task manager

You've likely been using Windows Task Manager to monitor your PC's performance or to kill errant processes since it was first introduced in Windows 95. Sadly, this drab, gray feature has seen no love from Microsoft in the ensuing decades. That's all changed with Windows 8.

The Task Manager has been given a refreshing visual update, the data is better organized, and lots of features have been added. This is a guide to making the most of the new Windows 8 Task Manager.

Finding the Task Manager There are various ways to launch the Task Manager. Windows … Read more

As a freelance writer, I need all the help I can get to stay on target. I don't have a boss who might suddenly appear, looming over my shoulder, wondering why I'm on Facebook. I don't have co-workers who are depending on me to finish my part of a larger project. It's just me and the Internet, with deadlines to hit and monthly quotas to fill.

I began using the Pomodoro Technique, which has you working for 20- or 25-minute blocks and then taking a 5- or 10-minute break. It has helped me stay focused for … Read more

Any.Do for iOS is like a less colorful version of Clear, but with three important differences: it's free, it supports voice commands, and it integrates with other apps on your iPhone.

When you first launch Any.Do, you will need to create an account using an e-mail address or you can log in via Facebook. Any.Do is also available as a Chrome extension, and your account is synced with any device you have running the app or extension.

When held in portrait mode, you can view by either date or folder. Swipe up from the bottom of … Read more

Clear is in a class of its own when it comes to both user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) in an iPhone app. It's simple, yet elegant as Jason Parker described it.

The no-frills approach to adding, deleting, and completing tasks with such a minimal UI can confuse some people at times, though. This short video walk-through will cover the basics, enough to get you started using Clear.

Once you get the hang of the gestures, moving around the app is intuitive. As I mentioned in the video, you can unlock up to three themes, each changing the … Read more

Clear, which is a task-managing app for the iPhone, launched and almost instantly became No. 1 in the App Store.

The rich UI, mixed sound effects, and a long list of usable gestures, make for a unique experience on your iPhone. There really isn't another app out there like it.

In the settings for the app you will find themes, five in total. One thing you may not know is that there are actually three (that I can find/know of) themes that can be unlocked by the user in the app itself. Here is what each of them … Read more

Following its successful runs on the iPhone and Mac platforms, Producteev now makes its way onto Windows 7 desktops and Android mobile devices.

With the circle of cross-platform access now essentially complete, users can keep track of personal tasks or create, store, and collaborate on group tasks, no matter what devices they're using--Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android.

But that's not all. To go with the shiny new Windows and Android native apps, Producteev is also announcing a host of new features. First, users get built-in integration with TaskRabbit, so they can offer up any of their tasks to … Read more

Windows 8 will offer a new Task Manager to help you better view and control open applications and other processes that may be causing trouble.

Task Manager has always been a useful tool to view open files and processes and see which ones are chewing up memory and CPU cycles. As the tool has evolved over the years, it's incorporated more data and given people more control. But it's always been less than user friendly.

Enter Microsoft's refresh, starting with the way most people typically use Task Manager--to shut down an application that's not responding.

"… Read more

If you leave your computer on for extended periods of time, it's usually a good idea to perform a reboot now and then. Furthermore, if you're managing multiple computers, it's difficult to remember when each received a reboot. That's why Windows keeps track of your total up-time and the last time your computer booted for you. Here's how to access those pieces of information:

Note: You can also use these instructions to see how long you've been sitting in front of the computer, if you turn it off after each use.

One of the first things that any new Windows user learns is Control-Alt-Delete, the keyboard shortcut that brings up the Windows Task Manager and allows users to quit unresponsive programs and processes. The Task Manager is good for more than that, though; it can also provide valuable information about what's using up your memory or bandwidth. Auslogics Task Manager is a variation that provides even more information than the native Windows application. It's similar enough to be understood by non-expert users, but geekier sorts will find it useful as well.

Auslogics Task Manager has an attractive interface, with … Read more