You can’t keep track of everything on paper. Excel can play a significant role in your daily workload. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro user, there’s a lot to learn — like these five useful Excel tricks.
Want to become an Excel expert in 2023? It’s a good strategy for small business owners who want to grow this year. After all, you’ll generate tons of data. Speaking of which, here’s how to stop third parties from selling your data.
Maybe you’re overlooking the most useful Excel strategies. Scroll down for five Excel tricks that will make your professional and personal life much easier.
Microsoft Excel is chock full of practical formulas. They help save hours you’d otherwise spend clacking away at a calculator.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to make mistakes when calculating through Excel. Its formulas reference many cells — and if you don’t pay attention, you can confuse them. Use this table to fix common Excel error messages:
Error message | Why you get it | To fix it … |
##### | One of your columns isn’t wide enough. | Increase the column width. |
#DIV/0! | Your formula refers to a cell that has 0 or is blank. | Make sure your divisor in a function isn’t blank or zero or try these other solutions. |
#REF! | Maybe you deleted or moved a cell one of your formulas refers to. Either way, your cell reference isn’t valid. | Restore any cells you deleted or change the formula. |
#N/A | One of the values in your function or formula isn’t available. | Replace #N/A with new data. |
#NAME? | Excel doesn’t recognize the text in your formula. | First, make sure the cell name exists. Then, check for spelling errors. |
#NULL! | You made an error when specifying an intersection of two areas. | Use a colon (:) to separate references to a contiguous range of cells. Are you referring to two areas that don’t intersect? Use a comma (,) instead. |
#NUM! | Your formula or function has invalid numeric values. | Make sure the arguments used in functions are numbers. |
#VALUE! | You used the wrong type of variable or value in a math operation. | Double-check your formula, function and cells referenced by the formula. |
So you transferred some data into Excel — but it didn’t look how you wanted it to. Maybe you entered the data as rows when you wanted them to become columns. Don’t worry: You don’t have to reformat each cell manually.
With these steps, you can rotate data in your worksheet from columns to rows and vice versa.
Just like that, you’ll be able to reformat your data.
Want to replace a specific character or set of characters with a new set? First, select the cell you want to replace, like so.
Then, enter the = sign and type Substitute. A formula window will pop up.
Double-click the Substitute function. Then, type the cell location followed by a comma. Here’s what it will look like:
Next, type quotation marks and enter the old text you’re replacing, followed by a comma. Since I’m replacing the words “WestStar Multimedia Entertainment,” I typed that.
Then, type more quotation marks and enter the new text exactly how you want it to appear. Enter another comma. Close the function by typing a close parenthesis, the “)” symbol, and pressing the Enter key.
Select Enter. Just like that, I replaced the data in one cell with the data in the other cell, C4, that I typed. Nifty!
Let’s say you have multiple words in a single cell. You want to move one of those words into another cell. Maybe you’re writing a spreadsheet full of business contacts and wish to make a column for first names and another for last names.
Good news: You can use the Text to Columns feature to spread text across multiple columns. Here’s how:
This will save you a ton of time if you use Excel to keep track of business contracts. Want more small business tips? Tap or click here for five useful productivity tricks to try this year.
There’s a lot of creative potential in Excel. Here’s how to create a style:
Then, you can apply those formats to text — or a range of text — simultaneously. Just do this.
Just like that, you’ve applied a style and added some pizazz to your spreadsheet. Although you’ve learned some of the most useful Excel tips and tricks, remember that Excel can’t do everything. Sometimes, you need a tool with more robust features.
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Microsoft has been relaunching its browser, which first started with the EDGE HTML rendering engine and now Chromium. While Internet Explorer is still there on Windows 10, Edge HTML will be called Edge Legacy, the new Chromium-based Edge Browser will soon be delivered through Windows Update. This post offers you some cool Edge Browser Chromium Tips and Tricks that will help you get the best of this new web browser and its features in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Here are some tips and tricks that will help you get the best out of the new Microsoft Edge Chromium browser on Windows 11/10:
You can quickly access the Edge Chromium Settings either by using “edge://settings/” in the URL or click on the three dots and then click on settings. I have also highlighted the direct path for each of the settings for quicker access.
The default is set to the light theme, but you can change it to Dark or use System mode. The latter will automatically enable dark mode when you use Dark Mode in Windows 10.
Read: How to enable or disable Audio, Video, and Screen Capture in Edge.
If you want to force websites to become dark, you can force it using a flag—Force Dark Mode for Web Contents. It works on Chrome as well because of the Chromium Engine.
You should know that when you force a website to change, it is possible that some of the text will not be visible to you. Chromium Engine offers different ways to force dark mode. Experiment with them to find what works for you. There are various ways like HSL, RGB, and so on.
Read: How to lock the Edge or Chrome browser with a password.
The default search engine in Edge Chromium is going to be Bing, but you can always change it. You can choose to create custom search engines to search on websites directly.
Now every time you type on the address bar, it will search on Google. If there is another search engine you want to add, click on Manage Search Engines, and you can add based on some parameters.
You can include Google or any other search engine in the list of Edge browser. Our post on how to change Default Search to Google in Edge offers step-by-step instructions in this regard.
How to find those parameters and add them.
Read:Every time you open Edge Chromium, you should see a new wallpaper as a background. It’s a signature feature of Edge that has been there for long. You get a search bar, background image, and a bunch of recently visited pages in the form of aligned boxes.
The New tab page in the Edge browser now features 4 new modes. This helps you customize the experience to fit your preferences. See ‘Change New Tab Page layout in Edge‘ to know the complete procedure.
You can change this layout by clicking on the cog icon on the right.
Apart from this, you also have On Startup option (edge://settings/onStartup), where you can choose open a new tab or Continue where you left off and open a specific page every time.
Read: How to block a website in Microsoft Edge.
Edge offers some customization options. Visit this page if you would like to customize the Edge browser.
A home page is the main page of a website where visitors can find hyperlinks to other pages on the site. Also, it is a web address that opens automatically when you launch the web browser. Here, you can set your favorite website, blog or search engine as your home page or you can set a blank page too. Like all web browsers, the new Edge too, lets you configure multiple homepages. Just access ‘Settings and more‘ menu > ‘Settings’ > ‘On startup‘ > ‘Open a specific page or pages‘ > ‘Add a new page‘.
Then, enter the URL of the homepage and you are good to go!
TIP: You can edit an Image using built-in Image Editor Tool of Microsoft Edge
Just like Chrome and Firefox, Microsoft Edge Chromium offers its inbuilt password manager that can sync across devices. Edge is also available on Android and iPhone.
When you turn off sign-in, you will have to enter the password every time you use the password manager to sign in.
You can do away with the requirement of saving passwords manually! The process can be simplified by enabling the Form-fill option. This feature configures your browser to fill the web forms, automatically. Refer to our earlier post – Manage Passwords and Form-Fill.
The home button in a browser is a legacy thing which used to take the user back to a new tab and open it as it has been set. It is like the house icon next to the address bar.
The Home button represents a physical button that aids the navigation by taking users directly to the Home screen (starting point of the site). It is turned off by default in Edge Chromium but you can add it anytime. See this post for more details – add a Home button.
If you are planning to use Edge over any other browser, it would be a good idea to import settings, etc. from the old browser. The Import Feature works with Microsoft Edge (Legacy), Chrome, Firefox, and more.
enable and use Password Monitor.
TIP: You can also useIn Edge Chromium, you have a better way to access favorites—Favorites Button. It appears at the end, and outside of the address bar. When you click on it, it will reveal all the bookmarked pages and folders. It is better to use the button as it is less intrusive.
Press F11 to go full-screen. The Edge address bar will auto-hide. To make it appear, simply move the mouse to the top edge.
There’s more! You might take interest in checking out some of the features of the Edge browser so that you are completely familiar with all the features of the web browser. It talks about how to Delete browsing history and cache, Share web pages, use Reading View, create Reading List, use the built-in PDF Reader, the Hub, Sync Support, Page Prediction feature, support for Dolby Audio and more. There are also some new security features in Edge you may want to take a look at. Having done this, you might want to also take a look at and configure
Edge is the only browser available to date that allows you to annotate a web page right on the screen and then save your markings as notes. It lets you take notes, write, highlight directly on web pages or scribble on the web. To check this, open a PDF file with Edge and you’ll see the ‘Draw‘ option below the address bar that will allow you to create WebNotes, readily.
The earlier version of Edge allowed adding websites to the Start Menu. That’s not possible with the Chromium version. Instead, you can choose to Pin websites shortcut to Taskbar.
Interesting to note that all these pinned websites are treated as Apps and are available under Menu > Apps > Manage Apps (edge://apps/)
n case you are interested in developing add-ons for Microsoft Edge, you might want to know about developer tools provided by Microsoft.
Click on Menu More Tools and then click on Developer Tools. You can use Ctrl + Shift + I to open it quickly.
This will automatically launch the tools undocked. As a Developer, you might be excited to use the Network tools. Use them to change User-Agent, Mode, Display, Geolocation too.
If you still need to use IE for some of the websites and applications, follow this method for IE. When it comes to Edge HTML or Edge Legacy, you need to enable it manually. Once done, follow the same steps we have asked for IE.
Since Microsoft Edge is now based on Chromium, it supports most of the Chrome extensions. You can now install extensions in Edge from outside Microsoft Store to enhance your web browsing experience. You can also install extensions from the Chrome Store.
When you visit the Chrome Extension Webstore, Edge will prompt that you can install the extension from here or any third party website. Click on Allow to enable extensions from other stores. You can also install Chrome Themes.
Related: How to manage, add, remove Extensions in new Microsoft Edge browser
Just like Firefox and Chrome, you can sync data, profile, extensions, and passwords across browser instances. If you use Edge on multiple computers, you can sync data between them. You will have to enable it manually, so follow our guide. It is my favorite of our Edge Chromium Tips Tricks, and I am sure if you love using Edge, you will like it too.
TIP: if you middle-click the Back and Forward buttons, this action will open the site in a new tab.
It is best to set the obtain location separate from the default obtain folder if you obtain a lot of things at one place.
Keyboard shortcuts are something that every browser supports. Microsoft’s browser is no exception to this rule. You can use these shortcuts to fasten your navigation process. For example, you can bookmark a website by simply hitting CTRL+D keys in combination and choose a folder to save the bookmark. See the complete list of these browser keyboard shortcuts.
You can take a scrolling screenshot of the webpage you are viewing. Press CTRL+Shift+S in Edge. Then use the pointer to select the entire webpage – even the part that is below the fold.
Command Palette feature in Edge browser (version 105 and higher) lets you perform actions that you may need in day-to-day browsing. For example, this feature lets you clear browsing data, toggle developer tools, move a tab backward, bookmark all tabs, and lots more from a single panel. Here is how to enable and use Command Palette in Microsoft Edge:
edge://flags
in the address bar of Microsoft Edge and press EnterAfter enabling Command Palette, use the Ctrl+Shift+Space shortcut key to open the Command Palette panel. Type some keyboards in the text box and related actions will be visible.
Math Solver is one of the interesting features of Microsoft Edge. It helps to solve Math problems (Calculus, Arithmetic, Trigonometry, Quadratic equations, etc.) with step-by-step explanations.
To enable the Math Solver feature in Microsoft Edge:
Math Solver icon will appear on the Microsoft Edge toolbar. You can click that icon and then use the Math Solver feature in Microsoft Edge.
You may have imported a lot of favorites from other browsers as well as created many bookmarks over the period of time in Microsoft Edge. And, some of those favorites might be duplicated. Thankfully, Microsoft Edge comes with a built-in option to remove duplicate favorites from a profile with the same URL and name.
For this, open the Edge browser and access a user profile. Press Ctrl+Shift+O hotkey to open the Favorites menu. There, click on the More options icon, select the Remove duplicate favorites option, and complete the process.
Also read: 10 Work from Home extensions for Microsoft Edge browser.
There’s more! You might take interest in checking out some of the features of the Edge browser so that you are completely familiar with all the features of the web browser. It talks about how to Delete browsing history and cache, Share web pages, use Reading View, create Reading List, use the built-in PDF Reader, the Hub, Sync Support, Page Prediction feature, support for Dolby Audio and more. There are also some new security features in Edge you may want to take a look at.
I hope these tips and tricks for Microsoft Edge Chromium come in handy for you. we have also covered Edge Browser Tips and Tricks for Android & iOS.
The answer is a Yes. Microsoft Edge is definitely better in Windows 11 as well as Windows 10. Ever since it is based on Chromium, many interesting features came into existence. There are so many features such as vertical tabs, Web capture, voice typing, security settings, family safety, sleeping tabs, efficiency mode, etc., that provide a better user experience.
There are some tweaks for Microsoft Edge that can make it faster. Startup Boost is a feature in Microsoft Edge that makes it launch faster than usual. You can enable it in Edge Settings. Installing more extensions can also slow down a browser. Uninstall or disable unnecessary extensions from Edge. You can also optimize your new tab experience to make Edge faster.
If you liked this post, you might want to check out Windows 10 as well as Windows 11 Tips and Tricks too. Chrome users may want to take a look at this Google Chrome tips & tricks post and Firefox users, this Firefox tips & tricks post.
Windows 11 upgrades are being pushed by Microsoft using some of the firm’s more unwelcome tactics (as seen with Windows 10), at least according to a new report.
Ghacks first flagged this up, as spotted by Neowin, the latter of which published a grab of a sneakily redesigned nag screen (that appears on boot-up) to prompt Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11. (Note that the screenshot was aired by a Reddit user, though the post has now been deleted – so take this with an appropriate dose of seasoning).
At any rate, the upgrade screen shown has been changed from a previous format – which made it easier to see the choice to stick with Windows 10 – to a new design where that option is harder to spot (on a bar at the bottom of the screen).
Moreover, the new design brings in a pair of buttons in the center of the screen: ‘Get it’ and ‘Schedule it’, with the former highlighted.
Now, what could happen to inattentive users, or those in a rush to get to the desktop, is that they see the highlighted ‘Get it’ button and assume the button next to it is the choice to decline. When in fact it is also a ‘yes’ response to the upgrade, the only difference being the process will be scheduled to happen in the future, rather than right now.
This is a typical shady trick used to help generate more clicks to upgrade – although we’ve seen worse from Microsoft in the past. But as noted, we have to be careful about the source, and even if true, this is presumably something Microsoft is testing right now (as the new nag screen hasn’t been flagged up anywhere else).
We hope, then, that nothing will come of this. Although as we already mentioned, Microsoft has past form pulling this kind of nonsense with the free Windows 10 upgrade and dual options which might appear to be different at a glance, but both are actually saying ‘yes’ to the upgrade.
(Incidentally, in case you were wondering, the free upgrade to Windows 10 is still available to this day: we used the media creation tool to upgrade an old Windows 8.1 PC – which had just gone out of support – to Windows 10 just this past weekend).
In all honesty, the existing nag to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is already a rather monstrous affair, even without these fresh button shenanigans. If we recall correctly, there are three screens you have to pass through to decline the upgrade, and you already have to be a bit careful where you click. Windows 11 should stand on its own merits; never mind laborious multi-screen nags to get the new OS.
Microsoft has got a lot of flak in the past for this kind of badgering, but doesn’t appear to have fully learned its lesson yet. (And while we’re on the complaining train, the same is true of trying to sneak adverts for Microsoft services into bits of the Windows 10 or 11 interface – just stop it, in testing or otherwise).
GUEST OPINION: Most of us are familiar with two-factor authentication, or 2FA, as an additional security measure when logging in to various sites such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, and other popular websites and applications we use every day.
The idea is that in addition to providing a username and password, a user should provide an additional code or token provided by the website or app. This code is sent as a one-time password (OTP) via SMS or a token obtained from a mobile app like Google/Microsoft Authenticator.
Usually, they are valid for a short duration before a new token needs to be entered. Codes valid for a short time are also known as time-based OTPs (TOTP) and are commonly used when logging into websites and apps, or to approve a banking or financial transaction.
The idea behind 2FA and OTP tokens is that even if a user's password is breached or stolen, an attacker still cannot access the user's account without the second factor to authenticate the login. That second factor is usually obtained from an authenticator app on the account holder's mobile or desktop device.
Recently, however, crooks and fraudsters have started using a phone phishing technique to make phone calls to their victims. It uses specialised bots sold on underground websites.
The technique poses as a security verification call from the website or app that the potential victim uses. It tricks them into providing the actual OTP or 2FA code sent by the website or app. This occurs immediately after the fraudster logs in and attempts a purchase or financial transaction via that portal.
How 2FA phishing works
The latest specialised bots now make it far easier and quicker for fraudsters to fool their targets into providing their authentication codes or OTPs. Again, a website or app the victim uses sends these codes. Using massive lists of breached and leaked log-in credentials and personal data available for sale on shady underground sites found on the dark web, nefarious parties first correlate these personal details to the victim's name and mobile number.
They then activate the bot to robocall the victim from a fake caller ID number that purports to be from the victim's bank or a payment service, like Stripe or PayPal.
These phishing bots sound just like the robotic-voiced customer service bots that we hear when calling our bank or other companies we often deal with. The phishing bot first enters the previously obtained login credentials for the victim's account at the bank or payment processing website.
The bank or payment service then immediately sends an SMS OTP to the victim's phone number, which the fraudster has already obtained from prior breaches and personal data leaks.
The bot then calls the victim and plays a legitimate-sounding message stating that the account holder must complete a 'security verification' by entering the OTP that the victim's bank has just sent.
If the target is fooled and enters the legitimate OTP from the bank's text message that the bot's log-in attempt triggered, the fraudster logs in successfully, takes over the account and quickly depletes it. This happens fast before the victim has an opportunity to alert the bank. If the victim uses an authenticator app rather than getting codes via SMS, the bot asks the victim to enter the code shown in that app.
How to prevent 2FA phishing
Although 2FA codes have helped significantly to reduce the incidence of fraud and account takeover, they are vulnerable to interception by specialised phishing bots now being sold on underground sites.
When a victim gets a phone call appearing to be from the bank, they can easily be tricked into giving up the 2FA code sent by the bank or another website. There is little chance of stopping the crime once it's in progress.
While some enterprises now use push notification services like Okta to verify log-in attempts, most banks and other businesses still do not use them. And even if they do use such log-in confirmation apps, victims could still be defrauded if they are unaware of recommended online security practices.
As a result, phishing robocalls fool the victim, who approves the push notification received from the security app on their mobile devices. It's all triggered by the fraudster's log-in attempt into a bank or another company's website or app.
The only foolproof way to prevent 2FA phishing bots is by implementing a dedicated bot management solution that detects bots accurately in real time on a website or app. It prevents the initial login attempt by the fraudster's bot.
A purpose-built bot mitigation solution analyses hundreds of data points and differentiates a bot from a human. It also leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to detect each visitor's intention. This includes phishing bots that enter correct login credentials and other types of bots programmed to execute various types of harmful attacks.
The next step
Reach out to the cybersecurity experts at a company such as my own. They will have made it their mission to protect customers against automated threats like bots. They will provide comprehensive protection of web applications, mobile apps and APIs. Also, try online assessments to learn how protected your organisation really is from bad bots.
A version of this article was published in TIME’s newsletter Into the Metaverse. Subscribe for a weekly guide to the future of the Internet. You can find past issues of the newsletter here.
The AI chatbot ChatGPT has become mega-popular in just a matter of weeks—way faster than social media platforms like TikTok or Instagram.
Only two months after its launch in late November, the chatbot had 100 million monthly active users in January, according to data from Similarweb. A study from Swiss bank UBS noted that “in 20 years following the internet space, we cannot recall a faster ramp in a consumer internet app.” OpenAI, which owns and hosts ChatGPT, recently became one of the 50 most visited websites in the world, according to Digital-adoption.com.
For context, it took Instagram two and a half years to get to 100 million. TikTok got there in nine months.
The astonishing rise of ChatGPT reveals both its usefulness in helping with a wide range of tasks and a general overflowing curiosity about human-like machines. Experts are split on whether this marks the dawn of a new AI-era or if the hype will die down as people hit the limits of ChatGPT’s current capabilities.
Here’s why ChatGPT rose in popularity so fast, and what that means for the future.
ChatGPT is a chatbot created by the San Francisco company OpenAI. Known as a generative AI, it responds to virtually any prompt you provide it with startling speed and clarity. Whereas many chatbots only know how to respond to certain keywords or triggers, ChatGPT can respond to complex questions and spit out comprehensive, essay-length answers on virtually any topic.
ChatGPT is able to do this by running the Internet’s vast amounts of data through powerful neural networks: software loosely designed on neurons in the human brain. This technology has existed for several years. Yann LeCun, the chief AI scientist at Meta, recently argued that ChatGPT was “not particularly innovative” and relied largely on Google’s Transformer neural net technology unveiled in 2017.
“Most of us are pretty surprised” about the explosive popularity of ChatGPT, admits Margaret Mitchell, the chief ethics scientist at the AI company Hugging Face. “The technology wasn’t putting forth any sort of fundamental breakthroughs.”
But ChatGPT was the first major project to roll out such an AI for the public to use, play with, and break. Other companies like Google held theirs back due to the unpredictability of this new technology and the potential harms it could cause, like the spreading of misinformation or hate speech. OpenAI, meanwhile, chose to rush their product to market this fall in the face of potential looming competition, according to the New York Times.
While ChatGPT is underpinned by complex technology, its visual interface is incredibly intuitive: you simply enter text into a text box, just like you would on Google. This streamlined interface has allowed people of all ages and backgrounds to instantly engage with it. Another one of ChatGPT’s strengths is its flexibility. If you don’t like its response to your prompt, you can tweak your suggestion, and the AI will adjust accordingly.
The first reason that ChatGPT started going viral was its novelty factor. Users asked ChatGPT to create a biblical verse about removing a peanut butter sandwich from a VCR, or for Elvis-themed fantasy weapons. Within seconds, the AI would spit out options like “Love Me Tender Dagger” and “Blue Suede Sword.”
Very soon, however, ChatGPT’s usage elevated far beyond memes and parlor tricks, and into the professional sphere. ChatGPT can brainstorm ideas, write articles and code. People began to use it to write entire job applications, curriculums, academic papers and scripts in different programming languages. In particular, programming and developer software has emerged as one of ChatGPT’s main use cases, Similarweb data shows.
Sean Ellul, co-founder of the 3D development studio Metaverse Architects, wrote in a ChatGPT-assisted email to TIME that the AI had been a “game-changer for our productivity and creativity” and that he uses it to brainstorm code, prepare articles and ideate new projects. Many companies have since tweaked their business models to implement it into workflows, including Buzzfeed—which said it would use the technology for quizzes and personalized content.
A predictable backlash has ensued: in order to halt the creation of AI generated homework, school districts around the country, including in New York City, have banned ChatGPT.
The interest in the site has skyrocketed so dramatically that OpenAI is turning away many users, who simply are shown a message saying, “ChatGPT is at capacity right now.” The company recently announced a paid tier that allows those users access during peak times.
The explosion of interest in ChatGPT has sent tech competitors scrambling to release their own versions. Google declared a “code red” in response to ChatGPT, and recently announced its own Bard AI that will be rolling out in the coming weeks. The Chinese tech giant Baidu is prepping a similar chatbot for March, according to Reuters, while Anthropic, an AI company started by former OpenAI employees, is raking in hundreds of millions in funding.
Microsoft, which invested in OpenAI, is in the process of implementing ChatGPT into its Bing search engine and into its Teams messaging platform. All of this means that many everyday work processes will soon be augmented by generative AI technology, likely without you realizing it.
But risks loom ahead. AI has written hate speech and misinformation, and is now being used to help write malicious code. “As the initial honeymoon period dies down, there’s going to be more and more criticisms of all the problematic ways this technology is being used,” Mitchell says.
Mitchell is concerned about how ChatGPT might influence those who use it for mental health guidance. “ChatGPT will say things that are toxic or bullying or bad advice without having the sense of what it means to have bad advice, because it hasn’t learned larger world knowledge,” she says.
She is also concerned about its usage as a search engine replacement, as ChatGPT answers declaratively things that are false. (It once wrote a detailed history of a “successful civilization” created by the dinosaurs.) “People are much more likely to accept what something says when it’s automated,” she says. “I’m really concerned ChatGPT will be used as if it is factual because our cognitive bias tells us it’s factual.”
And it’s possible that the current AI arms race kicked off by ChatGPT’s rapid ascendance could cause its competitors to cut corners in hopes of gaining market share. During the rise of social media a decade ago, the world saw what happened when “move fast and break things” was the prevailing credo: safety was ignored, and social media platforms played a role in inciting genocides and manipulating voters.
“I’m concerned that regulation tends to be reactive, and will only follow something horrible happening,” says Mitchell. “So I’m really concerned about whatever that horrible thing is.”
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The Ring Video Doorbell is one of the best smart doorbells of 2023. Not only is it affordable, but it can capture HD video, store footage for later review, and is remarkably easy to install regardless of your existing setup. However, if you’re looking to make the most of your fancy smart doorbell, you’ll want to dive into its accompanying smartphone app and make a few tweaks to your settings. Here are five tips and tricks for the Ring Video Doorbell to Strengthen its performance.
The first thing you’ll want to do after installing your Ring Video Doorbell is set up motion zones. These are customizable areas that will trigger an alert if motion is detected — and properly setting them up will save you the headache of getting unwanted updates. To customize your motion zones, load up your Ring app and tap the three lines at the top of your screen. From there, select Devices, then navigate through Motion Settings to Motion Zones. You’ll now be able to add zones and adjust the size of existing zones.
Motion zones do a great job of reducing unwanted motion alerts — such as when people are walking on the sidewalk outside your home or far off in the peripheries. However, sometimes you want to turn off motion notification entirely (a useful feature if someone in your family will be going in and out of the front door repeatedly over the course of a few minutes). To turn off your motion detection or motion alerts, simply open the Ring app, click on the three lines at the top of the screen, then head to the Devices menu. Select the device you want to adjust, then toggle the Motion Detection or Motion Alerts button on or off.
Want your Ring Video Doorbell to monitor your home while you’re away, but turn off entirely when you’re home? Consider setting up Mode Settings. These allow you to automatically activate certain features with a single button press instead of wading through a sea of menus. To enable this functionality, head back to the Devices screen and click on the product you want to modify. Next, click Mode Settings. You’ll then be walked through the activation process. Once enabled, you’ll have the option to choose three different Modes – each one offering different functionality and activated with just one touch on the Device menu.
Unfortunately, there’s no foolproof way to provide your Ring Video Doorbell a significant boost in battery life. You can eke out a bit more juice by disabling motion detection or moving your Wi-Fi router closer to your front door, but those will only get you so far. You might also consider picking up a new battery pack if yours is a few years old, as they lose their longevity as they age. And keep in mind that during the winter months, you’ll probably see a drop in performance – cold weather tends to drain the battery faster than warm weather.
The Ring Video Doorbell can be paired with several different smart home ecosystems, including Google Home and Alexa. Once paired (see our guides for Google Home and Alexa), you’ll have access to several different features depending on what else is in your home. One of the coolest features is being able to check your front door on your smart display, which offers a much larger view of your front door than your smartphone.
Putting proverbial pen to paper for our Corsair HS65 Wireless review is like gaming headset déjà vu, as the new cans on the block feel like a familiar friend. The company’s headphone rendition effectively lobs the cable off of the HS65 Surround – a move that sets one of our favourite wired headsets free from tethers. While that ultimately makes for a fantastic cordless solution, it feels like my gripes with the original have been largely ignored.
At $119.99 USD, the Corsair HS65 Wireless isn’t exactly cheap, sitting firmly within the high-end ring alongside the best gaming headset 2023 contenders. That said, its price point isn’t egregious, and you won’t be disappointed by what the setup offers compared to more expensive alternatives. However, it’s worth considering whether you really need a cordless solution, as the wired HS65 Surround offers similar levels of quality for a chunk less.
Don’t get me wrong, Corsair’s new HS65 has a lot going for it, as it cuts the cord while dodging traditional wireless caveats. Again, my issues with this version also apply to the wired original, but I’d prefer to actually call them minor niggles rather than proper concerns. Both stand out among their competitors using style and substance, and the HS65 Wireless brings the headset to a new wave of players that need to ditch wires.
The Corsair HS65 Wireless packs 7.1 surround sound capabilities just like its predecessor, but swaps out the wires for low-latency 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity. It’s also armed with the same 50mm Neodymium drivers that have already proven their worth on the gaming PC audio battlefield, accompanied by that omnidirectional flip-to-mute microphone we raved about (and dunked on for its design).
Corsair HS65 Wireless | Logitech Lightspeed Wireless | Razer BlackShark V2 Pro | |
---|---|---|---|
Frequency response | 20Hz – 20 kHz | 20Hz – 20kHz | 12Hz – 28kHz |
Connectivity | 2.4GHz / Bluetooth | 2.4GHz | 2.4GHz / 3.5mm wired |
Mic response | 100Hz – 10kHz | 100Hz – 10kHz | 100Hz – 10kHz |
Weight | 275g | 278g | 320g |
Price | $119 / £119 | $149.99 / £139.99 | $179.99 / £179.99 |
In the box, you’ll get a 2.4GHz adapter and a USB-C cable, with the latter only serving as a means to charge. Perhaps that’s to be expected given the headset’s wireless title, but I feel like it’s one of the reasons why Corsair misses a trick in terms of versatility – one of those “minor niggles” that I’ll elaborate on in a little bit.
Corsair clearly understands the assignment when it comes to headset aesthetics, as the HS65 Wireless embodies the same subtle approach to style as the Surround model. I’m a huge fan of the mesh grill design on the cups, and the white variant helps fight off my inner gaming PC goth dwelling within. The black model looks pretty swish too, but I personally think white and grey feels like a good fit.
Pivoting cups once again provide the HS65 an on-the-go vibe, as I’m currently wearing the headphones as if they’re an accessory. Ditching wires means I’m able to actually walk away from my desk this time around, and a sturdy combo of aluminium and high-quality plastics provides reassurance that the headset will survive chaotic journeys both around my neck and in a backpack.
Sadly, I feel like that same praiseworthy on-the-go vibe is limited, as the headset’s flip mic still isn’t removable. Personally, I’m not really into the idea of walking around outside looking like I could join a Microsoft Teams call at any second when really I just want to use the cans to listen to Midwest emo playlists on the train. Being able to pop the mic arm off is a small thing that’d make a huge difference in terms of versatility, as it could entice both desk users and anyone looking for a stylish pair of headphones.
In spite of this, Corsair has implemented tiny changes to some parts of its headset, most notably with its left-hand volume wheel. The dial now features clicky steps, rather than the smooth feel adopted by the HS65 Surround. It’s a small tweak, but it helps add definition to the headset’s volume controls and facilitate a more premium vibe.
Now that the HS65 is unshackled by built-in cables, Bluetooth and power buttons join the aforementioned volume wheel, and they’re easy to access while wearing. In addition, there’s now a dedicated mute button over on the left-hand cup, which feels slightly redundant given the flip-to-mute nature of the mic arm. During use, I’d either remember the microphone’s neat flippy tricks or click a mute button on the screen, rather than using the additional push button.
While I don’t find myself using the mute button, I’m not actually a big fan of the flip mechanism either. In theory, it should feel slick, but just like with the wired version, it collides with my forehead when angled towards my mouth. As such, I normally just either keep the mic flipped down while at my desk, or take it off to pop it back into place. Admittedly, neurodivergent traits mean I’m a bit more sensitive to this kind of thing, and your own personal mileage may vary.
As you’d perhaps expect, giving the HS65 wireless innards changes its weight, but the wired version’s lightweight comfort levels are retained. You won’t be itching to take the headset off after a long gaming session, and it doesn’t pinch your head like some options out there. Although, my ears are pretty small, so some of you may find the narrow cups to be a bit of a tight fit.
The HS65 does commit a cardinal sin in terms of connectivity, as it forgoes wired functionality completely. The absence of a backup 3.5mm jack connection, or even USB audio playback, is an undeniable sore spot for me, as it means I’m at the mercy of a charged battery. I say charged, but I regularly forget to actually do that, and backup cords can’t save the day this time around.
The Corsair HS65 Wireless shines in the gaming headset quality department, as it offers balanced audio across the board. Windows spatial audio superpowers provide pinpoint accuracy in FPS games like Overwatch 2, something that enabled me to get the jump on sneaky players by listening out for footsteps.
It also provided an extra sinister layer of immersion during my latest Dead Space Remake review, with 7.1 surround sound serving up an extra plate of dread while exploring the USG Ishimura. I’d foolishly started playing the game using a Razer V3 Hypersense, but Corsair’s cans helped provide a wireless break from the wonderful horrors of haptic feedback.
Naturally, the HS65 caters to gaming wants and needs, but it really holds up as a Spotify daily driver. As I’ve said in numerous other headset reviews, while you should never expect audiophile levels of fidelity, blasting the new Fall Out Boy singles using Corsair’s cans is a pure joy thanks to well-balanced bass, mids, and treble.
Using the headset’s 2.4GHz with a Windows PC means you’ll be able to use Corsair’s iCue software, which boasts equaliser settings and ‘SoundID personalisation’. That latter feature aims to create a fine-tuned profile using feedback, but just like with the HS65 Surround, I can’t seem to get it to please my ears. I tend to just stick with ordinary EQ presets, but that’s not to say the tool won’t be to your tastes.
Of course, mic quality is equally important, even if a headset will never compete with the best gaming microphone. I’m willing to eat my words with the last statement, but the HS65 Wireless certainly isn’t going to put your fancy streaming setup to shame. I’m not disappointed with Corsair’s mic this time around, and it provides perfectly serviceable capture quality for team chat and calls. However, it does fall slightly short compared to the HS65 Surround, as it’s every so slightly tinny compared to its corded counterpart.
I tend to use the original HS65 while playing Steam Deck, so I swapped it out for a week to check out the wireless version’s Bluetooth capabilities. Thankfully, it provided a similar experience, so I didn’t have to trade away quality while exploring my Steam library on the go. You’ll miss out on the low latency provided by 2.4GHz, but I’d argue that’s not entirely necessary when playing on a portable PC or other devices like your phone.
Using the HS65 Wireless headset on Steam Deck provided me with an opportunity to put Corsair’s battery life claims to the test, as the peripheral maker says it’ll endure a full 24 hours of gameplay. I managed to dip in and out of Dead Space 2 on Steam Deck in multiple spurts over the course of a weekend and still have the juice to spare, so the company’s facts seem to line up.
Battery life while using the 2.4GHz wireless dongle also holds up, and I’ve yet to feel cheated by the headset’s daily longevity. As someone who regularly forgets to plug in devices, I’m also pleased with how much juice the headset gets from a 15-minute charge time, as it gives me a chance to repent for my forgetfulness.
I can say in good faith that while the Corsair HS65 Wireless isn’t perfect, it deserves a place at the best wireless gaming headset table. Not only does it embrace everything that was great about its stylish wired sibling, but it offers excellent gaming audio quality and respectable battery life to boot.
I do feel like Corsair could reach new headset heights by implementing small changes like a removable mic, as the HS65 Wireless almost has what it takes to challenge fashionable alternatives. Nevertheless, the new version still absolutely slaps, and it’s a winner for anyone who can’t abide wires.
The HS65 Wireless removes the cords from one of our favourite gaming headsets, and we’ve only got a few minor gripes with Corsair’s newcomer.