Do you know how to use the Command Prompt? If you do, you can write a batch file. In its simplest form, a batch file (or batch script) is a list of several commands that are executed when you double-click the file. Batch files go all the way back to DOS, but still work on modern versions of Windows. PowerShell scripts and Bash scripts may be more powerful, but batch files can still be plenty useful if you need to run basic Windows commands....
Windows has many “advanced power settings” you can adjust. These options let you choose between performance and battery life, control what Windows does when you have a critical battery level, and tweak what pressing the power button and closing the lid does. This works on all modern versions of Windows, including Windows 10 and Windows 7. How to Find Advanced Power Settings To find these options, head to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options....
Back in August, Microsoft announced it would update Notepad through Windows 10’s Store, delivering updates more frequently than once every six months. Now, Microsoft is changing its mind. Notepad won’t move to the Store in Windows 10’s upcoming 20H1 update. This change arrives in a new Insider build of Windows 10’s 20H1 update, which is still in development—specifically, build 19035, released on December 4, 2019. As Brandon LeBlanc writes on Microsoft’s Windows blog:...
Consumer PCs didn’t always run Windows. Before Windows arrived, PCs came with Microsoft’s MS-DOS operating system. Here’s what the command-line environment was actually like to use. No, MS-DOS was not just like using the Linux terminal or firing up the Command Prompt in a window on your fancy graphical desktop. Many things we take for granted just weren’t possible back then. The DOS PC Experience DOS was a command-line operating system with no graphical windows....
Google revealed last month that the Google Pay app on Android phones will soon be ‘Google Wallet’ (in most countries). Samsung is now pulling a similar move. Samsung announced ‘Samsung Wallet’ today, a new unified application for everything related to digital IDs, payment cards, loyalty programs, and keys on Galaxy phones. It will replace both Samsung Pay (the current app for payment cards/loyalty programs/etc.) and Samsung Pass (the app for IDs, keys, and passwords)....
Algorithms Are Instructions for Problem Solving We live in a world where computers are only vaguely understood, even though they permeate every moment of our lives. But there is one area of computer science where anyone can understand the basics of what’s going on. That area of computer science is called programming. Programming isn’t glamorous work, but it’s the foundation of all computer software, from Microsoft Office to robocallers. And even if your knowledge of programming stems solely from bad 90’s movies and off-beat news reports, you probably don’t need anyone to explain to you what a programmer does....
Storage Has Speeds? If you’ve gone shopping for storage drives lately, you might know that manufacturers always boast a pair of numbers in their marketing materials. These are often “read and write speeds,” comparative measures of how fast a drive can read and write data. These numbers became especially prominent when solid-state drives or SSDs became the most common form of computer storage, replacing hard-drive disks. A standard HDD could get read and write speeds of 80 to 160 mb/s....
A Reliable Network Connection An Ethernet cable is a cable that you connect between your computer, TV, gaming console, or another device and a router, modem, or network switch. It gives your device access to a local network or the internet. Although Wi-Fi has become a very common way of connecting to the internet, an Ethernet cable can provide a faster and more stable internet connection than wireless currently can....
A file with the .m4v file extension is an MPEG-4 Video (M4V) container file format, also known as an iTunes video file. This is the primary type of file used when purchasing or renting any video from the iTunes store. RELATED: What Is A File Extension? What Is an M4V File? Developed by Apple, M4V files are very similar to the MP4 format, which are both based on the MPEG-4 video container format....
What Is Discord Nitro? Discord Nitro is the premium subscription tier of the most popular gaming chat service in the world. It comes with global access to custom emojis from all the channels you’re part of, a custom Discord number tag, animated avatars, and server boosts for your favorite communities. It’s available in two variants: Nitro ($9.99 per month), and Nitro Classic ($4.99 per month). There are also significant discounts for year-long subscriptions, with Nitro priced at $99....
You may see a process named LockApp.exe running on your PC. This is normal. LockApp.exe is a part of the Windows 10 operating system and is responsible for displaying the lock screen. This article is part of our ongoing series explaining various processes found in Task Manager, like Runtime Broker, svchost.exe, dwm.exe, ctfmon.exe, rundll32.exe, Adobe_Updater.exe, and many others. Don’t know what those services are? Better start reading! What is LockApp....
Video Graphics Array: An Analog Video Standard VGA (short for Video Graphics Array) is an analog video standard created by IBM in 1987 for the IBM PS/2 series of computers. Since then, the computer industry has extended the standard and included it in millions of products. VGA uses a high-density 15-pin D-sub connector (called DE-15), often with two thumb screws to secure the connector in place. Until the arrival of DVI (then HDMI shortly after that), computers commonly used VGA connections between a video card and a monitor....
Here’s the good news: Your existing phone will consider receiving services from Google. The Google Play Store and all other Google services, including Google Play Protect security, will continue functioning normally. Google’s official Android account confirmed this on Twitter. Your phone will keep working normally without any changes. — Android (@Android) May 20, 2019 This only applies to your current device. Huawei can’t include Google services on any new devices, so you shouldn’t go out of your way to get a new Huawei phone if you want Google services....
Chrome 76 hits the stable channel today, July 30. This latest release brings some serious changes to the web. Flash is now disabled by default, and websites won’t be able to detect whether you’re using incognito mode. As usual, Google Chrome will install this update automatically. You can perform an immediate update by clicking menu > Help > About Google Chrome. Chrome will check for any available updates and install them....
Chrome 77 hits the stable channel on September 10, bringing easy customization to Chrome. Forget downloading themes: You can apply your favorite colors to Chrome’s browser toolbars with a few clicks from the New Tab page. Send Tabs to Your Other Devices Update: Chrome 77 lets you send tabs between your devices. This was previously known as the “Send Tab to Self” feature, and was hidden behind a flag. Now, all you have to do is right-click a tab to sent it between your devices....
Always Speak to a Realtor Before Deciding What to Do Generally, when you’re selling a house, you should speak to a realtor. While some exceptions exist where selling your home on your own is advantageous, a realtor can walk you through the ins and outs of negotiating, following rules and local laws, and filling out the necessary paperwork. Before you do anything, talk with your realtor and let them know you have a house with smarthome gadgets....
You turn on your Android phone or tablet by pressing its power button — simple. If that button won’t work, your device isn’t necessarily broken — there are ways to bring it back to life. This problem can also be caused by hardware damage. Your phone or tablet may not be powering on because it’s broken. But, if there’s a software problem, the steps here will fix it. Charge Your Phone or Tablet For a Few Minutes If your Android device’s battery is almost dead, you’ll often see an “empty battery” indicator on the screen when you try to turn it on....
HGTV Website and App HGTV has a website and app, called HGTV Go (iPhone/Android), that allows you to enjoy its content. Unfortunately, you will have to link your TV provider to get access to everything offered by the network. With a backlog of old episodes as well as what’s live now, you can keep up with your favorite home-building shows. Philo For access to more channels without breaking the bank, Philo is an excellent choice for live TV content....
The mirrorless camera revolution was meant to bring about smaller, lighter camera gear but in reality, camera manufacturers have just taken the opportunity to make bigger, better lenses. The why comes down to the physics of lenses. Manipulating Focal Length is Complicated The focal length of a lens—which we’ve looked at in depth before—is the distance between the rear nodal point and the focal point. In a simple convex lens, it’s the distance between the center of the lens and the focal point....
Well, the answer is a bit complicated. To answer it, we need to understand where we are with self-driving cars right now, and what steps we need to take to make fully autonomous cars a reality in the future. When is a Car Fully Autonomous? According to SAE International standards, autonomous cars are rated with a “level” on a scale from 0 to 5. Level 0 cars have no autonomy and must be controlled by a human at all times....
