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Computer Tip of the Day: Maintaining Mind/Body Balance at the Keyboard

It’s no secret that Americans are spending more time engaged with screens than ever before. According to experts, this time are the keyboard is having an impact on their health. When asked to elaborate on this topic, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block cited increased hours in front of screens in connection with weight gain and sleeplessness.

Bright light reduces levels of the hormone melatonin, which regulates sleep, and decreases leptin, which makes you feel full. At the same time, bright light increases ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry. So more time with computers and phones can make us gain weight not just because we’re more sedentary, but because of their effect on our sleep cycles (UCLA).

If your job requires that you spend large swaths of time at the keyboard, you’re at increased risks for health complications. But fear not. This post is for you.

Physical Breaks

If you work in front of screens, it’s important that you take regular physical breaks. Sitting for long periods of time can lead to serious circulation issues, as well as other health complications. A good first step to combat this would be to set a timer to remind yourself to take regular stretching breaks. In addition, consider investing in a standing desk. Health benefits include increased weight loss, decreased back pain, and elevated energy levels.

Mental Breaks

Evidence points to the fact that increased use of technology is actually rewiring our brains, changing the way we think and behave. In order to decrease its impact and protect ourselves from electronic addiction and mental exhaustion, we must schedule regular breaks throughout the day. We must consciously unplug and allow the non-stop pressure of digital communication to pass us by.

Perspective

Although many of us love the idea of breaks, the reality is that we’re not always the best judges of when and how to work them into our schedules. We push ourselves nearly to the breaking point before taking action. Rather than letting situations spiral out of control, we must take charge by planning consistent physical and mental breaks into our routines.

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Computer Tip of the Day: Most Helpful Keyboard Shortcuts

When working a job that requires a lot of work on a computer it is important to know your computer as well as possible in order to work efficiently. One of the easiest ways to work efficiently with a computer is to know the computer’s shortcuts.

Once you know the shortcuts you can quickly type the shortcuts and seamlessly go from one place to another without lifting your hand from the keyboard, reaching over the mice and searching for what you need to do. Some of the most helpful shortcuts are even pretty universal, meaning they work on most computers and in most programs.

These are some of the most helpful shortcuts to learn.

Bold, Italics and Underline – Typing can be a lot easier if you know shortcuts to edit your text. Highlight the text you want to edit and press CTRL + B to bold, CTRL + I to turn the word into italics and CTRL + U to underline the text.

Copy and Paste – Learning how to copy and paste will make any job that requires copying words from one place to another a lot easier. To copy any text you simply highlight the word and then press CTRL + C. To paste something click where you want the text to go and the press CTRL + V.

Go to Desktop – Pressing the Windows Key + D will automatically close all your windows and go to your desktop.

Go to My Computer Folder – If you need to find a file in a folder the easiest way to start with your My Computer folder. You can go to this folder immediately by pressing the Windows Key + E

Go to Windows Task Manager – The Windows Task Manager is a helpful menu that will allow you to lock your computer while you step away or it will allow you to switch users if multiple people use the same computer. You can go immediately to the Windows Task Manager by pressing CTRL + ALT + Delete.

Help – If you need help with any program that you’re using the F1 is universally used as the shortcut to bring up a help screen.

Select All – If you have a document open and you want to copy all the text you can simply press CTRL + A to select the whole thing. This also works to select all files in a folder when you have a folder open.

Undo and Redo – We all make mistakes sometimes but you can quickly fix these mistakes with the undo and redo shortcuts. If you type or paste something by mistake, pressing CTRL + Z will undo it. If you decide you did need that after all pressing CTRL + Y will make it come back.

Zoom In and Out – If you hold the CTRL button and then use the wheel on your mouse you can zoom in and out on. Alternatively you can also zoom in and out by holding the CTRL button and pressing + or -.

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Computer Tip of the Day: Keeping Your Downloads Folder Clear

Imagine what would happen if you never took out your trash. Even without the massive health risk that rotting, decomposing materials would pose, eventually the sheer volume of waste would be overwhelming. That’s why it just makes sense to keep on top of the trash situation by making it a daily chore.

When it comes to keeping your computer’s Download folder clear, something similar can occur.

The Problem

Most of us download items on an as-needed basis. This is normal. The problem is that because we don’t re-open our Download folder unless we’re looking for something, it’s easy to forget just how many things we’ve downloaded in the past. Unless we form the habit of deleting an item the moment we no longer have need of it, we’re bound to wind up with a bloated folder.

The Solution

Fortunately, resolving the situation is quite simple. The first step is to open your downloads folder and go through the items one by one, checking to see what’s still relevant and what’s not.

On my iMac, I periodically go through the Downloads folder to see what’s in there and what can be deleted. 99% of the files in there are deleted right away because I have absolutely no use for them. Rarely, I will find a file that I actually need, or will need in the future, so I just move it to a safe location in my Documents (iDB).

The Reason

This issue matters primarily because a bloated Downloads folder eats up storage space that could be put to much better purposes. By downloading unnecessary documents, PDFs, photos, and programs, you can ensure a better and more efficient system.

Just don’t forget the final step: once you have cleared unwanted downloads, be sure to take out your trash. And we’re talking about the digital trash this time. Once you’ve cleared your trash, you’re well on your way to a more effective computer system.

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5 Productivity Tips for Google Docs

While most people are used to using Microsoft Word for their writing and editing needs, Google Docs remains a worthy alternative. Since everything is in the cloud, it’s a great way to collaborate with other users and share documents. It will also free up some space on your computer. Here are a few tips for working with Google Docs.

Type With Your Voice

Google Docs has a voice to text feature that lets you type with your voice. Simply go to the Tools menu or click CTRL + SHIFT + S and click the microphone that pops up. Talk clearly into the microphone and give your arms a rest. You can choose any language you want.

Go Through Your History

Accidentally overwrote an article and now need the first version? With Google Docs, you can see the revision history of an article by clicking CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + H. You can also find this option in the File menu. Simply go through all the dates and restore the version you want.

Make Comments

You can highlight blocks of text and make comments or suggest edits by right-clicking. You can then share the document with other users. However, if you want someone specific to be informed about your comment, simply type @ in the comment box, followed by their Gmail address (which will appear in a drop-down menu if you have already communicated with them).

Bookmarks and Links

If you have a really long article, you can bookmark a certain section in the article. You can also insert links by clicking CTRL + K. You can link not only to articles online but to other Google Doc documents and bookmarks in the same article as well.

Use It Offline

Although Google Docs is thought of as a cloud-based app, you can also use it offline. All changes made offline will be saved and synced when you get back online.

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Daily Computer Tips For Organizations

As computers become a necessity in almost every other enterprise, it is essential for executives to gain knowledge on how best you can safeguard their systems. That will not only protect against external threats but also inherent risks likely to impair the normal functioning of such installations. Here are some tips to consider on a continuous basis to make that possible.

Beware Of Social Media Posts

In an era where social media interactions are the order of the day, you need to exercise caution regarding the information you avail to the public on such avenues. Employees with access to your company’s online social accounts can release unauthorized details about the firm through these social tools.

That gives online hackers an opportunity to use such data to dig deeper into various aspects of a particular entity. Therefore, monitor your firm’s social media accounts closely and advise those who have access to company social accounts on the dangers of sharing such details as ID numbers, birth dates, among others on these accounts.

Consider Using Passwords With Many Characters

Password-guessing programs and computer hackers can easily crack simple passwords. Using passwords with a combination of letters, symbols, numbers, and special characters make it harder for any of these to access an organization’s network system. It is wise to encourage all employees to use such passwords as a safety precaution. Also, remind them to choose a combination they can recall quickly.

Do not forget to caution your staff against storing such information on their computers or writing the same on a piece of paper for reference as well. Instead, insist on having them memorize their login credentials.

Avoid WEP WiFi Security Connections

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is an older protocol that is less secure for staff wishing to access the company’s network remotely. Nowadays, most companies are working with their employees remotely for various reasons. Such individuals may want to obtain certain documents from the entity from time to time and from a different location, depending on the task at hand.

In such situations, these workers should ensure that access to such networks is through WiFi Protected Access (WPA2). The latter offers high-grade encryption critical for safeguarding the firm’s systems. If you need more information on computer tips for organizations, contact us today.

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