This tip is a bit specific, but it shows how AI can help you in surprising ways. Have you been on a Zoom call and saved the chat? Have you ever gone back to review the chat? With everything recorded including friendly banter and off-topic comments to contact info and important links, it’s a lot to comb through. Next time, try this: Open ChatGPT (the free version…
Stop! Before you read any further, count how many open tabs you have in your web browser. I’m willing to bet it’s more than five tabs. If you have way too many tabs open try using Tab Groups. It is ideal if you have multiple tabs open for multiple projects. Just select the tabs you want grouped together and give them a name. On a PC…
Dreaming of a fun vacation with the family or an island getaway to rest and recharge? Planning a trip involves finding the answers to a lot of questions — what’s the ideal destination for this season, when to snag the best flight deals, where to stay, what to do, which restaurants to try, and even what to pack. Here’s a few ways AI can help…
One of the best things about cloud storage is the ability to get to your files and photos from anywhere. Simply log into your account and access your files from any computer. It really is that simple. Dropbox* is one of top cloud storage services that allows you to save files online and access them from any device. There are other apps with features similar…
Is it AI or is it programming? We use AI in so many places and don’t even realize it, from streaming services to web searches to navigation apps and everything in between. Today, let’s take a look at Journeys in MailChimp. You might argue that Journeys are not AI and you might have a point, but humor me for a moment. A Journey in MailChimp…
Last time, we covered different ways to back up your computer. The most common being Cloud Storage Services. There are sooo many service options available, how do you choose? You could choose by price, available options, name recognition, or any combination. For me, it’s a combination of things that lead me to my current provider. Let’s take a look at some things to consider: Price — Gotta make…
When it comes to designing marketing materials, crafting social media posts, flyers, presentations, or creating just about any other type of graphic, Canva has become a go-to tool for its ease of use, great templates, and friendly layout. Let’s take a look at a couple of my favorite AI features that might improve your workflow and save you a bit of time. Magic Write: Struggling with what to…
Imagine losing all your family photos, important documents, or that novel you’ve been working on for months. It can happen in an instant due to a computer crash, accidental deletion, theft, or even a cyberattack. That’s why backing up your computer and phone is essential. Here are some of the easiest ways to back up your devices: External Hard Drives: Connect a hard drive to your…
Let’s take a look at potentially one of the most useful AI function in Zoom — Meeting Recordings and Summaries. If you have a paid Zoom account, then you currently have access to several options for notetaking. The Zoom meeting notetaker and summarizer is built in and only takes a couple of clicks to set up, so it’s worth a try to see if you like…
It’s a new year and a good time to review your security to see what needs to be updated. At least once a year (ideally more often) check the following to make sure they are up-to-date: Passwords Anti-virus / Malware protection VPN It’s also important to make sure all of your apps and software are up-to-date. As developers find holes in their software they issue…
A passkey is a “passwordless” login. You may have seen Google, Apple, or Microsoft asking you to setup your passkey. Here’s a quick explanation of how they work: Instead of typing in a password, you use something you already have, like your fingerprint, face recognition, or a device you trust (like your phone or computer). When you set up a passkey, your device creates a special,…
Let’s have some fun with your favorite GPT (ChatGPT, Copilot, etc) and get a head start of Thanksgiving menu planning. Try one of these prompts to see what Copilot could do. The answer sounds yummy. “Thanksgiving is coming soon. Please provide me a modernized menu for 10 people for Thanksgiving. Include preparations and recipe links.” “Thanksgiving is this week and I haven’t even purchased a…
This week is International Fraud Awareness Week, so I thought it would be a great time to remind you of important steps you can take to avoid falling victim to fraud: NEVER give personal or account information to anyone calling YOU, even if the caller says it is for “verification purposes.” Do NOT call phone numbers or click on links provided in text messages, emails, or…
AI is moving fast . . . VERY fast. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. How many times have you wondered “Can AI do ______?” Fill in the blank. I asked this question again just yesterday. A colleague wanted to do something that seemed a bit repetitive, so we asked AI to do it for us. We were hopeful, but didn’t knowing what the results…
It happens . . . your social media account is hacked. What can you do? Well, the Federal Trade Commission provides a list of links for reporting (and hopefully recovering) your hacked social media account. It’s a great place to start. Next, let family, friends, and clients know that your account was hacked. After you regain control of your account, make sure to change your password. To…
It’s been a while since I’ve played with Perplexity, so I thought I’d take another look at it. I started by asking “What can you do?” Here’s the summary of the answer: Information and Research Writing and Editing Learning and Education Practical Help Entertainment Conversational Support So, I figured I’d give it a chance to help with this Tech Tip. I asked it to “write a…
Google Doc has a new feature and you might already have access (if not, it’s coming soon). Check out Tabs in Google Doc. Think of it like tabs in a notebook. Top three reasons to use Google Tabs: Organize large documents Group related content Enhance collaboration How to add a Tab to a Google Doc: Open a Google Doc On the left side is the Tab feature Click…
If you want to dive deep into spotting fakes, read this Northwestern University paper. If the paper is a bit too long for you to read (Yeah, I didn’t read through all of it either), take a look at these key ways to spot fake images: Zoom in on the image and look at the face, fingers, and small details Look at the shadows Look at…
Did you know you can use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for free? There are some feature limitations, but it might be worth looking into if you don’t want to work in Google.
Think you are good at spotting fake images. Try this quiz that was put together by Northwestern University. It will make you second guess your abilities. Take the Quiz After you accept the disclaimer, you will be shown images and asked if they are real or fake. You will then use slide to indicate how confident you are in your choice. ! Do not give personal/confidential/sensitive…
iCloud storage tends to fill up fast. There are several things you can do to clear some space and avoid paying for more storage: Let’s start by taking a look at what is in storage. Go to Settings > iCloud > Manage Storage*. You’ll see a chart at the top, and then a breakdown of what’s using up your storage space. Mostly, you’ll see photos, messages, and backups, but it…
We’ve covered the basics of NotebookLM in two other Tech Tips (Sept 17 and Sept 24). Let’s round out the series with a list of different ways you might want to use NotebookLM. Research any subject Studying/Reviewing class notes Creating your own personal chatbot (without coding) Collecting your parents’ (or grandparents’) stories/memories Create/organize character sketches for a book you’re writing Collect and revisit meeting notes Keep notes…
Cookie management is on almost every website these days. You might want to read through what you are agreeing to if you regularly click “Allow All”. It’s a bit more work, but reading through the options and unchecking some of the items and clicking “Save My Preferences” might help protect you over time. Below is a list of cookie categories. I generally allow the first…
As promised, here’s another real world use for NotebookLM. Let’s say you have a few health issues that require you to eat differently than you are used to. Some of the instructions about what to eat and how much, seem to contradict other instructions. After getting medical advice, you now understand what the doctor wants you to do and you have a bunch of reference…
We all know scams are everywhere. The question is, can you spot them before you fall for them? Here are some steps you can take to be less likely to fall for a scam. Think — If it’s too good to be true OR one of your worst nightmares, it may be a scam. Read — Gone are the days of poorly written emails that were the hallmark of…
NotebookLM has some interesting features. You can upload up to 50 source documents/links/text and it will use that information to answer your questions. It will even create a “podcast” type recording based on the documents. I tried it out with a rather dry manual and a link to some changes to the manual. It got most of the data correct, but in my case the…
Google has made changes to Google Drive layout and function. Some items have been moved (the Suggested Folders at the top is helpful) and many of the shortcut keys have changed. Check out the updated keyboard shortcuts. Some of the shortcut keys updates make sense, some not-so-much. Take a look and see for yourself. If you aren’t using keyboard shortcuts in Google Drive, give a…
For those of you who use Siri, Alexa, or another digital assistant, did you know you can ask it to fix settings on your phone? For instance, if Siri isn’t replying to you loud enough, you can tell Siri to speak louder (or softer). This is more efficient that looking for the setting on your phone that might be hidden in a menu that you…
Take a look at what AI can create! AI capabilities are improving fast. If you haven’t looked recently, take a look at what AI is capable of creating. This video was create by entirely by AI. The people aren’t real. Can you tell? Watch on YouTube ! Do not give personal/confidential/sensitive information to any AI. The information in these articles are up-to-date as of the date…
Real-world AI use. I have a PDF that is 75 pages long. It’s more than I want to read right now, but I need to create a Q&A. So let’s try two different apps, Copilot and Perplexity, to create the questions and answers. Copilot and Perplexity were chosen because, using the free version, they will look at a PDF link. The Prompt Using this file…
Passwords . . . Yep, we’re going to look at them again. With the recent large data breach, it bears repeating . . . you have to update your passwords and set up 2-Step Authentication. Thankfully, websites are making it easier to set up 2-Step Authentication (that extra little step of receiving a code by email or text). If you have the option, you should always turn on…
Let’s try Gemini from Google AI: Open Chrome In the address bar type @ Click @Gemini In the address bar copy/paste: Tell me what you can do Press Enter Read through what Gemini can do. It’s about the same as Copilot and ChatGPT at the moment. It might be a bit easier to access if you already use Chrome. Give it a try and see what you think.…
If you have a ton of bookmarks in Chrome, you can easily search through them with just a couple of clicks. Open Chrome In the address bar type @ Click Search Chrome Bookmarks In the address bar type what you are looking for: For example: I know I have 2 library links saved in my bookmarks. If I type Library in the address bar and press enter, Chrome will list…
Let’s try a useful prompt for back to school. Follow these 3 simple steps: Go to https://copilot.microsoft.com/ (no need to create an account) Cut/paste the following: Search the internet and find 3 current sources for the most reliable Windows laptop, include features and prices and where to purchase. Click arrow ! Do not give personal/confidential/sensitive information to any AI. Think twice before giving AI a pictures of…
Let’s try a useful prompt for back to school. Follow these 3 simple steps: Go to https://copilot.microsoft.com/ (no need to create an account) Cut/paste the following: Act as a mom of 3 school aged children. School starts in two weeks. Make an itemized list of the best sales for school supplies and school clothes. Click arrow You can click the links in the response and be directed…
How many times have you been working on a project and you want to undo something you just did. Whether its a small change that you could just delete or a huge hassle to fix, the Undo command is extremely helpful. It can be used on Mac and most Windows applications. Give this a try the next time you want to undo something. Windows — Ctrl + Z…
Did you know . . . You can “unread” messages in your email, Messenger, as well as texts on Android and iPhones. Why is this useful? Have you ever seen a message/text and thought “I’ll get back to that later”, only to forget about it? If you mark it as unread, then you have that annoying notification bubble reminding you to look at your messages.…
Are you holding back on trying AI? Follow these 3 simple steps to see how easy it is to get started: Go to https://copilot.microsoft.com/ (no need to create an account) Type your instructions/question in the box Click arrow Here’s a screenshot of what it looks like just before clicking the blue arrow. Want to give it a try and see the answer Copilot gives? Simply follow the…
There are reminders all over the news lately that you need to be prepared; whether you are camping, boating, hiking, or hanging out at the beach you need to know what to do in the case of an emergency. There are some things your phone can do to help. For example, did you know that your phone can call 911, give GPS location, and…
Facebook loves to remind you of memories you’ve shared, but what if you would rather not be reminded of a specific memory? You can change the setting to remove a specific memory, a specific person, a range of dates, or turn off all of the memories. Open the Facebook app on your phone Click the Menu button Click Memories Click the Gear Icon Adjust the…
Whether you love AI or are done with the constant hype, there is a reality to what is going on with artificial intelligence. It’s here to stay and it will work it’s way into every area of your life. So you have a choice . . . you can start learning to use it or you can ignore it. Throughout the Summer, we’ll be doing…
When taking a picture with your smartphone you usually see a white circle (shutter button) on the screen that, when pressed, takes a picture. You can also take a picture on most phones by pressing the volume buttons instead of the white circle. Give it a try the next time you are taking a selfie.
It appears that the free version of ChatGPT can now search the internet. I typed: “Browse with Bing to find today’s top news stories” In April the response I received was that ChatGPT 3.5 can’t browse the internet. Today (with the updated ChatGPT), the response was 6 current news articles with summaries. Not sure I would consider them all top news stories, but they were…
There are times when writing in a notebook with a pen is more comfortable, and more useful, than anything that a computer can provide. Sketching, outlining, doodling, brainstorming, note-taking, etc. are some of the tasks than you can get more out of if you do them “the old-fashioned way”. But what do you do with the paper afterwards so you don’t lose the information? The…
Open AI announced ChatGPT-4o for both paid and free accounts. If you are using ChatGPT, check the top-left pull-down arrow to see if you can change the version to ChatGPT-4o (“o” for Omni). Among other added features, the cut-off knowledge date is October 2023 for ChatGPT-4o vs. January 2022 for ChatGPT-3.5. That means that when using information provided by ChatGPT it will be more current…
Did you know that you can right mouse click on almost anything (documents, websites, apps) and most of the time a hidden menu will appear with what you can do in that space? For example, select some text and then right mouse click to get a menu of cut/copy/paste/print/spell etc. Or try right mouse click in a Canva project . . . or in File…
Continuing on last week’s article about spotting AI, take a look at this “not publicly available” product that Microsoft has unveiled — VASA-1. Scroll through the article and click some of the videos. Understand that what you are watching are videos created from a single picture and an audio file. None of the people in these videos are actually saying what the video shows them…
AI generated images and text are EVERYWHERE. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but you should know what AI is capable of creating. You have probably heard of Deepfakes*. It’s the dark side of AI’s capabilities. There have been several stories in the news lately and it will get worse. Here’s my #1 tip to help you spot any AI generated media — Question and…
It no secret that there is a LLM (Large Language Model) race happening right now. ChatGPT (OpenAI), CoPilot (Microsoft), Gemini (Google), and now Llama (Meta) are just a few of the many that are in this race. There are paid versions and free versions, ones that are connected to the internet and ones that aren’t. For the average user there’s only a few things to…
Got too much email from mailing lists that you opted into using your business email address? To clear the clutter in your inbox, try this: Create a free email address (using Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) that will only be used for opt-in newsletters and mailing lists. Alternatively, revitalize an old email address. Change the address on the newsletters and lists you want to continue receiving to…
Does the advertising on websites seem to be getting more annoying or is it just me? There are just too many ads/videos/pop-ups. Check out this AI tool that can summarize searches for you: Before we start, take a look at this page about ADHD (https://www.verywellmind.com/adhd-resources-4014200). Lots of advertisements, videos, etc. Now try this: Go to www.perplexity.ai No need to create an account, unless you want…
You know you saved a file, but you just can’t remember where. Try the search feature. Open File Explorer (Windows) or Spotlight (Mac) In the Search Box, type the file name or keyword Press Enter This will search your hard drive and if you are using Dropbox or OneDrive, and have it connected, it will search those files as well. In Google Drive, the search…
Have you spotted the new “Notebook” tab on the top left of your CoPilot browser version? This upgrade expands the character limit from 4000 to 18000 characters and introduces a split-screen layout. Why is this a nice addition? It’s an incredibly useful tool for tasks such as having CoPilot edit or condense a document. Want to try? Simply copy and paste a document into the…
You’ve heard the term, and you may even be using it, but what is Cloud Storage? You can think of cloud storage as a hard drive in the sky, accessible from any device that has internet access. There are several cloud storage companies . . . Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, etc. They each have their benefits and drawbacks. They all have a free version…
I’ve had so much fun playing with these “new” features in the Google App. Near the top of the Google App (not Chrome) there are buttons to solve homework, identify a song, shop from a screenshot, and translate text. These aren’t really new features, but Google used AI to enhance them and made them easier to find. Let’s try it out: Open the Google App…
If you have the Dropbox app on your phone, you have a handheld scanner too. I recently had to scan a bunch of pages and I knew my printer/scanner wasn’t going to handle the job well. I tried the scanner in the Dropbox app and it handled the job way better than I hoped. Give it a try: Open the Dropbox App Click on…
When starting a new task, sometimes it’s hard to see the steps needed to complete the task. Copilot is able to break down the steps for you. Try this: Log into Copilot Type “You are a [insert job title and/or industry field] with a defined audience base. Breakdown the steps needed to schedule social media posts for the month” Click the paper airplane Note: The…
Back in January there were a couple of articles about passwords: Are Your Passwords Secure? Password Managers Hopefully you have been tightening up your passwords over the last couple of months. If not, consider this your friendly reminder😊 Let’s take a look at the next step in making your information secure — 2-Step Authentication. You are probably already using 2-Step Authentication on some website because…
In case you haven’t noticed, AI doesn’t always get it right. Recently I tried to get Copilot and ChatGPT to create a resume. Both failed, Copilot made up everything and ChatGPT wouldn’t even attempt it. It took a bit of adjusting of my approach, but I was able to get a good resume pulled together. Next time ChatGPT or Copilot doesn’t give you what…
If you have trouble making a daily itinerary, try this: Create a list of things to get done (it doesn’t matter the order), use Word, Notepad, Google Doc, etc Go to ChatGPT and login In the box labeled “Message ChatGPT” type the following: Create a schedule between the hours of 9am and 5pm for the following list. Include lunch at noon. Cut and paste the…
Ever wish you could make your phone stop listening to your conversations (and then suggesting related purchases)? If you turn off voice activation, your phone will stop listening for “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google”, and you can have private conversations again. iPhone Navigate to Settings > Siri & Search Toggle off the following items: “Listen for ‘Hey Siri’” “Press Side button for Siri” “Allow…
The more you use AI the better you will become at giving the tool the information it needs to create what you want. If you don’t get good results the first time, try rephrasing your request or providing more information. Try this fun little exercise for image creation:(if you need image generation instruction review this post) On a piece of paper write 3 sentences…
This is by far my favorite PC keyboard shortcut. On a PC you can quickly rename a file by using keyboard shortcut F2. Find the file using File Explorer Click once on the file you want to rename to select it Click F2 Type the new name Press Enter On a Mac, select the file you want to rename and use the quick pull…
If you have tried an AI tool to help write something, you may have become frustrated with the results. Sometimes AI just gets it wrong. Most of the time, it’s the style or tone that needs the most work. To help improve the results, try telling AI to act in a specific role. For example, start your prompt with: You are a highly skilled Tech…
Not all updates a great improvements. In my opinion, Facebook’s addition of “chirping” while scrolling on iPhones falls into this category. If the new feature is bothering you too, you can turn it off: Open the Facebook app on your iPhone or iPad Tap on the three horizontal lines in the bottom-right corner to open the menu. Scroll down and tap on “Settings & Privacy.”…
The AI text generators (ChatGPT, CoPilot, etc) tend to give long text responses, unless you limit them. CoPilot has a useful feature that allows it to read the response to you. Simply click the speaker button on the response box and make sure your volume is turned on. (Anyone else find it funny that CoPilot writes that it is not able to read the response,…
If you are like me and have a bazillion windows opened on your PC, you might like this keyboard shortcut. This shortcut will bring up all of the open windows as large icons and allow you to cycle through them each time you press it: Alt + Tab It’s a real time saver when you know you have a specific document open, but it’s…
This week let’s try CoPilot for image generation. Remember: Check the image carefully before using. Words, hands, feet, and faces are the areas where the generator will most likely have issues. Go to Image Generator CoPilot In the box at the top of the page copy/paste this prompt A delicious breakfast of fluffy pancakes stacked high on a plate, drizzled with golden maple syrup and…
You may have heard about the MOAB (Mother of All Breaches). Simply put, in January 2024 a lot of user information was made available to the dark web. What this means to you is that your usernames/passwords may have been stolen and are no longer secure. So now what?!? Here are a few steps you can take to tighten up your accounts: Reread Are…
I’m excited to announce a new section of the newsletter called AI for Everyone Else. In this section, I will spotlight an easy-to-understand feature of AI that you can start using right away. Let’s start with CoPilot. Go to https://copilot.microsoft.com/ In the box that says “Ask Me Anything”, type the following: Please create a template that can be used to write emails to clients about a…
You may have heard about VPNs and wondered what it was and do you need one. There’s a lot to VPNs, but here are the basics: VPN = Virtual Private Network A VPN creates a “tunnel” between your computer/mobile and the other location you want to communicate with, such as your bank. It protect your data from hackers. Since a picture is worth a thousand…
Let’s follow up on last week’s topic — Passwords. Unless you have an amazing memory, you will have to store your passwords somewhere. You could store them in a notebook on your desk, but they won’t be accessible when you are not at your desk. A better solution is to store them in an online vault. The passwords would be accessible for all your devices,…
How secure are your passwords???? Let’s be honest, most of us have passwords that aren’t really secure and probably haven’t been changed in a while. WAIT! Before you skip the rest of this article . . . We all agree that password management is a hassle, but give yourself a couple more minutes to see if you can quickly and easily tighten up some…
How many times have you wanted to select everything on the page? You could use your mouse and drag the cursor to select or you could use this easy keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + A (Windows) Cmd + A (Mac) BONUS TIP When using your phone (iPhone or Android) to select all: Tap and hold your finger on the text that you want to select. Tap…
Smart phones can be extremely helpful, but only if you can see what is on the screen. Let’s adjust the text size so you can see the words with less squinting. iPhone Click Settings Click Display and Brightness Tap Text Size Use the slider to adjust the text size Android Click Settings Click Display Scroll down to Font Size and Style, then click Use the…
QR Codes are becoming commonplace. We see them everywhere. But what do you do when you see one on your computer screen? Do you take out your phone and scan it? Although that way works, it puts the information on your phone. What if you want it on your computer? Try this instead when using Chrome: Right mouse click on the QR Code Scroll down…
You may have seen recent articles in the news about iPhone’s new feature (iOS 17.1) — NameDrop. This feature allows iPhone and Apple Watch (watchOS 10.1) users to share information with other iPhones or Watches by holding the phones/watches close together. If you want to share your contact info, you simply hold the phone next to another iPhone and the two phones will recognize each…
Having friends and family over for the holidays and wanting to share your Wi-Fi with them? Android users can try this instead of giving the actual password: Go to the Wi-Fi Settings Tap the Settings icon next to the network’s name At the bottom of the screen, click the QR Code The person who wants to join the network can go to their Wi-Fi Settings…
Need to take a screenshot of just a portion of your screen? Press these three keys at the same time: Start + Shift + S (Windows) Cmd + Shift + 5 (macOS) Then use your mouse to select the area you want to screenshot. The screenshot will be saved to your clipboard so you can paste it where you need it.
Have you ever wished you could get better Google results? Here are two options that may help you. Option 1 If you know that your search is going to give you a lot of results that aren’t what you are looking for, try using “-“ to weed out some of those results. Type Steel Drum into your search bar Notice that most of the…
Have you ever closed a tab in your browser and immediately thought “Crud, I didn’t mean to do that!”? You could find the “previously opened tabs” option in your browser history or you can try this keyboard hack. Ctrl Shift T (windows) Cmd Shift T (macOS) This shortcut will open the last closed tab. If you repeatedly press the shortcut, it will open each tab in…
We all use bookmarks, but can you find them after you save them? Or is your Bookmark Bar full of unorganized links? Let’s go through one way to keep those links in order so you can find them later. The Bookmark Bar is located just under the area where you type a website address. This Bookmark Bar is fairly clean, but it could have a…
Ever wonder what the Incognito Window in your browser does? In Chrome it’s called an Incognito Window. In Safari it’s called a Private Window. The names give you an idea, but it may also give you a false sense of security. WHAT IT DOESThe private browsing window, no matter what the name, opens up a new private browser window. The browsing you do in that…
This was a new one for me. Definitely useful! Have you ever wished you could “unsend” an email that you just sent? Most email apps let you recall an email if you are quick enough, but did you know you can extend the time up to 30 seconds? Imagine . . . 30 whole seconds to call back an email and add the attachment you…
Is the text on a website too small (or too big)? If you have a PC, try this: To Zoom In – Hold down the control button while pressing the plus sign ( + ). To Zoom Out – Hold down the control button while pressing the minus sign ( – ). If you have a Mac, try this: To Zoom In – Hold down the…
The Google 9 Dots (aka the Google Waffle) Have you ever noticed the 9 dots on the right side of your Google home page, or on any of the Google apps pages (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Photos, etc)? Those 9 dots, also known as the Google Waffle, are a shortcut to all the Google Apps and it can be customized to better work for you.…
