Tech
WHAT’S NEW? James Flynn, Milborne Port Computers
S
pring is here! I normally ramble on about one topic and explain in normal terms the ins and outs of it, but this month I thought I would cover a few new things that we have been coming up against which might help you out in the future. Windows S Mode
There have always been a few versions of the Microsoft Windows software and the two normal versions are ‘Home Premium’ and ‘Professional’, and back in the ‘Vista’ days, you had ‘Standard’ and ‘Basic’. The real difference between Home Prem and Pro is that you can use Microsoft remote desktop and BitLocker encryption to protect your files. Now, over the last 12 months, we have seen Windows 10 in ‘S Mode’ appearing on (mainly) laptops but also some desktops – I will let you decide what the ‘S’ means... It basically only allows you to use the Microsoft Edge browser and to download apps through the Microsoft Store, making it, well, pretty much… useless. You can, however, get out of S Mode and upgrade to Prem or Pro, depending on what license was sold with the computer. There is a small catch – you need to log in with a Microsoft account (which is free, if you don’t have one) to make this change. Once done, you can sign out of Microsoft or keep it connected to the computer. All in all, a long-winded way to be able to install any 3rd party programs which 99% use, all the time. Pop ups/Notifications
The time we spend browsing the internet is at an all-time high of around 25 hours per week on average. 122 | Sherborne Times | April 2021
A lot of that browsing is done through the browsers Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome. Both of these allow what are called notifications, which, on the surface, sound like a great idea. If you get an email or someone tags you on Facebook for example, then the browser notifies you and, when you click on that notification, it takes you to the relevant place, but you can quickly become bombarded. On websites that have notifications, you will get a banner asking you whether you’d like to ‘allow’ or ‘block’ notifications from their website. Most websites are fine, as the notifications they are sending are genuinely from their website, but this is where things turn slightly sour. We are finding that certain websites are sending out notifications claiming to tell you that you have viruses or that your virus protection has expired and by clicking on the notification will either solve the issue or take you to renew. Sadly, this is not true and is one of many scams currently out there. Beware of what you click on. Check before you buy laptop storage!
I’ve mentioned this in the past, so I will make it quick. A lot of new laptops, both Apple and Windows-based, are now coming with non-upgraded storage like some phones. Most are 128GB, 256GB or 512GB. As we take more photos and store more data, it is always good to check how much data you have currently used, to make sure it fits on the new laptop and to also futureproof it. It can be an expensive mistake to make and frustrating if you run out of space! computing-mp.co.uk
