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TECH

Windows Defender now protects your pen drives and printers

by NewsTeam Jul 28, 2021

written by NewsTeam

Windows Defender ATP

Having secure devices is something fundamental and Windows Defender is undoubtedly one of the most used antivirus program. It has a version for home users, which comes integrated with the operating system itself, and also an advanced version for companies and organizations. Now Microsoft has announced an important safety feature that also protects removable storages, such as a pendrive ,as well as connected printers.

Windows Defender ATP extends your security

This is the Windows Defender ATP version, or advanced threat protection, which is mainly used by organizations and companies. The goal from Microsoft is to provide greater protection especially now that many users work remotely due to the pandemic and make use of different external devices.

Using home printers and other removable memory devices such as a pendrive has made the field of attack for cybercriminals much wider. To avoid this, to make users more protected, Windows Defender ATP has launched a new feature to precisely analyze these devices. Hence, using a pendrive or any external memory, as well as using a printer at home, will be safer.

Microsoft indicates that they intend to create an extra layer of security for their Windows and macOS users who bet on their protection solution for companies. What they are looking for is for hackers to have a smaller attack surface to manage to steal passwords or compromise computers in some way.

These new capabilities are an important complement to the ones that existed before. It will serve to further improve security when using different devices. Especially, it will be very useful for those who work remotely and have to use personal devices, such as USB sticks and the like. There are many types of viruses and this will require us to be prepared at all times to minimize the impact they may have on our computers.

Many attacks come through external devices

Keep in mind that a lot of attacks can come through other external devices that we connect to our computers. For example, this is the case of a pendrive, but there are also other memory based devices or peripherals that may be attacked.

Network-connected printers can also be the gateway for hackers. This can occur if they are outdated and have some known vulnerability. Hence, it is essential to always have the firmware with the latest version and minimize the risk of being victims of attacks of this type.

Beyond the problems of connection with printers, the truth is that they can be targeted bycybercriminals. These are devices that we must take care of at all times.

Therefore, Windows Defender enterprise version will allow us to increase protection when we use external memory devices or printers. One more way to enhance security and reduce the likelihood of becoming the victims of some kind of another cyberattack.

Jul 28, 2021 0 comment

TECH

What is 8D Audio and how does it work?

by NewsTeam Jul 28, 2021

written by NewsTeam

In recent times there is a lot of talk about 8D Audio, a new way of experiencing sound and specifically music that promises to take us to an 8-dimensional environment. Is it something that takes you to a new astral plane or is it just marketing? In this article we are going to explain what it is, how it works and what you need to be able to experience it for yourself.

It is very likely that you have come across 8D music on YouTube, and even videos on this platform that urge you to use headphones for a better experience. When you listen to it, you feel like you’re on a live show, that the music is moving around you or even passing through your head… strange, right? In this article we are going to tell you all the ins and outs of 8D Audio, and how they manage to recreate these sensations in our head.

How does 8D Audio work

What is 8D audio?
8D Audio it is a binaural effect added to the sound through editing to “trick” the human brain and make you feel that the music is moving around you or that it comes from different corners of the room in which you are.

A binaural effect is to create an auditory illusion in the brain that occurs when you hear two tones of slightly different frequencies at the same time. Listening to these frequencies makes you hear a third imaginary sound, creating the feeling that it is positioned everywhere or located in certain spaces.

audio mixing

8D Audio -uses the headphones’ left and right speakers to create a more immersive experience and gives the impression that the music or sound is coming from different directions or even dimensions. This creates, as a rule, a more pleasant feeling for the listener. People who have listened to 8D music claim that it makes them feel like they’re at a live concert, or that it feels like the music is coming from outside the headphones and moved through their ears.

With what we have told you so far, it is logical to say that the 8D sound plays best when using headphones, as the effect is lost when played on speakers. The 8D effect isolates the sound heard in each of the two ears of the human being and depends on the left and right headphones to be able to function.

How does 8D sound work?

As we mentioned above, 8D Audio is an effect that tricks the brain into thinking that sound or music comes from different directions. There is no method or way to recreate the effect of this type of sound, and many audio professionals have created 8D effects personally, all achieving in the end the with the same goal.

The audio is first recorded in the traditional way and then the effects are added in post-production. These effects are created by mixing audio and combining equalization and panning techniques; equalization involves using an equalizer to adjust the audio frequencies to make it look like they’ve come from different spaces in the spectrum from left to right between the two headphone speakers, making it sound like the audio is moving from one ear to the other and back, but all in your head.

To give the additional effect that the listener is in a live concert, a reverb and echo effect can be added to the audio, thus integrating two more dimensions into the sound. The audio is then filtered to make it look like it bounces from one ear to the other.

Additional Considerations for 8D Audio
Following the arrival of 8D Audio, there are a number of considerations or questions that have arisen about it, and although some seem completely absurd you would be surprised to see the number of people who ask about them in the comments of the first 8D videos that were published on the online video platform YouTube, so we will try to answer each and every one of these questions so that the concept is completely clear.

The first question has to do with the process of creating 8D Audio: how is it created? The answer is quite simple but complex at the same time, since in reality any audio engineer or person with high knowledge of sound engineering and mixing can do it, since as we have pointed out before all this is achieved through the post-production process. However, there are online tools that allow you to convert any audio track into 8D, with quite decent results although they are far from a professional job as is logical.

Online tools to automatically convert any MP3 audio to 8D audio are :

Another question is whether 8D Audio it is dangerous to health, as it is, after all, ‘deceiving’ the brain. No, these types of effects are not dangerous and have no adverse health effects. Just like any other sound, however, listening to it at high volume and for long periods of time can hurt your ears, but as long as you hear it at a reasonable volume there’s nothing you need to worry about.

audio 4D 8D 16D 100D

Another rather repeated question about it is that what is the difference between 4D, 8D, 16D and even 100D sound. The “D” in these terms means dimensions, and as we said earlier there is no multiple dimension for music or sound, so these are just elegant terms to describe the effect. The higher the number that accompanies the D, the greater the degree of alteration of the audio, and the difference lies in the technique used to create the sound as its complexity increases.

Finally, some music critics are starting to point out if 8D Audio is the future of music, and if soon all record labels will use it “almost” forcing users to listen to music with headphones. Even though this type of sound has been around for quite some time, it is true that nowadays it is gaining quite a bit of popularity especially on YouTube, and in fact many popular songs have been converted to this “format” and listeners continue to grow their interest in this genre. We can’t predict if it will be the future of music, but it certainly has witnessed it’s popularity grow by leaps and bounds in recent times.

Jul 28, 2021 0 comment

TECH

DDR5 memory products will hit the market later this year

by NewsTeam Jul 28, 2021

written by NewsTeam

DDR5 RAM Corsair Hynix

The fifth iteration of DDR technology, known as DDR5,will hit the market later this year, and all major memory product manufacturers are already showing their advancements in this regard. Corsair is no exception, and just today it posted on its blog a preview of its upcoming DDR5 memory products and what they will put on the table when the time comes.

For starters, the company has released data on the first DDR5 RAM modules they will launch on the market, at a speed of 6,400 MHz which will be, so to speak, the standard speed we’ll see when this generation finally hits the market. At such a rate, memory can reach a bandwidth of 51 GB/s,almost double the 26 GB/s that ddr4 RAM reaches at 3,200 Mhz today.

Another point Corsair has written about regarding their DDR5 memory is the capacity they will offer with a single memory DIMM module. With DDR4, the company has manufactured memory modules of up to 32 GB of capacity nothing more, but with DDR5 the company has said that it intends to multiply this by four and get up to 128 GB of memory in a single module.

Another great point of interest of this new generation of RAM memory, which we will have already at our disposal at the end of this year, is the power necessary for its operation; the DDR4 standard requires 1.2 volts to operate, while the JEDEC specification says that DDR5 needs as little as 1.1 volts,resulting in lower consumption and lower temperature operation, so in many cases not even heat sinks will be needed in high-performance memories.

Of course, the DDR5 standard needs a new platform to work; currently only Intel’s Alder Lake-S platform will be ready for DDR5 by the end of this year, which will be when the standard becomes available to consumers, but AMD will soon announce its counterpart that it will also use this new generation RAM.

SK Hynix, another popular manufacturer from South Korea has also confirmed that it intends to begin mass production of this memory in the current half of the year. DDR5 memory will be used by several next generation platforms from Intel and AMD.

According to SK Hynix, DDR5 memory more than doubles DDR4 memory bandwidth, while the jump from DDR3 to DDR4 in 2013 saw a 33% increase in bandwidth.

Jul 28, 2021 0 comment

TECH

Elon Musk : “We don’t want to be like Apple”

by NewsTeam Jul 28, 2021

written by NewsTeam

Tesla Supercharger

Tesla CEO Elon Musk explained why he decided to open Superchargers for other electric vehicles, continuing to speak out against Apple. Musk made a crack about Apple’s so-called “walled garden,” which is named because Apple strictly controls what software can be installed on the iPhone through its App Store.

According to Elon Musk, Apple strictly controls which software can be installed on the iPhone through its App Store. The App Store has been subject to scrutiny by lawmakers and other companies lately, including in an antitrust litigation that began after Epic Games filed a lawsuit over the App Store’s huge fees and policies.

Musk recently stated that this year the company is upgrading Tesla Supercharger charging stations so that owners of other electric vehicles can use them. This caused a wave of outrage and negative comments . Commenting on the situation, the Tesla leader said:

We really want to emphasize that our goal is to support the emergence of sustainable energy. We do not want to create our own “fenced garden” and use it to beat up our competitors, as some companies do … – at this point Elon cleared his throat and added – Apple

Tesla CEO Elon Musk criticized Apple during a conference call to discuss Tesla’s financial statement.

Elon Musk

While the companies are not competing directly yet, Apple is reportedly building an unmanned electric vehicle as part of a project codenamed Titan and has already lured away a number of engineers and executives from Tesla. The Titan project is reportedly led by Doug Field, who returned to Apple in 2018 after five years at Tesla.

Musk said there is a misconception in the market that Tesla uses a lot of cobalt, a key material in the production of lithium-ion cells used in both smartphones and electric vehicles. In fact, this is not the case.

I think Apple uses almost 100% cobalt in its batteries, mobile phones and laptops, but Tesla does not use cobalt in iron phosphate batteries and almost never in nickel batteries. On average, we only use, say, 2% cobalt, compared to 100% cobalt that Apple uses. – Elon Musk

Cobalt mining in some regions has been linked to human rights abuses and child labor. In 2019, Apple, along with Tesla and other major tech companies, were named defendants in a human rights lawsuit.

Jul 28, 2021 0 comment

TECH

Nothing for $ 99: Nothing Ear 1 Wireless Headphone launched with Active Noise Canceling and Transparent design

by NewsTeam Jul 27, 2021

written by NewsTeam

Nothing Ear 1

The company Nothing, which was founded by Carl Pei after leaving OnePlus, has introduced an unusual wireless headphones – Nothing Ear 1.

The design highlight of Nothing Ear 1 is that these headphones are partially transparent, the charging case is also partially transparent. The transparent case showcases components such as microphones, magnets, and the motherboard.

The headphones are equipped with 11.6 mm speaker driver and three microphones. Supports Bluetooth 5.2 interface and active noise cancellation (up to 40 dB). Battery life including the charging case is 34 hours, without recharging – 5.7 hours and wireless Qi charging is possible.

Nothing ear 1 headphone

As the manufacturer promises, charging the case for 10 minutes will provide up to 8 additional hours of listening time without noise canceling, and a 10-minute charge of the headphones will give you 1.2 hours of listening without noise canceling.

These headphones also comes with protection against moisture and sweat (IPX4), touch control, compatibility with devices based on Android 5.1 and iOS 11, as well as more recent versions of the OS.

Nothing Ear 1 will be available for $ 99 in the US and € 99 in Europe. The first limited edition will be available on July 31st on the Nothing website. It will be available from stores from August 17th.

Jul 27, 2021 0 comment

TECH

TOGG – Turkey’s first electric car charges from 0 to 80% in less than 30 minutes

by NewsTeam Jul 27, 2021

written by NewsTeam

TOGG electric car Turkey

Turkish carmaker TOGG(Turkiye’nin Otomobili Girisim Grubu) announced on Sunday that it has completed the body assembly of it’s first domestic electric vehicle.

Representatives of TOGG confirmed that the body is assembled entirely from domestically produced parts. Turkiye’nin Otomobili Girisim Grubu is headed by former CEO of Bosch tech giant Mehmet Gurcan Karakas, who was named CEO in 2018.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan unveiled electric SUV and sedan prototypes in December 2019. In total, TOGG plans to launch five models by 2030, including an SUV, a sedan, a hatchback and two crossovers / SUVs.

Mass production of the SUV will begin in 2022, followed by a sedan. The 1.2 million square meter plant in Gemlik district in the northwest of Bursa province is scheduled for completion in early 2022. TOGG has signed contracts with 10 suppliers. 75% of them are located in Turkey, and the remaining 25% of the companies are from Europe and Asia. TOGG has already selected Farasis lithium-ion batteries.

The first Turkish electric vehicle is expected to be able to charge from 0 to 80% in less than 30 minutes. Moreover, the cruising range will be from 300 to 500 kilometers. The first electric vehicles will be equipped with 200 and 400 hp electric motors, which will accelerate from 0 to 100 km / h in 7.6 and 4.8 seconds, respectively.

Jul 27, 2021 0 comment

TECH

Nvidia’s ARM acquisition delays could break the deal

by NewsTeam Jul 27, 2021

written by NewsTeam

arm Nvidia

Nvidia’s plan to buy Arm is crawling at a snail’s pace, as the company has yet to submit the necessary documents to the European Union regulator, whose approval is required to seal the deal.

Nvidia announced its intention to acquire Arm late last year. Then, the company expected to complete the acquisition by March 2021. Later, the deadline was postponed to September, but, according to the latest data, the deal will not be completed in September either.

Last month, the EU regulator warned Nvidia of the implications of late filing. If the request is not submitted by the end of July, the next chance will be presented only in September, because the members of the commission have to leave for summer vacation.

But, the longer the deal drags on, the more likely Arm will make an initial public offering(IPO).

Arm’s current owner, Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, is still hoping to complete a deal that would make their company a major shareholder in Nvidia. However, sources close to the process claim that the placement of shares on the stock market is quite likely.

There is still no approval from the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). The administration has consulted with companies that believe that their interests may be infringed upon in the event of a deal. According to unconfirmed reports, the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies has expressed concern about the deal, fearing that it could lose the ability to use Arm’s technology.

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is also studying the deal for potential threats to UK national security.

Jul 27, 2021 0 comment

TECH

Nasa’s Ingenuity helicopter completes most complex flight mission

by NewsTeam Jul 26, 2021

written by NewsTeam

Ingenuity helicopter

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced the successful completion of the next Ingenuity helicopter flight to Mars, which became the most difficult and longest ever.

According to researchers, on Saturday Ingenuity made the tenth flight over the Red Planet, while it covered a record distance of 1.6 km and climbed higher than usual.

The #MarsHelicopter’s success today marks its 1-mile total distance flown. It targeted an area called “Raised Ridges.” This is the most complex flight yet w/ 10 distinct waypoints and a record height of 40 ft (12 m). Its scouting is aiding – NASA JPL

Recall that the Ingenuity helicopter arrived on Mars along with the Perseverance rover in the spring to help in the study of the Red Planet.

In June, a member of the development team said there were no signs of wear in the Ingenuity helicopter’s drive system yet . With each flight, the developers receive additional information about the rotor characteristics and its thermal characteristics, which allows the team to gradually increase the allowable flight time.

Jul 26, 2021 0 comment

TECH

Windows 11 gets new preview with taskbar improvements

by NewsTeam Jul 25, 2021

written by NewsTeam

Windows 11 Taskbar Icons

Windows 11 has not yet been officially released, but the tech giant has already been releasing preview versions for the windows insiders. The latest version, identified as Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.100 was released this week by Microsoft.

Changes start with updating the hidden icons in the right corner of the taskbar. Now all the icons follow a visual pattern that is consistent with the design of Windows 11. You may need to switch between the light and dark theme for the change to be applied, Microsoft notes.

This area of the bar also gives access to the notification center. In this section, Microsoft has added a quick shortcut to focus wizard settings which mutes notifications for during moments you dont want distraction.

Another change appears in the function that causes the application to flash on the taskbar when the user’s attention is required. The latest update implements a this feature but in a subtle way to reduce the incidence of unnecessary distractions.

Microsoft Store, Teams, and Fixes

New features are not only added to the taskbar in this update but there are also minor changes in the Microsoft Store app, which is now “faster and more fun”, in the company’s words. When selecting an app or movie in the service, you may notice small animations that improve the browsing experience.

Another feature of this Windows 11 preview is the distribution of Microsoft Teams on the Windows Insider Dev channel, although not all participants in this category will have access to it immediately. Anyway, it’s worth remembering that Microsoft Teams will be the default chat tool for Windows 11 from now on.

The other changes —dozens of them—correspond to fixes in File Explorer, Windows 11 search, widgets, and the taskbar itself.

The details of the Windows 11 22000.100 build are on the Microsoft website in detail .

Jul 25, 2021 0 comment

TECH

Loongson 3A5000 introduced : Chinese processor competes with first-gen Ryzen CPU

by NewsTeam Jul 25, 2021

written by NewsTeam

Loongson 3A5000

Recently, Chinese chip manufacturing company showcased their monstrous 500-core H3C Engiant 800 processor built for the enterprise hardware environment.

The company Loongson has now introduced a consumer oriented CPU 3A5000 or more precisely LS3A5000 in the chinese market.

Although it has only four cores, but it’s still a very interesting achievement. First, the CPU is based on the company’s own architecture with the LoongArch GS464V instruction set.

This CPU also supports binary transformation extension (LBT) instructions, vector processing extension (LSX) instructions, vector processing enhanced extension (LASX) instructions, and virtualization extension instructions.

The processor cores are superscalar. Each contains four general purpose ALUs and a pair of 256-bit vector operations units. It all works at a frequency of 2.3-2.5 GHz.

Compared to the previous generation, performance has increased by 50%, and as a result, the 3A5000 should be able to compete with the first generation Ryzen processor.

The processor is aimed at consumer PCs, but, of course, will be exclusively available for the Chinese market only for now.

Jul 25, 2021 0 comment

TECH

Clubhouse data breach : 3.8 billion phone numbers up for sale on darknet

by NewsTeam Jul 25, 2021

written by NewsTeam

Clubhouse-data-breach

The entire Clubhouse database is up for sale – numbers of social network users and their contacts

The social network Clubhouse, which caused a lot of hype at the beginning of the year, distinguished itself again, but this time it was embroiled in an unpleasant scandal.

According to German sources, citing Swiss information security expert Marc Ruef, the complete database of Clubhouse phone numbers has been discovered and is put up for sale on the darknet which includes more than 3.8 billion numbers.

We are talking not only about the numbers of Clubhouse users, but also about their contact lists – these data were synchronized with the service. The database contains numbers of cell phones, landline phones, both of ordinary users and companies. Thus, if you have never even heard of Clubhouse, your phone number may be known to criminals and fraudsters. As proof, the seller published part of the database with 83.5 million phone numbers from Japan.

If the leak is confirmed, then the Clubhouse administration will face serious trouble, since the rules of the European Union on the processing and protection of personal data (General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR) prohibit the collection of information about people who are not users of the service. Penalties for such a violation include removing the application from the App Store and Google Play.

Recall that the Clubhouse social network, which debuted in 2020, with an emphasis on voice communication, has long been officially available only on iOS and by invitation only.

Clubhouse gained explosive popularity in early 2021 after it was “advertised” by Elon Musk. The app’s popularity has prompted leading social media and messengers, including Facebook, Telegram, Twitter and Instagram, to offer their own Clubhouse alternatives. A few days ago, the Clubhouse became available to everyone – invitations are no longer required .

Jul 25, 2021 0 comment

TECH

SpaceX Starlink satellite antenna equipped with SoC similar to budget smartphone

by NewsTeam Jul 25, 2021

written by NewsTeam

SpaceX Starlink satellite antenna

The disassembly of the SpaceX Starlink satellite Internet antenna showed that it is based on a quad-core chipset of about the same level that is now used in budget smartphones.

More specifically, the SoC includes four Cortex-A53 processor cores. The same configuration, for example, as found in the Helio A22. There is also a 4GB eMMC storage for firmware download.

Another interesting detail is the dedicated security processor, but there are no details about it. There is not even precise data on exactly what functions it performs.

Unfortunately, SpaceX is making changes to the antenna design, that is, the new revisions will be slightly different from the current ones . In that case, the cables are routed and connected differently, and without knowing this, one could damage the components during disassembly.

Jul 25, 2021 0 comment

TECH

Microsoft Excel shortcuts to make you a little more expert

by NewsTeam Jul 24, 2021

written by NewsTeam

Microsoft Excel Shortcuts

Excel is one of the most widely used tools in the world, but not only for work topics but also in many cases, in different types of studies of different courses. That is why it is important to know some tricks that can save us time while using Microsoft software.

There are several tricks that we should all know so that we can handle, in a more fluid way, a program such as Microsoft Excel .

If you have been using this tool for a long time, it is very possible that many of them already know them, but it is also true that some of them may have been forgotten or you did not knew it in the first place.

Let’s see which are the most used tricks and also a series of shortcuts that are very interesting to save time when working with this software from the company based in Redmond.

Shortcuts in Excel, thanks to the keyboard

To work with Excel we can use a series of shortcuts thanks to the keyboard that will make us perform certain tasks in a much faster way. The other way is to have to go to a menu to do them, in which case it is more time consuming.

In addition, with these shortcuts we will also gain comfort when we are working with a spreadsheet, since everything is done instantly and without having to search for anything. Let’s see what these shortcuts are:

KEY COMBINATION	ACTION
Worksheet Navigation
PgUp / PgDn	Move one screen up / down
Alt-PgUp / Alt-PgDn	Move one screen to the left / right
Ctrl-PgUp / Ctrl-PgDn	Move one worksheet tab to the left / right
Up / Down arrow key	Move one cell up / down
Tab	Move to the next cell to the right
Shift-Tab	Move to the cell to the left
Home	Move to the beginning of a row
Ctrl-Home	Move to the beginning of a worksheet
Ctrl-End	Move to the last cell that has content in it
Ctrl-Left arrow	Move to the word to the left while in a cell
Ctrl-Right arrow	Move to the word to the right while in a cell
Ctrl-G or F5	Display the Go To dialog box
F6	Switch between the worksheet, the Ribbon, the task pane and Zoom controls
Ctrl-F6	If more than one worksheet is open, switch to the next one
Ribbon Navigation
Alt	Display Ribbon shortcuts
Alt-F	Go to the File tab
Alt-H	Go to the Home tab
Alt-N	Go to the Insert tab
Alt-P	Go to the Page Layout tab
Alt-M	Go to the Formulas tab
Alt-A	Go to the Data tab
Alt-R	Go to the Review tab
Alt-W	Go to the View tab
Alt-Q	Put cursor in the Tell Me box
Alt-JC	Go to the Chart Tools / Design tab when cursor is on a chart
Alt-JA	Go to the Chart Tools / Format tab when cursor is on a chart
Alt-JT	Go to the Table Tools / Design tab when cursor is on a table
Alt-JP	Go to the Picture Tools / Format tab when cursor is on an image
Alt-JI	Go to the Draw tab (if available)
Alt-B	Go to the Power Pivot tab (if available)
Working with data
Shift-Spacebar	Select a row
Ctrl-Spacebar	Select a column
Ctrl-A or Ctrl-Shift-Spacebar	Select an entire worksheet
Shift-Arrow key	Extend selection by a single cell
Shift-PgDn / Shift-PgUp	Extend selection down one screen / up one screen
Shift-Home	Extend selection to the beginning of a row
Ctrl-Shift-Home	Extend selection to the beginning of the worksheet
Ctrl-C	Copy cell’s contents to the clipboard
Ctrl-X	Copy and delete cell’s contents
Ctrl-V	Paste from the clipboard into a cell
Ctrl-Alt-V	Display the Paste Special dialog box
Enter	Finish entering data in a cell and move to the next cell down
Shift-Enter	Finish entering data in a cell and move to the next cell up
Esc	Cancel your entry in a cell
Ctrl-;	Insert the current date
Ctrl-Shift-;	Insert the current time
Ctrl-T or Ctrl-L	Display the Create Table dialog box
Ctrl-End	When in the formula bar, move the cursor to the end of the text
Ctrl-Shift-End	In the formula bar, select all text from the cursor to the end.
Alt-F8	Create, run, edit or delete a macro
Formatting cells and data
Ctrl-1	Display the Format Cells dialog box
Alt-‘	Display the Style dialog box
Ctrl-Shift-&	Apply a border to a cell or selection
Ctrl-Shift-_	Remove a border from a cell or selection
Ctrl-Shift-$	Apply the Currency format with two decimal places
Ctrl-Shift-~	Apply the Number format
Ctrl-Shift-%	Apply the Percentage format with no decimal places
Ctrl-Shift-#	Apply the Date format using day, month and year
Ctrl-Shift-@	Apply the Time format using the 12-hour clock
Ctrl-K	Insert a hyperlink
Ctrl-Q	Display Quick Analysis options for selected cells that contain data
Working with formulas
=	Begin a formula
Alt-=	Insert an AutoSum function
Shift-F3	Insert a function
Ctrl-`	Toggle between displaying formulas and cell values
Ctrl-‘	Copy and paste the formula from the cell above into the current one
F9	Calculate all worksheets in all workbooks that are open
Shift-F9	Calculate the current worksheet
Ctrl-Shift-U	Expand or collapse the formula bar
Other useful shortcuts
Ctrl-N	Create a new workbook
Ctrl-O	Open a workbook
Ctrl-S	Save a workbook
Ctrl-W	Close a workbook
Ctrl-P	Print a workbook
Ctrl-F	Display the Find and Replace dialog box
Ctrl-Z	Undo the last action
Ctrl-Y	Redo the last action
Shift-F2	Insert or edit a cell comment
Ctrl-Shift-O	Select all cells that contain comments
Ctrl-9	Hide selected rows
Ctrl-Shift-(	Unhide hidden rows in a selection
Ctrl-0	Hide selected columns
Ctrl-Shift-)	Unhide hidden columns in a selection
F7	Spell check the active worksheet or selected range

Some of the main basic formulas that we have in Excel are the following:

SUM: add the values of the cells we want.
SUBTRACT: subtract the value of the cells we select.
MULTIPLICATION: for which functions we must write the = symbol and then indicate the cells separated from the * symbol.
DIVISION: we will write = after the dividend, the symbol / and the cell that will act as a divisor.
EVEN: to check if a number is even.
ODD: Same as above, but for odd numbers.
GREATER THAN: the formula is = A> B. It will tell us if true or false, that is, if it is greater than.
GREATER or EQUAL: the same as the previous one, but with the equal sign incorporated.
LESS THAN: the same as the previous ones, but with a minus sign.
LESS OR EQUAL: same as the previous one, but with the equal sign.
EQUAL TO: let’s check if two values are equal = A1 = B1
DIFFERENT FROM: To check if two values are different use A1 <> B2.
MAJOR: the name of the function is MAX.
MINOR: MIN function.
IF: The IF function performs a true or false type check to be able to set a value based on the result.

Jul 24, 2021 0 comment

TECH

How to choose an External Hard Drive – HDD or SSD ?

by NewsTeam Jul 24, 2021

written by NewsTeam

How to choose an external hard drives

External hard drives are useful for storing and carrying all kinds of files, keeping backup copies of your data safe and even storing all the photos and video of your most memorable moments. If you are thinking of buying one, we will tell you all the tips and tricks in this guide that we have prepared.

All users should have at least one external drive at home. Not only does it allow us to transport large data comfortably, it is also an excellent way to keep the backup copies of our devices safe , as well as to store photos, videos and files that we would like to keep to free up space from our computer.

If you still do not have one or would like to get a new one, surely you have many doubts about what characteristics you have to take into account when choosing an external hard drive that meets your needs for storage capacity, speed , size, strength, etc.

In addition, external hard drives have become an essential work tool in many professional fields, such as photographers or video content creators, who must constantly dump the contents off the camera’s memory cards onto a portable hard drive to continue your work.

There are many factors to take into account, but nobody like you knows the use you want to give it and that will define all the other characteristics. Anyway, we have prepared this guide full of tips and tricks for buying an external hard drive, so pay attention and take note.

external hard drives

Define what use you are going to store in the external hard drive

Before starting to assess the characteristics and specifications of external hard drives , the first thing you have to be clear about is what use you are going to give the unit. Do you want to transport data? Save backups? Store and play media files? Are you going to use it at home and in the office, or do you want it to work anywhere? Do you need a large capacity or is it worth it with a more restrained space?

All these considerations are important, since depending on your answers you will be able to decide what type of external hard drive will suit you best. Therefore, it is best to spend a few minutes defining what you are going to use the external hard drive for and, once you have it clear, we move on to the next point.

Types-of-external-hard-drives

What dimensions to choose?

Now that you are clear about the use that you are going to give your external hard drive, one of the first considerations when choosing your external storage unit is it’s physical size. Fortunately, today they have improved a lot in this regard .

If your objective is to use the device mainly to transport data from one place to another, the ideal is that you choose compact dimensions and a lighter weight, while if you are going to use it at home or in the office and do not plan to take it with you, nothing hampers in getting a bigger and heavier model.

In the first case, the perfect drive for you is a portable external hard drive in a 1.8 or 2.5 inch format, smaller and lighter in size than desktop external hard drives. In addition, this type has the advantage that it obtains the power it needs to work directly from the USB connection with the equipment, so that you do not have to worry about plugging it into the mains.

This makes it especially attractive as a backup disk to take with you on vacation and not lose all your photos if your camera memory card fails or is lost.

On the contrary, if the maximum distance that the disk will travel is from the table to the drawer and vice versa, or it will be in a fixed place, the most advisable thing is to choose an external desktop hard disk . These disks usually have a 3.5-inch format, the same as the internal disks of your computer, so both their dimensions and their weight are of no problem.

Also, keep in mind that when mounting a 3.5-inch disk inside, it needs a higher voltage than the one that the USB can supply, so this type of external disk needs to be plugged into the electrical outlet to be able to work .

HDD VS SSD

HDD vs. SSD

Another decision you have to make when buying an external hard drive is whether you are going to choose a HDD(Hard Drive Disk , also known as a mechanical hard disk) or an SSD ( Solid State Drive or solid state hard disk). .

HDDs record data using magnetism. They have mechanical parts inside, and are made up of one or more rigid disks that spin on the same axis where the read and write heads record or read the data. The higher the speed of the spin, the faster the information will be written and read, obtaining better transfer rates. It may seem like a trifle, but when you have to move 300 GB of data everything counts.

You can find external hard drives in 3.5 and 2.5-inch formats and, in relation to SSDs, they have the advantage of being much cheaper or offering storage capacities much higher than those that portable SSDs can offer. .

Hard disk drive platter

The solid state disks store data using electrical impulses in flash memories interconnected, while a controller chip performs the tasks of monitoring the work of reading and writing. These types of external storage units do not contain moving parts inside.

It is precisely because of this total absence of moving parts that SSDs have become one of the quintessential accessories for photographers and adventure enthusiasts , as they are more resistant to failures that can be caused by bumps or drops.

In addition, they stand out for their energy efficiency, which by lacking moving parts, contributes to consume less battery when connected to laptops and significantly increases the transfer speed. Typically 2.5 inches in size, there are a number of adventure-oriented portable SSDs that are much smaller and offer capacities of up to 2TB.

Unlike HDDs, SSDs consume less power, are absolutely silent, take less time to start up, offer faster data transfer speeds, and have a longer lifespan. Of course, as we have already mentioned, its price per GB is substantially more expensive and its capacity is usually less than its HDD counterparts in the same price range.

Hard Drive Features, Specifications, and Performance

After choosing what type of external hard drive to buy, the next thing to consider is the specifications and performance of the drive. These are the characteristics that you have to look at:

Storage capacity – The consumer-oriented hard drives that you can buy in stores offer you a capacity between 500 GB and 20 TB without too much trouble. Choose the space that best suits your needs, and if you are undecided, keep in mind that it is always better to have more space.

Transfer speed – The data transfer speed is closely tied to the type of connection the drive uses (USB 2, USB 3, eSATA). In addition, in the case of mechanical hard drives, the speed of rotation of the drives also has an influence. The transfer speed in SSDs is not affected by the revolutions, but it varies depending on the type of memory and the flash technology used.

Security – If you are going to save sensitive information, it is convenient that you pay attention to the security measures offered by the different models of external hard drive. Some offer you a basic experience, while others have been specially designed to provide maximum security when storing your data with additional measures such as encryption, specific protection software and other useful tools.

Connectivity – One of the most important characteristics that you have to take into account when buying an external hard drive are the connections it has, both to ensure that the unit is compatible with your devices and for the speed of file transfer. You can find drives with a USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB 3.1, Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt 2 and 3 connection and even with WiFi connectivity to be able to use it with any device with an Internet connection.

Durability – External hard drives wear out with time and use. The durability of HDDs varies depending on the model and its characteristics, some begin to fail after 12 months, while others have a useful life of more than six years.

Modern SSDs tend to last longer, with an average failure rate of 2 million hours, while modern HDDs have an average failure rate of 1.5 million hours. However, for long-term offline backup storage, HDDs are more reliable than SSDs.

Resistance – If you are going to transport your external hard drive and use it outdoors, choose a model that offers additional protection and preferably SSD. Some have a shock-resistant casing, and if you need to work with the unit in the most extreme conditions, you also have waterproof, water-resistant and submersible models at your disposal.

Jul 24, 2021 0 comment

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