By:
On:
In: Technology for Academics (archive)

Quick Tech Tip. For goo.gl shortened URLS, did you know that you can get analytics by adding .info at the end of the goo.gl URL? It doesn’t even need to be the URL you shortened. Try it. Go to http://goo.gl/UGtpp.info (page will open in new window). You will see how many people have visited that link, when they visited, how they got there, which browser they used, which country they’re in, and which platform they used. It’s handy if, for example, you want to see how many of your students might be reading, or at least viewing/downloading what you’ve assigned. Remember, you can get URLsRead More →

By:
On:
In: Technology for Academics (archive)

I’m a fan of keyboard shortcuts, so here’s another one. (Okay. I confess. My wife asked me to find this one for her.) Let’s say you’re reading a webpage, and in the process, your cursor gets moved out of the address bar. You now want to type in another web address, so you reach for your mouse to move the cursor into the address bar ready to highlight the URL so you can replace it with a new one. But wait! You don’t need your mouse. In Firefox and Chrome, CTRL-L not only places the cursor in the address bar, but it also highlights theRead More →

By:
On:
In: Technology for Academics (archive)

A couple weeks ago I was sitting in our psychology lab when a student wandered in. Me: Can I help you? Student: <locating the clock on the wall> I was wondering what time it is. The student is visually impaired, judging by how close he was standing to the clock and how he was squinting. Me: It’s 20 ’til 11. Student: What? Thinking the student is also partially deaf, I speak up. Me: IT’S 20 ‘TIL 11. Student looks at the clock, clearly baffled. Another student in the lab chimes in. Student #2: It’s 10:40. Student: Oh! I’m late! Finally it dawns on me. TheRead More →

By:
On:
In: Technology for Academics (archive)

Quick tech tip: Change the default color of comment boxes in MS Word 2010. In any MS Word document, select the “Review” tab, click on “Track Changes” then select “Change Tracking Options. Next to “Comments” click the dropdown menu and select the color you’d like. Any document you open now will use that comment color. Bonus tip: Use the keyboard shortcut to insert comments more quickly. Highlight the text you want to comment on, then press CTRL-ALT-M. After a little practice, the key combination will feel natural to you.Read More →

By:
On:
In: Technology for Academics (archive)

Quick Tech Tip: In a previous post (November, 2010) I suggested using Zamzar to download TED videos. Since then TED has added this functionality themselves. Below the video, click the “DOWNLOAD” button. That will call up this window. Right-click on the version you want, and select “Save link as…” Choose where you want to save the file, and the video will be saved on your computer. No need to have an internet connection to watch it. Save it in your Dropbox folder to have it available on all of your devices.Read More →

By:
On:
In: Technology for Academics (archive)

Quick Tech Tip. In my last two posts I’ve addressed ways to get to the folder where your open Word document is located. Folder navigation in general can be a hassle – unless you’re the kind of person who just puts everything in the same folder, in which case you have other issues. For Windows 7 users, you have a quick way to access your most-used folders. Open any folder. Here I’ve opened my Dropbox folder. On the left, see the favorites area? You can add any folder here. No matter what folder I navigate to, my “favorites” will always be listed here. To addRead More →

By:
On:
In: Technology for Academics (archive)

Quick Tech Tip. Tired of guessing which way your USB cable needs to be inserted? Look for the logo. That way is up. For those of us who have to squint to see the logo, add a little white out or nail polish to the top side. Never guess again. (Thanks to Lifehacker for the suggestions from Royce Eddington and one of the LifeHacker readers.) *The frowny-face in the USB cable image wasn’t intentional.Read More →

By:
On:
In: Technology for Academics (archive)

New blog feature: Quick Tech Tips (QTT). These will be short and sweet. Think of them as a technological amuse bouche. Windows users: To minimize all of your windows, press the windows key on your keyboard and simultaneously press M. Windows keyRead More →