Tag: Book

  • How to install Windows 11 if your PC does not meet minimum requirements

    How to install Windows 11 if your PC does not meet minimum requirements


    Microsoft released Windows 11 earlier today, along with updated minimum hardware requirements. Many people have already complained on Twitter that their relatively new hardware, such as Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 (released in 2017) and even newer hardware, isn’t compatible. This is due to the fact that Microsoft now requires the presence of a TPM 2.0 module in the device, as explained below by the Twitter handle @KorokuGaming:

    Open Windows Powershell and type get-tpm to see if your device has the compatible TPM; here’s an example from one of our recently built gaming rigs:

    Windows 11 screenshots

    In a nutshell, if you are planning to try out Windows 11 then you’ll need the minimum specs below:

    • 1Ghz 64-bit dual-core processor
    • 4GB RAM
    • 64GB storage
    • 9-inch display (1366×768 resolution)
    • UEFI, Secure Boot
    • TPM 2.0
    • DirectX 12 compatible graphics / WDDM 2.x

    Windows 11 screenshots

    If you get the above message when running the Windows PC Health Check app, there’s still a way to get Windows 11 next week when it’s released to Insiders. You’ll need to opt into the Dev channel of Windows Insiders within Windows 10, and you’ll get the build automatically when it’s released, minimum specs be damned.

    To join Windows Insiders, go to All Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program (you may be prompted to enable Optional Diagnostic & Feedback), then click Get started and select the Dev channel if it’s available (you may have to restart Windows in order to switch channels).

    The complete process is outlined in this post at the Windows Insider Blog:

    All Windows Insiders who have already been installing builds from the Dev Channel on their PCs up through June 24, 2021 will be allowed to continue installing Windows 11 Insider Preview builds even if their PC does not meet the minimum hardware requirements.

    People who choose to get Windows 11 Insider builds despite the fact that their device isn’t eligible may experience bugs that will never be fixed, which could lead to them being flagged as having an incompatible device when reporting bugs to Microsoft.

    Windows 11
    Come here my pretty!

    Furthermore, if you run into issues and decide to reinstall Windows by hard-resetting your computer, those devices will be automatically opted out of Windows 11 Insider Preview builds and will not be able to upgrade to Windows 11. These devices will be treated as new PCs, according to Microsoft, and the minimum hardware requirements will be enforced.

    Finally, when Windows 11 is made generally available, which means when the final build is released, those PCs will be removed from the flighting program and will have to reinstall Windows 10 from scratch.

  • How to learn any skills faster in six steps

    How to learn any skills faster in six steps


    Practice makes perfect when it comes to skills.

    G. I. Joe Fallacy: the idea that knowing is half the battle. It needs to be retired not just from our theories of how the mind works, but also from our practices of trying to shape minds to work better.

    Laurie Santos and Tamar Gendler

    As a consequence, if you want to achieve an objective, lectures alone will not suffice. You want to be more prepared. Lectures can only help you learn more. It will not provide you with the tools you need to improve your job performance.

    Set (realistic) goals!

    Your objectives should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound).

    You can also use the WOOP technique (wish, result, challenge, plan) to set goals and achieve them more quickly.

    In his book Originals, Wharton Organizational Psychology Professor Adam Grant suggests that the greatest input comes from fellow creators, not from the audience or managers.

    We could all rely more on peer feedback and do a better job saying, “When I’ve got a new idea, I’m not necessarily going to trust my own judgment. But I’m not always going to trust … middle managers who tend to be the most risk-averse and most conservative. I’m going to go to people who are fellow creators.”

    Adam Grant

    Deliberate practice to learn any skill faster!

    Regular practice may be mindless repetitions, whereas deliberate practice requires focused attention and is done with the explicit goal of increasing performance.

    Benjamin Franklin’s father chastised him for his poor writing skills when he was a teenager. Franklin made a pledge to himself to improve his prose. He began by reading works by some of the most popular authors of the time. He then rewrote each essay in his own words before comparing it to the original.

    World-class violinists only train for 90 minutes a day, but those 90 minutes are spent focusing on areas where they are weak or need to develop. They don’t practice what is easy for them. It’s pointless to do so. Deliberate practice, on the other hand, forces one to step outside of their comfort zone. You’re still focusing on what you need to work on, and once you’ve accomplished it, you move on to more challenging skills. It’s like turning your life into a game.

    Choose the mindset required!

    Carol Dweck coined the terms “fixed mentality” and “development mindset” to describe people’s beliefs about learning and intellect. Students who believe they can boost their intellect understand that perseverance pays off. As a result, they put forward more effort and commitment, resulting in increased results.

    We can change someone’s perspective from fixed to development, according to studies. They become more inspired and do more as we do so. The study of brain plasticity has shown how neuronal communication changes over time. With practice, neural networks form new associations and strengthen old ones.

  • Bitcoin Has Dropped 50% From Its All-Time High

    Bitcoin Has Dropped 50% From Its All-Time High


    Bitcoin prices have plummeted in recent months, losing more than half their value since mid-April and falling to just under $30,000 this morning.

    According to CoinDesk numbers, the world’s most common digital currency reached $30,201.96 today.

    According to additional CoinDesk data, it was down more than 55 percent from its all-time high of nearly $65,000 at this point.

    At the time of writing, the cryptocurrency was trading around $37,000, and many market analysts weighed in, shedding light on the digital asset’s recent price fluctuations and evaluating its short-term prospects.

    [Editor’s note: Investing in cryptocoins or tokens is extremely risky, and the market is largely unregulated.] Anyone thinking about it should be aware that they might lose their entire investment.]

    Selling Pressure That Is ‘Relentless’

    “Over the last 24 hours, the selling pressure in the BTC market has been relentless, perfectly aligning with elevated bitcoin inflows to exchanges seen on-chain,” said Sean Rooney, head of research at Valkyrie Investments.

    “Binance led the charge on Monday, with over 53,000 BTC dumped into the exchange to be sold,” he explained.

    Nick Mancini, a research analyst at Trade The Chain, a crypto sentiment data provider, discussed how events like these influenced prices.

    —

    “Bitcoin is now down 45 percent from its April high of nearly $65,000,” he said.

    “Short-term sentiment seemed to be bottoming out with price, but it appears that they were only consolidating for a further decline,” Mancini said.

    “The good news is that Bitcoin’s primary liquidity levels in the $30,000 range remained stable throughout the decline, causing the price to recover from $30,000 to near $37,000 in less than an hour.”

    “Key support levels are $28,500, $24,000, and $20,000, which all correspond to order book liquidity levels,” Mancini said.

    StockCharts.com’s chief market strategist, David Keller, added:

    “Bitcoin’s drop to $30,000 made technical sense because it’s a 100 percent retracement back to the January lows. It’s all about seeking equilibrium after a serious selloff like this.”

    “Where do we see investors with enough clout to drive the price back up?”

    “Based on previous price support and the influx of buyers this morning, $30,000 is the new floor for Bitcoin,” Keller said.

    Market Is ‘Oversold’

    The market may have overreacted in light of recent events and bitcoin’s losses since roughly mid-April, according to analysts.

    According to Mancini, Bitcoin’s relative strength index (RSI), a technical measure used to gauge an asset’s momentum, recently dropped to “the lowest level since March 2020,” meaning the digital currency is “highly oversold.”

    He also stated that the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD), a momentum indicator used by technical analysts, is “at its lowest level in Bitcoin’s history, further suggesting Bitcoin is oversold.”

    “The market is due for a bounce,” according to Rooney, but “a fast turnaround in the short term is unlikely.”

    “A correction of this magnitude in the middle of a bull market seems out of place, but the absence of mania topping trends indicates the bull run is not over,” he said.

    “With new users joining the network, long-term fundamentals on-chain remain strong.”

  • Leadership tip: Can Toastmasters serve as your cue?

    Leadership tip: Can Toastmasters serve as your cue?


    James Clear explores how our environment affects our habits in his best-selling book Atomic Habits. If we want to read more books, placing books in various parts of our house can serve as a sign to our minds to read; similarly, placing notebooks and pens throughout the room might serve as a sign to write.

    If you want to improve your leadership and communication skills, you’ll need to start with a habit. Toastmasters might be a good place to start.

    While we may have always been told that communication and leadership are necessary abilities, we may not have always had the opportunity to put them into practice. Furthermore, these are talents that we improve through practicing. We may fumble and fall at first, making the initial step terrifying and frightening. This is where the environmental cue becomes even more important. You are permitted to go blank and forget your lines at weekly Toastmasters club meetings as long as you strive to take that first step.

    This has prompted me to explore with speechcraft and other aspects of communication. With butterflies, boxes, and glasses, I’ve presented speeches. As part of my lecture, I set up the keyboard and played Mozart for the crowd. I’ve put on a magic hat and done tricks that I completely forgot about halfway through. Some of them were successful, while others were not.

    When I found myself in a situation where there were leaders, I decided to improve on my leadership qualities by joining the club executive committee. I had the opportunity to reflect on my strengths and limitations as a communicator and leader in between leadership responsibilities, meetings, and actions. When I had the opportunity to serve as the division editor for Nepal in 2019/20, my relationship with material grew even stronger. Many doors unlocked themselves on this journey, and it was a nudge to open them, both personally and professionally.

    Toastmasters’ philosophy is vast, but if I had to summarize it based on my personal experience, I would say it is the opportunity to try new things. There are a plethora of cues in Toastmasters’ Pathways education program. The ability to think quickly on your feet, the agility to detect compliments and recommendations, and the versatility to build various speeches all become transferable abilities. The teachings become inseparable as you figure out what works and what doesn’t for you. You take it with you wherever you go, at home, at work, and everywhere else.

    Toastmasters has a long and illustrious history, with over 95 years of experience. You might want to dive in for the pearl, or you might want to dive in for a swim, depending on your ambitions, but the most essential thing you’ll find here is an environment in which to grow yourself. Can Toastmasters help you with all of these things and more? You are the only one who can tell.