Some think it's the future of tech. Others think it's something we should fear. And still others reckon it'll make you look like a dork. It's Google Glass, and now it's been tested by real people. OK Glass, let's discover the truth!
What is the Google Glass screen like?
It's "interesting", says Engadget's Tim Stevens. It produces "a glowing image that appears to be floating in space". According to Google it's the equivalent of a 25-inch screen eight feet from you, and while it hasn't stated the resolution "developers are advised to work with an array of 640 x 360 pixels".
It's good but not great: it's nowhere near as detailed as a modern smartphone, colours are inconsistent and "it almost has the look of an old-school, passive-matrix LCD".
Stevens found that "while contrast is reasonably good, seeing the display in bright sunlight can be a problem - more so if you use the sunglasses visor, which sits between you and the display."
Can I wear Google Glass over my normal glasses?
Yes, but you probably won't be happy: the frame isn't designed to fit over normal spectacles, so it's going to feel like going to a 3D movie where you've got to wear specs over your specs.
Engadget found that "a few [people] with eyesight difficulties were simply unable to focus on the display at all". CNet's Scott Stein found that "it's not always the most comfortable device". Prescription versions of Glass are in development.
Where does the Google Glass battery live?
It's at the back, just behind your right ear.
Google's images are carefully shot so you don't see the battery lump on the right leg
Is Google Glass comfortable to wear?
The titanium frame keeps the weight down, and putting the battery and speaker behind your ear means that Google Glass isn't too front-heavy.
Google Wallet received its first update in some time, today on Android. The changelog mentions that it includes “improvements to the user interface, application stability, and battery life,” which I can confirm. Gone is the opening page with shortcuts to sections for payment cards, reward cards, offers, and transactions. In is a new properly themed Holo and panel UI.
After entering your PIN, you are dropped onto the “My Wallet” page which lists your current funding source, along with bottom shortcuts to your offers, rewards cards and gift cards. With a swipe from the right, you can view all of your recent transactions. Another swipe from the right gets you to featured or nearby offers that can be accessed or saved. If you want to switch funding sources, simply tap on the card showing and you will move to a separate section for adding or switching cards.
And that’s that, on a UI front. It sees much more simplified if you ask me. They also mention battery life improvements, but there isn’t really a way for me to test that.
If you aren’t running a Verizon phone, go grab the new build!
Verizon Phone users: If you have a rooted phone you can check out the latest release here (hurry, not sure how long it will be available). Download
(Image: CNET)Organizations are no longer attempting to resist the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) tidal wave — they are embracing it. And, in short order, many will even make it a mandatory requirement that their employees have their own mobile devices they can use for work.
That's the word from Gartner, which just issued a prediction that 38 percent of companies expect to stop providing devices to workers by 2016. The consultancy foresees organizations even pulling back on reimbursements. Today, Gartner said, roughly half of BYOD programs provide a partial reimbursement, and full reimbursement for all costs will become rare. "Coupling the effect of mass market adoption with the steady declines in carrier fees, employers will gradually reduce their subsidies, and as the number of workers using mobile devices expands, those who receive no subsidy whatsoever will grow," Gartner predicts.
The key is to keep things as simple as possible, said Gartner analyst David Willis:
The enterprise should subsidize only the service plan on a smartphone.
There's been lots of complaints about Windows 8. Let's face it, working with Windows 8 is like not knowing how to swim and being thrown into the deep end and being told to "get me that spreadsheet right away!" or swim, whichever version you prefer.
The point is, Windows 8 is a completely different operating system than Windows 7. There's just about zero continuity between the previous OS (Windows 7). And if you approach Windows 8 with the understanding that you'll need to learn a completely new operating software, then your experience will probably be much improved from that of an upgrade mindset.
With all that said, there are ways to make Windows 8 behave more like Windows 7. Probably one of the most helpful tricks is making Windows 8 boot to "desktop". So without further delay, here's how you do it:
During my experimentation with this technique, I haven’t found any
serious side effects or other problems. However, that doesn’t mean that
sometime down the road, Microsoft might release a patch that will
disable or even invalidate this technique.
Getting started
To begin you’ll need to launch the Task Scheduler tool. To do so,
just press the [Windows] key, type Schedule, select Settings, and click
Schedule tasks, as illustrated in Figure A. When you do, the Task Scheduler will appear.
Figure A
Accessing Task Scheduler from the Start Screen is easy.
Configuring the task
Once you have the Task Scheduler up and running, you’ll begin by
clicking the Create Task command in the Actions panel, as shown in Figure B.
Figure B
Once Task Scheduler is up and running, you can create a new task by clicking the Create Task command.
When the Create Task dialog box appears, you’ll see that the General
tab is selected and will first assign the task a name in the Name text
box.
If you’ve gotten your hands on the new Samsung Galaxy Note II, you’ve
already discovered that it the best of both possible worlds — half
tablet and half phone. One of the biggest draws of the Note II is the
stylus, which they refer to as the S Pen. Most users don’t quite
understand all that can be done with a stylus, so this post is dedicated
to helping you get the most out of this particular feature.
Before I get started, I have to mention that, although this isn’t a
review, the Samsung Galaxy Note II might well be my favorite Android
device to date. Why? It is truly the perfect amalgamation between phone,
tablet, and pen/paper. If the features of this device migrate into a
full-sized tablet, Samsung would have the tablet to own. Period.
With that said, let’s dig into making your Note II experience a brilliant one.
Using the S Pen
Out of the box, it may not seem like the S Pen really is that
embedded into the device. That’s because, by default, a number of the
settings are turned off, primarily to save battery life. Yes, some of
the stylist settings do drain the battery, but you purchased this device
because of the stylist, not in spite of it.
So, what features do you turn on? Let me go through them all so you
can decide which ones you will want to keep. Almost all of these
features are found in the S Pen settings by taping Menu | Settings | S
Pen. In this window, you can turn on the following features:
Open Popup Note: This will open a small window (even when you have another app open) that allows you to take notes
S Pen keeper: Sound an alert and show popup when you walk with the device without attaching the pen
Air View: Enables the Note II to detect the nub of the pen, even
before it touches the screen — you can get information to pop up (or
windows to open) just by hovering the pen over the proper spot
Quick Command: You can launch anything with a gesture
That is not all of the cool features you’ll find. The keyboard also
allows for OCR handwriting recognition, but it’s not enabled by default.
To enable this feature, follow these steps:
Open an app that used the keyboard
Long-press the Mic button (directly right of the Sym button)
In the Samsung keyboard settings window (Figure A), tap to enable Pen detection
Turn off predictive text (it will get in the way of OCR)
Figure A
Configuring the keyboard on the Verizon-branded Samsung Galaxy Note II.
If you're not using voice activation by now you need to. It's much improved and a must if you're walking down and street and don't want to become the subject of someone's YouTube video or worse...road kill. If you’re walking down the street and need to send a text message,
you can use the voice activation feature to instruct your Android phone
what to do.
To use voice activation, long press the Search button on the handset
(it looks like a magnifying glass) and then speak into the phone. It is
also possible to use the voice activation for various purposes, which
include the following:
Text: send text to [recipient] [message] example: send text to stephanie meet me for burritos after work
Email: send email to [recipient] [subject] [body] example: send email to jack wallen reminder don’t forget to pick up pizza
Directions: navigate to [location] example: navigate to bazos
Place phone call: call [contact] [phone type] call stephanie mobile
Listen to music: listen to [artist/song/album] example: listen to rush tom sawyer moving pictures
Write note: note to self [note] example: note to self found model for among you book cover
Search Google: [query] example: jack wallen books
Open website: go to [website] example: go to amazon
View a map: map of [location] example: map of munich
Copy a block of text from a web page
If you need to copy text from a web browser, it’s quite simple. Follow these steps:
Open the web page and then zoom in so it’s easier to tap on the correct text.
Long press somewhere near the beginning of the text you want to
copy and then drag the handles to the last bit of text you want to
copy.
When you release the handles, a new menu will pop up (the
device you’re using will determine the type of menu and where it
pops us) that allows various options to be selected.
Figure A
The Verizon Motorola Xoom tablet with web copy in action. (Click the image to enlarge.)
I find this trick works on many of the Android models: AT&T
Samsung Captivate, Verizon Droid X, Incredible 2, and the Xoom tablet.
Add the power strip widget
Since Android 2.1, a new widget that is a power control strip allows
Desktop wallpaper is one of the best ways to personalize your computer. And one of the best topics for desktop wallpaper is space. These 30 images are from NASA and their associate agencies and research organizations.
For the best results, click the image below and navigate to the highest resolution image we have. That higher-resolution image is the one you should use as desktop wallpaper.
When it comes to conserving energy, every little bit helps. Using
your power management features helps you cut down on wasted kilowatts.
Using a power strip for all your components, unplugging things from the
wall when you’re not using them, and monitoring your usage with hardware
and software utilities will help you reduce energy consumption. In
addition to these energy-management best practices, you can resolve to
go green for any PC purchases and upgrades you make in the future.
For new purchases…
1: Do some pre-shopping research
Depending on what you do with computers, you may be attracted to a
particular system for a variety of reasons. Maybe you want a superfast
machine. Perhaps you want something with high-end graphics for gaming
and video. Or maybe a PC with the latest and greatest capabilities or
the smallest carbon footprint tops your shopping list.
Whatever system catches your eye — and for whatever reason — a little
research will help you find out (1) whether the computer is Energy Star
rated; (2) how much energy the computer uses; and (3) what kind of
options the computer offers for power management. You should be able to
find this information on the manufacturer’s site. But if not, search for
user ratings and reviews and check some of the site recommendations
listed later in this article.
2: Detox your computer purchase
The amount of energy your computer consumes is only one aspect of
greening your computer purchases. The question of what types of
materials and chemicals are used to produce the equipment is also
important. Again, you should be able to find some statement — perhaps
called a hazardous material use policy — on the company’s Web site.
Generally speaking, avoid devices that include lead. (Most vendors are
already addressing this problem metal.)
There are many other chemicals and compounds to watch out for,
including mercury, brominated flame retardants (BFR), polyvinyl chloride
(PVC), cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), and
pentabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE). The European Union is several paces
ahead of the United States in terms of its Restriction of Hazardous
Substances (RoHS) directive. If you’re in the U.S., you need to do the
research largely on your own.
3: Cut though the greenwashing
One thing we know about anything that captures our attention:
Microsoft's Windows 8 dominated countless headlines in the weeks leading up to its launch late last month, but October saw the debut of another major operating system as well.
Canonical's Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" arrived a week ahead of its competitor, in fact, accompanied by a challenge: "Avoid the pain of Windows 8." That slogan appeared on the Ubuntu home page for the first few hours after the OS's official launch, and attracted considerable attention.
Apparently Canonical decided to tone down its message later in the day—the slogan now reads "Your wish is our command"—but it seems fair to say that the underlying challenge remains. Ubuntu comes with a variety of software packages, including Firefox, Thunderbird, and the full-featured productivity suite LibreOffice.
Window of opportunity
Ubuntu is a widely popular open-source Linux distribution with eight years of maturity under its belt, and more than 20 million users. Of the roughly 5 percent of desktop OSs accounted for by Linux, at least one survey suggests that about half are Ubuntu. (Windows, meanwhile, accounts for about 84 percent.)
The timing of this latest Ubuntu release couldn't be better for Windows users faced with the paradigm-busting Windows 8 and the big decision of whether to take the plunge.
Initial uptake of Windows 8 has been unenthusiastic, according to reports, and a full 80 percent of businesses will never adopt it, Gartner predicts. As a result, Microsoft's big gamble may be desktop Linux's big opportunity.
So, now that Canonical has thrown down the gauntlet, let's take a closer look at Ubuntu 12.10 to see how it compares with Windows 8 from a business user's perspective. Perhaps the biggest surprise for many users of Windows 8's mobile-style Modern UI is that it has no Start button.
1. Unity vs. Modern UI
Both Microsoft and Canonical have received considerable flak for the default user interfaces in their respective OSs. In Microsoft's case, of course, it's the Modern UI, formerly known as Metro; in Canonical's case, it's Unity. Both are designed with touchscreens in mind, and borrow heavily from the mobile world.
By removing the Start button and overhauling the way users interact with the operating system, Windows 8's Modern interface poses a considerable challenge for users, who face a significant learning curve. Unity, on the other hand, became a default part of Ubuntu back in April 2011 with Ubuntu 11.04 “Natty Narwhal.” It has definitely undergone growing pains, but more than a year has passed, and Canonical has revised the interface accordingly. Although it still has numerous critics, most people concede that it has matured and improved. Some observers, in fact, have even suggested that it may feel more familiar to many longtime Windows users than does Windows 8. One advantage of Ubuntu Linux is that it supports multiple workspaces.
2. Customizability
Linux has long been known for its virtually limitless customizability, but given the current controversy surrounding desktop interfaces, that feature has become more salient than ever.
This is a point on which Windows 8 and Ubuntu differ considerably.
Generally Ubuntu Linux is hardly effected by virus and the reason is its structure and strong community support, any loopholes are worked immediately. For every new virus, its solution is out within two hours thus preventing it to do any further damage. Linux antivirus are also effective against the Windows virus and they are removed if they enter your systems through external hard drive, internet etc.
Top 5 Ubuntu Linux antivirus I recommend are:
1. ClamAV Antivirus
ClamAV is the most popular open source anti-virus software and it is available for both Ubuntu and Kubuntu. Its GUI interface is called Clamtk.
It can be install from the software center or in terminal type
$sudo apt-get install clamav clamtk
2. Free Avast Linux Home Edition
This is Free version of popular proprietary Antivirus Avast. It requires online registration for 1 year use. It is not available for commercial use.
Your Windows Phone 8 can’t connect to all cloud services, but it can connect to enough of them to keep most mobile users happy. One such service is Box, which is unique in the world of cloud sync/storage in that it’s clearly geared toward the world of business. With the addition of Personal and Enterprise plans, Box has nearly everyone covered for cloud storage — and Windows Phone users are no exception.
Box offers a solid mobile app for the Windows Phone 8 that includes some unique features, including:
Powerful preview tool
Support for Office documents and PDFs
Pin files as live tiles
View and edit file descriptions
Comment on documents
Share files
The one caveat to the Windows Phone 8 Box client is its inability to upload any type of file other than images. Other than that one weakness, Box is an outstanding cloud sync/storage service for your Windows Phone 8.
Installation
As with most mobile app installations, getting Box on your Windows Phone 8 is simple. Just follow these steps:
Samsung has created an entire line of Android phones and tablets that use the "S Pen" to allow manual input on the screen. The most recent tablet offered was the Galaxy Note 10.1. Thecompany has announced that the anticipated smaller slate, the Note 8.0, will sell beginning April 11 at major retailers. The price will be $399, making it competitive with the iPad mini it is obviously taking on directly.
The Note 8.0 has impressive hardware, including the 8-inch touch display running at a resolution of 1280x800. The S Pen is fully supported with a collection of apps from Samsung designed to take advantage of drawing and handwriting on the screen.
Samsung has placed a quad-core processor (1.6GHz) in the Note 8.0, and a 4,600mAH battery to keep things running for "up to 9 days". We'll have to see that in practice to believe it.
Samung has stated that the Note 8.0 is preloaded with "content and services valued at over $200, including 50GB of free Dropbox storage for 2 years, 1 month free of unlimited music streaming in Samsung's Music Hub". There's also microSD slot to store all that content, something the iPad mini lacks.
The tablet is not showing up on Amazon yet, so anxious buyers may have to wait until the 11th, as stated. Until then, theofficial Note 8.0 websitehas all the information you need. The Note 8.0 is only available in white, and has a MSRP of $399. It will be available at Amazon, Best Buy/Best Buy Mobile, hh gregg, Newegg, PC Richard & Son, Staples, and TigerDirect.com.
Would you prefer to have Windows 8 bypass the Start Screen and boot
straight to the desktop? If so, you can do so using a technique that
takes advantage of a feature that is built right into the operating
system - no third-party tools required. All you have to do is create a
specially configured task that is scheduled to run at log on.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the steps required to make
Windows 8 boot straight to the desktop using a specially configured
scheduled task.
Some background
If you were working with/testing Windows 8 during the Preview/Beta
period, you may know that a similar trick allowed you to make Windows 8
boot straight to the desktop and that the loophole that allowed that trick was closed when the Windows 8 code was finalized.
As you may recall, in previous versions of Windows, a special
shortcut called Show Desktop appeared on the Quick Launch menu. This
shortcut was a standard text file that contained five lines of code and
was saved with the file extension SCF. The fifth line of that code was Command=ToggleDesktop.
During the Preview/Beta period, it was discovered that if you
recreated that shortcut in Windows 8 and set it up as a scheduled task
that ran at log on, the operating system would run the SCF file and boot
to the desktop rather than the Start Screen. Once the Windows 8 code
was finalized, that particular shortcut was no longer recognized by the
operating system. Whether Microsoft did that on purpose or whether the
contents of the SCF represented legacy code that was never intended to
be a in the final code is unknown.
In any case, it seemed there would be no way to get Windows 8 to boot
to the desktop without a third-party tool, such as Stardock’s Start8 utility, which, once installed, bypasses the Start Screen as well as revives the Start Menu.
Convinced that there had to be another way to make Windows 8 boot to
the desktop using a scheduled task, I began experimenting with different
shortcuts and executables. Then, it dawned on me that explorer.exe is
still the heart and soul of the Windows desktop. I figured that if
anything could trump the Start Screen, it would be explorer.exe. So I
tried it and found that it worked.
During my experimentation with this technique, I haven’t found any
serious side effects or other problems. However, that doesn’t mean that
sometime down the road, Microsoft might release a patch that will
disable or even invalidate this technique.
Getting started
To begin you’ll need to launch the Task Scheduler tool. To do so,
just press the [Windows] key, type Schedule, select Settings, and click
Schedule tasks, as illustrated in Figure A. When you do, the Task Scheduler will appear.
Figure A
Accessing Task Scheduler from the Start Screen is easy.
In the information-saturated times we live in, I think most
of us try to take shortcuts any way we can. It’s why some people flock
to YouTube videos to watch a how-to tip before they’ll slog through
hundreds of words of prose meant to guide them along a technique.
Charts are sometimes a godsend for those
just-give-me-the-info-as-quickly-as-you-can people. For their sakes,
we’ve created a chart that compares the features of four of the leading
smartphones in the U.S. market now.
So, if you just want a quick answer on which smartphones have
removable storage or which ones offer the best battery life, take a look
at the chart below (you can click on the chart to enlarge the image).
In the ever-growing world of cloud sync/storage/services, it’s becoming more important to be able to manage and access those cloud services from your mobile device. But when you have multiple clouds you connect to, it can quickly become a hassle to manage. That is, unless you take advantage of a cloud management tool like SME Cloud File Manager.
With SME Cloud File Manager, you can:
Manage multiple clouds in a single view
Copy/paste files from one cloud to another using the Cloud Clipboard
Sync to and from a device
Upload local files by turning the app into a HTTP or FTP server
Upload file, photos, videos, etc
Create Text Notes directly in the app and sync to any cloud
Downloaded files are available on the device until deleted
Open files directly from the cloud into other apps
View documents directly in a web browser
Share files via email, Twitter, or choose secure sharing with link expiry
Share multiple links
Create Sharing Groups (for collaboration)
Search for files across multiple clouds
Add/delete/manage your cloud providers in real time
SME Cloud File Manager supports the following cloud services:
Outlook is one of the most widely used email clients in the business world. But with more smaller-sized companies starting to migrate to other, cheaper, solutions a lot of users are finding email clients that handle the tasks, without the headaches (and cost) that often accompany Outlook.
Email clients offer a variety of features; some features map perfectly to Outlook, some may not. Some email clients offer calendars, some stick with just the basics. In the end, what's important is that you find a client not only offers you what you need, but does so reliably and within your budget. I've found five solid email clients to help you migrate away from Outlook. Give these a look and see which one(s) might work.
1 Opera Mail
Opera Mail is one of those clients that surprise a lot of people. Most have heard of the Opera browser, few know about the mail client. That is a shame as Opera Mail is quite solid, supports POP, IMAP (no Exchange support), newsgroups, RSS, and Atom feeds.
Opera Mail has a nice list of features: Threaded views, spam protection, allows you to browse websites within tabs, and has a very simple (and lightning fast) user interface. Opera Mail is free and available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
2. Dreammail
Dreammail is another lesser-known client that plays well with POP3 (no support for IMAP or Exchange) and allows you to set up and use multiple accounts and multiple-users.
I think a lot of people think of LinkedIn
as just a more staid version of social networking. And I think the
gainfully employed often neglect their LinkedIn pages in favor of its
more scintillating cousin, Facebook. After all, would you rather hear
who a former colleague is now connected to or read trash-talking among
your Facebook friends?
Okay, maybe that’s just me.
The fact is, LinkedIn is a great tool for what are perhaps the most
important aspects of searching for a job-networking and online presence.
And with the addition of some new LinkedIn apps, these have become
tasks have become even easier to do.
First of all, you can put your work profile up there for the world to
see. While you still should send targeted resumes for positions you
want to apply for, LinkedIn gives everyone a snapshot of your
capabilities. So if a potential employer is just looking around before
he or she even posts an opening, you’re out there. Here are some tips
for using LinkedIn to its greatest advantage:
Avoid overused keywords just as you would on a resume
LinkedIn late last year released its top 10 overused buzzwords used in U.S. member-profiles. Avoid:
Given the extent of development both Google Apps and Microsoft’s
Office 365 have gone under recently, or just the sheer volume of
features each service now offers, deciding which “office cloud” might be
best suited for your small business or enterprise has become an
extremely daunting task, abounding with risk. There are a number of
factors to consider in order to avoid actually harming an organization’s
productivity or drowning it in sunk costs and unforeseen expenditures.
Furthermore, there are other trade-offs to choosing one service over the
other, which go well beyond the basic set of productivity tools each
offer — SLAs, application support, and maybe, especially, user culture
and adoption. To
help lessen the apprehension with choosing Google Apps over Office 365,
or vice versa, I’ll be creating a series of posts that will go over
virtually every nook and cranny of each service. Additionally, I’ll pit
the analogous features against one another in order to describe how one
might be better suited for enterprises of small, medium and/or large
size, or just explain how one might simply outperform the other. I’ll do
this by way of a downloadable comparison chart
(Excel format), which I’ll describe briefly below. You can also find an
attached template of the chart that you might want to use/fill-in on
your own, conducting your own research.
First, we’ll look at the most basic office applications, productivity and document management apps.
Productivity applications
The applications that both Google Apps and Office 365 are most known
for are their productivity suite apps that include a word processing,
presentation, and spreadsheet software. These applications are known as
Google Docs under Google Apps, and Office Web Apps under Office 365.
Both suites also include
I am constantly being asked to improve the speed of someone's computer because "it's too slow". But did you know there are several things you can do to improve the speed of your Windows 7 computer without the need of a tech? So here's a list of 10 things you can do to improve the performance of your Windows 7 computer.
1: Disable unnecessary services
Not every system service that is running on a stock Windows 7 machine is necessary. A number of services can either be disabled or modified to run only when needed. Once you make these changes, the service no longer has to consume system resources and the system no longer has to spend time starting the service. Earlier this year, I wrote an article here at TechRepublic titled 10+ Windows 7 services you may not need.
2: Reduce the number of startup items
Windows 7 systems eventually begin to suffer under the weight of software that is installed in the normal course of business. Many software titles install more than is necessary and include helper applications designed solely to make the software start up more quickly or facilitate other communication (e.g., iTunes helper). And new software installations might add a permanent presence to the system tray, even if it’s not absolutely necessary for the system to function (Steam games, for example).
You could go through your system tool by tool and remove the offending software, but you might want to keep the underlying tool around and just prevent the helper from loading. This and more can be accomplished through the use of MSconfig, a tool that has long been a part of Windows. MSconfig allows you to selectively disable startup items and take other steps toward improving overall system performance.
To use MSconfig, go to Start and in the search box, type MSconfig. From the Startup tab (Figure A), you can disable items. Just be careful about what you choose.
You can use Word to create a simple To Do list. If you like, you can even print checkbox controls next to each item. There are two ways to add checkbox controls and how you’ll use them determines which method you’ll use.
Only for printing (content control below)
If you plan to print your list and use a pen or pencil to mark each item as you complete it, you can add checkbox controls instead of bullets, as follows:
Select the list.
Click the Home tab if necessary.
Click the Bullets dropdown in the Paragraph group. (Don’t just click the option; doing so will automatically insert the default bullet.)
There’s a saying that 80 percent of users will use only 20 percent of an application’s features. This is probably true of most Office users because they don’t know the features exist. Once they see the features in action, they put them to use. Here are 10 features that are among the most underused but easy-to-implement features in the Office suite. Most applications share many of these features; I’ve noted those that are application-specific.
1: Paste
Older versions had limited paste options. Now there are several, and they go well beyond simple pasting. They’re available via the Paste option in the Clipboard group on the Home tab. Paste is in all of the applications, but options are application-specific and contextual, as you can see in Figure A.
Figure A
The options are different, but Paste is available in all Office applications.
Perhaps the most helpful step you can take is to change the feature’s default. Office retains the source formatting when pasting content. To disable this behavior or customize it to suit your working style, access the settings as follows:
Office 2010: Click the File tab, choose Options, and select Advanced in the left pane.
Office 2007: Click the Office button, click application Options, and select Advanced in the left pane.
Office 2003: Choose Options from the Tools menu and click the Edit tab.
In addition, Paste is a versatile feature that can perform calculations, transpose text, and much more.
Far from diverting employees from their jobs, social media and smartphones actually make staff more productive - and employers should learn to deal with that new reality.
Access to social networks via mobile devices gives staff a “virtual co-presence” with direct benefits for the business in which they work, according to a new study.
That core presence enables workers to complete collective tasks more effectively by giving them a greater freedom over when and where they do their jobs, the study of technology companies in the UK, Germany and Finland found.
“This was an investigatory study, rather than a statistical proving. But it was very obvious that social media allows people to accomplish a lot more,” said Joe Nandhakumar, professor of information systems at Warwick Business School, which conducted the research.
We've done a few useful hints and tips for Excel users so its about time we did something for all of us. The 10 most useful shortcuts in Word! These should really help you and are formatted in a way to allow you to print them out if your memory is like mine.
So... if you were stuck on a deserted island, which 10 Word shortcuts would you like to have with you?
Here are mine.
For the record, I like Microsoft Windows 8. However, just like any operating system, it is not perfect - there are always annoyances. For many traditional power users, one of the most annoying things about Windows 8 is that it is not easy find all of the control panel settings and configuration wizards that have traditionally been available in previous versions of the operating system.
All of those settings are available; they are just difficult to put your finger on sometimes. For example, there are two control panels in Windows 8 - one is attached to the Start Screen and one is part of the Desktop environment. Of course, neither of them grants you access to all of the configuration settings you’d like to see. This is where you can employ the power of what has been dubbed “god mode.”
Will Metro be Windows' only interface soon? Some experts think so.
I've thought all along that one way Microsoft could save Windows 8 from its current market malaise if it would make its desktop mode the primary interface instead of Metro.
That isn't what Thurrott sees happening though. In fact, he sees the exact opposite.
When Verizon launched the Share Everything Plan last year I signed up
right away. I use a lot of mobile devices, and often on the 4G network,
so the lure of a shared pool of data for one price was too much to pass
up. I use 4G data frequently, so I signed up for the 10GB monthly pool
to make sure I never go over the limit. Turns out I haven't come close
to the cap in 6 months.
I have three devices on the shared plan with Verizon: iPhone, iPad,
and iPad mini. I used the iPhone 4S as my daily phone until picking up
the Note 2 on Sprint a couple of months ago. Data usage on the iPhone is
now almost nothing.
See also: Verizon offers buckets of data with the Share Everything plan | Verizon Messages app brings text messages to all your tablets | Exciting work venues for the mobile professional
That's not the case with the two iPads. I use one or both of them
every day, often heavily. Sometimes, I use the iPad with a keyboard all
day and a lot of that is on 4G. I often use the iPad mini as a mobile
hotspot with one laptop or another.
I’ve been using TouchDown on iOS for a while, and I
really like the organization of the application. Being able to get my
corporate mail on my iPhone separately from my personal mail with the
added security of IT controls is also pretty great. My organization
doesn’t use remote wipe features as of yet, but this may be something we
evaluate in the future. For organizations that need this capability,
NitroDesk has a nice implementation. Because of the ease of use of the
application and level of support provided at all levels, I’ll be using
this application for a long time.
The TouchDown application
Like the built-in email application, TouchDown will provide badge notifications of unread items if enabled. For users who separate corporate and personal email, it’s nice to have a choice about the email in both accounts. I was also very impressed with NitroDesk’s support team, who were helpful throughout the entire review process. Overall, the TouchDown application doesn’t have one standout feature — the experience is very much like Microsoft Outlook, or at least as much like Outlook as one can hope for on an Apple device.
Using mail in TouchDown
The default folder in TouchDown is the inbox (Figure A). Figure A
While Microsoft Office is one of the most popular productivity suites available, its far from being the only choice available and some alternatives are free! Below are five alternatives to Microsoft Office that you might consider the next time you are looking to purchase an office suite. Heck, why not give one of the free ones a shot on you're personal computer...you might not ever go back to MS, I haven't.
1. Google Docs
Google Docs is a cloud based productivity suite that lets you create word processing documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings. Because Google Docs is a browser based application, it isn’t quite as full featured as some of the other productivity suites. Even so, Google Docs is free, and there is nothing to install on your computer. The interface is completely intuitive and Google Docs can be used to create and edit Microsoft Office documents.
Many small businesses use multi function devices which will print, fax, scan, etc. There are many on the market available through local office supply stores or online. But, what should you really look for when you're narrowing the selection? Brien Posey takes you through 10 of the most important criteria to consider before you commit to any multi function device.
#1: The warranty
I have to admit that I have never been one to worry about warranties. When it comes to computer equipment, my philosophy has always been that by the time the warranty expires, the device will be obsolete anyway. A few weeks ago, however, a motor burned out in an expensive, enterprise-class multi-function device that was less than a year old. Fortunately, the warranty was still in effect and the manufacturer replaced the unit at no cost to me. Because things like this can (and apparently sometimes do) happen, it is never a bad idea to check the warranty before making a purchase.
#2: The type of ink used
Like other printing devices on the market, multi-function devices tend to use either laser or inkjet printing. The type of ink that is used (laser toner or ink cartridges) not only affects your bottom line, but also plays a role in print quality. Some color laser printers, for example, produce less-than-desirable results when printing photographs.
A few Tips from Jack Wallen on how to save extend battery life on your Android phone. Let's face it, it stinks when our phone dies!
#1: Shut off unnecessary services
I have found the GPS does little to get me through the day. So unless I am using an application that absolutely must have the GPS turned on (and it’s an app that I must use), I leave that feature turned off. It can drain the battery the fastest, so when you need battery life over location discovery, turn it off and leave it off. Turn off WiFi as well. It’s another top offender. Although many might argue against this, I find the speed gain of WiFi is not significant enough to offset the battery drain.
#2: Upgrade your firmware
You would be surprised how much better 2.x is at retaining battery life than is 1.x. It was a significant upgrade on many levels, but none was more significant than battery life. One of the critical issues that was fixed was the ever-present messages application not going to sleep. Now the tool goes to sleep, thus saving your battery from an untimely demise.
Not all of these tips and tricks will work on every Android device because many of the devices have their carrier’s take on the Android interface. If a tip is applicable to a specific device, I make that clear.
Use voice activation
If you’re walking down the street and need to send a text message, you can use the voice activation feature to instruct your Android phone what to do. This is a much better option than potentially falling headfirst into an open manhole or crashing into a pole and winding up on YouTube, only to become the laughing stock of your company and friends.
To use voice activation, long press the Search button on the handset (it looks like a magnifying glass) and then speak into the phone. It is also possible to use the voice activation for various purposes, which include the following:
Most Excel users know how to apply basic numeric and text formats.
But users who push beyond the basics will create more readable and
effective sheets. In addition, knowing how to apply just the right
formatting to specific cells quickly and easily helps users work more
efficiently. These 10 tips will help users get more out of Excel’s
formatting features.
At Bulldog IT Solutions we do free small business network consultations? Contact us to find out more.
Did you know?
Not all IT people are weird? No it's true. At Bulldog IT Solutions you'll find you like not only how we repair your IT related problems but how we are completely normal...like you!
Did you know?
The average life span of a PC or Server is 24-36 months? As your IT consultants we can help you get the most out of your equipment and help you identify problem areas so you're not wasting valuable resources.
