How to Autohide the Taskbar in Windows 7

Most Windows users are probably aware of what a taskbar is. It is the familiar horizontal strip located at the bottom of your desktop, where your open files and programs appear. Unlike the desktop, the taskbar is visible almost all the time and it has four main sections:

• Start button, which opens the Start menu
• Quick Launch toolbar, which allows you to start a program with just one click
• Middle section, which displays the programs and documents that you have opened and allows you to quickly switch between them
• Notification area, which includes the clock and icons that communicate the status of certain programs and computer settings

However, some people find the taskbar to be an eyesore on their desktop, so they prefer to hide it from view. If you are one of those people, checkout the simple instructions below:

Autohide the Taskbar in Windows 7

Open the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window by clicking the Start button, then going to Control Panel. Click Appearance and Personalization, and then click Taskbar and Start Menu.

Another way to access the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window is by right-clicking the taskbar and clicking Properties. Either way will do just fine.

Once the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window appears, look for Taskbar appearance under the Taskbar tab, then check the Auto-hide the taskbar box.

Finally, click OK to save the setting.

The taskbar is now hidden from view. If you want to see it again, just point your mouse to the location where you last saw the taskbar.

Sources: 

www.microsoft.com 

www.wikihow.com

Samsung Galaxy S4: The Brightest Star in the Galaxy

Source: http://www.samsung.com

Samsung, the South Korean champion in the Android high-end smartphone has launched the Galaxy S4 , which is already taking the market by storm next to Apple’s iPhone 5S. By itself, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is enjoying some technical accolades, but is not the run-away winner Samsung is counting on.

Samsung is the brand that has singlehandedly challenged the big names in the landscape of global smartphones. It has had a far-reaching impact on big brands by forcing them to think and rethink their product and marketing strategies.

Apple is in for a tough fight with Samsung, having HTC, Sony, Nokia, and Blackberry trying to nip at the heels or play catch-up with Samsung.

In spite of its shortcomings, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is an intriguing product. The one change that most people were expecting and were disappointed in was in the body design of the S4. It’s hard to distinguish between the S3 and the S4, making the S4 almost like an S3 rebrand. The most common long-standing complaint is the ‘plastic-feel’ of the S4.

The full HD AMOLED screen has become the signature mark for the Galaxy S4. It works to the advantage of the consumer with its improved screen resolution. The body is smaller and thinner as compared to the S3. At 5 inches, the phone certainly has a longer display surface as compared to competitors like the Sony Xperia. In fact, the resolution hardly gets distorted thanks to the pan-viewing angle technology.

The 1.6GHz processor with a 2GB RAM is a decent combination. Though the HTC One and Sony Xperia have faster processors, the Galaxy S4’s processor gets the job done with the jellybean Android OS. Samsung is good at packing small innovations with high impact in its technology. One new technology is its being able to track the eyeball movement of the user and pauses the videos on gaze. The Internet browsing experience has also taken up a couple of notches.

The 2,600mAh battery powering the Galaxy S4 supports the device positively. The 13MPa camera works well to its favor, but the front camera is somewhat a disappointment. The internal and external memory was never a concern for any Galaxy model.

Having set the benchmark high with the Galaxy S3, what eventually came out with the S4 was a little dismal showing from a phone that was set to revolutionize the smartphone market and drive other fringe brands out of the competition. Instead, the S4 has provided the competition an opportunity to strike back hard and dent its market share.

Ever since its launching, no known major issues have plagued the Samsung Galaxy S4. Minor issues like enabling the USB mass storage is easily done and can be readily searched on the Internet from legitimate computer technical support companies and websites.

With the high standard of the Galaxy S3 and customer’s expectation needing to be surpassed, it has been rumored that Samsung will do so with the rumored soon-to-be-launched Galaxy S5. But, as they say, that is another story.

Setting Up an Email on Your iOS Device

Setting up an email on your iOS device is very easy. If you are setting up your email on your device for the first time, follow these simple steps:

STEP 1: On the device’s Home screen, tap the Mail app.

STEP 2: Or tap Settings, and then tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars.

STEP 3: When you get to a screen similar to the image below, select your email provider on the list, then you will be asked to input your username and password for that email account, and then it will automatically configure the email settings for you.

NOTE: If you do not see your email provider on the list, tap the Other option, and then fill out the following information:

You can get these information from your email provider. Apple maintains a database of the most common email settings. These settings are automatically configured on your device during setup. If the database doesn't automatically configure the settings and you don't know them, please contact your email provider and gather the settings as shown on the image above.

STEP 4: If you want to add another account, tap Settings, then tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and then tap Add Account.

STEP 5: Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the email setup.

Visit Supportrix Knowledge Base to get more tech tips and troubleshooting assistant to help you with your technical issues.

Tablet Face Off: Microsoft Surface 2 vs Apple iPad 4

Microsoft recently announced the newest version of the Surface tablet, the Microsoft Surface 2. It is boasted to be thinner, lighter, and faster than other tablets in the market. It has sharper display than its previous version and has packed more processing power than the reigning tablet king, the Apple iPad (4th generation). Currently, Apple iPad 4 has the full package, with its top performance, stellar screen, good camera, speedy Wi-Fi, and the biggest app store in the world. But is this enough to hold on to the title of the best tablet in the market? And did Microsoft do enough to finally sway loyal Apple fanatics from trying out something new?

Let's have a closer look at the reigning champ and its challenger.

Microsoft Surface 2 vs Apple iPad 4

Tablet Comparison Chart
Specifications	Microsoft Surface 2	Apple iPad 4
Tablet Type	Slate	Slate
Display	Full HD ClearType display 10.6-inch 16:9 (widescreen) 5-point Multi-Touch	Retina display 9.7-inch (diagonal)  4:3 aspect ratio (standard)  LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
Resolution	1920 x 1080	2048 x 1536
Pixel Density	208 ppi	264 ppi
Dimensions	Height: 10.8 inches (274.3 mm) Width: 6.7 inches (170.2 mm)  Depth: 0.35 inch (8.9 mm)	Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm) Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm)  Depth: 0.37 inch (9.4 mm)
Weight	Weight: 1.49 pounds (675.9 g)	Weight (Wi-Fi): 1.44 pounds (652 g)  Weight (Wi-Fi + Cellular): 1.46 pounds (662 g)
CPU	1.7GHz Quad-core Nvidia Tegra 4	Dual-core 1.3GHz A6X with quad-core graphics
RAM	2GB	1GB
Storage Capacity	32GB or 64GB with 200GB free SkyDrive cloud storage	16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB
Storage Type	SSD	SSD
Connectors	USB 3.0, HD video out port	Apple 9-pin dock Lightning connector
Operating System	Microsoft Windows RT 8.1 (includes Office 2013 RT)	Apple iOS 7
Battery Life	Up to 10 hours of video playback	10 hours of video playback, surfing the web on Wi-Fi, or listening to music (11,666 mAh)
Front Camera	3.5MP Front camera, 1080P HD video	1.2MP Front camera, 720P HD video (FaceTime video calling over Wi-Fi or cellular, Face detection, Backside illumination)
Rear Camera	5MP Rear camera, 1080P HD video	5MP Rear camera, 1080P HD video (Face detection, Backside illumination, Five-element lens, Hybrid IR filter, ƒ/2.4 aperture)
Networking	Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0	Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n; 802.11n on 2.4GHz and 5GHz) or Wi-Fi and 2G, 3G, 4G LTE; Bluetooth 4.0
Intelligent Assistant	No	Yes (Siri)
Expandable	Yes (microSD card slot, supporting up to 64GB swappable storage)	No
Apps	Approx. 100k	Approx. 900k combined native iPad & iPhone
Price	32GB: $449  64GB: $549	Wi-Fi: 16GB: $499 32GB: $599 64GB: $699 128GB: $799 Wi-Fi + Cellular: 16GB: $629 32GB: $729 64GB: $829 128GB: $929

Conclusion

The Microsoft Surface 2 is a worthy opponent in the Apple-dominated tablet market, with its 1.7GHz Quad-core Nvidia Tegra 4 processor, considerably lower price, and improved display quality. However, even after having a slightly larger screen and full 1080p HD display, it is still inferior to iPad 4's Retina display. The same is true with the number of apps available for both tablets. Though Microsoft boasts about having more than 100,000 apps in Microsoft Store, it still falls short from Apple's App Store, which has a broader selection, with over 200,000 tablet-specific apps. But, if you wish to expand the storage capacity of your tablet, iPad is not for you. Microsoft Surface 2, however, offers a microSD slot that supports up to 64GB of additional storage space. Overall, Surface 2 and iPad 4 are after different audiences. Surface 2 is a better choice for people with productivity in mind, since it can run word processors and spreadsheets with ease. iPad 4 on the other hand, is a device built for entertainment. It thrives because of its ecosystem, with its vast selection of apps that gives iPad 4 a bit more versatility to allow it to do just about anything.

Sources: 

www.apple.com

www.microsoft.com

http://mashable.com

www.techradar.com 

http://au.ibtimes.com

www.pcmag.com