Windows 10 includes an underlying “Windows Subsystem for Linux” to run Linux applications, but it’s only accessible via the Bash shell. However, there is a way to run Linux applications without first launching a Bash window. This is possible thanks to the bash -c command. Use it to run Linux commands via Command Prompt and PowerShell, or even create a desktop shortcut that runs a Linux command or program when launched....

Hard drives use S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) to gauge their own reliability and determine if they’re failing. You can view your hard drive’s S.M.A.R.T. data and see if it has started to develop problems. Hard drives don’t live forever, and you often can’t see the end coming. Fortunately, most modern drives support S.M.A.R.T., so they can at least do some basic self-monitoring. Unfortunately, Windows doesn’t have an easy-to-use built-in tool that shows your hard disk’s S....

Getting pictures from your Android phone to your PC can be a daunting task if you don’t know where to start. Fortunately, it’s pretty straightforward once you know where to look. They say the best camera is the one you have with you, and more often than not that camera is the one built into your smartphone. If you end up shooting a lot of pictures or videos with your phone, you’ll undoubtedly want to get those pictures onto your PC at some point....

The Nest Thermostat is pretty easy to use, but it isn’t so apparent how to turn off the thermostat when you don’t need heating or air conditioning on. RELATED: How to Install and Set Up the Nest Thermostat Sure, you could just set the Nest to “Away” to stop it from heating and cooling, but that won’t work very well if you have Home/Away Assist enabled. Luckily, there’s a really easy way to simply turn off the Nest Thermostat....

Whether you’re sporting an older computer without a single USB 3.0 port or you’d like to expand and improve the roster of USB 3.0 ports on your newer computer, we’re here to help. Read on as we outline how to pack in all the USB goodness you crave with back, front, and case ports. Why Do I Want To Do This? If you already have a USB 3.0 port or two on your computer, you can pretty much skip this section: you already know how great USB 3....

“Mobile gaming” brings to mind swiping around on a touch screen, but you don’t have to use clunky touch controls. Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android both support physical game controllers, allowing you to use tactile controls with a smartphone or tablet. Unfortunately, not every mobile game supports physical game controllers. But quite a few games do, thanks to the Apple TV’s support for MFi controllers. For Android, devices like the NVIDIA Shield have encouraged developers to have controller support to their games....

For a long time, Chromebook users who also need access to the Android Debug Utility (ADB) and Fastboot for Android devices were left with one option: Crouton. Now, however, both ADB and Fastboot are included in Chrome OS. Here’s how to access them. First: Your Device Needs to be in Developer Mode First things first: ADB and Fastboot are technically considered “developer” tools, so your Chromebook will need to be in Developer Mode before you’ll be able to access them....

Driving Mode is a feature that utilizes both Google Maps and Google Assistant. It’s only available for Android 9+ devices and requires the device to be in portrait orientation. Of course, you’ll need both the Google Maps and Assistant apps installed on your Android phone or tablet. The first thing you have to do is opt-in to Driving Mode. To do so, either say “Hey Google,” or swipe from the bottom corner to launch Google Assistant....

So far we’ve installed Minecraft, learned about the biomes, and explored the creatures found within them. Now it’s time to branch out beyond the safety of Creative Mode exploration and learn about all the game modes Minecraft has to offer. In the first lesson, we spent a fair amount of time highlighting the things that made Minecraft unique with an emphasis on how you can turn Minecraft into the game you want to play based on your own interests....

Windows 10 includes a mysterious app named “App Connector” that has access to your location, camera, contacts, and calendars. This app was created by Microsoft, but Microsoft hasn’t officially explained what it does. I first asked about App Connector back in July 2015, during the Windows 10 Insider Preview, but Microsoft still still hasn’t explained it and no one seems to have an official answer. App Connector is a confusing app, as it doesn’t seem to do anything important....

RELATED: How to Set Up the Belkin WeMo Switch All smart outlets (like the Belkin WeMo, ConnectSense, and others) mostly work the same–you plug them into an existing outlet, set them up to connect them to your home’s Wi-Fi network, and then plug something into the smart outlet to begin controlling it from your smartphone using the accompanying app. That means, however, that the electronic device you’re plugging in must be on at all times in order for the smart outlet to control it....

Logitech’s G203 might be an inexpensive mouse, but it still covers all the basics, and then some. There’s an 8,000 DPI sensor, six buttons in total (including the two main buttons at the top), customizable RGB lightning, and the ability to set custom macros. Logitech’s software for its modern gaming accessories isn’t great, but it gets the job done, and it works on both Windows and macOS. The compact design of the G203 could be a downside to some people, but it’s still large enough for comfortable play with most sizes of hands....

Instapaper Instapaper is an awesome tool that allows you to save web pages so you can read them at a later time. Not only does it save an online article to read later, but also gives you several choices for where you want to read it. Sign up for a free account, and drag the “Read Later” bookmarklet to the bookmarks bar in your browser. To save a page you’ll need to be logged into your account....

Sitting is killing you. Sitting on its own isn’t inherently bad, but if you work at a computer, sitting for hours every day is ultimately hard on your body. Here are some simple tips you can do to help, though. While sitting all the time is considered generally bad for your health, one of the first things to go is your posture. Sitting all the time decreases core strength, which in turn makes you slouch....

For example, two headsets that offer 40mm drivers might sound radically different from each other, and headsets that offer active noise cancellation (ANC) might have different performances in the real world. But when finding a great PS5 headset, there are a few things to keep in mind. The first feature you’ll want to look for is 3D Audio (sometimes called Tempest 3D Audio). This is a new technology that’s unique to PS5, and not all headsets are compatible with its high-end requirements....

For starters, it’s essential to understand that the rated speed on the box doesn’t always translate to real-life performance. Often these numbers are based on perfect conditions, standing right next to the device in an area with absolutely zero interference. As such, real-life performance tends to be much lower, but that’s okay! Most people don’t have 1Gbps or 2Gbps internet speeds, so you aren’t missing out on the theoretical best-case performance anyway....

You can tackle this problem two ways, first by just clearing the cache, but also by restarting the DNS client service, which handles caching of DNS lookups. UPDATE: We have a newer version of this article available, that has been updated for Windows 10, 8, and 7. Clear DNS Cache Open up an administrator mode command prompt by right-clicking on the Command Prompt in the start menu and choosing “Run as Administrator”...

“I’m bored!” Two words that any parent dreads hearing on a dull Sunday afternoon, entertaining your kids when they’ve run out of goombas to hop on in Mario isn’t always as easy as throwing an iPad their way and hoping for the best. Luckily, nowadays there are plenty of at-home computing projects you can use to give your up-and-coming geeks a chance to not only have fun building their own computers, but also to learn in-depth information about subjects like computer hardware, software, programming and mechanical engineering all in the same place....

When Microsoft began detailing new features of its upcoming Windows 10 operating system, one of those features it talked about is DirectX 12. Gamers will immediately know what this is but they may not perhaps realize just how important an update it will be. DirectX is the name Microsoft uses to describe a whole slew of application programming interfaces (API) it uses for multimedia and video applications. Chief among these are games for which without DirectX, the Windows platform simply would not dominate in gaming as it does....

Most of us use an operating system’s built-in “shut down function” to turn our computers off, but what if you are considering using a computer’s power switch instead? Does it really matter which method you use or will it lead to problems if you use the power switch? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post has some answers to a curious reader’s questions. Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites....