Technology Tip Number 63 Maximize Your Windows
Today’s technology tip goes back to the basics.  It's all about using the windows on your desktop more effectively. For example, the buttons in the top right hand corner of the screen: Maximize  (full screen) Minimize (Make a movable window) Close (end a program by closing the window it's in) To resize a window go to the bottom right hand corner, grab it by left clicking and holding the button.  Then drag to make the window larger or smaller: All windows have a title bar across the top and some windows, depending on the program that's running in them, might also have a menu bar and tool bar.  Here's and example from Microsoft Word: Featured YouTube Video - XP Tutorial:
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:  Try adjusting your windows today.  The windows on your computer that is. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  If you'd like to learn some more about windows try searching the internet for: History of windows Minimizing and Maximizing Using windows

Technology Tip Number 62 Email it Forward
Ever get an email that has to do with something that isn’t going to happen for a few days.  Like a message about a meeting next week or when a fire drill is taking place.  You know its important but you forget to put it in your plan book or add it to your calendar.  As a result the email just sits there in your Inbox and it’s forgotten.  Wouldn’t it be great if that email would just automatically jump back to the top of your Inbox list on the day it was actually relevant?  Well here’s how to get it to do just that.  Here's how to  forward an email to yourself in Microsoft Outlook: 1)      Right click on the email you want to forward in your Inbox and select “Forward” from the list: 2)      Type your email address in the “TO:” line 3)      Click on  in the tool bar 4)      Set the time when you want the email to be delivered to you: 5)      Click  Featured YouTube Video - How to Schedule e-mail delivery in Outlook 2010 by iYogi
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:  If you use Microsoft Outlook try forwarding an important email to yourself today.  If you don't have Outlook try searching through the email system that you use for a similar option. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  If you'd like to learn some more about timing emails try searching the internet for: Schedule an email Outlook tutorials Forwarding an email

Technology Tip Number 61 Keeping Kids Safe Online
Adults have a responsibility to help children learn about, interpret and understand their world.  It's a pretty basic concept, but how do we as adults help kids understand their world when we aren't completely aware of the threats and benefits of things like the internet?  Today's technology tip is all about helping adults educate themselves about the internet so they can help kids stay safe online. Like any new technology the internet is full of potentially good outcomes but it comes with plenty of potentially negative outcomes.  This has always been true of any new technology.  Try to remember that the technology itself isn't good or bad, its how we choose to use it that's good or bad. First, some of the good stuff we can get from the internet: Improved communications via email, instant messaging, texting, cell phones and video chat Data storage and sharing across the world The potential of networking ideas and knowledge without boundaries The democratization of information Then some of the bad stuff: Internet crime such as online scams Misuse of information for negative results Character attacks and "cyber-bullying" Exploitation of children and child predators So how do you educate yourself on the bad stuff so you can help kids avoid it?  It should be no surprise that there is a whole bunch of websites out there that can help you: OnGuardOnline.gov  This site provides some practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help people guard against online fraud and protect personal information. SafeKids.com  They seek to promote "digital citizenship, online safety and civility."  A trip to their home page will give you plenty of current events on the topic of online safety to think about. Additionally, they have plenty of good Safety Advice & Tools for you to check out. Today's featured YouTube video is an oldie but a goodie: Think Before You Post - PSA
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:  Check out one of the links above and see if you can learn at least three of new terms. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  Try searching the internet for more information.  Just as the internet changes the nature of the threats posed to children also changes. Cybersafety Online safety for kids Cyber Bullying

Technology Tip Number 60 Excel in 1, 2, 3 Order
The 60th technology tip!  You have successfully completed 1/3rd of the total number of tips?  That means that if you started at the beginning, and you've been reading every tech tip and doing every activity you have completed 5 hours of free computer training!  Congratulations, but you're not done yet! In celebration of the 1/3rd mark, today's technology tip will be a real easy one.  Today we will simply show you how to automatically number a column in Excel. Did you ever want to number a column but you didn't want to type all thenumbers in?  Here's the easy way to do it: Open up a blank Excel worksheet and type in the numbers 1 and 2 the cells where you want to start numbering a column.  Next, highlight the cells with the numbers 1 and 2 in them and grab the bottom right hand corner of the highlighted box.  When your pointer turns into a small black cross left click and hold the button down while you drag the highlighted area down the column.  Drag down until you have covered the area where you'd like the ordered numbers to appear then let go of the button.  The numbers 1 and 2 established the pattern that you want the computer to follow down the row.  When you let go you should see the pattern has been repeated through all the cells you have selected automatically: Featured YouTube Video About Sorting Data:
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:  In the example above you established the pattern for the numbering in the column by putting numbers in the top two cells.  Try using the same method to create these patterns in Excel: TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  To learn more shortcuts to common tasks in Excel try searching the internet for: Excel tips and tricks Creating Sequences in Excel Numbering in Excel

Technology Tip Number 59 Getting Lawyered up Online
There used to be a TV commercial where a confident lawyer walked across the screen and stated “The Law’s for people too.” Well anyone who has ever had any actual dealings with the law would probably tell you that it's not quite that simple.  The law seems abstract, distant and scary to most people.  And the days when a young Abraham Lincoln could read up for the bar exam while splitting logs are long over.  But have no fear, the internet is here!The internet isn't making the law easier to understand but it is making it easier to access.  For today’s technology current event we’d like to share with you some great resources for legal information: FindLaw.com - Provides legal information, lawyer profiles and a community that can help you make the best legal decisions. FindLaw.com for Legal Professionals - Resources a nd links for both state and federal codes in the United States. School Law Archive - Compiled by the American School Board Journal as a reference for the latest legal codes that effect education. U.S. Code - Available online at the Cornell University Law School. Library of Congress THOMAS - A project that is intended to make it easier to search through pending legislation in the U.S. Congress. And for entertainment purposes you can always check out some real dumb laws that are actually on the books:  DumbLaws.com None of this makes it any easier to understand the law, but at least you can access it a whole lot quicker now.
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:  Check out one of the links above and see if you can find a specific law or, try to find your own state's laws online. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  Any of the links above could keep you busy reading and trying to understand for months, but here are some phrases you could search for on the internet anyway: Understanding the law Common law School Law United States Code

Technology Tip Number 58 Font Effects for the Masses?
Ever wanted to make something look special in a word document?  There is a whole list of “Font Effects” that are available that you might not even know about.  To find them go to “Format” on the menu bar and select “Font” from the menu.  Below is a screen shot of the Font window that will appear as well as samples of the Font Effects that are available in Word. To view a larger version of this image just click on it: By the way, if you make a bunch of changes to your words that you don't like you can always click the "Default" button to remove all the formatting.
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:  Try using a unique font effect in your next Word document, just try not to over do it. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  To learn more try searching the internet for: Word font effects Font advice

Technology Tip Number 57 So what's Vishing & Smishing?
Today's technology tip is a quick follow-up to Technology Tip No. 56 about phishing.  You probably remember that phishing involves using email to direct you to a fake website where you unwittingly type in your personal information.  In one version of phishing you receive an email that seems to be from your bank or another financial institution.  In the email, they inform you that you have to go to a specific website and re-confirm your account information.  Of course the link they provide is for a fake website and if you type into it you're just going to give them (the scam artists) the information they need to empty your accounts. Most banks and financial institutions have gotten wise to this scam and they have policies to never contact you via email to ask you to "re-confirm" your account information.  Con artists know this so they started doing what's called "vishing." Here's how a vishing scam works:  You receive an email that appears to be from your bank and it informs you that you need to call a specific phone number to re-confirm your account information.  The number they provide is of course bogus and when you call them and give them your account information they simply use it to access your accounts illegally and take your money.  So instead of using a fake website to "fish for information" they are using a fake phone number to fish for your voice.  Thus: vishing. Here is a video on the topic from Fox News in Los Angeles: Then there's "Smishing" scams in which con artists once again try to contact you and try to trick you into giving them your personal information - but this time they initiate the contact using a text message on your phone. Originally text messages were know as "Short Message Service" or SMS and it's from that that we get the sm in smishing. Just one more scam to look out for.
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:  No practice activity, just be aware that scams like these are out there and that they are evolving and changing. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  To learn more try searching the internet for: vishing scams smishing scams email scams Identity theft Fake phone numbers