stations. You can also create a station to call your own, based on your favorite artist or song.

Currently, iHeartRadio is available to anyone in the United States, Australia, or New Zealand. The music streaming service is offered on dozens of platforms, including mobile, the web, and home entertainment. Did we mention that it’s free?

Download: iHeartRadio in your browser or from the Windows Store (free)

Netflix: Movies & TV Shows

An official Netflix Windows 10 application finally arrived at the end of 2015. Taking full advantage of Microsoft’s universal apps platform, Netflix for Windows 10 offers full integration with Cortana, making it easy to find your favorite movies and TV shows.

Netflix is available on multiple platforms and features some of the biggest movies and TV shows produced in the past 50 years. It’s also the home for original programs such as Daredevil, Orange is the New Black, and House of Cards.

Download: Netflix in your browser or from the Windows Store (free, service fees apply)

What Are Your Favorites?

My favorite app for Windows continues to be Wunderlist, which I tend to use every day to help me keep my work on track. Netflix is also something that I access a few times a week, but strictly to relax after a crazy day in the trenches. You can’t go wrong with any of the ones listed above.

Now you tell us: which are your favorite applications? Share them in the comments below!

[Read more]

How to Change Your Apple Watch’s Orientation | Dramel Notes

The Apple Watch includes the ability to change its orientation to accommodate right-handed as well as left-handed wearers. Here is how to change the orientation on your Apple Watch.

Traditional wristwatches are ambidextrous. Whether you want to wear one on your left wrist or right wrist, it will still be as accessible and usable, no matter what.

With something like a smartwatch, you may not have such an option. Luckily the Apple Watch includes the ability to accommodate anybody, be they left or right-handed.

That said, this will only work if you have the orientation set appropriately.

Setting Your Watch’s Orientation

In order to do this, you must enter the settings and set the orientation to work for whatever wrist you intend to wear it on.

To set your Watch’s orientation, you will first need to tap open the Settings on the Watch.

Next, tap open the General category.

Immediately you should see the Orientation option. Tap that to open those settings.

You will be able to configure two settings in the Orientation category. The first is to change it to suit left or right-handed wearers. The other is to change the placement of the digital crown.

The digital crown orientation is an important item because it means that the display will invert so you can wear the Watch upside down.

Why would you ever want to wear it like this? Simply, because then you can control the digital crown with your thumb more easily. Some users might find this to be more intuitive and comfortable.

Changing the Orientation on Your iPhone

You can also accomplish all this using the Watch app on your iPhone. With the app open, tap on “General” to access the settings.

Now in the General settings, tap on “Watch Orientation”.

Like with the settings on the Watch, you will be able to choose between wearing it on your left or right wrist. Additionally, you can also decide whether the digital crown is on the left or right side.

Again, if you do this, it means the digital crown might be on the bottom making it easier for some users to manipulate.

All told, you can wear the Watch up to four ways, on your right or left wrist, with the digital crown on the right or left side.

This allows any wearer to decide what is most ergonomic and thus comfortable arrangement for them.

We hope you found this article useful and you’re now wearing your Apple Watch in a fashion best suited to you. If you have any questions or comments you wish to contribute, please leave your feedback in our discussion forum.

[Read more]

What’s the Difference Between BitLocker and EFS (Encrypting File System) on Windows? | Dramel Notes

Windows 10, 8.1, 8, and 7 all include BitLocker drive encryption, but that’s not the only encryption solution they offer. Windows also includes an encryption method named the “encrypting file system”, or EFS. Here’s how it differs from BitLocker.

This is only available on Professional and Enterprise editions of Windows. Home editions can only use the more restricted “device encryption” feature, and only if it’s a modern PC that shipped with device encryption enabled.

BitLocker is Full Disk Encryption

BitLocker is a full-disk encryption solution that encrypts an entire volume. When you set up BitLocker, you’ll be encrypting an entire partition — such as your Windows system partition, another partition on an internal drive, or even a partition on a USB flash drive or other external media.

It is possible to encrypt only a few files with BitLocker by creating an encrypted container file. However, this container file is essentially a virtual disk image, and BitLocker works by treating it as a drive and encrypting the entire thing.

If you’re going to encrypt your hard drive to protect sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands, especially if your laptop is stolen, BitLocker is the way to go. It’ll encrypt the entire drive and you won’t have to think about which files are encrypted and which aren’t. The entire system will be encrypted.

This doesn’t depend on user accounts. When an administrator enables BitLocker, every single user account on the PC will have its files encrypted. BitLocker uses the computer’s trusted platform module — or TPM — hardware.

While “drive encryption” is more limited on Windows 10 and 8.1, it works similarly on PCs where it’s available. It encrypts the entire drive rather than individual files on it.

EFS Encrypts Individual Files

EFS — the “encrypting file system” — works differently. Rather than encrypting your entire drive, you use EFS to encrypt individual files and directories, one by one. Where BitLocker is a “set it and forget it” system, EFS requires you manually select the files you want to encrypt and change this setting.

You do this from the File Explorer window. Select a folder or individual files, open the Properties window, click the “Advanced” button under Attributes, and activate the “Encrypt contents to secure data” option.

This encryption is on a per-user basis. Encrypted files can only be accessed by the particular user account that encrypted them. The encryption is transparent. If the user account that encrypted the files is logged in, they’ll be able to access the files without any additional authentication. If another user account is logged in, the files won’t be accessible.

The encryption key is stored in the operating system itself rather than using a computer’s TPM hardware, and it’s possible an attacker could extract it. There’s no full-drive encryption protecting those particular system files unless you also enable BitLocker.

It’s also possible that the encrypted files could “leak” out into unencrypted areas. For example, if a program creates a temporary cache file after opening an EFS-encrypted document with sensitive financial information, that cache file and its sensitive data will be stored unencrypted in a different folder.

Where BitLocker is essentially a Windows feature that can encrypt an entire drive, EFS takes advantage of features in the NTFS file system itself.

Why You Should Use BitLocker, and Not EFS

It’s actually possible to use both BitLocker and EFS at once, as they’re different layers of encryption. You could encrypt your entire drive, and, even after doing so, Windows users will be able to activate the “Encrypt” attribute for files and folders. However, there’s not actually much reason to do so.

If you want encryption, it’s best to go for full-disk encryption in the form of BitLocker. Not only is this a “set it and forget it” solution you can enable once and forget about, it’s also more secure.

We’ve tended to gloss over EFS when writing about encryption on Windows and often only mention BitLocker as Microsoft’s solution for encryption on Windows. There’s a reason for this. BitLocker’s full-disk encryption is just superior to EFS, and you should be using BitLocker if you need encryption.

---

So why does EFS even exist? One reason is that it’s an older feature of Windows. BitLocker was introduced along with Windows Vista. EFS was introduced back in Windows 2000.

At one point, BitLocker might have slowed down overall operating system performance, while EFS would have been a bit more lightweight. But, with reasonably modern hardware, this shouldn’t be the case at all.

Just use BitLocker and forget Windows even offers EFS. It’s less of a hassle to actually use and is more secure.

 

[Read more]