It's likely that you have Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 installed on your computer, and that you may have come across Adobe Bridge (and not known how to use it). If you fall into that category, you are not alone; I too was struggling to find meaning "under the bridge". Luckily for us, there is no troll lurking underneath Adobe's Bridge, in fact there are some very useful features. Why don't you check out this video and see what you can get out of Adobe Bridge.
Want to know more about Adobe Bridge? Leave a comment and let me know!
"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." Beverly Sills
Well Beverly, I've got news for you. Shortcuts are legendary-well, at least in computer land they are. I've been posting quite a few shortcut keys over the year, so here are a few more to get you into the holiday spirit!
I'm in the spirit of summaries this week so here are a few of my favourite blogs that are packed full of handy articles. You should subscribe via RSS to keep up to date with all of the juicy IT secrets.
This is the first post in a series entitled: How do they do that?? These posts are dedicated to the moments when you glance at a collegues computer, watch a software simulation or are in awe at the dude at the Apple Store's aptitude when it comes to computers tips and tricks. So, let's head on in to our first How do they do that??
During a recent session I promised some of our friends at the University Museums division a quick video guide on how to resize an image using Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop is available for download as a part of the Adobe Design Premium CS5.5 across the University. However, it is a very powerful tool and can be very daunting. But, you can use particular functions to quickly and easily overcome common issues when dealing with images. One of those is resizing images-it can be a pain to do this proportionately, but you can master it in Photoshop without too much pain. Have a look!
Get ready to rumble with another round of shortcut keys. This time I'm pointing at PowerPoint.
Want more of this blog-wait don't answer, I already know it is a yes! You should subscribe via RSS, so that you will always know when ICT Training post something to make your IT life easier. Check out the video below, which will show you how to subscribe via RSS in Internet Explorer 9.
Not using IE? Why don't you give Google Reader a go, watch this video for more information.
Did you know that 90% of the US population don't know how to use Ctrl+F? Holy Makeral! In honour of this statistic, here are some awesome Outlook shortcut keys!
So you want to get connected to the University wireless internet? Well read on, my friend, this one is for you!
Want to work wirelessly around campus or connect to the University network form home? It's easy! All you need to do is download VPN and take note of a few special setting, and you'll be sending emails from Ralph's in no time at all. Part one in our VPN series will show you how to download the program onto your computer.
If you are responsible for editing a University website you will know one of the most difficult tasks is to keep up to date with all of the link changes and make sure that none are broken. This is hard enough on your own site but when external sites you link to either change their domain name or URL the task is almost impossible.
You need Xenu's Link Sleuth!
Xenu's Link Sleuth is easy to use free software that will check all links on all of your site.
So why not say farewell to the "404 file not found" doldrems and download Xenu Link Sleuth today. By running a site wide link check once or twice a month you will keep your web site in tip top shape!
While we're on the theme of How To's, here's another one coming at ya. Read on to find out how to make the University website your home page.
Today Anita and I visited the lovely Alison in Education and Social Work to help her with her Entourage. No, it wasn't a Britney Spears/Kanye West posse issue, it was an issue with her Mac based email software-Entourage! So, to honour the visit here are 2 How-To's for Entourage.
What are you talking about, cropping isn't easy? Yes it is! Especially cropping screen shots with Windows 7.
Do you turn on your computer expecting dinner and a show, and end up with measly baked beans? Well we've got 5 top tips for Mac users to boost your machine's performance and have you throwing flowers and yelling 'Encore! Encore!' at the end of every work day.
I may have been lucky with some sort of intuition, but I believe in training a great deal. David Selby
A lot of confident computer users have the ability to get stuck into a new system or computer and learn "as they go". In this regard, they rely on "intuition" or natural ability to get by. This natural ability sometimes causes what I'll call a tunnel vision on what benefits of training can provide. It's possible that people with this natural affinity for computer technology are less likely to nominate themselves, or be nominated for training, because they can "get by" or complete their tasks without it. The internet and online learning, however, gives us the ability to throw off the blinkers and offer at the desk, time conscious online training that will extend your working knowledge of a particular system.
At the University, we are lucky to be able to access Microsoft eLearning, an online portal where you can access elearning material on the Microsoft Office Suite. Why don't you check it out, and see how you can build on your natural ability or "intuition" with technology, you never know what amazing tips will enhance your use of a particular piece of software. So, be like our friend David Selby, and enhance your "intuition" with training!
We all know about it. We all try it - however sometimes we overlook it to our peril. What am I talking about - Email courtesy. Thanks to the Faculty of Engineering and IT and David Cox, we now have a very useful Guide to Email Courtesy. A fantastic collaboration and an example of where ICT Training can work with you to provide IT focused resources tailored to your needs. Do you need an IT Guide? Let us know below...
As a blogger, sometimes you gotta give credit where credit is due, and consequently not rewrite what is already a useful post. So, you should all visit this blog post, to find out how to back up your Google Docs. Why is this important? You know those clouds, when it rains it pours. But, on a serious note, you never know what is going to happen to any data management service. It's always a good idea to err on the side of caution, and keep a backup of the documents you have in Google Docs on your computer, USB thumb drive or hard drive.
Do you have a favourite blog? Let me know, below...
Today, I want to go beyond the basics with these shortcut keys. I want you to be saying "Holy Mackeral" when you read this post. So, hold onto your keyboard, prepare to be wowed by these Microsoft Word Shortcut keys....
I love discoveries, especially discoveries that save you battery on your phone! Thanks to Bhatrina from ICT, I investigated how to close apps on your iphone. Did you know that pressing the home button doesn't actually close you're apps? I knew this, but I never knew that there was a way to actually close your apps- saving you battery and memory space. Yahoo. Watch this video to find out how:
Expand your outlook, with these 5 Shortcut Keys for Outlook. Why 5? Well, Zippy, why not??
I love shortcut keys. So much so, that I may even throw down the gauntlet to myself to go mouse-less for a day. Yep, you heard me, MOUSE-LESS FOR A DAY. But, not just yet. I need to post more shortcut keys to get you, and me, ready for being mouse-less. In this post, I'm going to give you my 10 favourite shortcut keys you can use across applications. I'm also going to give both the MAC and PC version. Yep, I'm that generous.
Did you know that according to StatCounter Global Statistics, 47.82% of web browsing is done using Internet Explorer? That is a lot of Internet Explorers! If you use IE, keep reading, we've got some shortcut keys that will make browsing a breeze! But, never fear if you fall into the 30.59% of Firefox users, 14.39% of Google Chrome up-takers or 4.7% of Safari surfers, we've got plenty of posts coming up on shortcut keys just for you and your preferred browser.
If you are new to using a Mac, or want some handy shortcuts for Mac, have a look at the video below.
Would you like more Mac tips? Leave us a comment below!
Hands down, knowing how to mail merge properly is a massive time saver. However, it can also be a massive disaster if you get it wrong! Mail merges are useful for sending out an identical document with unique identifiers, like names, course dates and prices. It is possible to create a range of different type of documents like labels and envelopes, form letters, e-mail messages, or faxes, and even a set of numbered coupons.
I was recently enlightened to the joy that is RSS. And I want to spread the good news. Check out this short video that explains what RSS is, and how it can benefit you.
They are pretty mysterious for most computer uses, those function keys sitting atop your keyboard. I've often asked them "F1, F2- what are you, what can I do with you??". Here is a guide for Windows users as to how to aquaint yourself with your function keys and make them your besties.
Wanting to exel in Excel? Here are five short-cut keys to get you going!
It can be a bit bamboozling when you move from a Windows based computer to a MAC. You can often hear screams on the wind "But I thought MAC was meant to be easier argghhh"....
Want to take control of your email? Read our top 5 tips to grabbing the reigns in Outlook...
1.Use folders to keep your inbox organised
Avoid that feeling of dread when an overcrowded inbox appears of a morning, by utilising folders in Outlook. Beat the inbox blues by leaving a maximum of five emails in your inbox at one time: only the most important relating to that day or that requires a reply. File the rest in appropriately named folders. To set up a folder, right click on your inbox in the Navigation Pane and select New Folder. Name the folder and simply drag and drop emails from your inbox and into the folder.
2.Create a To-Do list from the To-Do Bar
Put an end to the pesky paper To-Do lists that clog up your desk. By selecting the To-Do bar under the View menu, you can quickly and easily set up daily, weekly and fortnightly To-Do lists. Simply type a task into the Task field and press enter. The task will appear in your To-Do list. Double click on a task to add extra details and recurrences. Roll over a task with your mouse to quickly view all of the details associated with that task. Get your To-Dos done with Outlook Tasks.
3. Colour code your calendar
By colour coding your calendar you can turn a quick glance into a lightning bolt reminder. Colour coded calendar items can help you to quickly gain a sense of what is coming up, without having to drill down into the details. Set yourself a colour key for whether meetings are offsite or onsite, allowing you to plan how much time you need to take to get to a meeting. Assign a colour to remind yourself to dress up, or down for, an important meeting. Simply right click on a calendar item and select Categorise to set up colour coding.
4. Overlay Mode
Turn over a new leaf with Overlay Mode in your Outlook calendar. Comparing calendars is made simple by allowing you to overlay two or more calendars so you can find where your appointments conflict or allow for a meeting. To do this, click the arrow on the top bar of the calendar you wish to overlay with. The calendars will then merge into Overlay mode.
5. Take the Guesswork out of setting up a meeting
Ever sent out an invite to a meeting in Outlook with an element of blind faith? Then this one is for you. Take the guesswork out of calendar invites by letting Outlook do the scheduling for you. Set up a meeting as usual and invite attendees, but instead of sending the invite with a date you have chosen, click Scheduling then Autopick Next in the bottom right corner. Outlook will automatically find the next time when all the attendees are available for a meeting. Nifty huh?
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