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Glasgow Apple store workers have become the first in the UK to secure official union recognition.

GMB union organiser John Slaven called it a “compelling new chapter in the trade-union story” being written around the world.

Earlier this year, workers in the Maryland branch formed the first Apple retail union in the US.

Glasgow’s Buchanan Street Apple store staff previously said union recognition would be used to bid for higher wages.

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An Apple official told BBC News: “We have long been committed to providing an excellent experience for our customers and teams.

“Apple is one of the highest-paying retailers in Scotland and we’ve regularly made enhancements to our industry-leading benefits as a part of the overall support we provide to our valued team members.”

Cost-of-living crisis
In June, after joining the GMB and filing for voluntary union recognition, workers at the store told the Glasgow Evening Times they earned about £12 an hour.

“People are suffering with the cost-of-living crisis,” one said.

“We need a pay rise, pay transparency and a voice.”

Mr Slaven said Wednesday’s union-recognition ballot result was “testament to the hard work of the activists and workers” in the store.

The two-thirds majority showed the union was “pro-worker and not anti-employer” and “trade unionism should be a normal and welcome feature of any workplace”.

The move comes amid increased unionisation efforts from workers worldwide at technology giants such as Activision Blizzard, Amazon and Google parent company Alphabet.

Last month, Labour leader Keir Starmer urged Amazon to officially recognise GMB workers, after a strike ballot fell three votes short of a 50% threshold.

That means those models will no longer be eligible to be serviced by Apple.

Apple will mark four iMac desktop models as obsolete later this month, MacRumors reported Tuesday. These include the 21.5-inch and 27-inch ‌iMac‌ from late 2013, the 21.5-inch ‌iMac‌ from mid-2014 and the Retina 5K 27-inch ‌iMac‌ from late 2014.

The move will be official Nov. 30, according to the report. That means those models will no longer be eligible to be serviced by Apple.

According to Apple’s website, the last iMac desktop models to become obsolete were the 27-inch iMac from mid-2011, the 27-inch iMac from 2012 and the 20-inch iMac G5 (iSight).

These four models would join over 45 other obsolete iMac models. The entire list of vintage and obsolete Apple models can be found here.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple’s new iPhone features are cool, but disabling two of them could help your battery life.

Does it seem like your iPhone is always dying? You might not need to buy a new one just yet, but it’s probably time to make some changes. Maybe you need to charge it differently with the appropriate cables or invest in a decent power bank that lets you charge your iPhone from anywhere, without depending on a wall outlet.

You could also turn on Low Power Mode permanently or throw your iPhone into Airplane Mode to help preserve the little battery you have.

CNET Tech Tips logo
However, not all battery-saving tips are obvious, and if you’re running iOS 16 there are new ways that can help you keep your iPhone’s battery alive longer.

In this story, we’ll cover two new features to iOS 16, both of which consume your iPhone’s battery in varying degrees, and how you can turn them off to help preserve battery life. Here’s what you need to know.

And if you want some more battery savings tips and tricks, check out how to stop background apps from refreshing and how to replace your iPhone’s battery (cheaper than Apple).

Remove widgets from your lock screen
All the widgets on your lock screen force your apps to automatically run in the background, constantly fetching data to update the information the widgets display, like sport’s scores or the weather. And because these apps are constantly running in the background due to your widgets, that means they continuously drain power.

If you want to help preserve some battery on iOS 16, the best thing to do is simply avoid widgets on your lock screen (and home screen). The easiest way to do this is to switch to another lock screen profile — press your finger down on your existing lock screen and then swipe around to choose one that doesn’t have any widgets.

However, if you want to just remove the widgets from your existing lock screen, press down on your lock screen, hit Customize, choose the Lock Screen option, tap on the widget box and then hit the “—” button on each widget to remove them.

Keep haptic keyboard feedback turned off
Surprisingly, the keyboard on the iPhone has never had the ability to vibrate as you type, an addition that was recently made on iOS 16, known as haptic feedback. Instead of just hearing click-clack sounds, haptic feedback gives each key a vibration, providing a more immersive experience as you type. However, according to Apple, the very same feature may also affect battery life.

According to this Apple support page about the keyboard, haptic feedback “might affect the battery life of your iPhone.” No specifics are given as to how much battery life the keyboard feature does drain, but if you want to conserve battery, it’s best to keep this feature disabled.

Fortunately, it is not on by default. If you’ve enabled it in yourself, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback and toggle off Haptic to turn off haptic feedback for your keyboard.

And although they haven’t been released yet, Live Activities and the iCloud Shared Photo Library are two iOS 16 features that may also drain your battery, so look out for an update to this story on how to disable them.

Learn how to download the latest iOS 16 update today.

After releasing iOS 16 alongside the iPhone 14 last month, Apple has now rolled out another software update, iOS 16.0.3.

The latest update addresses bugs on some iPhone 14 models, including delayed or undelivered incoming calls and notifications and low microphone volume during CarPlay phone calls. It also fixes camera issues some iPhone 14 models have experienced, like a slow launch speed or spontaneously switching between camera modes.

The update also offers fixes that are not specific to iPhone 14 models. One change addresses an issue in which a malformed email could cause the Mail app to crash.

Here’s how iPhone users can download the update.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Software Update.
4. Tap Download and Install.

See also
With iOS 16 on Your iPhone, Do These 3 Things Immediately
iOS 16’s Best New Features: New iMessage Updates, Lock Screen
7 Hidden iOS 16 Features We Were Surprised to Find
4 Annoying iOS 16 Features You Can Fix Right Now

Apple’s iPhone lineup ranges pricewise from $429 to $1,599. Here are the best iPhones to match your needs and budget.

The best iPhone is obviously going to be different for everyone and really depends on your needs and budget. With the launch of the iPhone 14 series, Apple now sells eight different models that range in price from $429 for the iPhone SE (2022) to $1,599 for an iPhone 14 Pro Max with 1TB of storage.

The eight iPhone variants Apple currently sells are a mix of new models and phones that date back to 2020. Below are the various models, their release date, the number of rear cameras they have, their processor and their current list price, which for some phones includes a $30 activation fee that’s waived if you activate your iPhone on a carrier at the time of purchase.

But whether it’s the tiny iPhone 13 Mini and its 5.4-inch screen or the 2020 iPhone 12, you actually have a lot to consider to find your perfect phone. Navigating Apple’s iPhone spectrum can be overwhelming, whether you’re considering colors (the iPhone 13 comes in six), or features like the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island, which expands and contracts to show system alerts.

Then there are the cameras. The iPhone typically has some of the best cameras found on any phone. But the iPhone SE has just one on the back. The 12, 13, 13 Mini, 14 and 14 Plus each have dual-rear cameras. And then there’s the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max that not only have a trio of cameras but come with features like the ability to take ProRaw photos or record ProRes videos.

To further complicate things, carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon as well as third-parties like Best Buy and Amazon continue to sell discontinued models such as the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. And then there’s the prices. Apple’s starting price for each model isn’t necessarily what you’ll pay. Nearly all of the phones on this list can be bought for significantly less with a mixture of trade-ins and/or service commitments with most US wireless carriers.

I know, it’s a lot. Luckily, I have tested and reviewed all eight versions of the iPhone and can help you navigate through all the noise.

iPhone 14
Best iPhone for most people
When I reviewed the iPhone 14, I said it was essentially the iPhone 13 Pro’s processor and main camera inside the body of an iPhone 13. No doubt, some will be disappointed that the iPhone 14 isn’t radically different from previous models. But that’s part of its charm. Familiarity has been one of the keys to Apple’s success with the iPhone. And as the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The iPhone 14’s best features are ones you may never see or use — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. That includes Crash Detection, which can notify emergency services when you’re in an automobile accident. Starting in November, you’ll get Emergency SOS via Satellite that lets you use a satellite to message emergency dispatchers in places without cell coverage.

And while the iPhone 14 has a nearly identical flat-sided design as the iPhone 12 and 13, including a ceramic shield covering and a water resistant body, the inside has been completely redesigned. The 14’s back-glass is easier and more affordable to repair since it’s no longer attached to internals.

All phones in the iPhone 14 series only use eSIMs in the US and have a new selfie camera that for the first time ever has autofocus. Add in a new video stabilization tool called Action mode, an upgraded Cinematic mode that can capture 4K video at 24fps and iOS 16, and you have an excellent phone. If you activate it on a carrier, Apple drops the price to $799. Check out our iPhone 14 review.

iPhone 14 Pro
Best premium iPhone
From the back, the $999 iPhone 14 Pro looks identical to last year’s 13 Pro. But don’t let that sameness fool you. It’s the 14 Pro’s screen where there’s something different and wonderful going on. The display notch, that defined previous Face ID iPhone models, has morphed into a pill-shaped screen cutout that can show system alerts and background activities like when you receive a call or play music. Apple calls this functionality the Dynamic Island. I know, it’s not the best name, but it’s truly one of the best features.

The iPhone 14 Pro has a 6.1-inch adaptive-refresh-rate screen that adjusts between 1 and 120Hz depending on what’s on the screen. It also gets upgraded cameras, a faster processor, an always-on display, iOS 16 and new safety features like Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite. Driving all these upgrades is Apple’s new A16 Bionic chip, which in use feels peppy.

The main camera gets a new larger 48-megapixel sensor. While more megapixels doesn’t necessarily mean better photos, Apple divides the pixels into groups of four and combines them into one larger pixel. The result is a 12-megapixel photo that’s brighter and has less image noise and better detail.

The iPhone 14 Pro is the one of the best phones released by Apple or any phone maker this year. Check out our iPhone 14 Pro review.

iPhone 13
Best iPhone value
The $729 iPhone 13 is still an excellent phone. In fact, if you’re tempted by the iPhone 14 and want to save some money, grab a 13. They have essentially the same body, same screen and same A15 Bionic processor. Although technically, the iPhone 14’s processor does have an extra GPU core.

The iPhone 13, like the 12 before it, is defined by its square-sided design. It supports 5G, MagSafe charging and has cameras on par with the ones from 2020’s top-of-the-line iPhone 12 Pro Max.

But the iPhone 13’s best feature is its larger battery that, in our tests, lasted 4.5 hours more on a single charge than the iPhone 12, and nearly 3 hours longer than the new iPhone 14.

The 13 also has Cinematic mode, which is basically a video version of Portrait mode, and iOS 16, This all adds up to an excellent phone. The iPhone 13 earned a 2021 CNET Editors’ Choice Award. Also, if you activate it on a carrier at purchase, Apple drops the price to $699. Check out our iPhone 13 review.

iPhone 14 Plus
Most affordable big iPhone
The $929 iPhone 14 Plus is either a big iPhone 14 or a scaled-back iPhone 14 Pro Max, depending on your perspective. Ever since the iPhone XS Max launched in 2018, there has been only one option for those who love big screens: Pay top dollar and get a Max model with extra features you might not necessarily need (like a telephoto camera or a high refresh rate display). I know many CNET readers, friends and co-workers who have shelled out $1,100 or more for an iPhone 12 Pro Max or 13 Pro Max because it was the only way to get a phone in the size they wanted. But that changes now.

The 14 Plus has all of the iPhone 14’s features and, like the 14 Pro Max, it has a 6.7-inch display that gives you a larger canvas for watching videos, playing games and taking photos. The 14 Plus can either let you fit more onto the screen or just show everything the iPhone 14 does but much bigger. A magnified view seems like such a mundane feature, yet as my eyes get older, I definitely welcome it.

If you are deciding between the iPhone 14 Plus and the iPhone 14 Pro Max and you don’t need a telephoto camera, a high-refresh-rate screen or extra weight, I say go with the 14 Plus and save $200. If you activate it on a carrier, Apple drops the price to $899. Check out our iPhone 14 Plus review.

iPhone 13 Mini
Best small iPhone
Who said small phones don’t exist in 2022? The $629 iPhone 13 Mini is brilliant because it has everything the iPhone 13 has — it’s just smaller. It has the same square-edged looks, support for 5G and the same cameras. The 13 Mini’s defining feature is its 5.4-inch OLED screen that supports Dolby HDR. If that sounds too small, consider that Plus models, like the iPhone 8 Plus, had a 5.5-inch screen inside a much larger body. The 13 Mini’s secret is that it lacks those giant forehead and chin bezels that defined the iPhone for its first decade.

The screen is covered with Apple’s ceramic shield and the body, like nearly all phones on this list, has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. The 13 Mini has an A15 Bionic processor which puts it on the same level of performance as the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus.

The iPhone 13 Mini is the exact same price as the iPhone 12, but the Mini actually lasts longer on a single charge than the bigger iPhone 12. I only recommend you get the 13 Mini for its size. If you aren’t OK with a small phone, you might be disappointed or frustrated. And if you activate it on a carrier, Apple drops the price to $599. Check out our iPhone 13 Mini review.

iPhone 14 Pro Max
Best battery life
The $1,099 iPhone 14 Pro Max is just a big version of the iPhone 14 Pro. It has the same A16 Bionic processor, the same cameras and the same features. But it does differ in two big ways from the 14 Pro: It has a bigger 6.7-inch high-refresh rate screen and a bigger battery. In fact, in our tests, the iPhone 14 Pro Max had the longest battery life of any phone on this list.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is outstanding in every way. But I only recommend getting it if you want a bigger Pro model iPhone, because it weighs a lot. It’s 34 grams heavier than the iPhone 14 Pro and 37 grams heavier than the iPhone 14 Plus. Most of that weight comes from the 14 Pro Max’s stainless steel body. Check out our iPhone 14 Pro Max review.

iPhone 12
Best iPhone under $600
The $599 iPhone 12 and its flat-sided design marked the beginning of the current generation of Apple phones. Of everything on this list, it’s the oldest but also one of the cheapest, especially if you want to snag an iPhone with a contemporary look and Face ID.

The iPhone 12 has a 6.1-inch display covered in Apple’s ceramic shield for durability, a still-very-fast A14 Bionic chip, 5G support and MagSafe charging.

The iPhone 12 earned a 2020 CNET Editors’ Choice Award. If you choose to get an iPhone 12 and can afford to pay $50 more, I definitely recommend upgrading from 64GB of storage to 128GB. The iPhone 12 starts at $629, but if you activate it on a carrier, Apple drops the price to $599. Check out our iPhone 12 review.

iPhone SE
Best cheap iPhone
At $429, you might think the only appeal of the iPhone SE (2022) is its price. And admittedly that is a big factor. On the outside, the iPhone SE has the same body as the iPhone 8, which makes it the only iPhone on this list that still has TouchID. On the inside, the SE has the same A15 processor as the iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 14 and 14 Plus which takes the 2017 camera hardware and gives it an injection of Apple’s computational photography magic.

The SE represents the classic iPhone design but with the added ability to run the latest version of iOS and apps. One of the quieter updates in 2022 was that the SE’s back was upgraded to the back glass used on the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini. The iPhone SE is simply your most affordable way into all of Apple services like FaceTime, iMessage and iCloud. Check out our iPhone SE review.

The government has extended two deadlines for the removal of Huawei equipment from the UK’s 5G networks.

The requirement to remove the Chinese company’s products from the network core has been pushed back 11 months, to 31 December 2023.

And a limit on the amount of Huawei kit in fibre-broadband infrastructure must now be achieved by the end of October,l rather than July, next year.

It follows advice from the National Cyber Security Centre.

The NCSC decided the security of Huawei’s products could no longer be managed, in 2020, following a US decision to place the company under sanctions, and the UK government said all its equipment had to be stripped out of the UK by the end of 2027.

This and eight other interim deadlines remain unchanged.

‘Network outages’
The US authorities fear Huawei’s 5G equipment makes countries vulnerable to their data being accessed by the Chinese state or having critically important services switched off.

Huawei has denied being controlled by the Chinese government or posing a security threat.

The new deadline extensions follow consultations with Huawei and UK telecoms providers.

The government said a small number of operators had indicated – because of the pandemic and global supply-chain issues – the original deadlines risked network outages and disruption for customers.

Providers should meet the original targets wherever possible, it said, and it expected most of them would do so.

‘Security risk’
The direction to remove Huawei equipment is also being put on a legal footing through the handing of notices called designated-vendor directions to all 35 UK telecoms network operators, under the Telecoms Security Act, which came into force in November 2021.

Digital Secretary Michelle Donelan said it allowed the government to “drive up the security of telecoms infrastructure and control the use of high-risk equipment”.

“We must have confidence in the security of our phone and internet networks, which underpin so much about our economy and everyday lives,” she added.

NCSC technical director Dr Ian Levy said: “The Telecoms Security Act ensures we can be confident in the resilience of the everyday services on which we rely and the legal requirements in this designated-vendor direction are a key part of the security journey.”

Huawei has been issued a separate document – a designation notice – which categorises the company as a high-risk vendor of 5G network equipment and services and sets out all of the reasons the government considers it a national security risk, including the impact of the US sanctions.

Keeping your iPhone in Low Power Mode could save your battery charge, but what do you lose?

We all know the iPhone drill: a “Low Battery. 20% battery remaining” alert, followed by options to tap Low Power Mode or deny reality by tapping Close. Apple added Low Power Mode as part of iOS 9 in order to save battery, so should battery-conscious iPhone users just keep Low Power Mode on all the time now that we’re on iOS 16?

The reality of keeping Low Power Mode always on is that the pros and cons will depend on your iPhone model, how you use the phone and how much you care about saving your battery charge. Learn exactly what Low Power Mode disables and how to keep it on permanently, if you want to give it a try.

For more, be sure that you’re not charging your iPhone the wrong way, and learn why the iPhone battery meter icon is changing with iOS 16.1.

What is iPhone Low Power Mode?
Low Power Mode is an iOS setting that disables some iPhone features to save battery charge when it is low. Your iPhone will ask you if you want to turn on Low Power Mode when your battery drops to 20%, and then again at 10%.

Apple says that Low Power Mode reduces the amount of power that your iPhone is using to make your battery last longer.

You can tell when you are in Low Power Mode because your battery icon will be yellow. Your iPhone automatically turns off Low Power Mode when your battery charge reaches 80%.

Which features does iPhone Low Power Mode disable?
According to the official Apple support page, Low Power Mode makes these changes to conserve your battery’s charge:

Turns off 5G (except for video streaming)
Sets your iPhone screen to turn off after 30 seconds of inactivity
Reduces display brightness
Lowers display refresh rate for iPhones with ProMotion
Eliminates some visual effects
Pauses iCloud Photos sync
Suspends automatic downloads
Pauses email fetch
Stops background apps from refreshing
Low Power Mode also disables viewing videos in HDR, turns off the Always On display in iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, disables video autoplay, and reduces CPU and GPU performance.

How do I turn on iPhone Low Power Mode?
The manual way to keep Low Power Mode on all the time would be to simply put your iPhone into Low Power Mode every time after you charge it. You can turn it on manually by going to Settings > Battery and toggling on Low Power Mode.

You can also turn on Low Power Mode manually with the iPhone Control Center or with Siri.

How do I turn on iPhone Lower Power Mode permanently?
But there’s a simple way to “set it and forget it.” To automatically keep your iPhone in Low Power Mode at all times, you’ll need to get a little crafty and make your own Personal Automation using the Shortcuts app.

There are many ways to automatically set Low Power Mode using Shortcuts, but for me, the easiest method is to turn on Low Power Mode whenever the battery is less than 100%. That way, your iPhone is essentially in Low Power Mode all the time, but it can also create backups, complete downloads and receive updates when it’s plugged in and charged at 100%.

Scroll all the way to the right on your iPhone home screen to get to your App Library, then scroll down and tap Shortcuts. Once the app is running, select Automation at the bottom of the screen, then tap the blue Create Personal Automation button.

On the New Animation screen, scroll down and select Battery Level. Tap the bottom option, Falls Below, and then move the slider all the way to the right for 100%. Then click Next. You’ve set your condition for triggering an action.

Now create the action to set your iPhone to Low Power Mode. On the Actions screen, click the blue Add Action button. You can then type in “Low” in the search box and tap Set Low Power Mode, or tap Scripting and find it under Device.

Once you’ve selected Set Low Power Mode, it will show up on your Actions screen as “Turn Low Power Mode On.” Click Next. On the following New Automation screen, toggle Ask Before Running off to let Lower Power Mode be turned on automatically. If you want, you can request a notification for every time the automation runs.

Confirm “Don’t Ask,” then tap Done to finish. You’re all set. Every time your battery drops below 100%, your iPhone will automatically switch into Low Power Mode.

How much battery charge does Low Power Mode save?
You’re not going to get a definitive answer here. The value of Low Power Mode has been debated ever since it was introduced. While some estimates say battery charges will last about one and a half times longer using Low Power Mode, others show very little difference in battery usage.

If you’re concerned with making your iPhone battery last longer, you’ll simply need to try out Low Power Mode for yourself and see the difference.

My own experience squares with that early estimate of a battery charge that lasts about 50% longer on Low Power Mode. Anecdotally, I find that Low Power Mode matters less when I am using the phone more. The benefit of Low Power Mode seems greater when my phone is idle, or used sparingly for texts and 2FA messaging.

On weekdays, when I’m working and mostly using my laptop computer, I generally only need to charge my phone every other day if I leave it in Low Power Mode. That still includes activities like posting on social media, streaming music with Spotify and watching downloaded videos on Netflix. If I don’t have Low Power Mode turned on permanently, I usually need to charge my phone every day.

How to get rid of Low Power Mode

If you find that Low Power Mode doesn’t save your battery, you can turn off the automation by going into Shortcuts and toggling off Enable This Animation. To erase it completely, swipe left on your Low Power Mode automation on the main Automation screen, then tap the red Delete button.

You can also create your own custom version of Low Power Mode by tweaking your iPhone settings to take some of the measures that Low Power Mode does. For example you can save significant battery by stopping background apps from refreshing or adjusting your brightness settings.

Your avatar won’t be a floating torso for much longer.

Meta’s next-generation avatars will have legs, and you’ll be able to use your avatar in more places online, the company said Tuesday at its Meta Connect event.

“Legs are hard,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at the event. “We’re going to bring legs to Horizon [Worlds] first, and we’re going to keep bringing them to more experiences over time as we improve our technology stack.” The company’s present-day avatars appear as floating torsos with heads, arms and hands.

In addition to legs, Meta said, avatars will also show a wider range of facial expressions and reactions to better convey how people are feeling. People will also be able to choose more body types and skin tones for their avatars to better represent who they are.

Meta also announced a new feature that lets you use your avatar in Zoom meetings, called Mission Zoom. Once it’s launched, if you don’t want to be on camera but you still want to show up on screen, your avatar will be able to take your place.

These features are expected to arrive in 2023.

Facebook rebranded itself as Meta in 2021 to signal its ambition to be one of the driving forces in metaverse adoption.

“In our DNA, we are a company that builds technology to connect people, and the metaverse is the next frontier,” Zuckerberg said at the time.

Zuckerberg envisions the metaverse as a 3D virtual world that you might enter while wearing a headset or AR glasses — like Meta’s Quest 2 VR headset.

For more from Meta Connect, check out CNET’s Quest Pro hands-on review, read the news about Meta and NBCUniversal’s partnership, and venture behind the doors of Meta’s Reality Labs.

Have iOS 16 questions? CNET has answers, from compatibility to best features.Put these 70-plus hotkeys in your toolkit to master Microsoft’s operating system.

Microsoft rolled out its Windows 11 software update in September with a handful of new additions. Though many of the features and settings are still the same as they were on Windows 10, fresh add-ons include a few unique keyboard shortcuts to perform tasks faster and improve your overall productivity.

Read more: Windows 11: How to Download Microsoft’s Latest OS

In this story we’ll cover the most important keyboard shortcuts for Windows 11, many of which carry over from Windows 10 and earlier versions of Microsoft’s operating system. That includes the basics, like copying highlighted items and undoing a previous action, as well as lesser known shortcuts, like snapping an active window into place.

Here’s a handy list of the most useful keyboard shortcuts for navigating Windows 11. And if you want to check out more on Windows 11, here are nine hidden Windows 11 features and how to make Windows 11 act more like Windows 10.

Windows 11 shortcut basics
To start, here are the ones you’ll use most often.

Ctrl + A: Select all items in a window.
Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert: Copy selected or highlighted item (text, images and so on).
Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert: Paste selected or highlighted item.
Ctrl + X: Cut selected or highlighted item.
Ctrl + Z: Undo previous action.
Ctrl + Y: Redo action.
Ctrl + N: When File Explorer is your current window, open a new File Explorer window with the same folder path as the current window.
Windows key + F1: Open “how to get help in windows” Bing search in default browser.
Alt + F4: Close the current app or window.
Alt + Tab: Switch between open apps or windows.
Shift + Delete: Delete selected item permanently (skip the Recycle Bin).
Start menu and taskbar
You can use these keyboard shortcuts to open, close and otherwise control the Start menu and the taskbar.

Windows key or Ctrl + Esc: Open Start menu.
Windows key + X: Open the secret Start menu.
Windows key + T: Cycle through the apps (including pinned apps) on the taskbar.
Windows key + [Number]: Open the app pinned in the [number] position on the taskbar. For example, if you have Edge pinned in the first position on the taskbar and you click Windows key + 1, Edge will open. If the app is already open, a new instance or window will open.
Windows key + Alt + [Number]: Open the right-click menu for the app pinned in the [number] position on the taskbar.
Windows key + D: Show or hide desktop (Windows key + , will display the desktop briefly).
Screenshots
Windows 11 also has several ways to take a screenshot, including three different keyboard shortcuts.

PrtScn: Take a screenshot of your entire screen and save it to your clipboard.
Windows key + PrtScn: Take a screenshot of your entire desktop and save it to a folder on your computer.
Windows key + Shift + S: Open Snipping Tool menu to take a screenshot of only a section of your screen.

The desktop: Windows, Snap Assist and virtual desktops
These shortcuts control how individual windows act on your desktop, including virtual desktops.

Windows key + M: Minimize all open windows.
Windows key + Shift + M: Restore minimized windows.
Windows key + Home: Minimize all windows except the selected or currently active window.
Windows key + Up arrow: Maximize selected window.
Windows key + Shift + Up arrow: Maximizes the active window vertically while maintaining its width.
Windows key + Down arrow: Minimize selected window.
Windows key + Left arrow: Snap selected window to the left half of the screen.
Windows key + Right arrow: Snap selected window to the right half of the screen.
Windows key + Alt + Up: Snap selected window to top half of the screen.
Windows key + Alt + Down: Snap selected window to bottom half of the screen.
Windows key + Shift + Left arrow or Right arrow: Move selected window to the left or right monitor.
Windows key + Tab: Open Task view (virtual desktops).
Windows key + Ctrl + D: Add new virtual desktop.
Windows key + Ctrl + Right arrow: Move to the next virtual desktop (to the right).
Windows key + Ctrl + Left arrow: Move to the previous virtual desktop (to the left).
Windows key + Ctrl + F4: Close current virtual desktop.
The Windows key
These keyboard shortcuts use the Windows logo key to perform various tasks, such as launching both Windows and third-party apps.

Windows key + A: Open the Action Center.
Windows key + S: Open Cortana in text mode, so you can type in the search bar. (Windows key + Q does the same thing.)
Windows key + C: Open Cortana in listening mode (similar to saying “Hey, Cortana”).
Windows key + E: Open File Explorer.
Windows key + F: Open the Windows 10 Feedback Hub.
Windows key + Ctrl + F: Search for PCs on a network.
Windows key + G: Open the Game bar.
Windows key + H: Open the Share sidebar.
Windows key + I: Open the Settings menu.
Windows key + K: Open the Connect sidebar (for connecting to new Bluetooth devices or Miracast).
Windows key + L: Lock your computer.
Windows key + O: Lock screen orientation.
Windows key + P: Open presentation or projection sidebar.
Windows key + R: Open the Run window.
Windows key + U: Open Ease of Access center.
Windows key + W: Open the Windows Ink Workspace for scribbling on tablets or touchscreen laptops.
Windows key + (+) or (-): Zoom in and out with magnifier.
Windows key + Esc: Exit magnifier.
The F keys
The F keys at the top of your keyboard can perform a number of actions when used with other keys, but they’re also useful on their own.

F2: Rename a selected item.
F3: Quickly search for files in File Explorer.
F4: Highlight the address bar in File Explorer.
F5: Refresh your active window.
F6: Cycle through elements (tab, buttons, search bar, etc.) in a window or your desktop.
Alt + F8: Show login password on the start screen.
F10: Activate the menu bar in the active window.
Command Prompt
You can use these keyboard shortcuts inside the Windows Command Prompt.

Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert: Copy selected text to the clipboard.
Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert: Paste copied text inside the Command Prompt.
Ctrl + A: Select all text on current line. (If the current line has no text, all text inside the Command Prompt will be selected.)
Ctrl + Up or Down: Move screen one line up or down.
Ctrl + F: Search Command Prompt via Find window.
Ctrl + M: Enter Mark mode (allows you to select text with mouse). Once Mark mode is enabled, you can use the arrow keys to move the cursor around.
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Starting at $350, Google’s first smartwatch has a lot of potential.

The Pixel Watch is Google’s first smartwatch, At an event on Thursday, we got to get our hands on one. The watch has a circular face and is packed with Fitbit tracker features. Google unveiled the Pixel Watch alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones back at its annual developer conference in May, but we haven’t gotten to see them in-person until this week.

The announcement comes after Google teased the Pixel Watch in May during its I/O developers conference. While Google previously revealed what the watch would look like and provided a preview of its software, it saved many of the core details around pricing, design and functionality for Thursday’s unveiling.

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Aside from making the Wear OS smartwatch software that’s used by Samsung, Fossil and Michael Kors, Google’s largely been absent from the smartwatch market. The company also owns Fitbit, which it acquired in 2021. The $350 (£339, AU$549) Pixel Watch, however, is the first smartwatch to be positioned as a Google device under its flagship Pixel brand. It comes as the company has been making a renewed push into hardware to establish itself as a household name alongside Apple and Samsung in the mobile device market.

The Pixel Watch has an elegant design that separates it from most Android-compatible smartwatches available on the market. But coming seven years after the original Apple Watch’s launch, it has a lot of catching up to do from an industry-wide perspective. Apple leads the smartwatch space with 29% of the global market as of the second quarter of 2022, according to Counterpoint Research. Samsung is the leader when it comes to Android-compatible smartwatches with 9% of the market, a number that trails far behind Apple.

With its sharp looks and Fitbit health metrics, the Pixel Watch already seems like a promising choice for Android device owners. But I could also see how the Pixel Watch could complicate how Fitbit’s own smartwatches fit into Google’s product lineup. The company says the Pixel Watch is for those who want Fitbit’s health tracking along with additional smartwatch features that Fitbit devices lack, such as optional LTE connectivity and Google Play Store apps.

The $300 Fitbit Sense 2, on the other hand, includes additional health and wellness capabilities such as skin temperature measurements and the ability to detect potential signs of stress. Whether the Pixel Watch becomes a hit could be an indicator of what consumers value most in a smartwatch.

Google said in May it’s positioning the Pixel Watch as a premium smartwatch, and that approach comes across in its aesthetic. The Pixel Watch has a domed, circular glass design with scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and a stainless steel housing that makes it look more like a regular wristwatch than most smartwatches I’ve seen.

The watch is water resistant up to 5 ATM, which means it should be able to withstand pressure equal to a depth of 50 meters. It also features an always-on display that can show the time and other information when the screen is idle, just like Apple’s flagship watches and Fitbit’s smartwatches. It will be available in four finish options: matte black with an obsidian active band, polished silver with a charcoal active band, polished silver with a chalk active band or champagne gold with a hazel active band.

There will also be a variety of band styles to choose from, ranging from lightweight sports bands to breathable woven bands designed for sleep tracking to more formal leather and metal mesh options. The stretch band is surprisingly light and soft, and I could see how it would be ideal to wear to bed. It almost feels like wearing a scrunchie on my wrist.

Swapping out the bands is relatively simple; it requires pressing a button where the band connects to the housing and then sliding the band in the same direction. It took me a couple of tries to get the hang of it, but it’s easy once you get used to it.

At first glance, the Pixel Watch feels like the Apple Watch’s closest competitor in terms of design — except it’s round rather than square. As a longtime Apple Watch wearer, the Pixel Watch’s use of premium materials and the look and feel of its straps has given me some deja vu — but in a good way. There’s also a crown along the side of the watch that doubles as a button and a scroll wheel, much like the Apple Watch’s digital crown. But the Pixel Watch’s domed glass gives it a distinguished look that sets it apart from most wearables, even the Apple Watch and high-end hybrid watches such as the Withings ScanWatch Horizon.

That said, I also noticed the bezels framing the display are a bit wide, although they do seamlessly blend into the rest of the watch. The watch itself is also fairly wide, but I’ll have to spend more time with it before I can tell if these factors impact the experience overall.

Pixel Watch software is a combination of Google and Fitbit

The Pixel Watch runs on Google’s Wear OS 3.5 software and inherits some of Fitbit’s health features. In the short amount of time I’ve had to see the Pixel Watch in person, the software looks a lot like the new redesigned interface on the Fitbit Sense 2. It also feels fast and snappy. Compared to the Sense 2, I felt like I was gliding around the operating system, whereas there’s sometimes a pause before launching apps on the Fitbit Sense 2.

Similar to the Sense 2, the Pixel Watch has tiles for showing activity data, heart rate, the weather, exercise shortcuts and other bits of information. Pushing the Pixel Watch’s crown will take you to your apps, similar to how pressing the Sense 2’s side button pulls up your app list. You’ll also get Fitbit-specific metrics such as Active Zone Minutes, which gives you more credit depending on how high your heart rate is while working out and a daily readiness score.

But the software doesn’t seem to be exactly the same. Google is positioning the Pixel Watch as more of a full-featured smartwatch, so it includes some extras like smart home controls, access to the Google Play Store from your wrist and optional LTE connectivity (although the cellular version of the watch will cost slightly higher at $400). Emergency SOS, international emergency calling and mobile payments through Google Wallet will be available, too, and the watch also includes a compass for navigation. From what I’ve seen, the Pixel Watch’s performance also seems snappier than Sense 2’s, although I’ll have to spend time with the Pixel Watch to know for sure.

Watch faces also seem like a much bigger deal on the Pixel Watch; there are 18 styles that Google says can be highly personalized. For example, you can change the color of the face and the dials and add complications. Again, this should all sound familiar to anyone who has used an Apple Watch.

Pixel Watch has Fitbit health tracking

From a health tracking perspective, you could almost think of the Pixel Watch as a really nice-looking Fitbit smartwatch. All of your health data will live in the Fitbit app (although Google says it will continue to support Google Fit, too). You’ll be able to add the Pixel Watch to your Fitbit app just like any other Fitbit device. That means in addition to workout and activity tracking, you’ll get Fitbit-specific metrics like your readiness score and sleep score. The Pixel Watch will also come with six months of free Fitbit Premium, Fitbit’s $10 monthly subscription that provides access to additional health metrics and workout programs.

Google claims the Pixel Watch will offer the company’s most accurate heart rate tracking yet thanks to these sensors and its machine learning algorithms, even surpassing Fitbit’s devices.

It’ll also be updated with the ability to take blood oxygen saturation measurements and can take an ECG from the wrist, just like watches from Fitbit and Apple. Similar to the Apple Watch, the Pixel Watch will support fall detection and also has built-in GPS for tracking running routes.

The major feature missing from the Pixel Watch compared with the Fitbit Sense 2, Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Apple Watch Series 8 is a temperature sensor. That shouldn’t be a deal breaker, however, since temperature sensors are relatively new to smartwatches and companies are still figuring out the best ways to make that data useful. Plus, Google sees that as a differentiating factor between the Fitbit Sense 2 and Pixel Watch.

The Pixel Watch should last for 24 hours on a single charge and runs on an Exynos 9110 processor along with a coprocessor, says Google. That should put its battery life at about the same length as the Apple Watch’s, although we’ll know more when we actually get to test the watch. The Fitbit Sense 2, on the other hand, is rated to last for around six days, according to Fitbit. Pixel Watch buyers will also get three free months of YouTube Music Premium, and there’s a built-in speaker and microphone for things like taking calls and using the Google Assistant.

It’s a bit surprising that Google didn’t develop its own Tensor processor for the Pixel Watch considering it’s such a big part of the phone experience. Google says the Pixel Watch’s system-on-a-chip and coprocessor handle different tasks to maximize power and performance. The coprocessor, for example, handles things like step counting, GPS and background heart rate, while the main processor drives Wear OS and LTE functionality.

Pixel Watch early thoughts
When it comes to smartwatches, Android device owners have had to deal with a fragmented ecosystem of products from Samsung, Fitbit, Garmin, Michael Kors and others. Most of those watches specialize in either fitness or fashion with little overlap. The Pixel Watch could be the first Android-focused smartwatch to change that, but the question is whether that alone will be enough to make it a success.