8 critical battery health stabilizers

And a keyboard shortcut that surprised me  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Windows Intelligence](#) [Windows Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: [HubSpot logo](=)​ Hello! Good to see you again. Here in the Northeast, some of the leaves are already starting to turn to brilliant shades of red and orange. Under the surface, it's chemistry. And chemical reactions are happening all the time in your laptop's battery, too. Just like the leaves will fall, your laptop's battery will degrade and eventually store less and less energy. But, while we can't stop the leaves from changing, we can treat laptop batteries in a way that dramatically extends their lifespan. If you play your cards right, your laptop's battery can outlive the rest of its hardware — staying strong year after year as the trees grow and shed their leaves. I've got everything you need to know in this week's Things to Try section. (Plus a very cool keyboard shortcut discovery!) [Chris Hoffman, AUthor] Chris Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 1 minute ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 1 minute 30 seconds ⌚ Top Thurrott Thoughts: 30 seconds ⌚ Just for Fun: 30 seconds ​ [] [3 Things to Know This Week] ​ 1. AMD and Intel are getting Copilot+ PC AI features soon ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Starting in November, laptops with the very latest CPUs from AMD and Intel will run all those shiny Copilot+ PC AI features. They won't be exclusive to those new Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon laptops anymore. 🔎 KNOW MORE: You'll need one of the latest AMD or Intel CPUs, but soon, nearly all new laptops will be "Copilot+ PCs" with access to those AI features. You won't have to switch to a different architecture to get them. (Still, let's be honest: Those AI features aren't very exciting just yet.) 📌 READ MORE: Check out [this quick report](). --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Windows may use AI to search your files in the future ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Microsoft appears to be working on an AI-powered search tool named "Intelligent Media Search." It's buried in an experimental build of Windows and hasn't been announced yet. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Intelligent Media Search will scan text files, images, audio, and video and let you search for them. It will transcribe the words spoken in audio and video files and let you search for them. That does sound useful. 📌 READ MORE: Discover [what little we know]() — and stay tuned for more. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Intel says its new CPUs will crush Snapdragon PCs ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Intel's new "Lunar Lake" or "Core Ultra (Series 2)" chips have launched, and Lunar Lake-powered laptops will be available soon. Improved AI performance aside, Intel is talking up power efficiency and battery life. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Intel is claiming its chips are more power efficient and deliver more performance than Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips. That sounds exciting, but the proof will be in the hands-on benchmarks. 📌 READ MORE: I highly recommend reading [this detailed story](). Cast your vote... ​[When do you think you'll buy your next PC?](=)​ SPONSORED MESSAGE Want to automate work tasks, but not sure how? [Cyborg sorting paper](=)​ ​[Download the free ChatGPT At Work bundle](=) from HubSpot, so you can learn how — today! Designed for novices and experts alike, this course deep-dives everything you need to automate work and save literal hours. What you’ll learn: 🧠How to adopt AI into your workflows quickly ✅ Refining your inputs for high-quality, accurate results 🙌 [100+ free ChatGPT prompts](=) you can copy ‘n’ paste Ready to delegate email, data analysis, and more to ChatGPT (and finally take a day off)? ➜ [Download the free ChatGPT bundle and learn how to use artificial intelligence at work!](=) [SAVE HOURS WITH CHATGPT ➜](=) ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Keep your laptop battery healthy for years to come Battery life is just part of the picture. The health of your PC's battery is also crucially important. A healthy laptop battery will keep working well for years to come, while an unhealthy battery will lead to falling battery life. It may even pose a fire danger if it gets real bad. ➜ Windows has a variety of battery health tricks, including "Smart Charging" and an especially hidden way to discover the current health of your battery. Plus, there are some essential best practices. ⌚ Each tip will take you about 10 to 20 seconds to consider. 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. 📌 Check out my list of [8 ways to protect your PC's battery health](=) for all the goods. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Record a video of your screen with a keyboard shortcut Windows 11 has a screen recorder that can capture a live video of your screen, complete with audio. It's part of the Snipping Tool — but there's an even faster way to access it. ➜ Microsoft includes a useful keyboard shortcut that will launch the screen recorder in three keypresses. (This doesn't work on Windows 10, however, as this feature is new on Windows 11.) ⌚ You can start recording in about 2 seconds. 💻 This only works on Windows 11. To open the Screen Recorder, press Windows+Shift+R. Then, draw a rectangle on your screen where you want to record. Select your recording options with the bar at the top of your PC's screen, if you like, and click "Start." Easy! [The screen recorder on Windows 11.] --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Watch browser videos with picture-in-picture mode Picture-in-picture mode is all the rage. Browsers have built-in PiP video features, but they can be hard to discover. Firefox is working on an experimental feature to automatically activate PiP when you switch away from a tab with a video, but you can use PiP today in any web browser. ➜ It's an essential multitasking tip: Turn that web video into a convenient floating thumbnail so you can keep an eye on it while you do anything else on your computer! ⌚ You can push a video into Picture-in-Picture mode in 2 seconds. 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Here's how: - In Chrome, Edge, and Brave: Right-click a video and select "Picture in Picture." (On a YouTube video, you will have to right-click twice to see this option.) Or, install [Google's Picture in Picture extension]( for an easy button. - In Firefox: Right-click a video and select "Watch in Picture-in-Picture." (On a YouTube video, you will need to right-click twice.) Or, click the "Open Picture-in-Picture" button at the right side of the browser's address bar. You can also press the Ctrl+Shift+] shortcut. [Google Chrome playing a YouTube video in Picture-in-Picture mode.] ​ [] [Top Thurrott Thoughts] Some standout links and expert analysis from our friends at Thurrott, who have been covering Windows since 1994: - ​[Report: Qualcomm Wants to Buy Intel’s PC Business](=)​ - Probably this week's most shocking story. - ​[Google is Improving How Tabs Work in Chrome](​ - Tab groups will sync. - ​[Lunar Lake for the Win: Is This the Comeback Intel Needs? (Premium)](​ - An excellent discussion of Intel's upcoming processors. - ​[Microsoft Releases September 2024 Patch Tuesday Updates]()​ - This month's changes arrive. - ​[Microsoft Opens Registrations for Ignite 2024 on November 19-22]() - Microsoft's developer conference will be in Chicago. - ​[Apple and Google Both Lose Appeals in the EU](=)​ - Ouch. ​ SPONSORED MESSAGE How to save yourself hours each week Your time is valuable, but don't worry — [Homebase](=) helps small businesses easily manage schedules and track time! Designed to streamline your operations, Homebase saves you time and reduces stress, while offering affordable pricing that scales with your team. ➜ [Try it out yourself, totally risk-free, with a 14-day free trial.](=)​ [UNLOCK YOUR FREE TRIAL ➜](=) ​ [And Just for Funsies...] While I'm a PC person, I try not to get caught up in the whole PC vs. Mac rivalry... most of the time. Still, I've been monitoring the imminent release of macOS Sequoia, and I have to say that the grass is not always greener. In fact, the Mac is transforming into the Windows Vista-style experience Apple famously [mocked](=). Apple is making it more annoying to run unsigned apps, and Mac users will soon see weekly permission prompts to keep running certain apps. It's really not great, and I'm happy I use Windows. For an informative and amusing diversion, check out [my list of reasons macOS Sequoia is worse than Windows​](=). If you haven't been paying attention to the Mac platform, you'll learn a lot about what's going on over there! [Apple's famous ad mocking Windows Vista's security warnings.] Still, everyone should use whatever platform they like best. I'm on the side of the Mac power users here — I truly hope Apple listens to them and makes macOS less obnoxious! But, as I eye the next macOS release, I'm happy I use Windows. Until next time... That's all for now. Have a great weekend! --------------------------------------------------------------- 📊 Last week's poll results: Most people prefer using desktop icons! Just 37% of people who responded hide their desktop icons, while 63% keep them around. 🗳️ [When do you think you'll buy your next PC?](=) Be sure to vote in this week's Windows Intelligence poll if you haven't already done so! 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up]( [Thumbs Down]() Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let me know. Want less email? 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