BILL & PHIL’S GADGET OF THE MONTH
Microsoft Windows 11 Upgrades | Bill Ramsey & Phillip Hampton 14 directly from Windows.
It’s been almost two years since Microsoft released Windows 11; and while we were generally pleased with this new version when it was released, subsequent updates have added even better functionality and new features that we like. A recent automatic update that was installed on our computer reminded us to go back and look at some of our favorite Windows updates over the past year. Phone Link for iOS: Phil has used the excellent Windows Phone Link app to access his Samsung Galaxy Android phone directly from the Windows desktop. Whether responding to text messages, accessing photos on the phone, or even making calls, the Phone Link app on Windows has been a very convenient link between an Android smartphone and Windows. Up until a recent update, the Phone Link app did not support linking to iOS devices, much to Bill’s chagrin. The feature update from earlier this year now enables Bill to access his iPhone
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Snipping Tool Screen Record: The Snipping Tool app (free Windows app) may be one of the most-used apps on any given week on our computer. We use it frequently to capture screengrabs, mark them up, and then paste them into an e-mail or document. It is a wonderful tool that is simple to use. So, we were excited to see a recent update added the ability to record a video of any portion of our screen that we designate. This feature is particularly useful if you are preparing a presentation and need to show a progression of screens, mouse clicks, or other screen movement. The screen recording option creates a simple video that can be pasted into your presentation, e-mail, or document. File Explorer Tabs: If you’re like us, you probably use (and maybe overuse) tabs on your favorite internet browser extensively. You can have multiple internet pages active in your browser and just access each page from its associated tab at the top. Somebody besides us must have asked the question, “if you can do this for internet pages, why can’t you do it for file explorer ‘pages’?”. Microsoft had the answer with a recent update that enabled the ability to create file tabs in file explorer. With this handy feature you can display the contents of multiple folders, each with its own tab, and can even copy and paste files between the different tabs with ease. This was a no-brainer update that should have happened a long time ago if you ask us. Alt-Tab Functionality: The Alt-Tab
NASHVILLE BAR JOURNAL | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2023
shortcut key is a very convenient way to switch the active window on your Windows desktop to one of the many application windows you may have open at any given time. When using Alt-Tab, it is also very nice if you can see all of the internet. Snap Layout Update: We absolutely love the Snap Layout options introduced in Windows 11. Being able to easily move windows into preset zones on the desktop is a productivity enhancer for sure. With updates over the past year to this feature, we can now simply begin moving a window around on the screen and Windows automatically responds with a Snap Layouts template where we can drop the window we are moving into any of the preset zones. Optimizing the placement of your open windows on the desktop has never been easier. While Windows 11 has officially been out for almost two years, adoption in the market has been slow. According to Statcounter (gs.statcounter.com), as of mid-2023, Windows 11 accounts for just 23% of all Windows installations. Windows 10 still dominates with over 70% market share. With the Win 11 updates that Microsoft has rolled out over the past 12 months, we believe it is prime time to go ahead and upgrade if you have not done so already. -Bill & Phil n
