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Columns

  • Finding stuff with Windows 10

    Perhaps one of the most frequent complaints I receive regarding Windows 10 is that, after the update, users can’t find their files – their stuff. Take heart, the files should be right where you left them.

    There have only been a few cases that I know of where users lost files and those were where the file or file space was corrupt at the time of the conversion.

    So where is your stuff? First step is to give Windows a little time to catalog all your files by location. Windows uses a feature called the Indexer.

    Click here to read more...
  • Turkey Quiz: How food safe are you?

    How much do you know about food safety and cooking turkey? This quiz came from a colleague in Ohio. Pick the best answer to each question.

    1. The turkey in your freezer has been there since last Thanksgiving. What should you do with it?

    a. Throw it out; b. Feed it to your in-laws; c. Go ahead and use it on Thanksgiving or d. Leave it in there and buy another one for Thanksgiving.

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  • Securing digital documents

    I touched on this subject last year, but in light of our continuing movement to a digital world, some things deem repeating.

    I continually receive digital documents from third-parties that contain sensitive information, which means they contain personal private information that is not for general consumption. If you are using Microsoft Office 2007 or later, these documents can be easily encrypted and password protected against prying eyes.

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  • Using references in Word

    As many of your students are busy writing term papers, this might be a good time to talk about a few highly underutilized features in Microsoft Word.

    Assuming you are using a fairly current version of Word, you have tabs across the top of the page. One of these tabs is the References tab.

    There is a high probability that neither you, or your high school or college student, have ever been there. References provides the tools necessary for writing formal papers from book reviews to college dissertations, and doing so with great ease.

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  • Preventing unwanted cell phone calls and texts

    Are you tired of unsolicited phone calls? We all receive them and they are a pain, especially when they occur while we are working, eating dinner or trying to sleep.

    Signing up with the Do Not Call Registry can help, but it does not stop all calls. Calls that are exempt include political and charitable calls, informational calls, debt collection, phone surveys and calls from companies you have done business with or have given permission to call. Other unwanted calls and text messages are illegal.

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  • ...You better have a good moral to the story

    I don’t know very many people who don’t like a good story. One of my favorite music artists, John Prine, once said during a performance of a song “There’s one thing I’ve learned about writing story songs: If you are writing story songs you better have a good ending. And if you don’t have a good ending, you better have a darn good moral to the story.” In his typical humor he then concludes the song, Bottomless Lake, with a moral to the story.

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  • Looking to the light while in the dark

    To say these past couple of weeks have been hard... would be a huge understatement.

    There is no need for me to restate the horrible news that has shaken the core of our school system and community. The devastating news has taken a toll on me personally and it’s made it harder for me to focus on my job.

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  • Are you having trouble concentrating?

    Do you have so many things to do that you just cannot seem to concentrate on anything?  There are many distractions in our day-to-day lives.  Here are a list of some distractions you may fight and how to deal with them:

    Social Media – If you are always checking for status updates, you may not be able to stay on track. If you feel like you have to check, limit it to only when you have break times at work or at home.

    Click here to read more...
  • Apple updates its operating system changes naming convention

    Apple has chosen to end its long running naming convention and do away with OS X, releasing the next generation of OS last month, titled macOS Sierra.

    There is no real mystery here, just a changing of the guard as current Apple executives move away from the long time branding under Steve Jobs and bring the Mac naming conventions more in line with the iOS, WatchOS, and tvOS.

    Click here to read more...
  • Intel releasing newest processor soon

    Tech alert, this week’s article is for those of you who are preparing to purchase a new computer as Christmas approaches.

    Intel has recently unveiled its 7th Generation Core processors—known by the code-name Kaby Lake. If you are looking to purchase a new computer going forward, I suggest you look for models containing this new processor.

    Click here to read more...