manage

How to use Windows 8 Task Manager

You've likely been using Windows Task Manager to monitor your PC's performance or to kill errant processes since it was first introduced in Windows 95. Sadly, this drab, gray feature has seen no love from Microsoft in the ensuing decades. That's all changed with Windows 8.

The Task Manager has been given a refreshing visual update, the data is better organized, and lots of features have been added. This is a guide to making the most of the new Windows 8 Task Manager.

Finding the Task Manager There are various ways to launch the Task Manager. Windows … Read more

Facebook Pages Manager version 1.2 is out

Facebook today updated its Facebook Pages Manager for iOS mobile app. You can grab version 1.2 now from the Apple App Store (8.8MB).

Here is the official changelog for Facebook Pages Manager for iOS version 1.2:

Now available in 11 languages. Upload photos to your Page's albums. See photos that are attached to messages. Bug fixes and performance updates.

Previously, the app was only available in English. Now it supports the following 11 languages: English, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish.

The addition of photo functionality is very welcome given that … Read more

SanDisk Memory Zone

SanDisk Memory Zone not only lets you poke into your internal and removable memory sources, it also integrates with several online storage services, making it the ultimate hub for monitoring and managing your mobile device's memory.

The app opens up to a list of your device's memory sources, including internal memory and memory card (if available). To dig into a source, simply tap an icon and scroll through its contained files. Here, you can see exactly what's consuming all your memory, and even view files by type (music, photo, video, document, app, etc). From the home screen, … Read more

Two apps keep your iPhone and iPad data private

Nothing beats having access to all your files, e-mail, and contacts almost anywhere you go. Just reach into your pocket for your iPhone or your bag for your iPad and connect to an available network.

The easier the data is to access, the harder it is to protect. This week AT&T unveiled its service that prevents data, voice, and text-message access to iPhones and iPads that owners report to the company as lost or stolen, as CNET's Roger Chen reported last week.

Reactivating the device requires a call to AT&T customer support. The company asks … Read more

Schedule Facebook updates on a community page

If you're running a community or brand page, there are probably local activities that you want to share with your fans. A streamlined method of doing this is by scheduling posts in advance. That way, you won't have to worry about remembering to tell everyone there's a gathering or deadline -- Facebook will do that for you.

So, if you're ready to take a more hands-off approach to keeping your fans up-to-date, here's how to get started.

To schedule a post:

Step 1: Open a Facebook page that you manage. This would be either a … Read more

Keep it simple with Any.Do

When you first install Any.Do, you can choose to log in, create a new account (for syncing across devices), or get started without one. Once you make your choice, getting started is as easy as typing out your to-dos, or with the built-in voice input feature, saying them.

The main page of Any.Do splits tasks into four categories: Today, Tomorrow, This Week, and Later. To move an item between categories, simply tap and hold, then drag. To mark tasks as complete, simply cross it out. A quick tap on any item brings up a menu of options that … Read more

Three podcast apps that are better than Apple's

Earlier this week, with almost no fanfare, Apple introduced a new Podcasts app, effectively breaking audio and video podcasts loose from the iPod app where they've resided since the iPhone's early days.

As a die-hard podcast fan, I was interested to say the least. But after spending some time with the new app, I must admit I'm disappointed.

For starters, the interface is something of a mess. It doesn't flow; there's too much moving back and forth between different screens and sections. I'm a fairly tech-savvy user, and it took me a while before … Read more

Schedule your day with free task manager 30/30

As a freelance writer, I need all the help I can get to stay on target. I don't have a boss who might suddenly appear, looming over my shoulder, wondering why I'm on Facebook. I don't have co-workers who are depending on me to finish my part of a larger project. It's just me and the Internet, with deadlines to hit and monthly quotas to fill.

I began using the Pomodoro Technique, which has you working for 20- or 25-minute blocks and then taking a 5- or 10-minute break. It has helped me stay focused for … Read more

Female Google execs on how to attract more women to the biz

SAN FRANCISCO -- On the eve of the Google I/O Developers Conference, the company's offices here were abuzz with a familiar refrain: the need for more women in the computer science industry.

The Women Techmakers event featured five women from Google's storied ranks talking about recruitment, leadership, gender bias, and of course, why Google is such an enviable place for women to work.

Susan Wojcicki, the senior vice president of advertising, was the 16th Google employee. When she started, she was told she would have a boss to report to.

"I waited for years," she … Read more