Windows 1903 is coming

Windows 1903 is coming

The May 2019 release of Windows update 1903 includes some new features. It promises to have more control of how and when updates will be installed on Home editions of Windows 10 unlike before. You will be able to pause updates for up to 35 days and you will no longer automatically be pushed into a feature update just because one exists.

The update includes a neat function that "reserves storage" to help improve the installation success rate, especially on machines with limited storage by allocating 7 GB of storage specifically for updates.

There is a new light desktop theme theme, this allows the user interface to appear white. The default Windows 10 wallpaper has even been tweaked to aid the light theme. There are updates to a number of default apps such as snipping tool, paint.

Past feature updates have not rolled out as smoothly as Microsoft have wanted. This time round they have tested the update for longer and even opened up a online dashboard so we can see the issues that arise from any possible update failures.

If you want the Windows 10 May 2019 Update, get it directly from Windows Update by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and checking for updates. 

Let us know if you experience any issues with the new update.

5 Tips to prolong your notebook battery life

Notebooks these days have battery's that claim to last for hours and hours. The Macbooks are generally really good with their long life and the latest Windows pc's are also getting better. A colleague recently replaced is default factory fitted battery with a long life battery in his HP notebook. The battery is giving him a couple of hours now. This brought on a Google search for tips to prolong battery life without buying a new battery.

I came across this article from the guys at DailyFive. DailyFive is in their own words "...the simplest way to read and share breaking tech news, reviews and features on your mobile device. Whether it has buttons or batteries, it's in our backyard." You can get their app from here DailyFive.

They suggest five different ways to prolong your battery life.

1. Dim your screen - most of the notebooks these days have power-efficient LED displays but if you are using a slightly older model, dim your display. This simple step could save you a couple of extra minutes.
2. Change your drive - conventional hard drives uses more power spinning those platters than a solid state disk, SSD, does. By changing your disk you could see a saving of up to 30 minutes.
3. Wi-Fi switch - if you not using your wi-fi then switch it off, either with the physical switch or by using the software. It doesn't make sense to have it on if you are not using it. The same goes for Bluetooth. You can switch your Bluetooth off independently of your wi-fi.
4. Upgrade your software - the newer operating systems are far more power efficient and are getting better with each release so consider upgrading to the latest software.
5. Modern day circuitry and chargers mean in it is fine to leave the computer connected to the charger. It is recommended to try and prevent the battery from discharging unnecessarily but once every 4 weeks let the battery discharge fully and leave it for a couple of hours and then follow it up with a full recharge.

There are many other ways to prolong the life of your battery and most of them are inexpensive and easy to do. Windows has a power options function that you can customise what the computer does when on battery and this will also go a long way in increasing the life of your battery.

Thanks again to the guys at DailyFive for the short and concise articles. Go get the app for yourself.

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