Here is how to upgrade to Windows 11 as it becomes officially available today.
The first thing you need to know and understand is that Microsoft is changing the minimum hardware requirements. This is largely due to the fact that Microsft wants to enable specific features within the operating system (OS). As well as keep pace with the latest computing needs and that of the future. So for you to also get the best and full user experience in Windows 11 you will need the latest hardware.
The new OS will need your device to be running Windows 10, version 2004 or later, to get the free upgrade. In terms of hardware specifications, the minimum RAM size is now 4GB and at least 64GB of storage space. Your device must have a processor with at least 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores. But Microsoft notes it must be running on either an Intel 8th generation, AMD Zen 2, Qualcomm 7 or 8 series processors or higher. It should also support TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) and be compatible with DirectX 12. Click here to find out more about the Windows 11 specs, features and hardware requirements.
Upgrade to Windows 11 steps
Microsoft is using rolling out the upgrade in phases and expects all eligible Windows 10 devices to get the upgrade by mid-2022. Following the Windows Update route is ideal and best for everyone. However, if you are an advanced user or want to get the upgrade now you can use the Installation Assistant method.
Windows Update
Open Windows Update in settings – (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update) and
Select Check for updates
If your device is eligible and the upgrade is ready, the option to download and install will appear. If you are ready to install Windows 11, select Download and install. If not you can choose to do this at a later date or schedule it.
Installation Assistant
Click to go to the Microsoft Windows 11 software download page.
Click on the Download Now option under the Windows 11 Installation Assistant
Select Run. (You need to be an administrator to run this tool.)
Once the tool confirms the device hardware is compatible, you will be presented with the license terms. Select Accept and Install.
Once the tool is ready, click the Restart Now button to complete the installation on your computer.
It might take some time to install Windows 11, and your PC will restart a few times. Make sure you don’t turn off your PC.
Alternatively, you can choose to perform a clean install of Windows 11 by creating a new Installation Media. Or Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) and create a bootable installation media or virtual machine. To do this, click to go to the Microsoft Windows 11 software download page and select download under the other options.
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Microsoft is offering Office 365 for free to anyone between the ages of 8 to 24 in South Africa. Through a Microsoft initiative called Mahala. The free offer allows you to use the full version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, and 5 TB of Onedrive storage on your PC, MAC, mobile phone or tablet.
Microsoft says it has simplified the signup process to remove blockers such as lack of an academic email address. And has extended the benefits to include the installed version of Office instead of limiting it to only web access. More than about 20,000 South Africans are on the Microsoft Mahala platform so far. The main signup requirement is to have a South Africa ID number to verify you qualify for the offer. You can find this ID number on a birth certificate or ID book.
“Providing access to programs such as Word, PowerPoint or Excel, which are common in the modern workplace, ensures that young people are equipped with basic digital literacy skills that are essential to get them employed or self-employed,”
Scroll down to register & complete all the fields.
When choosing a password, ensure it is between 8 – 16 characters and contains letters, numbers and symbols.
Read the Terms and Conditions, tick the box indicating you have, and that someone older than 18 has completed or assisted in registration.
For security reasons, tick the “I’m not a robot” reCAPTCHA.
Click “SIGN ME UP”
Step 3
You’ll receive your welcome email to your Personal Email Inbox, with your Mahala.ms username and password. Use these details to get your copy of Office and OneDrive.
The email contains links to the Mobile Apps for Android, iOS and Windows Phone. You can also download them directly from your phones App Store.
Windows and Mac users can log into http://portal.office.com and click “Install Office365 to get the Desktop & Laptop versions of Office and OneDrive.
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MacBook Air M1 and MacBook Pro integrate Apple Silicon M1 processors, which may improve their battery life significantly. If you are using older MacBook versions and facing battery problems, then practicing these hacks may help you improve your MacBook’s battery health.
A little tweak in settings can extend your MacBook’s battery life, saving you from spending additional on buying a new battery. But let’s first discuss how you can check your MacBook’s battery health.
In addition, as for a student, typing “do my thesis” will also help you not to worry about your paper while improving MacBook’s battery life and, without any doubts, be more free while studying.
MacBook’s Battery Life Health Check Tips
Checking your battery health frequently could result in keeping track of the overall usage and optimizing it accordingly. Moreover, a consistent performance check will let you know when you need to replace your battery.
To perform a battery health check, go to the menu bar, click the battery icon, and select Battery Preferences. Select the Battery tab available on the left side of the window and click Battery Health. A window pops up to display the current state and the maximum capacity.
Regardless of Mac or Windows, keeping a consistent check on energy usage is vital to keep things aligned. Check your WindowServer CPU usage to ensure that it consumes less energy and RAM than the available capacity. Alternatively, go to the Energy Pane in the Activity Monitor and examine the overall energy use.
View Battery Consumption Limit
You can even check the battery consumption levels from the last 24 hours to 10 days. To view battery consumption history, go to the Apple menu, then System Preferences, and then click Usage History.
Select a usage period such as the Last 24 Hours or Last 10 Days. Take a look at Battery Level, Energy Usage, and Screen On Usage for a detailed overview of your battery consumption history.
Update your Mac with Latest Software
Apple usually releases macOS versions with some battery-related updates to keep it glitch-free. You should always keep your macOS up to date to circumvent similar issues. To check for updates from Apple, go to System Preferences, click Software Update, and then check if any updates are available. If yes, install them to ensure the optimal health of your Mac.
Enable Battery Health Management
This feature is not designed to save your Mac battery, but it can improve the overall lifespan of your battery. Since laptops or MacBook batteries, similar to all other rechargeable batteries, become less effective with time, reducing its peak capacity can expand its lifespan.
To enable the Battery Health Management option, go to System Preferences, click Energy Saver, and then click the Battery health management checkbox.
Enable Automatic Graphic Switching
Several MacBook Pro devices come with integrated or discrete Graphical Processing Units (GPU). Macs usually switch between these GPUs based on the complexity of the task at hand. Your MacBook typically relies on an integrated GPU for handling not-so-heavy operations.
While playing a game, your MacBook shifts to the dedicated GPU to give you a smooth user experience. Enabling the Automatic Graphic Switching feature will enable your MacBook to deliver the best performance and better battery life.
Disable Login Items From Auto Run
If you are using Cloud applications like Slack, Dropbox, Spotify, or OneDrive, they will run automatically whenever you start your MacBook. Though this is not a problem, the actual problem lies in the battery or resources that these apps are consuming on startup.
You can disable these apps from auto running through System Preferences. Go to Users & Groups, click Login Option, and then click the Login Items tab. Select the apps that you do not want to auto-run during login and press the – (minus) sign available in the lower section of the Users & Groups window.
Quit Unnecessary Applications or Programs
If you are using your MacBook for a long time, you must have accumulated unnecessary data. It’s common to save tons of data that we do not require ever. So dig into all your folders and remove the data that you do not need.
Moreover, while closing any app, when you hit the X mark, it does not close the application properly, leaving it active in the backend. To quit a running app in Mac, click Command + Q keys altogether.
Reduce Screen Motion on Mac to save battery life
Regardless of Mac or Windows operating system, controlling the visual effects will save your battery life and keep your system running for longer without charging. Keeping the visuals minimal will boost your battery performance to a great extent.
For example, you can reduce or control the movement of several elements to control battery consumption. Reducing screen movement on Mac will control the visuals while you open an app, switch from one app to another, or open/close Notification Center. Choose the Apple menu and go to System Preferences. Next, click Accessibility, select Display and then click Reduce Motion.
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How do you become a software developer? What are the skills necessary and the pathways available to becoming a software developer? If you have these and many other questions like these then keep reading.
It is Microsoft Build this week and Microsoft is hosting free sessions hosted by software engineers, Technical program managers and Principal software engineers working at Microsoft. It means you will learn about the roles, languages and how to get in and thrive from people with experience. Also, learn several programming languages like Python, C#, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Azure, GitHub, Visual Studio Code, etc.
Learn how to contribute to shared projects using MakeCode and Javascript.
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Are you are about to take a Microsoft Excel interview test or assessment and want to make sure you have all the basics covered? Or do you need a quick refresher course to get you ready to ace your Microsoft Excel test? Here are a few videos below from some amazing teachers that will help you prove your functional knowledge of Excel.
Each video covers something unique or different so kindly check their descriptions to make sure you find what meets your needs. You can also check out excel practice online. A platform that allows you to learn and practice excel functions and tools at any level. All the best with your test and interview.
7 key questions asked as part of the Microsoft Excel interview test with Vadim Mikhailenko
Learn how to to make an entire row bold or italic in excel. Make rows with different background colours and calculate a total for either a quarter or year. Sort out data from smallest to largest and group data based on categories. Other things include inserting a chart into a worksheet and forecasting revenue.
Top frequently asked MS Excel interview questions and answers in any Excel Job Interview test with My E-Lesson
This video covers topics such as Vlookup Formula in Excel, making charts in Excel. Using Pivot Table in Excel, how to remove duplicates in Excel and Protecting Sheets in Excel. It also expounds on tracking, data and simple calculations.
5 Excel interview questions you need to get right with Leila Gharani
Leila is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP). She explains Excel VLOOKUP function and limitations, how absolute reference in Excel differ from relative cell reference? Other topics covered are; What is a PivotTable and why should you use it? What is conditional formatting? When would you use the IF Function or a Nested IF in Excel?
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Online trading is becoming increasingly popular, with Modern Trader reporting that the number of global online traders has grown from 9.5 million four years ago, to more than 15 million today.
Dany Mawas, Regional Director at INFINOX, a leading CFD and FX broker with an international presence including in Africa, attributes this growth to technological advances, which makes trading convenient and fast. Traders can now trade from anywhere and at any time and will get quick, easy access to the markets.
“Apart from the potential of achieving lucrative financial returns, additional benefits of online trading includes greater financial knowledge and developing associated skills with trading like discipline and emotional control,”.
Dany Mawas
How to start online trading
There are those that are apprehensive about starting online trading, due to the associated financial risk. To put them at ease, Mawas notes that while fine-tuning trading skills comes with experience, the best way to start is to open a demo account with one of the many online trading partners available today.
“A demo account is a simulation account that provides users with the opportunity to place trades and to become accustomed to how markets move,” he says.
Additionally, some online trading brokerages provide bonus incentives to boost traders initial deposit and give them a better platform to start on. With INFINOX, traders are only required to deposit as little as US $50 and will, in turn, receive an additional US $25 bonus. Meaning that 33% of their at risk capital is the bonus.
However, he points out that traders should also do their due diligence when selecting the brokerage to partner with and not only base their decision on the starting bonus. “This includes investigating where the brokerage is regulated, and ensuring it has a physical presence instead of merely being an online entity,” says Mawas.
Determine your plan of action
Mawas notes that although there are several game plans that beginner traders can adopt to gain profits on their investments, the old adage of ‘over-analysis leads to paralysis’ couldn’t be more true. “When developing a strategy it is vital to spend time researching and learning what works best. The more you perfect managing your risk, the better you become. If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to start simple and keep it simple.”
Mawas emphasises that trading is a humbling experience due to its binary outcome of either making the right or wrong decision. “As such, it is important for traders to have emotional control and the willingness to learn from their trading mistakes.”
Being emotionally invested can be detrimental to success, he adds. “Often, when the market dips, traders will make the emotional decision to continue trading in the hopes that they recover quickly, which often doesn’t happen. It’s imperative to assess each situation for what it is and to make the most informed decision.”
Why trading is more accessible
Current affairs such as COVID-19, the U.S election, and Brexit have prompted people to stay more up-to-date with current news, says Mawas. “This is important as the outcomes of these events have an effect on the markets. Nowadays people are more clued up than they think they are when it comes to knowing what is happening and what could impact their trading. This knowledge makes trading more accessible for those that wish to start.”
He also states that the internet is full of useful information for new traders to digest and that websites such as IX Intel offers manuals and how-to guides to help traders learn the basics of a successful trading career.
Mawas points out that the rise of social trading has also increased accessibility for beginner traders. “Social trading apps such as IX Social, allows users to access all the financial markets at their fingertips with the added bonus of tapping into other traders’ knowledge. Users can auto-copy top traders and receive the same results that they do.”
“Today, online trading is an easily accessible journey, and anyone can be successful if they use the right tools and spend time developing the necessary skills and acumen,” concludes Mawas.
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