In the Start menu, you’ll find a Recommended section featuring ads for different apps. The last time I checked, it was showing an ad for a password manager. Microsoft is probably aware that not every Windows user will appreciate this new addition to the Start menu, which is why there’s also an option to remove the Recommended section entirely.

To do this, press Win+i to open the Settings app. Choose “Personalization” from the left sidebar, then select “Start” on the right. Turn off the toggle next to “Show recommended files in Start, recent files in File Explorer, and items in Jump Lists.” After that, restart your system, and you’ll see that the Recommended section is gone from the Start menu.

Remove ads from File Explorer

There’s plenty of vacant space in Windows File Explorer, and perhaps that’s why Microsoft thought it would be the best place to display ads in Windows. The first time Microsoft tested this idea was in 2017, when a large OneDrive banner appeared at the top of File Explorer in Windows 10. However, for some reason, it was later removed from Windows.

Since 2022, when an X user named Florian Beaubois spotted ads in the Windows 11 File Explorer, Microsoft has been constantly pushing ads in its file manager.

If you want a completely ad-free File Explorer experience, you need to change one setting in the Folder Options. To do this, open File Explorer, click the ellipsis icon at the top, and choose “Options” from the menu that appears. Switch to the “View” tab, uncheck the “Show Sync Provider Notifications” box, and then click “Apply” and “OK” to save the changes.

Disable tips and suggestions from Windows

In addition to ads, Windows also shows a lot of suggestions and tips to improve your overall experience. While these tips can be helpful for someone who’s just getting started with Windows, if you’ve been using Windows for a while, you might find them as annoying as the ads. That’s why it’s best to turn them off completely for a clutter-free Windows experience.

To do this, open the Settings app, select “System” from the left sidebar, and click “Notifications” on the right. Under the Notifications From Apps and Other Senders section, click “Additional Settings.” Turn off the boxes next to “Get tips and suggestions when using Windows” and “Suggest ways to get the most out of Windows and finish setting up this device.”

After disabling these boxes, you will no longer see occasional pop-ups from Windows asking you to switch to Microsoft Edge, join Microsoft Rewards, or use any other Microsoft services.

Remove ads from the Lock Screen

I’ve long been an admirer of the Windows Spotlight feature. It dynamically changes lock screen images, ensuring that I’m not looking at the same picture every time. However, there’s one major drawback to using the Windows Spotlight feature.

You’ll see ads on your Windows lock screen if you have Windows Spotlight set as the display option. These ads often promote different games, and sometimes Microsoft also shows tips on various topics. The only way to remove ads from the lock screen is to configure Windows to show either a picture or a slideshow instead of Windows Spotlight.

To do this, open the Settings app, choose “Personalization” from the left sidebar, and click the “Lock Screen” option on the right. Click the drop-down icon next to “Personalize Your Lock Screen,” and then choose either “Picture” or “Slideshow.” If you select Picture, make sure to turn off the “Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen” box.

Remove ads from the Settings app

The very place where you’ve been disabling ads till now ironically shows plenty of them itself. Yes, you guessed it right; I’m talking about the Settings app. You’ll often find ads for different Microsoft services appearing at the top of various pages in the Windows Settings app.

To remove ads from the Windows Settings app, open the Settings app, select “Privacy & Security” from the left sidebar, and click “Recommendations & Offers” on the right. Turn off the toggles next to these options: Personalized Offers, Improve Start and Search Results, Recommendations and Offers in Settings, and Advertising ID. Disabling the Advertising ID also ensures that third-party apps don’t show personalized ads based on your Windows activity.

Remove personalized ads from the Microsoft Store

When you search for an app on Microsoft Edge, you’ll often see recommendations and similar apps in the Microsoft Store. This happens because of the Microsoft Store’s personalized experiences setting, which allows the store to monitor your online activity to show relevant ads and app suggestions. Fortunately, you can disable this setting to stop the Microsoft Store from displaying personalized ads and recommendations.

To do this, open the Microsoft Store, tap the profile icon at the top, and choose “Store Settings” from the menu that appears. Turn off the toggle next to “Personalized Experiences.” Select “Confirm and Restart Store” from the pop-up window that appears.

Remove ads from Windows search

I always prefer to hide the Windows search from the taskbar. But if you’re someone who uses it regularly, you must have noticed that it shows a lot of ads.

Open Windows Search, and on the right panel, you’ll see ads for different games, a trending searches section, and a dedicated block highlighting what’s special about the current date. If you find these elements taking up too much space in Windows Search, you can completely remove them.

To do this, open Windows Search, click the ellipsis icon at the top, and choose “Search Settings” from the menu that appears. Turn off the toggle next to “Show Search Highlights.” Restart your computer, and you will no longer see ads in Windows Search.

Clear the Widgets panel

Although the widget panel doesn’t show any ads, it contains a long list of news stories. There are also plenty of other blocks with data related to the stock market and other content that may not be relevant to you. If you find all this distracting, you can either clear the widget feed or disable the widget panel altogether. However, I suggest doing the former, as the widget panel can be quite helpful in various situations.

To get rid of an irrelevant widget feed, click the cog icon at the top-right corner of the widget window and select “Show or Hide Feeds.” Then, disable the “Feeds” toggle.

Big datasets can be difficult to read, interpret, and analyze. Indeed, it can be difficult to track specific information and understand relationships between data points if you have to scroll through thousands of rows and columns, even if you use the Freeze Panes or Focus Cell tools.

However, converting a dataset into a PivotTable allows for simplified data exploration and analysis, instant insights, and quick comparisons. What’s more, PivotTables let you perform calculations without the need for complex formulas, and you can use slicers and timelines to only show the data you need at any given point.

You can create a PivotTable in Excel from an external data source, a table in your worksheet, or a pre-built data model. To access these options, in the Insert tab on the ribbon, click the “PivotTable” down arrow.

In my case, I want to analyze an Excel table (named T_Sales) I created in an Excel worksheet, and I want to do so in a new worksheet to keep my workbook tidy and organized. So, after selecting a cell in the table, I’ll click “From Table Or Range” in the PivotTable drop-down menu. Then, after making sure the correct range is selected, I’ll check “New Worksheet,” and click “OK”.

Opening the PivotTable Fields pane

The PivotTable Fields pane is where you decide what goes in the PivotTable. This pane usually opens by default on the right of your screen as soon as you initiate the PivotTable-building process.

The PivotTable Fields pane closes as soon as you click away from the PivotTable area.

If the PivotTable Fields pane doesn’t appear by default when you select a cell in the PivotTable area, or if it disappears at any point when you’re working on your PivotTable, click “Field List” in the PivotTable Analyze tab on the ribbon. You can also click the same button if you don’t want the PivotTable Fields pane to be displayed by default.

To move the PivotTable fields pane, hover your cursor over the top of the pane until it turns into a four-arrow move pointer, and click and drag the pane to a more convenient position on your screen as a floating window.

To turn it back into the default pane, click and drag it to the right of your screen until it clicks back into position.

Understanding the PivotTable Fields areas

When I first started using PivotTables in Microsoft Excel many years ago, I found the PivotTable Fields pane confusing, not only because the default layout is overly condensed, but also because what goes in the different fields isn’t immediately obvious.

By default, the fields (labeled A in the screenshot below) are stacked on top of the areas (labeled B in the screenshot below). If your source dataset is substantial, this layout makes everything appear overcrowded, especially if you’re working on a small screen.

• To fix this, click the “Tools” cog, and select “Fields Section And Areas Section Side-By-Side”
• This vertical layout makes the pane appear less cluttered and, thus, easier to use.

Before you go ahead and start building your PivotTable, take a few moments to understand what each area means:

• Rows: Fields inserted into the Rows area appear as row labels down the left-hand side of the PivotTable. In the screenshot below, the Product field being in the Rows area means the products in the source data are listed in column A.
• Columns: Fields added to the Columns area appear as column labels across the top of the PivotTable. In the example below, you can see countries in the column headers.
• Values: Fields placed into the Values area are usually variables with numeric values that form the main part of the PivotTable, with each value acting as an intersection between a column and a row. In the PivotTable below, each cell where a product and country intersect contains a profit value.
• Filters: Insert a field into the Filter area if you want to filter the entire PivotTable based on a given variable. In this case, I can filter the PivotTable by department.

Adding and removing fields to and from a PivotTable

There are two ways to add fields to an area in the PivotTable Field pane.

When you check a checkbox next to a field, Excel automatically moves it to one of the areas according to the type of data the field contains. Usually, non-numeric fields are added to the Rows area, date and time fields are added to the Columns area, and numeric fields are added to the Values area. Useful as this automation may be, fields sometimes go in the wrong areas. What’s more, when you use this method, there’s no way for Excel to know which field to add to the Filters area.

Alternatively, dragging and dropping a field into an area gives you more control over what goes where. If you want to change which area a field is added to, simply drag and drop it to the appropriate place. For example, to remove the Department filter, click and drag “Department” from the Filters area to the left of the PivotTable Fields pane.

To remove a field from a PivotTable area, either uncheck the corresponding checkbox in the fields section or drag and drop a field from the areas section to anywhere outside the PivotTable Fields pane.

Now that you have used the PivotTable Fields pane to build your PivotTable, use the PivotTable Analyze tab on the ribbon to manipulate and customize the data. For example, you can rename the PivotTable, group different fields, or insert slicers and timelines for dynamic filtering. On the other hand, you can change the PivotTable’s visual properties via the Design tab, such as adding subtotals, formatting the data into banded rows, or changing the colors of the headers.

The whole system is powered by Home Assistant, a free and open-source smart home platform. Home Assistant runs on dedicated hardware like an old laptop or a Raspberry Pi, works offline, and is compatible with a huge range of smart home gadgets, including the all-important sensors that make this system work.

In my case, there are only a few entry points to the house where an intruder is likely to enter. I’ve got doors at the front and the back of the house, each of which has separate screen doors between them and the outdoors. In addition, I have casement windows with relatively small individual panes of glass. The windows are made from hardwood, since the house itself is getting on for 100 years old.

The main method of forced entry would be to open these doors or windows. Smashing the glass would still require that the window be opened unless we’re being burgled by toddlers (and they’d probably never reach the sills anyway). Ergo, this gives me a simple solution to home security in the form of cheap door or window sensors. I’m also sticking one on the garage, which is separate from the main house.

The end goal is to trigger some sort of visual and audible alert when the sensors detect that a window or door has been opened at night or when nobody is in the house for a prolonged period. The benefit of this method is not having to rely on motion sensors, which can be easily triggered unintentionally by people getting up in the night or cats walking around the house.

You can use virtually any door or window sensor that’s compatible with Home Assistant to accomplish this. I picked up a few IKEA Parasoll sensors ($15) out of curiosity, before quickly realizing they’d be perfect for such a project. Like similar products, they use a magnetic sensor to detect a change whenever the door or window is opened.

They take a single AAA battery, and the range of motion is fairly generous, so both elements don’t need to be lined up perfectly. There’s a red LED that fires whenever the sensor detects a change, which makes installation rather easy. They use Zigbee and work with Home Assistant’s Zigbee Home Automation (ZHA) integration via the Home Assistant Connect ZBT-1 Zigbee radio.

What I’m triggering when the sensors detect a door opening is still a work in progress. For starters, I’ve got a HomePod that’s hooked up to Home Assistant through which I can play an alarm alert. My iPhone is linked to Home Assistant via the mobile app, so I can get notifications. I’ve got lots of connected lights, so I can trigger those too.

Writing the Automation

One of the biggest benefits of Home Assistant is its powerful automation system. This allows you to take several inputs, apply conditions to those inputs, and then fire off whatever actions you’d like to trigger. Being able to flesh out an automation by using building blocks is what gives this system the edge over platforms like Apple Home.

The first thing to do is define “When” triggers. You can do this from your main Home Assistant interface under Settings > Automations & scenes using the “Create automation” button. I used the “Add trigger” button to add “Device” triggers for all the sensors I wanted to use in the “open” position.

You can define a specific duration that the doors should be open if you want, but I left the trigger as instant. You can also add an “And Ii” condition, which qualifies the trigger. So, for example, you could use the “And If” condition to only trigger the automation between certain hours of the day, or based on some other condition of your choosing.

I left this blank, since I wanted to be able to arm and disarm the system manually. Our household has some erratic hours, which include regular early starts and occasional late nights. I didn’t want to chance false triggers at antisocial hours, but I can always change my mind at a later date.

Finally, there are the “Then do” actions. This is where you decide what should happen in the event of your sensors being triggered (read: a break-in). I decided to trigger a scene that turns on the lights, set my HomePod’s volume to 70%, and play the obnoxious alarm tone from Half-Life 2. A proper siren would give me more control and probably be a better deterrent, but this is all proof of concept right now.

You can play with this formula to your heart’s content. Add more smart speakers (if you have them), set a repeat condition so that your alarm tone repeats forever, and add mobile notifications to devices of your choosing.

Arming, Disarming, and Muting the System

To arm the system, all you need to do is turn on your automation under the Settings > Automations and scenes menu via the “Automations” tab. To disable it, just turn it off. To stop the alarm once it’s been triggered, turn off the automation (yes, this will kill whatever sound you’ve told it to play on your smart speakers).

How you interact with Home Assistant really depends on how you decide you want to arm and disarm your alarm, as does your daily routine. Arguably, the easiest way to do it is to tie it to a scene. For example, you probably have a “Goodnight” scene that turns off all the lights at night. You can add your alarm automation under “Entities” and set its state to “On” so that it comes on when you go to bed.

You also need to deactivate it in the morning. The easiest way to do this is to create a new automation that runs at a certain time of day. If you have a smart home control panel, you can add a handy toggle to that. If you use a voice assistant, you can use that. You could use an NFC tag on your way out, or anything else you can think of.

Personally, I’ve gone a slightly different route. I primarily use Apple Home to interact with Home Assistant, so I’ve exposed my Automation using the HomeKit Bridge integration as a switch within Apple Home. I can toggle the automation (and thus the alarm “system”) on and off by toggling this switch. I can include this in my Apple Home routines too, which means saying “Siri, Goodnight,” turns on the alarm and turns out the lights.

Doing this means that I can use Apple’s Shortcuts app to also disable the alarm automatically. I’ve got a failsafe set in Home Assistant so that the alarm turns itself off at 7 am to account for lie-ins, but I’ve also created a personal automation that runs a Shortcut to turn off the system when my iPhone alarm is turned off. You can add this to every family member’s iPhone, so that whenever they get up for an early start, the alarm will be deactivated before they’re even out of bed.

Having my security automation exposed in Apple Home also gives me one more super helpful control: being able to turn it off. Since Home Assistant kills the actions you’ve triggered when you turn the alarm off, I can hit a button to restore peace and quiet. I can also switch it on or off when I’m away from home.

Not only is this setup a work in progress (Half-Life 2 alarm noises, seriously), it’s also tailored to my own house. The windows in my place aren’t ideal for climbing through, even if you smash them first. Many homeowners cannot say the same. A vibration sensor stuck to larger panes of glass might be a good workaround, and some smart speakers can even recognize the sound and potentially give you a trigger.

Another thing to consider is electricity. Not everyone’s fuse box is locked up, and if would-be thieves cut power to the house first, then your system won’t work as intended (the same is true for power outages). This is also the case for many professional alarm systems, though suppliers often have pricey failsafes for such occasions. An uninterruptible power supply hooked up to your server and network equipment might be a good idea, since you’ll at least get mobile notifications (but no lights or sound).

This also isn’t a high-end system that automatically calls emergency services or a security company on your behalf. It’s a “better than nothing” hobby project that you can use to better understand what’s possible in Home Assistant.

The EOMONTH function in Microsoft Excel returns the last day of a month in the past, the current month, or a month in the future. Whether you need to calculate end-of-month due dates, deadlines, expiration dates, monthly revenues, or forecasts, the EOMONTH function helps speed up this process.

The EOMONTH function requires two arguments:

=EOMONTH(a,b)

where argument a is the start date (any day of any month in any year), and argument b is the number of months before or after the start date. After taking the start date and moving forward or backward the specified number of months, Excel returns the last date of the month it lands on.

Argument a can be a reference to a cell containing the start date, a start date entered using the DATE function, or a start date generated using another function, such as the TODAY function.

For argument b, a positive number represents the number of months after the start date, a negative number represents the number of months before the start date, and zero stays in the same month. You can hard-code this argument manually, or reference a cell containing the number of months you want to jump backward or forward:

Calculating future Month-End Dates

The most common use of the EOMONTH function in Excel is to return the last day of a month in the future. Imagine you’re the project manager of a construction company, and you’ve assigned projects to ten employees. Each project takes a certain length of time to complete, and completion deadlines are at the end of the month.

So, to calculate the end dates in column E, you need to use the EOMONTH function.

In cell E2, first type:

=EOMONTH(

Then, select the cell containing the start date and add a comma:

=EOMONTH([@[Start date]],

Finally, select the cell containing the number of months to jump forward, close the parentheses, and press Enter:

=EOMONTH([@[Start date]],[@Months])

There are two benefits to using cell references instead of hard-coding the date and number of months. First, the formula is correct according to the data on each row, and second, if you need to change the time period or start date of a given project, you can simply modify the values in columns B or D without editing the formula.

Calculating Past Month-End Dates

The EOMONTH function can also tell you the month-end date of a month that is a certain number of months before a start date. Confused? Let me show you a real-world example. In this example, you have a table of ten projects, and you want to work out the latest point at which your employees must start them to meet the deadline in column E.

Specifically, if a project takes five months, you want to return the month-end date of the month that is six months before the deadline, leaving some extra room for any problems that arise in the process. To do this, in cell D2, type the following formula and press Enter:

=EOMONTH([@Deadline],-[@Months]-1)

where, for each row, [@Deadline] references the deadline date in column E, -[@Months] jumps back the number of months in the Months column, -1 jumps back an extra month, and the EOMONTH function returns the final date of the resultant month.

So, for the project in row 2, the EOMONTH takes the deadline date of January 27, 2026, jumps back five months to August 2025, and returns the month-end date of the previous month—July 31, 2025. As a result, if Mark, the assignee, starts the project on July 31, 2025, he should complete the five-month project with a few days to spare, provided everything goes to plan.

Calculating Long-Term Past and Future Month-End Dates

The EOMONTH function in Excel is great for jumping a given number of months forward or backward from a start date, before returning the month-end date. However, what if you want to jump forward or backward a given number of years? Well, EOMONTH can take care of this, too.

Take this example, where you want to return the end date for each long-term project based on a start date and a year-based timescale. Specifically, the end date must be the end of a given month since this is when you like to review the progress of your projects.

The principle for jumping forward and backward a certain number of years is much the same as jumping forward and backward a certain number of months. However, the only difference is that you need to multiply the year values by 12, since the EOMONTH function only works with months, not years.

So, in cell E2, type:

=EOMONTH([@[Start date]],[@Years]*12)

Here’s what you get when you press Enter:

So, for Mark’s project in row 2, the EOMONTH formula used above takes the start date of January 4, 2025, jumps two years (24 months) forward to January 4, 2027, and returns the month-end date of January 31, 2027.

To jump back a given number of years, place a minus symbol (-) before the second argument. For example:

=EOMONTH([@[Start date]],-[@Years]*12)

Calculating the Month-End Date of the Current Month

While Excel’s EOMONTH function is mainly used to calculate the end date of a month in the past or future, it can also return the month-end date of the current month.

Suppose you’ve created an Excel workbook, where each month’s budget is on a separate worksheet. As well as using checkboxes and the SUMIF function to work out completed and upcoming expenditures, you want to use the EOMONTH function to calculate the number of days remaining in the month and, thus, the maximum amount you can spend each day.

First, in cell B2, you need to create a formula that subtracts today’s date from the month-end date. This will return the number of days left in the month. To do this, type:

=EOMONTH(TODAY(),0)-TODAY()

where

• EOMONTH(TODAY(),0) returns the serial number of the last date in the current month,
• TODAY() returns the serial number of the current date, and
• The minus symbol subtracts the latter from the former.

Now, you can calculate how much you can spend each day in cell B7:

=B6/B1

Generating Sequences of Month-End Dates

Combining functions in Excel can take your spreadsheet to the next level, and a good example of this is nesting the SEQUENCE function in an EOMONTH formula to return a list of month-end dates.

The SEQUENCE function, which acts as the second argument of the EOMONTH function, has four arguments:

=SEQUENCE(a,b,c,d)

where

• a is the number of rows to return,
• b is the number of columns to return,
• c is the first number of the sequence, and
• d is the increment between each value in the sequence.

Despite having four arguments, depending on what you’re looking to achieve, you probably don’t need to use them all. For example, here’s how the SEQUENCE function looks when combined with the EOMONTH function to produce an array of month-end dates for 2025:

=EOMONTH(DATE(2024,12,31),SEQUENCE(12))

The SEQUENCE function tells Excel to return a 12-row sequence, and the EOMONTH function defines the sequence as an array of month-end dates starting the month after December 31, 2024.

Let’s say you want to return the month-end dates for every second month—rather than every month—in 2025, starting January 31. In this case, type:

=EOMONTH(DATE(2024,12,31),SEQUENCE(6,,,2))

where the first argument of the SEQUENCE formula tells Excel to return six rows of results, and the fourth argument represents a two-month increment between each value in the sequence. Finally, if you wanted to return quarterly month-end dates, you would type:

=EOMONTH(DATE(2025,2,28),SEQUENCE(4,,,3))

where the start date in the EOMONTH part of the formula is any date in the month before the end of the first quarter, the first argument of the SEQUENCE part of the formula tells Excel that you want to return four rows of results, and the fourth argument tells Excel that you want to jump three months (one year quarter) between each result.

As you’ve seen in this guide, EOMONTH jumps forward or backward a given number of months and returns the last day of the resultant month. However, if you want to return the same day of the resultant month, use the EDATE function instead.

Libraries are collections of shared code. They’re common in Python, where they’re also called “modules,” but they’re also ubiquitous across other programming languages. A library defines functions that any programmer can use in their own programs, similar to how a public library offers anyone access to its materials.

The advantage of using libraries is that you can save time and effort by not having to code your own solutions. Libraries tend to be better tested and debugged than anything you could come up with. They will also let you do more than you could on your own.

There are numerous libraries in Python for tasks such as graphics, game development, and more. My favorite libraries tend to be for data analysis. Python is especially popular for statistics and data science due to the large number of libraries available for these tasks.

There are several ways to install Python libraries on your system. If you’re using a Linux distribution, there will often be Python libraries included in your distro’s package manager. For example, on Debian and Ubuntu systems, the libraries will often start with “python-” or “python3-“. This will install the library system-wide, so you’ll need to have administrative access.

If you don’t have root or administrative access on your system, there are still ways to install Python libraries locally.

You can use the pip tool to install Python libraries listed in the Python Package Index (PyPi).

For example, to install NumPy:

pip instlall numpy

You can install libraries on a per-project basis in virtual environments using the virtualenv utility. You can take the concepts of virtualenv further using Mamba, which happens to be my method of choice. Mamba is a tool popular among data scientists and analysts that allows you to create project-specific environments.

I already have a Mamba environment for statistical computing populated with several libraries that are popular for data analysis. I can activate it at the shell:

mamba activate stats

A lot of Python libraries will come with the language. This is a point of pride for the Python culture. The Python Standard Library has lots of modules for everything from interacting with the operating system to working with times and dates. This is why Python programmers like to say that the language has “batteries included.”

Importing a whole Python Library

To import a whole Python library in a script or in the interactive Python mode, use the import command.

For example, to import the NumPy module, use this command:

import numpy

With the library imported, you can access functions from that module. It’s like if you defined a bunch of functions. The functions are imported under their own namespace. This means that by default, any functions from the library are kept separate from the built-in commands in Python. I’ll show you some ways to change this, but the default behavior is better for most circumstances.

To get at these functions, you can call the module you just imported. It’s effectively an object, if you understand how object-oriented programming works. These functions are methods that are private to the object we just created by importing the library.

For example, to calculate the arithmetic mean or average of an array using NumPy, we’d type this:

numpy.mean(numbers)

This calls the mean function in NumPy.

You might think that typing “numpy” every time you want to access the functions is a lot, and you’re right. You can import libraries with other names as a shortcut. A common example you’ll see with NumPy is shortening the name to “np” in import statements:

import numpy as np

You can now refer to numpy as “np.” Let’s rewrite that earlier mean calculation:

np.mean(numbers)

Importing Part of a Library (Interactive Python Only!)

A lot of times, when you’re working in an interactive Python section, such as in the standard interactive Python interpreter or IPython, you’ll often want to import only one or two functions from a large library, especially if you want to use them repeatedly during a session. This is also easy to do in Python.

To import a single function from NumPy into the main namespace, you can use this construction:

from library import function

For example, to import the mean function from NumPy:

from numpy import mean

You can also import multiple functions by separating them with commas. For example, to import the mean and median functions from NumPy:

from numpy import mean, median

With these functions imported, you won’t have to preface them with “numpy” or “np.” You can just use them as if they were part of the default Python functions.

For example, to calculate the mean of an array of numbers

mean(numbers)

And the median:

median(numbers)

Importing functions by themselves is better-suited to interactive Python sessions because it saves on typing. You can do it in a script, but it’s not recommended. You might end up overwriting the namespace that’s used for a default Python function. This might cause a bug in your script. If you ask for help online in a forum or IRC chat, the other Pythonistas might get stumped. This is why you should avoid these kinds of imports in scripts as much as possible.

Creating and Importing Your Own Python Libraries

It’s also easy to import your own Python libraries. You can do it without having to be an expert in Python. All you need is a text editor and the ability to use a terminal. Python modules are just ultimately collections of functions defined in Python. You can just create a file ending in .py, the same way you were writing a script. If you’ve created your own Python functions, you can stick them in a file and import them, the same as with any other built-in or installed Python module.

To import a module, make sure that it has execute permissions. You can use the chmod command in Unix-like systems, including Linux and the macOS terminal:

chmod +x my_library.py

You can import the library using the methods described earlier. If you’re in the same directory as the module, you can just use import statements. For example, to import the library:

import my_library

If the library is in another directory, there are a couple of ways to change the search path. The first method is to use the PYTHONPATH environment variable. It’s a list of directories that Python will use to look for modules. You can modify this in your system shell either at the command line or in a startup file such as the .bashrc file in Bash. It’s a list of directories separated by a colon (:) character, similar to the PATH environment variable on Linux systems.

At the Linux shell, you can examine it with the echo command:

echo $PYTHONPATH

To change it, it’s best to append it.

export PYTHONPATH=”$PYTHONPATH:/path/to/my/modules”

This will ensure that any existing module search path is preserved before adding your own directory.

You can also modify the search path using the built-in sys module. Just import it in an interactive Python session:

import sys

Then examine it:

To add a directory to the search path, use the append method:

sys.path.append(‘/path/to/my/modules’)

Since there’s no real distinction between a Python script and a module or library, you can easily convert one to the other. It’s good programming style to break operations into smaller functions. You can also call them from another script or interactive section, but what if you have a script? You can just define the script’s operations in a “main” function.

This will check if the Python interpreter is executing the script as a script instead of importing. You can then put everything you want after this section to execute in the script, while leaving the functions to be possibly imported in another script or interactive session.

With the ability to use modules, you can tap into Python’s vast array of available modules. You’ll be able to do more than you thought you ever could by yourself. You’ll save a lot of time and effort over coding from scratch.

One of the most important tips I have is setting your speakers to “small” mode, even if you have big tower speakers, and as long as you have a subwoofer, too. Most AV receivers automatically set the front speakers to “large,” which means they try to play the entire range of sounds. However, most speakers cannot handle the deepest bass (sounds below 80 Hz) on their own. Without a dedicated subwoofer, sound can be distorted.

By setting your speakers to “small,” you send those tough low sounds to the subwoofer instead, letting your main speakers focus on the sounds they handle best. The subwoofer is built to deliver strong, clean bass. If you don’t have a subwoofer, then you should set your speakers to “large.”

Setting the correct speaker distances is also key to making sure sound from all speakers reaches your ears at exactly the right time. Measure the distance from each speaker to your main listening spot and program these numbers into your AV receiver. The receiver will then adjust the timing, delaying sound from closer speakers so everything lines up perfectly.

Subwoofers often have extra built-in delays, so you might need to set the subwoofer’s distance in the receiver a little farther than it actually is. This fine-tuning, along with adjusting the subwoofer’s phase control, helps the bass blend smoothly with the main speakers, avoiding gaps or overpowering booms in the sound.

• Make Dialogue Clear and Special Effects Stand Out

Getting clear dialogue and powerful special effects in a home theater requires careful attention to your AV receiver’s speaker settings. I recommend focusing on the center channel and how low frequencies are handled.

The center channel speaker plays most of the spoken words and sounds that match what you see on screen, making sure speech comes directly from the screen. If not set up correctly, dialogue can sound unclear or low, and it’s incredibly annoying—I hate this about newer TVs because they sometimes prioritize explosions over dialogue by default.

For the best results, place the center channel speaker directly above or below your screen, with its tweeter as close to ear level as possible. If that’s not an option, angle the speaker toward the main seating area.

It looks cool, but please avoid putting it inside a closed cabinet because the wood can vibrate and make voices sound muddy and cause rumbling noises. This happens because the speaker has to work harder to produce low frequencies in a tight space, which can cause unwanted interactions with the cabinet walls.

Beyond these dialogue-specific settings, you can also adjust the equalizer (EQ) to improve clarity. While every speaker and room is different, small changes to the mid-range frequencies usually help speech stand out. Boosting frequencies to around 2.5 KHz can make general dialogue easier to understand.

For deeper male voices, a slight boost around 120 Hz can add richness, while for higher female voices, boosting to around 240 Hz can help. If dialogue sounds too nasal, try reducing frequencies between 2 KHz and 4 KHz. To reduce harsh “S” sounds in speech, cutting frequencies between 4 KHz and 8 KHz often works.

Make small adjustments (like 1dB at a time) and listen carefully, because boosting too much can create unwanted distortion. Like everything else, just take the time to do tests and you’ll find your perfect setting. Setting up an audio system for your home theater without paying much.

• Use Calibration Tools to Improve Sound

Modern home theater systems come with a variety of tools for adjusting sound beyond just the basic setup, all with the goal of achieving the clearest and most powerful audio possible. Most current AV receivers come with built-in automatic calibration systems like Audyssey, YPAO, Dirac Live, or Anthem ARC Genesis.

These systems make setup easier by using an included microphone and test tones to automatically identify speaker types, measure distances, set individual speaker volume levels, and adjust frequency responses to make the sound as good as possible for your room. While these automatic systems are convenient and often do a decent job with initial settings, they aren’t always perfect, and I always do a bit more.

For more detailed sound analysis and to work around the limits of automatic systems, advanced measurement tools are extremely helpful. A Sound Pressure Level (SPL) meter (either a dedicated device or a trustworthy smartphone app) is necessary for measuring sound levels accurately. When using an SPL meter, set it to C-weighting and slow response mode to get stable and precise readings across all frequencies.

Beyond just setting volume levels, software tools like Room EQ Wizard (REW), that you can get from their website), often paired with a calibrated USB microphone, such as the UMIK-1, allow for deep analysis of your room’s acoustics and speaker performance. The UMIK-1 usually works best with a 90-degree calibration file, meaning you should point the microphone upward during measurements. Using REW with a calibrated microphone gives you detailed information about how your room affects sound frequencies and timing, helping you make smarter manual adjustments.

For a full understanding of your room’s acoustics, move the microphone to different positions and heights around the listening area. Many systems recommend at least five measurement spots, often arranged in an X-shape, with slight height changes for each new position.

The room should be as quiet as possible during testing, with no talking, fans running, or other background noise. Most importantly, keep the microphone at least three feet away from walls, couch backs, or other surfaces to avoid inaccurate readings caused by sound reflections.

On Windows 10 or 11, we recommend using Rufus. It’s been around for a long time and is well known as reliable and powerful.

To get started, go to the official Rufus website and scroll until you see a list of downloads. If you’re not sure which option to choose, go with the first one, as that applies to the vast majority of people.

After it finishes downloading, run the Rufus EXE file. It’ll ask for permission to make changes to your device, which is required for overwriting a disk like we’re about to do. When you get to Rufus’ dialog, plug in the USB drive you want to use, and then make sure the drive is selected in the “Device” field. Click the “Select” button next to the “Boot Selection” field and find the ISO or IMG file you downloaded. Double-check everything is correct—the other settings’ defaults are usually fine—then click the “Start” button at the bottom of the dialog.

Rufus may give you an “ISOHybrid” warning, but just go with the recommended option. If something goes wrong, you can always go back and redo it with the other option. Rufus will also warn you that the selected device’s data will all be destroyed, so confirm you chose the correct device and click OK.

Now all that’s left to do is wait. How long it takes depends on several factors, so go get a cup of coffee while Rufus does its work. When the writing was successful, Rufus’s status bar will change back to a green “Ready” message. You’re now ready to boot your Linux USB drive.

For writing Linux images to a USB drive on Mac, I recommend Raspberry Pi Imager. While it was designed for use by people installing OSes on their Raspberry Pi, in our testing it actually works well for any Linux distro meant for any computer.

To get started, go to the Raspberry Pi software page and look for the “Download for macOS” button to get the Imager DMG file. Double-click it and drag Raspberry Pi Imager over to your Applications folder.

Next, plug in your USB drive and launch Raspberry Pi Imager. You’ll see a few buttons. Ignore the first “Raspberry Pi Device” button and instead, under Operating System.

• In the menu that appears, scroll until you see “Use Custom” and click it
• Browse to the location of your Linux distro’s image file and open it.
• With your image file selected, plug in your USB drive if you haven’t already, and in Imager click “Choose Storage”
• You’ll see a list of available drives. In our example image, there’s only one, but you may see multiple. Select the drive you want to write the image to, making absolutely sure it’s the correct drive
• With your image file and storage drive selected, click Next
• You’ll be asked to confirm you don’t mind erasing everything on the USB drive you chose, so if you’re sure, click “Yes”
• Now you just have to wait while the image writing happens. This can take several minutes, so be patient. When it’s complete, you’ll see a “Write Successful” message.

To make a bootable Linux drive on a computer that’s already running a Linux distribution, the most widely available and consistently reliable app that’s also easy to use is Impression. It’s available as a Flatpak, so it can be installed on any distro. You just need to already have installed Flatpak’s backend.

flatpak install flathub io.gitlab.adhami3310.Impression

Using Impression is very simple. Plug in your USB drive if you haven’t already, and then launch Impression and click the “Open File” button, which will bring up your file browser.

Next, Impression will ask you to select the drive to install the image file on. Confirm you’ve selected the correct USB drive—you don’t want to accidentally overwrite a different drive with important files! Then click the “Write” button.

Impression will ask you one more time to confirm you’re OK with erasing the drive and overwriting with the image file. You’ll then likely be asked to enter your root password, which is typically required for Linux apps that are trying to erase a disk. Then you simply have to wait. The time it takes will depend on the size of the image file, your USB port’s data rate, and the write speeds of the thumb driver.

You’ll get a nice big writing completion confirmation when the process is done. Click “Finish”.If you’re removing the drive, confirm it’s been ejected, and you’re ready to go with your bootable Linux drive.

Other Options for Writing Images

If the apps I went over don’t work for you for some reason, there are other potential options. On Windows and Linux, I also recommend Ventoy, which actually lets you write multiple ISOs to the same drive. It’s meant for advanced users, and that’s why it isn’t the first thing I recommend.

On Linux, there are several options specific to certain distros, like Fedora Image Writer for Fedora, KDE Image Writer for Kubuntu and other KDE Plasma-enabled distros, and Mintstick for Linux Mint. You’re welcome to give them a try, especially if you’re already using a relevant distro. In my experience, though, it’s hit-and-miss whether they’re available in your repo and how well they work outside the Linux distros they were designed for.

Not sure what to do once you have your bootable Linux drive created?

To boot a PC from a USB drive, you’ll need to enter the BIOS. Check out our guides to entering the BIOS on Windows 10 or entering the BIOS on Windows 11. Linux folks can enter the BIOS by accessing the GRUB boot loader and selecting the item labeled “UEFI firmware settings” or something similar. Then look for the boot menu. If you’re an Apple fan, see our complete guide to booting an external drive on Mac.

Stolen Device Protection is an anti-theft safety feature that can be crucial in a situation where your phone goes missing. Enabling this feature restricts drastic changes being made to your iPhone or Apple Account in case your password is compromised when your iPhone leaves your home, workplace, or other saved locations. Once enabled, Stolen Device Protection performs two important functions:

1. Face ID/Touch ID authentication: Certain actions, like accessing your stored cards and passwords, will require biometric authentication, with no option to use your device’s passcode.
2. Security Delay: Like the security delay that occurs after entering your iPhone’s password incorrectly consecutively, a security delay will be triggered if your Apple Account password is changed (for an hour), ultimately requiring a second biometric authentication once it’s over.

Before you enable Stolen Device Protection, make sure these settings are in place:

• Your Apple Account uses two-factor authentication
• Your iPhone’s password, Face ID or Touch ID are enabled
• Significant Locations under Location Services is enabled
• Find My is turned on

To turn on Stolen Device Protection, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode. Enter your iPhone’s password, then toggle on “Stolen Device Protection”.

If you regularly use Apple Wallet for your transactions or to store digital documents, regularly checking on your biometrics (Touch ID or Face ID) is a good precaution to take. As much as I can, I also try to avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi networks so I can reduce any safety risks that may come with a potentially insecure network. Apple offers other safety features for your iPhone, such as Check In, Emergency SOS, and Crash Detection, which can all come in handy in case of any mishaps during your travel or commute.

• Back Up to iCloud Regularly

Backing up your iPhone and other Apple devices to iCloud regularly is the most hassle-free way to ensure none of your data and account information is lost in case something happens to your device.

You can either back up your iPhone manually or enable iCloud Backup to automatically sync your data to the cloud. To back up manually, connect your iPhone to a (secure) Wi-Fi network. Then, go to Settings > Profile > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Backup Now.

You can enable automatic backup by navigating to iCloud Backup and turn on “Back Up This iPhone.” Then, connect your iPhone to a power source and a Wi-Fi network and lock your screen to complete the backup. Remember that if you’re traveling and not routinely connecting to a Wi-Fi network, backing up manually over a cellular connection might be necessary (assuming you have the spare data).

You can also consider upgrading to iCloud+ for more storage (starting at $0.99/month), in case your iCloud does not have enough storage for a backup. Summer calls for outdoor fun, but this comes with the risk of damaging your iPhone. Be it hiking, swimming, or bicycling, there’s no guarantee that your phone is completely safe from the perils of a summer adventure (especially if you use apps for summer activities on your iPhone).

Nothing beats a good old phone case when it comes to physically protecting your iPhone. When looking to buy a phone case, it’s better to stay on the side of caution and get a waterproof, sturdy one to prevent scratches, water damage, and breakage. While it can be painful to cover your iPhone’s color with another case (trust me, I hate covering my lilac, gloss finish more than anyone), a good phone case can save you a lot of worry and money in the long run. You can try silicone cases if you’re not a big fan of bulky phone cases, and I’ve found that these also go well with your iPhone’s skin color.

There are a few things to keep in mind when buying a suitable iPhone case (depending on the type of activities you’re into), such as MagSafe, card grip, and texture.

• Change your Screen Protector when needed

You can reduce the chances of your iPhone incurring damage by using a good screen protector that can prevent your screen from getting scratched in case of falls, bumps, or contact with rough/sharp materials. I am extremely clumsy with my phone and have dropped it on rough surfaces more times than I can count, and have paid my price with hairline stretches on my previous phones. I’ve now made it a habit to regularly check on and change my screen protector when needed.

Apple uses the durable Ceramic Shield for iPhone 12 and later, so a screen protector is not always a necessity. Not everyone is a fan of screen protectors: for the longest time, I was not too sold on the change in touch that comes with that extra layer of protection.

There are also some errors that could occur while applying a screen protector. But during the summer, having a screen protector on your iPhone can prevent scratches that could occur when you go outdoors to places like the beach, a hiking trail, or a mountainous area, since these places can expose your iPhone to materials like sand and rocks.

Regardless of whether you have opted to get a suitable sturdy iPhone case, be wary of where you leave your iPhone during the summer. It’s never a good idea to expose your iPhone to direct sunlight when you’re going out, since this can lead to overheating, battery issues, and temporary shutdowns. If you travel a lot in the summer, be wary of leaving your iPhone out in direct exposure to sunlight in cars, or in open spaces that could make your phone susceptible to spillage, loss, overheating, or other damage.

You can also carry accessories to protect your iPhone when you’re out. When I visit the beach, for instance, I tend to carry a waterproof bag/pouch to keep my iPhone despite having a sturdy case, so there’s no possibility of water damage.

One of the most crucial parts of protecting your iPhone in the summer is preventing heat-related damage. When exposed to high ambient temperatures, there’s a good possibility of your iPhone overheating, since it does not have an active cooling solution inside. If your iPhone overheats, you will receive a warning notification that says “iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it.”

But not to fret: if this does happen, there are some simple solutions to fix overheating. If you’re using a sturdy case to protect your iPhone, removing it and letting your iPhone rest indoors at a cooler temperature is a good starting point. Another solution is to stop using your iPhone (especially if you’re running apps that have a higher strain on your iPhone, like gaming or streaming apps) and put it to sleep. You can also temporarily switch it off while limiting exposure to high temperatures.

First, let’s talk about messaging standards. The old guard is SMS messages. These traditional texts don’t rely on mobile data or Wi-Fi. They use the cellular network’s voice channel, meaning if you have even a faint cellular connection, an SMS message should go through. However, this only applies to simple text messages. If you’re trying to send pictures, videos, or group messages (which are typically MMS messages), you will still need a data connection.

RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the next evolution of SMS, and Google is trying to use it as the answer to iMessage. It includes familiar features like read receipts, typing indicators, and higher-quality media sharing. The cool thing about RCS is that it can work over Wi-Fi. So, if you’re in a Wi-Fi-enabled area but have absolutely no cell signal, you can still send RCS messages to anyone else who has RCS enabled on their Android phone or iPhone. At this point, that’s most people.

Now, the important thing to note for situations of poor cell signal is both SMS and RCS are available. RCS generally requires a better connection than SMS, so if you’re in a poor reception area, your phone will fallback to SMS to get the message sent out—as long as you’ve enabled it. As mentioned, that means you should be able to send a message as long as you have the tiniest bit of a cellular connection.

Satellite SOS on a Pixel Phone

But what if you have neither cell service or Wi-Fi? This is where things get interesting. If you own a Google Pixel 9 series phone, you have a feature called “Satellite SOS.” This isn’t for casual texting with your friends, but it can be a literal lifesaver in emergencies. If you find yourself in a truly remote area with no signal in sight, your Pixel 9 can connect directly to satellites to send emergency messages.

First, a few prerequisites. As mentioned, you need a Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, or Pixel 9 Pro Fold (or presumably any model released after). Google Messages must be set as your default messaging app. Make sure you have as clear a view of the sky as you can get.

1. Dial the emergency service line for your area (911 in the US, for example).
2. If there’s no network coverage, you’ll see a “Satellite SOS” option in the dialer.
3. Tap “Satellite SOS,” then “Use Satellite SOS,” and “Start.”
4. You’ll be guided through a questionnaire about your emergency.
5. Next, you’ll have the option to notify your emergency contacts of your location.
6. Finally, follow the prompts to position your phone to connect to a satellite. Once connected, you’ll get a response from an emergency provider via text.
7. When you’re ready, tap “End” to finish the session.

So, while you won’t be sending photos of waterfalls from the middle of nowhere without a signal, your Pixel does offer options for communication in an emergency. The cool thing is that Google lets you try this out on your phone without doing it for real. You can go to Settings > Safety & Emergency > Pixel Satellite SOS and tap “Try a demo”.