How to Set a Reminder with Cortana in Windows 10

Time can really fly by during a busy day at the office. There have been a number of late afternoons where I've found myself realizing that -- while I kept head down, producing all of the projects -- I completely forgot to order lunch. For those moments, and others, I'm thankful how fast and easy it is to set up a reminder in Cortana, which Microsoft introduces to the desktop platform in Windows 10. 

In the new OS, you can tell Cortana to remind you to perform an action at a certain time of day, the next time you speak with someone or even the next time you reach a specific location. The location feature works best when you have a Windows Phone.

How To Set a Timed Reminder With Cortana

1. Activate Cortana or select the "the "Ask me anything" field 

2. Write or say "remind me to [activity] in [timeframe]" or "[timeframe] remind me to [activity]." For example, you could say "in an hour, remind me to get lunch."

If Cortana did not process your request exactly as you'd like, tap on the reminder, day, or time fields, and then edit their contents to make sure the correct reminder is set.

If you want the reminder to recur, click on "Only once." 

The reminder can chime in every day, or on specific days of the week.

3. Click Remind once you're satisfied with the terms you've set. 

You won't forget it this time!

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How to Upgrade to Windows 10 From Windows 7 or 8

Windows 10 is the best PC operating system yet, with a powerful new Start menu, a UI that switches between and touch and mouse-friendly modes, the Cortana digital assistant and a host of other improvements. If you're already running a legitimate copy of Windows 7 or 8, you're eligible to upgrade for free. Running an OS upgrade takes a little time but not much effort or expertise -- when you're done, you'll have the most powerful Windows yet, with all your programs, settings and data still in place. Here's how to upgrade to Windows 10.

Windows 10 should install without a hitch, but driver problems are a possibility and, during any system update, there's always a chance something will go wrong. Before you begin the process, make sure you have all of your data files backed up, preferably to a cloud service such as Microsoft's own One Drive, where you can download them again if your computer crashes. If you don't have a system restore disk already, it's a good idea to make a full system backup, using disk imaging software such as Macrium Reflect, which makes a bit-by-bit copy of your hard drive.

Finally, make sure you have 1 to 2 hours free to run the install. Though you can walk away for large portions of the process, you can expect all the downloading and file copying to take at least 60 minutes and, in our case, closer to two hours on a fast Internet connection. If you have slow or inconsistent Internet, you should go to some place that has a strong connection and follow the instructions for creating a USB install disk you can use at home.

How to Upgrade Via Direct Download

1. Navigate to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

2. Click the "Download Tool now" button

3. Launch the Download Tool.

4. Click Select Upgrade this PC Now if you are just installing on this computer and want to do so right away. However, if you want to create your own USB or DVD media, see the section below on "How to Create Windows 8 Install Media." Though it requires a few extra steps and a blank Flash drive or disc, creating your own install media allows you to not only install on multiple computers, but also reinstall on your current computer if something goes wrong.

The tool will take a while to download the software so be patient, particularly if you have a slow Internet connection. After it downloads, the software also goes through a preparation process and downloads some more files, all of which takes time, perhaps as long as an hour even on a high-speed connection.

5. Click Accept on the license terms screen. Wait again as the software checks for updates. You may want to walk away, as this also takes several minutes.

6. Click the Install button. Wait 20 to 30 minutes for the computer to copy files. It will reboot several times.

7. Click Next at the login screen.

8. Click Use Express settings. You can always change some settings later.

9. Click Next on the "New apps for the new Windows" screen. The computer will say "finalizing your settings," and then take you to the Windows 10 lock screen.

10. Log in to your computer. Windows 10 will take another couple of minutes to do an initial setup and then it will take you to the Windows desktop.

How to Create a Windows 10 USB Install Disk

If you have a 4GB or larger USB flash drive or a blank DVD handy (and you still use an optical drive), you can create your own Windows 10 install disk. Having your own disk allows you to run the upgrade on multiple computers without waiting an hour for a fresh download. You also have the option of doing a clean install or running the upgrade a second time if you run into problems later. Here's how to create a Windows 10 install disk. 

Before you begin, make sure to insert your flash drive into one of your USB ports. Be aware that all data on the drive will be erased.

1. Follow steps 1 -3 above, installing the Download tool and launching it.

2. Select "Create installation media . . . "

3. Select the language, edition and architecture (32 or 64 bits) of Windows. Make sure your selections match those of the computer(s) you wish to upgrade. So, if you currently have Windows 8 Home (64-bit), choose Windows 10 Home 64-bit.

4. Select USB flash drive. If you plan to burn this to DVD instead, select ISO file and, after the process is over, you'll have to use a DVD burning program to write the ISO to disc.

5. Click Finish when the process is complete. If you don't plan to install Windows 10 right away, you can remove the drive and stop here.

6. Launch setup.exe on the flash drive to start the upgrade process.

7. Select "Download and install updates" and click Next. If you are in a big hurry, choose "Not right now." Wait several minutes for the updates to download.

If the software asks you for a product key, you are using the wrong version of Windows 10 to upgrade. For example, you might be attempting to install Windows 10 Home over your existing Windows 8.1 Pro or vice versa. The following steps are the same as if you install via direct download.

8. Click Accept. The software takes a couple of minutes to check your system. 

9. Click Install. You can now walk away for at least 30 minutes. After the OS is finished installing, you will be presented with a screen showing your username.

10. Click the Next button.

11. Select Use Express settings.

12. Click Next again.

13. Log in to your computer. 

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How to Create a Forecast Chart in Excel 2016

Excel 2016 added a useful new feature: One-click forecasting to help you understand current trends and predict future ones. Here's how it works.

First you'll need a table containing a series of dates or times and values associated with those dates. For example, weekly stock prices or monthly sales data. Excel will use these values to create a new worksheet with a forecast chart.

1. Select any cell in one of your series. Excel will automatically select the rest of the data for you in the next step.

2. Go to the Data tab and click Forecast Sheet.

3. (Optional) Adjust the forecast end date in the forecast worksheet preview.

4. (Optional) Click the Options menu and adjust the forecasting options.

5. Click Create.

In a few moments, you'll find a new sheet in your workbook containing the forecast chart based on your historical data. In that sheet, Excel will also create a tablet containing the historical and predicted values, which you can modify if you'd like to adjust the forecast.

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How to get your photos on Instagram

With the likes of Flickr feeling quite unloved at the moment, where does that leave photographers wanting to share their images with a wider audience?

Twitter and Facebook certainly have their place, but for those looking for a more image-lead site should look no further than Instagram.

While it may have built its reputation on its quirky set of filters, square crop-only images and celebrity selfies, many photographers are now using Instagram to share their images and engage with other photographers. 

This has never be more true now that you’re no longer restricted by square format images, with Instagram now letting you upload both landscape and portrait format images.

However, unlike Flickr, Twitter and Facebook, Instagram only lets you upload images from your smartphone or tablet via the dedicated app. Not a problem if you’re using it to share your mobile images, but for those wanting to share images they’ve taken with a camera, it can be a bit of a laborious task.

That is unless you’ve got a streamlined workflow that reduces the steps required to a minimum, which is where this tutorial comes in. We’re going to show you how to quickly transfer your images to your smartphone from you laptop or desktop and then share on Instagram.

20 essential Facebook tips and tricks

1. Get Google Drive

For this tutorial, we’re going to use Google Drive, but if you use another cloud-based storage app like Dropbox, it’ll work just the same. All you need to do is make sure you’ve got the app installed on both your computer and smart device. 

2. Export your images

We’re going to be using Lightroom to do this, but this can be transferred to other image editing programs. 

Select your image, hit Export and in the pop-up box, choose the destination of where you want to send the image - in this case, we’ve created a dedicated Instagram folder within our Google Drive folder.

3. Set the dimensions

Now we’ve selected where we want the image to go, we can set the dimensions. Because Instagram’s maximum image size is 1,080 pixels, we will set that as the size for the Short Edge of the image, then set the sharpening to Screen and Standard (you might want to opt for High however).

4. Go to your smartphone

Hit Export, and then go to Google Drive on your smartphone. Select the Instagram Folder and then tap the three little dots in the top right hand corner and from the options available, select 'Send a copy'. From the next set of options, select 'Open in'.

5. Export to Instagram

Scroll along until you find the Instagram icon, tap on it and it’ll load your image into Instagram, where you can opt to crop it square if you wish, apply filters and then title and tag your image before posting.

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Get Some News And Review: Bose QC35 Headphones

I TAKE SICK joy in flying. Most people hate air travel. I get it—the atrocious lines, the cramped seating, the overpriced gum at Hudson News. I endure it because it provides many hours of blissful me time. I devour podcasts. Kindle books. Magazines. Entire Pink Floyd albums. I might even chat with my wife a little. (I never, ever, pay for Wi-Fi. It always sucks and it makes me think about work.) I absolutely love it.

Headphones are a big (really big) part of this narcissistic orgy of self. I’m not alone here—everyone wears them when traveling. I see Bose a lot, which makes sense, because the company is known for premier noise-cancelling cans. They do an exceptional job eradicating the ruckus of flying.

I’ve never worn Bose headphones though. They sound like shit. It’s the nature of the tech. Active noise-canceling collects the noise around you via an array of microphones on the headset, then adds canceling information to whatever you’re listening to in order to mask the cacophony. Bose holds several patents on this technology, but its execution has always been inelegant. Cymbals slip underwater, guitars turn into phone calls, and everything sounds like Napster-era 128k MP3s. Other companies (Sennheiser, Plantronics, Jabra, Beats) aren’t any better.

So I was skeptical when Bose sent its new flagship model, the QC35. They’re the first wireless noise-canceling headphones from Bose. They’re also the first to sound awesome. In developing the Bluetooth circuit for the QC35, Bose also improved the sound silencing software. These are the first Bose cans I’ve worn where I found the audio to be better than “Eh. It’ll do.” The sound isn’t perfect, but it’s smooth and virtually artifact-free. I wore them on two long flights and several bus rides around town. No crunchy audio detritus, just well-tuned music and little environmental bustle.

In the years that I’ve spent in audiophile circles (and, ugh, web forums) I’ve connected with hundreds of like-minded Bose haters. Perhaps you’re one yourself. If so, I’m speaking directly to you: These headphones sound good. Really good. Give them a shot. You’ll probably be as impressed as I was.

BOSE

But I know you’re probably not listening. I brought the QC35 to one of the country’s premiere headphone meet-ups. Imagine conference rooms filled with people wearing $1,000 headphones connected to expensive tube amplifiers listening to lossless digital files of Steely Dan and Dire Straits. These people take detailed notes (!) and compare cables (!!) and discuss headphones they own and headphones they want but can’t afford. I offered a dozen hardcore headphone nerds the chance to audition the QC35s. Most offered variations on, “Bose? No thanks.” One guy insulted me before shooing me away. Another actually hissed. I couldn’t convince them to even try these remarkable cans. Exactly one guy agreed with me. He’s the founder of a leading headphone forum.

That should tell you something.

Some ‘phone fans are warming to the the QC35s. But most self-described audiophiles will never give Bose any love. That’s fine. Next time you board a plane, take a look around. You’ll see a lot of people wearing Bose cans. They’ll be immersed in audio cocoons, listening to the sound of music, not the drone of a jet. Look for me, because I’ll be one of them.

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This magical floating cloud speaker is what dreams are made of

Two years ago, Richard Clarkson made the Smart Cloud, a delightfully realistic-looking cloud-shaped lamp / speaker. The design was meant to evoke a thunderstorm, with the cloud flicking accurately and booming out thunder (along with also functioning as a regular lamp and Bluetooth speaker).

But the problem with the original Smart Cloud was that it had to be hung from a ceiling cord, which completely broke the illusion of having a magical, musical cloud floating in your living room. But Clarkson is back this year with a new project, Making Weather, that combines his original Smart Cloud with magnetic levitation technology from Crealev to solve this problem by making a true floating cloud.

While the Smart Cloud is an actual product that you can purchase (for a whopping $3,360), no release information has yet been announced for Making Weather, although it likely will fall in a similarly expensive range.

VIA: Colossal

SOURCE: Crealev

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UK Consumer Advocates: Microsoft Should Pay for Windows 10

Now that Microsoft's done offering Windows 10 to those sticking with Windows 7 and 8.1, a customer advocacy group wants compensation for the rocky, nag-based rollout. In a blog postyesterday (Sept. 22), the UK-based Which? Council notes it received over 1,000 complaints about Windows 10, including the fact that the update was "forcefully installed without consent."

via Tom's Hardware

During the last weeks of the Windows 10 upgrade period, many users had the OS upgrade installed despite thinking that they declined the offer. Other common update issues include loss of support for peripherals and internal add-ons, loss of data due to deletion and significant system performance dips that required repair.

Which? argues that Microsoft owes users compensation for experiencing these issues, because of the UK Consumer Rights Act of 2015. The bill says that "digital content must be as described, fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality," and notes "If you can show the fault has damaged your device and we haven't used reasonable care and skill, you may be entitled to a repair or compensation."

It's unclear as to how much money users could get if they pressed Microsoft on this, as the Act also notes "you can get some, or all of your money back," and Windows 10 (at least for those pressured to update early) was free. At the very least, the Consumer Rights Act does suggest users could get a compensatory repair from Microsoft as it states, "If your digital content is faulty, you're entitled to a repair or a replacement."

Which? admits that Microsoft offers free phone and online technical support to those affected negatively by installing Windows 10, but also states that some struggled to find how to contact the company or blamed their PC for the issues and not the operating system update. To that matter, Which? states that Microsoft needs to raise the profile of its technical support hotline and website, and help educate "older and more vulnerable users" who are preyed upon by Windows Technical Support Scams.

Admittedly, the thousand complaints registered pale in comparison when compared to the count of more than 350 million PCs that took the update, but it's not hard to argue that Microsoft could have done better.

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