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It can be fun setting up a new PC. Customizing your desktop so it looks just right, downloading fresh apps and sitting down to use it for the first time feels fantastic.

Unfortunately, it isnt always as simple as going through a quick setup process, selecting a few colors for fonts and windows and going from there. Tap or click here to learn how to customize your computer.

Many pre-built computers come with at least a modicum of extraneous, unwanted apps and software on them: bloatware. Bloatware can include trials of games you dont want, apps youll never use or proprietary software that can slow down your computer.

Luckily, there are simple ways to prune your new device of any additional software you dont want to use. Let us help you out.

If you want to rid your computer of frustrating bloatware, the first thing youll want to do is take inventory of programs you dont want anymore and start uninstalling them. But what programs are actually bloatware?

To ensure youre not getting rid of anything integral to your systems performance, you can download the free program Should I Remove It? to speed up the process. Once installed, the program will scan your computer for all applications you have installed.

Youll be shown a status bar to help gauge whether or not each program is worth keeping, which is closer to red or green based on what percentage of other users deleted or kept said program.

Its a helpful tool to crowdsource whether you should keep programs, and it makes the process extremely simple as well.

You could use Windows default uninstaller to get rid of unwanted apps after youve identified which ones you no longer want, but its much better to use a program specifically created to get rid of all traces of software.

Revo Uninstaller is a free and powerful tool that can help you ensure all traces of unwanted programs are fully removed upon the uninstall process.

All you need to do is download and install Revo Uninstaller and let it compile a list of programs you have on your PC. Then, choose what you want uninstalled and follow the prompts from there.

The only rub here is that you need to manually choose the software you no longer want. It can be an arduous process, but this lets you ensure youre getting rid of only the items you really want to.

You can use Revo for all your uninstallation needs, but make sure you dont accidentally remove anything you may need later. If youre unsure about something, do your due diligence and check it out online to see if its an important program.

If removing software is too granular or youre concerned you might mess something up, you might want to go with a fresh install of Windows. This means youll have to use an install disc and a valid license key, to strip your computer to the bare minimum.

When you install Windows, at least a copy thats meant for sale separately from your new PC, youll be met with a totally empty OS. This isnt a step for the faint of heart. Youll have to spend time installing software you do want afterward, but its a foolproof way to nuke all bloatware.

All in all, you might spend more time setting things up after the big Windows reinstall than picking off individual apps and software, but at least youll know youre free to customize your rig the way you want.

Now that youve customized your new PC and have it running without pesky bloatware, try out some of our other setup instructions. Tap or click here for 4 things to do when you get a new PC.

Read more:
How to get rid of bloatware on your Windows PC - Komando

SALT LAKE CITY Moshe Greenshpan insists the first church came to him.

He didnt set out to bring facial recognition software to sacred spaces. But when a potential customer called, how could he say no?

In a short period of time, we got about 10 different requests from churches all over the world asking us to provide them with an efficient tool to track member attendance, said Greenshpan, CEO of Face Six, a facial recognition software company based in Israel that markets products to churches through its Churchix division.

And so his company responded, equipping the houses of worship with software that captures and organizes images of anyone on church property. He estimates that Churchix has worked with more than 200 churches to date. Around half are in the United States.

Churches want to see who is coming and who is leaving. I think some use (the software) for security purposes, Greenshpan said.

Although most religious leaders share these goals of tracking attendance and monitoring security threats, some object to Churchixs high-tech approach. Facial recognition software may increase convenience and efficiency, but it also comes with unintended consequences, said Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Conventions Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

Its comforting to know that our (Heavenly) Father is watching, but not so comforting to know that big brother is watching, he said.

Facial recognition software offers plenty of benefits to churches that use it. The technology produces immaculate attendance records. Security threats can be carefully tracked.

If you see a suspicious guy (on the recording), you can click on his face and give him a temporary name like Suspect #1, Greenshpan said. Each time a person from your watchlist is identified by your software, the software triggers an alert.

But installing the software also thrusts churches into one of todays biggest privacy debates. Across the country, policymakers and civil rights organizations are struggling to regulate where facial recognition software can be used and under what conditions law enforcement agencies can access it.

Were in a new era where your face is potentially captured in a variety of places ... and you become part of a government mugshot lineup, said Marina Lowe, legislative and policy counsel for the ACLU of Utah.

If youve never committed a crime, that may not seem like a big deal. However, facial recognition technology leaves room for human error, and government use can lead to unfounded arrests and other forms of injustice, Lowe said.

It would be an affront to our privacy to be subjected to a search when theres no reasonable suspicion or probable cause. The same should be said of scanning our face, she said.

Since churches are private organizations, law enforcement wouldnt automatically have access to their saved images. But just the existence of such files is enough to worry Moore, who has studied the use of facial recognition software under authoritarian regimes.

There are so many potentials for abuse with facial recognition technology, he said.

For example, in China, the government uses artificial intelligence to track how often citizens attend church. Involvement in a faith community is viewed as a potential threat to someones allegiance to the state, and regular churchgoers in China can face consequences at work or school.

One doesnt have to imagine the dystopia that could come about. You could get in a plane and go see it, Moore said.

The U.S. is much more committed to religious freedom than China, so its unlikely American officials would ever use facial recognition software at churches the same way. However, installing high-tech cameras above the sanctuary door still comes with risks, Moore said.

For example, facial recognition software could change a churchs image, making it seem more like a cold, depersonalized space than a place of refuge, he said.

Its not wrong for churches to track who comes and goes, but facial recognition technology seems to be a creepy way to go about doing that, Moore said.

In general, surveillance technology disrupts peoples natural habits, putting them on edge, Lowe said.

Peoples behavior changes when they feel like theyre being watched, she said. It changes our ability to feel like were free.

Church members might be less likely to check in with one another if they know a computer is monitoring who appears at each service, Moore said. Someone who is concerned about their privacy might stop attending church altogether.

Rather than using facial recognition technology, I think we should go in the other direction and actually know one another within our congregations well enough to know when someone is missing, Moore said.

Greenshpan said privacy concerns are overblown. Churches regularly publish photo directories of their members, and using cameras to track attendance isnt very different from that, he said.

People dont really understand what theyre afraid about, he said.

Moore admitted that he could be overreacting, since hes only just begun to think through what the future could hold. However, he said its good to err on the side of caution, especially where invasive technology is concerned.

Technology is advancing quickly, often in really helpful ways. But we should think about where it ultimately will lead, Moore said. The stakes are high when it comes to the church.

It will be up to religious communities to lead ethical reflection, since companies like Churchix have no plans to slow down.

Our vision is to allow anyone with a camera to use facial recognition, Greenshpan said.

Follow this link:
How facial recognition software is being used in some churches - Deseret News

Microsoft is finally ending support for Windows 7 in January, meaning you won't get bug fixes or security updates anymore. If you're one of the final Windows 7 holdouts and don't want to get stuck with an unsafe system, you have a choice to make: upgrade to Windows 10 or switch to something else entirely.

If you don't like the direction Microsoft has taken with Windows 10, we understand. It's gotten better (and you can make it feel more like Windows 7 with a few tweaks), but its new approach to Windows as a Service means there will always be more of a focus on embedded advertisements, constant updates, and data collection. If you've been thinking about making the jump to Linux, now is the time.

Unlike Windows and macOS, there isn't just one version of Linux. Instead, Linux is packaged into many different distributions, or "distros," each with their own interface and set of features. One may use a Mac-like interface with a dock and an "app store," while others may use a more minimalist interface and require installing apps from the command line.

Exploring the bevy of Linux distributions out there is a fun part of the hobby, but for your first installation, you will likely want something popular and beginner-friendly, so it's easy to get help when you need it. That's why I recommend starting with Linux Mint.

There are a lot of distributions that aim to mimic Windows in layout and functionality, like Zorin OS, but they're on the smaller side, and you won't have as big a community to tap as you learn your way around. Ubuntu, on the other hand, is arguably the most popular distro on desktop PCs, but it isn't very Windows-like at all these days.

Linux Mint is a perfect in-between option: it's designed for beginners, offers a familiar desktop environment, and it's based on Ubuntu, so you can make use of the enormous Ubuntu/Mint community when you need help.

You're free to check out other distros instead, but I'll be using Mint for the purposes of this guide, and I recommend you do too. It's not my personal distro of choice, but it's great for new Windows migrants, and it's easier to explore other distros once you've nailed down the basics on a beginner-friendly system.

Head to Mint's download page and choose the 64-bit "Cinnamon" version. Cinnamon is the desktop environment I recommend for former Windows users, though MATE is also pretty Windows-like, even though it's a bit less modern. XFCE is ideal for old or low-powered PCs, thanks to its light resource usage.

Mint's download page provides a number of links depending on where you live. If you use BitTorrent, I recommend grabbing the torrent file, which will download much faster.

The installer will come as an ISO, or disc image file. To install it on your system, you'll need to burn it to a DVD (by right-clicking it and choosing Burn Disc Image in Windows 7) or USB flash drive. We're going to do the latter using a tool called Rufus. Install Rufus, open it up, and insert a flash drive that's 2GB or larger. (If you have a fast USB 3.0 drive, all the better.) You should see it appear in the Device drop-down at the top of Rufus' main window.

Next, click the Select button next to Disk or ISO image, and choose the Linux Mint ISO you just downloaded. Press the Start button, and if prompted to download new versions of Syslinux, click Yes. Note that this will erase your flash drive, so make sure there isn't anything important on there before continuing.

When it's finished, you'll see a success message and your flash drive will be named LINUX MINT. Back up your data, reboot your computer, and buckle your seat belts: it's time to install Linux.

As your computer reboots, you should see a message telling you to press a certain key to access the Boot Menu (usually something like F12). If not, you'll see a key to enter Setup (often Delete). Press one of those keys, and look for the option to boot from the inserted USB drive. (If you enter the full setup menu, it'll be in a Boot settings menu somewhere, and you'll have to exit the menu to reboot again when you're done.)

You will then be greeted by GRUB, Linux Mint's boot menu, where you can choose to boot into Linux Mint. If you run into any errors, you may need to Google around for a fix. I had to enable the nomodeset option for my graphics card, for example. Others may have to tweak or disable Secure Boot in the BIOS.

This installer is what we call a Live CD, where you can actually poke around and use the Linux Mint desktop before installing it. This will give you a chance to see if this particular distro appeals to you without it actually touching your system drive.

Once you're satisfied, double-click the Install Linux Mint icon and go through the wizard. Be sure to check the box next to Install third-party software, since it contains useful drivers and codecs you almost certainly want.

From here, you have a few options. You can wipe your hard drive entirely, erasing all traces of Windows and using Linux as your only operating system. (Make double sure you've backed up your data before doing this.) Alternatively, you can divide your drive up into two partitions and dual boot Linux alongside Windows.

This will allow you to reboot into one or the other whenever you want. Keep in mind that Windows 7 will be left insecure, so you don't want to spend too much time there. If nothing else, it's comforting to know you have that safety net during the transition before you remove Windows entirely.

Choose the relevant option from the Installation Type menu, and click Install Now. The process may take a little while, but when it's done, you'll get a success message. Click the Restart Now button to boot into Linux Mint and start getting acquainted with your new OS.

When you reboot, you'll be dropped into the Linux Mint desktop once againonly this time, it's installed on your PC. The basics are pretty familiar: click the button in the lower-left corner to see applications, manage windows from the bottom taskbar, and so on. There are, however, a few things in Linux that work differently than in Windows, with apps being the biggest.

In Linux, it's less common to download apps from the web. Instead, each distro has its own repositorykind of like a free app store, with a directory of popular apps. You can install an app from the repositories in one of two ways: from a graphical software manager (again, which looks like an app store) or from the command line.

To open Linux Mint's Software Manager, click the menu button in the lower-left corner and head to Administration > Software Manager (or just start typing "software manager," like you would in Windows). From here you can download plenty of free, open-source apps.

Some are Linux versions of their Windows counterparts, like Steam and Spotify, while others are open-source alternatives to common apps (Banshee is a music player similar to iTunes, Gimp is an image editor akin to Photoshop). You can browse here or search for apps using the bar at the top.

If you know what you're looking for, it's generally faster to install apps from the command line. And while it may seem intimidating at first, Linux still relies on the command line for various tasks, so it might behoove you to get comfortable with it. To install an applet's say the open-source media player VLCopen a Terminal window and run:

Sudo apt update

sudo apt install vlc

Let's break that down: sudo tells the system to run the command as root (or, as it might be called in Windows, as an administrator), apt is the name of Linux Mint's package manager, and update ensures the list of available apps is up to date.

The second command, which includes install vlc, is self-explanatory. You should run sudo apt update before installing any app, and you can replace vlc with the name of any app you want to install. If you aren't sure what the repository calls it, you can run sudo apt cache search vlc to see what comes up.

To uninstall an app, just run:

sudo apt remove vlc

This will remove the app, but not your configuration files, so if you decide to reinstall it later, your settings will still be there.

If you want to remove configuration files too, you can instead run:

sudo apt purge vlc

You'll also want to periodically update those apps, so you have the latest versions. You can do this, again, in two ways: from the graphical tool or from the command line. For the graphical tool, click the shield icon in the lower-right corner, which opens the Update Manager app. You can then click the Install Updates button to update all your software.

Alternatively, you can open a Terminal and run two commands:

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade

Again, the update command checks for new versions of your software, and the upgrade command actually upgrades all your apps. You'll want to run these two together, just like you do for installing new apps.

Those are the most crucial things to know right now, but take some time to browse around Mint's interface and its settings to see what it has to offer. The Welcome window that appears at startup can be a big helpits First Steps area will show you how to choose different desktop layouts, install multimedia codecs you might want, and install necessary drivers for your hardware.

You'll get the hang of the basics pretty quickly, but the Mint and Ubuntu forums are always there to help if you get stuck. Just be sure to search around, since there's a good chance someone before you has had the same question.

The rest is here:
How to Make the Switch From Windows to Linux - PCMag.com

Today, you can find different kinds of software that aim to speed up the leg work and paperwork of construction business. It includes estimate sheetand project management software. If you are going to search around, you will find all sorts of programs, especially estimating sheets.

Choosing the best estimating solution is crucial and it can significantly increase the efficiency and accuracy of the project. At the same time, it helps in efficiently managing the cost of construction and provides critical business details about the scheduling and project management. When it comes to making your choice, the following has to be considered:

Aside from the technical aspects of choosing estimate sheets for construction, another important thing to keep in mind is the cost. Of course, you would want something that is cost-effective. However, cheaper does not always equate to cost-efficiency.

A cheap product could cost you a lot; it is not the best fit for your business. So, aside from the price itself, you need to consider the depth of knowledge and application. The best one can help you save time and money, which will eventually increase the return on investment.

To help narrow down your choice, you might want to ask the opinion and recommendations of other construction professionals. They could surely recommend software and from there you can further narrow down the choice based on the specific needs of your business. As a business owner, you would only want the best for your business.

But even so, you could easily be bombarded with the number of options today. Many would rely on free software and theres nothing wrong with it for as long as it meets the needs of your business.

A word of advice alwaysgoafter for quality over quantity. Just because the software is cheap does not always mean it is a perfect choice. More than the price, you have to consider the design, built, and expert recommendation.

If you are unsure as to what to choose, the best thing to do is to read reviews online and ask for recommendations from the industry experts.

At the end of the day, your choice will be the one that matters the most. Always go for quality because, after all, you only want what is best for your business.

Read the original:
Choosing a construction estimate sheet What to keep in mind - Business MattersBusiness Matters

Workers and employers alike are always searching for new and better ways to work and collaborate faster and more efficiently.

The success of video conferencing service Zoom after its blockbuster 2019 IPO has only underscored this trend, even as workplace chat app Slack continues to see growth even under the spectre of direct competition from Microsoft itself.

Against this backdrop, investors are only too willing to invest millions in promising young productivity software startups, particularly those working in the cloud computing and automation markets, where it seems that there's still a lot of potential to be explored.

"We're in the early innings of productivity software. That's why they're growing faster than ever," Jason Lemkin, an active startup investor and the founder of SaaStr, a company that helps founders build cloud software businesses, told Business Insider.

Those companies are benefiting from a larger trend, where the rise of the cloud means that workers, rather than the IT department, can pick and choose which tools to use. It means that upstarts can compete with major vendors by offering specific, useful tools that are better than the legacy options after all, that's how Zoom and Slack established themselves in the first place.

"De-bundling and this sort of best of breed approach is what's happenedwe've all been sort of spoiled by the amazing software experience we get on our iPhone and all the apps that we use in our personal life and we expect that now in enterprise," Rama Sekhar, a partner at Norwest Venture Partners, told Business Insider.

Workers are also increasingly looking to automate routine tasks and processes to free up their time to work on the more creative parts of their jobs.

All this means there's many different ways to tackle productivity by creating new tools to get work done, by measuring how useful those tools are, and by making sure all those tools can connect so you can automate away repetitive tasks.

Business Insider spoke to investors and industry leaders to compile the following list of the top productivity startups to watch in 2020 (valuations are taken from PitchBook unless otherwise noted):

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13 productivity software startups to watch in 2020, according to VCs - Business Insider Nordic