Non-technical people need tech tips, too! Here are some tricks (mostly Mac) for making the most out of online resources and technology. Have a question? Fill out the suggestion form below and I might create a tip just for you.
When someone tags you in a photo or status on Facebook it gets automatically posted on your timeline. But what if you don’t want it displayed for all your friends to see? You can easily control what appears on your timeline in a few quick steps:
If you have Mac OSX Lion (10.8) installed* you can easily make your own screencast (a video of what’s happening on your computer screen). This can be helpful if you need to demonstrate how to do something or illustrate a problem you are having to someone who isn’t with you.
Open up Quicktime Player (in Applications), go to File > New Screen Recording and then click the red Record button when you’re ready. If you click on the arrow button you can choose a microphone for audio input as well.
*If you don’t know the version of operating system (OS) you’re running, click on the apple icon in the top left corner of your screen and choose About This Mac. The OS/Version number is right above the Software Update button.
I like to preview an album before I buy it. Websites like Grooveshark and Spotify allow you to “stream” music-–to listen to it in your web browser without downloading any files. Grooveshark is completely free but doesn’t have a huge selection. Spotify has a wider selection, but requires you to either pay a monthly fee or listen to ads every few songs. Either way, make sure to support the artists you like and buy their albums!
Do you find yourself typing certain types of email messages over and over? Gmail Labs has a feature that lets you quickly send out common messages using templates you create.
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