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Friday Forum for Computer Help

This Group has closed.

This group has closed. We have decided to consolidate Friday with the Tuesday Group.

New Privacy Controls for Maps, Assistant, Youtube

Logo of Google MapsThe first change is to Google Maps, which is now getting an "Incognito mode." This works similar to the Incognito mode found in the Google Chrome browser.

Once activated, Incognito mode means details of where users search for will no longer be saved to their account and won't affect personalized experience. However, while in Incognito mode, users won't see any personalized information such as automatic updates on their commute.
Source and full story here:

Vivaldi makes web browsing more efficient

Vivaldi for Windows logoVivaldi launched in 2015 to make up for the loss of features in other browsers. From the very beginning we’ve focused on building our own, highly customizable UI.

We often get asked about the relationship between Vivaldi and Google Chrome. The truth is, while we rely on the Chromium engine (maintained by the Chromium project set up by Google), this is where similarities end. Let’s take a look. Below the UI of a browser – the part most people see and interact with – there’s a rendering engine responsible for displaying the requested content in the browser window, as well as a browser engine responsible for bringing together the rendering engine and the application’s UI.

Different browsers use different engines and when it came to picking ours, we found that the Chromium engine code was secure and the most widely used – things that were important to us. Other pieces of code were either unavailable or undergoing significant re-writes. Developing a new engine from scratch would not have allowed us to focus on what mattered to us the most – it would have taken far too long to do and required significant resources. There is a reason why no one has built a new engine from scratch in 20 years.
Download Vivaldi for Windows now.

Tips to improve PC performance in Windows 10

Unhappy faceDoes a slow PC have you down? If so, try some of the things below to help make your Windows 10 PC run better. The tips are listed in order, so start with the first one, see if that fixes the problem, and then continue to the next one if it doesn’t.

Begin here for more details on how to complete the following checks

1. Make sure you have the latest updates for Windows and device drivers
2. Restart your PC and open only the apps you need
3. Check your memory and memory usage
4. Check for low disk space and make some room if necessary
5. Restore your PC from a system restore point
6. Disable unnecessary startup programs
7. Check for and remove viruses and malware
8. Check for corrupted Windows system files
9. Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows
10. Adjust or turn off OneDrive sync
11. Reset your PC

The end of XP: everything you need to know

XP system logoMicrosoft is releasing its final patches for Windows XP today - assuming the company doesn't backtrack when a massive security threat hits the ageing OS.

The host of headlines about the end of support for XP will likely lead to a full inbox from friends, family and clients asking for advice.

Here are our top stories on XP's end of life to help you out. Source & more: PC Pro

Introducing Microsoft's Online Office Web Apps

PowerpointMicrosoft Office Web Apps are convenient online companions to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote that give you the freedom to work with your Office documents from virtually anywhere with a supported browser. Check here for more information and to download Microsoft's Office Web Apps.

For personal use: Office Web Apps on SkyDrive are available for free.