Android or iPhone

Android vs iPhone?

Just want to take a poll on this one, comment on your choice. If you would like to share with others as to why that's up to you. 

Changing Cortana

Changing Cortana

If you have not used Cortana yet it's Microsoft's intelligent personal assistant for Windows 10, Cortana will help you find things on your PC, manage your calendar, track packages, find files, chat with you, and tell jokes. The more you use Cortana, the more personalized your experience will be. To get started, type a question in the search box on the taskbar. Or select the microphone icon and talk to Cortana. Typing works for all types of PCs, but you need a mic to use the voice command feature. Just a bit of advice if you have not worked with Cortana voice commands you will find things faster by typing in what you are looking for. By default Cortana sends you to Bing search engine, below is how you can change that. 

You can change Cortana with a Chrome Extension called  Chrometana - This will redirect the default search engine in Cortana to whatever you choose to use. It will not affect the performance of Cortana. This extension currently supports changing the default search to either Google, Yahoo or DuckDuckGo.

Free Antivirus Programs

Free Antivirus 

Without getting into which ones are worse or denying the necessity of anti-virus software in general for viruses, I am not going to rate them for the purpose of saving me time. The secondary purpose of any free antivirus program is to keep your computer clutter free from adware, popups, and keep it running smooth and fast. Most if not all Free AV software hit you with a constant barrage of auto-updates, mini scans, and popups for discounted offers to upgrade which in effect, slow your computer down more than anything. This only gets worse when trial offers expire and you now have pop ups and nothing protecting you. This scare tactic is what makes these companies money since the user will often panic and pay for an upgrade. Over the years I have tried almost all the top Free AV software programs and also some of the top Paid AV Programs that I hacked into with Keygens.

If you are firm on using a Free AV Program a lot has changed with the Windows 10 release, there are new AV programs out there to try and work arounds for those old ones that didn't keep up with Microsoft's release of Windows 10

I look forward to future reviews of Free AV running on Windows 10

Security Windows 10 V1

Basic Security Windows 10
Setting up some basic internet security for Windows 10

Under Internet Properties you will find 7 tabs

1. General - This is where you will set your home page 
2. Security - Set your security level to Medium-High
3. Privacy - This is where you will turn on your Pop-Up Blocker
4. Content - Skip this setting, leave the defaults
5. Connections - Skip this setting, leave the defaults
6. Programs - Skip this setting, leave the defaults
7. Advanced - Skip this setting, leave the defaults

Under Security and Maintenance click on the drop down arrow for security.

1. Firewall - ON
2. Virus protection from Windows Defender - ON
3. Spyware protection from Windows Defender - ON 
4. Internet Security Settings - OK 
5. User Account Control - ON
6. Windows Smart Screen - ON 
7. Microsoft Account - OK

You can either type in your search or use the voice command feature. This will allow you to find where you need to go on your computer to make changes. 

Top 2 FREE Programs

Top 2 FREE Programs I recommend

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware  is an application for computers running under the Microsoft Windows and Apple OS X operating system that finds and removes malware. You can use the FREE version or buy the Premium Version for $24.95 a year for one PC. This program should be installed before anything else, to many times I have seen a computer infected reject the installation of this great software once it's already infected. There are ways to install in safe mode but malware is also finding new ways everyday to stop you from protecting your computer. This is my number one pick of what you need on your device for protection and removal of malware. 

Link to the free version here - Malwarebytes

CCleaner is the my favorite PC optimization tool. Easy to use, one click cleaning so beginners can optimize their computers in seconds. Plus, it's packed with advanced features also. I use this FREE program to clean not only my personal computers but clients that have brought there bogged down slow computers to me for repair. I can't say enough about using this program other than it should be the second program you install after getting a new computer. Once you have deleted all the crap that comes preloaded on any PC this program with help speed things up by letting you take control, not only a cleaner but with the help of this software you can remove software quickly, clean up your registry and also let you set up what loads when you turn your computer on. CCleaner is also the number-one tool for cleaning your Mac.

Link to the free version here - CCleaner