Category Archives: Make Tech Easier

How big is your data?

It’s tricky to visualize how much room a digital file takes up. Even though they are intangible, those files still fill up your allotted storage, whether that be your cloud storage, thumb drive, hard drive, SSD…. whatever.

Perhaps it would help to think of data in terms of rice.

1 byte = one grain of rice

1 Kilobyte = 1 cup of rice

1 Megabyte = 8 bags of rice

1 Gigabyte = 3 container trucks [see picture below]

1 Terabyte = 2 container ships [see picture below]

1 Petabyte = covers Manhattan

1 Exabyte = covers the UK three times over

1 Zettabyte = fills the Pacific Ocean

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A Container truck:

A Container Ship:

Originally seen on Facebook, credited to David Wellman @ Myriad Genetics

Making sure you can connect: Google Meet

With Google Meet there is an option to use a Shortcut. This stays the same from session to session and makes it easy for everyone to get into the class.

HOWEVER: the shortcuts only work if you are CURRENTLY logged into your MDS Google account on that device. If you are not, the session can’t be found.

How to make sure you are logged in correctly:

Desktop/Laptop:

On a web browser pointed to meet.google.com, loot at the top right corner of the window.

If you see an icon with your initial [or something similar], then you are logged in. Click the icon to see what account you are logged into.

Top right corner of the screen. Click the icon to see which account you are logged into.

If you are NOT logged in, then you should see a “signin” link at the top right.

Click the “Signin” link and …..er….. signin.

iPad or other device

On the iPad app, click the “hamburger menu” [three horizontal lines] at the top left. At the top there should be something which indicates which account is logged in, if any.

Clicking there will allow you to log into a different google account.

[You can have multiple google accounts to switch between.]

BOTTOM LINE:

Do not use a slight difficulty getting into the class as an excuse. You have multiple ways to get into the class. Use them all, and as always, stay in touch with your teacher.

Get better at using your iPad [and save time]

As one article says, ‘It’s important to learn the ways you can navigate in the OS with as little friction as possible”…. in other words, get your work done faster with fewer headaches.

Click the link below to get to an article that tells you how to

  1. Select Multiple items for a single drag-n-drop
  2. Tap / Hold to get recent documents
  3. Multitask Apps by searching
  4. Go to Home Screen, or show the dock
  5. Use a two-finger cursor for selecting a lot of text

Want more details?

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-top-ipad-pro-keyboard-and-screen-shortcuts/