Tuesday, 17 October 2017
Windows 10 Fall Creators Update: the 10 best new features
Microsoft has been testing its latest Windows 10 Fall Creators Update over the past six months, and it's now ready to roll out to existing machines today. While Microsoft’s “Creators Update” naming extends to this latest Windows 10 update, a lot of the features are new additions that will be used by all Windows users. Microsoft is officially launching its Windows Mixed Reality (VR) headsets with the Fall Creators Update, and it’s finally bringing its contact integration to the Windows 10 task bar.
Most of the improvements in the Fall Creators Update are minor, and some have even been delayed until a future update. Microsoft is also starting to tweak the overall look and feel of Windows 10 with its new Fluent Design in the Fall Creators Update. You’ll see some of those subtle changes and animations if you update your PC today, and more will be coming next year. I’ve been testing Windows 10’s Fall Creators Update for the past six months, and these are my favorite new features coming to Windows.
ONEDRIVE FILES ON-DEMAND
Microsoft is bringing back placeholder files for OneDrive with the Fall Creators Update. A new on-demand feature lets OneDrive pick out data from the cloud when it’s needed, without having to sync full files and folders to a device. OneDrive Files On-Demand will only download files when you need them, and File Explorer will show what files are available locally, or if they'll need to be downloaded from the cloud. Apps can even sync files from OneDrive, and you’ll get a notification showing their download progress.
It’s a great improvement over the old method of having to sync entire folders for offline usage, and any files you open will now be automatically synced offline until you run out of disk space.
PEOPLE INTEGRATION
My People is Microsoft’s method of making the static Windows 10 task bar a little more personal. You can now pin friends, co-workers, or family members to the task bar, for quick access to contact details. You can even use Skype to call or message a contact from the task bar, and emoji and messages will pop up during conversations. The most useful part of this people integration is the ability to drag and drop things like pictures directly onto a contact and share them easily.
WINDOWS MIXED REALITY
Microsoft’s answer to virtual reality, Windows Mixed Reality, is now available with the Fall Creators Update. To use Mixed Reality you’ll need to purchase a separate headset from PC makers like Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, or Samsung. The setup process just involves launching the Mixed Reality Portal app, and most modern PCs will be capable of running basic apps in Mixed Reality. You’ll need a more powerful machine to access some of the more demanding games and experiences.
Microsoft has created a Cliff House home area where you can pin apps, games, and even holograms. It’s the main portal for launching everything you’ll need in VR, and you can also watch movies and TV shows from there. Right now there aren't too many games, but SteamVR support will be available in beta by the end of the year.
FLUENT DESIGN CHANGES
Microsoft is ushering in a new design language with Windows 10, dubbed Fluent Design. The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update introduces some parts of Fluent Design, with subtle effects and animations. Microsoft’s Fluent Design System is designed to be the true successor to Microsoft's Metro design, and will appear across apps and services on Windows, iOS, and Android. Microsoft is focusing on light, depth, motion, material, and scale for its Fluent Design, with animations that make the design feel like it's moving during interactions in Windows.
Most of the new changes include subtle additions like blur effects, which is a type of design we saw back with Windows Vista. The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update also makes it easier to resize apps and windows, thanks to the design changes, and transparency in the Start menu now uses a subtle new acrylic design.
MICROSOFT EDGE IMPROVEMENTS
Microsoft’s Edge browser is getting a lot of improvements in the Fall Creators Update. The software maker is bringing back pinned sites on the task bar, allowing you to pin your favorite site (The Verge) to the task bar for quick access. There’s also a new full-screen mode (F11) that lets you use most of your monitor to fully display a website fully. PDFs and EPUB ebooks are also getting some nice additions: you can now annotate ebooks, and even use ink with a stylus on them; PDFs are getting annotation support and improved viewing and navigation.
PEN AND TOUCH IMPROVEMENTS
If you’re a Microsoft Surface owner, then the Fall Creators Update will improve the touch and inking features. Microsoft has added a new touch keyboard with text prediction, and quicker access to emoji. There’s even a one-handed touch keyboard and shape writing so you can swipe over keys to type (just like Windows Phone). Microsoft has also added a dictation button so you can speak to type, or even use voice commands to navigate around Windows 10.
NEW EMOJI AND A USEFUL SHORTCUT
Everyone loves emoji and Microsoft is making sure it got the latest Unicode updates in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. New additions include dinosaurs, genies, fairies, and even zombies in time for Halloween. They’re all available in a really neat new emoji panel. You can summon the emoji panel by using Win + period or semicolon as a keyboard shortcut. The panel also supports searching for emoji, so it’s the perfect way to quickly send that ideal response during a conversation.
CORTANA IMPROVEMENTS
Cortana will now display call notifications if you’re using an Android phone. The digital assistant will sync notifications if you have Cortana installed on an Android device, and it gives you the ability to text a person if you’re busy on your PC, or decline the call. Microsoft has also moved Cortana’s settings into the main settings part of Windows 10. Cortana can now even lock, sign out, shut down, or restart your PC with voice commands.
HEADPHONE AND SOUND IMPROVEMENTS
If you use headphones a lot with your Windows 10 PC, then they’ll be a lot easier to manage with the Fall Creators Update. You can now right-click on the sound icon in the notification area and enable Windows Sonic, a spatial sound feature that supports surround sound and Dolby Atmos. The new volume mixer also supports the ability to control individual app volume for Universal Windows Apps, which is useful if you want to play music from Groove Music or Microsoft Edge in the background at slightly lower than the system volume for gaming.
TASK MANAGER GPU TRACKING AND DPI IMPROVEMENTS
If you’re a PC gamer, then Microsoft is adding a nice addition for tracking GPU performance. Task Manager now has a new GPU option in the performance tab that shows GPU utilization and memory usage. Processes are also now grouped in the main Task Manager interface, making it easier to control them.
Microsoft is also addressing the issue of blurry apps when you use a monitor with a laptop, or a second screen. If you have a high DPI display like a 4K monitor, you’ll no longer have to log out to fix blurry desktop apps. It’s a good improvement that will fix most desktop apps and the majority of DPI complaints, but you might find some older apps will still run blurry at times.
Monday, 16 October 2017
Why Your Android Smartphone or Tablet is Running Slow
Yes, we've become spoiled. We carry around devices that grant access to most of the world's knowledge, that provide entertainment and a surprising amount of computing power, and yet if that device doesn't pop right up with answers, we become quite frustrated. But sometimes it is good to be spoiled, which is why we're going to go over some reasons why your Android smartphone or tablet may be running slow and provide some solutions to make it run much faster.
The Quick Solution: Close Out of Apps
Mobile operating systems like Android and Apple's iOS do a good job of managing resources, but having a lot of apps open can still cause some slow downs. The first thing to try is simple closing out of the apps you are no longer using. You can close apps by tapping the task button, which is usually a square button either at the bottom of the display or just below the screen. This will bring up all of the most recent apps in a cascading style down the screen. Simply swipe up or down to move through the list and tap the X button in the upper right corner of each window to close the app.
Reboot the Device
If closing down apps doesn't cure the problem, a quick reboot should do the trick. It's a common mistake to think suspending the device by pressing the button on the side is actually powering off your Android smartphone or tablet. You will actually need to press this button for several seconds until a menu pops up offering you the choice to "Power off", or on some devices, "Restart".
After Android powers down, wait a few seconds and then press the button again to power it back on again. This is basically a cleaning process that will refresh the memory and reload the operating system, which should cure most problems.
Check Your Internet Speed
If your Android tablet or smartphone is still running slow after rebooting it, you might need to upgrade it, especially if it is several years old.
But before we go down that route, there are a number of different options we can try to clear up the problem. And the first option might come from an unlikely source: the Internet.
We do a lot of Internet-related tasks on our tablets and smartphones. We browse the web, check Email, find out what everyone is up to on Facebook, etc. And if our connection to the web is slow, our device will seem slow.
You can download the Ookla Speedtest app from the Google Play store to check the speed of your connection. The first thing to look at is your Ping time. This measure how long it takes to send a piece of information to the server and back and can be just as important as bandwidth. Anything under 100 milliseconds (ms) should be fine, with under 50ms being preferable. If you are over 200ms, you will experience noticeable delays.
Your download speed (bandwidth) should be at least 5 megabytes-per-second (Mbps) to stream video, and at least 8 Mbps is preferable to ensure a smooth experience. Many providers now offer anywhere from 20 Mbps to 80 or more. If you are under 5 Mbps, you will definitely want to check with your provider about upgrading.
The distance to your router can also cause issues. If your Internet is running slow, try moving closer to the router and checking the speed.
If you are getting slow speeds but believe it should be faster, you can try rebooting the router. Much like your tablet or smartphone, a reboot can allow the router to have a fresh start, which can help it run faster.
Disable Widgets
We've closed out of apps, rebooted and check the Internet connection. It's now time to take a look at widgets, those helpful mini-apps that can sometimes eat up too many resources. A few widgets like a clock or Chrome bookmarks can be great additions to your home screen, but remember, every widget is running in real time when you are using your device.
If you've installed a number of widgets, try cutting back by disabling a few.
You can remove a widget by pressing your finger down on the widget and holding it down until it move with your finger. A "Remove" section should appear on the home screen. Simply drag the widget to the remove section and drop it. If no remove section appears, try dragging the widget off the screen and dropping it, a process that works with some older devices.
Update to the Latest and Greatest Version of Android
Newer versions of the Android operating system can help out by providing fixes to security holes and correct issues with how resources like memory and storage space are optimized. If you've rebooted your device and checked your Internet speed with no luck, you should make sure you are running the latest and greatest version of the operating system.
l First, launch the Settings app from the app page.
l Scroll all the way to the bottom of the Settings and tap on "About smartphone" or "About tablet".
l Tap "System Upgrade", which should be at the top of the screen. Your device will display whether or not you are on the latest version of Android and provide you with an upgrade button if needed.
Unfortunately, this can be an iterative process. Once you upgrade to a newer version of the operating system, you will want to go through those steps again to check if you have upgraded to the latest. You may need to step through several upgrades to get your operating system up to date. And while you wait for those updates to install, you can read up on some useful shortcuts for Android.
Remove Bloatware
Bloatware has become a major issue with Android, with different manufacturers adding sometimes up to a dozen or more apps to the standard ones that come with Android. If you have a Samsung smartphone or tablet, you may have a number of duplicate apps such as Samsung digital stores in addition to Google Play stores. And not all of these apps are harmless. Some may launch automatically when you boot up your device, using up memory and taking up CPU cycles.
Unfortunately, you probably won't be able to outright uninstall these apps. But you can disable them. You can do this by launching the Settings app, tapping Apps and then tapping the app you want to disable. If it is an app you downloaded from the Google Play store, the button at the top will read "Uninstall" rather than "Disable". If you are consistently having performance issues, it is a good idea to disable any apps that came with the device that you never use.
Disable Live Wallpaper
If you have a 'live' or animated wallpaper, it's a good idea to switch to a static background if you are having performance issues. You can choose your wallpaper by opening the Settings app, choose Display and then tapping on Wallpaper. It's better to use one of the default "Wallpapers" or a photo rather than choosing something from "Live Wallpapers".
Clear the App Cache
Apps sometimes download graphics and other bits of data from the Internet to store on your device to increase speed, but sometimes, this 'cache' of data can actually hurt performance. The data cache can contain temporary files that are no longer used, or worse, corrupted files that can cause disruptive issues. If you are having issues with your smartphone or tablet, it can be a good idea to clear the cache. The unfortunate side effect is that you may be asked to log into apps again, and the first time you boot into the app, it may take a bit longer to load. But clearing out the cache can result in an overall improvement to performance.
l First, launch the Settings App.
l Scroll down and Choose Storage.
l You should see "Cached data" or "App cache" in the list.
l After you tap on "Cached data", you will be prompted to clear the data for all apps. Choose OK.
Should You Worry About Freeing Up Storage Space?
Clearing up storage space is a common bit of advice for improving performance, but in reality, this will only improve performance if you are running very low on free space for your internal storage. You can check how much free space you have by opening the Settings app and tapping on Storage. If you have under 1 GB, you may want to delete apps you no longer to use to give the Android operating system a little more breathing room. Otherwise, this isn't something you need to worry about.
The Quick Solution: Close Out of Apps
Mobile operating systems like Android and Apple's iOS do a good job of managing resources, but having a lot of apps open can still cause some slow downs. The first thing to try is simple closing out of the apps you are no longer using. You can close apps by tapping the task button, which is usually a square button either at the bottom of the display or just below the screen. This will bring up all of the most recent apps in a cascading style down the screen. Simply swipe up or down to move through the list and tap the X button in the upper right corner of each window to close the app.
Reboot the Device
If closing down apps doesn't cure the problem, a quick reboot should do the trick. It's a common mistake to think suspending the device by pressing the button on the side is actually powering off your Android smartphone or tablet. You will actually need to press this button for several seconds until a menu pops up offering you the choice to "Power off", or on some devices, "Restart".
After Android powers down, wait a few seconds and then press the button again to power it back on again. This is basically a cleaning process that will refresh the memory and reload the operating system, which should cure most problems.
Check Your Internet Speed
If your Android tablet or smartphone is still running slow after rebooting it, you might need to upgrade it, especially if it is several years old.
But before we go down that route, there are a number of different options we can try to clear up the problem. And the first option might come from an unlikely source: the Internet.
We do a lot of Internet-related tasks on our tablets and smartphones. We browse the web, check Email, find out what everyone is up to on Facebook, etc. And if our connection to the web is slow, our device will seem slow.
You can download the Ookla Speedtest app from the Google Play store to check the speed of your connection. The first thing to look at is your Ping time. This measure how long it takes to send a piece of information to the server and back and can be just as important as bandwidth. Anything under 100 milliseconds (ms) should be fine, with under 50ms being preferable. If you are over 200ms, you will experience noticeable delays.
Your download speed (bandwidth) should be at least 5 megabytes-per-second (Mbps) to stream video, and at least 8 Mbps is preferable to ensure a smooth experience. Many providers now offer anywhere from 20 Mbps to 80 or more. If you are under 5 Mbps, you will definitely want to check with your provider about upgrading.
The distance to your router can also cause issues. If your Internet is running slow, try moving closer to the router and checking the speed.
If you are getting slow speeds but believe it should be faster, you can try rebooting the router. Much like your tablet or smartphone, a reboot can allow the router to have a fresh start, which can help it run faster.
Disable Widgets
We've closed out of apps, rebooted and check the Internet connection. It's now time to take a look at widgets, those helpful mini-apps that can sometimes eat up too many resources. A few widgets like a clock or Chrome bookmarks can be great additions to your home screen, but remember, every widget is running in real time when you are using your device.
If you've installed a number of widgets, try cutting back by disabling a few.
You can remove a widget by pressing your finger down on the widget and holding it down until it move with your finger. A "Remove" section should appear on the home screen. Simply drag the widget to the remove section and drop it. If no remove section appears, try dragging the widget off the screen and dropping it, a process that works with some older devices.
Update to the Latest and Greatest Version of Android
Newer versions of the Android operating system can help out by providing fixes to security holes and correct issues with how resources like memory and storage space are optimized. If you've rebooted your device and checked your Internet speed with no luck, you should make sure you are running the latest and greatest version of the operating system.
l First, launch the Settings app from the app page.
l Scroll all the way to the bottom of the Settings and tap on "About smartphone" or "About tablet".
l Tap "System Upgrade", which should be at the top of the screen. Your device will display whether or not you are on the latest version of Android and provide you with an upgrade button if needed.
Unfortunately, this can be an iterative process. Once you upgrade to a newer version of the operating system, you will want to go through those steps again to check if you have upgraded to the latest. You may need to step through several upgrades to get your operating system up to date. And while you wait for those updates to install, you can read up on some useful shortcuts for Android.
Remove Bloatware
Bloatware has become a major issue with Android, with different manufacturers adding sometimes up to a dozen or more apps to the standard ones that come with Android. If you have a Samsung smartphone or tablet, you may have a number of duplicate apps such as Samsung digital stores in addition to Google Play stores. And not all of these apps are harmless. Some may launch automatically when you boot up your device, using up memory and taking up CPU cycles.
Unfortunately, you probably won't be able to outright uninstall these apps. But you can disable them. You can do this by launching the Settings app, tapping Apps and then tapping the app you want to disable. If it is an app you downloaded from the Google Play store, the button at the top will read "Uninstall" rather than "Disable". If you are consistently having performance issues, it is a good idea to disable any apps that came with the device that you never use.
Disable Live Wallpaper
If you have a 'live' or animated wallpaper, it's a good idea to switch to a static background if you are having performance issues. You can choose your wallpaper by opening the Settings app, choose Display and then tapping on Wallpaper. It's better to use one of the default "Wallpapers" or a photo rather than choosing something from "Live Wallpapers".
Clear the App Cache
Apps sometimes download graphics and other bits of data from the Internet to store on your device to increase speed, but sometimes, this 'cache' of data can actually hurt performance. The data cache can contain temporary files that are no longer used, or worse, corrupted files that can cause disruptive issues. If you are having issues with your smartphone or tablet, it can be a good idea to clear the cache. The unfortunate side effect is that you may be asked to log into apps again, and the first time you boot into the app, it may take a bit longer to load. But clearing out the cache can result in an overall improvement to performance.
l First, launch the Settings App.
l Scroll down and Choose Storage.
l You should see "Cached data" or "App cache" in the list.
l After you tap on "Cached data", you will be prompted to clear the data for all apps. Choose OK.
Should You Worry About Freeing Up Storage Space?
Clearing up storage space is a common bit of advice for improving performance, but in reality, this will only improve performance if you are running very low on free space for your internal storage. You can check how much free space you have by opening the Settings app and tapping on Storage. If you have under 1 GB, you may want to delete apps you no longer to use to give the Android operating system a little more breathing room. Otherwise, this isn't something you need to worry about.
Why You Should Try to Fix Your Computer Problem Yourself
Fixing Your Own PC Will Save You Money
Saving money is probably an obvious advantage of fixing your own computer.
Getting your computer serviced at a local shop will usually run you from $40 to $90 USD per hour or more. Some are less expensive but that's not the norm.
Remote computer support options are typically cheaper but they can only help fix some software related problems and are useless in cases where hardware is to blame.
If you fix your computer problem yourself, you can completely avoid what might end up being a several hundred dollar bill.
No matter what your financial situation, free is a pretty good deal. That's a lot of money you can save by investing some time in trying to fix it yourself.
You Don't Need Expensive Tools to Fix Your Own Computer
Many people think that they have to buy lots of expensive diagnostic hardware and software to fix a computer.
This is absolutely not the case. Expensive tools do exist but they're usually used to help computer repair services test or solve things quickly or in bulk.
Chances are you already have 95% of the physical tools you would ever need to fix any computer problem in your toolbox or garage.
Computer repair services also use many software diagnostic tools to determine what might be wrong with a computer but most of the very best ones they use are available for free online!
Also, while there are a number of reasons why owning a second computer, or at least having temporary access to one, could help a lot when you need to fix yours, it's not always necessary.
Your "smaller" computer - aka your smartphone or tablet - is often a huge help, at very least as a research tool.
You'll Probably Be Back Up and Running Faster
You might be thinking to yourself at this point that surely it'll take days or weeks to learn enough to repair your own computer and that it won't be worth the trouble. You need your computer working right now, right?
First of all, unless you're lucky, after you drop your computer off at the repair shop you'll likely be waiting at least an entire day, usually longer, before you'll be able to pick it back up.
You are your only client when you've become the repair person yourself so my guess is that you can get on it a bit more quickly.
Secondly, you might be surprised to know that most common problems are solved by relatively simple steps. The more time you spend looking for solutions to computer problems online the more you'll see that this is true.
Finally, and I really want to stress this one, you don't need to learn to solve every computer problem to solve this computer problem. A knowledgeable computer repair person has a lot of experience and education and can solve a multitude of problems with ease.
You don't need to reach this level of knowledge about repairing computers.
You need to solve your single problem as quickly as possible. Well written, easy to follow troubleshooting information online will get you that.
You Know More Than You Think
If you're having trouble using the mouse, keyboard, or screw driver then you might have a problem repairing your computer. Otherwise, you're only a step-by-step troubleshooting guide away from solving pretty much any computer problem you might see.
If you can think logically, follow instructions in order, and ask questions when you're not sure about something or don't understand, then you should feel confident enough to try to fix your own computer problems before you even think about paying someone else to.
Saving money is probably an obvious advantage of fixing your own computer.
Getting your computer serviced at a local shop will usually run you from $40 to $90 USD per hour or more. Some are less expensive but that's not the norm.
Remote computer support options are typically cheaper but they can only help fix some software related problems and are useless in cases where hardware is to blame.
If you fix your computer problem yourself, you can completely avoid what might end up being a several hundred dollar bill.
No matter what your financial situation, free is a pretty good deal. That's a lot of money you can save by investing some time in trying to fix it yourself.
You Don't Need Expensive Tools to Fix Your Own Computer
Many people think that they have to buy lots of expensive diagnostic hardware and software to fix a computer.
This is absolutely not the case. Expensive tools do exist but they're usually used to help computer repair services test or solve things quickly or in bulk.
Chances are you already have 95% of the physical tools you would ever need to fix any computer problem in your toolbox or garage.
Computer repair services also use many software diagnostic tools to determine what might be wrong with a computer but most of the very best ones they use are available for free online!
Also, while there are a number of reasons why owning a second computer, or at least having temporary access to one, could help a lot when you need to fix yours, it's not always necessary.
Your "smaller" computer - aka your smartphone or tablet - is often a huge help, at very least as a research tool.
You'll Probably Be Back Up and Running Faster
You might be thinking to yourself at this point that surely it'll take days or weeks to learn enough to repair your own computer and that it won't be worth the trouble. You need your computer working right now, right?
First of all, unless you're lucky, after you drop your computer off at the repair shop you'll likely be waiting at least an entire day, usually longer, before you'll be able to pick it back up.
You are your only client when you've become the repair person yourself so my guess is that you can get on it a bit more quickly.
Secondly, you might be surprised to know that most common problems are solved by relatively simple steps. The more time you spend looking for solutions to computer problems online the more you'll see that this is true.
Finally, and I really want to stress this one, you don't need to learn to solve every computer problem to solve this computer problem. A knowledgeable computer repair person has a lot of experience and education and can solve a multitude of problems with ease.
You don't need to reach this level of knowledge about repairing computers.
You need to solve your single problem as quickly as possible. Well written, easy to follow troubleshooting information online will get you that.
You Know More Than You Think
If you're having trouble using the mouse, keyboard, or screw driver then you might have a problem repairing your computer. Otherwise, you're only a step-by-step troubleshooting guide away from solving pretty much any computer problem you might see.
If you can think logically, follow instructions in order, and ask questions when you're not sure about something or don't understand, then you should feel confident enough to try to fix your own computer problems before you even think about paying someone else to.
How to Fix a Slow iPad
Is your iPad running slow? Does it seem to get bogged down after a few hours? While this is more common with older iPads that don't have the processing power of the new iPad Air line and iPad Pro tablets, even the newest iPad can bog down. There are multiple reasons why an iPad may begin running slow, including an app having issues or simply a slow Internet connection. Luckily, this is often easy to fix.
First: Quit Out of Your Current App
One common reason for an iPad to start chugging along is an issue with the app itself rather than the iPad. If you experience an app that is running slower than normal, it may sound logical to click the home button to close the app and then relaunch it. However, clicking the home button doesn't actually close out of the app. It suspends the app, which basically keeps it frozen in the background.
Some apps even continue running in the background. These are commonly apps that stream music like Pandora, Spotify or the Music app that comes with the iPad.
If your problem is mainly with a single app, we'll want to quit out of it using the task screen. This will properly shut the app down and purge it from memory, allowing you to launch a 'fresh' version of it. Please note that you can lose unsaved work by quitting out of the app. If it is currently working at a task, it can be best to wait until the app finishes the task before proceeding.
While in the task screen, it is a good idea to close out of any apps that are playing music. It is unlikely they are causing a problem, and even if the app is streaming the music from the Internet, it shouldn't use up enough of your bandwidth to matter. However, closing out of the app won't hurt and will ensure the app isn't impacting anything.
To close the application, you need to bring up a list of all apps that are running in the background:
1. Double-click the home button at the bottom of your iPad.
When you press it twice in quick succession, your most recent apps are shown as cascading windows across the screen. You can navigate through this screen by swiping from left-to-right or right-to-left. The active window will have its corresponding app icon above it.
To close an individual app:
1. Hold your finger down on the active window.
2. Without lifting your finger from the screen, swipe toward the top of the display.
This gesture resembles "flicking" the app off the iPad. Remember: you touch the app window, not the app icon.
Reboot the iPad
Closing apps won't always do the trick. In this case, rebooting the iPad is the best recourse. This will flush everything from memory and give your iPad a clean start.
NOTE: Many people believe the iPad powers down when the Sleep/Wake button at the top of the iPad is pressed down or when the flap of their Smart Cover or Smart Case is close, but this only puts the iPad in suspend mode.
To reboot the iPad:
1. Hold down the Sleep/Wake button until instructions appear telling you to slide a button to power off the iPad.
2. When you slide the button, the tablet will shut down and the iPad's screen will go completely dark.
Wait several seconds and then boot the iPad back up by holding down the sleep/wake button again. You will first see the Apple logo on the screen and your iPad should boot up shortly. Your iPad should run more quickly but, if it starts bogging down, keep in mind the apps that are running at the time. Sometimes, a single app can cause the iPad to perform poorly.
Check Your Wi-Fi Connection
It might not be your iPad that is running slow. It might be your Wi-Fi network.
You can check the Internet speed of your Wi-Fi network by using an app like Ookla's Speedtest. This app will send data to a remote server and then send data back to the iPad, testing both upload and download speeds.
The average Wi-Fi network in the U.S. gets around 12 megabits-per-second (Mbps), although it is not uncommon to see speeds of 25+ Mbps. You probably won't see much of a slowdown with your connection unless it gets around 6 Mbps or less. That's around the amount of bandwidth it takes to stream movies and video.
If you are experiencing a problem with your Wi-Fi connection, try moving closer to your router. If the speed increases, you may need to look into boosting your Wi-Fi range. This is common in larger buildings, but even a small house can have issues.
Make Sure You Are Running the Current Version of iOS
iOS is the operating system running on the iPad. While a major update sometimes will actually slow the iPad down a little, it is always a good idea to run the latest operating system. Not only will this ensure that you have the most recent performance tweaks, it also ensures that you have the latest fixes for any security issues.
You can check the version of iOS you are running by going into your Settings app, tapping General settings and tapping Software Update. If you are new to the iPad or iOS, here's how to upgrade to the latest version of iOS.
Install an Ad Blocker
If you are primarily seeing a slow down while browsing the web in the Safari browser but your Internet speed isn't slow, it may be more a symptom of which pages you are browsing than the iPad itself.
The more advertisements on a web page, the longer it will take to load. And if any one of those ads stalls out, you may be left waiting for the web page to pop up.
One solution to this is to install an ad blocker. These widgets enhance the Safari browser by disallowing ads to load on the web page. They make both for easier reading and faster loading. Sites like this one make money from ads, so this is a balance you have to wrestle with.
Turn Off Background App Refresh
This one could actually save you some battery life as well as keep your iPad lean and mean. Background App Refresh allows apps to refresh their content even when you aren't using them. In this way, Facebook might reach out and retrieve posts to your wall or a news app may fetch the latest articles.
However, this uses a little bit of your processing speed and your Internet connection, so it could the iPad to run a little slower. This usually isn't the main cause, but if you often find the iPad running slow (and especially if the battery drains quickly), you should turn off Background App Refresh.
To turn off Background App Refresh:
1. Go to your iPad's settings.
2. Select General from the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Tap Background App Refresh.
4. Tap the on/off slider at the top of the screen.
If you're still experiencing slow speeds, there is one more thing you can do.
Clear Storage Space
If you are running desperately low on storage space, clearing up a little extra elbow room for the iPad can sometimes improve performance. This can be accomplished by deleting apps that you no longer use, especially games that you don't play anymore.
It's easy to see which apps are using the most space on your iPad:
1. Go to Settings.
2. Select General from the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Tap Storage & iCloud usage.
4. Tap Manage Storage (under the upper Storage section). This will show you which apps are using up the most storage.
You can also speed up Safari by deleting your cookies and web history, although this will cause you to log back into any websites that have saved your login information.
Sunday, 15 October 2017
How to Recalibrate a Dell Laptop Battery
One of the biggest challenges laptop owners have is extending the life of their laptop batteries. The batteries of Dell laptops are generally long-lasting, but battery life will also depend on how a person uses his computer. An effective way of improving the condition of laptop batteries is recalibration. This is a must especially when the duration of your battery life has gotten shorter after a few months or years of usage. It is recommended that you recalibrate the battery of your Dell laptop every two months to maintain its good performance.
Connect the power adapter to your laptop (with the battery attached) then plug the other end to the electrical outlet. Check to make sure that it is charging properly.
Charge the battery completely. Monitor the battery indicator, which is usually found that the bottom of your computer screen, to check if the battery is already fully charged.
Plug off the power adapter and use the laptop until the battery is completely drained. To drain the battery faster, run several programs at once and keep the contrast of your screen to its highest levels. Turn off all power-saving features as well.
Make sure that the battery is totally drained by waiting for your laptop to shut off or go into sleep mode automatically because of very low battery charge.
Plug the power adapter again and charge the battery again completely. Once this is done, restore the power-saving features and adjust the contract settings of your screen to normal.
Toshiba Laptop Battery Problems
Toshiba has come a long way when it comes to the battery life in their laptops, but that does not make them immune to the occasional hiccup. Poor charging practices can cause issues with battery life, and power-sucking settings can deplete a charged battery, especially an older one, at a surprising rate. For many Toshiba laptops, even temperature can affect whether and how your battery charges and discharges.
Charging New Batteries
If your laptop is brand new, you have an opportunity to maximize your battery's health from the get-go. CNET authors Asher Moses and Brian Nadel state that long-term battery vitality can be ensured if "when first using your notebook on battery power, [you] let the battery completely drain before you recharge it. Don't recharge when the battery is only half drained. Do that for at least the first two sessions." If you continue to do this every time you use your laptop battery, you will extend the length of time your laptop can run on battery power.
Power Settings
One of the main reasons battery life is so short on many laptops is because of the power settings. You can access the power settings on a Toshiba either by right-clicking the battery tray icon in the lower-right corner of your screen and click "Power Options", or by going to Control Panel > Power Options. Here, you can select the settings your computer will use when it is running on battery power, adjust when the display turns off, choose when the computer will go to sleep, and decide how bright your display is. The default "Power Saver" settings adjust the display brightness to about 40%, turn off the display after 3 minutes of inactivity and put the computer to sleep after 15 minutes. Think about which settings make the most sense for you, and adjust your computer accordingly to save power.
Temperature
Extreme temperatures can negatively affect your laptop's battery. According to Moses and Nadel, you should not expose your battery to extreme heat or cold. Heat causes batteries to lose their charge very quickly and cold batteries don't perform as well. In addition, some Toshiba laptop batteries can detect when they have heated up too much, and will not charge even when the AC power is plugged in. The computer will display "AC power plugged in; battery not charging," in this case. If this happens, you can charge the battery by shutting down your computer and letting the battery charge while the computer is off.
Age
Laptop batteries generally last for 2 to 3 years. If your battery is not holding a charge and it is older than 3 years, consider purchasing a new battery. Remember to fully deplete and fully charge the new battery the first few times you use it.
Still Not Charging
If you have considered all of these possible battery problems and find that they are not the reason for the problem, try taking the battery out and gently cleaning the contacts on the battery and in the laptop's battery compartment with a dry, lint-free cloth. If there is no improvement, you may need to look into updating the computer's BIOS or using the recovery CD that came with the laptop to clear any internal problems that may be affecting your battery.
Charging New Batteries
If your laptop is brand new, you have an opportunity to maximize your battery's health from the get-go. CNET authors Asher Moses and Brian Nadel state that long-term battery vitality can be ensured if "when first using your notebook on battery power, [you] let the battery completely drain before you recharge it. Don't recharge when the battery is only half drained. Do that for at least the first two sessions." If you continue to do this every time you use your laptop battery, you will extend the length of time your laptop can run on battery power.
Power Settings
One of the main reasons battery life is so short on many laptops is because of the power settings. You can access the power settings on a Toshiba either by right-clicking the battery tray icon in the lower-right corner of your screen and click "Power Options", or by going to Control Panel > Power Options. Here, you can select the settings your computer will use when it is running on battery power, adjust when the display turns off, choose when the computer will go to sleep, and decide how bright your display is. The default "Power Saver" settings adjust the display brightness to about 40%, turn off the display after 3 minutes of inactivity and put the computer to sleep after 15 minutes. Think about which settings make the most sense for you, and adjust your computer accordingly to save power.
Temperature
Extreme temperatures can negatively affect your laptop's battery. According to Moses and Nadel, you should not expose your battery to extreme heat or cold. Heat causes batteries to lose their charge very quickly and cold batteries don't perform as well. In addition, some Toshiba laptop batteries can detect when they have heated up too much, and will not charge even when the AC power is plugged in. The computer will display "AC power plugged in; battery not charging," in this case. If this happens, you can charge the battery by shutting down your computer and letting the battery charge while the computer is off.
Age
Laptop batteries generally last for 2 to 3 years. If your battery is not holding a charge and it is older than 3 years, consider purchasing a new battery. Remember to fully deplete and fully charge the new battery the first few times you use it.
Still Not Charging
If you have considered all of these possible battery problems and find that they are not the reason for the problem, try taking the battery out and gently cleaning the contacts on the battery and in the laptop's battery compartment with a dry, lint-free cloth. If there is no improvement, you may need to look into updating the computer's BIOS or using the recovery CD that came with the laptop to clear any internal problems that may be affecting your battery.
THE BEST CHROMEBOOK YOU CAN BUY RIGHT NOW
Buying a Chromebook has always been a little confusing. At first, we had to wrap our heads around the idea that this was a laptop that just ran a browser. Then, we had to figure out how much something like that should cost. Now, we have to think about whether the addition of Android apps — which are still in beta — could take these browser-only computers and turn them into something that can truly compete with Windows and Mac computers.
So let's simplify it: Yes, Chromebooks are still mostly "just" Chrome browsers. You can run Android apps on a select few, but it's not a great experience yet and it's anybody's guess as to when that will change. But the web-based apps available for Chrome itself are often remarkably powerful, and many can work offline. So when you buy a Chromebook, you can and should just focus on the things that make using Chrome OS itself a good experience: a fast processor, a good screen, long battery life, a nice keyboard, and a reasonable price.
That last one can be particularly hard to parse, because pricing can vary from $150 or so for devices meant for the education market all the way up to northwards of $1,000 for top-of-the-line models. But at the end of the day, you should avoid spending more than five or six hundred dollars on a Chromebook, if only because you can get Windows machines that are pretty darn good at those prices.
That advice may change if and when Google releases real improvements to the Android app system on Chrome OS. Rumors are pointing to a new, top-tier Chromebook Pixel getting released in October. Even though we expect that to cost more than what most people should spend on a Chromebook, we'll definitely update this article when we find out more information.
In the meanwhile, the best Chromebook you can buy right now is the one that does the best job showcasing what the Chrome browser and its apps can do, with a bit of support for Android apps as future proofing.
THE BEST CHROMEBOOK RIGHT NOW: ASUS CHROMEBOOK FLIP C302
The competition for the best Chromebook is a little tighter now than it used to be, thanks to excellent devices from a bunch of manufacturers like Asus, Lenovo, and Samsung. But the best of them hits all the features you should care about on a Chromebook without any major flaws.
It's the Asus Chromebook Flip C302, which in our review we called the new "standard." That's because it hits those basic notes: nice hardware, a good screen, a fast Intel processor, a backlit keyboard, and good battery life. It also has support for Android apps if you need them; they were just added to the "stable" version of Chrome OS for the C302 recently.
The only real downside to the C302 is its price, which often hovers around $500 on Amazon. But the problem with buying a much cheaper Chromebook is that you'll end up compromising on one (or several) things that will ultimately annoy you. The biggest one is performance. The C302 can handle a dozen or more tabs, while cheaper Chromebooks can bog down when you get more than eight and usually make you look at crappy screens while you wait.
The C302 is also relatively futureproof, not only because it supports Android apps but because it can also be flipped around into a tablet mode. That mode can be useful for watching video and means that as Google continues to improve Chrome OS for touch, the C302 will be able to take advantage.
If I'm honest, I prefer the hardware of Samsung’s Chromebook Pro, which is slightly better looking and comes with a stylus. However, the Chromebook Pro lacks a backlit keyboard, a mystifying omission. The C302 has a good, backlit keyboard but no stylus — which isn't a huge loss given the state of the software for styli on Chrome OS.
IF YOU NEED ANDROID APPS: SAMSUNG CHROMEBOOK PLUS
If Android apps are essential on your Chromebook, the best way to run them is with Samsung's Chromebook Plus. It's an excellently built machine that's thin and light. It uses a custom, ARM-based processor called the OP1. ARM processors are similar to what you have on your phone, so on Chromebooks they usually end up being slower and more frustrating that Intel processors.
On the Chromebook Plus, that's not totally true. While a proper Intel processor will give you better performance using the Chrome browser, the OP1 is surprisingly fast. It performs better than any comparable ARM-based Chromebook we've tried, even though it's not quite as fast as the C302.
Running an ARM processor means that most Android apps require less "translation" work to run well on Chrome OS. Games are less likely to stutter, and overall the experience is better. And though it lacks a backlit keyboard, it does come with a stylus. Even though the software for the stylus isn't great, it is convenient to have it when you need to quickly mark up a screenshot or document.
The Chromebook Plus is a little more expensive than we'd like, at $449 retail, but if you really need Android apps, it's your best bet.
So let's simplify it: Yes, Chromebooks are still mostly "just" Chrome browsers. You can run Android apps on a select few, but it's not a great experience yet and it's anybody's guess as to when that will change. But the web-based apps available for Chrome itself are often remarkably powerful, and many can work offline. So when you buy a Chromebook, you can and should just focus on the things that make using Chrome OS itself a good experience: a fast processor, a good screen, long battery life, a nice keyboard, and a reasonable price.
That last one can be particularly hard to parse, because pricing can vary from $150 or so for devices meant for the education market all the way up to northwards of $1,000 for top-of-the-line models. But at the end of the day, you should avoid spending more than five or six hundred dollars on a Chromebook, if only because you can get Windows machines that are pretty darn good at those prices.
That advice may change if and when Google releases real improvements to the Android app system on Chrome OS. Rumors are pointing to a new, top-tier Chromebook Pixel getting released in October. Even though we expect that to cost more than what most people should spend on a Chromebook, we'll definitely update this article when we find out more information.
In the meanwhile, the best Chromebook you can buy right now is the one that does the best job showcasing what the Chrome browser and its apps can do, with a bit of support for Android apps as future proofing.
THE BEST CHROMEBOOK RIGHT NOW: ASUS CHROMEBOOK FLIP C302
The competition for the best Chromebook is a little tighter now than it used to be, thanks to excellent devices from a bunch of manufacturers like Asus, Lenovo, and Samsung. But the best of them hits all the features you should care about on a Chromebook without any major flaws.
It's the Asus Chromebook Flip C302, which in our review we called the new "standard." That's because it hits those basic notes: nice hardware, a good screen, a fast Intel processor, a backlit keyboard, and good battery life. It also has support for Android apps if you need them; they were just added to the "stable" version of Chrome OS for the C302 recently.
The only real downside to the C302 is its price, which often hovers around $500 on Amazon. But the problem with buying a much cheaper Chromebook is that you'll end up compromising on one (or several) things that will ultimately annoy you. The biggest one is performance. The C302 can handle a dozen or more tabs, while cheaper Chromebooks can bog down when you get more than eight and usually make you look at crappy screens while you wait.
The C302 is also relatively futureproof, not only because it supports Android apps but because it can also be flipped around into a tablet mode. That mode can be useful for watching video and means that as Google continues to improve Chrome OS for touch, the C302 will be able to take advantage.
If I'm honest, I prefer the hardware of Samsung’s Chromebook Pro, which is slightly better looking and comes with a stylus. However, the Chromebook Pro lacks a backlit keyboard, a mystifying omission. The C302 has a good, backlit keyboard but no stylus — which isn't a huge loss given the state of the software for styli on Chrome OS.
IF YOU NEED ANDROID APPS: SAMSUNG CHROMEBOOK PLUS
If Android apps are essential on your Chromebook, the best way to run them is with Samsung's Chromebook Plus. It's an excellently built machine that's thin and light. It uses a custom, ARM-based processor called the OP1. ARM processors are similar to what you have on your phone, so on Chromebooks they usually end up being slower and more frustrating that Intel processors.
On the Chromebook Plus, that's not totally true. While a proper Intel processor will give you better performance using the Chrome browser, the OP1 is surprisingly fast. It performs better than any comparable ARM-based Chromebook we've tried, even though it's not quite as fast as the C302.
Running an ARM processor means that most Android apps require less "translation" work to run well on Chrome OS. Games are less likely to stutter, and overall the experience is better. And though it lacks a backlit keyboard, it does come with a stylus. Even though the software for the stylus isn't great, it is convenient to have it when you need to quickly mark up a screenshot or document.
The Chromebook Plus is a little more expensive than we'd like, at $449 retail, but if you really need Android apps, it's your best bet.
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