What's New

The clock that Windows displays in the system tray area is probably not something that most users change a lot after initial configuration.

Most make sure that date and time are set correct, but that is about as far as it goes.

While it is really useful that the time is displayed most of the time in Windows, there is usually no need to modify it in any way.

It may be different if you travel a lot as you may need to change the time frequently if you move between different time zones in the process.

As you may know already, I have decided to retire my Gmail account and one of the email services that I consider using as an alternative is ProtonMail.

The service puts a strong focus on security and privacy, and since I received my beta account access just a few moments ago, I decided to write a first look review of it so that you know what it is about and what it offers.

I do not use maps that often, usually only when I'm in a foreign country or a city that I do not know my way around in. A map was helpful when I traveled to Jerusalem for instance as I was not there before.

When it comes to mapping apps that you can take with you on your smartphone, it is often a good idea to make sure that you use one that makes the maps available offline.

When it comes to support for different search engines, it is Firefox that takes the crown. Not only is it the only browser of the big four that features a separate search form natively, it is also giving you great control over the browser's search functionality.

Some browsers make up for that with extensions that you can install to add missing functionality.

While it is often best to keep files on the local computer only and avoid cloud storage, especially for important files, it is sometimes not possible to do so.

Maybe you need to share a document with another person who happens to live in another city or country, or you want to have file backups available for your next business trip to cover all eventualities, or, you simply want to share files with someone else and protect those files from third-parties listening in.

That's were encryption comes into play usually.

Chrome OS had a a bit of a rough start on the scene, with the first Chromebooks getting little real attention. But Google has beefed up its offering and Chromebooks now find their way into schools and businesses.

But the search giant isn't sitting back, resting on what it has done, but instead moving forward, continuing to improve the operating system with little enhancements.

Adobe has just launched a new program called PlayPanel. Some reports on Hacker News indicate that it is being advertised with Flash updates, but I cannot verify that claim after having updated Flash on two different PCs without that happening.

You can head over to the PlayPanel page on the Adobe website to download it. Before you do so, you may want to know more about requirements and the functionality that the program offers before you do so.

Most web browsers ship with basic password management capabilities these days. They remember passwords for you if you want, and most provide you with options to add a master password to protect the passwords from unauthorized access by users or third-party programs.

While that is comfortable and used by many, some users prefer third-party tools as they allow them to synchronize the data between different Internet browsers or ship with other features that they require.

With smartphones and tablets reaching saturation points in many countries, it is time to hop on to the next big thing. Most companies are betting big on so-called wearables which can be divided into two main groups currently: smartwatches and bands.

Bands or fitness bands are not necessarily a new thing. Companies like Nike, Polar or Fitbit have created products that you can purchase right now. I'd like to call them first generation products.

Depending on the hard drive or drives connected to your computer, it can be difficult to determine how busy they are. While you usually get a good indicator if you use a platter-based drive that is busy, as you hear it literally working, you cannot really tell if you use a silent Solid State Drive.

There may be other indicators. Files may not load as fast as usually, or downloads are slow because the hard drive is busy and cannot write them as fast they the data comes in.