"I Can't Do That, Dave"

Editor's Note: Hopefully, I will eventually release a follow up review of a small list of apps to download for the device. It is likely it will be in a combination review of UWP apps for Windows 10.

Front and Rear Views of

HTC One M8 For Windows

Okay, science fiction references aside, I finally acquired a new smartphone. After much thought, research, and a sleepless night or two, I ended up settling on the HTC One M8 for Windows. When it arrived from Amazon, one of the first things I did was try to upgrade it to Windows 10 Mobile. Sure, this seems crazy, but it is powerful enough and I was kind of excited about being able to carry a computer in my pocket that I could connect to my television. However, things haven't quite turned out that way. I tinkered around with various tutorials, and still no luck. Even after I took it to the Verizon store across the street from me to have it activated, I still was not able to upgrade the operating system, and at the time, I was feeling rather defeated. However, as time passed, I started tinkering around with other computer projects, and getting to know the device, I realized that this wasn't all bad. One of the main reasons I wanted Windows 10 on my phone was for the Continuum feature, which allows your phone to act like a standard PC.

 

However, after further investigation and tinkering, I found two of the next best things: Office Remote, which is an app for controlling PowerPoint slides from your phone, and the other is called Mouse Remote, and as it suggests, it allows you to control your computer from your phone with a companion app for Windows 10 known as PC Remote Server. While it is true that neither of these get me a genuine "PC-In-Your-Pocket" experience in the same respect as Windows 10, honestly, both are equally decent options.

On another note, (specifically the title of this post) I have found Microsoft's Cortana assistant unusually helpful. I was specifically looking for something to help me with scheduling appointments and other stuff where I could always have it on hand, and so far, this has been it.  The app has been decent enough that I have went and re-enabled it on my Windows 10 Education PC. IE for WP8 is also decent and (don't tell anyone, but) I've also found Microsoft Edge to be quite speedy and lightweight, and I was also able to import all of my bookmarks from my previous browser.

Home Networking Simplified, Part 1

An example of a wireless router.

A while back, I wrote a walkthrough regarding the setup of a Wi-Fi extender or "booster." Well today I am going to give you the other half of this story. Most of the process of setting up a wireless router is quite similar, however, there are some differences.

Since the router connects from the modem to a host computer, if you're doing this for the first time, you will arguably want to follow the directions exactly as they are shown on the box. Typically, though, one of the things that is typically noted in a router's manual is that the user should shut down their modem before installing the router.

I actually did this with the first one I ever used, and honestly, it isn't absolutely necessary. If anything, it is going to make things take longer, and occasionally you'll get a faulty piece of hardware if you are renting a modem from your internet provider. When that happens, and the internet doesn't come up right away, you'll most likely wonder if you did something wrong. From personal experience, it took three modems, and two line connection tightening trips to have continuous internet when I was at my parents' house.

At any rate, the process of setting up a router is fairly similar to the instructions outlined in my previous post. The last couple of routers I've used came with a setup CD, so once you connect the router to power, your modem, and computer, you should be all set. All that is needed is to pop in the CD and follow the directions it asks for. Most routers will have a "default" default gateway (trust me, there is no intentional double-negative being used here) of 192.168.1.1. I've noticed that Netgear's basic products like to have a custom URL, such as routerlogin.net, or something similar, and this will also yield the same result.

Before you try this, make sure the router is working. On a Windows PC, the easiest method is to open a Command Prompt by typing "command" or "cmd" depending on your OS version into a run/search box and entering the term "IPCONFIG." This term is not case sensitive, and if your numbers start with 169 for the address or gateway, then you most likely have run into trouble. Typically only a manual reset (using the pinhole button) is needed, but sometimes it is just easier to unplug and reconnect your router or modem. If all as well, your situation should look like the one in the previous paragraph.

Anyway, after you have logged into the router, you can (and should) change the default SSID. This term refers to the name of the network that pops up when you try to connect (i.e. Starbucks, Verizon, etc.) and the associated password. Write this new info down and keep it in a safe place until you or your device have it memorized, and can look it up in your browser settings later.

Once you have done this, you should be good to go! Happy surfing! :)