The Best Mac Apps of 2015 (And Our Favorite Updates) | Dramel Notes

It has been a good year for Mac users. There was the new MacBook, OS X got that smooth El Capitan update, and Apple Music hit iTunes. And while Apple was bringing all that to the table, developers were busy bees too.

Brilliant calendar apps, feature-rich Twitter apps, a whole new Office experience, and a sassy way to find out the weather, were just some of the best OS X apps released or updated this year. Let’s dive in to find the cream of the crop.

CARROT Weather ($11.99)

I ran an unscientific poll among regular Mac users and 6 out of 9 people picked CARROT Weather as their app of the year. If you haven’t yet installed it, that’s reason enough. It’s a snarky, personality-driven weather app that is a great example of how technology can be useful as well as entertaining. You’ll get detailed weather updates, notification center widgets, keyboard shortcuts, and even a synced iOS app.

Justin summed up everything you’ll love about it in one line: “CARROT is her usual psychopathic self, keeping you informed about both the weather and your own insignificance.”

Helium for Mac OS X (Free)

Sometimes, small apps solve a problem you didn’t even know you had, and then you can’t imagine using your computer without it. Helium is one of those nifty little tools. It’s a browser window that floats on top of other windows, and it’s ideal for watching videos while doing other things on your screen. It has a low footprint and hardly takes any memory. It’s super-simple to use, and can even be set to be translucent.

Microsoft Office 2016 ($9.99/month or $149.99 one-off)

We got a whole new version of Microsoft Office this year, and although there were some installation problems initially, Office 2016 is now pretty stable. There’s lots of new stuff in Office 2016 for Mac, like integration with OneDrive, a complete design overhaul (it looks gorgeous now), and small additions like the Design tab in Word or the Presenter window in Powerpoint for reading notes privately while you do your presentation. Danny covered everything that’s new in Office 2016 so check it out if you need a powerful office app.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (Free)

Look, Mac is safer than Windows, but it’s not 100% safe. You can still get malware or a virus on OS X. How do you find out? Malwarebytes for Mac, released this year, is a free tool to scan your hardware for malicious elements and remove them easily. This is a new version of the popular Adware Medic tool, which Malwarebytes bought, along with its creator Thomas Reed who runs one of the best Mac security blogs around. You’re safe with this one.

CleanMyDrive 2 (Free)

Your Mac creates a lot of garbage files in its daily operation. You don’t see them, but they’re there. The one you’re probably most familiar with is a DS_Store file. It’s difficult and tedious to get rid of these. The original CleanMyDrive cleaned up so you don’t have to, and the new version does that and more. Sitting in the Mac Menubar, it shows you the junk on all your drives (even USB-connected ones) and offers to clean it, lets you eject everything with one click, and has easy drag-and-drop to transfer files from one drive to another. Very handy if you need to copy stuff to your flash drive!

Dictater (Free)

Apple’s built-in text-to-speech function is pretty great, but weirdly, OS X doesn’t have any interface for you to actually control it. Dictater is the solution Apple should have built into Mac OS X. It’s a simple app that lets you choose any text and have your Mac read it out. You can pause, rewind, and fast-forward by sentences or paragraphs; replay sentences; and use it as a teleprompter too. Setup Dictater correctly and it’ll be one of your favorite tools.

Reeder 3 ($9.99)

It was a sad day when Reeder died and we needed alternative RSS readers. Well, Reeder is back and it’s better than ever. It sports a gorgeous new UI that complements El Capitan’s flat look, and is stuffed with features. Reeder supports most RSS feed services; third-party sharing for Pocket, Instapaper, Buffer, and others; a new private browsing mode; and gesture support for the trackpad. Yeah, it’s not cheap, but it’s the best.

Bartender 2 ($15)

Bartender is one of the most popular tools to tidy up your Menubar. Bartender 2 is a visual makeover that goes great with El Capitan, and lets you create a second, custom menubar that is hidden most of the time. There are a few neat additions in version two, such as keyboard shortcuts to access the hidden menu, and a new search bar to locate what you want quickly.

Barsoom ($7)

If that’s too expensive, consider Barsoom. Justin compared Bartender and a bunch of other tools while figuring out apps to clean up your Menubar, and really liked Barsoom. Much like Bartender, it lets you hide apps in your menubar, add icons that OS X doesn’t show by default, and can even get rid of the text menus on the top-left for a while. All for half the price of Bartender.

Fantastical 2 ($49.99)

Yeah, Fantastical is a great calendar app, but should you pay $50 for it? Well, Harry thinks so, and with good reason. Fantastical integrates with all your calendar services like Google Calendar, iCloud and so on, changing with the tap of a key. It works on iOS too, for cross-platform ease and supports Continuity. It uses natural language commands, looks gorgeous, has a helpful “Today” view, and it’s pretty much the last calendar app you’ll ever need.

Any.Do (Free)

Well it’s about time! After being one of the best to-do list apps on Android, iPhone, Chrome, and all other platforms, Any.Do finally got a native Mac OS X app this year. There are two aspects that make Any.Do a must-have for Mac users. It integrates with the notification center so you never miss an important update, and it has a menubar icon to quickly add tasks.

The best to-do list should get out of the way 90% of the time, and work smartly when you want to add a task or it needs to remind you of one. That’s what Any.Do is all about.

Move to Apple Music ($4.99)

Apple’s biggest non-hardware announcement this year was Apple Music, a new streaming music platform. If you’ve switched to Apple Music but were already using Spotfiy or Rdio, then you probably want to bring your old playlists with you. The simplest way to do it is a small dedicated app called Move to Apple Music. The app costs five bucks, but you can try it for free first to check if it’s working for you. It’s dead simple, it gets the job done, and you’ll soon be sharing and discovering playlists on Apple Music.

Unclutter ($5.99)

This is one of those tools I wish came with Mac OS X. Unclutter is an organizational tool for OS X, which sits in your menubar. When you take your cursor to the menubar, it slides down to reveal three panels: clipboard, drop zone, and notepad. Use them like you would normally use a clipboard, drop zone, or a notepad. Unclutter just makes it convenient. It supports Dropbox for backups and I only wish it was free.

Tweetbot 2 for Mac ($9.99)

Tweetbot was yet again our pick for the best Twitter app for iOS, and that extends to the Mac version following the new version released this year. If you’re a Twitter power user, this is the app you need, especially given how woefully out-of-date the Twitter for Mac app is. Tweetbot gives you multiple columns and windows, allows you to mute users, hashtags, or keywords, supports third-party apps, includes a powerful search feature, and looks gorgeous doing it all.

Tether (Free)

Tether is one of the easiest ways of protecting your Mac from snooping colleagues and family. It uses your iOS device and pairs it with your Mac using Bluetooth. Set your Mac to automatically lock when it’s far from your iOS device; when you’re back, it’ll unlock automatically. Simple, efficient and free. There are other options to unlock your Mac with fingerprint or Bluetooth too, if Tether doesn’t float your boat.

TripMode ($7.99)

Mobile data is costly. So when you need to tether your phone to your Mac or use mobile data through a hotspot, you don’t want to waste it on background apps and such. You could go and stop every app separately, or just grab TripMode. It’ll show you a list of all the apps that are using the Internet, and let you switch them on and off with a toggle.

It costs a pretty penny for what it does, but its simplicity would be worth it if you often use mobile data with your Mac. There’s a free trial also at the link below, if you want to try it out first.

What’s Your Mac App of the Year?

I don’t tend to use weather apps, so I’m going to pick Helium as the most impressive app of 2015 on Mac. What about you?

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DuckDuckGo Grew by 70% Throughout the Year of 2015 by @mattsouthern | Dramel Notes

DuckDuckGo, the search engine whose selling point is the fact that it doesn’t track users, has grown by a considerable amount year over year.

The niche search engine boasts a growth of 70% throughout the year of 2015, despite the fact that it hasn’t nearly seen the adoption rate of more mainstream search engines.

According to the company’s own traffic stats, which it makes available publicly, 3.25 billion searches were entered into DuckDuckGo this year.

That marks a 74% increase compared to the same period of last year. DuckDuckGo reached a new record high on December 14th when it received over 12 million queries in a single day.

Of course, none of this looks impressive compared to the hundreds of billions of searches Google handles in a single month. Although for a startup search engine it’s an accomplishment that it has been able to somewhat compete with the other search engines, and actually see continuous growth.

According to a report in Quartz, DuckDuckGo’s CEO Gabriel Weinberg credits the growth to new partnerships with Apple and Mozilla, as well as word of mouth. Weinberg also points to the fact that Americans are becoming more concerned about search engines tracking user data.

The problem with DuckDuckGo, as its CEO also points out, is that it has a product most people don’t even know exists. Those who don’t want search engines to track their data may have no idea there’s an alternative out there.

Although there’s only so many times the company can lean on that excuse without taking action. If it wants to grow, it needs to launch a serious campaign built around education and awareness. It can’t rely on word of mouth alone.

Will be interesting to see, in 2016, if the company builds on this momentum and attempts to get its brand out there in front of more people.

Featured Image Credit: mtkang / Shutterstock.com

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10 Amazing Tech Support Stories That Actually Happened | Dramel Notes

As technology keeps advancing, tech support becomes ever more important. Unfortunately, between the people who work tech support and the end users who need tech support’s help, it’s hard to have much empathy for the other side.

Tech support might be nightmarish for you, but here are some absolutely amazing stories that give a glimpse into the lives of these unsung heroes. Tears, laughs, and even justice awaits in these Tales of Tech Support.

1. No Act of Kindness Is Too Small

Here’s the sad thing about IT help: support staffers think all end users are idiots while end users think all support staffers are incompetent. Both sides tend to forget that the other side is human, and that leads to a lot of misunderstandings.

Or in the case of this story, a lot of heartbreak and reflection. You just never know what someone else might be going through, and a small act of kindness could be the one thing that brings an immeasurable amount of joy into someone’s life.

Like I said, I’ve dealt with this before so I tried my best not to take it personally, but eventually I had to ask him if we could book a service tech to the home (a courtesy call) to get his TV working correctly. Unfortunately, our booking calendar was showing an appointment 3 days out. That’s when he dropped this on me:

“Don’t bother sending a goddamn technician, because I’ll be dead by then. I’m 94 and TV is the only thing I have left, are you really going to make me wait for a tech?”

Read the full story here and be prepared to be rendered speechless.

2. Paranoid and Rightfully So

Anyone who’s been in the IT business for more than a year has likely run into their fair share of conspiracy nutjobs and paranoid lunatics — but every once in a while, the conspiracy theories and paranoia end up being justified.

She insists her husband is monitoring her every move, tracking her vehicle, monitoring her computer, and recording her in her own home. Here’s where it gets interesting: She claims that she knows all of this, because he has told her about it.

In fact, he has gone so far as to threaten her life if she tries to tamper with any of it. She says she has tried to apply for a protective order against him, but ostensibly without some sort of evidence of his behavior, nobody would take her seriously.

I give her the crazy litmus test and I tell her that in order to gather evidence discreetly we would need two of our senior consultants to investigate. $300 an hour, four hour minimum.

She pulls out her wallet. F***, she’s serious.

Read the full story here. It reads like a thriller novel, but never edges into unbelievable territory. It’s a little long but definitely worth the read. Skip the techno-jargon in the middle to save yourself a bit of time.

3. The 5:45am “Friend of a Friend” Call

One of the worst aspects of being an IT professional is that family members, friends, and friends-of-friends assume you’re always willing to give free advice. It’s even worse when they expect you to help, and worst yet when they demand it of you. How would you like to be called at 5:45am by a stranger?

Me: “Hello?”

Stranger: “Hi DallasITGuy, this is $GuyYouBarelyKnow. Do you have a second? I can’t get my laptop on my home wireless and I really need to check to make sure my flight is on time.”

Me: “Who the f*** is this again?”

Stranger: “This is $GuyYouBarelyKnow. I’m a friend of $OtherGuy. We met at $NeighborhoodBar a couple of weeks ago. My Internet’s down and I remembered you’re in IT so I looked up your number and gave you a ring. Can you help me real quick?”

Read the full story here, but if you’re prone to blood pressure spikes, you should probably do yourself a favor and move on to the next story.

4. Mom’s Broken Internet

Sometimes tech support requests are about more than just tech support. That’s what this IT worker discovered when his mother contacted him about her broken Internet connection, and it took him a bit to realize what she really wanted.

My phone rang last week while I was home. Day off.

Mom: “Do you have a minute honey? My internet doesn’t work, either computer, nor the tablet either.. I was thinking maybe you could come have dinner later and look at it? I bought chicken, soft cheese, wine, and I’m baking a..”

Somewhere later down the menu I already fixed it. I work at the telco, and have access to my tools remotely, I saw it had no valid IP so I reset the modem and the router we provide her. Basic lease renewal issue. It happens, everything else is green.

Me: “Boom, magic, you’re online mom.”

Mom: “Whaa? … Oh. You’re right.” Sounds disappointed. “Thank you, that was really fast, I guess I won’t trouble you to come over then.”

Read the full story here, but more importantly, remember that there are people in your life who wish you had more time to spend with them!

5. Accidentally Got the Secretary Fired

Humans are being replaced by robots at an alarming rate, and many more jobs will soon be at risk. This IT support story is a hilarious account of how one man’s generosity came back and bit his coworker right in the rear.

Of course, being the bright-eyed, not-yet-disillusioned, early-twenties computer nerd eager to prove my worth, I didn’t just want to do my job. I wanted to do it great and really impress people. Go above and beyond and be appreciated.

And the complaining secretary from that morning had plopped a great opportunity to show that I’m a real go-getter right into my lap.

Read the full story here, and while you’re at it, you might want to take a moment to consider what will happen when robots take over all of our jobs.

6. “I Think We’re Being Hacked!”

The funniest — and most frustrating — clients in tech support are those who have so little computer experience that everything frightens them and they have no idea how to deal with even the most mundane of problems.

The phone rings.

Her: “Yes hello. This the secretary of the CEO. We need you to come over NOW! We have a big problem.”

Me: “What seems to be wrong?”

Her: “Mr. CEO is trying to open a file in Word, but every time he does this, scrambled text is showing up. I THINK WE ARE BEING HACKED!”

Read the full story here. Hopefully stories like this help you to better sympathize with IT workers. They have to deal with a lot of crazy and inane support requests on a daily basis, so when they’re short with you, don’t take it personally.

By the way, Hollywood’s depiction of hacking is never what it really looks like. Most of the time, hacks are entirely invisible. Instead, you should worry more about installing a good security suite and adhering to these most effective tips from security experts.

7. Google’s Phenomenal Customer Service

Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, you have to give Google props for what they did for this person who needed help — with a product that wasn’t related to Google in any way whatsoever.

My friend bought a Netflix box for a TV, and when it wouldn’t work, asked me to come set it up. I couldn’t get there until after work, and when I did, it was working. She said she called Google to fix it…

Read the full story here. To be fair, the Google support worker probably used Google to help her troubleshoot her setup, but still, it’s nice to know that these kinds of quiet moments are happening out there even if we don’t always hear about them.

8. IE vs. Chrome, What’s the Difference?

Tech-savvy people tend to forget just how much jargon, knowledge, and experience is necessary to become comfortable with technology. Things that are simple to you and me might be impossible to grasp for the average user — such as the difference between Internet Explorer and Chrome.

Me: “Ma’am, it looks like everything works well here, Internet is working alright, you sure it’s not a problem with your connection?”

Woman looked at me like I offended her ancestors

Woman: “CAN’T YOU SEE SIR, THEY DELETED INTERNET FROM MY COMPUTER!!!”

Oh. I got it… Someone deleted Internet Explorer from her laptop, changing it with Chrome. Poor woman didn’t have a clue what Chrome is.

Read the full story here and try not to facepalm too hard or judge the woman as a stupid human being. We’ve all been there at one point or another, and that’s why sites like this exist: to help people learn!

9. Voicemails from His Daughter

IT support folks are rarely thanked when they do a job well done, but more so than that, they’re even more rarely recognized when they do hero-level work. Consider this story of an innocent help desk worker who does his best to help retrieve a man’s important voicemail files.

I don’t remember his name but his problem description was just “needs to remove audio file from phone”. Figured heh this should be easy (a typical old faculty member needing help with his phone kinda thing), I asked him to come sit at my station and took a look at his problem.

He unlocks his phone for me and I navigate to his phone app and pull up the voicemail. While I was looking at the phone he said there were 3 voicemails from the previous weekend were the ones he wanted saved. I played the first one on speaker to see if they were playing properly.

“Hey dad…”

Read the full story here. If there’s one thing to take away from this story, it’s that even the simplest or humblest of tasks — like saving voicemail files — can make a huge impact on someone’s life. Never underestimate how you might be helping others.

10. The Case of the 500-Mile Email

This last IT support story is equal parts fascinating and hilarious. What do you do when someone tells you that they can’t send emails to recipients who are more than 500 miles away? The solution to this “impossible” problem will definitely catch you off guard.

I was working in a job running the campus email system some years ago when I got a call from the chairman of the statistics department.

“We’re having a problem sending email out of the department.”

“What’s the problem?” I asked.

“We can’t send mail more than 500 miles,” the chairman explained.

I choked on my latte. “Come again?”

“We can’t send mail farther than 500 miles from here,” he repeated. “A little bit more, actually. Call it 520 miles. But no farther.”

Read the full story here. If anything, this just goes to show that IT workers occasionally have to deal with some really weird issues and come up with brilliant diagnoses.

IT Workers Deserve Our Appreciation

The next time you think that all IT support workers are lazy and incompetent, we urge you to remember these stories. Consider what they have to deal with on a day-to-day basis, and remember that some IT workers truly are modern-day heroes.

On the other hand, be aware that there are predatory people out there who disguise themselves as IT support folk in order to scam and deceive innocent users like you and me. Learn to identify these tech support scams so you don’t become another victim.

Have any IT support stories of your own? Whether you were the helper or the end user, we want to hear them all! If you have no stories, then tell us about your biggest IT pet peeves!

Image Credit: Tired female customer service by Tyler Olson via Shutterstock, Cartoonresource via Shutterstock

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2 Best Ways To Disable Chromebook Sleep Mode | Dramel Notes

Even when taken at face value, Chromebooks are undeniably awesome. However, for power users, the real fun starts when you start getting under the bonnet and tweaking the machine so it perfectly suits your requirements.

For example, you could install Linux to give you access to software that would otherwise be unavailable, you could unlock the browser’s developer options to install the Android version of Skype, or you could choose to run a different release channel to let you use as-yet publicly unavailable features.

The latest cool hack we’ve got for you is disabling the sleep mode. We’ll explain why you might want to, what the potential drawbacks are, then show you two methods of how to do it (one of which is easier than the other!).

Why Should You Disable Sleep Mode?

Sleep modes can be annoying. No doubt you’ll have lost track of the number of times you’ve been doing something on your mobile, put it down for a bit too long, and had to re-enter the password when you pick it back up.

Chromebooks are similar. They don’t offer screensavers, so automatically go into sleep mode if left for too long. If you have your device set up to request a password each time this happens, it quickly gets frustrating.

You might also want to disable it if you use a second monitor, an external mouse, and an external keyboard, and want to close the lid on your device without it shutting down.

What Are the Drawbacks?

In two words – battery life.

Battery life on Chromebooks is excellent compared to Windows and Macs thanks to the much less resource-intensive operating system (it’s not uncommon for a machine to last for 13+ hours of continuous usage on a single charge). However, leaving the screen on all the time when it’s not needed is a sure-fire way to make it run down more quickly.

Over time, it will also hurt the lifespan of the battery. Unlike most laptops, the batteries in Chromebooks are non-removable. It means there’s no way to easily replace it once a single charge is lasting minutes rather than hours.

In short – disabling sleep mode is not for everyone. If you don’t need it to be disabled, don’t do it.

Bonus Tips: How to Extend the Battery Life

If you want to disable sleep mode, there are some things you can do to try and smooth out the hit on battery life.

Firstly – Disable Bluetooth. Bluetooth is certain useful in certain situations, but is a massive drain on battery when not in use. Navigate to Settings > Advanced Settings and scroll down to Bluetooth to turn it off.

Secondly – Disable Wi-Fi. Chromebooks are still really useful when used offline, and disabling Wi-Fi if you’re just working in Google Docs will make a big difference.

Thirdly – Close unneeded tabs in Chrome. The more tabs you have open, the more memory your machine uses. The more memory it uses, the more battery it uses. Simple.

Fourthly – Kill the screen brightness. It’s bad for your eyes and bad for your battery – you don’t need the brightness at 100 percent. Ever.

Finally – Run the task manager. Go into the options menu and click on More tools > Task Manager. It will show you all the processes that are running, along with their memory usage. Disable the extensions that are hogging your memory. Anything that’s taking a lot of memory but is not being used can theoretically be killed (but beware of unexpected usability issues).

Method One: The Hard (But Fun) Way

If you’re a tinkerer, this is the method for you. If you don’t like dealing with code and developer modes you should skip this section and keep reading…

Before you get going, you’ll need to put your device into Developer Mode. This varies from model to model – older devices might have a physical switch, while newer releases will need to be booted into Recovery Mode first (hold Esc + Refresh and tap the Power button). Once you’re presented with a screen that says “Chrome OS is missing or damaged”, you need to press Ctrl + D, then press Enter.

Beware, enabling (and disabling) Developer Mode will wipe your machine – make backups!

Once you’ve enabled Developer Mode and you’re back on your desktop, you’ll need to enter the Chrome OS shell (aka Crosh) by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.

Type sudo chromeos-firmwareupdate –mode=todev and hit Enter. Your machine will reboot. Once it’s restarted, re-enter Crosh.

This time, type Shell and press Enter, then type cd /usr/share/vboot/bin/ to change directory.

Next, type sudo ./make_dev_ssd.sh –remove_rootfs_verification –partitions 2. You might be prompted to reboot after this stage. If you are, follow on onscreen in instructions and re-enter Crosh.

Now type mount -o rw,remount /, press Enter, then type echo 0 > /usr/share/power_manager/use_lid and press Enter.

Finally, run the following two commands; restart powerd and restart powerm.

Try restarting your Chromebook and closing the lid. If it stays on, it’s worked.

To undo your changes, just disable Developer Mode or perform a factory reset.

Method Two: The Easy (And Fast) Way

If you don’t fancy delving around in your Chrome’s system files, there’s a (much) easier way – just use a Chrome Web Store app!

The app in question is called Keep Awake. It adds an icon in the upper-right corner of the browser which makes it easy to temporarily override the power management settings on your device (no Developer Mode is required).

It comes with three modes of usage – one where the screen is kept on (the sun icon), one where the system is prevented from sleeping (the sunset icon), or one where power-saving settings are left intact (the moon icon).

The biggest draw of this app is the sunset icon – it will allow the screen to turn off, but will keep all network connections active, very useful if you’re using your Chromebook to share its connection with another device.

Which Method Do You Prefer?

Did you try using the first method? Was it successful or did you encounter issues? We and your fellow readers can try and help you overcome any hiccups if you leave a description of your problem in the comments box below.

Perhaps you’ve used the app instead? Do you find it useful? Let us know your thoughts and feedback.

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7 Ways Windows 10 is More Secure than Windows XP | Dramel Notes

Despite the endless warnings from Microsoft, the security-related horror stories from users on Internet forums, and countless technology articles that advise people about the folly of continuing to use Windows XP, some individuals (and companies) simply will not listen.

Believe it or not, there is an odd breed of computer owners out there who maintain that a 15-year-old operating system is both better and more user-friendly that the recently-released and much-praised Windows 10.

Bottom line – it’s not. You can check out our Windows section for a collection of articles that will walk you through all the cool new features that XP users are missing out on – but in this piece we will focus on some of the security aspects.

XP diehards, take note…

Internet Explorer vs Microsoft Edge

Understandably, Microsoft Edge has its critics (just look at the hundreds of comments in our article which espoused its virtues). One area where it absolutely blows its predecessor out of the water, however, is security.

The chequered security history of Internet Explorer will need no introduction to most users. It’s single-handedly responsible for making most of the spyware, adware, and computer viruses possible, it was seemingly stuck in an endless cycle of updates, patches, and fixes, and Microsoft was notoriously slow to respond to new threats.

Edge is supposedly a clean slate, designed to make a complete break with its tarnished ancestor. Toolbars, ActiveX, VBScript, and Java are out, HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS), sandboxes, and SmartScreen are in. All-in-all, it adds up to a much more robust product.

Microsoft Support

All software relies heavily on being updated frequently, and the Windows operating system is no different.

It’s an endless game of cat and mouse between the developers and the hackers; as soon as Microsoft finds and plugs a security vulnerability, the would-be cyber-criminals move on to a different, theoretically weaker piece of code and start chipping away there instead.

Unfortunately, Windows XP is now open season for hackers. Microsoft officially ended support on April 8th 2014, and since then the operating system has become increasingly vulnerable to security risks and viruses with every day that passes. Remember – XP is the most attacked OS in history.

Microsoft has taken a lot of flak for their enforced updates in Windows 10, but the upside means that users will be permanently running the latest security fixes and hackers will likely look elsewhere.

Windows Hello

Windows Hello has been touted as a password-killer by Microsoft. Whether or not that fanciful notion comes to fruition remains to be seen, but what is certain is that the new biometric authentication service is significantly more secure than mere password-based protection.

Obviously, given the age of the XP system, it offers no such feature.

Hello works by scanning your face, iris, or fingerprint to unlock devices. Sadly, your machine will need special hardware for it to work – but supported laptops and PCs are now starting to ship. If you’re replacing an old XP machine, you should consider investing in a device that can make use of it.

Device Guard

Device Guard is Microsoft’s answer to zero-day attacks. It works by vetting all applications that attempt to access a Windows 10 machines, and if it recognizes an app as being unsigned, the operating system will make a decision about whether to trust the app. If it doesn’t trust it, the user will receive a notification, thus allowing them to decide for themselves.

It works in conjunction with an antivirus program; Microsoft claim “AV will continue to cover areas that Device Guard doesn’t such as JIT based apps (e.g. Java) and macros within documents”, while Device Guard will “help block executable and script based malware”.

XP was poor at preventing zero-day attacks. Service Pack 2 included limited protection against generic memory corruption vulnerabilities, but that was the extent of its coverage.

The End of Patch Tuesday

“Patch Tuesday” was a colloquial name for the policy introduced by Microsoft in 2003 which saw systems accumulate security patches before dispatching them on the second Tuesday of each month. The idea behind the approach was that it would allow businesses to plan for the updates in advance of their release.

The policy had two widely-criticized problems; firstly, updates could be held back for up to a month, which naturally had security implications. Secondly, it led to the creation of “Exploit Wednesday” – the new patches were instantly analyzed by hackers, previously unknown vulnerabilities were discovered, and these would then (often) remain unfixed until the next Patch Tuesday. It was a vicious circle.

Thankfully, as of the release of Windows 10, Microsoft have abandoned the approach. Updates are now delivered continuously, and they even go so far as to offer companies a ring-based model for distribution so they can decide which specific machines get updated first.

Secure Boot

Secure Boot was present in Windows 8 but was frequently not used – most device manufacturers shipped the operating system with the feature disabled. In Windows 10 it is enabled by default (though worried Linux users can still disable manually if they want to run a dual-boot machine).

The feature is designed to prevent hackers from using a USB flash drive or a microSD port on a computer to boot to a malicious program image. It practice, it means only apps that are signed and trusted by admins can run.

XP had no such protection, and as the prevalence of plug-in storage became more widespread, it became increasingly vulnerable.

Improvements to Windows Defender

Admittedly, Windows Defender still lags a little behind some of the most well-known anti-virus suites when tested independently – but its lack of nag screens, ease-of-use (no set-up required!), and baked-in nature make it an quick and easy choice.

Make no mistake, Mircosoft’s security offering used to be awful. In fact, when Windows XP first hit our shelves they offered nothing at all; it took until 2005 for the company to develop “Windows Live OneCare” – a subscription-based commercial anti-virus service. The software was widely criticised upon its release.

In 2009 Microsoft Security Essentials was released (Windows Defender was a sub-section of the product which only offered protection against adware and spyware). It was cumbersome to use and incompatible with Windows XP beyond version 4.5.

Windows 8 saw Windows Defender become a standalone anti-virus, and finally Windows 10 has seen it start to fulfil its potential.

It’s lightweight and unobtrusive – two of the most important features for any security suite. If malware is found you’ll get a pop-up in your notifications box, but you won’t need to decide what to do with it – it will automatically be quarantined. Virus definition updates are delivered automatically through Windows Update, and it supports real-time protection and cloud-based protection.

Best of all, if you decide you want to run an alternative anti-virus, Windows will automatically disable Windows Defender – there’s no need for you to do anything!

What Did We Miss?

What Windows 10 vs Windows XP security features did we miss? We’re sure there are lots more differences that you can think of.

You can let us know about your favorite differences in the comments section below.

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How to Block the Aggressive Windows 10 Upgrade on Windows 7 and 8.1 | Dramel Notes

As the Windows 10 adoption rate is slowing down, Microsoft ramps up its efforts to make users upgrade. Come 2016, many people will wake up to a new operating system, despite never having consciously consented to the upgrade. Even those of you who have previously removed updates and installed tools to block the Get Windows 10 app (GWX) could be affected.

We show you what’s going on and how to push back and hold on to Windows 7 or 8.

What’s Happening in Windows Land?

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, users of GWX Control Panel, a tool designed to remove the Get Windows 10 app, reported that the “AllowOSUpgrade” setting was being switched on automatically. “It keeps re-setting iself at least once a day if [users] switch it back off,” developer Josh Mayfield told Computerworld.

Apparently, Microsoft has been re-issuing the update that installs GWX with different binary files, which makes it look like a new update. Moreover, Microsoft has applied changes to Windows Update in Windows 7 and 8.1.

This update enables support for additional upgrade scenarios from Windows 7 to Windows 10, and provides a smoother experience when you have to retry an operating system upgrade because of certain failure conditions. This update also improves the ability of Microsoft to monitor the quality of the upgrade experience. –Microsoft Support

Mayfield suspects that Microsoft is laying the groundwork for its next move. And all the evidence suggests he’s right. Microsoft is pushing the Windows 10 upgrade through Windows Update and it’s not being coy about it. In late October, Terry Myerson wrote:

We will soon be publishing Windows 10 as an “Optional Update” in Windows Update for all Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers. (…) Early next year, we expect to be re-categorizing Windows 10 as a “Recommended Update”. Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device.

Such an update was erroneously published as a default update earlier this year. In September, reports surfaced that computers had been upgraded to Windows 10 over night.

Meanwhile, the Get Windows 10 notification has lost a decline option. Instead, users can choose between “Upgrade now” or “Start download, upgrade later”. Reddit user EchoRadius reports that the “upgrade later” option caused his system to upgrade quicker than expected and automatically; other users confirm similar experiences.

On a Windows 8.1 PC. Mostly full screen pop-up. No clear "No thanks" button, just download Windows 10 now or later. pic.twitter.com/RRoaFMST9r

— Brad Chacos (@BradChacos) December 11, 2015

The trick, of course, is to simply close the app without making a choice. It’s a clever way of fooling naive users into upgrading.

Why Is Microsoft Pushing So Hard?

The Windows 10 adoption rate is slowing down, as the latest numbers from NetMarketShare demonstrate. Windows 7 (56.11%) lost around 4% of its market share since the release of Windows 10, Windows 8.1 (11.15%) dropped by 2%. From October to November, however, both Windows versions gained back market share. Meanwhile, Windows 10 (9%) is struggling to overtake Windows XP (10.59%) as the third most common Windows version. This is a disaster that Christmas sales alone are unlikely to fix.

At the current rate, Microsoft is unlikely to make its 1 Billion Windows 10 devices goal anytime soon. But that’s not its biggest problem. Windows 10 was designed to reduce costs by streamlinging updates and bring in extra money through new services. The more existing users upgrade, the more profitable Microsoft will be; it’s all about business.

5 Ways to Block the Windows 10 Upgrade

We have previously shown you how to get rid of the Windows 10 upgrade notification and how to stop the automatic Windows 10 download and installation. In the meantime, additional strategies have emerged. Here we’ll briefly summarize all of them.

1. Install Third Party Software

The previously mentioned GWX Control Panel (fka GWX Stopper) can permanently remove the Get Windows 10 icon and disable the respective app. Frequent updates and a newly added “Monitor Mode” ensure that the tool will quickly catch any changes made to Windows upgrade settings and alert users. You can download GWX Control Panel here (direct download).

Likewise, I Don’t Want Windows 10 blocks GWX, however, this tool hasn’t been updated in a while.

2. Take Control Over GWX Folder in System 32

This sounds more intimidating than it is. You could rename the GWX folder to remove the irritating system tray icon. At least this would prevent anyone from accidentally upgrading now or later — until an update restores the folder. Instead, change write permissions.

Briefly, open File Explorer, head to C:WindowsSystem32, find the GWX folder, take ownership, delete everything in it, and Deny any users all of the security settings. Restart your computer and be done.

3. Set a Registry Key to Disable GWX

Open the registry and head to the following string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows

Right-click Windows to create a new Key and call it GWX. Now right-click GWX and create a new DWORD Value called DisableGWX. Set its value to 1, close the registry editor, and reboot to activate the changes.

4. Disable Recommended Updates

Microsoft announced that Windows 10 will become a recommended update in 2016. Time to disable these updates, they are not essential anyway. Briefly, head to Windows Update, select Change Settings from the menu on the left, under Important updates, select Install updates automatically, and then remove the check mark under Recommended updates.

If you’re on a metered connection, you might want to disable automatic updates altogether. Note that this could make your system vulnerable to malware and malicious attacks.

5. Give Up and Install Linux

We don’t know how far Microsoft will go to make Windows 7 and 8.1 users adopt Windows 10 before the free upgrade offer expires. And while Windows 10 has many benefits and this writer enjoys working with it very much, the aggressiveness with which Microsoft is pushing the upgrade is disconcerting. If you can’t see yourself using Windows 10, maybe it’s time to move on.

Linux is a great alternative to Windows not only because it’s free. It also comes in many different flavors, some of which are very similar to Windows. Last but not least, it’s less of a target for hackers and malware. First time users upgrading from Windows might want to try Ubuntu Linux.

When Will You Give Into Windows 10?

Maybe, if Microsoft nags users long enough, they will eventually give in. The numbers indicate that this hasn’t worked so well, yet. What if Microsoft focused on making Windows 10 really great and let it speak for itself. A free upgrade alone isn’t enough.

What is making you stick with Windows 7 or 8? And which feature would make you upgrade to Windows 10?

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Government Spies Are Using Twitter, Watch Internet Explorer Die… [Tech News Digest] | Dramel Notes

Twitter warns users about spies, Internet Explorer shrinks to nothing, Microsoft has 10 free albums waiting for you, Apple desperately wants you to upgrade, and Saturday Night Live mocks toy collectors.

Twitter Warns of State Sponsored Attacks

Twitter has started warning users that their accounts may have been hacked by “state-sponsored actors […] possibly associated with a government.” The number of users notified that they have been targeted is unclear, but a handful have now published the warning they received on Friday (December 11).

We received a warning from @twitter today stating we may be "targeted by state-sponsored actors" pic.twitter.com/oZm83eVFC5

— coldhak (@coldhakca) December 11, 2015

Those affected have been warned that their username, IP address, email address, and phone number may have been obtained. However, according to Motherboard, there seems little to connect those targeted apart from an interest in security, activism, or free speech. Some have loose connections to the Tor Project.

Twitter is just the latest company to notify users when they’re targeted in this way. Google has had such a policy since 2012, and in October 2015 Facebook publicly announced it was following suit. However, the notices are the first indication Twitter has changed its policy in this way, with no previous public pronouncement.

Watch Chrome Eat Internet Explorer

It may be a difficult concept to grasp now, but at one time in our very recent past Internet Explorer was THE Web browser of choice. Microsoft owned in terms of market share for many years, remaining popular despite the challenges offered by Firefox, Opera, and Safari.

However, everything changed in 2008 when Google released Chrome. It quickly gained a foothold, and then grew to become the most popular Web browser around. A position it retains to this day. The video above, as discovered by The Next Web, gracefully shows how Chrome ate away at the dominance of Internet Explorer.

It’s a beautifully made video which truly brings home the impact Chrome had on the browser market. Internet Explorer still isn’t dead, but with Microsoft switching focus to Edge, its days are very much numbered. Predictions for the date of its ultimate demise on a postcard please.

Microsoft Rewards Windows 10 Users

Microsoft is currently giving away 10 of the most popular albums released in 2015 for free to Windows 10 users. As announced on the Windows Blog, the company is extending the offer to “Windows 10 fans as a gift from us for the holidays, and to say thank you for the support!”

Albums on offer completely for free for a limited time only include Chaos and The Calm by James Bay, Sound and Color by Alabama Shakes, Revival by Selena Gomez, and Delirium by Ellie Goulding. The free downloads are available by following the individual links on the Windows Blog post.

Unfortunately, the offer only applies to people using Windows 10 devices in the United States. Because Microsoft hates the rest of the world. Probably.

Apple Is Desperate for You to Upgrade

Apple appears to be pushing its fans to upgrade to newer devices in a much more aggressive manner than before, employing popup ads on the Apple Store for the first time. Anyone using an iPhone 5s or older device is being hit with a popup advertising the iPhone 6s, which Apple describes as “Ridiculously Powerful.”

I open up the app store on my iPhone 5 and I get this… Are you fucking kidding me? https://t.co/BjTDTSm7L3

— Samantha (@Dirk_Gently) December 10, 2015

According to 9to5Mac, Apple has always used the Apple Store to advertise new products to existing users, but this represents a change in strategy. The popup hides the page users are viewing, and they have to click Skip to acknowledge they have seen it.

We can only assume that the next step will be Apple sending someone around to your house to beg you to upgrade from your crappy, two-year-old device. Because the new one is so much shinier. OK, so the battery life sucks so much you have to buy an ugly battery case, but that’s surely a small price to pay.

SNL Mocks Adult Toy Collectors

And finally, the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, which opens on December 17th, has brought with it a host of new toys. These toys are primarily aimed at children, who will take them out of the packets and play with them. However, there is another set of toy collectors keen to get their hands on the new releases.

Adult toy collectors generally buy toys to keep them for the longterm. They won’t remove them from the packets, instead keeping them safely stored away for the future. These people aren’t harming anyone, and their hobby is about as inoffensive as hobbies get. However, that hasn’t stopped Saturday Night Live from mocking them.

Is it just me or did SNL used to be so much better?

Your Views on Today’s Tech News

Is Twitter right to warn its users they’re being spied on? When will Internet Explorer die completely? Is Microsoft right to reward Windows 10 users? Are Apple’s nagging popup ads a step too far? What do you think of adults who collect Star Wars toys?

Let us know your thoughts on the Tech News of the day by posting to the comments section below. Because a healthy discussion is always welcome.

Image Credits: Beau Giles via Flickr

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Microsoft Continues Open Source Move with Live Writer | Dramel Notes

Many users regarded the original Windows Live Writer as one of the best programs Microsoft ever built. Sadly, it hasn’t been updated since August 2012. Turns out this wasn’t its death knell after all.

Microsoft recently announced that they turned over control of the Windows Live Writer application to the .NET Foundation, where it has become Open Live Writer. The new application will be open source, based upon a fork of Windows Live Writer, and will enable users to author, edit, and publish their work.

A Brief History of Windows Live Writer

At the time, circa-2005, Onfolio Writer was one of the most popular WYSIWYG blogging platforms around. In 2006, Microsoft purchased Onfolio, acquiring Onfolio Writer in the process, keeping most of the original developers on-board, and ultimately oversaw the transition of Onfolio Writer into Windows Live Writer. Microsoft initially envisioned a multi-purpose content creation tool, linking between major web services and allowing its users to upload their written work around the world.

Despite the lack of continued development, and the absence of all but occasional security updates, Windows Live Writer continues to feature highly in blog authoring application lists.

Open Live Writer

From those beginnings comes latest iteration Open Live Writer, a new open source version. Microsoft Principle Program and Community Manager, Scott Hanselman, wrote on his personal blog:

“If you’re willing to put up with some bugs, then join us in this brave new world, you can download Open Live Writer…We’re calling today’s release version 0.5.”

“There was a lot involved both legally and technically as we were breaking new ground for Microsoft. Consider this. We’ve successfully open sourced a previously completely proprietary piece of Windows software that shipped as part of Windows Live Essentials. This software was used by millions and contained code as old as a decade or more. Persistence pays off.”

Open Live Writer has made a number of changes to the original code. The updated open source version has:

• Removed: Spell Checking. The iteration included with Windows Live Writer was completely outdated, and used a third-party spell checker that doesn’t have an open source license.
• Removed: The “Blog This” API. As an older plugin, designed for older versions of Internet Explorer and Firefox, the code was considered a “mess of old COM stuff.”
• Removed: Albums. This feature uploaded photos to OneDrive, but used a library packaged with Windows Live Mail and Live Messenger. Unfortunately, this library isn’t open source, and the Open Live Writer team haven’t yet managed to coax permission to distribute it in an open source project.
• COMING SOON: Windows Live Writer was chugging away on the widely-used Blogger blog service, though this service is coming to an end. The Google-ran service was kept alive until Open Live Writer could ship, and as that time has arrived, Google and Blogger will soon shut down the older authentication system. Both the Blogger service and Open Live Writer will switch to the more modern OAuth 2 to offer you more security.
• COMING SOON: The Open Live Writer team is working on bringing a full spectrum of plugins over from Windows Live Writer, though it could take some time to update your personal favorite. If this of interest to you, please add you opinions to this form, and you can shape the future of Windows Live Writer plugins for your fellow bloggers.

What Is It Like?

If you’ve never used it, I suggest you download the open source application and have a good poke around. It is not a difficult application to learn how to use, and you can be signed into your blog, up and writing within minutes. The UI remains roughly the same, which gives the application a distinctly old-ish feel – think Office 2010 – but the ease of use, one of the most important features of Windows Live Writer, has successfully made the transition to open source.

The appeal of Windows Live Writer lay in its range of blogging support: WordPress, Blogger, TypePad, and plenty more services can all be happily connected too, worked upon, and uploaded to. This hasn’t changed, and we would expect more services to arrive on Open Live Writer as time drips by.

One slight downside comes amongst talk of ongoing support for older systems. While the Open Live Writer Team can happily support their application on Window 10, the group said “We hope to support Windows 7 and Windows 8 for a while at least,” which, while far from a definitive ending, doesn’t sound entirely fantastic for users on those operating systems.

Microsoft Embraces Open Source

Many authors will be excited by the re-release of Windows Live Writer as an open source application. Live Writer has always supported a wide range of blogging services and the new iteration is set to be no different. The arrival of plugins will certainly increase the mass appeal, and as the project is now open source there is sure to be a growing community of ideas, guides, help, and activity.

What’s more though, is that Microsoft continues transferring once proprietary code to open source. This is remarkable, given their history of antagonizing the open source movement under former CEO Steve Ballmer. In the case of Live Writer, rather than trashing an unprofitable software, Microsoft has gone out of its way to make it open source and please its users. What’s next?

Are you excited about Open Live Writer? Which other Microsoft application should be open sourced? If you had to predict what they will open source next, what would be your best guess?

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The Quickest and Easiest Way to Make a Table in Word | Dramel Notes

It seems that the useful features in Microsoft Word never end. From hidden features for power users to important keyboard shortcuts anyone can use to their advantage, Word is a treasure trove of productivity.

For example, the next time you need a table, instead of going to the Insert tab on the Ribbon, place your cursor on a new line and type four plus signs with a space between each one. You can also use the vertical line (|) if you like. After this, just press Enter to make the table.

+ + + + 

This makes a table with one row and three columns, corresponding to the four plus signs you typed (one for each line on the table, and a space for each cell). If you need more columns, add more plus signs before pressing Enter.

To make the columns wider, add dashes between the plus signs:

+----------+----------+----------+

Don’t forget you can also use Word’s format tools to get it right after you create the table.

If this doesn’t work for you, enable the setting by going to File > Options. Click the Proofing tab on the left, then click the AutoCorrect Options… button at the top. At the top, change the tab to AutoFormat as You Type. Under the Apply as You Type header, make sure Tables is checked. Then you’re ready to go!

Now that you’ve got a table, make sure to format it perfectly with our tips.

Have you made any tables with this trick? Do you like using keyboard shortcuts for small tasks like this, or would you prefer the Ribbon? Let us know by commenting!

Image Credit: vinnstock via Shutterstock.com

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How Instagram Filters Work, And Can You Tell The Difference? | Dramel Notes

As Instagram continues to add new and interesting filters for its users, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get a handle on which filter works best with what kind of image. So we figured we’d do something about it. Here you’ll find everything you need to know about what each filter does, what it’s best used for, and we’ve got some examples for you to look at.

Before we get to the list, it’s important to note two things. First, the use of Instagram filters, like just about anything in the art of photography, is incredibly subjective. Second, there are no hard and fast rules. Sometimes, a filter works with an image you wouldn’t expect it to. Don’t limit yourself to these suggestions.

How are Instagram Filters Made?

Instagram founder Kevin Systrom has taken to Quora a few times to explain to users how they come up with their filters. In response to one question he says:

It’s really a combination of a bunch of different methods. In some cases we draw on top of images, in others we do pixel math. It really depends on the effect we’re going for.

For instance, Lomo-fi really isn’t much more than the image with boosted contrast. Whereas Toaster is one of the most complex (and slow, yet popular) filters we have with multiple passes and drawing.

In another, he says:

Our filters are a combination of effects – curve profiles, blending modes, color hues, etc. In fact, I usually create them in Photoshop before creating the algorithms to do them on the phone.

Now, on to the filters. This is the complete list of filters currently available in the app but if you can’t see any of them, open up an image, scroll to the end of the filters, and hit ‘Manage.’ There you can turn filters on and off.

Clarendon

What it does: Originally released as a video-only filter, Clarendon was later made available for photos as well. It intensifies shadows and brightens highlights in your photos.

Use it for: This filter looks great with pet photos and minimalist images where you want the colors to pop.

Gingham

What it does: Gingham is another previously video-only filter. When you use it for your photos, it washes them out. If using with a darker photo, it gives it can give it a yellowish tone. If using it with a photo filled with light, it gives it a brighter, dreamy look.

Use it for: Gingham is reminiscent of some of the more popular VSCO filters, and gives images a vintage feel. This is definitely one for the hipsters and fashionistas.

Photo: Markus Spiske

Moon

What it does: This filter was also originally meant only for video, and was named after an Instagram team member’s dog. Think of it as the black and white version of Gingham, with slightly more intense shadows.

Use it for: This filter is best used for the ultimate vintage look. Moon works best with portraits.

Photo: A. Vahanavati

Lark

What it does: Lark brightens your images and intensifies all your colors, with the exception of red.

Use if for: Use lark with your outdoor nature landscapes and outdoor portraits. The filter does great, albeit subtle, things for sun-kissed skin and greens and blues of trees and skies. It can also be a good filter for some food shots to bring out some great colors in the dishes you want to show off.

Reyes

What it does: Reyes is a relatively new addition to Instagram’s vintage filters. The filter desaturates your image, brightens it up, and gives it an old-time feel.

Use it for: Reyes is another great filter for portraits, particularly if you’re trying to hide any blemishes on your skin. If you usually use another app retouching your photos, you won’t need to do that with Reyes.

Juno

What it does: Juno is another filter which intensifies colors, but this time, its brightening up your reds, yellows, and oranges.

Use it for: Street photography really pops with Juno. The filter makes the grungy look grungier, and gives photos a rich, deep tone.

Photo: Phil Roeder

Slumber

What it does: This filter creates a yellow mask which desaturates most of the images colors.

Use it for: Slumber has a very fitting name as it really adds a dream-like quality to your photos. Use this filter if you want a combination of a vintage and romantic feel. This works particularly well with street photography and nature shots.

Photo: Sjoerd Lammers

Crema

What it does: Crema is another vintage filter, that desaturates images, and smooths out (but also washes out) skin tones.

Use it for: Crema appears to be popular with Instagram users for food shots, but in particular for their coffee shop shots. It also works really well with outdoor nature-scapes, whether green or blue, and city shots.

Photo: Daniel Carlbom

Ludwig

What it does: Ludwig is an intense filter. Warm colors are warmer, cool colors are darker, and shadows and highlights more pronounced.

Use it for: Ludwig is a good filter for cityscapes, buildings, sunsets, and can even add an interesting effect to black and white photos.

Photo: GMP Architecture

Aden

What it does: Aden is a low-contrast filter which softens your images, desaturating them slightly, and giving them a pastel effect. It also warms the cooler colors.

Use if for: This filter works well with portraits as it also has a skin-smoothing effect. Aden also works beautifully with fall images and photos with lens flare.

Photo: Jerome Decq

Perpetua

What it does: Perpetua will brighten an image, and enhances its green and yellow tones

Use it for: Perpetua works well with outdoor shots, especially on the beach. You probably won’t want to use it with portrait shots as it gives skin a very unnatural tone.

Photo: Chris Combe

Amaro

What it does: Amaro brightens the center of your photo. And I mean really brightens. In some photos, it appears to add vignetting to the border of your images.

Use it for: Amaro can give your photos an aged appearance. It works particularly well with fall photos, and street photography.

Mayfair

What it does: Mayfair warms up the colors of your photos, placing something of a spotlight in the center of the image, with very subtle vignetting around the corners.

Use it for: Instagram suggests you use Mayfair for brightly lit images, together with the app’s Lux feature, which auto-adjusts contrast in underexposed images.

Photo: Bit Boy

Rise

What it does: Rise gives your photos a subtle, yellow glow, brightening up your image, and giving it just a hint of vintage.

Use it for: As is the case with most filters that have a vintage feel to them, Rise is great for portraits. You’re ready for your closeup with this filter.

Photo: Ranna Nicolau

Hudson

What it does: The Hudson filter definitely gives your images a cooler look — and by cooler we mean colors. Any warm colors in your image are going to be tempered, and it also adds a subtle vignette to your photo.

Use it for: This is a great filter for outdoor shots — whether you’re taking photos in a bustling city center, or a gorgeous nature shot, particularly if you’re going for an icy, winter look.

Photo: Paul Churcher

Valencia

What it does: If you’re a child of the eighties, this filter, with its yellow tint, will look like your childhood photographs. Colors are just slightly brightened, kind of like you flipped a switch on the scene.

Use it for: Valencia is a pretty versatile, all-purpose filter, as is shown by these photos with the filter. Use it with an image you want to look old-school.

Photo: Jonathan Lin

X-Pro II

What it does: This is by no means a subtle filter. It bumps up the contrast, adds a strong vignette, and makes all of the colors warmer.

Use it for: You’ll want to avoid using X-Pro II with closeup portraits because of the effect it can have on the skin, but it works really well with wider shots — city, nature, and fashion shots all look good. You’ll just want to start with an already bright image.

Photo: Soe Lin

Sierra

What it does: Sierra is another dreamy filter, which is comparable to Rise. That said, it has a darker feel than Rise, thanks to some vignetting, and a well-lit center.

Use it for: This is a filter that works well with outdoor nature photos and photos of objects. This is probably another hipster favorite.

Photo: Ewan Munro

Willow

What it does: This monotone filter is the closest thing Instagram has to a sepia filter. It’s somewhere between black-and-white and sepia without appearing kitschy.

Use it for: Willow looks great on skin so it’s a must-use for portraits. It also works great with beach scenes and macro nature shots.

Photo: Takuya Asada

Lo-Fi

What it does: Lo-fi brightens colors by bumping up the saturation, while also adding shadows to your photo.

Use it for: Lo-fi is often recommended as a must-have for food photography, but it also works with photos with lots of trees and grass.

Photo: Michael Stern

Inkwell

What it does: Inkwell is Instagram’s basic black-and-white filter.

Use it for: This versatile filter works well with portraits, and has an interesting effect on outdoor nature shots.

Photo: Christiaan Triebel

Hefe

What it does: Hefe is another filter that increases color saturation, adds a bit of vignetting, and warms up your image.

Use it for: This is an easy way to increase saturation in any image with just one click. This is particularly useful with nature shots.

Nashville

What it does: The filter’s pink tint warms up the image’s colors, while also simultaneously brightening the whole picture.

Use it for: Nashville is similar to Valencia in terms of the old-school look in your photos, but is slightly more pronounced. This is another good filter to use with any image you want to look vintage.

Photo: John

Earlybird

What it does: Early bird desaturates your image quite a bit, with the bright colors still coming through. It also adds a sepia tint and vignetting to your photo.

Use it for: This is Instagram’s original hipster, vintage filter. Just about any photo instantly feels like it was taken decades ago with the help of Earlybird.

Photo: Katherine Lim

Sutro

What it does: Sutro adds a very noticeable vignette, darkens your image, and gives images a smoked look, with particular emphasis on purple and brown colors to achieve this effect.

Use it for: Use Sutro for just about anything except for portraits. (Unless you want your subjects to look like zombies. If that’s what you’re going for, then Sutro is your best bet.) Naturscapes with Sutro look more mysterious, sunsets more sinister, and cloudy skies more intense.

Photo: Salva Barbera

Toaster

What it does: This is another filter that will look familiar to a child of the eighties. The filter adds a burnt, dodged center to your photo with a strong red tint. The filter, essentially, toasts your image, making images look like they were taken with instant film.

Use it for: Toaster works well with outdoor images, preferably during the day. Night shots taken with your phone don’t look good with Toaster.

Photo: Zach Dischner

Brannan

What it does: Brannan is a high contrast, high exposure filter which brightens your photos and gives them a yellowish tint.

Use it for: If you want your portraits to look like they were taken a century ago — this is a great filter for you. Otherwise, its an image that works really well with waterscapes or nature images, giving them a wintry look.

Photo: Logan Campbell

1977

What it does: The aptly named 1977 gives your images a faded look, adding a red tint.

Use it for: Photos are instantly old-school with this filter, and if you’re a child of the seventies — this is one you will recognize and love. It looks best with outdoor beach and lake scenes, and looks particularly good with lens flare.

Photo: Dave Bloggs

Kelvin

What it does: If there’s a little bit of sunlight in your image, Kelvin makes it look golden, like the photo was taken during that perfect moment in the late afternoon, when the sun is shining just right.

Use it for: Kelvin works with photos with a lot of natural light, or a concentrated amount of artificial light.

Photo: Kate Hiscock

Walden

What it does: Walden brightens the center of your image, adding an icy blue tint to your colors.

Use it for: Walden is at its best when used on portraits, but also works well with any well lit images, giving them an even more vintage look.

Stinson

What it does: Stinson is a subtle filter that brightens your image, washing out the colors ever so slightly.

Use it for: Stinson works well with portraits and beach shots, or any image you want to brighten up a little, and give a subtle nostalgic and vintage look.

Photo: Vinoth Chander

Vesper

What it does: Vesper smooths out skin tones, and also adds a yellow tint that, like with many of Instagram’s filters, it gives it a vintage feel.

Use it for: Portraits. Portraits. Portraits.

Photo: Radio Free Barton

Maven

What it does: Maven darkens images, increases shadows, and adds a slightly yellow tint overall.

Use it for: Maven works well with architecture, and has an interesting effect on blue skies and green lawns. You’ll want to avoid it with portraits, in large part because of the shadows it adds to your images.

Photo: Kai Lehmann

Ginza

What it does: Another brightening filter, Ginza adds a warm glow to your photos.

Use it for: Outdoor photos, weather landscapes, seascapes, portraits, or city shots, look good with a bit of Ginza on them, as do fashion shots.

Photo: Paul Fundenburg

Skyline

What it does: Skyline is like the autocorrect of filters. It brightens colors in your image, giving them a nice pop.

Use it for: Any image you want to brighten a little.

Photo: James Willamor

Dogpatch

What it does: Dogpatch increases the contrast in your image, while also washing out the lighter colors.

Use it for: Instagram recommends using this filter if you’re going for a dramatic look. Like many Instagram filters, its better used with a brightly lit image. The filter doesn’t work well with a dark night sky.

Photo: Mark Fischer

Helena

What it does: Instagram points out that Helena adds an orange and teal vibe to your images.

Use it for: Helena offers Instagram users a great way to add a bit of warmth to your image. It works well with portraits and with outdoor shots.

Photo: Don Crossley

Ashby

What it does: This filter gives images a great golden glow and a subtle vintage feel. What’s nice about this filter, compared to filters like Rise and Sierra, is that it does so without increasing shadows in the image.

Use it for: Portraits, or any image you want to give a very slightly vintage feel without it being very overpowering.

Photo: Jenny Downing

Charmes

What it does: Charmes is a high contrast filter, warming up colors in your image with a red tint.

Use it for: Busy street and city shots work well with Charmes. The filter works particularly well with dimly lit images.

Photo: Jocelyn Kinghorn

Want more suggestions on how to use Instagram? Check out how travelers can use the app.

Now we turn it over to you. What are you favorite Instagram filters? What do you use them for? Let us know in the comments.

Image Credits:Medium format Camera by Philip Hunton via Shutterstock

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18+ Useful Things You Can Do with OK Google | Dramel Notes

Apple users have Siri, Windows 10 users can call upon Cortana, and Android users can use Ok Google. Ok Google can do a lot more than just look stuff up however, and it even rivals Siri in some ways.

Ok Google can be accessed by typically saying “Ok Google” or tapping the microphone button on the Google search bar on your Android tablet or phone.

It’s important to note that Ok Google is accessible if you have Google Now installed on your smartphone or tablet, so if you can’t access it, then you’ll first need to download and install Google Now from the Play Store if your version of Android supports it.

The Google Now Launcher is only available for Android 4.1 and above.

Alternatively, you can download and install the Google app and conduct voice searches on your Android or iOS device.

The Google app ensures you can use Ok Google even on iPhones and iPads.

Many users might already use Ok Google to look stuff up because it plugs right into the mighty search engine. What you might not realize, is that it can do so much more and is, in fact, a fairly full-featured digital personal assistant.

Today, we want to take a tour of many of the things you can do with Ok Google and show you how it can make your life just a little bit more convenient and easier.

Open Applications

With Ok Google, you can open applications without touching your device, simply say, “Ok Google, open Pandora” or “open Netflix” and it will dutifully open them on your device.

The ability to open applications means that you won’t have to hunt for them on your home screen(s).

If the application isn’t available, then you will have the option to download it from the Play Store.

Set Timers and Alarms

Need to set a quick timer for something you’re cooking? Maybe you want to take a short power nap. No problem, just tell Ok Google to “set a timer for 15 minutes” or “set an alarm for 6:30 PM” and that’s it.

When you start a timer, you simply specify the duration for your timer and it will begin automatically.

On the other hand, if you want to stop your timer or cancel your alarm, it seems that you have to still do so manually.

Define Words

Not sure what something means or even how to spell it? You can ask Ok Google to define it for you so you always use the right word in the right place.

Now the next time you’re unsure whether you’re using the right word in the right context, you can just ask Ok Google.

Create Events and See Your Agenda

If you want to create events such as meetings and appointments, then you simply tell Ok Google to “create a meeting with so-and-so on x day at y time.”

If you want to see you agenda for the day, then ask Ok Google to show it to you by saying “see my agenda for [today][tomorrow][Friday]”.

This is a great way to stay on top of things. Not only will you be able to add events to your calendar so you don’t miss important meetings and appointments, but you can also review what’s upcoming so even if you haven’t created alerts, at least you’ll see everything laid out before you.

Call, Text, and Message People

Two other things you can do with Ok Google, both of which are similar and thus lumped under the same heading are the ability to call and text people.

Just like with Siri, you can use Ok Google to call and text people, thus assuring that if you’re driving, your eyes never leave the road.

This works just as it does with Siri. Simply queue up Ok Google and then ask it to call a contact or a number or text someone. Ok Google will either prompt you for further information, or you can dictate the message contents when you give the command.

Once you have your text message ready, you can send it on its way. Additionally, you can have Ok Google read your text messages back to you, which means that your eyes never need to leave what you’re doing.

You can also use Ok Google to send Hangouts messages as well as post to Twitter and Facebook.

Send Emails

Like sending texts, you can send emails. Just tell Ok Google to “send an email to [recipient]” and then you can either dictate the email or wait for Google to prompt you.

When you’re done, simply send the new email on its way. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that you can use Ok Google to read emails to you, but it will display them if you ask it to show you your emails.

Navigate

We all know Google does navigation really well and you can use Ok Google to expedite it by telling it to map to addresses, businesses, and other locations.

So, you can have Google map you to the nearest coffee shop or car wash or navigate to a specific address with greater ease than typing it into your phone.

Check the Distance from Something and Between Places

Want to know how far apart two places are, such as if you need to plan your travel time for an upcoming trip? Ask Ok Google to show you the distance from point A to point B, and then you’ll also have further navigation options as well.

Once Google shows you the distance between two places, you’ll have the option to route a course.

You don’t have to look up places that are driveable either, you can ask Google to show you how far it is to another country, or a planet, or anything else that it can provide you distances between.

See What Places are Nearby

Let’s say you want to see where the nearest car washes are or a certain type of restaurant.

Not a problem, just ask Ok Google to show you what businesses are nearby or in the general area.

Look up Interesting Facts

Being plugged into Google is extremely convenient when it comes to looking up all sorts of interesting facts.

The only thing that limits you when it comes to looking up interesting facts is your imagination.

Just ask Ok Google what you need to know and chances are you’ll get a quick answer. You can ask all sorts of things such as what time it is in another country, where your favorite celebrity was born, how long it would take to travel to Mars, and so on.

Perform Translations

If you want to translate something, you can ask Google to provide you with it.

Google can translate into dozens of languages so you’re never left wanting for how to say a word or phrase.

Google can translate dozens of languages, so whether you’re looking for a phrase to say in French, Chinese, or Swahili, Google can probably show you how to say it.

Check the Weather

If you want to know what the weather is going to be like in your location, or any other location, then simply ask Ok Google to show you what the weather is or what it will be like on such-and-such a day.

You’re not simply limited to checking the weather locally though, if you’re traveling and want to know what the weather is like at your destination, then you can quickly find out.

Finally, you don’t have to explicitly ask for the weather forecast. You can ask something like “Will I need an umbrella tomorrow?” and Ok Google will let you know if it is going to be sunny or if it will rain.

Perform Image Searches

If you want to look up images, then you can use the full resources of a Google Image search.

Just ask Ok Google to show you images for your search term. In this example, we asked Google to look up images for “geeks.”

Perform Conversions and Calculations

Use Google to perform quick conversions and calculations.

You can even use it to convert currency, and since you’re plugged into Google, you know you’ll get up-to-the-minute results.

You can also do calculations, such as multiplication, division, square roots, or ask Ok Google how much of a tip to leave your server.

Set Reminders

Want to be reminded about something but don’t want to create an event? Just ask Ok Google to set a reminder for something you need to remember.

If you just want to add something to your to-do list, then you can say “remind me to do [this or that]” but if you want to create a more detailed reminder, then you can add a date and time.

Check Your Stocks

If you have stocks or you just like to follow a company’s progress, then you can ask Ok Google to show you how they’re doing.

Simply ask Ok Google to “Show me how Apple’s stock did today” and it will present it to you in a convenient, easy-to-read result.

Change Settings and Control Your Device

You can use Ok Google to control your device and change settings, here we ask it to turn on the flashlight.

Obviously, you can affect all kinds of settings as well, such as Wi-Fi, which is especially convenient if your mobile connection is unreliable or vice-versa.

Control all sorts of settings including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and others.

You can try this out with all your settings to make it a lot more easier to use your phone or tablet to make quick adjustments. Want to take a picture or shoot a quick video? Ask Ok Google to “take a picture” or “shoot a video” and that’s it.

Create Notes

Notes are different from things like reminders in that you can have Ok Google retain bits of information you want to remember. Notes are meant to be more long lasting.

Google Keep is just one Note-taking app you can use.

If you have more than one note-taking app, then you’ll be prompted for which one you want to use. In the previous screenshot, we’re using Google Keep.

Other Stuff

There’re a quite a few other things you can do with Ok Google, some of which include:

• Track packages provided you have the tracking information in an email message.
• Show you which bills are due.
• Display your flight info (it needs to be in an email message).
• Ask for sport scores and team schedules.
• Play and control music from Google Play Music.
• Ask where and what movies are playing.

As you can see, Ok Google is similarly useful to Siri in many ways and quite versatile to boot. Additionally, because it is plugged into Google, you can search for anything.

Overall, Ok Google has come a long way from when it was simply a convenient way to map routes and search for stuff. As time goes on, it’s gaining more and more skills that are giving the likes of Siri a run for its money. That said, unlike Siri, Ok Google isn’t yet widely available across all of Google’s devices such as the Chromecast (Siri is available on both the new Apple TV as well as the Apple Watch).

In any event, if you use any of the latest Android phones or tablets, then Ok Google is more than likely going to available to you.

We hope you found his article informative and useful, if you have any questions or comments you would like to contribute, please leave your feedback in our discussion forum.

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5 Ways to Improve Your YouTube Organic Reach by @ab80 | Dramel Notes

With over a billion users and enough traffic to place make it the third most popular website globally, YouTube beats out all other search engines with exception to Google. Combine that with Google’s incorporation of YouTube videos in general search results, and you have a powerful search engine that cannot be ignored. In this post, I’m going to show you five ways you can improve your YouTube organic reach.

1. Build up Your YouTube Channel Reputation

To start improving your YouTube organic reach, you will want to build up your YouTube channel as an authority in your industry. To get started, you will want to fully complete your YouTube channel like you would a profile on a top social network.

This includes having a good profile photo and cover photo (or as YouTube calls it, channel art). At 2560 x 1440 px, it’s one of the largest cover photos in the social media landscape, yet is also the one with the most narrow display.

Next, you will want to have a strong channel trailer to introduce new visitors to you, your brand, and why they would want to subscribe to your channel. The video you use for your channel trailer should also have a great description, as that will be shown alongside your trailer.

YouTube Profile Information

On your channel’s About tab, enter a description of yourself, your business, and your channel. Then link it to your website and your top social profiles on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

From here, you will want to upload lots of great videos to your channel and organize it using playlists. If you know it will take you a while to upload videos of your own, you can populate your channel with playlists and videos from other YouTube users. Just make sure they aren’t competitors and are relevant to your brand or business. This tactic will allow you to have a strong channel and build subscribers while creating your video library.

Building YouTube Subscribers

Speaking of subscribers, be sure to start building your YouTube subscriber base by linking to your YouTube channel on your website, in your email signature, on your email newsletter, on your other social profiles, and anywhere else you might be able to connect with people who would be interested in subscribing. Subscribers will provide social proof for your channel and will be updated to your latest video uploads.

You can also boost your subscribers by going to your channel’s Branding settings and adding a watermark to all of your videos. When people click on it, they will be taken to your channel page to subscribe. This will ensure that people can subscribe to your channel from videos that are embedded on other websites or shared on social media.

2. Do Keyword Research for Each Video you Upload

If you want to improve your YouTube organic reach, you will want to start with good keyword optimization. Just like you would with a web page you want to rank well in search results, you should do keyword research for your YouTube videos. You can start with the trusty Google AdWords Keyword Planner to determine search volume and competition for your target keyword phrase.

For additional variations of your keyword, you can move on to using the suggestions from the Google search box or paid SEO tools.

In the image below you can see a list of suggestions from Rank Tracker ( Just a note: I’m the founder, but the tool does have a free version, which has no limitations for keyword research).

This should help you get the right target keyword phrase, plus additional variations of your target keyword phrase to use in different aspects of your video optimization.

3. Optimize Videos Before you Upload Them

Search optimization of your YouTube videos needs to begin before you upload your video. Before you upload your video to YouTube, be sure to optimize it for your target keyword phrase, starting with the filename of the video itself.

Next, you will want to get more info about your video. From this screen, you can add more information about your video to the video file itself. Most video editing tools have this ability built-in. Depending on your operating system, you may also be able to right-click on your video file and add extra details.

This will let YouTube know what your video is about right from the start.

4. Optimize Your Videos After Uploading Them

As soon as you start uploading your new videos, you will have the chance to optimize them on YouTube.

This page gives you some hints as to what YouTube finds important about the optimization of your videos.

Basic Info

First, you have the basic information for your video: the video title, description, and tags. Think of the usual on-site optimization rules for these fields.

Your SEO title should be 55 characters or less and should include your target keyword phrase. In this case, your video title is the SEO title.

Your meta description should be 160 characters or less in length. In this case, the video description is the meta description. While keywords in your meta description will not necessarily help you rank better in Google search, they are typically bolded in Google search results, so it’s important to include your target keyword phrase in your video description.

Note that you shouldn’t make your video description 160 characters or less, but rather, you should put the information you would want to appear as the meta description in the first 160 characters. YouTube allows up to 5,000 characters in your video description.

This gives you approximately 800 words for your video description, give or take, to use to further optimize your video for search. Think of it like a blog post content that is optimized for your target keyword phrase along with the additional variations you found in your keyword research.

Your meta keywords should be 255 characters or less in length. In this case, the video tags are the meta keywords. Granted, these have little weight in terms of factors that will help you rank in Google search, but they should be incorporated to help optimize your video for YouTube search. So be sure to include your target keyword phrase along with the additional variations you found in your keyword research.

Advanced Settings

Next, you have the Advanced Settings tab. Here, you will find additional things to configure for your video.

Be sure to choose the best category for your video and add additional details such as the location of the video (if applicable), the language, and the date.

Social Sharing

Back on the Basic Info tab, you will see the option to share your new video with your Google+ and Twitter audience. This should alert you to the fact that social sharing metrics – especially on these two networks – are important.

Playlists

Below the social sharing options, you will see the option to add your video to a playlist. For this, you will want to create or choose a playlist on your YouTube channel that relates to your video’s target keyword phrase.

Thumbnails

If you have verified your YouTube channel (which can be done by simply entering your mobile number and confirming the code sent to you via text), you can upload a custom thumbnail for your video. This allows you to use something eye-catching as your video thumbnail that isn’t necessarily in the video itself.

Like you would with any image you upload to a web page, optimize the image for search using your target keyword phrase in the filename and the image metadata. The fact that YouTube thumbnail images appear in the image results of Google search shows that the optimization of even those images can count for something.

Annotations and Cards

After your video is uploaded, you can go to it and use the icons beneath the video to make additional edits to your video.

In particular, you can use Annotations and Cards to link more of your videos to your video. This will boost the views and engagement of your other videos.

5. Get Engagement for Your Videos

Once your video is uploaded, it’s essential that you get engagement for your videos. When you think about YouTube as a search engine, you have to think about the things that will tell that search engine why it should show your video above everyone else’s. You’ve already configured the video’s on-site SEO settings. Now, it’s time to boost the other ranking factors.

By default, YouTube shows the number of views, thumbs up, thumbs down, and comments for every video unless the video owner disables these features. If you can boost the number of views, thumbs up, and comments for your video, it will signal to YouTube that your video is important, which will ultimately help it’s rankings.

In addition, think back to the Basic Info for your video while you were uploading it. Social sharing was indicated as something that would help your video. Hence, you will want to get social shares for your video as well.

You can do all of these things through promotion of your video. If you have a large audience on your blog, social networks, email list, or other platforms, share your video with those audiences first to get the ball rolling.

You can also do outreach for your video in order to get it embedded and linked to on other websites. Simply look for blog posts that relate to the topic of the video, then reach out to the people who authored those posts. Let them know you loved their article and thought your video would make a great resource for their readers who want to learn more about the topic. Both embeds and links to your video will count towards boosting the video’s authority.

You may even be able to do outreach to other YouTube channels with the same approach. Find videos that relate to the topic of your video and watch them. If they don’t have annotations or cards pointing to other videos, reach out to the channel owner to see if they would want to link their video up to yours as a resource for their viewers. In this case, you may want to include directions on how to use Annotations or Cards to link your video to theirs.

Be sure to measure the results of your promotions by installing vidIQ for YouTube. This Google Chrome extension will show you the detailed analytics of most videos on YouTube, including your competitor’s for research purposes.

In Conclusion

If you follow the steps outlined above, from building up your YouTube channel’s reputation to promoting each and every video you create, you will improve your YouTube organic reach in search results, suggested videos, and even Google search results.

If you have tried any of these things or have some other great tips that I might have missed, please share them in the comments below!

 

Image Credits

Featured image: Your Design/Shutterstock.com
All screenshots by Aleh Barysevich. Taken November 2015.

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