Joy, sorrow and system requirements–the new Windows 11

How will we benefit from Windows 11 and what are the system requirements? Is it worth switching? Let’s find out!

For the longest time, Microsoft swore blind Windows 10 would be the last Windows–with *Windows 11 being more of an inside joke* among nerds. Many were surprised when, in Fall 2020, Windows 10X appeared on the scene. It was a feature-reduced Windows 10 meant for laptop and tablets, and it never saw an official release. Consequently, there were expectations that the Fall / Winter 2021 update for Windows 10 would incorporate major design changes to bring its somewhat outdated visuals up to speed. Instead, **we got Windows 11**! So it is reasonable to assume Windows 11 borrows heavily from both the aforementioned design overhaul and the ill-fated Windows 10X. Time to take it for a spin.

For the longest time, Microsoft swore blind Windows 10 would be the last Windows–with Windows 11 being more of an inside joke among nerds. Many were surprised when, in Fall 2020, Windows 10X appeared on the scene. It was a feature-reduced Windows 10 meant for laptop and tablets, and it never saw an official release. Consequently, there were expectations that the Fall / Winter 2021 update for Windows 10 would incorporate major design changes to bring its somewhat outdated visuals up to speed. Instead, we got Windows 11! So it is reasonable to assume Windows 11 borrows heavily from both the aforementioned design overhaul and the ill-fated Windows 10X. Time to take it for a spin.


Welcome back / The limits of online shopping

While stores were closed, I needed a new pillow. My old one had turned to a mixture of dust and unsightly lumps. Since local retailers were out of the picture, I tried my luck online. No big deal, right? That's what I thought! Things turned out quite diff

The limits of online shopping

While stores were closed, I needed a new pillow. My old one had turned to a mixture of dust and unsightly lumps. Since local retailers were out of the picture, *I tried my luck online*. The basic issue here is quite trivial: I sleep on the side and I don't exactly have the small shoulders of a 12-year-old girl. That meant I had to get a firm pillow that offered some degree of support. No big deal, right? **That's what I thought!** Things turned out quite differently.

While stores were closed, I needed a new pillow. My old one had turned to a mixture of dust and unsightly lumps. Since local retailers were out of the picture, I tried my luck online. The basic issue here is quite trivial: I sleep on the side and I don't exactly have the small shoulders of a 12-year-old girl. That meant I had to get a firm pillow that offered some degree of support. No big deal, right? That's what I thought! Things turned out quite differently.


Fire HD 10 tablet review–an overdose of Amazon

I set out to take another look at the situation through Amazon's budget 9th generation Fire HD 10 (32 GB) tablet and learn more about its strength and weaknesses–and its annoyance factor!

Fire HD 10 tablet review

Christmas is rushing up fast and many are looking for electronic gadgets to entertain their loved ones or themselves. Amazon's products are frequently part of the equation because of their *comparatively cheap prices and aggressive marketing*. However, their mere mentioning can cause awkward silence and instantly turn the mood from cheerful to fairly frosty among tech enthusiasts. It's the **ubiquitous incentives to buy** and the frequent attempts to ingrain Amazon's services further and further into the daily lives of their users that taints Amazon's devices. I set out to take another look at the situation through Amazon's budget 9th generation **Fire HD 10** (32 GB) tablet and learn more about its strength and weaknesses–*and its annoyance factor*!

Christmas is rushing up fast and many are looking for electronic gadgets to entertain their loved ones or themselves. Amazon's products are frequently part of the equation because of their comparatively cheap prices and aggressive marketing. However, their mere mentioning can cause awkward silence and instantly turn the mood from cheerful to fairly frosty among tech enthusiasts. It's the ubiquitous incentives to buy and the frequent attempts to ingrain Amazon's services further and further into the daily lives of their users that taints Amazon's devices. I set out to take another look at the situation through Amazon's budget 9th generation Fire HD 10 (32 GB) tablet and learn more about its strength and weaknesses–and its annoyance factor!


Ashampoo: 21 years of adventure

It totally escaped me that Ashampoo has just turned 21. Time to take a stroll down memory lane. Brace yourselves for pretty women, volcanoes and software in Low German!

I recently had a chat with one of our US partners, who mentioned in passing that Ashampoo has now been around for **21 years** and has *certainly come of age*. Since I generally tend to forget anniversaries, I wasn't aware of that. So I took a trip down my Ashampoo memory lane, which has been under construction for 13 years now, and reminisced about how it all started. Every now and then I get emails asking me *to tell you more about Ashampoo and the people behind it*–so here you go: Brace yourselves for pretty women, volcanoes and software in Low German.

I recently had a chat with one of our US partners, who mentioned in passing that Ashampoo has now been around for 21 years and has certainly come of age. Since I generally tend to forget anniversaries, I wasn't aware of that. So I took a trip down my Ashampoo memory lane, which has been under construction for 13 years now, and reminisced about how it all started. Every now and then I get emails asking me to tell you more about Ashampoo and the people behind it–so here you go: Brace yourselves for pretty women, volcanoes and software in Low German.


Four cellphone apps to prettify your photos

Photo editing on cellphones with default apps alone is fairly limited. Check out these four apps that will prettify your images!

I usually do my photo editing on my home PC. From meticulously placed filters and image parameter adjustments to one-click optimizations, it all depends on my mood and the quality of the photo. When I was recently out and about, to the extent permitted by the current situation, my cellphone was again stretched to its limits. The morning mountain panorama seemed more grayish than mystical, the backlighting was anything but ideal, and I could have taken better care cropping my shots. So I spent a quiet evening in my hotel room **to do some prettifying**. Here's what I found!

I usually do my photo editing on my home PC. From meticulously placed filters and image parameter adjustments to one-click optimizations, it all depends on my mood and the quality of the photo. When I was recently out and about, to the extent permitted by the current situation, my cellphone was again stretched to its limits. The morning mountain panorama seemed more grayish than mystical, the backlighting was anything but ideal, and I could have taken better care cropping my shots. So I spent a quiet evening in my hotel room to do some prettifying. Here's what I found!


Readly–flat rate news and magazine kiosk at home

An ad caught my eye: "Discover thousands of magazines with one subscription for a fixed price of $9.99 a month." A free trial month was part of the offer–that's how they got me hooked! I'm talking about Readly, and here's what you get.

Stressfree reading is a cultural act for me. An old book with a massive jacket, my corner armchair, and some mellow music in the background is how I enjoy reading the most. I was never very fond of ebooks, since they're missing the tangible feeling of flipping through the pages and the smell of (old) books in general. As I was recently *forced to spend more time at home* than usual (you know why!), an ad caught my eye: "**Discover thousands of magazines with only one subscription** for a fixed price of $9.99 a month." A free trial month was part of the offer–that's how they got me hooked! I'm talking about [Readly](https://us.readly.com/), and here's what you get.

Stressfree reading is a cultural act for me. An old book with a massive jacket, my corner armchair, and some mellow music in the background is how I enjoy reading the most. I was never very fond of ebooks, since they're missing the tangible feeling of flipping through the pages and the smell of (old) books in general. As I was recently forced to spend more time at home than usual (you know why!), an ad caught my eye: &quot;Discover thousands of magazines with only one subscription for a fixed price of $9.99 a month.&quot; A free trial month was part of the offer–that's how they got me hooked! I'm talking about Readly, and here's what you get.


Tidal: A better Spotify?

Most services only support lossy audio formats. Although they sound great, don't offer the full lossless audio experience. Meet Tidal, a lesser known music streaming service that seeks to score with hi-fi audio quality.

Neil Young not only looks a little grumpy in his old years but is also known for being a straight shooter. Naturally, he also has **an opinion on streaming offers**–most of them are not his thing. He criticized the sound quality in several of his interviews. What he meant is that most services *only support lossy audio formats*, like AAC, MP3 or Ogg Vorbis, which, although they sound great, don't offer the full lossless audio experience. Enter Tidal, a lesser known rival that seeks to score with hi fi quality. Let's take a look!

Neil Young not only looks a little grumpy in his old years but is also known for being a straight shooter. Naturally, he also has an opinion on streaming offers–most of them are not his thing. He criticized the sound quality in several of his interviews. What he meant is that most services only support lossy audio formats, like AAC, MP3 or Ogg Vorbis, which, although they sound great, don't offer the full lossless audio experience. Enter Tidal, a lesser known rival that seeks to score with hi fi quality. Let's take a look!


The end of linear television?

When I was a child, we had magic hours throughout the day. The news were on at 8 pm on the dot, and a must-watch for everyone in the household. But is television finally dying?

When I was a child, we had **magic hours** throughout the day. *The news were on at 8 pm* on the dot, and a must-watch for everyone in the household. If you looked out the window then, you'd see an empty neighborhood of row houses and mostly abandoned yards and patios. In front of a turquoise green background, male and female newscasters read out one piece of news after the other, from a sheet of paper, *stoic as stones* and without batting an eyelid even in the face of the most devastating of disasters. We learned everything that happened in the world–and hadn't already been covered in the morning paper. Afterwards, it was entertainment shows with hosts dressed in ghastly sports coats or crime series featuring grumpy detectives in their mid-fifties who'd solve murder cases in gray cities. We had a **whopping three channels** and were anxious to arrange our daily routine around them. But *is television finally dying*, now that video and streaming portals are successfully stealing their viewers, both young and old?

When I was a child, we had magic hours throughout the day. The news were on at 8 pm on the dot, and a must-watch for everyone in the household. If you looked out the window then, you'd see an empty neighborhood of row houses and mostly abandoned yards and patios. In front of a turquoise green background, male and female newscasters read out one piece of news after the other, from a sheet of paper, stoic as stones and without batting an eyelid even in the face of the most devastating of disasters. We learned everything that happened in the world–and hadn't already been covered in the morning paper. Afterwards, it was entertainment shows with hosts dressed in ghastly sports coats or crime series featuring grumpy detectives in their mid-fifties who'd solve murder cases in gray cities. We had a whopping three channels and were anxious to arrange our daily routine around them. But is television finally dying, now that video and streaming portals are successfully stealing their viewers, both young and old?


Ashampoo, COVID-19 and I

No doubt, the corona virus has found its way into our parts. As a company, we're supposed to keep our cool and that is reflected in our systematic and prudent preparations. Let's take a quick look at Ashampoo, our strategies in dealing with Corona and how

Being the calm and relaxed spirit that I am, I tend to miss the occasional piece of news. Naturally, I am acutely aware that we're currently under siege by a new virus. Still, I recently **stared in disbelief at the empty shelves** that used to carry loads of toilet paper and cooled my heels for a total of 40 minutes in the lengthy line at the checkout. The air was tense and conversations brief. I almost felt tempted to ask *whether we were at war again*. No doubt, the corona virus has found its way into our parts. As a company, we're supposed to keep our cool and that is reflected in our systematic and prudent preparations. Let's take a quick look at Ashampoo, our strategies in dealing with Corona and how we feel about it.

Being the calm and relaxed spirit that I am, I tend to miss the occasional piece of news. Naturally, I am acutely aware that we're currently under siege by a new virus. Still, I recently stared in disbelief at the empty shelves that used to carry loads of toilet paper and cooled my heels for a total of 40 minutes in the lengthy line at the checkout. The air was tense and conversations brief. I almost felt tempted to ask whether we were at war again. No doubt, the corona virus has found its way into our parts. As a company, we're supposed to keep our cool and that is reflected in our systematic and prudent preparations. Let's take a quick look at Ashampoo, our strategies in dealing with Corona and how we feel about it.


Windows 10: The end of local accounts?

While Microsoft never tire of reminding us of the many benefits of a Microsoft account, they've grudgingly tolerated local accounts for years. This practice may soon come to and end though

By now, you've probably noticed that Microsoft would love nothing more than for us Windows users to link our Windows PCs to Microsoft online accounts. Our only way out: **offline accounts**. And while Microsoft never tire of reminding us of the many benefits of a Microsoft account, like better access to Office 365, Xbox Live and the Microsoft Store (for us and a wealth of personal data for them), they've grudgingly tolerated local accounts for years. This practice may soon come to and end though!

By now, you've probably noticed that Microsoft would love nothing more than for us Windows users to link our Windows PCs to Microsoft online accounts. Our only way out: offline accounts. And while Microsoft never tire of reminding us of the many benefits of a Microsoft account, like better access to Office 365, Xbox Live and the Microsoft Store (for us and a wealth of personal data for them), they've grudgingly tolerated local accounts for years. This practice may soon come to and end though!


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