Contents

Use the in-page link below to jump direct to the shortcut you need.

Quick view of Keyboard Shortcuts

Introduction

Excel Insert Row Shortcut

Insert multiple Rows Shortcut in Excel

Delete Row Shortcut in Excel

Delete Multiple Rows Shortcut in Excel

Bonus – Delete blank rows Shortcut (without a mouse)

Maybe quicker – Delete Blank Rows with a mouse

Summary

Quick view of Keyboard Shortcuts

INSERT Row Excel Shortcut Shift+Space, Ctrl+‘+’

DELETE Row Excel Shortcut Shift+Space, Ctrl+‘-’

Insert multiple Rows Excel Shortcut Shift+Space, Shift+<down>, Ctrl+‘+’

Delete multiple Rows Excel Shortcut Shift+Space, Shift+<down>, Ctrl+‘-’

Note: For Mac computers: Just use the Command key instead of Ctrl above.

The above quick summary just gives the fastest information, but I thought you might like to see other methods and relevant tips. I explain them below.

NOTE: Did you know you can copy File Explorer Search results to Excel (as a list of file names)? Read how to here: 2 Tricks Save Explorer Search Results.

Introduction

Normally Microsoft makes simple action keyboard shortcuts easy, but the insert row keyboard shortcut is not so easy to find. You can get there using the Ribbon with a mouse, but it is not so quick when you need to do it repeatedly. Hotkeys make it easier!

If you want to insert or delete rows using the mouse see the end of each section. These primarily use a right click in the right place, or the ribbon with a mouse.

The delete rows keyboard shortcut is similarly not obvious.

The methods I’ve seen online typically require you to first use the mouse to select it.

Then they show a shortcut. To me, this is not quite as quick as using only the keyboard if that is what you want. Besides as I’ll show, there are quick ways using the mouse without the keyboard that seem better than first using the mouse then moving your hand(s) to the keyboard.

That doesn’t help when you want to record keyboard strokes for recording a macro, for example.

Read on!

Symbols Used

I’ll try to use limit the use of symbols in displaying the hotkey in most cases so it is easier to read. In some cases I might use apostrophe around the ‘key’ especially when it is a symbol rather than a letter or function key. For arrow keys and certain other keys I will use greater-than and less-than symbols around the <key>.

In between most key combinations I’ll use the plus (+) sign to indicate you hold down the first key then press the second key.

For example to hold down the Shift key then press another key, will look like this: Shift+c (which is the shortcut for copy that you may already know).

When you need to follow with a further hotkey combination, I’ll separate with a comma “,” so you can see that you don’t need to press five keys at once!

Excel Insert Row Shortcut

The Select Current Row Excel shortcut is step 1: Shift+Space

The first key combination selects the current row. This saves clicking the left of the column and makes it a shortcut without a mouse.

The Insert Row Excel shortcut to finish is step 2: Ctrl+‘+’

Note: For the Mac, use the Command button instead of Ctrl. That is Command+’+’

Select entire current row then insert a row using only keyboard shortcuts (no mouse). If you have a Mac, use the command key instead of Ctrl. Note: to get the + you can use only the plus key if your keyboard has a separate one (eg. on a number keypad) or if it is shared like in the image, use Shift if necessary.

Note: It can be very quick to insert rows using the mouse. Right click on the row label(s) left of the first column, then click ‘Insert Row’ in the popup menu.

NOTE 2: if you don’t select the row first, the above hotkey combination will initiate to insert the current cell only. This shows the insert dialog box and you can then select Row using further hotkeys as explained below.

An alternative way is to use the insert dialog box then ‘r’ or arrow keys and enter:

To insert a row at the selected cell, use insert: Ctrl+‘+’, r, Enter.

Or Ctrl+‘+’, then hit the down arrow twice to move selection to “Entire Row” then hit Enter.

Again, on a Mac, use Command instead of Ctrl.

Note: If you do not see the dialog box pop up, it could be because something like a table or table with a filter is blocking that command form being available. You can do it if not within the table. Your best option in that case is the first one shown above.

The quickest way using the mouse is to right click on the row label then click ‘Insert’ from the popup menu.

Insert multiple Rows Shortcut in Excel

As with everything in Excel, there are several ways you can do the action.

If you already have cells spanning several rows selected, you can just use:

The Insert Row Excel Shortcut: Ctrl and ‘+’

The same number of rows are inserted as the number of cells selected.

If not, the select current row Excel shortcut is again the first step Shift+Space

Then hit the shortcut keys Shift+<Down> to select several rows down (or Shift+<up> key to select a range of rows going up).

There is yet another way, even if you only have a single cell selected.

Again, the Select Current Row Excel shortcut is step 1: Shift+Space

Use the Insert Row Excel Shortcut: Ctrl and ‘+’

Then you can continue to hold down Ctrl and tap ‘+’ as many times as you need to keep inserting more.

Delete Row Shortcut in Excel

Assuming you have jumped straight here, the Select Current Row Excel shortcut is step 1: Shift+Space

The keyboard shortcut to delete a row in Excel is: Ctrl+ ‘-’

That is for when you already have a cell selected on the row you want to delete.

NOTE: if you don’t select the row first, the above hotkey combination will initiate to delete the current cell and other options. You can still use this dialog box as explained further below.

Note: It can be very quick to delete one row using the mouse. Right click on the row label, then click delete in the popup menu.

The two shortcuts to delete row in Excel. First use Shift then tap space, then Control and minus key. If you have a Mac, use the command key instead of Ctrl.

An alternative way is to use the delete dialog box then ‘r’ or arrow keys and enter:

To insert a row at the selected cell, use insert: Ctrl+‘-’, r, Enter.

Or Ctrl+‘-’, then hit the down arrow twice to move to “Entire Row” in the dialog box and then hit Enter.

Again, on a Mac, use Command instead of Ctrl.

NOTE: If no dialog box appears, look if you have a table or table with a filter in the sheet which can block that option. You can still delete a row. Your best option is the first method shown above.

The most effective way using the mouse is to right click on the row label then select Delete from the popup menu.

Delete multiple Rows Shortcut in Excel

If you already have selected cells spanning several rows, you can just use:

The Delete Rows Excel shortcut: Ctrl and ‘-’

Another way is you can just continue to hold down Ctrl and press ‘-’ as many times as you want to delete more rows.

Without the mouse move to a cell in the first row you want to remove. Type Shift+Space, which will select them all horizontally, then use the <down> arrow.

Again use Ctrl and ‘-’ to complete the process.

Using the mouse can be quick.

Select cells on multiple rows: Hold Shift and click on at least two row labels left of the first column.

You can even select with gaps if you hold down Control instead.

Right click and select ‘Delete Rows’.

Well done if you have read all the way to here, as you will have seen multiple ways and expanded your skills. TheTechMentor.com likes to give more where possible.

Bonus – Delete Blank Rows Excel Shortcut

As a bonus, I want to show how to remove blank rows in Excel.

This is something many people need but do not know it is quite EASY to do.

It can be a pain to find and select many rows before you delete them.

There is a special trick to allow you to do it without having to select every blank row manually. Without that it is not that easy using only the keyboard.

How do you delete all blank rows in Excel?

It takes a brief few steps, but you can do it using only keyboard shortcuts ie. without a mouse. Here’s how:

To select all the cells in the column of the current cell, use Ctrl+Space.

Alternatively, just select only the range you want. You can use shift and the move keys for example.

NOTE: for best results, you will want cells selected in one column only for this method, and it only works well if you have a column that is representative of your blanks.

If you really need, you could create a column that evaluates if the others are blank. If you have only numbers above zero, you could sum the other columns, for example. Another way to find blanks in a table is to add a filter (in the Home ribbon) if not already in use and choose ‘Blanks’ for each column.

First, you will need to select only the blank cells.

How do you select all the blanks cells in Excel?

To select all the blank cells in your column range, select the blank rows using the following steps:

GoTo shortcut: press <F5>.

This will trigger the Goto dialog box.

Then using only the keyboard, press Alt+Shift+s (in other words Alt+S).

Use Goto (F5) to select cells, you’ll need the Special option.

This brings up the Goto Special dialog box.

Now press k for Blanks and OK.

The Goto Special dialog box lets you select only the blanks.

Now you have all the blank cells. How do you select all the blank rows in Excel?

Now we can use the mouse or do it without the mouse. You might want to use the mouse at this point, as it has already been a few steps to now.

Next, we delete the blank rows.

Now press Alt+h for the ribbon Home menu. You’ll notice many letters appear on the ribbon.

Final steps to delete blank rows using only the keyboard. After D then press R for ‘Rows’ and you are done!

Now press D (for Delete) then R (for Rows).

DONE! Without a mouse.

Delete Blank Rows With a mouse:

With a combination of keys and mouse:

Press <F5> select Special, then click Blanks and OK.

Then click Delete in the Ribbon Home menu, and click the second option, “Delete Sheet Rows”.

The final step to delete the blank rows, shown above via the mouse. The insert shows the ribbon Home menu actions.

It’s not that hard to use only the keyboard method shown above, but you might like to just use the ribbon and mouse for the actual delete rows step. I find it easier.

Summary

I’ve shown the Insert Row shortcut and Delete Row shortcut in Excel. For each, I’ve also shown how to expand those shortcuts to insert or delete multiple rows. As a bonus, I’ve shown how to select and delete blank rows using only keyboard shortcuts.

The post Insert or Delete Row Shortcuts in Excel appeared first on TheTechMentor.com.

Shortcuts are key combinations that help us access certain features quickly, without having to go through all the menu options. They save us time and make us more productive.

There are a few software key shortcuts that every office worker should know, and today we will discuss their importance and benefits.

Access management tools

Companies are becoming more and more reliant on automated management tools to help them run their business.  These tools, such as https://opal.dev software, can be used for a myriad of tasks including project management, customer relationship management, email marketing, and much more. 

Automated management tools allow companies to save time by automating various processes that would otherwise need manual attention. 

This means you will have fewer overhead costs and the focus will go back to your core competencies instead of spending time on tasks like managing contacts or setting up new campaigns in marketing automation platforms.  There are many benefits of using automated management systems for businesses – so let’s get into some shortcuts standardized across many Microsoft applications.

Microsoft shortcuts

Have you ever used Microsoft Word and felt like it was difficult to find certain features?  Well, did you know that there are shortcuts for many of the tasks we do in MS Word? 

Shortcuts are key combinations that help us access certain features quickly, without having to go through all the menu options. They save us time and make us more productive.

There are a few software shortcuts that every office worker should know, and today we will show them and their benefits.  

• One of the most useful Microsoft shortcuts is Control + F, which allows you to search for a specific word or phrase in your document. This is extremely helpful if you are working on a long document and need to find a specific piece of information quickly.
• Another great shortcut, arguably the most useful shortcut, is Control + S, which allows you to save your document. This may seem like an obvious one, but it can be easy to forget to save your work periodically, especially if you are working on a large project.
• The last Microsoft shortcut we will discuss is Control + P, which allows you to print your document. This can be very helpful if you need to have a hard copy of your work or share it with someone who does not have access to a computer.

Many other Microsoft shortcuts can be extremely helpful in your day-to-day work life. We encourage you to take some time to familiarize yourself with them so that you can be more productive and efficient in your use of MS Word.

Google shortcuts, Bing Shortcuts

As we all know, Google is one of the most popular search engines on the internet. Did you also know that there are shortcuts that can help you use it more efficiently? While this might be a function of your browser, you can certainly use them while using Google and Bing.

One of the most useful Google shortcuts is Control + T, which allows you to open a new tab. This can be very helpful if you need to lookup multiple things at once or if you want to keep your search results organized.

• Control + W allows you to close the current tab. This can be helpful if you are done looking at a particular set of search results and want to move on to the next set.
• Control + F does the same task as in Microsoft Word, allowing you to search for a specific word or phrase on the current page. This can be extremely helpful if you are looking for information on a particular topic and want to find it quickly. Another way to look for a topic on the internet is to insert the entire website in the Google search bar, so www.searchwebsitename.com term (whatever you are interested in).

Using a simple Notepad

Notepad is a basic text editor that’s included with Windows. You can use it to create or open text files, as well as save your work. To open Notepad, press Win+R to launch the Run dialog, type notepad, and press Enter.

• Quickly create a new text file in Notepad, press Ctrl+N.
• To save a file in Notepad, press Ctrl+S.
• Close a file in Notepad, press Ctrl+W.
• To reopen a closed file in Notepad, press Ctrl+O.
• To print a file in Notepad, press Ctrl+P.

If you need to find a word or phrase in a text file, use the Find feature. To open the Find dialog, press Ctrl+F. Type the text you’re looking for and click Find Next.

Excel Control Key Shortcuts

Excel is a popular spreadsheet application. It’s used for everything from creating budgets to tracking sales data. Here are some useful shortcuts for Excel:

The standard shortcuts for creating new files, reopening, etc. are the same as any other Microsoft software.

• A new favorite of mine: shortcut for filter in excel (eg. in a table) Press Control+Shift+L.
• To select all the cells in a worksheet, press Ctrl+A.
• One you likely already know: To copy data to the clipboard, hit Ctrl+C.
• Many also know: To paste data from the clipboard, press Ctrl+V.
• To clear the contents of a cell, press Ctrl+Delete. (Although, why not just hit delete?!)
• Similar sounding, but more useful which performs a very different action:
  Use Ctrl+d in Excel to ‘fill down’ the contents of a cell or cells to other selected cells in rows below.
  In other words, it is like two shortcuts in one! Ctrl+c to copy the top row and Ctrl+v to paste to all the cells in rows below that you also have selected. But even quicker because it’s two in 1!
• To format cells, select them and then press Ctrl+1 to open the Format Cells dialog.
• To enter numbers in scientific notation, press Ctrl+Shift+5.
• Press Ctrl+Shift+2 to enter a date,
• To enter a time, press Ctrl+Shift+3.
• Not sure this is really a shortcut, but some might not know: To select a range of cells, hold down the Shift key and click the first and last cells in the range.

Did you know you can copy MS File Explorer Filenames and Folders to Excel? It’s a very handy shortcut compared to writing it out manually! You can do it easily. To learn how, see this article: Copy file and folder names into Excel.

And a special method to use 2 Tricks Save Explorer Search Results to Excel.

PowerPoint Shortcuts

The main PowerPoint shortcuts that are different in embedded spreadsheets are those for selecting cells, copying and pasting data, and formatting cells. 

• To select a single cell, press F8. To select a range of cells, press Shift+F8.
• Not really different shortcut to copy data to the clipboard, press Ctrl+C. To paste data from the clipboard, press Ctrl+V.
• To format cells, select them and then press Ctrl+1 to open the Format Cells dialog.

Outlook shortcuts

Many MS Outlook key shortcuts are the same as those in other Microsoft applications.

However, there are a few that are specific to Outlook:

• To create a new email, press Ctrl+Shift+M.
• To reply to an email, press Ctrl+R.
• Forward an email by pressing Ctrl+F.
• To delete an email, press Ctrl+D.

No matter what you do, every office worker can be helped by some of these useful key shortcuts.

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the key shortcuts discussed in this article. You can be more productive in your work.  In times when work efficiency needs to constantly improve because of the dense market competition, every edge you can get can help. 

Increasing efficiency and downsizing the time spent doing a specific assignment, even if it is just a few moments can over time turn into significant minutes or hours saved per week.  This allows for employees to focus on other more important agendas or tasks.

Using these key shortcuts in MS Office and other software enables you to work more efficiently and effectively.

The post 6 Software Key Shortcuts Every Office Worker Should Know appeared first on TheTechMentor.com.

Here is our list of 6 of the best YouTube to MP4 Converters with descriptions for you to make choosing one easier. Most are free! Read on!

Some people love to save their own videos so they can access them at any time without a connection to the internet.

E.g. for when you don’t have a WiFi network.

Great for training videos or to carry your favorites for that big road trip or summer vacation!

The websites and applications in our list below are our pick of the best YouTube to MP4 converters. That should help you choose one.

You may want to jump direct to your desired section using the internal page links below.

List Of the Best YouTube to mp4 Converters with Reviews >>

What is the YouTube video Format?

Convert YouTube to Which File Type?

Legality, Terms and Conditions

Introduction to the Best YouTube to MP4 converters

People of all ages use Popular video streaming website YouTube for various purposes.

These  include learning, entertainment, instructional videos, self-help and more.

As TheTechMentor aims to help computer techs (and DIY’ers) learn, we often get asked “what is the best YouTube to mp4 converter?” This is because there are so many great training videos on the platform.

Note: You might want to read the section about which file type towards the end, because not all players play all file types.

You might not always have access to YouTube. You might not always be connected to the internet, such as when you have no WiFi.

It conjures up images of vacations on sandy beaches in an island paradise! Could be for almost any reason though.

Sun, sandy beaches, isolation… and no internet?! Now, don’t panic. Keep Calm and Carry… the best YouTube videos with you!

Luckily, there are a few good converters to download YouTube to mp4 format.

You don’t need to search around to find these methods because they’re listed here for you.

• We can’t guarantee their performance with your computer system.
• Some of sites are free and pay for themselves with advertising.
  

Read on to find the best YouTube to mp4 conversion method for you.

Later, we cover why you can’t just copy what’s online. It’s a function of the format.

Okay so let’s get right down to it!

What are some of the best YouTube to MP4 converters?

Here is the list of the top YouTube to mp4 converters with descriptions to help you decide which one you want to try.

6 of The Best YouTube to Mp4 Converters – The List

Note that TheTechMentor.com does not receive anything for mentioning these MP4 converters.

It’s just our pick of the best.

Have you’ve tried others? Suggest them for others to look at in the comments below.

1. aTube Catcher

This is one of the most commonly used software programs if you’re looking for YouTube to mp4 converters because of its efficiency and simplicity.

After visiting the website, you can install the software which only takes a couple of minutes after which you’re all set to begin converting your favorite YouTube videos into mp4 format.

Despite being one of the older players in the field, it offers a fairly wide range of formats in addition to mp4; this includes formats such as FLV (Flash Video), MPG, and AVI.

If that’s not impressive enough, it also supports PSP format which is used for the portable game console by Sony.

After selecting your preferred format, all you need to do is drag the clip link into the window, and the video will begin downloading.

Even though the interface for this software isn’t as great when it comes to appearance, it doesn’t matter since the performance is quite amazing. …And it is FREE!

2. Any Video Converter

This superb video converter can download and convert videos from various sources not just YouTube.

Source videos can be either those stored on your computer and from online websites such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook.

You can even convert videos stored on CD’s or storage devices to another format using the Any Video Converter.

I guess that it is all in the name; they are targeting people who want to convert any source not just YouTube videos.

Aside from having multiple options, there’s no rocket science involved in accessing it either.

Even though it is easy enough to use, there are still in-built tips which guide you through the process.

You simply have to paste the link of the desired video in the window or simply drag the link straight from your browser (makes use very simple).

With these first two there’s no need to revisit the website each time you want to convert a video because installing the software takes only a couple of minutes.

3. DVDVideoSoft’s Free YouTube Download

I’ve used other DVDVideoSoft software products in the past.

DVDVideoSoft is quite popular among users, and their Free YouTube Download feature is a favorite among YouTube users.

The software offers users with a simple and minimalist interface which is easy to understand.

Any advanced settings that need to be accessed can be done so through the menu for extra ‘Options.’

Convert to many formats

This converter has almost 25 options when it comes to conversion formats. It converts your favorite videos are converted automatically once they’ve been downloaded first.

If the video is long, there is even an option which initiates the computer to shut down once the conversion and download are completed.

Other features include downloads through a proxy and pasting the links to the video straight from the clipboard.

The format details can be selected from the side of the video thumbnail, and this will show you many options as to where the converted video can be exported.

Once you’ve made all your preferred adjustments, select the option to download, and the process will begin.

The downside to this YouTube download to mp4 converter is that you can only convert a single video at a time.

If you want to save the time and convert more videos, you can upgrade your software to premium.

4. YTD Video Downloader

This all-rounder converter can successfully download your desired videos and convert them into the mp4 format. The main highlight is that it’s able to do so from many different websites that are popular for streaming videos such as DailyMotion, Facebook, and YouTube.

With the help of this versatile video downloader plus converter, you can access your favorite YouTube videos offline in many formats, such as MOV, AVI, and mp4.

It is an edge above the rest because it can resume downloads if an internet connection faces any problems.

There is the consideration of having to constantly upgrade it because an update always brings a cool new feature.

One unavoidable problem which keeps this converter from being topmost in our list of 6 top YouTube MP4 converters is the fact that the WebDiscover Browser has to be downloaded for it to work.

If you can deal with an extra browser lying around on your computer, then this should not be an issue and this converter potentially has all the best characteristics to be your favorite.

Like This

If you do download the WebDiscover Browser, you may want to set your default browser. You can do it like this:

1. Open Settings (and if you find that a little challenging, then just type “choose a default browser” into your Windows search bar). Settings will be the first option to come up.
2. Look under ‘Default apps’ if you just go straight to settings.
3. Here you can select WebDiscover or change your default browser. You can click or tap on the currently displayed browser for a drop down of options.

Note: If you used to use Microsoft Edge and you want to go back to it, one way is just to scroll down and click or tap on the ‘Reset’ button below the currently selected browser.

5. Flvto Converter

You can now take your favorite YouTube videos with you with the help of ‘Flvto’.

The free converter and downloader are reliable and safe to use, and you can easily switch between a variety of formats easily whether it’s AVI, mp3, and mp4.

The Flvto converter is online doesn’t require you to take any time installing software because you simply paste the link from your clipboard into the search bar, on the website.

The videos download in your desired format right away without any hassles.

No need to go through instruction manuals because of the simple, no-nonsense interface.

Obviously you need to revisit the site each time you want to convert another clip.

6. Office Converter Online

This converter online can be used on videos from other sources as well, even files that are stored on your computer.

There are many options so scroll down to ‘Online Video Converter’.

If you wish to convert a YouTube video, simply paste the URL into the bar and select an export option to decide where the converted file should be stored.

The website may look a little intimidating at first, but it’s because there are so many other conversion options, so all you need to do is select the one that’s relevant to you.

The best part is Office Converter offers a staggering number of format options so you won’t be left with a converter that doesn’t meet your needs.

Whether you need to convert videos to FLV, MKV or a format compatible with devices like iPhones, this converter has you covered.

Are there other better converters?

YouTube Itself

If you want to download a copy of videos that you uploaded, then you can do that direct from YouTube. This link shows how.

What is the YouTube video Format?

When you watch a streaming YouTube video with your internet browser, it primarily uses the VP9 and H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video formats, and the Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP protocol (according to Wikipedia refer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube).

You may well ask “what is that?!” Probably no need to go into the details here. In simple terms the software splits the video into small parcels containing snippets of video code that can your end device can play.

It aims to play them strung together at the best resolution for your device without gaps or stopping due to limitations within your internet connection. Needless to say you need to capture and convert YouTube clips to MP4 or a suitable file format for a playing device to be able to play them offline.

The Best Converters turn YouTube into several File Types

Just to be clear, it is important to explain that audio-only files would typically have the mp3 file extension, whereas most people call MP4 players any device that can play video rather than just mp3 files. The 4 in MP4 is meant in a progressive fashion, meaning it is a higher level or newer model with improved capability (i.e. with video capability!). It signifies it does more than simply play music. Some marketers are calling their devices MP5 players now.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This gets tricky if you convert to a true MP4 format file because many MP4 Players won’t play them.

They play simpler video file formats like WAV, AMV or MTV. MP4 file format specifically in technical terms is the MPEG-14 file format and not many players can actually play this format.

The best converters can convert to many different file types.

Be clear which video format your MP4 player will play before you use your converter!

You probably want the best YouTube to MP4 converter. Check the file type to which they can convert.

Convert to MP4 for just one video and then check it works on your player. Almost nothing will spoil your day/trip faster than realizing you spent hours converting to a format your device doesn’t play.

‘Google’ Owns YouTube!

Side note:

The guys and gals at Google (Alphabet) loved YouTube so much they bought the company!

I suppose they could see it was popular with so much internet traffic it was already getting.

These days they measure the amount of hours of video uploaded in the billions!

This is why it is important to read about the legality – they have rules to protect themselves. Here is an outline.

Legality, Terms and Conditions

“You can’t touch this…!” Can you download YouTube clips?! Maybe. Check before you use them.

In the terms of service it says: “You shall not download any content unless you see a ‘download’ or similar link displayed by YouTube on the Service for that Content.”

So whenever you see indication of a specially prepared download link, you are able to do that.

You can read the full Ts & Cs on the YouTube website.

Do you have another converter you want to share that you think is one of the best?

Please let everyone know in the comments below.

What to read next?

If you find tech easy, maybe you want to consider to become a computer or network technician or learn more about these future-proof careers, then read these tips to get started as a computer tech.

If you love iPhones and Mac computers, see a selection of Apple Mac & iPhone articles here.

Finally, if you want to convert to audio only, you will want to consider the different audio file types you can use. To learn about and consider the different audio file types (yes, there are many more than just the MP3 file type) see 7 Popular Audio File Types.

Summary of the Best YouTube to MP4 Converters

We have shown you our list of 6. We trust it will help you select the best YouTube clip converter for you. Some of these are software apps to download to your computer and some are online. Most will convert to MP4 and other file types.

The post 6 of The Best YouTube to MP4 Converters appeared first on TheTechMentor.com.

Facial recognition software is becoming more prevalent and five facial recognition guidelines were proposed by Amazon’s Michael Punke (Amazon Web Services’ VP of Global Public Policy). A further 5 are proposed here to make a total of 10 facial recognition technology guidelines to be applied more broadly.

Facial recognition software legislation

Punke proposed these guidelines below for law enforcement regulation of Facial recognition software.

A key message throughout is that facial recognition tech must only be applied along with other task supporting evidence or activities, not on its own.

Many of these ideas can be seen as similar measures necessarily applied when other new technologies such as DNA testing were in their early stages of application in law enforcement.

However I think Punke has not gone far enough. Guidelines need to be developed more broadly than only for law enforcement, in order to protect the community.

By observing problems with other new-ish technology like DNA testing, we can identify some other areas of application that will benefit from guidelines (if not regulation).

DNA technology has been a boon for law enforcement and service to the community.

DNA testing laws were developed for law enforcement well before incorrect testing and assessment by unqualified personnel lead to harming people’s lives. To illustrate, a recent case have come to light in which a women had reproductive organs removed which was then found to have been unnecessary.

None the less, we must start somewhere and applying rules to law enforcement can lead development of facial recognition guidelines.

Here are the five facial recognition guidelines:

1. Facial recognition should always be used in accordance with the law, including laws that protect civil rights.

Stating the obvious but often skipped by the new tech economy businesses, in part because laws have not been updated to make specific application to newer technology clear. Users of facial recognition software tech must comply with all laws.

After all, Amazon and others may sell Facial recognition software but you or others as users can do all sorts of things with it and not all would be considered legal.

It’s a little like a pen or a gun can be used for good (say within the law) or evil (say break the law), and vendor companies pointing out that you have to use their products within the law.

2. When facial recognition technology is used in law enforcement, human review is a necessary component to ensure that the use of a prediction to make a decision does not violate civil rights.

Human review is necessary in most applications of technology to law enforcement.

In a state where government is for the people, law enforcement must itself comply with the law. Without human review, a significant amount of data may be captured, and automated action taken which could be unfairly biased or down right wrong.

It is about ensuring law enforcement actions are based on correct decisions. Human decisions. As much as science fiction shows incredible use of technology, our current reality is that most technologies are not as well developed.

3. When facial recognition technology is used by law enforcement for identification, or in a way that could threaten civil liberties, a 99% confidence score threshold is recommended.

Facial recognition accuracy is still questionable. Not necessarily because the technology is still developing, but because conditions in the real world can make accurate identification more difficult. Low light conditions and poor camera resolution for example make accurate identification of facial recognition biometrics more challenging.

Facial recognition software should have built in measures to reflect the difficulty or accuracy with each analysis. One term used to describe accuracy is facial recognition confidence level.

Thus a threashold should be applied to facial recognition confidence.

Punke recommends facial recognition confidence threshold of 99% when applied within law enforcement.

“When using facial recognition to identify persons of interest in an investigation, law enforcement should use the recommended 99% confidence threshold, and only use those predictions as one element of the investigation (not the sole determinant).”

4. Law enforcement agencies should be transparent in how they use facial recognition technology.

Authorities should report if and how facial recognition technology is being used and detail safeguards that have been put into place to protect citizens’ privacy and civil rights.

This will enable the greatest public confidence in the use of the technology by law enforcement agencies.

This is important to Amazon Web Services (AWS) so that their technology product will be accepted by the people and continue to be used.

5. There should be notice when video surveillance and facial recognition technology are used together in public or commercial settings.

Some states already have laws regulating the use of video cameras in public or commercial premises, such as shopping centres and restaurants. Notification of such is often required.

There have been concerns about facial recognition technology and its potential use in connection with video monitoring in public or commercial settings.

Hence notification of implementation of facial recognition technology at a particular location is recommended by AWS.

The next five of the 10 facial recognition guidelines for broader application.

Let’s consider more broad industry application of face recognition technology.

6 Industry bodies must create Procedures to govern industry use of facial recognition technology

Each industry body must develop their own procedures to ensure each application is controlled by relevant rules.

Industry bodies have experience in their field and typically gain contribution by experienced workers in that field. They often already have a charter to set out good industry practice to be in line with expectations of the community.

This leads to guideline number 7.

7. Consult with the community over your industry use of face recognition technology

Community consultation is imperative for building community confidence in any specific application of facial recognition technology.

This combined with industry body development of procedures and best practice identified in guideline 6 can ensure community awareness and trust in the application of the technology.

8. Identify important roles and define duties

Industry bodies and the community can identify key roles and responsible officers that will have a duty to perform their function to a uniform and acceptable standard.

This is so that procedures don’t exist without responsibilities also being assigned. It helps ensure we do what we say we will. In other words, it helps build integrity within our systems and procedures.

9. Storage and Destruction

Many industries are already developing or implementing systems for management of personal data.

Facial recognition software applications need to be included in those management systems.

Collection of initially obtained data, manufactured results and applied actions, contribute to the whole body of data produced. Data storage method(s) and duration, and ultimate destruction or deletion must be identified up front.

10. Review performance and compliance

Performance of facial recognition systems and compliance to procedures must be reviewed with corrective actions being supported and cycling back to revise procedures.

Did your officers perform the function that was set out for them?

Were they aware of their duties?

What went wrong? Were there new learning(s) to publicize and promote?

Sometimes when a learning opportunity occurs, the experience is not widely disseminated and the community is not informed due to fear of reprisals, legal issues or other negative outcomes.

However to stay up to date and improve, all relevant people must be informed. Perhaps careful management of specific information may allow this.

We should learn from new cases use that learning to improve our systems rather than hide them as an embarrassment because no-one thought of that potential outcome before.

All systems that apply facial recognition software must be living and be open to scrutiny, and allow improvement in line with goals of each industry and the community in order to be sustainable.

What can you do right now?

Talk to your industry body about facial recognition technology now!

Be sure to engage your industry body and reference these guidelines. Online documentation should provide a link back to these original guidelines as a starting point reference for your own discussions and development.

Did Michael Punke get it right? What about broader application of these guidelines? If you agree or think there are some more aspects to be considered, please leave your comments below.

Wrap up of these 10 facial recognition technology guidelines

So yes, Michael Punke has made a start with his proposed five facial recognition rules for law enforcement.

Let us not leave it too late to follow on with these further facial recognition guidelines for broader development of facial recognition technology guidelines for each industry for sustainability and community well being.

The post 10 facial recognition software guidelines appeared first on TheTechMentor.com.

When you have not received a recent Windows 10 update, this is how to check for updates, how to download Windows 10 updates manually, and install them. Some of you may have used WUD (Windows Updates installer) for older versions and this article shows you the way for the current version. We cover incremental updates here, not how to upgrade completely from an older version of Windows to Windows 10. Please read on to see how.

Introduction – How to Download and Install Windows 10 Updates Manually

Sure enough, most people’s systems have enabled automatic updates to ensure their system is always up to date. It makes sure you have the latest tested updates to help maximize security by patching any identified security issues and making other incremental system improvements.

However, sometimes there can be issues or delays with the automatic update and so you may want to know how to download windows 10 updates manually, and install them yourself. Be wary though, because an update might not appear on a device because Microsoft identified it as being incompatible.

This article follows on from my very popular article ‘How to Manually Download and Install (older versions of) Windows Updates‘. That is for Windows 7 or Windows XP etc. (up to Windows 8.1). However, WUD (the Windows updates downloader in its older form) is not applicable for Windows 10. This article shows what to do for the current version.

RELATED TOPIC: Did you know you can pause windows automatic updates? You can learn how to pause or stop completely windows updates here.

General description of the steps

First I will show you how to check for updates. There is a possibility this can trigger your downloads, so worth a try. You might have already done this and if not I have screen copies so it should be easy to follow.

Next we will look at how to find the system type and the build information for your Windows 10 OS. This will be helpful because you will need to know up to which update is your system. To get where you are going you need to know from where you start!

Then I’ll show you where and how to identify the updates you need. There is a trick to this!

You will then need to go to the right place to find them, and I’ll show you how to get there.

And finally for the manual download part, I’ll show you how to actually download the patches.

That is all made very easy with some examples and screen shots.

Finally, I will show you how to manually install Windows 10 updates to your device.

The Procedure – How To Download Windows 10 Updates Manually (And Install them)

Step 1: Start or go to system Settings

Click the Windows 10 icon on the task bar, then the gear icon for Settings.

Windows logo icon, Settings icon

You may need to click on the Home icon.

Home icon top left in Settings

Step 2: Go to Windows Update

The last settings category ‘Update and Security’ is the one you need, which is for Windows 10 Update, recovery and backup.

Alternatively to both step 1 and 2, you can type ‘windows update’ or possibly just start to type ‘update’ into the task bar search box and watch for the results to show ‘Check for Updates’.

Check for Windows 10 updates using task bar search

Step 3: Check for Windows 10 Updates Manually

Click or tap on ‘Check for Updates’. This will manually trigger the check.

Ideally there will not be anything else for you to do. This is the quickest way to initiate manually to download and install windows 10 updates.

If for some reason you know it is not up to date, then proceed on to step 4.

Check for Windows Updates (yours might not say ‘You’re up to date’).

Step 4: Check out your Windows 10 Build information

If you are continuing on from step 3 you can get to your build information from ‘Windows Update’ in Settings.

Scroll down and click or tap ‘OS Build Info’.

You will then see something like the screen copy below.

Take note of the System Type (eg. Windows 10 64-bit, x64-based).

Check and record the System Type as you use it later to download the correct Windows 10 patches.

Scroll down further to Windows Specifications. This shows you the build and version information (among other things). Take note of these (eg. Version 1803).

Your data will be something like in the screen copy below.

Your Version and OS build may be different!

Step 5: Identify the required KB number updates in the Windows 10 Update History

Click the following link to go to the Windows 10 Update History files location (this will open in a new tab).

Locate on the left hand side the Windows 10 Version number to match your version. Above that will be the updates you don’t yet have.

If necessary click to expand the version(s) above yours. In the example shown below there are four (knowledge base) KB numbers (along with the OS Build number).

List of Windows 10 updates to manually download and install.

You can click each one to read more about the updates. For example you can read that OS Build 17134.112 was released June 12, 2018, and applies to Windows 10 version 1803. They tell you any already known issues with the update and known work arounds you can use if they are relevant to your system. Worth reading if your system hasn’t already downloaded and installed the updates to see if you can see why.

You need to record all of the relevant KB numbers since your last update.

Can you use the old Windows update downloader?

No, the older version of Windows updates downloader is not for Windows 10. The way to get the updates files now that you have identified them, is shown in step 6.

Step 6: Search and Find the Updates Files

Click on the following link to open the Microsoft Update Catalog. This is essentially the Microsoft Windows updates downloader for Windows Updates, drivers etc.

Use the search bar top right to enter each of your KB numbers.

Enter your KB numbers to search.

Look down the results to find the matching Product (Windows 10) and System Type (e.g. x64 based systems) cumulative or Delta update.

Click ‘Download’ (as per screenshot below) to prepare to manually download Windows 10 updates.

Look for the Updates file that matches your system details, and click to download to, well, manually download windows 10 updates!

Step 7: Manually Download Windows 10 Updates

Then in the pop-up window, select the .msu file, and repeat the search and download one at a time for each individual file or cumulative files, to manually download Windows 10 updates.

Note: Before you do the next step, make sure you have all your work saved and any other Apps closed (and also add this article to your favorites first!). This is because the installation process will restart the computer.

Manually download Windows 10 updates.

Step 8: Manually Install the Update

Find the Microsoft Update ‘.msu’ file in your downloads directory, and double click it to commence to manually install Windows 10 updates.

As I wrote above, make sure your device is prepared for restart (work saved, applications closed, etc.).

Okay, so that completes how to manually download and install windows 10 updates.

If you find any problems or have any other tips, please add them in the comments below.

Summary of How to Manually download and Install Windows 10 updates

I have shown you how to download Windows 10 updates manually including where to find the KB number and then use the Microsoft Update Catalog to download the MSU file. The old Windows update downloader is not for Windows 10 so this is how to do it for the current version. To manually install Windows 10 updates you find the downloaded patch files and double click for the update to complete.

The post How To Download Windows 10 Updates Manually (And Install) appeared first on TheTechMentor.com.