Like it or not, Microsoft Word is a standard for document preparation across almost every industry. While content is typically pulled into InDesign, Affinity Publisher, or another serious desktop publishing package for the production of books and other long documents, sometimes even this step is done in Word.
The company my partner and I run provides writing, editing, layout, general marketing, and other services to all kinds of companies, but most of our clients are in high tech, including several clients in the supercomputing industry. Whenever I bring in a new editor, booth helper, or anyone else, I send this mini-glossary of industry […]
Batch processing of images in Affinity photo is really easy. A perfect use case for this is to change the size of an entire folder of images for use in your blog.
The newer the iPad, the better — but as long as you are not having issues, older models are perfectly fine for most users. When the next version of the operating system comes out in Fall 2017, it will be compatible with most of the recent models. But how old is too old?
When you work for a company with enterprise tools, almost everyone has the exact same kind of computer with the same tools. It’s very comfy how everything works seamlessly together; and if this is your experience, you probably have no idea how challenging a calendar can be.
Whether for a blog or a small business, you usually need to include graphics in what you do. No matter how compelling your words are, that graphic helps you to get attention and set the tone.
I was recently contact by someone who wanted to modify an MS Word doc so that the outside margins in his student workbook were large enough for the students to take notes in. This is such a very simple thing to do that I thought I’d just treat this as a freebie and describe the process here.
Every morning, the first thing I do after I get dressed is put on my bluetooth headset. Rather then the Borgesque ear-dongle, I use a headset that goes around my neck, then only put the earbuds in when I get a call or want to listen to music (or white noise). I wear it all day, and […]
A few months ago I needed to quickly come up to speed on using the GoToWebinar platform for a client. Webinars are all the rage these days, so this was a nice bit of knowledge to get into place and I was happy for the opportunity. So, as I typically do, I am sharing […]
I spend most of my working day reading, writing, sending, and managing email — so the tool I use must be as efficient as possible. When I was on Windows, I was an Outlook power-user. I really came to hate Windows back then so switched over to Mac. I loved everything about my new Mac experience… except I […]
After 30 years on a PC I became a Mac person, and I will never look back. Interested in making the switch? I’ll draw on my own recent experience with the switch to hopefully make this easier for you. I’ve broken this process down into three main sections: Hardware, Operating System, Software; and then go into a few Annoyances.
Having all kinds of great information is only worthwhile if it is at your fingertips and is easy to retrieve. Evernote’s ubiquity, non-intrusive interface, and ease of use make it an excellent organization choice.
To work in DocBook, your first step is to set up the toolchain. For those new to technical communications, a toolchain is the set of programs, utilities, compilers, etc. that work together to provide you with what you need to get the job done. It’s a chain of tools — get it? I found the process much easier said than done, and so decided to carefully document each step along the journey.
I don’t love Basecamp, but my team does, so that makes it my tool of choice with this team. Here is an overview of how we use it.
Especially if you are a Windows user tired of struggling with the Delete vs. Backspace thing, or if you are looking for a way to use your iPad as a mini laptop: the Brydge+ is the keyboard for you.
Using week numbers is a great way to refer to weeks when scheduling projects. Enable this feature in outlook for a convenient week-number reference.
What are the common-sense rules to naming files? Does it really matter? Even though your computer allows you great flexibility in naming files, think ahead to how the file will be used. Take pity on the user that will have to type that name into a web browser, and be mindful of how the name will look once the escape codes are entered in place of spaces.
I purchased a new ZAGGKeys PROplus keyboard, but then immediately saw an article that showed an overwhelming preference among users for the Logitech Ultrathin. Since my ZAGG was still just a day old, I ordered the Logitech to do a little in-house comparison test.
The more you can do to manage the massive amount of information in Outlook and keep it organized, the better. Rules, along with managing PST files, indexed searching, and consolidating your inbox will help you accomplish this.
Especially for those of us with multiple businesses, using the appropriate email address for your correspondence is important. By consolidating your emails into a single inbox, email maintenance is much easier.
An intuitive domain name is essential to give you a memorable web and email address.Here are a few tips for choosing the right domain for your website.
Put outlook data to use for you by tagging it or filing it — keeping it searchable so you can be a hero two years down the road by being able to pull up even the most obscure tidbit of information.
In a recent discussion with a friend who was ready to replace her computer, she asked my advice about whether she should switch from Windows to Mac. Following are the main points I think anyone should take into account when considering this switch.
Software Part One: Make sure that any specialty software you use is […]
Reduce the risk of heartache from a corrupted Outlook file by dividing your stored emails into multiple PSTs. You’ll be better organized, your Outlook will perform a bit better, and you’ll be more likely to be able to retrieve at least some of your data in the event of an Outlook crash.
There are many tools available to help you quickly get a site online. If you want to do the work yourself, then regardless of the tool you choose you will need to invest some time to learn it–so make that investment of your time in a tool that seems to have the most to offer.
I wanted a good way to track projects that was also easy for my team to share and my client to see. MS Project was overkill, and I didn’t want to keep emailing spreadsheets around. I looked at 5 tools, and am very happy with the one I ended up using.
Macs are great, and so are PCs. Assuming you already decided on a PC, what do you need to consider when you go to buy one? Get the best computer you can afford so that it will remain a good tool for you throughout its life.
Know what the video capabilities are of your laptop and make sure it matches the video-in of the monitor or projector that you need to use. When all else fails, come prepared with an adapter.
The iPad is a great tool to add to your business productivity arsenal — especially when you pair it with a great ZAGG keyboard..
Comment Spam: I Give Up
I have a spam problem. I get about 20-30 comments every week! The thing is, 99.8% of those comments are from bots or from people posting bogus comments.So I am closing it down. No more comments. But I want to hear from you!