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First look at Spideroak’s password manager Encryptr

Password managers serve many purposes: from securely storing important data such as account passwords to password generation and usability features such as automatically entering login information on websites.

But similarities end there. Some password managers run locally as programs, others are integrated into browsers and other programs, and a third-kind uses the cloud to sync the data across devices.

A core difference between Firefox’s and Chrome’s private browsing mode

Most modern browsers ship with a private browsing mode that can be started independently from the main browsing session. It prevents the recording of history information in the browser so that information about the private browsing session cannot be retrieved once the window has been closed.

While it is certainly possible to achieve the same goal manually without that mode, for instance by clearing the history, cookies and cache files selectively to erase traces, it is comfortable to use and not as time-consuming.

How good are Udemy’s online courses? Tips to get you started

Udemy is an online learning platform that brings together students and instructors from all over the world. Some courses are available for free while others are paid courses that may cost several hundred Dollars.

You do need to create a free account to use some of the site's functionality, for instance to sign up for free courses.

Video courses consist of a fixed number of recorded lectures that students can watch as often as they like. Courses may also include labs in which students need to complete tasks on their own.

Switch quickly between Windows 10 Start Menu and Start Screen

If you are running Windows 10 you may have noticed that you can either display the start menu or the start screen, but not both.

The start menu is the default option on desktop systems that are controlled with a mouse and keyboard. While that is the preferred option for most users, some may want to access the start screen at times.

I write a weekly best of Windows apps over at Betanews for instance and one of the issues that I ran into using the start menu was that new apps were not highlighted anymore.

What Imgur’s GIFV format is all about

When the public started to use the Internet for the first time, Gif files became instantly popular as a means to display media contents on private homepages and community websites.

Back then, you had not many options when it came to these kind of things. There was no HTML5 for instance and services such as Facebook or Twitter were not there either.

These private homepages vanished over time and the use of animated images on personal homepages dropped significantly and it looked for a moment as if the Gif format was done as well.

How to add custom filters to Chrome ad-blocking extension µBlock

I have reviewed the Chrome extension µBlock a couple of months ago here on ComTek4u and liked it a lot as it offered the same level of advertisement and nuisance blocking that other extensions offered but with a smaller footprint.

Even though it is lighter than other extensions of its kind for Chrome, it is quite powerful.

How to launch apps in Windows 10 in full screen

If you have installed the Windows 10 Preview on a computer system or read about it online, you may know that Windows Store apps run on the desktop now if you are using a system with mouse and keyboard.

While it is still possible to enable the Start Screen interface -- instead of using the Start Menu as you cannot use both it seems -- apps that you run will run in windows by default.

The Windows 10 Store may list desktop programs directly after all

When Microsoft launched Windows Store in Windows 8, it was disappointing to see for many that the store carried only applications that users could install on their systems directly from within the store.

Commercial apps could be purchased right from the store which was convenient for many. Then later on links to desktop programs were added as well, but those merely redirected users to sites which meant that the store was not used to download or buy these programs directly.

How to force Skype to use custom video settings

If you are using the Skype software to make video calls, you may have noticed that it does not offer options to customize the video output on your machine.

Skype enables HD video only on computer systems that match certain requirements. If your system does not meet those requirements or if Skype identified the hardware incorrectly, you may be left with SD video only.

Improve low-quality videos with Blurry Video Clearer Free

Low-quality videos can be a pain to watch, especially if you have to watch them or want to make them available for others to watch.

If you only have that self-recorded video of your daughter's marriage ceremony, your son's graduation or the last family vacation, then there is little that you can do but to make the best out of it.

Software programs can help sometimes and Blurry Video Clearer Free is one of those programs. All you have to do is to load the video into the application, flip a few switches, and let the program do the heavy lifting.

Latest Chromecast update brings custom Backdrop support

A new Chromecast update is currently being rolled out by Google that updates the Chromecast application on Android to version 1.8.22.

While many users are still on version 1.7.4, some can also already use the new functionality that the update introduces to the app.

It is now possible to configure custom backdrops using the application. The application supported the casting of photos and images before but only in form of applications such as Google+ which enabled you to view images on the TV.

Firefox best browser to run Unity WebGL content according to Unity

If you are serious about browser games you may have the Unity plugin installed in your browser of choice. This plugin is currently required to play games that use Unity, a cross-platform game creation system that includes a game engine and an integrated development environment (IDE).

The company is currently working on supporting WebGL due to the fact that most companies that create browsers are moving away from the plugin system.

Display detailed Firefox session information

Ever since I started using Firefox I have configured the web browser to load the previous browsing session. This was not overly comfortable in the beginning as all sites were loaded at once on browser start, but I was able to improve that first by using add-ons and then later on natively when Mozilla introduced what these add-ons offered natively in the browser.