Install Ubuntu Linux Alongside Windows 8

2. Shrink the Windows partition

Windows is like an infestation of cockroaches. Cockroaches will keep filling up space until it runs out and will try and find some more space. Windows is built to believe that all the available disk space belongs to it and therefore there is no spare space for another operating system.

To get around this issue there is a tool available within Windows that lets you shrink the Windows partition (or indeed any other partition on the disk).

To be able to shrink the Windows partition you will need to run the "Disk Management" tool. To do this move your mouse to the top right corner and click on the search icon. Now click the settings icon and start typing "disk".

Click on the option "Create and format hard disk partitions".

As you can see the Dell Inspiron by default has a busy looking disk layout.

The operating system is on drive C and is called OS. 

This is the partition that needs to be shrunk in order to make space for Ubuntu.

Right clicking on the relevant drive brings up a context menu and on that context menu is the option to "Shrink Volume".

When you click on "Shrink Volume" a box appears asking you how much disk space you want to shrink the disk by.

The Shrink utility helpfully sets up the amount of disk space that it can comfortably spare.

Unless you have a reason to choose otherwise it is generally fine enough to accept the default options.

Click on "Shrink" to start the process.

Unlike the backup process this bit is quite quick.

 

3. Create a bootable USB drive with Ubuntu on it

Download Ubuntu

You can download Ubuntu from http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop.

As you can see there are two versions available.

Version 12.04 is a long term support release which means you can install it now and it will still receive updates in 4 years time. This is great if you are the sort of person who likes stability and you aren't too bothered about getting the new features early.

Version 13.04 has only 9 months worth of support and then you will be expected to upgrade to a newer version of Ubuntu. This may sound like a very short period of time (and it is) but 13.04 already feels slick compared to 12.04.

If you become comfortable with the installation process then moving up to the latest versions keeps you in the now club.

The long term support releases are great but consider that the last LTS version was back at version 10 which pre-dates Unity. To quote Ferris Bueller:

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

The one thing you do have to do though to be able to run Ubuntu alongside Windows 8 is to choose the 64-bit version.

Note that if you have a Dell Inspiron 3521 and you wish to install version 12.04 there is a dedicated version especially for you at http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/hardware/201208-11539/.

The Dell Inspiron 3521 can be purchased pre-installed with Ubuntu and therefore there is already an image available which has all the necessary drivers set up.

I can confirm however that I installed Ubuntu 13.04 and I used the stock 64-bit download and I have had no issues with Ubuntu whatsoever.

If you live in the city then downloading Ubuntu will be a quick process. If you live in the countryside and your internet connection sucks as much as mine then there is always the option of buying a DVD pre-installed within Ubuntu Linux.

Download Unetbootin

Unetbootin is the tool that I used to create a bootable USB drive with Ubuntu on it. To download Unetbootin visit http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/.

Click on the "Download (for Windows" link. The download is fairly small and even on my meagre internet connection takes under a minute.

To run Unetbootin press the "Start" button and click on "Files". Now type "Unetbootin" into the search box and Unetbootin will be the first option. Click on the icon to run Unetbootin.

To create a bootable USB drive you need to insert a blank USB drive into a USB port and then select the disk image option.

Clicking on the button with 3 dots brings up a file browser and you should be able to find the downloaded Ubuntu ISO.

Make sure that the USB Drive is indeed in the drive letter specified and when you are happy that you aren't about to install somewhere you shouldn't click OK.

It takes a few minutes for Unetbootin to do it's stuff but ultimately you will end up with a bootable USB drive.

4. Turn off fast boot and disable secure boot

Turn off fast boot

To turn off fast boot you need to get into the control panel and then the power options.

To open the control panel move your mouse to the top right corner and then click on the settings icon that appears.

When the menu appears click on the control panel.

From within the Control Panel click on the "Power Options" icon.

From the "Power Options" screen look down the menu on the left side and select "Choose what the power button does".

On the snappily titled "Define power buttons and turn on password protection" screen scroll down to the bottom.

There should be an option that says "Turn on fast startup". If this option doesn't appear click on the link at the top of the window that says "Change settings that are currently unavailable".

If the "Turn on fast startup" option is checked turn it off. I know that it says recommended but in this case it really isn't recommended.

Click the "Save Changes" button to continue.

Turn off secure boot

To turn off secure boot move your mouse to the top right corner and then click the settings option.

Now comes the ninja bit. Hold down the shift key and select "power" and "restart" whilst keeping the shift key held down. (Take out the USB drive if it is still plugged in).

When you reboot a screen similar to the one above will appear. The option you should choose is the UEFI Firmware Settings.

At this point you will be taken into the UEFI settings for your make of computer and I can't write instructions for each make and model therefore Google is your friend (and not at all evil). Type in your make and model and search for UEFI settings.

When you are in the UEFI settings you are looking for the option that says something like "Secure boot" with the value set to "Enabled" and you want to set that option to "disabled".

5. Run the Ubuntu Installer

To load Ubuntu in live mode insert the USB drive created in step 3 and reboot your computer.

It is a beautiful sight seeing Windows disappear and Ubuntu appear in its place even if it is the live USB version.

Let's get started.

Clicking on the "Install Ubuntu 13.04" (or 12.04 if you are going LTS) brings up the Ubuntu installer.

The first step lets you choose the language for the installer.

If you speak English I recommend choosing English (unless you feel you need an extra challenge) and indeed if you aren't a native English speaker then choose the language you feel most comfortable using.

The preparation screen shows you whether you are fully prepared for installing Ubuntu.

As you can see from the screen image I had plenties of disk space and I was fully plugged in to the power but I didn't have an internet connection.

Having the internet connection set up lets you download updates on the go. I prefer to do it afterwards.

You will also notice the "install this third party software" checkbox which will make Flash and MP3s work straight away after the install.

If you aren't already connected to the internet now is your chance to get connected.

You can choose any one of your broadband connections.

I have 2 available to me and neither of them are any good.

I prefer to install first and update later so I leave the internet disconnected.

6. Partition the empty space

This bit is going to amend your hard drive partitions and if you didn't do a backup at the beginning this is the point of no return.

I highly recommend making sure you have created the correct recovery media before continuing. 

I could have made the install process one big step but the partitioning takes a bit of explaining so I put this in a separate section.

There are 2 options available to you from the partitioning screen.

• Erase disk and install Ubuntu
• Something else

If you just want to install Ubuntu and forget Windows ever existed (and if you have tried Windows 8 nobody is going to blame you for making this decision) you can simply press continue .

This guide is about installing alongside Windows 8 and therefore to do this choose "Something Else".

The disk layout on the Dell Inspiron 3521 is quite involved.

What you should do is look for the large amount of unpartitioned space by scrolling down. (For the Dell it was /dev/sda7).

When you find the unpartitioned space click on the plus symbol and create a logical partition. Mount the partition to / and set the size to 50 gigabytes. Set the partition type to EXT4.

Now find the unpartitioned space again and click on the plus symbol and create another logical partition. Mount this one to /HOME and set the type to EXT4. The size should be virtually all the unpartitioned space minus about 16 gigabytes.

There is a lot said about how much swap space you need but as disk space isn't exactly expensive anymore I always just choosing 16 gigabytes which is way more than is actually required. (By quite some distance). You will therefore need to create a third partition in the unpartitioned space and choose SWAP as the type.

When it comes to choosing where to install the bootloader don't change a thing. Leave it pointing to "/dev/sda". Whatever you do don't choose one of the other partitions like "/dev/sda1" or "/dev/sda2" etc. This is one of the most common mistakes people make.

For the 3 partitions that you just created make sure the format checkbox is checked.

Do not continue unless you are really satisfied that you have done everything correctly and that you have a backup available in case of bad times.

Press Install to continue.

7. Complete the installation

The installation will now continue and you will see files copied across and the installation taking place.

At this point you will be able to choose keyboard layouts, timezone and you will be asked to add a new user.

At the end of the install process you will asked if you want to restart the system or continue using the live version.

8. Reboot into the live image

At this point it is worth rebooting the computer to see what has happened.

When the computer has started to reboot remove the USB drive and let the bootup process begin as normal.

If you are lucky everything has worked perfectly well and you have a GRUB menu showing options for Windows and Ubuntu.

The reality is that you will be very lucky if that really has happened.

One of three things will have happened:

1. Ubuntu will have loaded
2. Windows will have loaded
3. Nothing loads

If either Ubuntu or Windows loads then you just have a bootloader issue, if nothing loads it is likely that you didn't turn off secure boot and probably have messages on the screen saying so.

Unless you have a perfectly running dual boot system plug your USB drive back in and reboot so that the live version of Ubuntu runs again.

9. Run the boot repair

For the next part you will venture into the terminal. Press the super key on your keyboard (that is the one that looks like the Windows icon).

Type "term" into the search box that appears. Click on the "Terminal" icon.

From within the terminal window type the following:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair && sudo apt-get update

The above command adds a special repository to your Ubuntu live system and then the update command downloads a list of all the applications that reside in that repository.

Now all you have to do is type:

sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair && (boot-repair &)

The information I am providing here comes straight from the following page:https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair (Just in case you thought I was making all this up as I went along).

A message will appear saying that boot repair is scanning your partitions.

At this point I clicked the "Recommended repair" button as it does say it fixes the most frequent problems.

After a few minutes the application will tell you if it needs you to run extra commands in the terminal and it gives you the commands to copy and paste.

By following the instructions provided my boot loader was fixed and I could move on to the final step.

10. Test that everything works

Reboot your computer and remove the USB drive.

You should now have a menu with various options on it. The first one will be Ubuntu and somewhere down the list is Windows EFI.

Try Ubuntu and make sure that it loads correctly, then reboot and try the Windows EFI option. Windows 8 should now load.

Troubleshooting

If either Windows or Ubuntu won't load or nothing loads at all it is worth checking over the above steps to make sure you turned off fast boot and secure boot.

If you think you have done everything correctly then copy any errors and load the Live USB version of Ubuntu again.

Now Google is again your friend (and not at all evil). Search for the error text that you received or go to the Ubuntu forums and search there for your error.

If that fails to help you can either ask for help yourself at the Ubuntu forums or on the Ubuntu sub-reddit.

Another option is to open XChat by pressing the super key and typing XChat. Now find the Ubuntu IRC chatroom and state your issues within the realms of IRC chat. There are always helpful people there.

but ..... if all else still fails .... remember those backups I mentioned throughout this article. It is time to think about using them.

You can always restore Windows to it's original state and try following the instructions again.

Summary

I hope this article helps some of you install Ubuntu alongside Windows.

It will probably take you less time to install Ubuntu than it has to read the article down to this far.

Don't be afraid. Give it a go. You will be glad you did. Let's face it. Windows 8 sucks.

Thankyou for reading.

Things To Do After Installing Ubuntu 13.10

Ubuntu 13.10, codenamed Saucy Salamander has been released as per its schedule on 17th October. If you did not upgrade from Ubuntu 13.04 to Ubuntu 13.10 and instead you did a clean install of Ubuntu 13.10, you might be wondering what are the things to do after installing Ubuntu 13.10.

This is one of the first question that pops up after installing any new OS, what to do next? I have previously written on things to do after installing Elementary OS Luna and Ubuntu 13.04, and now I am here with the list of must to do things after installing Ubuntu 13.10. While different people have different requirement and thus their to do list may differ from the one here, most of the things are still essential after a clean install.

Must to do things after installing Ubuntu 13.10

Update Ubuntu 13.10:

First and foremost thing after installing Ubuntu 13.10 is to update the system. Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and use the following command:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

Install Ubuntu restricted extras:

“Ubuntu restricted extras” consists of several codecs that are not installed by default. The reason Ubuntu doesn’t include these codecs by default is because of legal constraints in many countries. But if you install these codecs, it is you who would be held responsible for the usage and not Ubuntu. Don’t worry its safe to install these codecs. With these codecs installed, you can play different media formats such as MP3, MP4, AVI and several other formats. Install it using the following command:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

Install Adobe Flash player:

Even after installing extra codecs, you may face difficulties with Adobe Flash player. You may not be able to run YouTube videos is one of the example. You can install Adobe Flash player using the following command:

sudo apt-get install flashplugin-installer

Install VLC media player:

The default video player Totem is quite good but VLC is the best open source media player for playing videos. Apart from playing almost all kind of media files, VLC can download subtitles automatically and you can also play YouTube videos with subtitles. Install VLC player in Ubuntu 13.10 using the following command:

sudo apt-get install vlc

Play encrypted DVD in Ubuntu 13.10:

Enable encrypted DVD playback in Ubuntu 13.10 using the following commands:

sudo apt-get install libdvdread4
sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh

Install RAR:

To avoid error like “There is no command installed for RAR archive files“ install RAR in the following manner:

sudo apt-get install rar

Get rid of “Sorry, Ubuntu 13.10 has experienced internal error”

Its a legacy now. It started with Ubuntu 12.04 and continue till date. Though totally harmless, this crash report is extremly annoying. You can disable the apport by editing the following file:

gksu gedit /etc/default/apport

Now, in this file look for the line # sudo service apport start force_start=1 enabled=1

Change the enabled=1 to enabled=0. For more detail steps, follow this article on how to get rid of Sorry, Ubuntu has experienced an internal error.

Install additional drivers in Ubuntu 13.10:

You may suffer from Wireless and graphics card related problem. To avoid such troubles, install the third part propriety drivers. Go to Unity Dash and search for Software & Updates. Open Software & Updates and click on Additional Drivers tab. If there are any additional propriety drivers for your system, it should be listed here.

Improve battery life and reduce overheating:

One of the important things to do is to take care of your laptop’s battery life and overheating issue. Until Ubuntu 12.10, Jupiter was the best tool to reduce overheating, but since its development has stopped, you can use TLP or CPUFREQ instead of Jupiter. Install TLP using the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:linrunner/tlp
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install tlp tlp-rdw
sudo tlp start

And that’s it. No configuration required for using TLP. Install it and forget about it. Read this article on how to use CPUFREQ to reduce overheating in Ubuntu. Oh! By the way Jupiter is still available unofficially. But it is better to use TLP as Jupiter is no longer being developed. Your choice basically.

Install other desktop environments:

Unity is not everyone’s favourite, is it? You don’t need to ditch Ubuntu just because you hate Unity. Just replace Unity with your favourite Gnome or Cinnamon.

Install Gnome 3 in Ubuntu 13.10 using the following command:

sudo apt-get install gnome-shell ubuntu-gnome-desktop

Install latest stable Cinnamon in Ubuntu 13.10 using the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gwendal-lebihan-dev/cinnamon-stable 
sudo apt-get update 
sudo apt-get install cinnamon

Tweak Unity and Gnome:

Not satisfied with the default looks of Ubuntu 13.10? You can always tweak it. Though you can do that using the options provided in Ubuntu itself, Unity Tweak Tool and Gnome Tweak Tool are excellent tools to tweak the appearance to any extent. Use the following commands:

sudo apt-get install unity-tweak-tool

sudo apt-get install gnome-tweak-tool

Install Java in Ubuntu 13.10:

Sooner or later, you’ll have to install Java. There is simply no escaping from it, no matter how much you try. Assuming that you are not going to do Java development, you’ll only need OpenJRE. Install Java in Ubuntu 13.10 using the following command:

sudo apt-get install icedtea-7-plugin openjdk-7-jre

Install Dropbox:

Ubuntu 13.10 now gives you the option of configuring Ubuntu One at installation time itself. But that does not stop me from using Dropbox, my favourite Cloud storage. You can install Dropbox from their website or by using this command:

sudo apt-get install dropbox

Privacy matters:

You can configure different types of security and privacy options by going in Security & Privacy in System Settings. You will find an option of turning off the online search suggestions in it. But since it will turn off all kind of online suggestion, you might not want to deteriorate your experience of Unity smart scopes. So, here is an option for you. Disable just the shopping suggestions and keep the rest (like Wikipedia suggestions) in the Dash. Use the following command to disable the shopping suggestions from Unity Dash (my theme cannot display the command properly, sorry for that):

gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.Lenses disabled-scopes "['more_suggestions-amazon.scope', 'more_suggestions-u1ms.scope', 'more_suggestions-populartracks.scope', 'music-musicstore.scope', 'more_suggestions-ebay.scope', 'more_suggestions-ubuntushop.scope', 'more_suggestions-skimlinks.scope']"

Of course this is not the end of it. There are several other things to do after installing Ubuntu 13.10 but I had to stop somewhere. I hope you find it useful. You can also check another useful post on how to speed up Ubuntu 13.10. What is your to-do list after installing Ubuntu? Did I miss anything here? Do share your views.

What you need to know about TV power consumption

How much does it cost to run your TV? The answer may surprise you.

by David Katzmaier

This 65-inch plasma is the most power-hungry TV we've ever tested. It uses $6.77 per month in electricity.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Since 2011 the FTC has required that every TV display a yellow and black Energy Guide label estimating how much it costs to run for a year. The label assumes a price for electricity (11 cents/kWh) and a baseline usage (5 hours per day).

The cost is tiny. A typical label can read anywhere from $6 for 32-inch LEDs to $38 for 65-inch plasmas (PDF). Per year. That's from 50 cents to $3.18 per month. If that's the definition of chump change to you, you're probably not alone.

That's the primary reason I stopped widely testing TV power consumption a couple of years ago (plasmas are the exception; I still test consumption by those). Simply put, TV manufacturers have done a good-enough job of managing TV power that the operating cost became negligible. And once people realize how cheap even the biggest TVs are to run, energy use largely stops being a factor in the purchasing decision.

Here's the official Energy Guide label for a 65-inch 2013 plasma TV. Your mileage may vary.

(Credit: ABT.com)

Of course, there's a bit more to it than that. I like to think of the Energy Guide number as the minimum it'll cost to run the TV. It's determined using the default picture settings, which are often (especially on plasma TVs) dimmer than what people end up using at home. Since most TVs' default picture settings incorporate a room lighting sensor, watching in a bright room may in turn automatically make the image brighter and thus use more power.

You may also watch for longer than 5 hours per day or live in an area where electricity is more expensive. Residential energy prices vary widely according to season and state. Connecticut residents, who pay the most in the U.S., should probably tack an extra couple of bucks on to the sticker figure.

But even if you double the figures on the Energy Guide label, even the largest, least efficient TVs still cost less per month than a decent lunch. The most power-hungry TV I've recently tested,Panasonic's 65-inch TC-P65VT50, costs about $81 per year, or $6.77 per month. And that'safter calibrating the picture so it's suitable for viewing in moderate lighting.

Here's a list of various recent TVs we measured for power use after calibration. They appear in order of how much they cost in electricity, assuming the same per-kWh cost and usage as the Energy Guide labels.

Eco-minded TV shopping tips

Are you still concerned about how much juice your next TV will use? Here are a few tips on how to keep the power bills very slightly lower, and do something to help the environment, while you watch TV.

• Buy an LED TV. They use one-half to one-quarter the power of a comparably sized plasma. Some LEDs are more efficient than others; local-dimming models, for example, can use less power. Look for Energy Star's Most Efficient designation for the most miserly.
• Buy a smaller TV. A 32-inch LED TV uses about half the energy of a 60-incher.
• Watch with a dimmer picture. Light output is the largest factor in how much power a given TV uses. Try turning down the backlight control or engaging the power-saver setting.
• Watch less TV. In case you're wondering, TV "standby" power use amounts to pennies per year.

How big a TV should I buy?

Wondering what size TV to get? Wonder no longer.

by Geoffrey Morrison

Most people sit about 9 feet from their TV. THX recommends a display that fills 40 degrees of your field of vision.

(Credit: Geoffrey Morrison)

How big a TV should you buy? 37? 42? 50? 65? 90? There's a TV in nearly every size you can want, and at nearly every budget.

As long as you're not limited by a cabinet or entertainment center, you can probably get a bigger TV than you're figuring. Possibly, a lot bigger.

Here's how to figure out how big you can go.

The short answer: as big as you can afford. The longer answer depends on your room, your seating distance, your eyes, and the acceptance of any cohabitating co-deciders.

Recommended
There is a direct correlation between recommended screen size and seating distance. The farther away you sit, obviously, the smaller your TV appears. The ideal is to have a screen that fills a certain amount of your field of view, though how much is "ideal" is up for debate.

THX recommends, for example, a viewing angle of 40 degrees, to create "an immersive cinematic experience." What does 40 degrees mean to those of us who love math in theory but not in practice? Skip the protractor, and multiply your seating distance (in inches or centimeters) by 0.84. This gets you the recommended screen diagonal.

For example, most people sit about 9 feet (108 inches) from their TV, so THX recommends a screen size of around 90 inches diagonal for that distance. That means the 55-inch you're looking at is not "too big," at least as far as THX is concerned. They realize, though, that not everyone has the space (or desire) for a TV that big, so they also recommend something in the 60-inch range for seating distances up to 9 feet.

SMPTE recommends 30 degrees, obviously quite a bit smaller. To match their recommendation, multiply your seating distance by 0.625. So given our 9-foot example, that means a TV around 68 inches (so a 65- or 70-inch model would work).

SMPTE recommends a display that fills 30 degrees of your field of vision.

(Credit: Geoffrey Morrison)

CNET, when this topic was covered last, recommended no closer than 1.5 times the screen diagonal, or 0.667 times your seating distance. This allows for a slightly larger TV than the SMPTE recommendation, with a "maximum" screen size of 72 inches (again, 70-inch models are the closest) for a 9-foot viewing distance.

While these are good guidelines, I think they need to be taken as the recommendations they are, not any sort of steadfast rules. It's far too easy to get caught up in a numbers game when the reality is far more complex. There are additional factors in play than this-times-that-means-this would seem.

Beyond the "rules"
Two factors come into play when you're talking about maximum screen size: resolution and room domination. Most TVs now are 1080p, and that's a lot of pixels. Even at the largest flat panel screen sizes available today, you're not going to see pixels sitting at 9 feet. If the TV (orprojector) isn't very good, you might see other artifacts like video noise or dithering, but you're not likely to see pixels. If you're sitting closer to such a large TV, pixels may start getting visible, but you'd have to be sitting awfully close. This is one of the reasons I said Ultra HD 4K TVs are stupid, and why there are at least three TV improvements more worthwhile than Ultra HD 4K, and there's more math in that both articles about what resolution the human eye can actually see.

The short version is: extremely large TVs may not look quite as good when you're sitting really close to them, as you're seeing more than they were designed for you to see. That isn't to say they'll be "unwatchable" close-up, they just may not look as good as if you were sitting farther away. This is especially true if you're not always watching a pristine source like Blu-ray. Check out When HD isn't HD for more on the lesser sources that will look really bad on a huge TV.

The other factor, room domination, is completely subjective. How big does a TV have to get in your room before it becomes the only thing in the room (either figuratively, or literally).

If you have any doubts, I'd recommend taping off or cutting out cardboard in the size of the TV you're thinking about, and seeing how it fares in your room. Know that once it's actually in there, it will be way more awesome than cardboard, and likely seem way, way bigger. It certainly depends on your room, decor, and overall spousal tolerance/enthusiasm.

If you think you might be sitting close enough to see pixels (or are curious if you are), check out this 4K Calculator and put in your viewing distance, screen size, and your vision (20/20, etc).

Beyond the beyond: What's possible
I'll be honest, I don't subscribe to any of the established "rules" for viewing distance and screen size. I think the SMPTE and the lesser THX numbers are too TV-biased. I think they vastly underestimate what's easily possible with modern technology, for those that want more.

I sit 9 feet from a 102-inch screen. That's just the 16x9 portion. The full screen is 2.35:1, and 128 inches diagonal. With a 1080p projector, I can just barely make out pixels when I expand a 1080p projector to the full width of the screen. Watching TV this size is addictive, and I love it.

I mention this as proof you can go much larger than most people figure is possible.

Do you want to? Well, that's an entirely different question. I find the larger screen sizes easier on the eyes, as more of your field of view is taken up with the roughly uniform brightness of the screen. In an otherwise dark room, your pupils are more naturally closed to the amount of light thanks to the big screen.

Conversely, I find watching a small screen in a dark room more fatiguing, as your pupils are more open (because of the dark room) with this one annoying pinprick of bright light (the TV).Many people complain about headaches when they watch TV in a dark room. One possible cause is the 50+ footlamberts from a TV (or more with LCDs) taking up a tiny fraction of your field of view. Think about when someone shines a flashlight in your eyes when you've been in the dark for an hour. With a projector, you've got 25 ftL or so over a huge swath of your vision.

True, bias lights, leaving room lights on, and turning down an LCD's backlight can minimize fatigue as well or better than a big screen, but I like watching TV in a dark room. To each their own.

Bottom line
Of course, the ultimate decision is one of personal preference. My goal here was to point out a rough idea of what is possible and/or recommended. For me, I would always err on the side of "too big." My opinion is that a 42-inch TV is too small for most rooms. That's not to say I think everyone should get a 102-inch screen, but the reality is a 42-inch flat panel is not really appreciably larger than the 36-inch CRTs of the old days (different aspect ratios notwithstanding). With great 50-inch TVs available for $500, that's where I'd look at first if I were shopping for a TV.

If you want to go really big, like an 85-inch TV or projection, only then should you think about 4K (unless you're sitting really close, like under 6 feet). Since there's still a lot of potential issues with HDMI 2.0 adoption, I'd be wary of 4K at all right now.

How to use the PS4 Controller in Windows with XBOX Controller XInput Games

Unlike using the PS3 controller in Windows, the PS4 controller is supported by the OS easily with basic DirectInput drivers.

Unfortunately, not a lot of modern games use DirectInput for controller support anymore. Instead, they use XInput, the API that is easily ported from XBOX games. Furthermore, the button and control axis are reversed or incorrect using the standard API.

Luckily there is an easy way to get your PS4 controller to work in Windows games that use XInput.

1. Download this file and extract it to a permanent location
2. Run ScpDriver.exe from the “Virtual Bus Driver” folder and click install
3. It should show that Bus Device and Bus Driver are installed
4. Connect your PS4 controller through bluetooth or USB
   1. To pair on Bluetooth, hold the Connect + Share button on the controller. You will be able to pair the device using your standard Bluetooth control
5. Start ScpServer.exe
6. If you see the message Controller : UPP_Worker_Thread Starting, it is confirmed to be working
7. To make sure it is working, check Devices and Printers. It should show up as an XBOX 360 controller

This software supports up to 4 controllers connected at one time.

Requirements:

• Microsoft .NET 4.0
• Visual C 2010 Runtime
• Latest DirectX Runtime

How To Configure Remote Desktop Access on Windows 7 Systems

Remote Desktop is not enabled by default. You must specifically enable it to allow remote access to the workstation. When it is enabled, any member of the Administrators group can connect to the workstation. Other users must be placed on a remote access list to gain access to the workstation. 

To configure remote access, follow these steps: 
1. In Control Panel, click System And Security, and then click System. 
2. On the System page, click Remote Settings in the left pane. This opens the System Properties dialog box to the Remote tab. 
3. To disable Remote Desktop, select Don’t Allow Connections To This Computer, and then click OK.Skip the remaining steps. 
4. To enable Remote Desktop, you have two options. You can:

• Select Allow Connections From Computers Running Any Version Of Remote Desktop to allow connections from any version of Windows.
• Select Allow Connections Only From Computers Running Remote Desktop With Network Level Authentication to allow connections only from Windows 7 or later computers (and computers with secure network authentication).

5. Click Select Users. This displays the Remote Desktop Users dialog box. 
6. To grant Remote Desktop access to a user, click Add. This opens the Select Users dialog box. In the Select Users dialog box, click Locations to select the computer or domain in which the users you want to work with are located. Type the name of a user you want to work with in the Enter The Object Names To Select field, and then click Check Names. If matches are found, select the account you want to use and then click OK. If no matches are found, update the name you entered and try searching again. Repeat this step as necessary, and then click OK. 
7. To revoke remote access permissions for a user account, select the account and then click Remove.
8. Click OK twice when you have finished. 

Windows Firewall must be configured to allow inbound Remote Desktop excep¬tions. You can configure this on a per-computer basis in Windows Firewall for the domain profile and the standard profile. In Group Policy, you can configure this exception and manage Remote Desktop by using the policy settings shown in the following list. These settings are found in the Administrative Templates policies for Computer Configuration under the path shown. 

How to activate hibernation mode in Windows 7 and 8

For some inexplicable reason, most versions of Windows 7 and 8 don't allow you to put your PC or Laptop into hibernation mode by default. However, what isn't yet may well still be: Here's how you can (re)activate this handy feature
.

In most cases, the main culprit for the lack of a hibernate button in the power menu is revealed to be the so-called hybrid sleep mode – an enhanced version of the normal sleep mode that combines all its normal characteristics with an additional routine that copies the content of the RAM onto the hard drive to safeguard it from power-outages. As long as this mode is active, Windows seems to consider the hibernation mode redundant in spite of its energy-saving benefits, so that it doesn't even bother offering the option for it.

To deactivate the hybrid sleep mode, 

1. open up your control panel and 

2. navigate along the path "Power options >  Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings > Sleep > Allow hybrid sleep". 

3. Change the setting from "On" to "Off", close the windows by clicking on OK and you should be all set. 

4. Make sure to check your shutdown menu to see whether or not an option for hibernation mode is now available.

If not, you might have to enable the corresponding system entry for hibernation mode manually. Fortunately, this doesn't pose much of a problem: 

1. Hold down the Windows-key + R and type in "cmd" to bring up the command prompt. 

2. Enter "powercfg –h on" to force Windows to activate it.

10 Creative Ways to Find the Right Exterior Home Color

Trying to choose the right exterior home color – 10 tips to help.

Whether you know it or not, the exterior of your home is an extension of your home’s personality and what it “says” to the neighborhood. Depending on what exterior amenities, architectural details and color you choose can help your home shine in its best light. If you have been looking at the exterior of your home and thinking it could use a facelift – adding color is one of the most affordable and eye-catching ways to make a big impact. From adding curb appeal to your exterior home, to creating a statement, finding the right exterior color can be made easier with these 10 creative tips.

1. Assess your home’s personality:

Similar to your favorite wardrobe style your home has a personality. It can be shaped by the neighborhood, your family lifestyle or the geographic location you live in. Choosing an exterior color should reflect its personality of being stately – with a refined and subdued color palette or it can be young and hip with trendy colors that are out of the box. Determine how you want your home to feel and look and let it guide’s its color personality.

Use your home’s architectural style to help you decide on colors

2. Take color cues from your home’s architecture:

The beauty of architectural elements are the ability to use character, details, texture and colors to showcase an era of your home that is unique to your home and neighborhood. If your home is an old world Tuscan or Mediterranean inspired villa – weathered whites, terra cotta oranges and sun-kissed brown details are ideal for barrel tile roof and trim details.

Choose exterior colors based on building material options

3. Use nature as backdrop for color selections

The surroundings of your home can impact your exterior color selection in a beautiful way! Beach homes, mountain homes and tropical inspired homes have nature to draw inspiration from. Use colors found around your home – beach homes can take cues from the sand, water and sky with beautiful pale shades of white, tan, blues, and pale green and yellows.

Choose exterior colors that speaks to your home’s history

4. Recreate an exterior from past vacation memories

For many homeowners drawing color inspiration from travel can inspire exterior colors that are creative and unique. If your trip to a tropical getaway was fun, why not use these colors at your native home? Many island homes use bright and whimsical colors such as turquoise, peach, sunny yellow, coral, and lavender for their exterior homes. While you may love them in small amounts, remember ultimately your home should still look great amongst neighboring homes.

5. Use historical character for exterior color ideas

If you live in a historic Victorian home or in a aged Tudor style home, you know that keeping true to the historical character of your home’s original colors is essential. While your home may be hundreds of years old you may not be able to know off-hand what colors where native to your home and surrounding homes. If your city has a Chamber of Commerce or historical architectural organization you may be able to research exterior colors for your neighborhood. Also look to paint manufacturers that feature historical color palettes that are pre-selected. This can take the guesswork out of choosing the right exterior house colors from generations in the past.

Seek inspiration for exterior colors from past vacations memories

6. Let your choice of exterior color help guide your color options

Exterior cladding or the material you use on the exterior of you home can take much of the guesswork out of choosing exterior colors. Brick, siding, stucco/plaster and concrete all have unique qualities for each type of material. Choose a material that represents your style and works well with the climate of your home. You will be surprised that brick can come in colors as light as whitish yellow all the way to the darkest of charcoal gray! Find a material you love and then look at the color options based on the finish you are looking for.

Choose exterior colors that enhance your home’s surroundings

7. Landscape color can enhance your exterior house colors

Similarly to architectural trim and details the landscaping around your home can enhance your home’s color selection. Curb appeal is essential and to make a great impression coordinating bright flowers with a more subdued color palette on your home can be ideal or vice versa. If you have gorgeous vistas and plenty of beautiful foliage decide how you can play up the red brick or hunter green siding on your exterior home. If you’re not sure what colors to choose for landscaping, take pictures of your outdoor home with you to your local nursery and ask a garden expert for advice!

Use landscaping to enhance colors of your exterior home

8. Exterior house colors should use architectural details for impact

While you may only think of the field color or the majority of the exterior walls as the color of choice, remember the smaller details of the home can be the crowing glory when it comes to color selection. Window and door trim, roof and eave colors, gutter and downspouts can be painted or gorgeous copper gutters have a beautiful patina as well. Decide if you want a high-contrast to your home’s trim and accent colors or if you prefer a more unified color approach. Either way, don’t overlook the simplicity yet effectiveness in choosing exterior trim detail colors.

9. Choose exterior colors that are appealing at all times

While you may not realize it, your exterior home is viewed in the daytime but also when the sun is setting and in the evening hours. Therefore, choosing a color that is camouflaged amongst your surrounding landscaping may not be a wise choice. Many mountain homes that lie amongst evergreen trees try to stay away from all-green exterior colors to make their home stand out amongst the background. Natural wood siding that is stained is common amongst mountain homes to give a rustic yet still defined exterior appearance.

Choose a color palette that is inviting in the day and evening

10. Blend in with your neighbors

Your neighborhood most likely has a color scheme influence already set in place. Whether you are a new neighborhood that a developer has created or you have an older home – walk around your neighborhood and assess existing homes. Look to see if your neighbors have coordinating styles or if they are all custom colors that don’t harmonize. The key to choosing exterior house colors is to be unique in your selections but still blend in beautifully with neighboring homes.

10 Creative Ways to Find the Right Exterior Home Color

Trying to choose the right exterior home color – 10 tips to help.

Whether you know it or not, the exterior of your home is an extension of your home’s personality and what it “says” to the neighborhood. Depending on what exterior amenities, architectural details and color you choose can help your home shine in its best light. If you have been looking at the exterior of your home and thinking it could use a facelift – adding color is one of the most affordable and eye-catching ways to make a big impact. From adding curb appeal to your exterior home, to creating a statement, finding the right exterior color can be made easier with these 10 creative tips.

1. Assess your home’s personality:

Similar to your favorite wardrobe style your home has a personality. It can be shaped by the neighborhood, your family lifestyle or the geographic location you live in. Choosing an exterior color should reflect its personality of being stately – with a refined and subdued color palette or it can be young and hip with trendy colors that are out of the box. Determine how you want your home to feel and look and let it guide’s its color personality.

Use your home’s architectural style to help you decide on colors

2. Take color cues from your home’s architecture:

The beauty of architectural elements are the ability to use character, details, texture and colors to showcase an era of your home that is unique to your home and neighborhood. If your home is an old world Tuscan or Mediterranean inspired villa – weathered whites, terra cotta oranges and sun-kissed brown details are ideal for barrel tile roof and trim details.

Choose exterior colors based on building material options

3. Use nature as backdrop for color selections

The surroundings of your home can impact your exterior color selection in a beautiful way! Beach homes, mountain homes and tropical inspired homes have nature to draw inspiration from. Use colors found around your home – beach homes can take cues from the sand, water and sky with beautiful pale shades of white, tan, blues, and pale green and yellows.

Choose exterior colors that speaks to your home’s history

4. Recreate an exterior from past vacation memories

For many homeowners drawing color inspiration from travel can inspire exterior colors that are creative and unique. If your trip to a tropical getaway was fun, why not use these colors at your native home? Many island homes use bright and whimsical colors such as turquoise, peach, sunny yellow, coral, and lavender for their exterior homes. While you may love them in small amounts, remember ultimately your home should still look great amongst neighboring homes.

5. Use historical character for exterior color ideas

If you live in a historic Victorian home or in a aged Tudor style home, you know that keeping true to the historical character of your home’s original colors is essential. While your home may be hundreds of years old you may not be able to know off-hand what colors where native to your home and surrounding homes. If your city has a Chamber of Commerce or historical architectural organization you may be able to research exterior colors for your neighborhood. Also look to paint manufacturers that feature historical color palettes that are pre-selected. This can take the guesswork out of choosing the right exterior house colors from generations in the past.

Seek inspiration for exterior colors from past vacations memories

6. Let your choice of exterior color help guide your color options

Exterior cladding or the material you use on the exterior of you home can take much of the guesswork out of choosing exterior colors. Brick, siding, stucco/plaster and concrete all have unique qualities for each type of material. Choose a material that represents your style and works well with the climate of your home. You will be surprised that brick can come in colors as light as whitish yellow all the way to the darkest of charcoal gray! Find a material you love and then look at the color options based on the finish you are looking for.

Choose exterior colors that enhance your home’s surroundings

7. Landscape color can enhance your exterior house colors

Similarly to architectural trim and details the landscaping around your home can enhance your home’s color selection. Curb appeal is essential and to make a great impression coordinating bright flowers with a more subdued color palette on your home can be ideal or vice versa. If you have gorgeous vistas and plenty of beautiful foliage decide how you can play up the red brick or hunter green siding on your exterior home. If you’re not sure what colors to choose for landscaping, take pictures of your outdoor home with you to your local nursery and ask a garden expert for advice!

Use landscaping to enhance colors of your exterior home

8. Exterior house colors should use architectural details for impact

While you may only think of the field color or the majority of the exterior walls as the color of choice, remember the smaller details of the home can be the crowing glory when it comes to color selection. Window and door trim, roof and eave colors, gutter and downspouts can be painted or gorgeous copper gutters have a beautiful patina as well. Decide if you want a high-contrast to your home’s trim and accent colors or if you prefer a more unified color approach. Either way, don’t overlook the simplicity yet effectiveness in choosing exterior trim detail colors.

9. Choose exterior colors that are appealing at all times

While you may not realize it, your exterior home is viewed in the daytime but also when the sun is setting and in the evening hours. Therefore, choosing a color that is camouflaged amongst your surrounding landscaping may not be a wise choice. Many mountain homes that lie amongst evergreen trees try to stay away from all-green exterior colors to make their home stand out amongst the background. Natural wood siding that is stained is common amongst mountain homes to give a rustic yet still defined exterior appearance.

Choose a color palette that is inviting in the day and evening

10. Blend in with your neighbors

Your neighborhood most likely has a color scheme influence already set in place. Whether you are a new neighborhood that a developer has created or you have an older home – walk around your neighborhood and assess existing homes. Look to see if your neighbors have coordinating styles or if they are all custom colors that don’t harmonize. The key to choosing exterior house colors is to be unique in your selections but still blend in beautifully with neighboring homes.