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27 Jul 2024

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Windows 11 now lets you access Android phones via File Explorer
It’s been a long time coming! Microsoft is finally keen to improve integration between Windows 11 computers and Android phones. If you hate transferring files between the two, there’s good news ahead. Microsoft has started beta testing a new feature that lets you “see your Android phone in File Explorer” and “wirelessly browse through all your folders and files, including media that is on your Android phone.” Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft Not only will you be able to view what’s on your phone, but you’ll also be able to move, copy, delete, rename, and even open directly without first bringing files and folders over to your PC. The best part is that you won’t even need a USB cable for this. You can access your Android phone wirelessly, which is fantastic news for anyone who needs to work with their phone via Windows regularly. In order for this to work: Your phone needs to be running Android 11 or later. Your phone needs the beta version of the Link to Windows app that’s available on the Google Play Store. Your PC needs to be running Windows 11. As of right now, this feature is only rolling out to those who are in the Windows Insider Program, but is available to all Insider Channels. Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft Once registered for Windows Insider and opted into any Insider Channel, you can enable this feature by going to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile Devices and choosing Manage devices, then allowing your PC to access your Android phone. After that, you’ll see a toggle in File Explorer to view your phone. If you don’t see the toggle, the feature hasn’t rolled out to you yet.

What makes a laptop eco-friendly? 5 key factors to consider
No matter how much you reduce, reuse, and recycle, the simple fact is that sometimes you just need a new laptop. Whether it’s for new features, greater performance, or your old one suddenly died, a new laptop can be an exciting upgrade—and it doesn’t have to be eco-unfriendly. In fact, there are many great laptops out there that span the spectrum of environmental impact, some better than others. Sure, the bamboo laptop didn’t exactly catch on, but you don’t have to go that far to be green. From power consumption to build materials to repairability, here are some of the most important factors to consider if you’re looking to buy a laptop that’s eco-conscious. Factor #1: Build and packaging materials One of the more obvious ways a laptop is made more eco-friendly is the use of recycled materials in its construction. Some companies use post-consumer recycled plastics, others use recycled ocean-bound plastics, and yet others use post-industrial recycled materials like carbon fiber from the aerospace industry. You’ll find these in the typically plastic elements of a laptop, such as the keycaps, adapters, peripherals, and in some cases the chassis covers. There are also low-carbon materials used in some laptop manufacturing. Low-carbon aluminum production reduces carbon emissions by using renewable energy to power the smelting process. Biodegradable materials, like castor beans, are also being used instead of traditional plastics in some designs. Packaging is important, too, with a gargantuan quantity of cardboard used in the shipping and delivery of new laptops. Using recycled cardboard or cardboard alternatives can make a big difference. Closed-loop material manufacturing ensures that manufacturers reuse or recycle as much of their e-waste as possible. A more human-friendly aspect to the choice of build materials is how and where those materials are sourced. Many precious metals used in the construction of modern electronics are sourced from war-torn countries, which is why eco-friendly laptop manufacturers are part of organizations like the Responsible Business Alliance, which help ensure their supply chains are regulated for environmental and human rights protections. Factor #2: Energy efficiency Dell and other manufacturers use labels such as Energy Star, 80 Plus, and EPEAT to highlight laptop efficiency. Dell and other manufacturers use labels such as Energy Star, 80 Plus, and EPEAT to highlight laptop efficiency.Dell Dell and other manufacturers use labels such as Energy Star, 80 Plus, and EPEAT to highlight laptop efficiency.Dell Dell Energy efficiency is an important component in how eco-friendly any device is, but it’s especially true for laptops, which are one of the more powerful portable devices we use regularly. High-powered gaming laptops with top-tier GPUs often blow through their (large) batteries very quickly, drawing tens or even a hundred-plus watts during intense gaming sessions. By contrast, compact and efficient Chromebooks and other high-efficiency ultrabooks sip power throughout the day, with their much-more-modest batteries lasting for upwards of 20 hours sometimes. Although leaner, lower-power laptops are typically more energy-efficient, you can still find impressive efficiency in powerful laptops. Apple’s M-series MacBooks show incredible efficiency and super-long battery life without compromising on power and performance. For more general advice on eco-friendly laptop buying, look for models that have an Energy Star rating. That means they’ve been independently certified to use between 25 to 40 percent less power than conventional laptops thanks to efficient components and power management. You can use the Energy Star search tool to find particularly efficient laptops and other electronics, if you want direct recommendations. Similarly, EPEAT certifications give grades to laptops based on how eco-friendly they are, and you can use the EPEAT Registry search tool to find all electronics that have an EPEAT rating. Look for manufacturers who have strong environmental policies, too. For example, Lenovo has taken significant steps to reduce its carbon footprint. If that’s important to you, make sure to research how each laptop brand handles its environmental impact before buying. Factor #3: Repairability Framework laptops are designed to be as modular and repairable as possible. Framework laptops are designed to be as modular and repairable as possible.Framework Framework laptops are designed to be as modular and repairable as possible.Framework Framework One of the most exciting eco-friendly trends in recent years has been the push for greater repairability and upgradeability in electronics, whether it’s RAM, storage, or even batteries. And then you have laptop manufacturers that take it a step further, like Framework laptops that have incredibly modular designs that even allow you to replace the CPU and GPU. Some components aren’t so easily replaceable, including displays and CPU/GPU coolers, but certain laptop manufacturers are doing what they can to make repairs and replacements easier. This kind of user-centric upgradeability and repairability is at the heart of many modern laptop designs, and it’s often done by holding the system together using screws and removable fasteners. Eco-unfriendly laptops tend to use resin and glue instead, which make laptops harder to take apart and near impossible to put back together. iFixit is a great resource that tears down and grades electronics—including but not limited to laptops—by their repairability and how easy it would be for someone to fix or upgrade different parts. Repairability is an important eco-friendly factor because simple repairs can extend laptop lifespans by multiple years. Otherwise, a broken keyboard or battery could render an entire laptop useless even though the rest of it is perfectly fine. Factor #4: How you use it You probably can’t turn a high-powered laptop into an ultra-lean efficient machine, but you can be more efficient with how you use it. From utilizing more efficient power plans to turning down the screen brightness to closing down applications and browser tabs you aren’t using, there are many behavioral changes you can adopt to improve your laptop’s efficiency, lifespan, and power consumption. If you’re a gamer, you can try playing at a lower resolution or turning down graphical detail settings to reduce how hard your laptop has to work. Upscaling algorithms like Nvidia’s DLSS, AMD’s FSR, and Intel’s XeSS can all boost frame rates without additional power draw. More on this: DLSS vs. FSR vs. XeSS: Upscaling, explained Frame generation is another AI-powered feature that goes a step further, boosting FPS by creating additional frames in between frames. (Sadly, as of this writing, the list of compatible games is relatively short.) You can also try to avoid using your laptop when it’s particularly hot or cold, as that can degrade components—especially the battery—more quickly and lead to reduced lifespan. Factor #5: The afterlife The final stage in any laptop’s life is when it gets sent to silicon heaven. While traditionally we end up dumping old laptops in landfills or handing them off to unsuspecting relatives who don’t know better, you have more eco-friendly options these days. Donating your laptop to an organization like Computers With Causes or Computer Aid is a great way to pass along an unwanted device that still has some life left in it. Alternatively, if you’re looking to upgrade, you should look into trade-in schemes by Dell, Apple, Samsung, and other laptop manufacturers, which can get you money off your next purchase. If your laptop is truly dead and would be of no use to anyone, make sure you don’t trash it. Not only is it illegal in many states, but there’s a lot of useful metal and other components that can be recycled. Some laptop manufacturers have their own recycling programs, so check those out if you don’t mind the shipping process. Alternatively, stores like Best Buy have in-house recycling for laptops and other electronics. They’ll ensure that your laptop is stripped for parts, with useful metals and materials extracted before the rest is trashed. Whichever disposal method you use for your laptop, make sure you completely wipe it first. Securely zero-fill erase the SSD (or drill a hole if it’s an HDD) to make doubly sure that your personal data and information can’t be reclaimed or recovered.

18 tweaks that give Windows 11 a personalized feel
More and more users are switching from previous versions to Windows 11. While upgrading is optional, if you buy a new computer, Windows 11 is increasingly becoming a given. As with previous versions, there are plenty of ways to customize the system to your preferences. Here are the tips to help you. APPEARANCE New colors Foundry Foundry Foundry If you don’t like the look of Windows 11, you can easily change the colors and shades: HOW? Open the Settings and select Personalization > Colors. Several options are available here: Select mode. Switch between Light, Dark, or Custom. The latter allows you to make different choices for Windows and individual apps. Transparency effects. Let the windows have a certain transparency. Accent colour. Choose the color scheme for Windows. Manual allows you to choose a color yourself while Automatic leaves the choice to the system. Give your computer a theme Foundry Foundry Foundry To make the look more consistent, you can choose a Theme, which is a combination of colors and backgrounds. HOW? Open Settings > Personalization > Themes. You can select a number of default options under Current theme and if you want something else, go to Get more themes from the Microsoft Store. BATTERY Check your battery Foundry Foundry Foundry If you’re wondering why your battery life is poor, Windows 11 has a built-in battery meter. HOW? Open Settings > System, Power & battery. You can see the battery level hour by hour at the top and with View detailed information you can change the time period and check which apps are consuming battery. Here you can also tap on Energy recommendations to get tips on what you can do. Tap on Apply to the ones that suit you or tap Apply all. Switch off your screen Foundry Foundry Foundry To save energy, you can set your computer to automatically switch to power saving mode. HOW? Open the Power & battery as above and select Screen and sleep. Decide after how long the screen should be switched off and in what way. Choose the right power mode get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro The more performance you use, the shorter the battery life. You choose the balance yourself. HOW? Open the Power & battery as above and go to Power mode. With the slider on the right, select Best power efficiency, Best performance, or the intermediate mode Balanced. Use the battery saver function Foundry Foundry Foundry Windows 11 has a smart battery saving feature that limits demanding activities. HOW? Open the Power & battery as above and press the down arrow at Battery saver feature. You can activate the function immediately — or when the battery is below a certain percentage. You can also dim the screen brightness when the battery saver is on. There is also a quick shortcut under Quick settings, the menu next to the clock. It is called Battery saving function. STORAGE Clear unnecessary files Foundry Foundry Foundry Many laptops have a small hard drive and Windows 11 can help you save space. HOW? Open Settings > System > Storage. At the top, you’ll see what’s taking up the most space, and clicking on a category will give you more details. In some cases, it will help you clear many files in one go. Use Storage Sense Foundry Foundry Foundry One helpful feature is called Storage Sense. It deletes files that Microsoft deems safe to remove. HOW? Open the Storage (as above) and scroll down to Storage Sense. Here you can switch the function on or off with the slider. By pressing the arrow on the right, you decide how the tool should work. You can select Automatic user content cleanup or start the function manually with Run Storage Sense. Get help to clean up If you’re not sure how to clean your computer, you can get tips from Windows. HOW? Open the Storage (as above) and go to Cleanup recommendations. Here you can see what you can delete without risk. APPARATUS Remove the autostart Many programs want to start automatically with Windows, which can slow down your computer. Make sure to remove the autostart for programs that don’t need it. HOW? Go to the Settings > Apps > Startup. Here you can see how much influence an application has on the start time and you can switch the autostart on or off with the slider on the right. Archive apps Foundry Foundry Foundry To save space and data, you can let Windows 11 archive apps that you rarely use. They will remain on your computer but will be paused and therefore take up minimal storage and bandwidth. HOW? Tap on Settings > Apps > Advanced app settings. Switch the function on or off Archived apps. SOUND Better volume control The volume control in Windows has become more advanced in recent updates. HOW? Click on the volume control icon at the bottom left to adjust the volume. Use the settings icon on the right to switch between audio devices (e.g. speakers/headphones) and adjust them individually. You can also access the menu with Windows+Ctrl+V. Improve the sound Foundry Foundry Foundry If you’re not happy with the sound, Windows 11 can make it better. HOW? Open the Settings > System > Sound. Tap your speaker under Output and go to Audio enhancement. Switch the feature on — or switch it off if you are not satisfied. Write with your voice If you don’t want to type with your keyboard, you can now actually use your voice. HOW? Open a text writing program and press Windows+H. Now a window will open and pressing the microphone will activate the voice input mode. Another press ends it. The cogwheel opens a settings menu where you can choose, among other things, whether to insert full stops and commas automatically. SYSTEM Protecting your computer’s memory The Memory Integrity feature provides extra security for your computer, but can lead to reduced performance. You choose whether to use it. HOW? Open the Settings > Privacy & security > Windows security and select Device security. Under Information about Core Isolation you can see if this is something you can enable or not. Note that it is not possible on all computers. Trimming Windows for gaming When playing games, you don’t want to be interrupted by system updates and restarts, and Windows 11’s gaming mode can prevent this. HOW? Open Settings > Gaming > Game mode. Use the slider to switch the game mode on or off. Check for errors Foundry Foundry Foundry When your computer is acting up, you can use the Troubleshooter. It’s a wizard that analyzes your computer, asks questions — and finds solutions. HOW? Open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooter. A list of possible problems is displayed and to start a troubleshooter, press Run. Perform a reset Foundry Foundry Foundry If all else fails, you can restore your computer to how it was when it was new — but before you do, it’s important to make sure you have backups of everything important. HOW? Open the Settings and tap on System > Recovery. Here you can first try Fixing problems without resetting your computer and Fixing problems using Windows Update. If none of this works, you can select Reset this PC to launch a wizard that lets you choose which type of restore to perform.