Microsoft Copilot Integration in Windows 11

Regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI), it’s apparent we can run but we can’t hide. AI is everywhere and it’s only just getting started. In the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and user-centric computing, Microsoft has introduced Copilot as a transformative feature within Windows 11. This seamless integration brings a dynamic AI assistant directly into the Windows operating system, enhancing user productivity and personalization.

What is Microsoft Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is an AI-driven assistant designed to streamline user interactions with Windows 11. Unlike traditional digital assistants, Copilot leverages advanced AI to offer contextual assistance, integrate deeply with various applications, and adapt to user preferences over time. It extends its functionality beyond basic commands, becoming a proactive partner in daily computing tasks.

Integration and Features

1. Seamless Integration with Windows 11: Copilot is embedded within Windows 11, accessible from the taskbar or through a simple shortcut. Its integration ensures that it can interact with native Windows functionalities and applications, creating a cohesive user experience.
2. Contextual Assistance: One of Copilot’s standout features is its ability to provide contextual assistance based on the user’s activity. Whether drafting an email, browsing the web, or editing a document, Copilot offers relevant suggestions and actions. For instance, if a user is working on a Word document, Copilot might suggest grammar improvements, formatting changes, or even generate content based on the context of the writing.
3. Enhanced Search Capabilities: Copilot enhances the search experience in Windows 11 by understanding natural language queries. Users can ask complex questions or search for files and settings in a conversational manner, and Copilot will interpret and respond effectively, making information retrieval faster and more intuitive.
4. Application Integration: Copilot integrates with Microsoft Office applications and other third-party software, providing in-app assistance and automation. In Excel, for example, Copilot can help generate formulas, create charts, or analyze data patterns, saving users time and reducing the learning curve for complex tasks.
5. Personalization: Over time, Copilot learns from user behavior to offer personalized recommendations. It adapts to individual work styles and preferences, making suggestions that align with how a user typically interacts with their device and applications. This personalized approach enhances efficiency and user satisfaction.

Copilot’s Impact on Productivity

The integration of Copilot into Windows 11 represents a significant shift towards AI-enhanced productivity tools. By providing real-time, context-aware assistance, Copilot helps users complete tasks more efficiently and effectively. It reduces the need to switch between applications or search for information manually, thus minimizing interruptions and maintaining workflow continuity.

Future Prospects of Copilot

As AI technology continues to advance, the capabilities of Microsoft Copilot are expected to expand. Future updates may bring deeper integration with more applications, improved natural language understanding, and enhanced personalization features, further solidifying its role as an indispensable tool in the Windows 11 ecosystem.

In summary, Microsoft Copilot’s integration into Windows 11 marks a pivotal step in the evolution of AI-driven computing. By combining seamless integration, contextual intelligence, and personalization, Copilot sets a new standard for how users interact with their devices, promising a more intuitive and productive computing experience.

Larry McJunkin, President
Tellico Village Computer Users Club

Five Very Helpful Computing Tips

Often, the simplest computing tasks in Windows are the easiest to forget how to do. Following are five tips to help you do some of the most important things on a Windows computer and ironically, they’re also the things we most often forget how to do. I hope you’ll tuck this newsletter away so you can refer to it the next time you need to do one of these things.

How do I take a screenshot on Windows 11?

Windows 11 has three built-in methods for taking screenshots. To take a screenshot on Windows 11, you can:

1. Use the Snipping Tool in your Start menu. Launch this little utility and it will make quick work of capturing a screenshot.
2. Or press and hold the Windows logo key + Shift + S button on your keyboard.
3. Or press Win + G on your keyboard to open the Xbox Game Bar and use the Capture area function.

How do I screen record on Windows 11?

If you want to record activity happening on your screen, Windows 11 has built-in screen recording capabilities. To screen record on your Windows 11 device:

1. Open the Snipping Tool in the Start menu.
2. Then, press the Record button and select New.
3. Last, select Start after specifying which part of your screen you want to record.
4. Or you can also screen record in Windows 11 by using the Xbox Game Bar. Press Win + G on your keyboard to open the app and click Record to start recording your screen.

How do I move the Taskbar in Windows 11?

Windows 11 allows you to keep the taskbar in the bottom center of your screen (default position) or move it to the center-left of the screen. If you want to move your taskbar:

1. Right-click on the taskbar to open Taskbar settings.
2. Expand the Taskbar behaviors section.
3. Change the Taskbar alignment dropdown selection from Center to Left.

How do I change my username in Windows 11?

Windows 11 makes it easy to change your username. To change your local account’s username in Windows 11:

1. Open the Control Panel and go to User Accounts.
2. Select the profile whose username you want to change.
3. Select Change your/the account name.

How do I adjust Power and Sleep settings in Windows 11?

To access and adjust power and sleep settings in Windows 11:

1. Select Start, select Settings, select System, then Power & Battery.
2. Select Screen and Sleep. Here, you can make adjustments to when your computer turns on/off, and goes to sleep. And you can create profiles of these adjustments for when your computer is plugged in or on battery power.

Larry McJunkin, President
Tellico Village Computer Users Club

How to Clear the Cache on Your iPhone

How often have you thought your iPhone seemed sluggish, or even downright slow? If you’ve had your iPhone for more than six months and use it often, there’s a good chance that its cache needs to be cleared. Having the browser cache filled with months, or even years’ worth of data is the single biggest contributor to a slow iPhone.

Cache is all the data your phone acquires and stores as you visit various websites and use your phone apps. Your phone saves these things just in case you need them again, making it a little faster to log into a website or open an app. In theory, though all this data collection will speed up future visits, over time, cache can build up to the point where it slows down (and sometimes overheats) your phone.  Clearing the cache in your phone’s browser and offloading unused apps improves its performance. These are simple tasks that you should perform once every few months to keep your iPhone functioning well.

Step 1 – Clear Safari Cache

Let’s start with the Safari browser on your phone. After you’ve closed all those tabs that you’ve lost track of (don’t worry, everyone does it), you’re going to delve into the data they’ve stored. Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. Here, you can choose whether to clear the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all history, and I recommend selecting “all history”. (There’s also the option to close all your tabs from this menu.)

Step 2 – Offload Unused Apps

You can’t clear individual app cache on an iPhone but if you offload an app, it will achieve the same thing. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. You’ll be able to see what apps you use the least. Tap any apps you don’t need on your phone right now and select Offload App. The app will remain on your home screen, but you’ll need to tap to re-download to get back in.

That’s it! A few minutes of maintenance and your sluggish iPhone will likely run a lot faster. If you have an idea for a computing tip or would like to see a topic addressed in a future newsletter, click here to send an email.

Larry McJunkin, President
Tellico Village Computer Users Club

Smart Home Special Interest Group (SIG) Survey

One of the things the TVCUC board of directors struggles with is finding new ways to provide our members with interesting and informative content. But as technology moves forward in so many ways, one area of interest seems to stand out, and we receive many questions about it – smart home technology.

According to every reliable source I can find, leading interests among the 50-plus crowd include learning how to manage smart-home technology (23%), and streaming entertainment (including live TV) (22%). This, coupled with some straw polls we’ve conducted with subsets of our members, indicates that here in Tellico Village we have an even higher percentage of folks who would like to know more about cutting the cord, streaming, and automating various aspects of their home (40%).

We have created an online survey (link below) to help us better determine how many of our members would like to learn more about smart home technology, and ultimately participate in a Smart Home Special Interest Group (SIG). We envision this group to meet on a regular basis, have focused presentations, Q&A sessions, and in general, provide a nurturing environment where you can learn more about smart home technology and at the same time, meet other members of our club.

Popular Areas of Smart Home Technology

• Smart TVs
• Smart lighting systems
• Smart thermostats
• Smart door locks & garage door openers
• Smart pet and lawn care
• Smart kitchen appliances
• Smart Alarm systems and household monitors
• Smart plugs for wall outlets
• Streaming live TV (such as YouTube TV or Hulu TV)
• Streaming other entertainment series (Netflix, Peacock, etc.)
• Enhanced Wi-Fi systems (mesh routers)

Already Using Smart Home Technology?

Do you already use smart home devices, stream media content, and consider yourself an enthusiast in this area? If so, we would love for you to be a part of administering this group or giving presentations. There is a place for you to respond about this on the survey.

Take the Brief Survey

If you have an interest in learning more about smart home technology, cutting the cord, or any of the above-listed smart home technology topics, please fill out our brief online survey by clicking the link below.

** Click Here to Take the Smart Home SIG Survey **

Larry McJunkin, President
Tellico Village Computer Users Club

Staying Safe Online (Take #2)

In May 2023, I used this same title for the monthly newsletter, but from the increasing number of FLS support calls we’ve had recently from our members about fraud, it’s time to revisit this topic. Staying safe online is not an easy task because the bad actors are devising new ways every day to skirt the safeguards built into our computing devices. Increasing our diligence and being able to recognize a fake email or phone call is our best defense against getting into trouble while online. In 2022, the online fraud industry was over $20 BILLION! And most of this was from individuals, just like you and me. Here are some tips to help you stay safe while online.

At the end of the day, staying safe online is all about common sense. I say this because regardless of what you do to prevent bad things from happening, what ultimately gets us in trouble is a bad decision…even if in our heart of hearts…we know it’s a bad decision, we often do it anyway. So, if you take away anything from this newsletter, I hope it’s a little visual sign in your mind’s eye that flashes and says, “Should I really do this?”. If you’ll ask yourself this a few times before making a questionable online decision, you’ll be fine, because your smarter self won’t let you make that bad decision.

The #1 bad decision that gets folks into trouble is allowing someone on the other end of the phone to take control of your computer. Above anything else…do not ever, EVER let anyone take control of your computer unless you know who it is. A friend, a relative, one of us in First Level Support at the computer club – that’s fine. If you use a Mac, then someone from Apple Care (as long as you know you’re actually speaking to an Apple employee), but if you use Windows, understand there is NO ONE at Microsoft who will EVER remotely take control of your computer to help you. So, if someone is on that phone and telling you they’re from Microsoft…just hang up!

The #2 reason folks get into trouble is believing what’s in that pop-up window you may someday see on Windows display. This is typically in the form of “Your computer has been infected by a virus (or malware)…call Microsoft support at the following number. Do not turn off your computer.” DO NOT call the number, and by all means, DO turn off your computer! This is called a Browser Hijack and it’s 1000% bogus. If you see something like this on your display, after you’ve turned off your computer, call our First Level Support team at (865) 408-8223. They can usually fix this over the phone or in just a few minutes with an on-site visit.

I know you’re thinking “Hmm…I’d never do that” but we assist several members every month who’ve inadvertently gotten into trouble by letting someone take control of their computer. So don’t say this won’t happen to you…just promise yourself you’ll do everything possible to stay diligent and not make a bad online decision.

The most common way we get into these situations is while searching for help. Help with a software app, help with your computer, help with your TV, help with anything. You bring up Google Search and start looking for support for something, and out of the search results that populate your screen…I’ll bet over 80% of them are bogus. The first indication they’re bogus is they offer a toll-free number. That’s just not going to happen. The second indication is that someone is actually offering to help you…for free. That’s rare today, even with legitimate support. Companies go to great lengths to make it nearly impossible to contact them by phone. You have to figure out how to separate the wheat from the chaff, because when you dial that number for free support, and you hear someone with a strange accent promising to help with your problem…that’s when you need to visualize that mental sign. “Should I really do this?” And the answer is NO!

Here are some other simple pieces of advice regarding online safety.

Keep your internet browser updated.

The latest versions have a lot of built-in protection against fake websites and web-based viruses.

Get a Password Manager.

If you use a Windows PC, I recommend Bitwarden or RoboForm. If you use a Mac, I recommend 1Password or Bitwarden. Create a memorable passphrase to open your password manager. An example of a passphrase is several words separated by special characters, including capital letters and numbers – such as: Sporty-Crown-Tarmac-Imaginary7 (this example passphrase would take approximately 87 years to crack). Whatever you use for your passphrase, it must be memorable to you.

Shred all your sensitive paper documents.

Bad actors can use information on paper statements to steal someone’s identity. Yes, there are lots of people sifting through landfills looking for valuable information.

Learn to spot fake emails and websites.

Criminals use these to con people into giving away passwords and bank details – the technical word is ‘phishing’.

One last reminder to help you stay safe online – whenever your sixth sense presents you with a question mark regarding something you’re about to do online – remember that little sign in your mind’s eye…”Should I really do this?”

Larry McJunkin, President
Tellico Village Computer Users Club