Did you Know?
Date Shortcuts and Functions
Have you ever wondered how to get the current date to change especially in a template? Here are just a few quick tips on Date functions and shortcuts in Microsoft Excel and Word…
To enter the current date and time into a worksheet cell type =NOW() which will display both the date and time based on the regional settings for your Windows environment. If you just want the date, type =TODAY() . These functions update every time Excel is opened or printed.
If you need to enter the current date so that it won’t change, press CTRL ; or : . Press CTRL SHIFT ; for the time. Using these shortcuts is the equivalent to typing a date or time. Remember to format a date with the preferred display rather than typing month names longhand.
The keyboard shortcut for inserting the current date into a Word Document is ALT SHIFT D. This date is updated every time you open the document.
To insert the current date as fixed text – press CTRL SHIFT F9 when the cursor is inside the date field added with the above shortcut. This is the equivalent of selecting the Date button in the Text panel on the Insert ribbon.
Save time with the MS Word Navigation Pane
For those of you savvy enough to be incorporating Word's built-in heading styles because they allow you to create a TOC in virtually two mouse clicks, don't forget to add the Word 2010 Navigation Pane to your favorite tools arsenal. Located under the View tab, this feature displays your document org structure along with simple click and drag outline manipulation.
With the Navigation Pane displayed, quickly navigate to a desired section by clicking on the associated heading or right-click to display a menu of document organization features. Best of all, drag and drop section headings to conveniently reposition multiple paragraphs or pages without copying and pasting!
P.S. Many might believe this feature is new but in MS Word 2007 (and earlier), it exists under a different handle called the Document Map. For more information pertaining to styles and long document preparation, register today for a Styles/ Outlining/TOC's seminar.
Adobe TV is Free
Before you get all excited, this is not a TV but a channel of FREE training videos on almost all Adobe products. We offer face to face training in many of the Adobe Creative Suite titles, but for those of you wanting a quick overview or have a specific topic you need to learn now, visit http://tv.adobe.com/.
IT4U - Preparing for the 2012-13 Academic Year
IT4U was created to assess the Information Technology skills of students, report findings, create recommendations and address areas that require improvements. IT4U provides opportunity to assess student-computing skills and direct them to the resources they need to effectively utilize software tools.
During the "slower" summer months, we've been busily making changes to the service and how it will be offered in the future. The mainstays of the IT4U service (workshops, drop-in help and online resources) will remain intact but the delivery of these services may differ from previous years.
Workshops and seminars will continued to be offered via the IT4U website (and Training Services). Check the website for current listings. Custom IT4U workshops (as requested by faculty/instructors) are a primary focus for the upcoming year. If a class would like a session in Word, Excel or another application - it's as easy as requesting a session from IT4U.
Drop-in help will be assumed by the ICT Help Desk.
Provision of quality online resources remains a stronghold for the IT4U service. By populating the IT4U website and the ITS Training YouTube channel with quality resources - IT4U intends to keep you connected to information you need whenever you need it.
If you have questions or comments, please do not hesitate to email - IT4U@usask.ca
APA 6th Edition Style Changes
Well it looks like there has been an update to the style requirements in the APA standards, 6th edition. For those of you who are using the APA guide for creating a paper or a thesis, there is a style change that will impact standard style application in MS Word!
The updated Heading styles, levels three through five, now require two different style traits in a single paragraph. This can be achieved by applying a character or linked style to the actual header text but the challenge is then one of displaying only the selected text in the TOC or Navigation Pane (Document Map).
To achieve the correct display without compromising any MS Word automation, apply the built-in Heading 3 style; modify and update it as required. To join the following paragraph to this heading without altering any of the style attributes, press CTRL-ALT-Enter at the end of the heading text. Of course the same instructions apply for Heading styles four and five.
Just a heads up, APA templates do not include predefined styles for the new changes – they only include up to Heading 2 so if you want more information on this, contact its.training@usask.ca or better yet, sign up for a Styles and Outlining seminar on the ITS Training website.
Writing a Thesis or Dissertation?
We know that writing a thesis or dissertation can be difficult and time consuming. All of your research must be put into a logical and orderly sequence, which can be frustrating in itself.
But we also know a better way. Are you tired of fighting with Word to get the results you need? Having trouble creating a Table of Contents? Do you know what Styles are? (Besides the trendy clothes you see carefree undergrads wearing). Knowing how to efficiently format your document can translate into hours saved in the editing process!
Lynda.com - Software Training Videos
In the moments that you don't have time to seek out in-person assistance or read through another online tutorial - may we suggest accessing Lynda.com?
The Lynda.com Online Training Library includes training in the latest software tools and creative techniques—with videos on Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Flash, digital photography, web design and development, digital video, 3D, animation, and much more. The library also includes videos offering inspiration and insight from today's leading creative professionals.
University of Saskatchewan students, faculty and staff may enjoy access to Lynda.com via two training kiosks located in the Murray library (in front of room 134). ITS is currently exploring broader access to Lynda.com or similar services.
Lynda.com also offers FREE viewing of many titles through its YouTube LyndaPodcast channel.
Why use a password manager? Why not?
In light of recent news that a popular e-commerce site was hacked, the use of password manager programs is becoming more talked about in circles outside the tech world. But why use a password manager?
If you currently use more than three different passwords, a password manager can help you use the right type of passwords, not your pet's name followed by the year you graduated high school (admit it, one or more of your passwords looks like this).
Password managers work by storing all of the password information for the websites you use in an encrypted file, managed by a single application or web-based service.
The password manger remembers all of your login info for you, so you can make all of your passwords super secure strings of meaningless alphanumerical sequences without having to actually memorize them!
Want to take your Christmas snapshots to the next level?
ITS Training Services offers a variety of Photoshop offerings for all skill levels! From beginner to advanced and everyone in between, we've got offerings for everyone!
Learn to do simple retouching, work with layers, or add a touch of polish (and more!) to your family snaps this season!
Collaborating? Using the U of S wiki?
If you didn't already know, the University of Saskatchewan has its own wiki tool. If you're a student, staff person, faculty member - or even an off-campus contributor, you may find the wiki to be of use.
Like creating a webpage without the bother of coding, the U of S wiki is the idea tool for collaborating, sharing and storing information. From class notes to meeting minutes, wiki users can add, edit, delete or amend any data to which they've been granted access.
If you're curious about using the wiki or you have decided it's time to learn a new skill - check out our upcoming wiki classes on the Training Services website.
Get More Out of Google!
A recent study found that 3 out of 4 students were unable to execute a proper Google search. Take a look at this infographic to learn more about how to use Google to search for academic resources and more!
http://www.hackcollege.com/blog/2011/11/23/infographic-get-more-out-of-google.html
IT4U Help Still Available!!
As the first semester draws to a close, many students still have many outstanding assignments, papers, and research posters. How can you possibly get them all completed before their respective due dates?
From our experience at IT4U, we find that most students are familiar with common applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc) but they are often unaware of time-saving tips and tricks. So, you can continue to pull "all-nighters" OR you can attend an IT4U class and learn how to use your software more efficiently.
If you need to brush up on your software skills, sign up for an IT4U class. All IT4U classes are FREE for current U of S students. Visit our website: IT4U
We hold office hours (typically 9-4) in Murray Room 134 - so you are welcome to stop by for one-on-one help...or book an appointment via email to ensure a spot.
What is OneNote Anyway?
Ever wondered how to retrieve information from an email attachment that you were just to busy to read at the time but didn't know where to put it for future reference? Need to collect your thoughts, do web research, record a meeting, incorporate drawings, tables, images or more? With just a click of the mouse, OneNote can do this for you complete with annotations.
If you have the Microsoft Office Suite, you already have access to a lesser known but powerful organizational tool called OneNote. Onenote is a free-form note-taking collaboration application. Material can be reorganized and repurposed after its collection with the minimum of effort and note collections are completely accessible with Skydive and network folders. OneNote accepts data in any format from a simple hyperlink to a SWF video - and the advanced tagging features allow for quick retrieval of data that you might not even remember collecting! With OneNote you can keep it all and more importantly, find it all.
Adobe Reader on your iOS Device!
Adobe has released a new Adobe Reader for iOS devices that will let you view, share and print PDF files from your iOS device.
The app has been integrated into the iOS such that it will let other apps access it with “Open in..” feature. The new app lets you search a document, view encrypted files, bookmark a page or copy text from a page to the clipboard. You can also email PDF documents and print via AirPrint.
Lynda.com access available in Murray
Although we are unable to offer Lynda.com in the same fashion as the past two years, you still have access to the 50,000 video library.
To access the Lynda.com service, please visit our Lynda.com kiosks in the Murray Library. The two kiosks are located on the first floor directly in front of the IT4U office (Room 134). Kiosk access is FREE for all current students, faculty and staff. The kiosk schedule is bookable through the Learning Commons room booking system. The kiosks are available during regular Murray Library hours of operation.
If you have questions, please stop by the IT4U office.
The IT4U survey continues. Students we NEED your feedback...
Over the past three years, IT4U has enjoyed a lot of success. We've welcomed entire theaters of undergraduates, eased the minds of parents at orientation, taught countless software seminars, assisted numerous instructors and helped hundreds of "drop-in" students at our Murray office. We've certainly had a good run!
Despite our achievements, partnerships and growth, IT4U is looking to evolve. The IT4U concept was developed out of student feedback and we are seeking your advice as we forward the service.
How can you improve IT4U?
Within the next few weeks, IT4U is releasing a NEW IT Student Survey. Stay tuned!
Beyond the survey, IT4U is also arranging multiple focus groups. The groups will have brief meetings a few times each term. The focus groups sessions allow participants to relay their personal technology-related experiences throughout the year.
If you're interest in the FOCUS GROUP, information related to the focus groups is provided at the end of the IT Student Survey...or send us an email (it4u@usask.ca)
We are also focused on capturing a "snapshot" of your software skills (primarily Microsoft Office). IT4U is providing a second IT Skills Assessment survey. Information is available at the end of the IT Student Survey.
If you have any questions about the IT4U service, the study, focus groups or skills assessment, please drop us an email: it4u@usask.ca
We look forward to hearing from you!!
IT4U
134 Murray
966-1194
it4u.usask.ca
Do YOU know what type of chart best fits your data?
Charts help you visualize numeric data in a graphical format, allowing you to see trends and relationships more clearly. The problem is there are just too many types of charts to choose from! There are bar charts, bubble charts, pie charts, and line charts, just to name a few.
Many students struggle with the line graph they’ve been told to create for their lab, when the type of chart they need to use is really a scatterplot.
IT4U offers student friendly, free workshops to help explain exactly what chart to use for the type of data you’re working with. Find out more about IT4U’s Proper Graph for Data workshop or visit Dummies.com for a short breakdown of How to Choose the Right Chart Type in Excel.
IT4U - Kicking off Academic Year
With just under a week until the Fall Term begins, IT4U is rumbling back up to speed. After a relatively quiet summer, IT4U has a full slate of Orientation sessions for the week of August 29-September 2.
Beyond the long weekend and the first week of classes, IT4U has posted seminars and workshops for the months of September, October, November and December.
The summer months brought about some changes to the U of S IT landscape - primarily a new and improved Course Tools. For students who would like an overview or assistance with Course Tools, IT4U is providing weekly seminars (September), online videos (YouTube) and hosted resources (Course Tools website).
We look forward to a busy first term at IT4U. If you are in need of software assistance, please visit our website for more information.
IT4U
134 Murray Library
966-1194
it4u@usask.ca
Check out the NEW U of S Course Tools!
The University of Saskatchewan has implemented a NEW set of Course Tools, powered by BlackBoard, to replace the aging PAWS course tools.
You will still be able to do most of the the tasks you used to in the old course tools, along with added features including the ability to accept electronic assignments, new flexibility to organize your course content, and the ability to access the Course Tools from mobile devices!
Assistance will be provided to instructors as:
-One on one support
-Self-directed materials such as pdfs, online videos (...more)
-Information seminars and training courses (...more)
Students requiring assistance may contact IT4U or the Help Desk.
***Until September 30th, students may enter to win one of four iPod Touch to be given away
by answering the "How Much Do You Know About the New U of S Course Tools?" survey. ***
For more information or to visit the U of S Course Tools website, click here!
What is SharePoint, really?
As you've heard, SharePoint is now available on campus! If you've been asking about it, you've probably received vague and varied responses (if you received any at all)…so here is a general overview that will help get a SharePoint conversation started.
Simply (or very simply) put: SharePoint is a web based, collaboration oriented, productivity tool.
• Windows SharePoint Services, an integrated Microsoft product suite, provides all the necessary tools for document sharing, management and collaboration.
• Information accessibility and portability is achieved through a web platform.
• Content management in conjunction with defined work processes and routing is supported via a workflow component.
SharePoint virtually provides an environment for keeping everyone on the "same page" so that the right information can be accessed by the right people at the right time. If nothing else, just remember these SharePoint theme words: accessibility, portability and collaboration!
Contact ITS Training Services for more information and answers!
Excel: Create a chart with two Y-axes and one shared X-axis
Taken from techonthenet.com
Excel: Change Formatting With Find and Replace
Have you ever needed to change the formatting of a whole bunch of cells in a spreadsheet?
Of course, if those cells are all in a single column, all you have to do is select the column by clicking the letter heading it, right-clicking and selecting Format Cells.
If there are a few different cells that you need to change and you know exactly where they are, you can hold down the Ctrl key, click on them one by one and then right-click and select Format Cells.
However, if you have cells all over the place that you need to change from one format to another and you have no clue where they all might be, you have another option....
Word:Merge Two Tables
Merging tables can certainly be tricky. Even if you accomplish it, you can end up with some odd formatting. One workaround that usually works is little more than a cut and paste job.
Start by inserting an additional row at the bottom of the first table. To do so, right-click anywhere in the last row, point to Insert and choose Insert Rows Below.
Select the second table by clicking the selection button at the upper left side of the table. Press Ctrl+X to cut the table.
Click inside of the new row you added at the bottom of the first table. Paste the cut table and then click the Paste Options button.
In Word 2003 and 2007, choose Merge with Existing Table. In Word 2010, choose Merge Table.
You asked, we listened!
In the recent IT4U survey, we asked if there were any topics you'd like to see offered as classes or videos on our You Tube channel, and the response was overwhelming!
There are a lot of new or specialized software application you want to learn more about, so we've made it easy - we added a few choice videos to the You Tube channel!
So hunker down with a bowl of popcorn in your PJ's...and enjoy the show!
Don't forget, there's also lynda.com, accessible from the PD and Training tab in PAWS....
Until next time!
12 new file formats in the Google Docs Viewer
12 new file formats in the Google Docs Viewer!
See full blog post from Google Docs:
http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2011/02/12-new-file-formats-in-google-docs.html
Google Docs - Try It!
Create and share your work online with Google Docs
- Upload your files from your desktop: It's easy to get started and it's free!
- Access anywhere: Edit and view your docs from any computer or smart phone.
- Share your work: Real-time collaboration means work gets done more quickly.
Why not learn on your own time? Try the Online Learning Library
University of Saskatchewan staff, faculty and students have FREE access to over 40,000 how-to software videos. Learn at your own pace, on your own time, in the comfort of your own home, office or cubicle.
Change orientation of PowerPoint slides in the same presentation
How can I change the orientation of one or some of the slides in my PowerPoint?
This can be done in Word, but how is this accomplished in PowerPoint?
For those of you who are wondering, here are the instructions for Word.
Place your cursor on page in the Word document where you want to change the page orientation. For instance, if pages one through five are in Portrait and you want six and seven in Landscape, put your cursor at the bottom of page five.
Word: Creating a Booklet
Did you know that Word can be used to create a pamphlet or booklet easily? For best results, start with a new, blank Word document. This will help you manage the content a bit easier.
Inserting Excel File into Word
You asked: Can a worksheet be added to a Word documents? And the answer is YES! Here is how...
Create Astonishing Presentations Live and on the Web
Presentations can be tedious, time consuming and at sometimes, boring. Prezi uses the web as the interface to create your ideas in a large space like a white board. Find out more....
Migrating Information from Mac to Mac
The process of migrating information from one computer to another can often be an arduous task. However, in Mac OS X moving your information to a new machine couldn't be easier.
To begin the process, connect both Macs together with either a FireWire or Ethernet cable. On the "old" machine (the machine with information to be copied), navigate to Utilities - Migration Assistant.
Open the Migration Assistant and follow the on-screen prompts. The prompts will dictate which applications, settings and files will be copied to the new machine. Once the appropriate prompts are selected, the migration assistant will take over. The entire process will take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours depending on the amount of information to be copied and the speed of the connection.
It's that easy! If you are interested in additional Mac tips, please attend Make the Most of Your Mac.
Training Services website
Bring Your Own Laptop (BYOL) Courses
Training Services is currently adding additional sessions to the list of course offerings. However, these courses have a slight twist. In order to add courses without having to purchase licenses for an entire lab, we are offering a few sessions in the new "bring you own laptop" category (or BYOL).
In most cases, participants own a laptop and own software that they wish to learn. In a logical step forward, participants will work and learn on their own machines while in the training lab. Participants wishing to test an application could choose to install the trial version of the desired software. In Adobe's case, a trial period lasts an entire month, allowing a perspective buyer to adequately test the software.
Look for select titles to be added as BYOL labs. Of course, participants are welcome to bring their own laptop to regular training sessions.
Currently, Adobe Flash Catalyst and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom are being offered as BYOL.
Welcome to the world of iPad!
The iPad hit the international scene on May 28th. As of that morning, many units were appearing around campus and in offices of Information Technology staffers. Embracing the new tech, we've added the iPad to our blog.
The expanded screen area of the iPad has added to the easy-to-use interface that iPhone and iPod touch users have enjoyed for some time. Many of your favorite applications have be re-released to accommodate the increased resolution.
One of the updated applications is GoodReader. At $.99, the application provides a lot of processing punch without a heavy hit in the wallet.
Within moments of downloading GoodReader, you'll be transferring files directly from your computer over a Wi-Fi connection, from the Internet or from email attachments. It also easily integrates with MobileMe iDisk, box.net, MyDisk.se and other popular WebDAV servers, and also with non-WebDAV services like Google Docs and Dropbox.
For UofS users, you can connect to network drives like Folder or Cabinet. To Connect type the following into the WebDAV settings in GoodReader: https://webshare.usask.ca/cabinet/abc123
Be sure to add your NSID in place of abc123.
Stay tuned for more iPad news!
Mac Tips - iCal
When you add an event to your iCal calendar, you can do much more than simply name it and specify a date and time. iCal can remind you of upcoming events, arrange participants for meetings, and even make sure you have the right files for a meeting.
To access iCal’s hidden features, simply double-click on the event’s name then click the Edit button.
To invite other participants to an iCal event, just type their email addresses into the Attendees field. When you’ve added the desired contacts and event details, click Send, and Apple Mail will email the event request. If the event changes, you can send an update with the revised information.
But the options don't stop there. You can assign customized, color-coded categories to help keep track of work projects, personal appointments, and other commitments. Set up recurring events via the repeat menu -- which allows for custom recurrences in addition to daily, weekly, monthly, and annual events. To create an event that continues an entire day(s), click the “all-day” checkbox.
You can ask iCal to remind you of your upcoming events through a alarm function, which issues one or more event reminders via pop-up messages or email. When pop-up reminders appear, you can “snooze” them for as little as one minute or as much as a week. You can even schedule the iCal alarm to automatically run a script or open a file on your computer at a specified time. If you're on MobileMe or an Exchange server - the alarm will also sound on your iPod or iPhone.
You can also attach documents, graphics, or other files to an event (pictures, maps, spreadsheets, etc) and include any relevant URLs.
When you’re finished, click Done. All the added data is only a double-click away.
For more Mac tips - sign up for Make the Most of Your Mac on the Training Services website.
IT4U - Spread the word...
If you haven't already heard about the University of Saskatchewan's IT4U program, maybe it's about time that you did. Specializing in software courses and hands-on training, IT4U provides a computer IT service that is completely free for UofS students.
And the IT4U service does not stop there; if faculty need the IT4U staff to provide their students with a quick software refresher course - it's as easy as scheduling a session.
In the event that a drop-in session or workshop does not fit your schedule, we also provide a subscription to Lynda.com and a variety of our own online training titles. The online help can be viewed through the IT4U website, Training Services' website or even our channel on YouTube. The Lynda.com service is only accessible via PAWS.
To sign up for sessions or find out more about the IT4U program, visit:
http://it4u.usask.ca
Or visit our office:
Murray 134
966-1194
Training Services has gone GREEN
In an effort to cut down on wasteful paper consumption, ITS Training Services has discontinued the use of paper-based manuals for their courses. References to online materials are provide in lieu of printed materials.
The Saskatchewan Government website provides many useful tips for green-living in the workplace. Visit their website for more information: http://www.environment.gov.sk.ca/gogreen
Some paperless workplace tips include:
- Avoid unnecessarily printing your documents: Retaining documents on your computer rather than in hard copy not only saves paper; it also saves on file storage space and keeps them right at your fingertips. If you travel, it also means less paper to carry with you.
- Set up your printer and photocopier to make two-sided copying by the default mode.
- If more than one person needs to look at the same document, when possible place a routing slip on the document instead of making copies.
- Avoid printing out emails you receive unless absolutely necessary.
- Get used to exchanging documents with colleagues via email instead of in hard copy. Either include your document as an e-mail attachment or, if the recipient cannot receive attachments, copy the text into the body of the e-mail.
- Set up and maintain convenient recycling areas for at least the following materials: paper, plastic, steel, aluminum, and glass. Post clear instructions as to what is recyclable on or near each container.
FYI - Black Friday Tech Deals
Today is American Thanksgiving. Of course, that has nothing to do with technology. However, tomorrow is the unofficial American holiday - Black Friday. Black Friday, dating back to the 1960's, is the most profitable shopping day for American retailers.
If you are looking for tech deals, keep your eyes on American websites. There are many chain companies that extend the deals into other countries, including Canada. It's a great opportunity to get you hands on some tech toys - without paying full price!
Canadian websites such as Red Flag Deals provide inside information on many of the deals.
http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/alldeals/
IT4U in session
U of S Students: If you are looking for software help, check out IT4U. Located in Murray 134, IT4U has started rolling out fall workshops and drop-in sessions. We've had a great response and look forward to many more students stopping by.
As part of the grand opening of the University Learning Commons, we are a proud partner in offering some great prizes. To qualify, pick up a entry ballot and stop by our office to get a stamp. You could end up winning an iPod touch, Starbucks coffee, gift certificates or other prizes!
To sign-up for sessions or to get more information, visit our website. http://it4u.usask.ca
Or just stop by Murray 134...
IT4U kicks off September 14th!!!
ITS is proud to announce the kick-off for our newest program, IT4U.
IT4U is FREE and exclusive to University of Saskatchewan students. It provides software support in the form of workshops, drop-in sessions and online help. You might know how to use Facebook, surf the web and perform some software applications, but your course work may require some more specific skills. We can teach you!
Stop by the office in Murray room 134, call us at 966-1194, or visit our website for course dates and times.
Training Continues...
Even though the Regular Session for 2009 is in the books, Training Services is still providing a variety of classes throughout the summer months.
If you are interested in training, visit our website for the current listing. In the event that the current offerings do not meet your training needs, we also offer custom training. Call or email Training Services for more information on rates and availability.
For more information visit: http://training.usask.ca
Email us: its_training@usask.ca
Upcoming courses for the remainder of May include:
Creating U of S Web Surveys Workshop
Excel 2007 - Introduction Course
Graphics Management for Publication
Outlook 2007 - Intermediate Course
ArcGIS Introduction Course
Microsoft Visio - Introduction Course
Word 2007 - Styles / Outlining / TOC's Workshop
Twitter & ITS
Did you know that IT4U and Training Services send out periodic Tweets? If you are a Twitter user, search for and follow UofS_STU.
By following our Tweets, you will receive training course reminders, information about FREE IT4U sessions and much more!
For up-to-date training information, visit the Training Services website: http://training.usask.ca
Curious about IT4U? Look for the forthcoming IT4U website.
IT4U
IT4U is a new program developed to provide opportunities for students to engage in computer training opportunities, free of charge.
IT4U will create opportunities for "hands-on" and virtual assistance by providing drop-in instruction, peer mentorship, online tutorials, and many other learning variations.
Look for the IT4U program in the new University Learning Commons later this spring.
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro
ITS is proud to announce a new service on the U of S campus - Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro.
Adobe Connect is great for meetings, teaching scenarios, or collaborating with colleagues. Connect, which uses the Flash Player that's already part of most web browsers, provides a dedicated web meeting room at a fixed web address.
The Connect advantage lies in the flexibility of its interface. The host of a meeting has complete control over a variety of preset and customizable configurations.
Connect utilizes unique “pods" to provide the flexibility. Pods are window widgets dedicated to specific functions. While they appear to be simple floating, resizable windows, the pods are actually functional mini/applications that can be placed in the interface's workspace in any preferred position or size.
iLife '09
In software news, Apple has released the much-anticipated improvement to the iLife suite.
iLife '09 contains some new Mac essentials. iPhoto received facial recognition, geotagging, and social networking integration; iMovie added more advanced tools and GarageBand can provide music lessons.
iPhoto seems to be the application that headlines the suite and the additions to its capabilities have been well-received. Although the system is far from perfect, the facial recognition software works very well. It will take the user a bit of "training" but once the software is calibrated, the recognition engine will examine a photo library a determine "who's who". iPhoto will also geotag photos taken with a GPS-enabled camera (ex. iPhone) and seamlessly upload photos to Facebook or Flickr. Another improvement within iPhoto is the photo-retouching tool set.
The improvements don't stop at iPhoto. iMovie has regained the capabilities it had prior to the '08 version, due to the outcry from many Mac users. GarageBand gets some major star power with music lessons from genuine recording artists; and iWeb makes it easier to design your personal Web site.
iLife '09 is a great application suite for editing and organizing various media types. Additional features like face recognition, geotagging, and music lessons substantially improve its capabilities. Overall, iLife '09 is a must-have for Mac enthusiasts.
To purchase iLife '09, visit the Campus Computer Store: http://ccs.usask.ca/newapple/software/
Google releases "Chrome"
Google's highly anticipated browser, Chrome, was released today (Friday, December 12).
Akin to Google's search engine, Chrome is aesthetically simplistic. However, looks may be deceiving. Chrome is exceptionally fast and by all preliminary accounts, it is extremely secure.
Google's developers went to great lengths to avoid building just another browser. The evolving nature of the web was the impetus for Chrome; Chrome was built to accommodate progressively intensive web-based applications without sacrificing speed and security.
Chrome has added to and improved upon many features of current web browsers. For example, Chrome has adopted the "tab" feature (as seen in other browsers), but when a tab in Chrome becomes unresponsive, the tab can be closed while maintaining the browser session itself.
In an effort to share ideas with developers and receive crucial feedback within the ever-changing web landscape, Chrome's coding is open-sourced.
As of now, Chrome is not available for MAC users; production continues on the MAC platform.
To download Chrome visit:
http://www.google.com/chrome
What's a Wiki?
If you have access to the internet, it is very likely that you have encountered a wiki at some point. It is even more likely that you have visited the largest Wiki space of them all, Wikipedia.
So, what is a wiki?
A wiki is a web-based space that allows multiple users to modify or contribute to a page (or collection of pages) using a simplified markup language. More simply, a wiki allows multiple people to collaborate on a single document. The virtual document is editable and uses basic word processing and simple HTML codes.
The University of Saskatchewan has embraced the wiki technology and provides a wiki space for students, faculty and staff. Many colleges and departments are actively using a wiki to streamline their correspondence. The wiki space is hosted at:
http://wiki.usask.ca
In an effort to promote wiki use, Training Services is providing training courses within the wiki environment. The wiki training course covers the following topics:
- Login as a member and create a workspace
- Personalize the look of a workspace
- Edit workspace content using Rich Text format and Wiki Markup Language
- Add pages, hyperlinks, images and tables to a workspace
- Track and review updates to a workspace
- Set workspace permissions
- Export a wiki to other formats
A wiki course is scheduled for January. For additional information or to register, visit:
http://training.usask.ca
iPod Touch & iPhone Tips and Tricks
In celebration of last week's Technology Week, Training Services presented a one-hour course focusing on the iPod Touch and iPhone. Apple's innovation has successfully combined work and play into a user-friendly design.
The iPhone 3G was the 2008 “Gadget of the Year” as voted on by several technology magazines and websites. It seemed fitting that the iPhone and iPod touch were highlighted in the session.
In the case that you were not in attendance, here are a few of the tips provided:
Unsure where a link leads? Press and hold the link and a pop-up will display the link information. Slide away from the link to abort navigating forward.
If the unit becomes unresponsive, a reboot can be initiated by holding the “home” button and the “sleep” button in unison – hold until the unit shows the Apple start screen.
With multiple screens containing applications, it becomes difficult to organize the icons. A quick way to move icons over multiple screens is to temporarily free up icon space on the dock and use the open spots to “transport” the icons to a new page.
For the Shutterbug: Introduction to JPEG & TIFF
If you are using a consumer-quality digital camera, likely you have used JPEG as your standard file format. JPEG is supported by most imaging software and offers compression (allowing for smaller file sizes) expediting the users ability to manipulate, upload, post, or email photos.
JPEG uses lossy compression, meaning some image data is lost when the file is compressed and then uncompressed. The amount of compression can vary, with more compression meaning more data loss but resulting in a smaller file.
Uncompressed (lossless) TIFF is the standard for most commercial digital photo printing needs. TIFF is an excellent choice when file size is not a consideration as uncompressed TIFF files are larger than JPEGs.
In other words, archive your original digital photos as a TIFF and you will maintain all the photo’s digital information.
The Genius of ITunes 8
Exciting new features have been added to the newest adaptation of ITunes, version 8.0. Most notably, the upgrade includes the ITunes “Genius” function.
The Genius is an automated DJ that, once activated, can build genre-based playlists based on the music in your library. The Genius generates suggestions of songs that will compliment the current song to which you are listening. If activated on your IPod, the Genius generates a smart playlist based upon your IPod library.
To use Genius, select a track in your library and click the "Genius" button at the bottom right corner of the iTunes interface. Once you are viewing a playlist, buttons on the top right of the iTunes interface let you refresh that playlist with a new batch of songs, save that playlist for good, or adjust the number of songs in your list. On the IPod, access the Genius function from within the playlist feature.
However, the Genius system does not recognize obscure tracks (songs not offered on ITunes) nor will it recognize mislabeled ID3 tags. The Genius may take some time on its initial run, depending on the size of your ITunes library.
Lastly, you must have an ITunes account to access the Genius.
Mac Tip: Activate your screen corners
There are a number of neat features bundled into your Mac that make it super useful and fun!
Assign Dashboard and Exposé actions to the corners of your desktop and trigger them with a swipe of the mouse.
From now on, you'll have to be more careful when you move your mouse, but you'll quickly get the hang of it. You'll have instant access to features that will greatly improve your workflow with quick mouse movements.
This is particularly useful when you need to drag an object to a desktop covered in windows. (Assign the Desktop action to a corner, and drag your object to that corner to clear it.)
Microsoft Outlook - Save Multiple Attachments...
To save multiple file attachments in an Outlook 2003 e-mail message all at once, open the message then click File > Save Attachments, and select Save All Attachments.
In Outlook 2007, open the message and select Microsoft Office button > Save As > Save Attachments.
Use Bookmarks in Microsoft Word
Word's Bookmark feature lets you navigate quickly through lengthy documents. Simply go to a page you'd like to bookmark and, from the Insert menu (or Ribbon in Word 2007), click Bookmark. Name your Bookmark and click Add. To find your bookmark, hit Control+F, then click on the Go To tab. Select Bookmark from the menu on the left and enter the bookmark name to jump straight to it.
Microsoft Windows Shortcut Keys
This is a listing of some common shortcut keys in both XP and Vista OS.
| Shortcut Keys | Description |
| Alt + Tab | Switch between open applications. |
| Alt + Shift + Tab | Switch backwards between open applications. |
| Alt + double-click | Display the properties of the object you double-click on. |
| Ctrl + Tab | With an application that has multiple sub tabs/document windows, this switch between tabs |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Same as above but backwards. |
| Alt + Print Screen | Create a screen shot (image in clipboard) only for the active screen/program. |
| Print Screen | Create a screen shot (image in clipboard) for your entire desktop. |
| Ctrl + Alt + Del | Reboot the computer and/or bring up the Windows task manager. |
| Ctrl + Esc | Bring up the Windows Start menu. In Windows 3.x this brings up the Task Manager. |
| Alt + Esc | Switch Between open applications on taskbar. |
| F1 | Activates help for current open application. |
| F2 | Renames selected icon |
| F3 | Starts find from desktop. |
| F4 | Opens the drive selection when browsing or pull the list of drive selections |
| F5 | Refresh. |
| F10 | Activates menu bar. |
| Shift + F10 | Simulates right-click on selected item. |
| Alt + F4 | Closes Current open program. |
| Ctrl + F4 | Closes Window in Program. |
| F6 | Move cursor to different Windows Explorer panel. |
| Ctrl + Space bar | Drops down the window control menu. |
| Ctrl + (the '+' key on the keypad) | Automatically adjust the widths of all the columns in Windows explorer |
| Alt + Enter | Opens properties window of selected icon or program. |
| Shift + Del | Permanent Delete - Delete programs/files without throwing them into the recycle bin. |
| Holding Shift at Startup | Boot safe mode or by pass system files as the computer is booting. |
| Holding Shift | When putting in an audio CD, will prevent CD Player from playing. |
| Enter | Activates the highlighted program. |
| Alt + Down arrow | Display all available options on drop down menu. |
| * (on the keypad) | Expands all folders on the currently selected folder or drive in Windows Explorer. |
| + (on the keypad) | Expands only the currently selected folder in Windows Explorer. |
| - (on the keypad) | Collapses the currently selected folder in Windows Explorer. |
Most of keyboards have a Windows Key (key with a Windows icon). This key provides additional shortcuts on Microsoft Windows. Below is a listing of the shortcut keys by combining the Windows key and another key.
| Shortcut | Description |
| WINKEY | Pressing the Windows key alone will open Start. |
| WINKEY + F1 | Opens the Microsoft Windows help and support center. |
| WINKEY + F3 | Opens the Advanced find window in Microsoft Outlook. |
| WINKEY + D | Brings the desktop to the top of all other windows. |
| WINKEY + M | Minimizes all windows. |
| WINKEY + SHIFT + M | Undo the minimize done by WINKEY + M and WINKEY + D. |
| WINKEY + E | Open Microsoft Explorer. |
| WINKEY + Tab | Cycle through open programs through the taskbar. |
| WINKEY + F | Display the Windows Search / Find feature. |
| WINKEY + CTRL + F | Display the search for computers window. |
| WINKEY + F1 | Display the Microsoft Windows help. |
| WINKEY + R | Open the run window. |
| WINKEY + Pause / Break key | Open the system properties window. |
| WINKEY + U | Open Utility Manager. |
| WINKEY + L | Lock the computer (Windows XP and above only). |
Protecting Document with Password
You can protect your document by applying password so that unauthorized person can not display as well as modify your document. You can apply two types of passwords:
Password to open the document: If it is applied then you have to give the correct password to open the document, otherwise you cannot open the document.
Password to modify the document: If it is applied then you have to give the correct password to modify the document, otherwise your document is opened but you cannot modify the document. It means that your document becomes read-only.
To apply a password to document:
- Open Save As dialog box by selecting Save As command from File menu.
- Click Tools button and choose General Options from drop down menu. Save dialog box opens.
- Enter first password in Password to open text box and second password in Password to modify text box (if required). NOTE: The maximum length of password is 15 characters.
- Click Ok button. Confirm Password dialog box opens.
- Re-enter the password to open and password to modify and click Ok button of Confirm Password dialog boxes one by one.
- Click Save button of Save As dialog box.
Internet Explorer - Delete Internet Cookies
Websites use cookies to offer a personalized experience to users and to gather information about website use. Many websites also use cookies to store information that provides a consistent experience between sections of the site, such as a shopping cart or customized pages. With a trusted website, cookies can enrich your experience by allowing the site to learn your preferences or allowing you to skip having to sign in every time you go to the website. However, some cookies, such as those saved by banner ads, might put your privacy at risk by tracking sites you visit.
To delete cookies:
- Open Internet Explorer
- Click the Tools button, and then click Internet Options
- On the General tab, under Browsing history, click Delete
- Click Delete Cookies, and then click Yes
- Click Close, and then click OK
Snipping Tool in Vista
Snipping Tool is an application included in Windows Vista used to capture a screen shot, or snip, of any object on your screen, and then annotate, save, or share the image. Simply use a mouse or tablet pen to capture any of the following types of snips:
- Free-form Snip - Draw an irregular line, such as a circle or a triangle, around an object.
- Rectangular Snip - Draw a precise line by dragging the cursor around an object to form a rectangle.
- Window Snip - Select a window, such as a browser window or dialog box, that you want to capture.
- Full-screen Snip - Capture the entire screen when you select this type of snip.
After you capture a snip, it's automatically copied to the mark-up window, where you can annotate, save, or share the snip.
Note: When Snipping Tool is open, a white overlay appears on your screen until you capture a snip. To turn off the overlay, open Snipping Tool, and then click Options. In the Snipping Tool Options dialog box, clear the Show screen overlay when Snipping Tool is active check box, and then click OK.
How to Disable Windows Vista Sidebar
By default, Windows Vista displays Windows Sidebar - a pane on the side of the Vista desktop, populated with different gadgets (RSS reader, Windows Clock, Puzzles…) that can be customized to user’s preferences.
Windows Sidebar loads when Vista starts, and can considerably slow down your system.
If you don’t use the sidebar and don’t want it on your desktop, you can easily disable it:
- Right click on the sidebar or sidebar icon, and choose properties:
- Uncheck the "Start Sidebar when Windows starts" checkbox:
- Then right-click on the icon, and choose Exit to close the sidebar:
What is a Digital Photograph?
Digital photographs are made up of hundreds of thousands or millions of tiny squares called picture elements-or just pixels. Like the impressionists who painted wonderful scenes with small dabs of paint, your computer and printer can use these tiny pixels to display or print photographs. To do so, the computer divides the screen or printed page into a grid of pixels. It then uses the values stored in the digital photograph to specify the brightness and color of each pixel in this grid-a form of painting by number. Controlling, or addressing a grid of individual pixels in this way is called bit mapping and digital images are called bit-maps.
The quality of a digital image, whether printed or displayed on a screen, depends in part on the number of pixels used to create the image (sometimes referred to as resolution). More pixels add detail and sharpen edges.
Internet Investigator
Who or what is your computer talking to right now? You may think that just because your web browser or email program is not running your PC is offline. Think again. If you have a broadband connection then the chances are it is constantly chattering away, sending and receiving data. Most of it is innocuous and your Firewall and security programs should block the really bad stuff but there’s a lot of other, sometimes mysterious communications going on in the background, which could be slowing your connection down, or maybe even malware sending your personal details to heaven knows where.
Here’s a way to find out what’s going on. Go to Run on the Start menu and type cmd then press OK and this will open a DOS like Command window.
At the flashing cursor type the following: netstat -b 5 > netlog.txt,/b>. then press
Vista - Desktop Thumbnail Resizer
One of Vista’s more attractive visual features is desktop thumbnails; they’re the little images that pop up when you hover your mouse over a taskbar icon. The only trouble is they’re not very big, and there’s no facility in Windows to change the size, but no matter, there are other ways. The simplest one is to use a freeware utility called Thumbnail Sizer, and not only can you alter the size, you can also change the fade in/out time, and set it to start automatically with Windows. It’s dontationware, so give generously if you like it and want to keep using it.
Adding Drop Caps to Your Document
Do you like the effect of Drop Caps in the first word of a chapter? If so, Microsoft Word lets you add them to your document pretty easily.
Just click your cursor in front of the first word in your paragraph and go to the Format menu and select Drop Cap. In this box, select the middle box at the top that says Dropped. Then, below this, choose the font you want to use, along with your preferences for how much you want it dropped and how far you want it from your text, and click OK.
Preview Slide Shows
For a quick preview of a slide show while you're editing a presentation, hold down the Ctrl key while clicking on View Show in the Slide Show menu. Instead of launching in full-screen mode, the presentation, starting with the current slide, will appear in a small window atop the slide being edited. To edit the slide and see your changes in real time, resize the PowerPoint window so the preview slide is in view. Any modifications you make will instantly appear in the preview window.
Word Split Screen
When working on long documents it is sometimes useful to be able to see and edit other sections of the text at the same time. Word will let you do exactly that, though unless you stumble on the feature by accident you’ll probably never know it exists. It’s really easy to use, all you have to do is point, click and drag the tiny separator bar that’s immediately above the arrow on the vertical scroll bar. Drag it down to halfway and you have two separate views of the same document, each with their own scroll bars so you can move around both sections of the document independently. To revert to the normal single pane view just slide the separator bar back to the top of the screen.
Yet Another Handy Google Feature
What can’t Google do? Well did you know it can calculate and convert? Try this, open Google and enter ‘20 + 4 =’ press Enter and up pops the answer. Clever huh? But there’s much more to come. It recognizes all of the standard numeric operators, i.e. ‘+’ plus, ‘-‘ minus, ‘*’ multiply and ‘/’ divide, and it also knows about percentages, exponentials, roots, trigonometric functions, logarithms and lots of other mysterious mathematical functions.
Google can also convert units and values. Let’s say you want to know how many Canadian dollars you would get for € 30, just ask, e.g. type in ’30 Canadian dollars in Euros’ then press Enter. It works for many other things as well, including mass, length, volume, area, time, power, electricity and so on. Go on, give it a try!
Quick E-mails
Send out a quick e-mail without launching Microsoft Outlook:
- Right-click an empty area on your desktop and select New > Shortcut.
- Type mailto: in the Shortcut wizard.
- Name your shortcut.
Now you can just double-click the shortcut to open a blank e-mail message.
New PAWS Channels
The Student Retail Credit channel in PAWS will make it easier for students to check the balance of their student retail credit. This $25 campus retail credit was offered to all U of S students who were registered at any time during the strike.
This channel appears by default for all students in the Home tab, just above the CPAS channel. In it, students will immediately see whether they are listed as eligible for the retail credit and, if they are, their remaining balance. To check a transaction, simply click on "Details" to review a complete list of purchases.
The University Learning Centre Channel is designed to keep you informed about upcoming workshops at the University. This new channel now appears by default for all students in the Academics tab -- and for U of S staff and faculty in the PD & Training tab.
The channel presents brief descriptions of the next workshops in each of the following University Learning Centre series: Study Skills Clinics; Writing Clinics; Math & Stats Help Sessions; and Writing Clinics for Grad Students.
Check out the new University Learning Centre Channel today to see the wide range of upcoming ULC workshops!
Internet Time Machine
Here’s something to think about, where do old Internet pages go? Mostly they disappear forever, into the ether, never to be seen again but some of them are being saved for posterity in the Wayback Machine Internet Archive. More than 55 billion pages have been stored, the earliest of them dating back to 1966 (the Google page above dates from 1997-98, a Google prototype) and all you have to do to browse the archive is tap in the web address, or use the search engine to locate pages by date or name match. The site also features collections of websites devoted to special events, like 911, the US Electron of 2000 and Web Pioneers, and visitors with websites are encouraged to submit their own site archives.
Keeping Vista Healthy
Vista has to be the most health conscious version of Windows to date and in amongst the many diagnostic tools there’s a very useful facility to generate a comprehensive Health Report.
To fire it up go to System and Maintenance in Control Panel then Performance and Information, click the Advanced Tools link then select Generate a System Health Report and the process begins. After a minute or two it will create a list detailing the status of all of your PC’s critical components and if it detects a problem, it suggests some possible solutions. It’s well worth seeing what it comes up with, even if your PC is currently behaving itself.
Vista - Where’s the Menu Bar Gone?
On most Vista dialogue boxes the familiar Menu (File Edit View Tools Help etc.) bar is not displayed. Don’t worry, it’s still there, simply press the Alt key to toggle it on or off.
Accents and Special Characters in Word
Word has a built-in facility for producing accented characters. For example, to insert an acute accent over a, e, i, o, u or d press and hold Ctrl then press the apostrophe key, release both then tap the letter you want and you get á é í ó ú, and ð. There's lots more, here's a more or less complete list:
- à, è, ì, ò, ù - Ctrl + ` (grave) + letter
- á, é, í, ó, ú, ý - Ctrl + ' (apostrophe) + letter
- â, ê, î, ô, û - Ctrl + Shift + ^ (caret) + letter
- ã, ñ, õ - Ctrl + Shift + ~ (tilde) + letter
- ä, ë, ï, ö, ü, ÿ - Ctrl + Shift + : (colon) + letter
- å, Å - Ctrl + Shift + @, a or A
- æ, Æ - Ctrl + Shift + &, a or A
- œ, Œ - Ctrl + Shift + &, o or O
- ç, Ç - Ctrl + , (comma), c or C
- ð, Ð - Ctrl + ' (apostrophe), d or D
- ø, Ø - Ctrl + /, o or O
- ¿ - Alt + Ctrl + Shift + ?
- ¡ - Alt + Ctrl + Shift + !
- ß - Ctrl + Shift + &, s
AutoCorrect and AutoText in Word 2007
It's important to distinguish AutoText from AutoCorrect. AutoCorrect kicks in when you've finished with typing something (as evidenced by typing a space, a period, or other punctuation). AutoText entries appear in a tooltip while you're typing; pressing Enter accepts the suggested completion. So, for example, typing four characters of your name and then hitting Enter would prompt AutoText to insert the whole name.
The problem is that in Word 2007, what was AutoText applies only to dates—type "wedn" or "febr" and you'll see it. According to Microsoft, the new Building Blocks feature takes over this function for other types of text. (To see this feature, click the Insert tab in the Ribbon, click Quick Parts in the text pane, and click Building Block Organizer. )
Clearly, Microsoft wants you to use AutoCorrect instead of the now-missing AutoText. The first challenge is simply finding the AutoCorrect options. Click the round Office button at the top left and click the Word Options button at the bottom of the resulting window. Now click Proofing in the list at left and click the Auto Correct Options button. Create an AutoCorrect entry to replace the first four letters of your name with your entire name. You'll have to remember to type a space afterward instead pressing Enter as you had in the past. But it will do the job.
Windows Vista Sidebar
At first glance, the Windows Sidebar looks as though it can hold only a few gadgets. So much for convenience. When the Sidebar is full, adding another gadget makes the one on the bottom disappear, requiring you to delete a visible one to bring it back. But it turns out that the Sidebar has more than one screen. When more than the visible number of gadgets are in use, the excess gadgets flow out onto another screen. The arrows at the top of the Sidebar take you from one screen to another. Even your less-used gadgets can be just one click away.
PowerPoint: "Package for CD" Option
Use Microsoft PowerPoint's "Package for CD" feature to burn your presentation onto a disc. Along with the presentation, this feature automatically adds to the CD a copy of the Microsoft Office PowerPoint Viewer. This program can run PowerPoint presentations--even those with password protection--on computers that don't have PowerPoint installed.
Should you need to run your presentation from someone else's computer, you don't have to worry if their PC has PowerPoint installed. To save a PowerPoint presentation using the Package for CD feature, select File / Package for CD.
Microsoft Outlook: Create a List
Do you find yourself sending messages over and over to the same six people? Instead of typing e-mail addresses for Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey, Monica, and Phoebe each time, put them into a group or list so you can type just one word ("Friends") to reach all six.
To start the process in Microsoft Outlook open the address book and select File / New / Distribution List.
Access: Nine Shortcut Keys that Save You Time
Moving through and entering data can be speeded up significantly by using shortcut keys.
Here’s a list of some of the more useful shortcuts:
To undo typing CTRL+Z or ALT+BACKSPACE
To Undo changes Hit ESC once for current field, ESC twice for current record
To insert the current date CTRL+SEMICOLON (;)
To insert the current time CTRL+COLON (:)
To insert the default value for a field CTRL+ALT+SPACEBAR
To insert the value from the same CTRL+APOSTROPHE (') field in the previous record
To add a new record CTRL+PLUS SIGN (+)
To delete the current record CTRL+MINUS SIGN (-)
To recalculate the fields in the window F9
The “continuous” mode for fast-action pictures.
Every digital camera has a single-shot mode. It lets you take one picture at a time. This works fine when taking pictures of things that don’t move.
But if you want to take fast-action pictures — like sports — you need to change the camera’s settings. If your camera has a “continuous” mode that lets you take several pictures right after another, use it. If not, turn off the LCD screen preview and the camera may work faster.
Adobe Software Trials
Did you know that you can try almost every piece of Adobe software before you buy?
Find out first hand how Acrobat 8.0 Pro can help you communicate, collaborate and improve your organization's workflow.
Give Creative Suite 3 a try and see what kinds of rich media you can develop to spread your message. Visit Adobe Downloads Center to download Adobe featured products trial versions.
Excel - Get the Right Answer
When writing formulas, make sure the results will be calculated as you intended.
Excel adheres to the standard order of precedence for calculations and calculates percentages, exponents, multiplication, and division in this order before calculating addition and subtraction.
For example, =7+5*3 results in an answer of 22, not 36. To force a calculation to be completed before other calculations, place it inside parentheses: =(7+5)*3 will result in 36.
If you're unsure how Excel is evaluating a formula, click on the cell and choose Tools > Formula Auditing > Evaluate Formula. Click on Evaluate to watch as each part of the formula is successively calculated.
Microsoft Outlook - View Conversations
Outlook 2003 lets you view messages by thread, which is a convenient way to scan your in-box much faster.
Just choose View > Arrange By > Conversation to see your mail arranged this way.
If you have the reading pane on the right, you can get to this setting faster by clicking on Arranged by at the top of the message list. You'll find that if each message contains the earlier messages, you can read just the latest message in the thread instead of working through each one, so you can easily clean out your in-box by deleting earlier notes and keeping only the latest one.
Ms Office - Drawing a Line
Did you know that you can create a line across the page of your Word or Outlook document with just a few keystrokes?
Type three consecutive hyphens and press Enter to get a normal line. Type three underscores and Enter, and you'll get a bold line. And if you type three equal signs and press Enter, you'll get a double line.
MS Office 2003 - More File Options
Did you know that if you hold down the Shift key while selecting the File menu in Word (or in Outlook when composing a message), the menu options change?
You get handy options to Save All and Close All open files. In Excel, you get a Close All, but not a Save All option.
Creative Suites – Do You Know What You Are Missing
By now you will have heard of some application suite identifiers such as CS2 or CS3, but you might not know what they deliver. The “CS” stands for Creative Suite, and “3” identifies the latest version. This particular group of Adobe design applications is all about publication development from websites to brochures and posters. Each application has specific fortes but they may be easily integrated into each other for impressive results. If you are serious about writing or graphic design, the following applications will be of interest to you…and keep in mind ITS TRAINING offers instruction for all levels: Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Flash, Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign Call us for more information!
MS OFFICE 2007 Compatibility Issues
If you are the first on your block to use MS OFFICE 2007, keep in mind that any files created in the application can not be opened in an earlier Office Suite. For example, saving a new Word document creates a “DOCX” extension. In order to make this file readable as a Word 2003 file, the document must be saved again in 2003 format to ensure compatibility. (Better yet it should be saved as a PDF before distributing!).
On the other hand, if you’ve received a 2007 file that you can’t open with your 2003 office version, consider downloading a compatibility pack from the Microsoft Site which will convert the file into a readable format.
Windows Vista - What is ReadyBoost?
Windows ReadyBoost, a new technology employed by the Vista operating system, allows you to use removable flash memory such as a USB drive to augment the computer's RAM and boost performance. You can even specify how much space should be allocated from the flash memory. In order to be used for this purpose, a USB device must be between 256MB and 4GB, with at least 64MB of free space, and must support USB 2.0.
Note, as soon as the flash drive is removed, system performance returns to its usual level.
Training Schedule for the Week of November 26th
Excel - Advanced Course, Arts 110A
November 26, 2007 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm and
November 28, 2007 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Dreamweaver Website Design Tools - Intermediate Course, Arts 110A
November 27, 2007 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm and
November 29, 2007 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
EMAP - Enhancing Audio Production, Ag Computer Lab 3D85
November 27, 2007 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
UniFi - Purchase Requisition Training 281 John Mitchell
November 28, 2007 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
EMAP - Integrating Media into WebCT and Blackboard, Ag Computer Lab 3D85
November 28, 2007 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
EMAP - Podcasting - Beyond the Basics, Ag Computer Lab 3D85
November 29, 2007 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Windows Vista: What's New! Seminar, 4E28, Agriculture
November 29, 2007 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Word - Styles, Outlining & TOC's Workshop, John Mitchell Rm 281
November 29, 2007 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Blackboard Learning System Course Design Basic - Intro Course, Arts 110A
November 30, 2007 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Blackboard Learning System Quizzes & Surveys Workshop (formerly WebCT), Arts 110A
November 30, 2007 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Discussion Forums and BlackBoard
In the new BlackBoard, it IS possible for course designers to set up discussion forums so that the students can come back and edit their posts AFTER they have posted them... This is different than the old days, when "Posting was Forever" so you had to be especially careful! There are definitely pros and cons for having discussion forums set up in that way. The advantage of this is it saves the instructor some workload if a student wants to alter a post. One disadvantage, of course, is that students can come along after the fact and alter things that the instructor might not want them to alter (particularly if there are marks riding on the discussion posts).To set a discussion forum up this way, do the following:
1. Within the Build tab, select the Discussions tool from Course Tools list
2. Click the Action Link to the right of the discussion forum you want to change, and select Edit Properties.
3. Within the Edit Properties window, edit the Topic Behaviour Options.
4. Place a check in the checkbox beside "Students can edit their messages after posting them".
5. Save the changes for that forum.
Students will now be able to come back to posts they've made, edit the text and change the files they might have attached.
Use Excel sheet tabs to manage worksheets in a workbook
In Excel, you can move, copy, rename, and colour various worksheets within a workbook. To move a worksheet, simply drag the sheet tab in the bottom to its new position. If you wish to copy an entire sheet, hold Ctrl while dragging the sheet tab, and a second identical copy of your worksheet will result in the new location. To rename a sheet, simply double-click the sheet tab and type a new name. To change the tab colour, right-click the sheet tab, choose Tab colour..., and select a new colour for the tab.
If you wish to make the identical change in all sheets, right-click a sheet and choose Select All Sheets. Go to the cell in the active sheet, make a change to a cell or range, and the same change will be translated onto all selected sheets. This applies to formatting as well as data changes to specific cells.
If you wish to select some sheets, but not all, Ctrl click on the sheet tab will select multiple sheets, and holding Shift while clicking on a sheet tab will select all sheets between the active sheet and the sheet that is clicked.
What is FileMaker Pro?
FileMaker Pro is an easy-to-learn Mac and PC-compatible relational database solution that can be used for a multitude of small, medium or large-scale databases.
The FileMaker Pro client software can share databases on a limited basis (5 users or less) with other FileMaker users on the internet, or can provide limited-access web-accessible databases for non-FileMaker users. Filemaker Pro can import directly from Excel spreadsheets, and can provide you with more comprehensive ways of storing information about any object or record than is possible in a spreadsheet. Common uses for databases are: inventory systems, booking/appointment systems, call-tracking and contact management systems, and group-management systems.
Technology Week 2007, November 5th to November 9th
A personal invitation to...
Get connected! Learn more about communications technology on campus and preview upcoming trends. There will be topics of interest for everyone as the week has three components:
Running throughout the week,
A Celebration of 50 years of computing at the U of S - a museum exhibit at the Gordon Snelgrove Gallery, with “A Blast from the Past” theme;
Technology Showcase - a collection of topical presentations and displays hosted by diverse campus groups;
November 8th all day,
Technology Forum - an exploration of e-learning technologies from capabilities to concerns from various perspectives.
Visit http://www.usask.ca/technologyweek/ for information and updates so you can make time for one or all of these events…at the very least come for cake at the Birthday Bash, Friday, November 9th!
Excel - Create a Workspace
Have you ever been working with a number of workbooks open, and were called away to another task? Were you forced to close Excel, and then to open all files again later?
A File arrangement can be saved as a Workspace in Excel. In other words, you can arrange a number of workbooks open in a certain way. Then simply choose File menu > Save Workspace. This creates a small file with the extension .xlw. This file, when invoked, will open Excel and all the workbooks and arrange them accordingly. The Workspace can be placed on your desktop. It does not contain the files, but rather loads the files in a prescribed arrangement.
The default filename is Resume.xlw. In other words, any time interruptions require closing a grouping of workbooks amid changes, simply choose File > Save Workspace > choose Save In: Desktop > Save. There will be an icon named “Resume” right on your desktop, which will allow you to quickly resume your activities.
MS OFFICE 2007 - Where Did the File Menu Go!?!
Have you made that dreaded transition from MS OFFICE 2003 to 2007? ITS Training Services is ready to help but you need to get your name on a notification list so we know how many of you are out there! Check out the 2007 course offerings and sign up now:
And
- PowerPoint 2007 What’s New - coming soon
To view all the current ITS course offerings:
- Login to PAWS and click on the PD & Training tab
- In the IT Training Courses channel, click on the Current Offerings Webpage link
To view courses scheduled for the current month:
From the University of Saskatchewan Home page, under the Coming Soon tab, At a Glance:
- Click on the This Month link and click on any course link to view more information.
Free On-line Books Available to U of S Faculty, Students and Employees!
Everyone knows about buying books on-line, but with a valid NSID and password, you can actually access and read books without paying a cent. For example those of you with technical interests can pursue offerings through SAFARI, a current and definitive resource for science and computer related topics. So get your reading glasses on and…
- Login into PAWS as usual with your NSID and password
- Click on the Library tab
- Click on the Databases A-Z link
- Click on S for Safari and click on the Safari Books On-line link
- Select a topic of interest from the Browse by Category section
- Select any book thumbnail to launch the book’s window and click on START READING ON-LINE
Or
Back at the Library tab in the Databases A-Z display
- Click on B for Books and scroll down until you see Books 24X7 – that should keep you busy!
Word AutoCorrect Feature can do much more than auto-correcting.
The AutoCorrect Feature in Word is useful for correcting commonly misspelled words. However, it can also be used to create automatic fill-in's.
For example, n-dashes, and m-dashes can be entered into the list of AutoCorrect items. To store these special characters, first create them in a Word document: For an n-dash, simply hold the Alt key down while typing 0150 on the numeric keypad at the right edge of your keyboard. When you release the Alt key, a medium-length dash appears in your document. For the m-dash the key sequence is
Select the character you have just created. Click Tools menu > AutoCorrect Options... The selected symbol automatically appears in the With textbox. Type a suitable key sequence like n- in the Replace textbox. Click Add button. Your AutoCorrect text is now a permanent entry on your computer. Anywhere you wish to type an n-dash, simply type n- and the character will appear.
Another example is U of S with non-breaking spaces. Non-breaking spaces will not allow wordwrapping to occur between words. Thus, if the second word in the pairing will not fit on the current line, both words will move to the next line. If you wish "U of S" to be non-breaking, type U followed by
Select the characters. Click Tools menu > AutoCorrect Options... Place a short key sequence such as uofs in the Replace textbox and click Add button. From now on, anywhere you type uofs, the non-breaking spaced version will appear
New On-line Training Videos!
Looking for some software application or PAWS help but too busy to sign up for extra courses? ITS Training Services has the solution; step-by-step training videos which address popular topics and commonly used procedures in a variety of applications. You can watch them at your convenience, and at your own pace. These on-line training sessions, found at www.usask.ca/its/courses/tutorials, are being updated weekly so keep checking them out. If there is a particular topic that you would like to have explained via video, e-mail us.
Excel: Make a DropDown List in a Cell
You can place Dropdown Lists in cells to allow for data selection. Here is how …
- Position on the cell to receive the dropdown.
- Data menu > Validation …
- In the Data Validation dialog box, select the Settings Tab
- In the Allow: box, select List
- For the Source: you can type a list of values separated by commas, or you can select a range of cells where your list has been entered beforehand.
- Be sure that In Cell Dropdown is checked
- Choose OK
To copy this Dropdown list to other cells…
- Place your pointer on the cell containing the dropdown
- Copy the cell to the clipboard.
- Select the desired cells
- Edit menu > Paste Special…
- In the dialog box, select the Validation radio button, and click OK.
Only the data validation will be pasted in the receiving cells.
Sorting/Grouping Emails in Outlook
To quickly view all emails from one person:
Highlight one email from that person. Then click heading label at the top of the From: column
This will cause emails in that mailbox folder to be sorted on whom the email is from, and also place you down the list within the emails from the person you highlighted.
To show by date, grouping dates:
Click on Received: heading label to sort on Date. (Note: clicking a second time on the same heading label sorts in reverse order) Open the View Menu > Arrange By > Show in Groups. The emails within the folder will be in Date order and dates will be grouped.
Do You Talk to Your Computer?
Most of you have probably heard of speech recognition, but did you know it can be accessed through the Microsoft Application Suite? This feature allows you to dictate content and execute instructions, verbally, within Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access. For example, to exit any application, you simply say “File Exit”.
To implement speech recognition functionality, you must first train the application to recognize your voice. Like anything else, the more you train, the better the results.
The Speech tool is found in the “Tools” menu of each Microsoft application. Try it out!
What is a “Clicker” Anyway?
Do you know about the “Clickers” technology on Campus? This technology is facilitated through a response device or keypad. It provides an interactive learning experience for students allowing instructors to quickly gather, compile and assimilate student feedback into the current lecture. When the instructor poses a question, students reply by pressing a button on the clicker. All of the participant responses are tallied and graphically displayed on a PowerPoint slide. As a result, both presenter and student can immediately assess the conceptual understanding of a particular topic.
Not all classes require clickers at this time but soon this technology will be campus wide.For more information, search for “clickers” on the U of S website.
Web Queries for Excel
Did you know …?
You can pull table information directly from a Website on the Internet into Excel quite easily. “Cut & Paste” does not always work well, often merging cells and setting formats that are quite difficult to manage and contradict data rules that would allow for sorting, etc.
The Data menu has a tool available for bringing Internet information into Excel cleanly.
Position in your worksheet where you would like your data to appear. Select Data menu > Import External Data > New Web Query … Use the New Web Query dialog box to navigate to the website information you desire. You will notice a number of small arrow buttons located to the left of each distinct unit of data within the webpage. Click the arrows to select the table(s) of data you wish to import. Once your selections are made, click the Import button. Press the OK button to consent to the location for the information to be placed.
You will notice a special External Data toolbar appears. This allows you to click Refresh (!) button to re-summon the website table for any changes. If you wish to remove the link to the website data, click the Data Range Properties button on the External Data toolbar, and remove the checkmark from Save Query Definition.
Add Tools in Microsoft Office Programs
There are many more tool buttons available in Microsoft Word for toolbars. For example, one of my favourite Font styles is SMALL CAPS. Normally, to apply this font style, one would choose Format menu > Font. Under the Effects section of the Font dialog box, place a checkmark in the box for the Small Caps, then click OK.
A button for Small Caps can be installed right on your formatting toolbar. Right-click on any toolbar and choose Customize from the menu. In the customize dialog box, activate the Commands tab. Select the format category on the left. Scroll down the Commands list on the right until you see the choice 
Small caps. Drag this button to the formatting toolbar and drop it to the right of the 
Underline button. Close the Customize dialog box.
You now have a button for Small Caps, and no longer have to use the lengthy 4-step menu choice described above. Other useful buttons include 
Grow Font 1 pt, which allows you to select a whole document with various font sizes, and with one button, you can increase each font size by 1 point.
Extra tools are also available in Excel, PowerPoint, and Access as well. The method is the same for each package in Microsoft Office Suite.
Hide the Background Graphics in PowerPoint Printouts
When you print your Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 presentation, you may want to hide the background graphics so that your handouts are easier to read.
If you want to omit the background graphics (any graphics on a slide, including drawing objects, patterns in a background fill, and pictures.) from selected slides rather than all slides, select the slides.
- On the Format menu, click Background.
- Select the Omit background graphics from master check box.
Do one of the following:
- If you want to omit the background graphics from the selected slides, click Apply.
- If you want to omit the background graphics from all slides, click Apply to All
Drag and Drop Feature in Outlook
In Outlook you can use dragging and dropping to move email messages to other email folders. But did you also know that you can use drag and drop to create tasks and calendar events from email messages?
Simply select the desired email in your Inbox, Sent Items, or other mail folder, and drag it onto the appropriate Calendar or Tasks button on the Navigation Pane. An event or task will open. The email message itself will appear in the description of the Task or Event, to assist with explanation and provide details for you to complete date/time particulars.
Quick Formatting in Microsoft Applications
Most of you have probably experienced the need to format specific words or phrases with the same attributes. The Format Painter tool (on the standard toolbar) can speed up this process by acquiring the text characteristics from one selection and applying them to another.
With the cursor flashing somewhere in a word displaying the desired format,
- Click on the Format Painter (looks like a paintbrush).
The mouse pointer turns into a paintbrush. - Drag over any unformatted text and let go of the mouse.
The selected text now appears with the same attributes.
If there is more than one word or phrase that requires the new format,
- Double click on the Format Painter and continue dragging over each occurrence of text and releasing the mouse.
- To turn the tool off click on it one more time.
Quickly Set/Adjust Tabs in Word
You can set tabs directly on the ruler bar. At the left edge of the ruler bar is a Tab Selector button. When clicked it toggles to show:
Left Aligned Tab (Text lines up on the left and spills out to the right)
Centre Aligned Tab (Text lines up in the centre and spills out equally left and right)
Right Aligned Tab (Text lines up on the right and spills out to the left)
Decimal Tab (Text lines up on the decimal - spills left until decimal is typed, then spills out to the right)
Once you have selected a type of tab, simply click on the ruler bar at the place you want the tab to appear.
To adjust the position of a tab, simply drag the tab to its new location on the ruler bar
To change tab type and add dot leaders double click any tab on the ruler bar to display the Tabs dialog box. From the list, select the tab you wish to alter, and select the appropriate Alignment and Leader features for the selected tab.
To delete a tab, simply drag it downward off the ruler bar.
NB: Tab setting applies to the current paragraph only. If you wish to apply the tab to existing lines or paragraphs, you must select all relevant paragraphs before applying or changing a tab, in order to have the change affect multiple lines and paragraphs.
Excel - Autofit Rows and Columns
Did you Know? …
Just as you can double-click the right edge of the column heading to fit the widest entry, you can also double-click the bottom edge of a row heading to allow it to resize to fit text within. If you drag, rather than double-click, the edges of the row/column headings, you override Excel’s automatic adjustment to width/height.
How to Decrease File Size When Using Graphics in MS Office Applications
For those of you incorporating screenshots or graphics into any Microsoft application, a quick tip for decreasing file size is to use the Compress Pictures option.
- Click on any picture in your document.
- From the Picture toolbar,
Click on the Compress Pictures button.
The Compress Pictures dialogue box is displayed.
- In the Options section,
Click on the checkbox beside Compress pictures
Click on the checkbox beside Delete cropped areas of pictures - Click OK to apply the selections.
Ctrl Key Functionality
The Ctrl key changes the meaning of other keys.
For example, in Word:
MS Word Autocorrect Tip:
Everyone uses the autocorrect feature in word (whether you know it or not), but its most powerful application is using it to display repeatedly used graphics and text with just a couple of keystrokes.
For example, if you have a signature containing a logo, which is used in a variety of documents,
- Select the text and the image.
- Select Tools|Autocorrect Options.
The Autocorrect dialogue box is displayed with the selected text appearing in the With: text box.
- In the Replace: text area, type in an abbreviation, or a couple of characters that will represent the signature.
- Click on Add and OK.
- From any open document, type in the shortcut characters and press enter.
The text, including logo will appear.
PowerPoint for Display Purposes Only
Did you know that a PowerPoint presentation can be run without the PowerPoint application? This presentation delivery appears much more streamlined and professional.
To save a presentation for display purposes only,
- Open and existing presentation and select File|Save As.
- Click on the Save As Type dropdown arrow and select PowerPoint Show (*.pps)
- Name the presentation and choose a handy location such as your Desktop to store the file.
- To run the PowerPoint Show, just double-click on the PowerPoint icon. The presentation is immediately launched in full screen mode.
Note: This format may even be displayed on computers that do not have PowerPoint by downloading or including a PowerPoint viewer.
VALUE Function - Excel
When you bring data into Excel from other places, some of the data may not be in the proper format. For example, dates might be left-aligned, signifying they came across as text.
Quick Fix: Use the VALUE function in an extra column to the right of these text dates, to convert the text into a number value. This number, when formatted to date format, shows the proper date. It will be right-aligned in the cell, and will sort chronologically, rather than alphabetically.
WebCT / Blackboard at U of S
Did you know that, from January of 2006 to December of 2006, there were over 8500 individual students at the U of S registered in courses that used WebCT in some way, and that there were nearly 13,000 active seats in these WebCT course sections? That means that, on average, each of those 8500 students was taking one and a half WebCT courses per term!
To learn more about WebCT / Blackboard check out Blackboard Learning System CE 6 Orientation Workshop (formerly WebCT) course.