How to make Windows 11 look like Windows 10

Microsoft knows how you want Windows to look. That, at least, seems to be the company’s message with Windows 11. It makes big changes to the user interface and continues the trend of making user customization more difficult. It’s not currently possible to fully revert Windows 11 to the look for Windows 10 and, given Microsoft’s current attitude towards UI customization, it may never be. Still, there are several key tweaks that can make you more comfortable.

Click here for the full article from PCWorld.

Windows 11 will give you 10 days to roll back to Windows 10

If you don’t like Windows 11, you’ll have a 10-day windows to roll back to Windows 10, according to Microsoft and its customers.

So far, what we’ve seen of Windows 11 feels surprisingly good, though Windows 10 users may be surprised by the sparer interface. We know Windows 11 removes a number of Windows 10 features. The official preview build of Windows 11 does away with dynamic Live Tiles, replaces the Start menu with rows of simplified icons, and more. We also know that Microsoft plans to add more Windows 11 features into future beta builds, such as Teams integration into the Taskbar, and PC gaming features like Auto HDR. 

This all assumes that you’ll want to use Windows 11 when it rolls out. Fortunately, you can try the final version of Windows 11 before you commit—and we’re not talking about signing up for the Insider beta program. According to a Microsoft FAQ that the company is circulating among its PC customers (here’s a PDF of the FAQ from PC vendor MSI’s site) you’ll have 10 days after download Windows 11 to try it out, then roll back to Windows 10 if you wish. 

The FAQ poses this question: “Can I go back to Windows 10 after I upgrade if I don’t like Windows 11?” The official answer is: “Yes. After you have installed the Windows 11 upgrade there is a 10 day period where you can move back to Windows 10 while keeping files and data that you brought along with you. After the 10 days you will need to back up your data and do a ‘clean install’ to move back to Windows 10.”

In other words, you’ll have 10 days to go into the Windows 11 Settings > Update & Security > Recovery and roll back the PC to previous build of Windows, namely, Windows 10. After those 10 days expire, you’ll need to find an ISO file of Windows 10 and perform a clean install.

That flexibility is somewhat surprising, as Microsoft hasn’t always allowed you to return to a previous build after the rollback period expires. Microsoft has always said that it plans to end support for Windows 10 in 2025, so you also have plenty of time to decide.

Hate robocalls? You'll love what's coming as of June 30

A big deadline in the fight to beat back those annoying robocalls is coming June 30. As of that date, every major voice provider in the US, including phone companies AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile and cable provider Comcast, will have to implement a technology called Stir/Shaken.

That's good news for everyone whose phone has been jangling with bogus phone calls involving health-related scams, expiring car warranties and fake banks offering nonexistent interest-rate discounts for credit cards. For years, the scourge of illegal robocalls has plagued the public. It's the No. 1 consumer complaint and a top priority at the Federal Communications Commission.

US consumers have received just under 22 billion robocalls in the first five months of the year, on pace to hit over 52 billion robocalls for the year, according to YouMail, a company specializing in blocking robocalls.  

Robocalls use automated dialers and recorded messages. To be fair, not all robocalls are bad or annoying. Some businesses and public entities use robocalls to communicate important information. For example, your pharmacy may use an automated recording to tell you your prescription is ready to be picked up, or your kids' school may be alerting you to a snow day. These are legitimate robocalls, and they require that consumers sign up to receive them. 

Then there are the illegal robocallers. Because robocalls are cheap to make, they've been exploited by scammers all over the world, who use them to defraud billions of dollars from Americans every year. The problem has gotten so bad that many of us don't answer the phone when it rings, especially if it's an unfamiliar number on the caller ID. All too often, scammers disguise their phone numbers to trick people into answering. 

An end to these annoying and costly calls could be on the horizon thanks to the implementation of Stir/Shaken, which will require voice providers to verify where calls are coming from. That's where the FCC's June 30 deadline comes in. To help you get a handle on that and other efforts to stamp out robocalls, CNET has put together this FAQ.  Click here for the article

Encrypted Email: How to Send Encrypted Email (Outlook, Gmail iOS, Android, OSX or Webmail)

Emails are still one of the most popular forms of communication in the 21st century, despite technological advancements that allow us to send and receive messages and media files in real-time, as well as chat with video enable over VoIP services.

Emailing may be mostly used by businesses to notify you about important events, send you newsletters, or ask you to confirm the creation of a new account, but they’re also used by individuals if an immediate response is not required from the recipient.

However, since they’re used to transport so much information to and from various individuals or companies, emails are also perfect targets for hackers, who use various vulnerability exploits, social engineering, and various other techniques to get their hands on them.

On the bright side, there are several methods you could use to protect your emails from falling in the wrong hands. One of the most common ways to do so is through encryption, as it renders the content of your emails unreadable unless you have the decryption key.

Click here for the full article.

US Senators Are Trying to Make Cancelling Subscriptions Easier

Unsubscribing from a service at the end of a free trial shouldn't be difficult, but in a number of cases it can seem almost impossible or result in a surprise charge. Now a group of US senators is attempting to fix that with the Unsubscribe Act.

Many subscription services attempt to lure in new customers with the offer of a free trial or reduced price for a few months. It works, but when those offers end, it often proves more difficult than it should be to cancel. As US Senator Brian Schatz explains on his website, a bipartisan bill has been introduced with the support of John Thune (R-S.D.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and John Kennedy (R-La.) to try and solve this problem for consumers.

The Unsubscribe Act has five key requirements Schatz lists:

• Require sellers to provide customers with a clear understanding of all the terms of the contract and obtain the customer’s express and informed consent

• Require sellers to provide a simple means of canceling the subscription, which the customer can complete in the same way in which the original contract was entered into

• Require sellers to provide a clear notice to consumers when their free or reduced-cost trial is complete and before charging for the full-cost subscription

• Disallow automatic transfer to a contract longer than one month

• Require sellers to periodically notify the customer of the terms of the contract and the cancellation mechanism

All sound more than reasonable and easy to implement, but the senators believe some companies rely on deceptive practices in order to retain their customer base and will therefore not appreciate this new legislation becoming law.

"Free trials should benefit consumers, not trick them into endless payments for a product they don’t want. This bill would give customers who enter subscription trials a clear, easy way to cancel those subscriptions," said Sen. Kennedy.

What to do with an old laptop: 10 clever ideas

So you’ve upgraded to a brand-new laptop at last—or perhaps you’re finally clearing out clutter—and now you’ve got an old laptop to deal with. What to do with it?

That depends on your circumstances, the age of your laptop, and the amount of time and space you have. But chances are, your old hardware can rise to the challenge of a second lease on life, even if it’s not with you. You can give it a new, single purpose; donate it to a worthy cause; sell it (even if it’s only for parts); or responsibly lay it to rest. To help you decide on your laptop’s next act, we’ve gathered up our top suggestions, with specific project ideas to try if you keep it.

Click here for the article on PCWorld