Must Know Computer Tips

Zoom In Zoom Out

While you are reading this, right now, press and hold Control on your keyboard and scroll the mouse wheel up or down. 

Welcome to the Super Secret of Zoom control!  No matter where you are or what you are looking at, the moment you feel your eyes squinting, just press Ctrl and Scroll the mouse wheel.  So even if you can’t find a Zoom button, this trick will work. 

Another tip to zoom control, is to look at the bottom right corner of your Browser.  There is “usually” a zoom button in the corner (depends on the browser you use).

Just click it – go ahead, right now – and your screen will zoom in.  To zoom back out, you will have to click the arrow beside the button and choose “Zoom Out”.

The keyboard shortcut to this trick is “Ctrl +” and “Ctrl -”

It’s these little things that make our computer time so much easier to tolerate.

Zoom in Zoom out; Zoom image script; Zoom in online; Make text larger; Make text bigger. 

I could go on and on… but I think you get the point. 

See this article with live links at my blog post: http://MustKnowComputerTips.blogspot.com

Remote Access is Easy and Free

Sometimes productivity isn’t possible if you’re away from your main computer.  For instance, I teach a class on Digital Cameras and demonstrate photo manipulation. But the lab computer does not have PhotoShop.  My home office computer does.  To teach the class productively, I remotely access my home office computer.  To do that, I have to use a remote access product.

Remote Access…   

You can remotely access your home office computer through Windows by following these 20 steps *cough wheeze* located at www.Microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/getstarted/remoteintro.mspx

Unfortunately, Windows processes depend largely on matching operating systems.  I tried their solution and was very frustrated. Thankfully, there are other options that are easier, 2 of them I list here.

An excellent remote access that costs approximately /month is GoToMyPC. The remote picture is crystal clear and the access time is “Speedy Gonzalez!”

www.LogMeIn.com  is Free, Free, Free.  Did I mention it’s FREE?  Obviously you can pay for an upgrade version, but seriously, if you just need to read your emails while you’re away, who cares about pixel quality?

I have personally used both programs.  GoToMyPC is easy and by far a better quality, but LogMeIn.com beats all others for the ease and the price.

I hope this information was enlightening, and Welcome to the world of remote access!  It’s VERY cool!

Computer People Tricks

Here is a Computer “Underground” Super Secret:

Everyone knows that when you work in an industry for any length of time you learn things that the general public does not know. Tips, Shortcuts, Secrets.  Here are a couple I’ve learned… 

1 – If you have to call tech support, exmaple: Dell’s Tech Support – (by the way, the phone # is 1-800-INDIA) – and you cannot understand the accent/dialect of the person, just say, “Supervisor, please.”

They’ll transfer you.  If you still can’t understand that person, just say it again, “Supervisor, please.” Keep saying it until you can understand someone and get help.

2 – Have you every had to make a phone call you were dreading? (Who hasn’t?)  Well, at www.slydial.com you can leave a voicemail on someone’s cell phone (doesn’t work on land lines), and their phone will never ring.  They will just see a message  screen that says, “New Voice Mail”.  Try it. It’s like virtual voicemail.

One click on your iPhone or iPad lets you remotely access one or more computers anywhere, anytime. So you never have to worry about leaving anything behind. Directly control your desktop, all your apps and all your files like that important presentation for your boss or that important photo album for your mum with a simple touch. www.newmacgeek.com

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