How to Change Drive Letter Using PowerShell on Windows 10

On Windows 10, when you connect an internal or external drive to your computer, it’ll get a drive letter assigned automatically to identify the logical partition inside of the drive.

A drive letter, or device letter, can be any letter of the English alphabet, but excluding the letter C, as it’s reserved for the main drive that contains the OS installation.

Although the assignment process happens automatically, sometimes it could happen that Windows 10 tries to assign a letter that is already in use, preventing the new drive from appearing in File Explorer.

If you happen to run into this problem, or you simply want to change the drive letter for any reason, Windows 10 offers multiple ways to this. However, using PowerShell is perhaps one of the most reliable ways to assign a new drive letter.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to change the drive letter using the PowerShell command-line console on Windows 10.

How to assign new drive letter using PowerShell

The process to format a drive and get it ready to store data is straightforward. Just make sure to understand that going through these steps will erase everything stored in the drive. 

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Windows PowerShell, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator.
3. Type the following command to identify the hard drive you want to change the letter and press Enter:

   Get-Disk

4. Type the following command to assign or change the drive letter to internal or external and press Enter:

   Get-Partition -DiskNumber 1 | Set-Partition -NewDriveLetter G

   In the above command, make sure to change 1 with the disk number of the drive you want to format, and change G with the letter you want to assign to the storage.

   

   Change drive letter using PowerShell

Once you’ve completed the steps, the drive will now have a new letter assignment, and if it was missing, the hard drive will now appear in File Explorer.

Sources: pureinfotech

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METI space messages invite aliens to communicate with Earth

Researchers have undertaken a controversial plan to get aliens to contact humans: sending an invitation out into space. The efforts come from METI, which stands for Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence, and it involved sending messages toward a star system located about 12 light-years from our own. Assuming the messages are received and a reply is sent, we should get it about 25 years from now.

Humans have long written stories about intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, some of it more optimistic than others. Conspiracy theories aside, no other intelligent beings have made contact with humans, but that may change if we continue to actively pursue contact. The METI mission represents the most recent effort in that attempt, but it isn’t without its critics.

While it is easy to assume that intelligent life exists somewhere in the vast expanse of the universe, it is hard to guess what that intelligence may look like…not just from a visual standpoint, but also cultural and technological ones. Aliens advanced enough to intercept, decipher, and then reciprocate a message may exceed the advancement of our own species, and in a worst-case scenario, a surprise visit from them could be catastrophic.

That fear aside, the issue has other controversial aspects. Humans around the world have debated about what kind of message should be sent to other intelligent lifeforms, should any of them intercept them; by having a small group dictate the message, it raises potential squabbles between human cultures that disagree with the content being sent out.

Any message sent into space will potentially invite back to Earth intelligent beings, and such an event would impact everyone on the planet. As such, any messages that are sent forth should be determined and agreed upon by the global community at large, not a relatively small roster of scientists.

Still, despite these controversies, the messages were sent out to a red dwarf called GJ273 that has a possibly habitable exoplanet called GJ273b. A future message is planned for the same destination, one informing anyone who intercepts them that human astronomers will be looking for a reply on June 21, 2043.

METI president Douglas Vakock recently discussed the messages in an interview with Newsweek, addressing some of the controversies. Among other things, he stated:

When we’re not clear how risky an activity is, we rely on the most vivid images that come to mind to help us decide. Cognitive psychologists call it the availability heuristic. We rely on the images that are most available to us—the vivid ones—and take that as the truth. What could be more vivid than the image of an alien invasion? But once we step back, take a breath, and analyze the situation, we realize there’s no added danger of an alien attack if we let them know we’re interested in having an interstellar conversation. When people learn more about the project, they

Sources: slashgear

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How to Pay With Your Phone or Tablet

Ready to leave your wallet at home and use only your smartphone to perform all your everyday financial transactions? This is possible with mobile payments, which may actually someday replace most physical payment types like cash and cards.

"Mobile payments" is a big term that can mean everything from paying at restaurants with your phone or swiping your card on your friend's tablet, to transferring money to family or coworkers without needing to physically hand them the cash.

Note: Be aware that some mobile payment services charge fees for transactions. Most are actually free but remember to research the websites mentioned below to be updated on their most recent policies regarding transaction fees.

What Are Mobile Payments?

There are a few different types of mobile payment systems that all work a bit differently. Some might require your phone to be near the other device receiving the payment, like with NFC (near-field communication) payments, while others just use the internet.

Most mobile payment systems can be identified in one of these categories:

• Everyday Transactions: One type of mobile payment takes place anywhere you are, like at home. You can open an app on your phone and pay anyone for any reason you wish. Split a bill, send a money gift, refund someone for something they did for you, etc. Money is usually taken straight from your bank account but some services let you hold the cash in a "mobile wallet" for quicker transfers.

• Point of Sale Payments: These take place at the place where you're buying the service or good. Lots of stores have POS mobile payment systems in place that make is super easy to just tap your phone on the card reader or press a button on your phone to instantly pay the bill.
• Closed Loop Mobile Payments: These types of mobile payments are specific to a company. For example, Starbucks lets you buy anything from their menu using your phone, and you can even skip the line in the store and go directly to a mobile-order-specific line to quickly pick up your order.

• Carrier Payments: Since every mobile payment-capable phone uses a cell phone carrier, some services are in place that let you pay for things from your phone but not actually have to pay until you get your cell phone bill. These are sometimes seen with donations you can make over text.
• Mobile Card Reader: Some companies offer a small device that plugs into your phone or tablet that can be used to accept payments from a debit or credit card. These are perfect for small businesses or even individuals who are accepting payments on the go.

Mobile Payment Apps

There are all sorts of mobile payments apps being released on the major app store platforms all the time. It's becoming so popular that some phones even have a mobile payment feature built right into the device.

Apple Pay

Apple Pay works with iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. If a POS system supports Apple Pay, when you're ready to check out, you can use your stored credit or debit card to pay with just a quick press of your fingerprint or the side button on your watch. Mac computers can use Apple Pay too.

Since the fingerprint reader is used for authentication, the App Store and many third-party apps let you pay for things using your Apple Pay information and your stored fingerprint.

You don't need to verify the expiration date on your card, enter the security code, or do anything else since all the information is stored on your device.

Apple keeps a list of all the different places that support Apple Pay. You might find Apple Pay support in restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, and more.

Samsung Pay & Android Pay

Similar to Apple Pay is Samsung Pay, which works with Samsung Galaxy devices ( full list of supported devices). In addition to storing up to ten regular bank cards, Samsung Pay is partnered with tons of merchants so you can store and pay with an unlimited number of gift cards.

Android Pay is an app available on all non-rooted Android devices, available on Google Play. Tons of banks are supported and you can pay in lots of stores.

Just place your phone near a Samsung Pay or Android Pay terminal to have the NFC reader communicate your payment details.

Bank Apps

Lots of banks let you transfer money to other users of that same bank. Sometimes, this feature is available from within the mobile app. Bank of America, Simple, Wells Fargo and Chase are just a few examples but there are many others that work the same way.

These are actual banking apps that connect you to your account with that bank. This means you have to set up a savings or checking account in order to use them, after which you can use those accounts to send money or collect money from others. All four can do this through their mobile apps.

If your bank doesn't support transferring money to someone else who uses your same bank, or they don't use the same bank but you still want to send money to them, you can use a non-bank app to make the mobile transfer.

Non-Bank Apps

These are apps that aren't technically banks but do let you either pull money from your bank for mobile payments or keep cash in the app so you can quickly transfer money to others who use the same app.

The free Square Cash lets you send money directly to anybody's bank account without any fees. It's as simple as choosing an amount to send or request, and then sending it over email or text. You can store money in the app so it can instantly go to the other person's account, after which they can keep the money there and use it for other transfers, or move the money to their bank.

PayPal is another popular mobile payment service that works much like Square Cash, where you can send/request money from the app as well as store money in the account for instant transfers. You can even pay with your PayPal account in some stores.

Mobile payments are offered by Google too, through Google Wallet. Add money to your Google Wallet account in seconds and send it to anyone. All they have to do is put in their bank information to receive it. Choose a default payment method and Google will automatically transfer all incoming money into that bank. It's essentially a bank-to-bank transfer app, with Google mediating the details.

American Express Serve is like these other services with the added benefit of using prepaid forms of payment and the ability to build subaccounts.

Snapchat and Facebook Messenger might not be your first thought when it comes to mobile payments, but both of those apps let you send money to your Snapchat or Facebook friends. It's as simple as putting the dollar amount in the text message,\ and then confirming your payment details.

Some other mobile payment apps include Venmo, Popmoney and Blockchain (which sends/receives Bitcoin).

Mobile Card Readers

Square, the same company that runs the Cash service mentioned above, also lets you accept payments from cards through their free Square Reader device that attaches to the headphone jack. Money is processed through their POS System.

PayPal has their own free card reader called PayPal Here, as does PayAnywhere.

If you want transactions neatly organized with your QuickBooks account, you might prefer QuickBooks GoPayment.

Important: All of these services charge fees either per transaction or for a yearly or monthly cost, so make sure you look around in those links for the most up-to-date details.

Direct Carrier Billing and Closed Loop Mobile Payments

Probably of less interest to most people are direct carrier billing mobile payments. Sometimes, when you buy an app or ringtone for your phone, the service will add the amount to your cell phone bill. This is a common practice when making donations, like to Red Cross.

Closed loop mobile payments are when companies create their own type of mobile payment system, such as Walmart, Starbucks, Taco Bell Subway, and Sonic. Each of these apps let you pay the bill from your phone, either ahead of time or when you pick up your order.

Sources: lifewire

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Future iPhones could use Intel’s 5G modem instead of Qualcomm’s

The battle between component suppliers for the next iPhones has just entered its next phase, and Qualcomm might be left behind in the dust. Intel has just proudly announced that they have reached a key milestone in the development of its 5G modem that takes it close to catching up with Qualcomm. But, perhaps, more importantly, it puts Intel in a more favorable position to be Apple’s go-to 5G partner, at a time when several market factors seem to be conspiring against Qualcomm.

To date, Qualcomm’s LTE modem chipsets still have a distinct advantage over the competition. For one, it boasts of the fastest and most stable performance among other modem chips. It also has one of the best support for CDMA networks, which Verizon and Sprint use, which isn’t surprising since it was instrumental in developing the technology.

5G, however, will change the game, and not just in data transfer speeds. Verizon has already indicated that it will practically be orphaning its CDMA network in the very near future, which would mark the end of CDMA itself. When that happens, the carrier and network market will be a more level playing ground revolving around 5G networks, and Qualcomm would have lost its one distinct advantage.

In terms of performance, however, Intel might still have a bit of catching up to do. It has just recently announced that it was able to successfully make a full end-to-end 5G call, based on its first 5G silicon that it announced early this year. That might not yet be enough to put it on the same footing as Qualcomm, but it has a very big incentive to pick up the pace: Apple.

As the rift between Apple and Qualcomm widens, the former’s need to look for alternative suppliers also increases. Intel’s progress on the 5G front, paired with the upcoming retirement of CDMA, will make it easier for Apple to push Qualcomm out of the picture. The only problem now, at least for Apple, is finding a second supplier to prevent Intel from monopolizing negotiations. At this point, MediaTek, the only other alternative, might not yet be up to the task in 5G support.

SOURCE: Intel

VIA: Fast Company

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The Tesla Semi Truck Already has Some Big-Name Reservations

The new Tesla Semi has already found some high-profile buyers, with Walmart and more confirming they’ve placed reservations for the all-electric truck. Unveiled last night, the Tesla Semi does away with traditional diesel engines altogether and, like the California automaker’s cars, replaces them with high-powered electric motors. The big pitch is zero-emissions shipping and less maintenance.

Indeed, Tesla CEO’s Elon Musk swung between the sort of performance numbers that have traditionally enthused the automaker’s consumer buyers, and figures more palatable for fleet operators. On the one hand, the Tesla Semi is shaping up to be the hot-rod of trucks, with a 0-60 mph time of 20 seconds even when at maximum 80,000 pound load. Cab-alone, it can do the same run in a quarter of that time.

However for companies actually in the business of making deliveries, it’s other talents that might single the Tesla Semi out. The company is promising that the truck won’t break down for a million miles, pointing to the fact that even if two of the four electric motors were to stop working unexpectedly, the remaining motors could still keep the Semi running. Brake pad wear is also expected to be minimal, thanks to regenerative braking.

Those factors, among others, have caught the attention of a few big names in haulage. Walmart has confirmed that it reserved fifteen Tesla Semi trucks, telling CNBC that it had earmarked ten for the US and the remaining five for Canada. The pilot program will see the electric truck join Walmart’s existing fleet of around 6,000 vehicles.

Meanwhile, J.B. Hunt Transportation Services also announced today that it would be experimenting with the Tesla Semi. The company, one of the largest supply chain solutions providers in North America, said that it had “placed a reservation to purchase multiple Tesla Semi tractors” though did not specify exact numbers.

While Musk suggested that the Tesla Semi could effectively replace all diesel trucks, the haulage companies themselves are being a little more tentative in their expectations. “We believe electric trucks will be most beneficial on local and dray routes,” John Roberts, president and chief executive officer at J.B. Hunt, explained of his company’s reservations, “and we look forward to utilizing this new, sustainable technology.” At the same time, it will be taking other steps to boost efficiency, like switching to biodiesel where possible, and reducing the number of time engines are left to idle.

What could be particularly appealing to fleet operators is the Tesla Semi’s tight integration with management services and applications. Inside the truck’s cabin – tall enough for a driver to stand upright – there are two large touchscreen interfaces. Fitted as standard, they allow the Semi to integrate with existing software used to organize routes and more. Tesla envisages that same connected technology to allow multiple trucks to form pontoons or “road trains” that, so Musk suggested, could make them more cost-effective than even rail transportation.

The Tesla Semi is expected to begin deliveries in 2019, and reservations are being taken now.

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Sources: slashgear

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Best New Technology of 2017 and Beyond

With the ever-changing world of technology, sometimes it can be hard to keep up with the latest trends. Here is a list of the top must-have gadgets for 2017 and what could be in store for next year!

iPhone 8

Apple continues to surprise us with some of the latest and greatest technologies out there, 

coming out with a new iPhones what seems like every month. But this year Apple launched the 

newest generation of iPhone, the iPhone 8. The new iPhone 8 is built with the most durable glass 

smartphones have ever seen and a stronger aerospace grade aluminum band for even more 

protection.

It’s dust and water-resistant and even features wireless charging (which means no more 

dealing with those pesky charging cords!) and a retina HD display. iPhones seem to be 

getting more and more sophisticated each year, and the iPhone 8 proves that. With 

faster and more user-friendly experiences, amazing photo-taking capabilities and 

longer battery-life, the iPhone 8 is definitely a must-have this year.

Virtual Reality

In addition to people’s love for smartphones and laptops, virtual reality headsets seem to 

be all the craze these days. VR headsets are most commonly used with video games but 

they can also be used as simulators and trainers. VR headsets are head-mounted devices 

that block the user from seeing the outside world and immerses them in a 3D world with 

simulations of real-life experiences.

These real world simulations allow users to interact and explore the virtual reality as if he or 

she was actually there. VR headsets allow you to travel anywhere in the world at anytime 

right from your living room. Virtual reality has been and will continue to develop, which 

means that real life simulations will only become more advanced and life-like as time goes on.

Nintendo Switch

Most modern technology makes your favorite childhood games and toys things of the past, 

but companies like Nintendo are giving you your childhood favorites with a modern twist. The 

Nintendo Switch is a gaming console that connects to your TV via a docking station, 

but it also can be removed as used as handheld device with a touchscreen.

The Switch not only supports video gaming on your TV, but also supports handheld 

play, online gaming, mobile apps and more!

Drones Now and Later

Drones are not a new concept, since they have been used by the U.S. military and in 

cinematography for almost two decades, but advanced drone technology has quite literally 

taken off recently. The newest drone technology includes GPS and autopilot systems for 

even more aerial photo and video opportunity. Drones can be used in pretty much any 

industry. They can serve as surveillance for law enforcement, storm tracking and aerial 

videography for news channels, crop monitoring for farmers and so much more!

Another drone capability that is currently in the works is automated drone delivery. 

That’s right, a drone delivering Chinese takeout right to your front door. Drone delivery 

technology is still in the works but Google recently tested drone delivery at the Virginia 

Tech campus by delivering Chipotle burritos to students. Although all the aspects of drone delivery haven’t quite been perfected yet, prepare for probably one of the greatest high-tech inventions to hit 

the market.

The Future of Technology

Technological innovation opens the door for a world of imagination and fulfills our changing 

needs in this fast-paced world. The power of technology is incredible; we’re able to 

communicate faster, access information at our fingertips, and helps make day-to-day life 

more enjoyable. So what’s next for future gadgets? The possibilities are endless.

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