Windows XP Article Categories

If you own a Google Chromecast streaming device, you can easily share a browser tab in Chrome browser or even your entire desktop.  This can be very useful when presenting from your laptop or if you just want to watch something on a big screen that is only on your PC.  The only requirement is you must be on the same network as your Chromecast device and using a recent version of the Chrome browser. 

Do you use Windows late and night or before bed?  Studies have shown that exposure to bright blue light before bed can make it harder to fall asleep.  And if you are working in a dark room, this bright light can make looking at your screen difficult.  A unique free app called f.lux was designed to solve this problem by automatically adjusting the amount of blue light your screen displays throughout the day. 

If you are a fan of minimalist desktop experiences, hiding the desktop icons are an easy way to clean up the Windows interface.  Instead of saving everything to your desktop, use the default profile folders such as downloads and documents.  Actually hiding all the icons on your desktop is a very simple customization hidden in the right-click context menu.  Just right-click on the desktop, select View, and then Show desktop icons to remove the check. The icons will be hidden instantly. 

Google security researchers have published details about a major security flaw found in the SSL protocol that is used to encrypt data transferred between your browser and a web server. SSL is typically used in situations where logon credentials are validated or when other confidential information is exchanged (e.g. online banking). The exploit Google discovered works by taking advantage of two vulnerabilities.  1. Manipulate your web browser into using an old version of the SSL protocol. 2. Using a known exploit in the old version to essentially decrypt the encrypted traffic.

Enabling two-factor authentication is a great way to add an additional level of protection to your Microsoft account.  Even if your password is stolen, your account is still protected because two-factor authetication requires an additional level of verification to log in. Microsoft calls their version of two-factor authentication "two-step verification" and it works by providing you with a random code that must be entered in additional to your password when you log in.  Microsoft offers three ways to generate the verification code.  It can be sent via e-mail, SMS message or using a token generator app on your mobile phone.