Holiday Gift Ideas

With the holidays just around the corner its time to start thinking about cool gifts to give.  I recently found this article on 10 Tech gifts under $100. 


1. uNu battery case for iPhones ($35 for the Power DX-1700B model ).
Are you constantly running out of juice? The uNu might be the answer. It's a nifty device that protects your iPhone from damage and recharges a dead battery. That's because the uNu is a battery pack shaped like a cover.
2. Beyond Talk wireless plan ($35 a month).
Want iPhone capabilities without iPhone costs? Sprint-owned Virgin Mobile has the best-value plan among the major carriers. Beyond Talk allows unlimited text and Internet. The catch: Voice minutes are limited to 300 and customers have to pay full price for a phone. Still, the plan is great for teens who love to text and for adults who use the Web much more than they talk. Android phones ($100 and up) can be used to check the weather, catch a bus, find movie times, search for nearby stores. Most also include GPS and provide maps and navigation. Also available at Best Buy.
3. Klipsch Image S4 headphones ($79 and up).
This new classic is one of the best deals around for quality portable headphones . Looks and sounds much better than the junky earbuds that come with most players. A new version, the S4A , allows users to control their Android phones through a switch on the headphone wire. A similar version already exists for the iPhone. So leave your phone in your pocket. For boys and girls check out the Skullcandy INK'd Earbuds . At just $14 no need to worry bout kids losing them these solid-sounding earbuds come in nearly 20 colors.
4. The Kindle.
The newest, smallest and cheapest Kindle yet is just $79, weighs less than 6 ounces and fits into a backpocket. It's a great time to get a Kindle because it now can be used to check out books from thousands of local libraries. Users do have to accept some "screensaver" ads, however. Not to be outdone is the Nook Simple Touch by Barnes & Noble. The cheapest touchscreen version costs $99 and "has no annoying ads," the company says. It is 1.5 ounces heavier than the smallest Kindle, however.
5. Livescribe Smartpen (starting at $100).
Scribble your notes and drawings on special white paper and then upload your work to a computer with this device. The Smartpen is fatter than a typical writing instrument, but people who take lots of notes swear by Livescribe. Oh, the pen can also record a lecture while you take notes. Software to transcribe notes into editable text is sold separately.
6. Audioengine W2 ($99).
Send music from an iPod, iPhone or iPad via WiFi to a stereo with this small adapter. The Audioengine W2 got good reviews when it first came out, but after a price drop, the device can now be had for under $100. Audioengine calls the W2 the "dockless dock." It will work anywhere in the house.
7. Roku 2 wireless movie streamer ($50 and up).
These fist-sized Wi-Fi devices connect easily to a TV and enable viewers to download HD-quality movies or music from popular services such as Nexflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon and Pandora. Lots of devices these days can perform similar tasks, but Roku does it with smaller, cheaper hardware. The mid-priced Roku 2 HD player might offer the best value.
8. Vizio sound bar ($98).
Most built-in speakers for glossy flat-screen TVs sound dull and tinny compared to true home theaters. If you don't want to shell out for pricy speakers or clutter up your room, check out the growing number of soundbars like the Vizio VSB200 . These speakers are long and narrow and sit unobtrusively in front or below a TV. They deliver excellent sound for their size and even do a decent job mimicking surround sound.
9. Monoprice and Accessories4less
These are the Radio Shacks of the Internet age. No need to spend a bundle on fancy name-brand cables in a box store that cost almost as much as Bluray player. These online audio-video sites sell all kinds of good stuff cheap HDMI cables, speaker wire, digital-audio connections, speakers and even refurbished receivers from major manufacturers such as Denon. Everything you need to set up your home theater is here. A good HDMI cable, for example, costs a few bucks. Your local retailer might charge as much as $90.
10. Smartphone apps.
Here's a gift for yourself. Thousands of software applications are available on iPhones and now Android devices that open up a world of possibilities. Some are free, others cost a few dollars. Be imaginative when searching the Apple app store or Android Market . Apps can be used to lock doors, for instance, or change the thermostat via a wireless home network. A growing number of apps allow users to control network-connected TVs and stereos from brands such as Samsung and Pioneer. In some cases the phone apps are easier to use than the original remotes.

Check the total of a column quickly

Do you have over 10,000 rows?  Do you need to see the sum of a column quickly and do not want to scroll to the bottom?

Here is an easier way....

Select the column that you want to add up. Then look at the bottom of your screen in the status bar where the the SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MIN, and MAX will be displayed in the status bar!

PowerPoint Tips and Tricks

By now, many have been working with Microsoft PowerPoint long enough to create presentations, organize them effectively, and even help others who aren't as savvy. But you may not know that PowerPoint has features, many of which aren't well documented. Those features can help you work faster and make cooler presentations.

Sure, you can click the View buttons on the bottom of each screen to switch quickly among Normal, Slide Sorter, and Slide Show views. But did you know that you can also pair the View buttons with keystrokes to get a totally different effect?

Master Views
For example, press Shift while clicking on the Normal View button to switch to Slide Master view; click on the Normal View button (without Shift) to switch back. Press Shift while clicking on the Slide Sorter View button to display the Handout Master.

Mini Slide Show
You can also see a mini slide show in the upper-left-hand corner of the PowerPoint screen, so you can edit the presentation and preview the results simultaneously. To do this, display the presentation in Normal view and select the first slide you want to see in a slide show. Press Ctrl while clicking on the Slide Show button. Click on the miniature slide show to advance through it, just as you would if you were viewing the presentation full-screen.

Outline and Slide Sorter Views
For more options, try pressing Ctrl-Shift and then clicking on the various View buttons: Ctrl–Shift–Normal View closes the tabbed area and the notes pane, expanding the Slide pane to fill the available space. Ctrl–Shift–Slide Sorter View changes the presentation to an outline; Ctrl–Shift–Slide Show opens the Set Up Show dialog box.

11 tips for Windows 7

1. To dock your window on one half of the screen, drag it to the left or right and it will change its size to fit that half of the screen. Or use your WINDOWS key on your keyboard and the arrow keys.
2. AeroPeek your desktop. Click on the rectangle in the lower right hand corner of the task bar for quick access to your desktop. Directly to the right of your clock.
3. Hit Windows +Home to minimize all inactive windows. To restore the windows just press Windows +Home again.
4. Windows 7 Aero®Shake allows you to clear the inactive windows from your desktop by "shaking" over the window you're working. Hover your mouse over the title bar of your active window, left-click and shake from side to side, and all your inactive windows will disappear.
5. To auto-arrange the desktop icons according to your default settings, simply press and hold F5.
6. Right-click any empty spot in your desktop, and you have the control to change the screen resolution.
7. Right-click any of the icons in the Taskbar to "Unpin this program from the Taskbar."
8. Right-click the Taskbar Explorer icon to access your most frequently used folders.
9. Click open the Start menu and start typing in the search box at the bottom of the menu, then, select what you want from the list of search results which instantly appears.
10. Drag the system tray icons around to rearrange their order next to the start button.
11. If you've got five Outlook message windows open along with ten other windows, you can quickly tab through just the Outlook windows by holding down the Ctrl key while you repeatedly click on the single Outlook icon.
    
    

Office 365? Whats That?

Transposing Data in Excel

What do you do if you have data in a column in Microsoft Excel but really want it to be in a row? You may want to transpose your data, or transform it from a column into a row or vice versa, for a variety of reasons. Whatever your reason, here is a quick and easy way to transpose your data.

Instructions

Step 1 Highlight your data

Highlight your range of data, whether it is in a column or in a row. You can do this by clicking on the cell in one corner of your data range, then click the cell on the opposite corner while holding down the shift key. Alternatively, when in one corner, hold down the shift and control keys simultaneously while using the arrow keys to highlight the range.

Step 2 Copy the data

Copy your data range. The quickest way to do this is to use the keyboard shortcut, Control + C.

Step 3 Open the Paste Special menu

Go to the cell in the top left corner where you would like your new transposed data to be placed. On the Home Tab, select the PASTE DROP-DOWN BOX in Microsoft Excel, then select Paste Special.

Step 4 Transpose your data

In the Paste Special menu, select "Transpose" at the bottom of the menu, then click "OK." Your data range will now be transposed.

Behind the scenes of a future vision

A faster way to create HyperLinks

Have you been doing the old copy and paste to insert a hyperlink in an email or word document?  If you have, here is a tip that might save you some time.

Simply left click (and hold) on the icon in the far left of your Internet browser address bar.  Then drag your pointer to the desired location and release the left click.

This works across Microsoft applications and can be done from almost any browser.

Noisy Outlook Inbox? Turn down the sound with a couple of tweaks

Lately, I have been getting a ton of emails! No, it doesn't mean I am popular, but rather that I should be focused on work and ignoring the sounds that come with it!  Check out the post from the Office Blog.

http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-outlook/archive/2011/11/02/use-conversation-cleanup-and-ignore-in-outlook.aspx

Adding Attachments with Ease!

While many people know a lot about Outlook (or think they do), there are some unique items that can save a ton of time. For example, previously, there was a post about calendars where you were able to drag the message to the calendar icon to create the event!

I could not tell you the number of times that I forget to attach a document to my email and that leaves me embarrassed and upset that I forgot to do the simplest task. Gmail will now prompt you with "did you mean to attach a file" if you mentioned attachment in the file. That will make sure that I do not forget an attachment in my personal email.

Clicking on the "attach file" button is an extra step if the file is located on the desktop. You can just drag the file into your new message and it will attach. It is as simple as that! 

No need for a graphic this time!

Just remember, you can drag and drop most everything now!

Hiding the Ribbon

Is that pesky Ribbon always in your way? Want to make it go away? Here are Two quick to hide (or unhide) the Ribbon across MS Office Applications.
1. Use the chevron. In the upper right hand corner there is a toggle button that will collapse the Ribbon

2. Double Clicking on any of the Tabs in the Ribbon will also collaspe or expand the Ribbon

Why should I click save?

When you open a document, view the document, but then do not make any changes, why does Word ask you to save?

Chances Word is correct, and it has changed. Even though you just looked...

The most common cause happens when you have receive a document from someone else, and you have "background repagination" set. If your printer is slightly different than the printer the other person used, then the first time you look at a document it will be reformatted to fit your printer, resulting in what Word considers a change.

Another common cause is something called "fields", which are inessence calculated results. You can insert a field into your document that includes the last date that the document was saved or printed.

The problem arises when fields are recalculated just by looking. Fields including date and time are often culprits, though in complex documents there are several approaches that could result in Word thinking the document has changed.

Macros and Add-Ins could also cause Word to think something has changed. Macros can be set to trigger when a document is opened or at other seemingly random times. Add-Ins similarly can make subtle changes that may not affect the document visibly, but can cause Word to think it's changed.

The bottom line is that it can often be hard to tell why Word might consider a document to be changed even though you haven't done anything.

Cloud computing is not your typical upgrade; it’s a movement.

What is cloud computing? When did it start? Where is it going?

Those are all questions that are addressed in a recent post on the St. Paul Chamber blog. It will be intriguing and also open up your eyes to what actually is out there! Many do not know it, but you have already been a part of cloud computing. Managing the Cloud before the Storm is a great article that will answer some lingering questions that you may have.




http://blog.saintpaulchamber.com/2011/11/managing-the-cloud-before-the-storm/

Hyperlink super fast, super quick, & super easy

Throughout my time as a web master, office assistant, teacher, and trainer; I have developed some key shortcuts that I enjoy.

One of my favorite shortcuts: Ctrl+K, lets you add a hyperlink quickly.

Just select any text, and then press the Ctrl-K keys at the same time. A dialogue box opens where you can type a link.

I used to select the text, right-click, and then click Hyperlink--but this is so much faster.

And if you know the link you want to add, you can use this shortcut to add it as you type. When you're about to type the text you want to show in your link, press Ctrl+K. The dialog box opens up, so you can type the link address in the Address box. Then, in the Text to display box, type the text that you want to be hot in your document. Click OK, the linked text appears in your document, and you can keep writing.

Hide columns without right clicking

Do you want to hide columns in Excel a lot easier?  By simply selecting the furthest right column you want to hide, click between the columns like you are going to adjust the width of the column and drag to the left. This will automatically hide all the columns between!

To unhide the columns, you would need to right click and click on Unhide.