Top 5 Favorite Online Tools (Which also Happen to be Free)

Life is complicated enough. Technology can make it more convenient, though it always helps to have a guide help navigate unfamiliar territory. It is very much like traveling to another country.

At the end of a 10 day whirlwind tour of Europe, with two small children in tow, we checked into a hotel which the travel agent indicated was directly across from the airport. Well, it was the wrong airport! Did you know there are 4 airports in London? After taking a bus and a train, we did make it to the Heathrow International airport just as the gate had closed. We missed our flight because I was not familiar with the surroundings and the absence of a guide. None of the following links will help keep you from missing a flight, though I hope they make browsing the Internet a bit more valuable. It will be sort of like showing you my favorite café in Venice.

1. Pixlr     http://pixlr.com/editor/
   Online photo editor. Brighten up those dark photos, add Photoshop-like layers, change the background of an image, etc.
2. Chasms     http://www.chasms.com/
   Clickable screenshots of various operating systems for a variety of devices. Do you want to get a feel for what Windows 8, Outlook 2013, Chromebook or the iPhone 5  screens look like? This resource is super helpful for IT staff assisting someone over the phone with a different operating system, especially when unable to connect remotely to the other person’s screen which will is a nice segue to the next site.
3. ShowMyPC     http://showmypc.com/
   Send a link via email to someone in order to take control of their screen and show them how to do something on their computer, fix a problem or implement something to make their computing life easier. I might be changing this site for TeamViewer http://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx. Look for a future blog where I test these out with my 82 year-old grandfather who lives 12 hours away.
   
4. Lifehacker     http://lifehacker.com/
   Again, life is complicated enough, so… hack it! Find ways to DIY for less from household cleaning to getting things done in easier ways with technology.
5. Top 100 Websites of the Year by PCMag.com  http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2413080,00.asp
   It wasn’t until writing this post that this link came to mind. In the early 2000’s, when technology was becoming prolifically integrated in schools, this list and Kathy Schrock served as my guides to online resources. Try a Google search for top 100 websites and check out the results to find your own top 5 sites. I would LOVE to see these in the comments!

Keyboard Conundrums

A list of common keyboard conundrums:

1. F Lock – This key toggles the F-keys on the top row of a keyboard. If F Lock is off, then pressing the key will not invoke F2 or F(#) but instead will run the other function listed on the key. I have had 2 calls in 2 days on this issue. Like many things, the fix is simple once you know it.
2. Jumping Cursor – Depending on how you type, the palms of your hands may tap the touchpad of a laptop/netbook. Look for a way to turn it off. Sometimes there is an on/off button above the touchpad. Sometimes there is an F key which turns it on/off. (Make sure F Lock is on!) Sometimes, this is caused by which fingers you use on a touchpad. Try using 1 finger instead of 2, because a laptop’s touchpad does not work like your Android phone screen. You can also disable or change the way the touchpad works in the Control Panel (Start > Control Panel).
3. Alt + PrtScn – Use this key combination to grab the active window. This is especially helpful when using multiple monitors and great for getting a cropped window of an error message. Plus, when you email the error message the image will be readable by your IT staff.
4. Windows 7 Snipping Tool* – This tool is an excellent way to capture a variety of screenshots with some extra features for drawing attention to a certain area of the image. It provides the option of capturing full-screen, active window or a specific area of the screen. Then you can highlight portions or draw circles around the areas you wish to stand out. For more information, see Microsoft’s resource: http://tinyurl.com/yza8q8u For quick access to the Snipping tool, make sure to assign a hotkey to this tool or drag it to the bottom of your screen and add it to the ribbon. Read the next tip to find out how to assign hotkeys or keyboard shortcuts to any program.
5. Hotkeys – Open programs and shortcuts to folders quickly via a key combination, better known as a hotkey or keyboard shortcut. (If you are into shortcuts, “hotkey” is faster to say.) To assign a hotkey, click the Windows button in the lower left corner to open the Start menu. Type the program name, such as snipping, in the search box. Right click Snipping Tool and select Properties. Click in the Shortcut Key box and type the key combination to be associated with the program or folder shortcut.
6. Ctrl Key is Stuck – Have you ever been typing away and suddenly something seems wonky with the keyboard? Make sure your Ctrl (or other) key is not stuck. There could be a long lost crumb under that key. To un-stick the key, press it quickly about 5 times to dislodge it.

 

*If you do not have Windows 7, Jing is a free alternative to the Snipping Tool. It also allows you to add formatted text boxes, arrows and circles to screenshots. Additionally, you can record video of your screen for up to 5 minutes and share it via a link or save to create your own video tips library.

When JAVA Freezes Over

Or maybe it should be compared to Swiss cheese, securely speaking. The best case scenario is that you only use websites which do not require Java or the domain is available in an HTML5 flavor. Some experts estimate a period of 2 years before the Java security issues will be fixed. In “technology years” this means certain death. In this economy, there are enough Java programmers who want to keep their jobs and fix those 86 security holes sooner rather than later. This could mean more Java updates than usual.

Even if a company does not use Java, if it works with vendors who do…then at least load the most secure versions. Find out the latest version that works with a vendor site. Currently these would be 6 build 38 and 7 build 11.

If Java is not needed for work or school, it can be disabled in the browser or uninstalled completely. One question remains – could more thorough testing have increased the program’s quality?