CyberKnowledge Technology Blog

For almost a decade Macs have had PDF support with no third party software. With the release of Windows 8, Microsoft is finally following that same trend with the introduction of Modern Reader. Modern Reader is a built in metro style application that will be bundled with Windows 8. If you only open files in PDF format once in a while, it will definitely replace Adobe Reader, but for those of you who frequently use pdf files, don’t ditch your old reader just yet. Modern Reader is pretty... (more...)

Out of all the changes in Windows 8 consumers will most recognize the incredibly fast boot times. Computers with just average hardware can boot up in less than 10 seconds using a new method called a warm boot which is similar to how previous Windows versions hibernate. Normally when you shut down Windows versions previous to Windows 8 it will shut down the applications and start shutting down kernel services completely. When you boot up you have to restart all those kernel services which takes... (more...)

I recently signed up for tether.com’s iPhone tethering service and thought I would share my positive experience. Since Apple doesn’t allow tethering applications for the iPhone, tether.com has come up with a unique way to bring you tethering using nothing more than your web browser. Tether.com rather than using an application uses HTML 5 which is fully supported in the Safari web browser. It’s easy to setup and use and can also be figured out even if you aren’t tech savvy.... (more...)

Windows 8 comes with some very neat features to fix a computer that needs a reinstallation of Windows. You have two options to fix your computer, resetting and refreshing. A system reset is a method that removes all settings, files, and applications – you’re formatting the hard drive. Refreshing reinstalls all of the core operating system files and deletes your desktop applications. However, any system settings you have as well as metro style applications will be left as they were. ... (more...)

As with all other Microsoft upgrades, Windows 8 will provide a more secure and safer to use experience. Windows Defender which was bundled in Windows since the release of Vista has been significantly improved from previous versions. Instead of a general malware protector, Defender now has full-fledged antivirus capabilities which was previously seen in Security Essentials. Combined with Microsoft’s approach of using metro style apps through a Microsoft owned apps market that has a vigorous... (more...)

The Windows 8 task manager at first glance looks simple and uninformative. Clicking the more details button reveals a vastly improved program with greatly detailed information. Telling the user how much bandwidth applications are using, giving the history of applications used and separating processes by users in an easy to read and organized fashion are among some of the best changes. However, the best change I see is the replacement of the need for MSconfig. That’s right, you can now... (more...)