Best Windows 10 Apps to Use

Windows 10 supports universal apps that can run on a Windows PC as well as a Windows 10 Mobile device, so these apps may come in handy when the mobile version of Windows 10 lands later this year. However, there are a number of mediocre apps on the Windows Store, so picking out the good ones can be a tough task at times. Well, you don’t have to worry about picking the best apps, as today we will share the best 35 Windows 10 Store apps in various categories.

Pin More ($2.99)

Pin More allows you to pin custom tiles to your Windows 10 Start menu. The app lets you use your own logo for the tile and you can create custom tiles for documents, folders and websites. It also lets you create cool custom tiles for your Origin, Steam and Uplay games. We like the app because of its ease of use and simple interface.

• Analog Live Clock (Free)

If you always wanted an analog clock on your Start menu, Analog Live Clock should work fine for you. This app lets you pin a totally customized analog clock to your Windows 10 Start menu. The app lets you customize everything about the analog clock, from the dial, hour hand to even the background and more. It is pretty simple to use and you can create beautiful clock tiles for the Windows 10 Start menu.

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  Wallhaven Alpha (Free)

Wallhaven Alpha is a wallpaper app and it brings you some great high quality wallpapers from most genres you know of. You can also set the app to periodically change your desktop, homescreen and tile wallpaper. It’s a simple app but if you want your desktop and lockscreen to look beautiful and new every time then you should give Wallhaven Alpha a try.

 

Best Windows 10 Security Apps

We have already informed you on the best Antivirus apps for Windows 10, now here are some great security apps:

• LastPass (Free)

LastPass is a very popular password manager, which lets you sync all your passwords at one place. According to LastPass, all the passwords that you save in the app are stored at secure servers in the company and no one has access to them but you. LastPass is also available on all major platforms including Android, iOS, OS X, Linux, Windows Phone and minor platforms like Firefox OS. It’s also available as a browser extension/plugin for Chrome, Internet Explorer, Dolphin and more, so you will have passwords to your various accounts on the go. In case you are not really comfortable with using LastPass, you can check out our list of LastPass alternatives.

• Secret Tidings (Free)

Secret Tidings is a cool Windows Store app that allows you to send secret text messages encrypted in simple pictures. The concept is simple, you can choose a picture and then you can add the secret text you want to send. The text will be locked with a password, so your text will only be seen by someone who knows your password, while others will just see a picture.

• WiFi Dashboard (Free)

WiFi Dashboard is a pretty simple app, which lets you know if your WiFi is safe enough or not. Along with your WiFi’s security status, the app tells you the IP Address of the connection and the location. Simple yet useful, isn’t it?

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  Shredder8 (Free)

Deleted files can be easily recovered in Windows, thanks to various third party recovery apps but what if we really want to delete those files? This is where Shredder8 comes into play. Shredder8 acts like a real shredder and it deletes files permanently and makes them non-recoverable. The app also brings the ability to clean free space on your drives.

 

Best Windows 10 Productivity Apps

• Wunderlist: To-Do List (Free)

Wunderlist is a popular to-do list app and thankfully, they have a great app on the Windows Store. Making lists and tasks are very easy on the app and it offers you some great features like sharing, sync ability with your phone & other devices, ability to attach pictures, files, PDFs and more.

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  Poki (Free)

Use Pocket? Sadly, Pocket is not available on Windows 10 yet but we have a very worthy Pocket client, Poki. If you want to use Pocket on Windows, Poki is definitely the best Pocket client available. Just like Pocket, Poki lets you save interesting content for later viewing. The content is also available for you offline.

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  Flipboard (Free)

Flipboard is arguably the best news reading app and it’s available on the Windows 10 Store. Flipboard brings you news content based on your choices & likes and it also brings you content from your Facebook and Twitter newsfeed. The app also lets you use your single subscription on multiple devices. There’s also the ability to create your own magazine with the content you love.

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  Code Writer (Free)

If you are a coder in different languages, you are going to love this app. Code Writer allows you to write & edit texts and codes in more than 20 different programming languages.  There are also some great intuitive features like easy switching between documents, editing and more.

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  Wolfram Alpha ($1.49)

While Wolfram Alpha is a must have app for students, it is also great for people generally. The app answers all your technical queries and it covers a ton of topics. It’s like a search engine but with great knowledge and detail. The app should come in handy if you have a thirst to learn something new.

• Toolbox for Windows 8 (Free)

Toolbox, as the name suggests brings a number of tools to boost your productivity through a single app. The app might still have the Windows 8 name and design, but it’s still a pleasure to use if you want to multitask. The app brings 15 tools and innovative features like the ability to run 4 apps at a time (similar to Snap) make it worthwhile.

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   Dropbox (Free)

Dropbox has an official app on Windows 10 and it was recently updated to cater to Windows 10’s design language. The cloud storage service also has a desktop app for Windows, so you can choose according to your needs. The Windows Store app comes with all the features we’ve come to expect from Dropbox. There’s the ability to share anything easily and an “Offline” mode to view files even when you don’t have active Internet connection.

Best Windows 10 Entertainment Apps

• Groove Music (Free with subscription for Music Pass)

Microsoft re-branded its Music and Video apps with Windows 10 and that’s how Xbox Music became Groove Music. Just like Xbox Music, Groove Music is a pretty capable music app. It’s the default music app on Windows 10 and it brings features like playlists, custom radio stations and streaming of more than a million tracks. Moreover, Microsoft is giving a free 30-day trial of its Groove Music Pass for unlimited songs and streaming.

• Netflix (Free with membership subscription)

We all know and love Netflix, don’t we? If you have a Netflix membership, the app offers unlimited TV shows including Netflix exclusives and movies. The app also syncs your data with other devices where you have logged in and lets you resume from where you left off. So, if you use Netflix, the Windows app has got you covered.

• ESPN FC (Free)

ESPN FC is a great app if you want all the Football news right on your Windows 10 PC or mobile. The app brings you all the football scoop you need like scores, fixtures, profiles, articles and more. The app also incorporates Windows-specific features like pinning your team or a league right to the Start menu.

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  Audiobooks from Audible (Free)

If you just want to relax and listen to some audiobooks on your Windows 10 device, Audiobooks from Audible should be a perfect app for you. Audible is an Amazon company and it brings more than 1,80,000 books narrated by professionals. The app also integrates Cortana voice commands for a better button-free audio mode.

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  Movie Box (Free)

If you love streaming movies without any hassle, Movie Box is the app to get. The app is pretty simple & straightforward and it brings a large selection of movies to watch. The app lets you search for movies and it also includes the option to watch the trailer if you want to know what the movie is all about. It also shows you the IMDB ratings, so that you can choose better.

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  iHeart Radio (Free)

iHeart Radio is one of the best radio streaming apps on Windows 10 and rightly so. The app packs in several country’s radio stations along with custom stations. The app lets you create custom stations and brings you personalized radio recommendations and live music events. All you music lovers out there, give it a shot.

Best Windows 10 Social Apps

• Twitter (Free)

There have been several Twitter clients for the Windows platform in the past few years. While they were pretty good, nothing beats the official Twitter app for Windows 10. Though the Twitter app on Windows isn’t as good as other platforms, it works pretty well and it comes with all the Twitter features we are accustomed to.

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  Facebook (Free)

The official Facebook app on Windows hasn’t had a major update since a long time but if you want a Facebook app on Windows, the official app is the best one to use. The app doesn’t have all the features that Facebook has on other platforms but it’s usable or else there’s always the browser to go to.

• FB Pages Manager (Free with in-app purchases)

While Windows 10 does have an official Facebook app, there’s no official app to manage the Facebook Pages. FB Pages Manager is an unofficial app that lets you manage all your Facebook pages. The app lets you manage everything your page in an attractive and cool UI.

Best Windows 10 Photo and Video Apps

• VLC for Windows Store (Free)

We are all familiar with VLC Media Player since a long long time and the app now has a touch-friendly Store version as well. Along with videos, VLC for Windows Store is a great audio player as well and it comes with a lot of controls and all the features we’ve come to expect from VideoLAN. If you want more video player options, you can also check out our list of best video players for Windows 10.

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  Music Maker Jam (Free with in-app purchases)

If anyone here likes to tinker with music production, this app is for you. The app brings you distinct music styles along with various real time effects to create your very own music. The music styles include the likes of Dubstep, Hip Hop, Drum&Bass, Techno, Movie Score, House, Meta and more. You can use three music styles a month in the free version and you’ll have to get the premium version of the app to get all of them. Overall, Music Maker Jam is a must check, if you are a budding music producer.

• Photofunia (Free with in-app purchases)

The Windows Store is packed with some great photo editing apps and Photofunia is one of them. The popular photo editing app makes editing a picture lot more fun. The app lets you add some great effects, create photo montages and more. If you are in a mood to play with some picture effects, Photofunia is the app for you.

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  Adobe Photoshop Express (Free with in-app purchases)

Adobe Photoshop express is for people who just want to make some quick edits to their pictures for social media sharing. The app lets you auto-fix photos, apply filters, correct exposure, contrast and more. Photoshop Express also brings the ability to share quickly on Facebook or upload to Adobe’s Revel cloud service.

• Phototastic Collage (Free with in-app purchases)

Phototastic Collage is a collage making app, as the name suggests. The app lets you create collages without any hassle. It features a number of pre-loaded designs to make your task easier. The best thing about the app is that it makes creating collages simple and hassle-free.

 

 

Best Windows 10 Miscellaneous Apps

• Duolingo (Free)

Duolingo has been one of our favourite apps from other platforms and the Windows version is no slouch too. In case you are not aware, Duolingo is a language learning app. The app lets you learn Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Irish, Dutch, Danish and English. Most importantly, the language learning experience on the app is fun and breezy.

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  Translator (Free)

Microsoft’s Translator app, previously known as Bing Translator is a pretty handy app. The app lets you translate text, voice and signs, menus, newspapers through your camera. Moreover, the app lets you download translation packs, so that you can translate even when you’re offline.

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  Z Opener (Free)

Z Opener is a pretty simple app and as the name suggests, it is a file opener and it lets you extract any file. The app supports more than a dozen file formats and it is very simple to use. Just select the file you want to open or extract and Z Opener will do it for you without any fuss.

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   iFixit: Repair Manual (Free)

iFixit is a popular repair manual app, which helps people fix their things on their own. The app brings step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting, a parts store, repair guides and more. It brings repair manuals and support for various kinds of devices, from PCs, phones and cameras to even bikes and cars. The app is a little buggy on Windows but it is pretty useful.

• Khan Academy (Free)

Khan Academy has been known for its educational videos since a long time and their Windows app incorporates all of that. The app features the complete library of Khan Academy’s tutorial videos and it includes various topics like Math, Biology, Physics, Chemistry and more. Moreover, there are also tutorials on art, finance and history topics.

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  Network Speed Test (Free)

As the name suggests, Network Speed Test by Microsoft is a simple app that lets you test your internet speed. The app measures your internet speed and lets you know the activities you’ll be able to perform at the speed. For comparison’s sake, the app also shows you your history of tests.

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The Best-Paying Jobs You Can Do At Home

The trend of working from home has grown tremendously in the recent years. Long gone are the days when employment was thought of as a strict 9-5 day, traveling to the office in the morning and returning back home in the evening. With advanced technologies and changing trends in the economy, freelancing has become more common than ever before.

Don’t get home-based employment wrong as a mere part-time job that pays only in scanty sums. You can earn as much as you’d earn working at an office if you possess certain skills and capabilities.

Below, we have listed 10 of the best-paying jobs you can do at home. No more are jackpots and lotteries the only ways of getting rich sitting back at home, enjoying the comfort of the couch and closeness with your family.

comfort of the couch and closeness with your family.

1. Translator

Average Salary: $132,000

As a freelance translator, you translate texts from one language to another. It’s a perfect job for telecommuting. Translation is a pretty straightforward job and you can do it all by yourself at home.

You might need to revise your work at times but if you possess enough talent, you’ll be able to translate the words and also include the feel of the original work.

This job comes with its fair share of challenges. The work can seem quite monotonous at times, and time management is a skill you must have to succeed in this job.

2. Voice Actor 

Average Salary: $75,000

All voice actors provide voiceovers, but the purposes for voice acting vary a lot. You can do freelance voice acting for audiobooks, animation works, games, websites, videos, and more.

Voice acting is fun work to do and pays plenty. However, you may need to condition and train your voice.

Voice acting is just like acting. You might have difficulty finding work as different businesses tend to search for a specific kind of voice only. And altering your voice is a pretty difficult thing to do.

3. Statistical Analyst

Average Salary: $69,000

As a statistical analyst, you have to interpret the quantitative data and also design statistical models for research problems. Maintaining databases and ensuring validity of data is also required in most of the cases.

Statistical analysis is a very broad field and you should work towards specializing in particular types of data. It will add great value if you specialize in marketing, health, economics, or engineering data.

This kind of work requires proper training, and in many cases, the employers require you to have formal college training as well. Certification of statistical training is asked for in almost all cases.

4. Infographic Designer

Average Salary: $76,000

Infographics are becoming more and more of a powerful tool to visualize detailed information. These days, no one really seems to have time to go through web articles thoroughly, scanning through each and every detail.

So as the demand for infographics is increasing, infographic designing has become a very rewarding vocation. However, you need to be good with data visualization tools and should be very careful to only use the correct data.

If you have a knack for designing visually appealing infographics, you can earn as much just sitting back at home as you’d earn if you worked at an office.

5. Software Engineer

Average Salary: $94,000

The demand for software engineers has been ever increasing. And freelance software engineering opportunities are aplenty in the market.

Virtually all businesses want to have a website and app of their own. Add to that the ever present demand for desktop applications, and the future of software engineers looks very bright.

If you have sufficient skills and experience under your belt, you do not even need to have a college degree to succeed in this field.

6. Travel Agent

Average Salary: $56,000

Working as a home-based travel agent can be very exciting. You don’t actually need to have traveled to lots of places if you want to succeed in this field. However, you do need to understand travel well.

The internet has brought lots of changes to the traditional travel agent business. Even the most complicated trips can be arranged successfully at the click of a button.

As a freelance travel agent, you are involved in things like providing information to prospective visitors, driving traffic to a client’s website, and making arrangements for visitors.

7. Financial Manager

Average Salary: $103,000

Financial management is a highly paying job that you can do from home. In this vocation, you are responsible for providing proper financial support to the clients, helping them to make suitable business choices.

Also Read: The Best-Paying Jobs You Can Do At Home

Common clients are financial corporations, retailers, charities, universities, and general businesses. Freelance financial managers are preferred by many clients for whom it is not suitable to hire a financial manager on a permanent basis.

However, to land this job, it’s necessary for you to have formal training and college education to establish your credentials.

8. Writer

Average Salary: $52,000

There are plenty of freelance writing opportunities available out there. You can write both for printed as well as online publishing media. With the growth of internet, online writing opportunities have always been on the rise.

Writing opportunities spread over multiple disciplines, from health, education, and career counselling to sports, music, and politics. If you can write, you’ll always find something that interests you.

This job pays significantly and you don’t even need to have formal education and college training. If you can show your adroitness with sample works and draft a solid cover letter, you are likely to land the job.

9. Graphic Designer

Average Salary: $52,000

The demand for freelance graphic designers is also increasing day by day. It’s a perfect home-based job opportunity as you’d like to be on your own while doing something creative.

Graphic designers are constantly wanted by corporations, advertisement agencies, newspapers, retailers, and websites. You can soon turn one client into many.

This is also a great opportunity that doesn’t require official training. Your creations speak for themselves, and if your clients fancy your work, you’ll land the job. Pretty simple!

10. Animator

Average Salary: $69,000

Freelance animator is a quite pleasing job to have, at least for those who really dig animation and don’t see it as work.

You need expensive resources in animation software, as well as computer hardware to be able to create swift animation. However, once you start getting clients, your initial investments will make far greater returns.

Animation is a quite challenging job, and often you’ll be working with a team of fellow animators rather than alone. You may find teamwork challenging or rather uplifting.

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Websites to Learn a New Skill For $1 Per Day

Learning a new skill need not be expensive.

Money used to be a big obstacle that got in the way of accomplishing our goals. Luckily, this is no longer the issue.

Whether it’s learning how to build your own website, speak a new language, or become a better entrepreneur, there are resources online available that you can get started with for $1 per day or less

The best part, all of these websites allow you to learn from the comfort of your own home (in your PJ’s).

Here are 7 websites to learn a new skill for $1 per day.

1. Skillshare

Price: Starting at $10/month (includes free trial)

Focus: Branding, Marketing, Design

Skillshare is a learning community where you can learn anything from anyone. While they have classes from experts such as Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki, and Gary Vaynerchuk, the majority of the courses are from local experts like yourself who have useful knowledge to share. Learn everything from branding, SEO, audience building, and more from anyone.

They have a free community you can join and their premium plans start from $10/month.

2. CreativeLIVE

Price: Free Live Classes to ~$200 per class

Focus: Photography, Entrepreneurship, Business

CreativeLIVE brings a unique business model, as they provide free live classes that anyone can tune into. Then for those who are interested in keeping the course, they can purchase it.

Unlike SkillShare, CreativeLIVE focuses on solely bringing on top experts to share their knowledge. These include NYTimes Best Selling Authors such as Tim Ferriss, Pulitzer Prize winners, and more. Their topics are also heavily focused on creativity topics like photography, design, and branding.

3. KhanAcademy

Price: Free

Focus: Mathematics, Science, Engineering

KhanAcademy is one of my highly recommended sites for teenagers and college students. Khan’s ability to breakdown the most complex concepts down to simple components is powerful. The best part is, it’s free!

While their best courses are in mathematics, science, and engineering, they also cover a wide variety of topics including arts & humanities, business & finance, computing, and more.

4. Lynda

Price: Starting at $20/month (includes free trial)

Focus: Video, Design, Developer, Audio + Music

Lynda is one of the top leaders in the online learning industry, and was recently acquired by Linkedin.

Much like CreativeLIVE or Skillshare, Lynda provides video courses on everything from design, branding, photography, web development, and more. Given the length of time that Lynda has existed, they do have a wider variety of courses available versus CreativeLIVE or Skillshare.

5. Rype

Price: Starting at $35/month (includes free trial)

Focus: Languages (Spanish)

Rype is a language learning website offering the advantages of coaching into language learning. Rype is perfect for those who struggle with persistence when learning something new, or if you have quit learning a language before. Your membership includes one-on-one sessions with your personal coach, free live classes that are recorded for you, personalized feedback guides, accountability, and more to help you reach fluency faster.

You can try it free by signing up for Rype Club.

6. Coursera

Price: Free

Focus: Classes from top Universities

Coursera brings classes from the top Universities to your screen for free. With Universities like John Hopkins, Stanford, and Yale, you can receive the same education as the students in these Universities without paying hundreds of thousands of dollars.

7. OneMonth

Price: Starting at $49 per course

Focus: Web & Mobile app development

OneMonth has a compelling pitch: learn X in one month. Their main focus in this moment is web and mobile app development, but also provide courses on audience building, social media, and more.

While there are no guarantees that you’ll learn what they’re teaching in one month, it offers a convenient solution for individuals who want to learn skills faster.

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