Apps, Google, Make Tech Easier, More

Using Google Keep for Research on the Web

Full credit for the source at the bottom of this article.

When you are using the Web for research, it is often easier and faster to use a desktop machine, with your Gsuite account and the Keep extension installed in your browser. Note that the process detailed below does NOT work on a device [tablet or phone].

When it comes to fast, informal online research, the Google Keep Chrome extension could be the ticket. Just save a link—along with a label and note—then export your Keep notes to Google Docs.

Three Google tools—Chrome, Google Keep and Google Docs—streamline the web research process. The Google Keep Chrome extension, specifically, lets you save, annotate and categorize web links, then export a selected set of saved Google Keep notes to a Google Doc.

The Keep extension eliminates the need to select a site’s URL, copy it, paste it into a document, add a note, then return to browse additional search results.

To streamline the whole process, make sure you have Chrome installed and are signed in with your Google account. The steps below cover how to install the Keep extension (a one-time process) as well as the routine research sequence.

SEE: How to quickly add to Google Keep from Chrome (TechRepublic)

Web research: Search, review, annotate, label and save

As you search and browse the web, anytime you want to save a web link, select the Keep extension. This automatically captures the URL for the page, creates a Keep note with the link, and places the cursor in the Keep Note field. Add any relevant text in the note (e.g., why this link is relevant, important items about the page or any commentary on the contents). Optionally, you may add a title to your note.

Screenshot that shows the Keep extension selected on an HP printer detail page, with the link in the top portion of the note, text added by the author in the note "About $650, but not currently in stock" and a title also typed in, "HP Color LaserJet Pro". Two labels added: All-in-one and Printers.
Select the Keep extension to create a note with the link to the web page. Optionally, you may add text, labels, and a note title.

You can use labels to categorize Keep notes. Select the label icon, then either type text to create a new label or select a previously added label from the list that displays. You may apply more than one label to a Keep note (e.g., for printer research, I might apply not only a “printers” label, but also an “all-in-one” label for devices with a scanner).

SEE: How to use Google Meet (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

On every web page you want to save, repeat the process:
Select the Keep icon and add text and labels.

Go to keep.google.com to review your saved links and notes.
Select from the list of labels (displayed on the left) to filter your Keep notes and only display those with the selected label.

Screenshot that shows Printers label selected at keep.google.com, with two of three notes selected.
At keep.google.com on the web, select a label to show only notes with that label.

You can export a set of Keep notes into a single Google Doc.

There are several ways to filter and select notes.
–> Select a label (along the left) to display all notes with that label.
-> Press Ctrl+A to select all displayed notes.
-> Or, move the cursor over a note, then click near the circle with a check mark in it (in the upper-left section of each note) to select or deselect it.

Once you have selected the set of Keep notes to export, select the More menu (the three-vertical dot menu in the upper right) and choose Copy To Google Docs .

Choose Open Doc (in the lower left) to display the Google Doc created from your selected Keep notes.

At this point, your Google Doc contains the links, notes and titles from your selected Google Keep notes. Now you can edit your Google Doc as needed.

Screenshot with the Copy to Google Docs menu item displayed and an arrow pointing to the option.
After you have chosen notes to export, select the More menu (three vertical dots in the upper right), then Copy To Google Docs.
Screenshot that shows the "Copied to Google Docs" message (lower left of the screen) with an arrow pointing to the Open Doc link.
Select Open Doc to access the Google Doc created from your selected Keep notes.
Screenshot shows four URLs to printer-related pages, with text notes added by the author to three of the web pages, and one note title added.
The resulting Google Doc includes complete URL details and links from the saved Keep notes, along with any text and titles you added.

ORIGINAL SOURCE FOR THIS ARTICLE:

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-use-google-keep-for-web-research/

iPads

ApplePencil and other IOS 15 tips

Here are some new uses for Apple Pencil in IOS15,. plus some new features that you might like to know about.
[The below information was taken from www.techrepublic.com/article/ipados-15-best-uses-for-apple-pencil and from www.techrepublic.com/article/best-hidden-ios-15-features-you-didnt-know-existed]

Apple has a webpage HERE that lists the new features in iPad OS 15.

QUICK NOTE: jot down notes and drawings

ipados15-applepencil-figure-a.jpg
Using Quick Note to jot down notes and drawings

Quick Note is a new feature in iPadOS that allows users to quickly create a new note in the Apple Notes application. Using the Apple Pencil or your finger, drag from the bottom right edge of the screen diagonally towards the center of the screen. When you do this, a small hovering window will appear on the iPad with a new Note sheet.

Using the keyboard on your iPad, you can type a note, but using the Apple Pencil you can begin annotating a handwritten note in the same window. Write or draw with the Apple Pencil, then tap Done. Doing the same action to bring up the Quick Note window a second time will reveal your existing note. If you want to create a new note instead of working with the existing one, simply tap the New Note button in the toolbar. The note will appear in the Quick Notes folder in the Notes application.

ipados15-applepencil-figure-b.jpg
The Notes application in IOS 15.

Using the Apple Pencil, not only can you handwrite a note, but you can also create lines and shapes that are perfectly drawn. If you draw a line with the Apple Pencil, stop and hold the Apple Pencil on the screen when finished, and the drawn line will become perfectly straight. The same goes for squares, circles, rectangles or other shapes you may wish to incorporate in your note.

Take a screenshot with the Pencil

Instead of pressing Power + Volume Up + Volume Down [on the newer models], you can swipe with the Pencil from bottom left corner diagonally towards the center.

Change Swipe Preferences

You can turn those Swipe options on or off:

  1. Settings
  2. Apple Pencil
  3. Select an option, turn it on or off
ipados15-applepencil-figure-d.jpg
Changing the Swipe options in IOS 15

Scan anything into Text

You can use Scan To Text in almost any input field across iOS to scan a document and use the text as input. To do this, tap into a text field in iOS or iPadOS 15, then tap again to show the text editing popover. In this popover, select Scan Text.

Once you select the Scan Text option, a camera view will open allowing you to position the camera over top of a document to scan the text. Tap the text in the document that you wish to insert to have the camera focus on that section, then tap Insert to finalize the insertion of the text into the text field in iOS.

ios15hiddenfeatures-figure-c.jpg
The bottom half of the shot shows what the camera sees – in the top half the picture has been converted into text.

Change the size of the text for each App

Users have long been able to choose the text size across iOS through an accessibility feature called Dynamic Type by going to Settings | Display & Brightness | Text Size; however, the text size can now be set on a per-app basis instead of setting it system-wide.

To do this, you’ll first need to enable the Control Center option by following these steps.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Navigate to Control Center.
  3. Add the option for Text Size.

Now open the Control Center while in any app and tap the “aA” button to get a Text Size control panel. Use the slider to enlarge or shrink the text size, and set whether you want this setting for All Apps, or only the one you’re using.

ios15hiddenfeatures-figure-d.jpg
Changing the size of the text in Safari

Keep track of what an app is doing with your information [App Recording]

In iOS and iPadOS 15, there’s a new feature that lets you easily record all of the app activity to see which apps request system-level functionality like camera, microphone, internet access and more, and be able to download privacy reports to look at per-device.

To enable the app recording functionality, perform these steps.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Navigate to Privacy | Record App Activity.
  3. Enable the toggle for Record App Activity
ios15hiddenfeatures-figure-e.jpg
Enabling Record App Activity

Move Safari’s Address Bar

Safari made a drastic change to the user interface in iOS 15. As a result to pushback during the beta testing period, Apple has revamped the design, but it still allows users to decide if they wish to use the old look (with the address bar on top) or the new look (with address bar on the bottom).

You can make this change in Settings | Safari by selecting Tab Bar (bar on bottom) or Single Tab (bar on top). However, you can also make this change in Safari itself by opening the app and tapping on the “Aa” icon in the address bar, then selecting Show Top Address Bar or Show Bottom Address Bar to move it 

ios15hiddenfeatures-figure-f.jpg
Moving Safari’s address bar without leaving Safari

Drag-n-Drop between apps

iPadOS has long had the ability to drag and drop files between apps, but now this functionality has made its way over to the iPhone with iOS 15. You can now drag and drop a file from one app into another by dragging an image, URL or other draggable data type from one app, navigate to the Home Screen or Multitasking Launcher, open another app, and drop the text, image, URL or other data type. This gesture works just as it does on iPadOS, but does require some talent as the screen on iPhones are much smaller and keeping a single finger dragging the item while the other hand or finger launches another app can be tricky.

Notes, Tips, Hints, & Answers