By Yanatha Desouvre
The Start Menu has come back to Windows
With Windows 8, Microsoft got rid of the beloved “start menu,” where a list of frequently used applications and documents were easily accessible. They tried to bring it back in Windows 8.1, but it was too late.
However, in Windows 10 the newly redesigned “start menu” has returned. It is a great blend of the simplicity of Windows 7 and the beauty of Windows 8. The start button can be found on the bottom left corner of your screen.
Hey Cortana: Say hello to your little friend…
Cortana is a voice activated personal assistant; Microsoft’s version of Apple’s Siri.
- Type a question into the search box
- Click on the Notebook icon
- Click Settings
- Turn on “Hey Cortana”
- Click the “Learn my voice” button so that Cortana can become familiar with your voice and have fun
Contact Support: ‘Someone please call 911…’
Unless your computer catches on fire, there is no real need to call 911. However, if you can’t find an answer to a Windows 10 question in “An Essential Guide to Windows 10,” you can use the new “contact support” feature.
Users will be able to contact support and receive online help for all Microsoft products, including Xbox, Skype and the Windows store. You can chat online with customer support representative or even schedule a call back time.
Microsoft Edge: “A whole new world…”
There is a famous theme song from a children’s animated film that describes “a whole new world,” and with Microsoft Edge, Microsoft has stepped out onto a ledge into a more intuitive, interactive and, dare I say it, fun world.
Microsoft Edge formally known as a Project Spartan, is the newest way to surf the web and much more. To quickly launch Microsoft Edge:
- In the search or “ask me anything” box type in Microsoft Edge and select Microsoft Edge
- It is the only web browser that allows you to take notes, highlight, and doodle directly on webpages
- Microsoft Edge has the ability to save articles and content you may want to read later by selecting “add to favorites and reading list,” “reading list,” and then “add.”
- For a clean and simple layout, select “reading view” in the address bar. This will bring whatever you are reading front-and-center without any unnecessary ads
Privacy: “I always feel like somebody’s watching me”
The Internet has been buzzing about Windows 10 privacy. In the words of the Rock ‘n Roll inductees, “Don’t believe the hype.” With the controversial privacy setting, Microsoft is trying to get to know its users better like every other company the public interacts with daily.
These settings are turn on by default, allowing every app to have access to your name, photos and other account details; however, there is something you can do about it — disable access to your information. To disable or turn off the settings do the following:
- Click on the Start Menu
- Select Settings
- Select Privacy
- From the General to the Background apps tab you can choose what app has access to what information.
Yanatha Desouvre is an author, poet, speaker, an experienced Information Technology professional currently at the University of Pennsylvania and an adjunct professor at Chestnut Hill College. He is author of “An Essential Guide to Windows 10” Five percent of the sales will go to Foundation Hope for Haiti Inc. to support their work in improving healthcare, strengthening schools and nurturing communities in Haiti.