Honest Tech Reviews: Which one is worth buying?

These days, artists don’t need pen and paper to bring their illustrations to life.

Instead, with the right laptop, they can produce their works of arts even more easily than they used to.

As you can imagine, of course, not all computers are up for this task.

If you wish to create beautiful images, then you will require a suitable laptop. Fortunately for you, your search has just been made a lot easier.

Simply follow the tips and suggestions below to find the perfect drawing laptop for you…

What to Look for In the Best Laptops for Drawing

Before selecting the right laptop for yourself, though, you must first have some understanding of what features to look for. Here is a brief description of which elements to pay attention to:

Resolution

As you can imagine, one of the more important aspects of a drawing laptop is resolution. After all, there is little use in having a laptop that doesn’t help you to create vibrant images. Now, if you are only interested in drawing, then you may be able to get away with 720p resolution. In case you dabble with graphic design, however, then you shouldn’t consider anything less than 1080p.

Display Responsiveness

Then, there is the matter of responsiveness. With drawing laptops, you often have to use a drawing pen or physically interact with the screen. Therefore, whatever you are sketching should appear immediately on the screen, without any delay. The same thing should happen anytime that you touch the screen, really. So, keep an eye on the overall responsiveness as well.

RAM

Then, there is the matter of RAM. Most people don’t pay too much attention to the RAM on their drawing laptops. Nonetheless, this is an important feature to focus on. Keep in mind, as an artist, you are probably going to need to download a number of high-intensity apps to complete various projects. Now, if you want everything to function smoothly, you may want to consider a minimum of 4GB or 8GB of RAM.

Portability

As an artist, your drawing laptop is essentially like your sketchbook. Thus, you need to be able to carry it with you wherever that you go. Of course, this will be a little tricky if your laptop is big, heavy, and bulky. So, you should look for one that is as light and as slim as possible. Even better, you should consider a 2in1 laptop for drawing. This way, you can detach the screen as needed, making it a lot easier for you to get your sketches done.

The Best Laptops for Drawing

Here is a list of the best laptops for any drawing project:

Microsoft Surface Book 2

If you are a professional artist, then you will certainly enjoy what this touch screen laptop has to offer.

To start with, the laptop can be used in four different modes.

However, what you will enjoy most is the Studio Mode.

Here, you can fold the laptop in a way that is much more comfortable for you to draw with.

The only downside here is that you have to buy the sketch pen separately.

Although this laptop may be small and lightweight, it certainly doesn’t lack for power. With a 3260 x 2160 resolution, enormous processing power, and 16GB of RAM, it is capable of handling all of your artistic needs.

HP Spectre X360

What is great about this model is that it is a laptop with pen. This means that you have everything that you need to get started on your drawings right away.

However, this isn’t the only features that this device has to offer artists. The 2in1 function ensures that you can easily fold this laptop so that it can be used as a digital sketchpad.

What’s more, the screen boasts a 1080p display, ensuring that you have access to the highest resolution possible. With excellent processing power and 16GB of RAM, you can download any drawing or design apps that you desire.

Samsung Notebook 9 Pro

If you are looking for one of the top drawing stylus for touch screen laptop, then this is the make and model for you.

See, this laptop comes with a built-in pen. As a result, it never has to be paired or charged, ensuring that it is always ready to be used. Also, since these two devices are highly compatible, the responsiveness is a lot better as well.

What’s also great about this laptop is that it is versatile and works with you perfectly. Regardless of which way you flip it around or want to use it, the screen will comply. To tie it all up, the impressive processing power and storage means that it works well for all of your drawing needs.

Lenovo Yoga C930

This is a laptop that was specifically built for artists. The Full HD screen and the excellent graphics means that it will be a breeze to bring your drawings to life. Aiding you, of course, is the built-in pen that affords you the ultimate response, every time that you touch your screen. The flip-and-fold design ensures that you will be able to use this laptop anyway that you wish.

If you are someone that likes to work on the go, then this will certainly be an excellent device to have with you. It is lightweight and will be hardly noticeable on your trips. All of this combined with a fast and smooth functioning performance makes this the laptop for any artist.

Acer 11.6 Ultrabook

You can use this Ultrabook in any position at all, making it a very versatile laptop indeed. Whether you prefer to draw freehand or rely on a graphic design app, creating designs with this model will be an absolute breeze. Best of all, the HD display allows you to see every detail of every image that you want to create.

A unique benefit with this laptop is that it is equipped with an SSD instead of a traditional hard drive. Thanks to this, you can experience greater processing speeds than ever before. So, even if you want to run heavy-duty designing apps on this computer, you will not experience any lag.

These are the best laptops for drawing in the market. Select any of these and you are sure to find your artistic projects a great deal easier to create.

If you use the Windows 10 OS, then you are probably no stranger to issues cropping up. Despite the fact that almost 40 percent of desktops run this operating system, it is victim to various bugs and crashes. While some are relatively mild, there are others that are more inconvenient.

Such is the case of the issue:

“Windows 10 Critical Error Start Menu and Cortana aren’t Working”

This is something that a number of uses have been experiencing across the board. While Microsoft has been working to plug these issues as they appear, they haven’t been entirely successful.

The good news is that while the solution may be a bit tricky to figure out, it isn’t impossible. You simply need the right information and determination to solve this problem…

What Is the Cause of this Error?

There is a reason that this particular flaw continues to be a problem several years after it first emerged. This is because no one is quite sure what the root cause is. Of course, there are several theories as to what may be causing such an error.

Some believe that it may be due to incorrect Windows configuration. Others imagine that a clash with the given antivirus software is to blame. Then there are those that claim that damaged Windows updates are the source of the problems.

However, according to the solutions that have worked so far, it may be that there isn’t a singular cause. Instead, it could be a number of factors all rolled into one or the problem can change from device to device.

The Solutions to this Critical Error

As mentioned in the above sections, it is tough to narrow down just what causes this error. Due to this, it can be difficult to know which solution may work and which one might not. Thus, there are a variety of remedies available for this particular issue.

This is why you shouldn’t give up just because one avenue doesn’t work for you. For the best results, give them all a try until you find the one that sorts out the error for you. Here are the best options to consider:

Update Your Operating System

Remember how one of the possibilities laid out was damaged Windows updates? Well, if Microsoft has been notified of the issue, they may have already fixed the flaw and rolled out a patch. These can be found in the new updates.

Thus, the first thing that you should do is to check if there are any OS updates available. If possible, allow these to load onto your computer. If there is a patch here, you may find that the problem is sorted out by the time that your computer restarts.

Uninstall Antivirus Software

On occasion, your antivirus software may cause conflict with other programs on your computer. So, one of the first things that you can do is to disable your antivirus software. To do this, these are the steps:

Control Panel > Uninstall a Program > Antivirus program

Just double click on the program to uninstall it. Then, restart your computer and see if the problem is gone. If the issue has subsided, remember to download a new antivirus program and install it before doing anything else on the internet.

If the issue hasn’t abated, though, then you will have to consider other avenues.

Boot Your Computer in Safe Mode

One of the first things that you can try is to boot your computer in Safe Mode. This is a great option if any drivers or applications may be malfunctioning in any way. Booting in Safe Mode should be able to fix these. Here is how you can do this:

• Press the Win key and type Settings into the search box that appears
• In the results, select the Update and Recovery

Then, you can follow this process:

Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup settings > Restart

Of course, the above steps only really work if you are able to start your computer as normal. If you are having difficulty doing this, you will have to resort to another tactic. You can then try this:

Click on the Win key and press the Shift key. After this, this is the procedure:

Restart > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup settings > Restart

After your computer has booted up, you can select the Enable Safe Mode with Networking option.

Use Command Prompt

This next step is quite simple to carry out. To get things started, just right-click on the Start button. Here, you will be presented with a menu from which you must select Command Prompt (Admin). Once the window pops up, then type in the following:

ren %windir%\System32\AppLocker\Plugin*.* *.bak

Press on the Enter key and then restart the computer.

Scan for Corrupted Files

If the above solution didn’t work, then corrupted or damaged files may be to blame. Fortunately, finding these out is an easy process. As before, just right-click on the Start button to access the Command Prompt window. Then, type in the following text and press Enter:

sfc /scannow

If there is nothing wrong, then this message will appear, “Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations”.

In case there was an error, though, then this message will pop up instead, “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them. Details are included in the CBS.Log %WinDir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log”.

To start resolving the errors here, open up Command Prompt once more and type this text in:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Fix Through Elevated PowerShell

For this trick, simply click on Win key + R and type in PowerShell into the bar, followed by the Enter key. When you do this, PowerShell will appear on the taskbar – right-click this. Then, select Run as Administrator.

After this, you should type the following into the window that appears and press the Enter key:

Get-AppXPackage –AllUsers | Foreach {Add –AppXPackage –DisableDevelopmentMode –Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml”}

What happens afterwards may take a while so you will need to wait until it is complete. Once this has happened, open up Cortana or the Start menu to determine if the issue has been fixed.

There is no denying that these solutions can be rather varied and complex. However, if you are fortunate, one of these strategies should hold the key to your solution. So, go ahead and get started right away.

It is hard to believe that Facebook was launched just fifteen years ago. Many people can’t even fathom a world in which this social media giant doesn’t exist.

This isn’t too surprising, however, consider that more than 2 billion people around the world have an account.

Well, as impressive as the platform may be, it also has a couple of flaws that users have to contend with.

One of the more frustrating ones that you may have come across is the “Facebook Attachment Unavailable” error. If you are entirely sure why this issue is cropping up or what to do about it, you have come to the right place.

Below, you will find out the reason behind this problem as well as figure out the different ways that you may be able to overcome it as well…

Why Does This Error Show Up?

There are two times when this error becomes an issue. The first is when you try to view a picture or post put up by a member of your group. The second time is when you are informed that other people are receiving this message when they try to view something that you have posted.

So, let’s take a look at just why this might be happening. To start with, here is a closer look at the full message that you will receive when faced with this problem:

“Attachment Unavailable. This attachment may have been removed or the person who shared it may not have permission to share it with you.”

In short, this error has to do with privacy settings. What most people don’t realize is that every image or post has certain privacy measures attached to it. So, if you try to share it with individuals who don’t have authorized access, then they will be faced with that message.

On a similar note, this is exactly what you will see if you try to view a post or image that hasn’t been specifically authorized for you. Of course, in many instances, this is done unwittingly. Since people aren’t aware of the privacy laws, they aren’t aware that they need to change it.

What You Can Do to Fix It?

Now, it is important to understand that you can only correct the problem if it is your posts that others can’t see. If you are unable to view someone else’s posts, then you need to inform them of this. They will need to make the necessary adjustments on their end. Here is what you can do for your own posts:

Adjust Settings to Public Sharing

Your first solution would be to check on the privacy settings prior to putting up the post or image.

This can be done fairly easily. You can start by going to your own wall on Facebook. Once you are here, there will be three horizontal dots that will provide you with access to a dropdown menu, click on these.

Once you have done this, you will have to select from the News Feed or the Your Story options. Here you will be able to define “Who should see this?”

Then, you can select the Public option. This way, everyone who views the post will be able to see it.

Upload Post to a Group

Do you only want to share the post to a particular group in your list? Well, in this case, you can do so directly rather than first sharing the link with everyone.

To do this, you should go to Groups, which you can find on the main page of Facebook.

Then, it is just a matter of selecting which group you would like to the post to appear to. By making use of the Add Photo/Video option, you can select what it is that you would like to post. Now, as you are doing it, make it a point to check the security settings as with the previous solution. Change it to Public and then proceed to upload the image, video, or post.

Change the Original Security Settings

Now, if you aren’t the creator or owner of a particular image, there are still privacy measures in place. However, because you aren’t the original source, there is nothing that you can do about these measures. So, if you were to upload or share the post as is, there is a good chance that others may not be able to see it.

In such an instance, you are going to first need to download the image onto your computer.

This will allow you to access the properties and change some of the settings in place. After saving it, go to Properties and opt for the General tab.

At the bottom of this box, you will find a Security section. Below, there will be the following message:

“This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer”. There will be a box with the word “Unblock” on it. Tick on this. You should then be able to upload the image without any issues at all.

Change Your Privacy Settings Permanently

Do you mind who can see your Facebook posts? If you aren’t too concerned with the content of your image or posts, then you may be willing to share them with anyone at all. If this is the case, then you can change the privacy settings once and for all.

Follow these steps for this process:

Settings > Privacy > Your Activity > Who can see your future posts > Edit > Public

Now, this move should effectively get rid of the error indefinitely. However, if you do select this option remember that all of your posts now are completely public. If you don’t want to limit what people can see on your profile, you will have to change back the settings once more.

As you can see, there are a number of different ways to fix the Facebook Attachment Unavailable error. Regardless of what the cause is, one of these solutions should be able to help you out. You can then go back to posting images the same way that you used to.

If you are trying to send a video via email, there is a good chance that you are having trouble sending it.

Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that something is wrong with the file or the service. Rather, the clip that you are trying to send is too long.

This may leave you asking “how can I send a video that is too big?”

Fortunately for you, the solution is rather simple: you need to condense the clip so that it takes up less space.

Now, there are several ways that you can do this depending on the type of video, your operating system, and the email account provider.

To learn all of the tricks of the trade, including how to compress video file, here is what you need to know…

Why Are Videos So Large?

Now, considering your predicament you may be thinking, “Why are my video files so large?” Well, there are two reasons for this.

The first could be that your video is rather long. As you can imagine, the more data contained within an audiovisual clip, the more space that it will take up.

Of course, it isn’t unusual to find certain smaller clips being rather large as well. When this happens, it is usually because the video is of a higher resolution.

These videos are encoded at a higher bitrate to make sure that the quality is preserved. Thus, they are quite a bit larger and you end up with a video too large to email.

As far as emailing videos go, though, the problem isn’t entirely with the video. Your email account provider is also partially to blame.

This is because they place a limit on the average attachment size as well as the email in general. For instance, Gmail and Yahoo Mail only send emails that are 25MB or less. Hotmail and Outlook are lower at 10MB per email. Therefore, you need to downsize the clip before you send it.

How to Compress a Video

If you are wondering about how to make video files smaller, then you should be aware that there are several ways to do this. As mentioned, the exact method will depend on the file type, your operating system, email account provider, and more.

So, here are your top options to shrink video:

Using a Converter

Let’s imagine that you have made a movie using an Android device or an adventure camera. In this instance, you may be unable to edit the video as it is.

Thus, for this purpose, you will need to download a video converter. There are several free options and they are typically compatible with various operating systems.

For the most part, video converters are meant to change video files from one type to another. However, they also have another function – compression.

By passing your file through this program, you will be able to select how much smaller the size can be made.

Zipping on Windows

If you are trying to figure out how to reduce video file size Windows 10, you will be relieved to know that the process is incredibly simple.

Best of all, if you rely on this method, you will not have to be concerned with a reduction in quality.

How to zip a video file in Windows:

• Right-click on the video file
• Select “Send to” and “Compressed (zipped) folder
• Attach the zipped folder to the email

It should be noted that this method isn’t suitable for every video. This is because zipping files doesn’t always reduce the size by all that much. So, if your video is very long or high-quality, the change may not be too noticeable. If this is the case, you can then opt for some of the options that are tackled later on…

Compressing on Mac

If you have a Mac computer, of course, then you will be dealing with the iMovie program. This means that you will need to know how to reduce iMovie file size.

However, if you want to send the video in its entirety without making any changes, the process is rather straightforward and you don’t need the iMovie program. Instead, do this:

• Right-click on the video and select “Compress <File Name>”
• You can then Share or attach it separately onto an email

If you want to only select a small portion of the video clip, then you will need to follow these steps for sending iMovie via email:

• Import the video to iMovie
• Open the video in iMovie
• Drag on the video strip to isolate video clip to send
• Go to File > Share > Email > Small

Using Google Drive and OneDrive

Last but not least, there is Google Drive and OneDrive, depending on the email account provider that you use. This option can be one of the quickest and most hassle-free ways to send video to other individuals via email.

Now, in case you are questioning “does Google Drive compress video?” the answer would be, not exactly. This is because there isn’t actually any compression involved with either Google Drive or OneDrive. Instead, these cloud-based storage options simply allow for larger attachments.

Therefore, you can simply upload the video to the cloud storage without having to compress it all. This allows you to leave the quality intact and to make very few changes to it at all. Once it is in the cloud storage, all authorized parties can access it.

With Google Drive, there are two ways to send the video via email. If the people who you are messaging already have Google Drive, then you can do this:

Insert files using Drive > Attachment

If they don’t have the service then you can create a Drive link that you can email to them.

Insert files using Drive > Drive link

With OneDrive, you can simply go to the video in cloud storage and right-click on it. You will then be supplied with the Share option that allows you to create a link that you can send to others.

As you can see, there are a number of ways to compress video files for email and send them as well. So, the next time you need to send a large clip, these are the avenues that you should consider.

If you have been searching for a way to reduce the impact of identity theft, then you will no doubt have come across LifeLock services.But is Lifelock worth it? There are no free Norton Lifelock memberships.

Of course, to determine whether or not you should sign up with this company, you first need to know what LifeLock is all about.

Well, here, you can gain an in-depth look at this identity theft protection agency. In turn, you will be better equipped to understand the services that they offer you. So, without further ado, here is what you need to know.

What is LifeLock?

First things first, what exactly can LifeLock do for you? In short, LifeLock keeps an eye on your personal information.

The exact type of information that is monitored will depend on your membership plan. At the most basic level, though, LifeLock will watch your social security number and credit information.

This way, should anybody gain access to your information and attempt to use it, LifeLock will be able to observe this activity. T

hey can then inform you, reducing the impact of the theft. The company also works with clients to quickly recover stolen information and find the thieves.

LifeLock also works to reduce the number of people who have access to your personal information. They safeguard important details, ensuring that only relevant individuals can gain access to this information. As such, you may be able to cut down on the risk of identity theft.

So to summarize, LifeLock provides you with the following services:

• Reduces public exposure of your personal details
• Alerts you when secure information is accessed
• Will help to recover information and funds

There are many Lifelock reviews out there, but the problem is that most of the reviewers don’t cover all features or they haven’t even tried out Lifelock themselves.

How safe is Lifelock? Lifelock was been developed by Norton. Norton is one of the leaders in the internet security industry. Lifelock is really safe and secure.

What Does Lifelock Cost?

Fortunately Lifelock is really affordable. At the time of writing this article there were three options:

• Standard for $10/month
• Advantage for $20/month
• Ultimate Plus for $30/month

You will find more info about these memberships below.

The App

You can download an app directly onto a mobile device.

This way, you can receive alerts on notifications regardless of where you are. You will also have access to certain accounts to determine how they are performing.

Finally, the app allows you to get immediate access to customer service, should you need to speak with them.

What LifeLock Can’t Do

Now, let’s take a look at what LifeLock isn’t – it can’t actually prevent identity theft in the first place. Rather, the company will inform you of any suspicious activity that has taken place and then help to combat it. Therefore, even if you do sign up for this service, you will have to take certain precautions by yourself.

Of course, this isn’t a problem that is unique to LifeLock alone. Most identity theft protection programs can only intervene after the fact. Not to mention, there are limits to even what you can do to safeguard your personal information.

How Does LifeLock Work?

As you can imagine, the exact mechanism behind LifeLock is a heavily guarded secret.

Nonetheless, the main thing to understand here is how the system works overall. The company uses proprietary technology to essentially monitor how your personal information is used on the internet.

As a customer, you will need to provide the company with basic but fundamental information about yourself. The program will then utilize these details and determine how they are being used. If it detects unusual activity, you will be informed. The system manages this in the following ways:

• Social Security Number and credit alerts
• USPS address change verification
• Credit monitoring with credit bureaus
• LifeLock Privacy Monitor

Once it has been determined that your information has been stolen, LifeLock’s main goal is to retrieve these details. In this instance, you will have access to the following services:

• Lost wallet protection
• An US-based restoration team
• Dark web monitoring

Reimbursement and Compensation

LifeLock also offers what is known as a Million Dollar Protection Package. Understand, once sensitive information has been stolen, there is a chance that you may end up losing money. At the very least, you will have to hire certain experts to prove your case to get your money back.

Now, the company offers compensation and reimbursement for certain activities. The exact amount depends on the membership package that you sign up for. Nevertheless, to a certain degree, your stolen funds will be reimbursed. You will also be compensated for your personal expenses. Last but not least, you will receive up to $1 million to cover expenses for lawyers and other experts.

The Membership Plans

There are three main membership plans to choose from. Here is a breakdown of each of them:

LifeLock Standard

The most basic (and cheapest) package from LifeLock is the LifeLock Standard plan. Here, your social security number and credit will be monitored. If there is a theft, you will be provided with access to a restoration team and all the services that come along with it. With this package, you will receive up to $25,000 in stolen funds repayment, up to $25,000 in personal expense compensation, and up to a million dollars for experts and lawyers.

LifeLock Advantage

In addition to the perks of the Standard package, you also get several other benefits for the higher price of this package. This includes more extensive monitory such as bank and credit card activity alerts, data breach notifications, alerts on crimes in your name, and fictitious identity monitoring. You also get an annual credit report from one of the bureaus. Finally, you can expect compensation and reimbursement up to $100,000 for stolen funds and personal expenses. The expert coverage still stands at $1 million.

LifeLock Ultimate Plus

With the Ultimate Plus package, your credit is monitored at all three credit bureaus. Furthermore, you can expect the benefits of the Advantage package and a few others as well. This includes monthly credit score tracking with one bureau and 401K activity alerts. The package will also track new bank accounts and account takeovers as well as file sharing networks. Last but not least, members will receive compensation and reimbursement up to $1 million on all accounts.

This is the extent of the LifeLock services and what you need to know about the company’s services. So, if you feel like you need to protect your personal information more closely, this is a service that you may want to consider.

Is Lifelock Worth The Money?

Yes. Identity Theft is a serious problem, that is growing every year.  Lifelock offers a 60 day money back guarantee. So you can get your money back if you decide later that Lifelock is not for you.