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11 best Windows 10 tricks

The original article is at https://www.cnet.com/how-to/11-best-hidden-windows-10-tricks-to-know-now-that-youve-upgraded-from-windows-7/

See the source image

Minimize all the Windows except the active one

Click the titlebar of the window you want to stay open. Then hold the mouse button down and move the mouse left and right quickly. After a couple of quick shakes the OTHER windows will all minimize.

Open the “secret” start menu

Press Windows key + X…. or you can RIGHT-click the WIndows icon [aka the Start menu].

Take a screenshot

There are at least EIGHT different ways to take a screenshot in windows 10.

One of the easiest methods is to hit Windows key + Print SCreen [it might be labelled PrntScrn}. This will take a shot of the whole screen and save it in your Pictures –> SCreenshots folder.

But what if you only want a PART of the screen? Hit the Windows key + shift + S. This opens up the Snip & Sketch tool, which allows you to click and drag a rectangle to select part of the screen. Once you release the mouse buttn, your screenshot is stored in the clipboard.

Open items on your taskbar with Keyboard Shortcuts

If you’ve pinned programs at the bottom of the screen, in the Taskbar, you can open them up by hitting the windows key plus a number key. Windows + 2 will open the second item on the taskbar, for instance.

Figure out how much space apps are taking up

Your storage is limited, no matter how big is is. TO see how much of that space an app takes up, navigate to Settings –> System –> Storage. Click on the drive you’d like the search, [most likely is “This PC”], then click Apps & Games to see if any apps are being space hogs.

Get rid of Ads on your Start Menu

This is not a problem at school, but elsewhere you may see what Microsoft calls “Suggestions” pop up to the right of the Start menu. These are ads for WIndows Store apps you can buy. To get rid of them, go to Settings –> Personalization –> Start. Turn “Show Suggestions occasionally in Start” OFF!

Shut down background apps

These are apps running the background, doing things like staying updated, sending notifications, etc. They can be handy, but they can also drain your laptop battery and slow your machine down a bit. To keep them from, running in the background,call up Settings –> Privacy –> Background Apps.

You can turn them ALL off, or just a select few.

Use Background Scrolling

Now you can scroll windows that AREN”T the one you are working on. This is handy if you have a word processor document open AND a web browser window open. You can type away, and then move your mouse over and scroll the page without losing teh window focus of the word process – so it’s a faster way to keep typing.

It should be on by default, but if it isn’t, go to Settings –> Devices –> Mouse. Turn Scroll inactive windows when I hover over them to ON.

Show File Extensions in File Explorer.

This is turned off by default, but it is really handy to be able to see what file extension a file has, especially when troubleshooting. TO see them, in FIle Eplorer

  • In the Search Bar at the bottom of the screen, type in File Explorer Options, and hit return.
  • In the window that pops up, select View Tab
  • UNCHECK the box for Hide extensions for known file types. Click the Apply button, and then OK.

Use Focus Assist to keep from getting distracted

Turning FOcus Assist on means fewer notifications and distractions, which can really help you focus and get your work done. Set it up by going to Settings –> System –> Focus Assist. Choose from OFF ( no notifications, none nada, zero,. zilch], Priority [you pick from a list of apps and what you want to see from them}, Alarms Only [hides all notifications except for alarms].

Make Tech Easier, More

Mac Users: 10 Mac features you should be using

These can really save some time on your Mac OS device.

  1. Use Tab key to move between elements on a form. There is a setting in the Keyboard preference pane that even allows you to tab into pulldowns, radio buttons, etc. This can save time when filling out an online form.
  2. New Folder with Selection – highlight several documents. Right-click or Ctrl-click one of them. Select New Folder with Selection. All docs will be placed into a new folder.
  3. Proxy icon used to create alias or duplicate. The Proxy icon is located at the middle top of the title bar when you have the document open. You can drag  it somewhere [like on your desktop] to create an alias. Option+drag it to create a copy. Command or Ctrl-click to get a popdown menu that shows you where this document is stashed.
  4. Spotlight – search everything without a web browser. Type in weather:Macon, GA to see what the weather is. Enter the airline and flight number to get the latest update on that flight. Enter an equation – Spotlight will do basic math to complex calculations. Spotlight is that text-search box in the title bar of a Finder window.
  5. Text Substitution – automatically replace a shortcut you specify with longer text. This is system-wide, so it works with just about any app that uses text! For example, type Myem, and it is automatically replaced with your email address [after you’ve set this up in the Language & Text preference pane.]
  6. Finder Tags – used to help you find things. You can tag just about anything in the Finder, and then search for the tag.
  7. Printer Pools – even the Mac Guy didn’t know about this one. If you have multiple printers that your Mac can access, you can select the pool, and your Mac will print to the printer that is NOT busy.
  8. Tab through open apps – a REAL timesaver. Command+Tab to scroll through a list of open apps. {Windows users – do the same thing with Ctrl-Tab. Windows+Tab plus arrow keys also allows you to switch apps.]
  9. Show previews in any Finder view – Open a Finder window. From the Finder menu, select View –> Show Preview.
  10. Spring-loaded folders – handy when moving a file to a fodler that’s inside a folder that’s inside a folder. Drag your document to a folder – but hold it there. The folder will spring open – so you continue dragging to the next folder, then the next….until you reach your destination.

Want more details, including screenshots? Read the original article, linked below!

Original article:

https://blog.macsales.com/43439-10-mac-features-you-probably-dont-use-but-should

Faculty, iPads, Student, Students

IOS 9 Battery – get more day out of your iPad!

Here are some tips to make your iPad battery last longer – and make it easier to keep track of your battery.

THE BEST TIP IS
PLUG THE THING IN AT NIGHT
WHEN YOU GO TO BED!
Just make a habit of it!

Enable Low Power Mode

When your device reaches 20% battery life, iOS 9 will alert you to turn on Low Power Mode, which will turn off automatic mail fetches, background app updates, and other systemwide toggles in order to help you get a few extra hours of battery life.

Low Power Mode will remain on (though you can turn if off at any time) until the device has been charged to at least 80% battery life.

  • Settings —> Battery
    Enable the toggle for Low Power Mode.

The battery indicator in the status bar will turn yellow, showing that you are in Low Power Mode.

Get detailed power usage for each app

Sometimes you may want to know what apps are using the most battery life on your devices so you can tweak your usage habits whenever you’re in a low-powered environment. With iOS 9, you can see exactly what apps have been eating your battery life by following these steps.

Settings –> Battery –> Battery Usage
Select either Last 24 Hours or Last 6 Days, and then select the clock icon.

Turn off Background App Refresh

Settings –>General —> Background App Refresh

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/three-ios-9-battery-management-tricks-that-will-delight-you/