We’ve all been there: you park your car on some random street or in a nondescript garage and go about your business. Then, an hour or two later, you find yourself wandering around without the foggiest recollection of where you left your vehicle.
Don’t let yourself get lost again. Your smartphone can help you find your parking spot — or any other location, for that matter. All you need is the mapping app you’re probably already using for navigation.
Open up Google Maps on your iOS or Android device, and get ready to find your way to smarter location saving.
On the iPhone
Saving your parking location is actually quite simple in Google Maps on iOS, though the associated options are somewhat limited compared to Android.
11 Tips to Speed Up Windows 10
Windows 10 is faster than the previous versions of Microsoft’s OS, but you can still optimize its performance. Learn how to make your Windows 10 PC run faster with our tips.
As PC hardware continues to get faster, so does software, and Windows 10 is no exception. This is especially true of startup time: If you upgrade from Windows 7 or earlier, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how fast your machine is ready for action. But there are other performance factors to consider after you’re up and running, and even the latest, shiniest Windows version isn’t immune to slowdowns. We’ve compiled ten tips, many of which are perennial standbys in the Windows performance game.
The problem with many Windows speedup stories is that they tell you to turn off some of the operating system’s more fun features, such as visual animations. Most of our tips show you ways you can speed up your Windows 10 system without compromising its appearance and functionality. Most are also free, but some involve spending a little cash on software or hardware. For people with older, lower-power machines who want a speed boost but don’t care about extra goodies, a couple of the tips towards the end can boost system performance at the expense of some visual bling.
PCMag’s Jeffrey Wilson has painstakingly evaluated the best third-party system speedup and cleanup utilities for Windows 10. He’s found that most of them actually do boost PC performance, even if it’s only a modest performance boost. Of course, there are plenty of malicious downloads out there claiming to speed up your PC, so be sure to stick with Wilson’s list of tested products. Iolo System Mechanic does best in his testing, but others are worth a look for their range of features and price points.
Note that you should beware of those “Speed Up Your PC!” ads for registry cleaners, which often lead to malware. Microsoft categorically does not support the use of registry cleaners for Windows 10.
Something that is recommended is keeping your OS version up to date. This seems perhaps a bit too obvious to include below as a separate step. Periodically head to the Settings app’s Windows Update section to see whether there are any security and reliability updates you should install. Do this even if you don’t want yet want a big feature update—you can delay those major updates in the same section of Settings.
If you have your own tips for speeding up Windows 10, please don’t hesitate to post your suggestions in the comment section below.
Though the situation is improving, unnecessary preinstalled software installed by PC makers continues to be an issue with some new computers. A couple of years ago, a Lenovo PC we tested had nearly 20 so-called helper programs installed, and these would occasionally and unwantedly pop up and interrupt what we were doing on the computer. More recently, the count of preinstalled, unnecessary software has dropped. A new HP laptop included just nine of these apps, while a recent Asus model only had five. Even Microsoft is not blameless in this game, though, including a couple of games from King and perhaps some mixed reality software you may not be interested in.
You can simply right-click on any unwanted app tile in Start and choose Uninstall. This will immediately uninstall the program. You can also right-click on the Windows logo Start button, and choose the top choice Programs and Features. Or just type Programs in the Cortana search box next to the Start button.
You can usually find the culprits by sorting the list of installed apps on the name of your PC maker. Other good options are to sort by Recent to see if there are any programs you didn’t know you installed; or by Size, to get rid of very large items you don’t need. When you’ve found junk apps you don’t want, simply select them and click Uninstall. Unfortunately, you can only remove one at a time, so set aside a half hour or so for this project if you have a bunch of bloatware. Don’t forget to take the hatchet to apps you installed yourself but no longer want, and for software you don’t want that was installed alongside software you did want.
Keep in mind, with Windows 10 there are two kinds of applications, traditional desktop ones and modern Windows Store apps. You’ll see both kinds in the modern Settings app’s Apps & Features page. But for non-Store apps, Control Panel opens, where you can uninstall good old desktop programs. In either, you can sort by size, date installed, or name, or search for a particular app.
One reason removing apps helps performance is that many programs load processes at boot time and take up valuable RAM and CPU cycles. While you’re in the Programs and Features section of Control, you can also click Turn Windows Features On or Off and scan the list to see if there’s anything you don’t use. For more help on what to remove, read how to keep ham fresh to Rid a PC of Crapware.
Possess you listened to horror stories from your good friends or even neighbors regarding house ventures that are creating you skeptical concerning correcting your house? Just like other traits in life, a bit of investigation before starting a job might have helped relieve oversights initially.