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Its not the coolest phrase in the world to utter, but here goes: I love Windows. Maybe you do too. Maybe you dont, but youre forced to use it for work. Whatever the case, for all its positives, Microsoft Windows also bundles in a handful of tools that are either bafflingly archaic or simply underpowered for the demands of the modern user. The good news? The best things in life are often free, and it’s never been easier to swap out some of Windows default bloat for great free replacements. Here are five that are worth the download. Trade File Explorer for Files The native File Explorer has received a facelift and tabs, sure, but it still feels sluggish and lacks modern organizational features, and navigating between multiple locations is still clunky. Its a glorified folder viewer. Say hello to Files. This is the file manager Windows should have right now. It’s gorgeous, embracing the sleek Fluent Design of Windows 11 and, more importantly, it features a dual-pane view for dragging files between locations like a pro. It also supports file tagging, so you can stop relying on rigid folder hierarchies and start organizing your documents with custom, color-coded tags. And the chefs kiss: integration with popular cloud drive services. Trade Windows Search for Everything You hit the search bar, type in the name of a file you know is there, and then watch the little dots dance. Windows Search indexing is notoriously slow and resource-heavy. Instead, try Everything by Voidtools. Instead of indexing file contents, this utility indexes only the file and folder names on your drives. The result is pure speed. You start typing, and the results appear instantly. If you know the name of the file you want, Everything will find it before youve finished the first syllable. Trade the Snipping Tool for ShareX The built-in Snipping Tool gets the job done if the job is “take a picture and save it.” But what if you need to capture a scrolling window, annotate with arrows, and instantly upload the image to a shareable link? Thats where ShareX shines. This open-source utility turns a simple screenshot into a complete workflow. After you capture your region (with advanced options like scrolling capture), ShareX can automatically upload it to dozens of online services, shorten the link, and copy that link to your clipboard. It eliminates the manual steps of saving, opening the browser, and uploading. It’s a massive productivity multiplier. Trade Notepad for Notepad++ Notepad is a fossil: a blank canvas that knows how to hold text and nothing else. Its great for pure simplicity, but utterly useless for anything that requires even a basic level of efficiency, like viewing source code or editing config files. Notepad++ isnt just a better text editor; its a standard utility for developers and power users. It offers tabbed document viewing, syntax highlighting for dozens of languages, and incredibly powerful search-and-replace functionality. It manages large files beautifully and supports the kinds of macros and plug-ins that make working with text-based data infinitely smoother. Trade Sound Recorder for Audacity Windows current Sound Recorder is strictly for capturing audio: a basic, single-track utility with zero editing capability. If you want to trim the beginning, remove background noise, or layer tracks, youre out of luck. The godfather of free, open-source audio editing, Audacity is a full-fledged,multitrack digital audio workstation (DAW) that costs zero dollars. You can record, edit, mix, and convert audio with a vast library of free effects and tools. Whether youre cutting an interview clip, cleaning up a podcast recording, or digitizing an old cassette, Audacity offers pro-level features that blow the built-in Windows recorder out of the water.
Category:
E-Commerce
American agriculture is facing a crisis. The average U.S. farmer is nearly 60, and according to American Farmland Trust research, we are losing farmland at a rate of more than 2,000 acres per day. Yet, consumer demand for organic and regenerative food continues to climb, creating an urgent need. This is not just an agricultural issue. It is an economic and cultural challenge with profound implications for our food security, our environment, and our communities. If we step back, the problem reveals an opportunity: Farming must be reimagined as a viable, purposeful career for people who may never have considered it before. Tomorrows farmers may not grow up on farms at all. They may be transitioning professionals, entrepreneurs, or military veterans looking for ways to serve their country at home. AGRICULTURE AND FARMING AS A MODERN CALLING For too long, farming has been portrayed as a profession in decline. However, regenerative and organic agriculture offer a different, innovative vision. They represent an economy of renewal through restoring soil, rebuilding ecosystems, and creating healthier food systems. For individuals searching for meaning in their work, farming provides something rare in todays economy: the ability to see the tangible impact of labor. Planting a seed, nurturing it into food, and feeding a community is deeply rewarding. Unlike many modern jobs, farming ties daily effort to a long-term purpose. A NEW MISSION One group for whom this opportunity has been especially powerful is U.S. military veterans. Each November, we pause as a nation to honor their service and sacrifice. But what happens after the parades and tributes fade? For too many, the transition from service to civilian life brings challengesfinding meaningful work, reconnecting with a sense of purpose, and healing from the wounds of battle. At Rodale Institute, we believe regenerative organic agriculture can be part of the solution. In 2016, we launched the Veteran Farmer Training Program to provide a full-time, hands-in-the-soil experience for service members transitioning into agriculture. On our 400-acre certified organic research farm in Pennsylvania, veterans learn about soil health, crop rotation, livestock management, equipment operation, and business planning. Just as importantly, they rediscover community and mission. The connection between military service and farming runs deep. Historically, returning soldiers often found grounding and renewal in working the land. Farming offers more than a paycheck. It provides structure, purpose, and a tangible way to continue serving others by feeding communities. For example, Josh, a U.S. Army veteran, served multiple tours overseas and struggled with depression after leaving the military. Through the Institutes farmer training program, he not only learned to grow food organically, but he also found a new calling. Today, he runs a small vegetable farm that supplies fresh produce to local food banks and markets. As another example, Erika, a former Marine Corps logistics officer, came to the Institute with no prior farming experience but a passion for sustainability. After completing training, she joined a regenerative farm and now mentors other veterans looking to enter the field. These stories highlight something bigger than a career shift. Farming becomes a way to support veterans in reconnecting with themselves, their communities, and the land. A BUSINESS CASE FOR FARMING CAREERS The need for new farmers is not limited to veterans. Teachers, engineers, and corporate professionals have also found purpose in regenerative organic agriculture. But to broaden the pipeline, we must lower barriers: access to land, training, financing, and markets. This is where business leaders should pay attention. A resilient food system underpins every sector of our economy. Without healthy soil and secure domestic food production, long-term prosperity is at risk. Veterans, alongside others making the transition into farming, bring leadership, resilience, and discipline, exactly the qualities needed to transform our food system. Supporting new farmers can take many forms: sourcing from regenerative organic farms, investing in training programs, or shaping supply chains that prioritize soil health. Each action strengthens not just agriculture, but the foundation of our economy. A CALL TO ACTION Ive had the privilege of meeting many people, who like me, left behind one life to answer the call of the land. Each of us carries different reasons, but the same longing: to heal, to grow, to give. What started as my personal leap of faith is now a shared movement, with roots spreading far beyond what we first imagined. We are returning to the farm like never before. We are waking up to how disconnected we are from our food system. We are leaving our jobs and careers to reorient our lives around food, whether thats growing it, distributing it, or working in advocacy, financing, or education. This Veterans Month, lets go beyond gratitude and invest in opportunity. Support a veteran-owned farm. Invest in the transition of organic farmland. Partner with organizations preparing the next generation of farmers. The crisis in agriculture is real, but so is the opportunity. Farming can be a modern calling, a path to renewal for both the land and the people who work it. When we acknowledge farming as a career of dignity and innovation, everyone benefits: our veterans, our food system, and our shared future. Jeff Tkach is CEO of Rodale Institute.
Category:
E-Commerce
When the head of schedule planning at American Airlines, Jay Gargas, stepped off the plane in Dallas-Fort Worth after an 18-hour journey from Istanbul last Wednesday, he faced chaos. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was telling the country that, come Friday, Nov. 7, flights would be cut 10% at 40 key airports in order to ease pressure on an air-traffic control system that, 30-plus days into the longest-ever federal government shutdown, was under crippling stress. The first mood was chaos, says Gargas. What they knew: Robert Isom, the CEO of American, would meet with Duffy at 5:30 p.m. “What we needed to do was create a definition of what the requirements were going to be. We needed to know what exactly was going to be required in order to put the puzzle together. By 8 p.m. that evening, Gargas and his team, fueled by countless cups of coffee and pizza delivery, knew where and by how much they needed to cut Americans schedule of around 6,100 daily flights in about 36 hours. They went to work making those reductions happen and, by around 11:30 p.m. that night, had a schedule in hand for Americans operations center to implement on Friday. All that work was done methodically to ensure American can return to its full schedule quickly whenever the government shutdown ends. Flights flown by its regional affiliates those on smaller planes under the American Eagle banner and ones to non-hub domestic destinations were pruned to minimize disruptions to both customers and crew. For example, on Friday, American cancelled one of its 11 daily flights between Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio but kept its 12 daily flights between its hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth and Chicago, Cirium schedule data shows. Hub-to-hub is the lifeline to the airline in order to move crew and more people around, says Gargas.According to Cirium, in the two months before the shutdown (August and September), American Airlines was, on average, cancelling about 1% of flights a day or about 75 flights. In October, the carrier averaged just 0.6% of flights cancelled, or about 37 flights a day. Executives at other major U.S. airlines who were not authorized to speak publicly also described the time around Duffys announcement as chaotic and similar to the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the flight cuts five years ago were in response to border closures and the decision by most would-be travelers to stay home, these were the result of critical air traffic controllers working unpaid through the government shutdown. A picture of disarray The disarray is understandable. Major airline executives were only notified about 30 minutes before Duffys announcement of the cuts, reported The Air Current, an aviation trade publication. And airports, even those among the 40 where flights were being cut, were left in the dark. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority has not received official notification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding a decrease in flight activity in response to the federal government shutdown, Orlando International Airport posted on X at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6. Orlando was among the 40 affected airports when the FAA released its official order around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The other airports include everything from major hubs like Atlanta and Denver, popular but constrained fields in New York and Washington, D.C., and even far flung airports in Anchorage and Honolulu. The FAAs order outlined a phased implementation. Flights would be cut by 4% from Friday; 6% from Tuesday, Nov. 11; 8% from Thursday, Nov. 13; and finally 10% from Friday, Nov. 14. And, on Sunday, the National Business Aviation Association trade group said that the FAA would restrict private planes at 12 of the countrys busiest airports beginning Monday, Nov. 10. No corner of the country was left untouched by the reductions as they rippled out from major hubs to places like Bakersfield, Calif., and Corpus Christi, Texas. Airlines cancelled 4,978 flights from Friday-through-Sunday, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. This includes disruptions for weather, aircraft maintenance and air traffic control staffing. Another 1,623 flights in the U.S., or 6.3% of the total, were cancelled on Monday by midday, Cirium data shows. (Still) prepared for the worst Neither American nor any other U.S. airline is taking a chance on when the shutdown will end, even with a funding deal making its way through the Senate. The carrier has loaded cancellations in its schedule through Wednesday, Nov. 12, and is prepared to add cancellations for Thursday, Nov. 13, given the uncertainties around when and if Congress could pass the bill. There was concrete progress last night on a deal, but there are many steps ahead, and the next several days will continue to be challenging, says David Seymour, chief operations officer at American, in a letter to staff on Monday warning of continued flight disruptions. When the government does reopen and the FAA rescinds the flight reductions, Gargas says American can return to something near a normal schedule as soon as the next day. The exception: Some cancellations are related to run-of-the-mill weather there was a snowstorm in Chicago over the weekend, for example or aircraft maintenance that could ripple through its schedule for several days. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines took a similarly methodical approach to cancelling regional and non-hub flights to minimize disruptions. The three airlines also continued to fly their full international schedules. And, despite the initial confusion, the messaging to airline staff was one of order. Thanks to many similar challenges weve faced before with weather and other disruptions, our crew scheduling team has become quite expert at processing these volumes of cancellations efficiently to minimize disruption to our flight crews, wrote United executives Marc Champion, vice-president of flight operations, and Rob Thomas, vice-president of flight operations planning and development, to the airlines pilots in a letter on Nov. 6 viewed by Fast Company. Pilots at three major airlines described the notifications from their employers as similar to what they receive during irregular operations like a snowstorm. The 737 MAX grounding and COVID really helped these kinds of chaos situations, says Gargas. You learn quickly on what the art of the possible is.”
Category:
E-Commerce
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