If you’ve ever wanted to make your own QR codes, know that it doesn’t require any great degree of technical know-how or a huge amount of time. You just need the right app and the content you want to encode, which will be formatted differently depending on how you’re using the black and white pattern.

What you can do with QR codes

QR codes can store around 4,000 characters of text, which can be anything from a plain message to a link to follow or a file to download. These graphics are most commonly used to store website URLs, so people usually use them to redirect customers to their company website, their bar’s drinks list, or their new app.

But these patterns can do even more than that. You can encode your contact details in a QR code, for example, and print it on your business card. That way, every time someone scans it, all of the details you’ve shared will pop up in their default contacts app, ready to be saved.

If you’re running a live gig venue, you could have a QR code printed on the bottom of posters advertising future shows, which will take people directly to the website where they can buy tickets.

[Related: 500px portfolios are now free.]

On a more simple level, you might want to create a QR code that includes login details for the Wi-Fi network in your home or Airbnb rental. Guests could scan the code on entry, which would connect them up to the wireless internet without any need to search for a network name or input a password.

It only takes a minute to generate QR codes for these simple uses. There are more advanced ways to use these patterns, like logging directly into websites or apps, for example. They require some programming skill and specific coding, so if that’s what you want to do, you’ll need to do more digging.

How to make your own QR codes

Plenty of web and mobile apps will happily generate QR codes for you. There are no great differences between most, and to a certain extent, any of them will do for your QR code-generating needs.

QR Code Monkey is one of the slickest and most versatile options we’ve come across, supporting QR codes for websites, social media profiles, email addresses, Wi-Fi codes, app store links, and more. To get started, choose the type of content you want to embed into your QR code (text, link, or whatever), and the input fields will change accordingly. Put your data in the Enter content section, then click Create QR Code to generate the graphic.

The Set colors option lets you change the hues of the QR code, while under the Customize design heading you’re able to tweak the look of the barcode. The Add logo image section, meanwhile, lets you add your company logo in the center—this won’t affect the readability of the code, which will still scan as normal.

Use the slider underneath the QR code that you’ve generated to choose how big the finished graphic is going to be, then click Download PNG to save it to your disk. You can then use the code wherever you like, for free—it won’t have an expiry date.

For serious commercial use, you can find more advanced QR code makers. Take a look at QR Code Generator, for example, which starts at €120 euros (about $145) a year. This is a steep price to pay, but for your money you get advanced graphic design features and analytics, including how many times people scan your QR code per day.

Plenty of mobile solutions are available as well. As with web apps, there’s a lot to choose from but we’ll just highlight QRbot for Android and iOS. The app is lightweight, simple to use, and it does double duty as an advanced QR code reader as well.

To create a new QR code through the app, tap Create and then choose the type of barcode you want to make. The app will prompt you to add the required information like the website URL or contact details, and your QR code will then appear on the screen. Tap PNG to save it. The QR code generator is free to use, though you can pay a one-off $7 fee to remove ads inside the app and get extra features including an unlimited number of QR code scans.

The post QR codes are a smart way to share your image library. Here’s how to make your own. appeared first on Popular Photography.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

This story originally featured on Popular Science.

More room on your computer screen means more space to spread out that spreadsheet, keeping a Netflix stream running in the background, monitoring multiple social media displays, comparing two websites, and much, much more.

To obtain this virtual real estate, you could set up a separate monitor, but there’s a cheaper solution: Create a virtual desktop—a separate screen that you can visit by pressing a single key. Windows, macOS, and Chrome OS all come with built-in tools to let you set up several virtual desktops on a single physical monitor.

Why you need a virtual desktop

Virtual desktops let you split up and space out your open programs, much like a real second screen would. But because you still rely on a single physical monitor, you still view only one screen at a time. This means a virtual desktop is best for separating and organizing certain applications, rather than viewing various windows side by side.

For example, you might designate one desktop for work and another for leisure. Your work screen could contain your inbox and word processor, while your leisure one would corral the online videos and social media apps that you don’t want to shut down. Because you can set up many virtual desktops, you might split up your work across multiple screens, one for each active project. This lets you prepare for a big presentation on one virtual screen while filling out a spreadsheet on another.

This technology also has a less honorable, but still handy, application: it can quickly hide your web browsing activity from prying eyes. If you’d like to do some personal research while you’re at work, place those windows on a separate desktop that you normally keep hidden from view. When your boss walks by, you can hit a key to switch from private business to a bland work screen. Or maybe you want to shop for a surprise gift—keeping those searches on another virtual desktop lets you hide your plans in moments.

The beauty of virtual desktops is in the variety of ways you can use them. In fact, you might not unlock the full potential of your virtual desktop until you’ve been using it for a while. Spend some time with multiple screens, and you’ll eventually come up with your own ways to take advantage of this technology.

How to set up multiple desktops on Windows

You manage these backup screens through Task View, a screen that lets you see and organize all open desktops, as well as all open applications. To get there, go to the taskbar and tap the Task View button just to the right of the search box or hit the Windows+Tab keyboard shortcut.

Once you reach Task View, pick New desktop to set up a new screen. You can also create a new desktop through another keyboard shortcut, Windows+Ctrl+D. Microsoft lets you make as many screens as you want—at least up to several hundred.

These extra desktops will look much like your original one. They will have the same wallpaper, taskbar (complete with the same pinned programs), Start menu, and desktop shortcuts. The only differences will be the open applications and windows on each one.

Once you have several desktops up and running, you can switch between them by going back to the Task View screen and hitting the thumbnails that show up at the top. Or, from the same view, click on any individual window—when you switch to that specific program, you’ll also move to the desktop where it currently is. You can also navigate backward and forward through a lineup of desktops by holding Windows+Ctrl and then tapping the Left or Right arrow key.

To close a desktop, you’ll have to go back to the Task View screen, look for that desktop’s thumbnail, and then click the X that appears above it. However, this will not shut down all of the apps that were stored on that desktop. Instead, any apps that were still open when the screen shut down will shift one desktop to the left.

These desktops can be as flexible as you want them to be. To populate a desktop with windows, go to the space in question and open a new application. In fact, you can create multiple windows of a single application—say, a web browser or File Explorer—and stash each window on a separate desktop. To move an open window from one desktop to another, head back to the Task View screen, check out the thumbnails at the top, and hover the mouse cursor over the desktop that currently holds the app in question. This should bring up a preview of the app. Click and drag the preview to any of the other desktop thumbnails in the row. Alternatively, right-click on an app thumbnail, choose Move to, and pick another desktop as the destination.

When you right-click on an app thumbnail, you’ll also get other menu options. Try experimenting with Show this window on all desktops or Show windows from this app on all desktops. These options let you mirror apps or specific windows across all your desktops. Use them for programs, such as a music player app, that you want to be able to access everywhere. If you make changes to the window, such as moving it to another location on the screen or opening a new website in a browser, those changes will appear across all desktops.

How to use multiple spaces on macOS

Your macOS computer has had the capacity for virtual desktops longer than your Windows machine has. In fact, Apple has its own terminology for the feature: “multiple spaces.”

To navigate these spaces, head to Mission Control, which you can do in a few ways: Hit the keyboard shortcuts F3 or Ctrl+Up, swipe up with three or four fingers on the trackpad (check or change the exact gesture in the Trackpad section of System Preferences), or open it from Launchpad or the Applications window of Finder. If you plan to employ virtual desktops fairly frequently, we recommend that you add Mission Control to the Dock (open Finder, go to the Applications window, and drag the icon to the Dock).

Once you arrive at Mission Control, you can create up to 16 virtual desktops by clicking the large + button in the top right corner. Each desktop will appear as a thumbnail along the top of the page.

Like the multiple desktops on Windows, the multiple spaces on macOS look the same by default. You can access the same menu bar and Dock from any one of them. However, Apple lets you customize each space to look unique—more on that later.

In Mission Control, jump to any desktop by clicking its thumbnail. You can also move between desktops by swiping left or right with three or four fingers on the trackpad (again, you can select the exact gesture in the Trackpad section of System Preferences) or holding down Ctrl and then tapping the Left or Right arrows.

To close a desktop, go back to Mission Control and hit the X button next to its thumbnail. Like on Windows, closing a virtual space will shift all of its open programs to the desktop on its left.

Once you’re on a given desktop, any application you launch will turn up in that space. For apps where you can open several windows, like Finder or Safari, you can split those windows between different desktops. Working on a macOS computer, you have more ways to move open windows between desktops. As the simplest method, click on a window and drag it to one edge of the screen. After a moment, the screen will shift to another desktop to the left or right of the current one. Alternatively, click and hold on a window’s title bar, then press Ctrl+Left or Ctrl+Right to move it to the next space in the lineup. You can also move windows via Mission Control by dragging app thumbnails from one desktop to another.

You can further lock an app window to a specific desktop by clicking and holding that app’s icon in the Dock, choosing Options, and picking This Desktop. Or you might want to have another window appear in every single space. To do so, again hold that app’s icon in the Dock and select Options, but this time, click All Desktops. Now, any changes you make to that window will be mirrored across every desktop.

That mirroring method also lets you modify the appearance of individual desktops. Start by placing System Preferences on all desktops. Now you can visit the Desktop & Screen Saver section of that app to set a different wallpaper for each space.

While you’re tinkering with System Preferences, choose the Mission Control section to adjust how multiple spaces work. For example, you can choose to make Mission Control group together all thumbnails of windows from the same application, regardless of their placement on different desktops. Play around with the settings to find the configuration that works best for you.

How to use desks on Chrome OS

On Chrome OS, the virtual desktop features is called “desks.” To get started, tap the Show windows key, which is a rectangle with a series of vertical lines next to it—it’s fifth from the left in the top row.

Click the + button to create a new desk; when you have more than one, this will change to a New desk button. Every time you get a new desk, Chrome OS will prompt you to give it a name straight away—to change the name later, just click on the label underneath the desk thumbnail. Chrome OS lets you set up a maximum of eight desks.

To switch to a desk, just click on it on the desks overview screen: Tap Show windows to see it, which will bring up all your open desks, browser windows, and apps. Any Chrome browser windows and Android apps you launch on that desk will appear only on that desk by default. To move a Chrome window or Android app to another desk, right-click on its title bar and choose Move window to desk, then pick a desk or select All desks to have it show up everywhere.

Tap Show windows, and you can drag apps and browser windows between desks too—just click and drag on the thumbnails in the main window. You can also click and drag on the desk thumbnails at the top, if you want to put them in a different order.

You can also use Alt+Tab to jump between open windows and apps across all your desks, which is another way of switching desks. If you’d rather just cycle through the windows and apps on the current desk, press Alt+Tab and then click Current desk on the pop-up window that appears.

The desktop wallpaper stays the same across all desks, and so does the shelf at the bottom—no matter what desk you’re on, you’ll see icon shortcuts for all apps and browser windows across all desks. To switch to an app, just click on it; to switch to a browser window, click and hold on the Chrome icon, then choose the window you want.

A four-finger swipe to the left or right on the trackpad, or the Search+[ and Search+] keyboard shortcuts will let you quickly switch between open desks as well. To delete a desk, tap Show windows to get to the overview, then click the X icon on the desk thumbnail at the top—any windows and apps on this deleted desk won’t disappear, they’ll shift one desk to the left.

The post Get more screen space than you ever imagined with virtual desktops appeared first on Popular Photography.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

This story originally featured on Popular Science.

When something goes seriously wrong with your laptop, you usually receive an advance warning. A virus might alter your security settings, for example, or a failing hard drive might start making funny noises. If you catch these signals early, you can quickly diagnose and fix your computer.

Many of our recommended solutions involve a thorough malware scan. If you haven’t already installed antivirus and antimalware programs on your system, do that now. You can rely on the build-in Windows or macOS programs, or go shopping for another security suite. Just make sure to put in the research: Check out an online buying guide for Windows or macOS, read up on user and professional reviews, and find the right set of tools for your needs. Don’t let price deter you—solid computer security is worth the money.

[Related: The best laptops for photo editing.]

In addition to your primary suite, consider getting a second opinion. You can employ a less-intensive scanner, one that requires you to install fewer files, alongside your main one. Instead of running regular checks, the secondary program would work on an on-demand basis: You only need to fire it up when you need it. We like Microsoft Safety Scanner for Windows and Malwarebytes for macOS.

With so many computer systems out there, problems may manifest differently on each type of machine. But by the time you’ve finished reading this guide, you should have a much better sense of what various issues look like. And the earlier you spot them, the earlier you can fix them.

1. Sluggish and unresponsive performance

If your laptop begins slowing down, this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s caught a virus. However, sluggish performance can be a tell-tale sign that a hacker has hijacked your machine for secret activities such as sending spam or mining for cryptocurrencies.

Start with a thorough malware scan. Then check the programs that may be running in the background. On Windows, open the Task Manager (to find it, search for the program’s name via the taskbar), and on macOS, the Activity Monitor (search for it in Spotlight). You’ll see a list of currently-active programs, including some familiar names and some strange ones. Don’t expect to recognize everything here—active processes you haven’t seen before aren’t necessarily bad. Just try searching for those processes online to learn more about them.

If a malware scan comes up blank, and you can’t find anything suspicious in the list of running applications, the culprit may be a non-malicious buggy program. Try shutting down your open windows one by one and then restarting those programs. Or, if you notice that one of the active programs in the list is using up a lot of memory, you can try uninstalling it.

The slow performance may simply be a symptom of your laptop’s age. But all is not lost: We have tips for speeding up old computers, whether they’re Windows or macOS.

2. Persistent error messages

All computers get the occasional error message. It’s when you start seeing these alerts regularly, over and over again, that you should start to worry.

Because the culprit could be anything from failing hardware to a virus to a corrupted program installation, you’ll need to put in some detective work to discover the root cause of the messages. Start with the text of the error message and any codes it includes. Then go online and type that information into your favorite search engine. You should find some pointers on what’s going wrong and how you might be able to fix it.

If your results indicate that errors are related to one specific program, then you have a relatively easy fix: Uninstalling and reinstalling that application is one of the most effective ways to make everything run smoothly again.

[Related: Can an iPad Pro replace your laptop?]

You can’t diagnose every issue this easily. When you’re receiving shorter error messages, the text may turn up fewer search results, which can make them harder to troubleshoot. For more information, look at the message’s timing. When viruses and malware are causing issues, for example, they often trigger errors that appear when your computer is booting up or shutting down, or when you’re trying to configure your security programs. Alternatively, if you tend to see messages while you’re attaching a Bluetooth keyboard or another peripheral device, that gadget’s outdated software may be to blame. Check online to see if you can find updates for the device.

If your online sleuthing can’t uncover the culprit, try running through the most comprehensive virus scan you can. As a last resort, back up all of your applications and files and then reinstall Windows or macOS. This should fix most error messages—unless they’re related to failing hardware. In that case, you may have no choice but to buy a new machine.

3. Unrequested changes to settings

If your applications start behaving strangely or reconfigure their settings without your permission, your machine has probably caught a virus. After gaining access to your system, malware will often alter your settings for its own purposes, such as preventing you from removing it.

Often, you’ll first notice these changes in your browser. The infection might disable certain features, change your homepage, or reset your default search engine. Sometimes, new extensions that want to push their own services, rather than viruses, will alter your browser settings. You can check by uninstalling any recent extensions.

Also watch out for other suspicious changes: New icons, which you didn’t ask for, may appear on your desktop, or an invisible hand might reconfigure your security programs. Viruses can trigger a wide variety of different changes, so keep an eye on your applications and don’t ignore major modifications to your software setup.

As we’ve mentioned before, this activity might be innocent—programs reconfigure your system all the time in order to work properly. Just be wary of changes that seem to happen without warning or that involve your browser or security applications.

To fight a potential infection, first roll back the changes—for example, set your browser’s homepage back to its original location. Then run a full virus and malware scan on your system. If you find out that a legitimate program or browser add-on is the one that keeps making changes, you can uninstall it.

4. Random web pop-ups

Everyone has to deal with pop-ups while browsing online. But if you’re seeing more than normal—and they’re pushing suspicious content rather than prodding you to sign up for a newsletter—then you might have a problem. What sort of pop-up content should set off alarm bells? Look out for messages that claim you’ve won a competition or a reward, flash a malware alert, or nag you to play games, especially if they also make it difficult for you to return to the original page. These can signal that a browser extension is behaving badly or that some kind of malware has taken root on your machine.

To fight the intrusions, first find a list of browser extensions you’ve installed. In Chrome, for example, they sit under the More tools entry on the main app menu (open it by clicking the three vertical dots on the top right). In Firefox, they’re behind the Add-ons entry in the main app menu (launched via the three horizontal lines on the top right). In Safari, access them through Preferences on the Safari menu. Finally, in Microsoft Edge, open the main app menu (the three dots on the top right) and choose Extensions.

Next, uninstall as many of these add-ons as you can, stripping your browser down to the bare minimum to see if this fixes the problem. If that doesn’t tame the pop-up epidemic, try uninstalling and reinstalling the browser. In addition, as always, run a thorough virus and malware scan to see if something outside your browser is causing issues.

5. Strange noises

As a computer’s internal components begin to wear out, it can grow too old to function properly. Refusal to switch on is a sure sign of hardware issues. But you should also keep an ear out for strange and repeated noises coming from the depths of your laptop, because these can indicate that hardware failure is imminent.

When you hear these sounds, immediately save your data to an external machine or a cloud service. (This task will be easier if you’re already backing up your files on a regular basis, a habit that everyone should cultivate.) Even if the noises prove to be inconsequential, it never hurts to back up your data. And in a worst-case scenario, an archive of this information will preserve your digital memories and ease the process of switching to a new computer.

[Related: What strange noises mean for your machine.]

Once you know your files are safe, you can start figuring out just what the problem might be. Consider your laptop’s age: The older it is, the more likely hardware failure is to blame. Have you ever dropped your machine or spilled a hot drink on it? Accidents like these can speed up a computer’s aging process. If your machine is relatively new, a foreign object could be gunking up the works. Try cleaning out your laptop’s sockets and ports with a small can of compressed air to make sure it’s not carrying some small, easily dislodgeable item.

If the weird noises persist, run a systems diagnostics program to figure out whether your laptop really is on its last legs. For example, software like CrystalDiskInfo for Windows (free) and DriveDx for macOS ($20 with a free trial) can report on the health of your hard drive. And if an internal component is on its last legs, it may cause other symptoms such as overheating, random crashes, and particularly slow performance.

Unfortunately, if a part of your laptop is failing, you can’t do too much about it at home. So go to the experts: Visit your local computer repair shop to see if they can replace the component. Or, depending on your computer’s age, you may want to invest in a new laptop instead of trying to resuscitate an old machine.

The post 5 signs your laptop is in trouble appeared first on Popular Photography.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

This story originally featured on Popular Science.

The COVID-19 pandemic and many industries’ subsequent transition to remote work meant many of us quickly became familiar with our webcams. Now, after hours spent staring into those little camera lenses, it’s time to upgrade.

It might not be the first part of your computer setup that you think about upgrading—a webcam generally just… works—but you might be missing out on the extra quality and flexibility that a new webcam brings.

And not every computer has a webcam right out of the box anyway. If you’re running a desktop PC or Mac that doesn’t have one, you’ll need to make yourself aware of what you’re looking for and why you need it.

Upgrades with benefits

If you do have a built-in webcam, paying for another one may seem like a frivolous expense, but there’s more than one reason to invest in better hardware. The first is better quality video—identify how many pixels your current webcam is pushing. This is usually referred to by the number of horizontal lines in each frame, so either 720p or 1080p on most devices.

Making the jump up to 1080p or 4K means a clearer, more detailed picture, with the main beneficiaries being the people who are watching you—from family members who get to see you in a higher resolution, to potential employers who come away with the impression that you know what you’re doing when it comes to technology.

Don’t forget the audio quality either: No matter the purpose of your video call, you’ll want to be heard. External webcams that plug into your computer will generally offer better mics than the built-in one you’re currently using, and some even come with advanced features like on-board noise cancelation.

Let’s talk about angles, too. A webcam built into your laptop or all-in-one computer is fixed—it can’t move unless the whole device does. Plug in an upgraded webcam over USB, and you can choose any angle you like (and any backdrop you like, too, perfect for showing off your carefully curated bookshelves).

At the more expensive end of the scale, you can get webcams with wide-angle lenses for fitting more in the frame, and with their own lights for keeping your face well-illuminated during your video chats. Some also come with bundled software for adjusting the color, contrast, and other attributes of your video feed.

Not every webcam has all of these features, but this should give you an idea of the sort of upgrades that are available. Look out for specific privacy features as well, such as physical covers that slide across your webcam and block the lens while you’re not using it—this is easier than sticking tape over your webcam, anyway.

Choosing and installing a webcam

We’ve mentioned most of the key features to look out for in a new webcam, so pick the ones you like the sound of and shop accordingly. Video and audio quality should perhaps be your main considerations, and the price of each model will naturally play a part in your choice. You should also check out the kind of mounting options on each webcam, and the length of its USB cable—this will determine where you can and can’t place it.

[Related: The best webcams for crystal-clear video calls]

Make sure you double-check that the device and setup you’re planning works with your operating system, whether it’s Windows or macOS. Most webcams are compatible with both, but some aren’t, so check the specs and reviews carefully before purchasing. 

You don’t actually have to buy a webcam to get an upgrade, either, because numerous digital camera manufacturers have released software that lets you turn their devices into webcams. Canon, Sony, and Fujifilm are three of the big names that have this kind of software. If you own a DSLR, check with the manufacturer to see if this webcam functionality is available.

It’s even possible to use your smartphone as a webcam, if you have the right third-party app. DroidCam for Android and iOS is one of the best options we’ve come across, and it’s free, though it only works with Windows. We also like Camo for iOS, which isn’t available on Android but does cover Windows and macOS. (If you want video quality higher than 720p, you’ll also need to pay $5 a month for Camo Pro.)  Install one of these apps on your phone, and the equivalent desktop program on your PC, and they’ll take care of the necessary communications required between the devices.

Once you’ve purchased your webcam, the hard part is done. Installing the device simply involves plugging it into your computer: After a few seconds, Windows or macOS should recognize it, and it will then be available in your apps (Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and all the others will let you choose your webcam if several are available).

[Related: Look better on video calls using pro photography techniques]

You can use the Camera app on Windows or FaceTime on macOS to get the position and framing right for your new webcam, but to actually adjust key settings—such as the quality of the video feed and any available enhancements—you’ll need to delve into the software that came with the webcam or the configuration settings inside the application you’re using to make video calls.

The post It’s time to upgrade your webcam appeared first on Popular Photography.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.