Cool technology
Cool Chromebook tricks
By MollyAnn O’Malley
Students want to make your Chromebook use faster and more effective? Then check out some of these great apps and hot keys. First, access for your apps and extensions more easily with the Home Google extension add on (see picture below), which allows you to create a background gallery.
Next, create your own website with the Google Sites app; use your website to display your school work and projects for your teachers, family friends. Finally, a great way to stay organized is the Google Keep app. This app allows you to create colorful to do lists, with links and pictures, and set reminders.
Here are some time saving hot key (shortcuts).
Students want to make your Chromebook use faster and more effective? Then check out some of these great apps and hot keys. First, access for your apps and extensions more easily with the Home Google extension add on (see picture below), which allows you to create a background gallery.
Next, create your own website with the Google Sites app; use your website to display your school work and projects for your teachers, family friends. Finally, a great way to stay organized is the Google Keep app. This app allows you to create colorful to do lists, with links and pictures, and set reminders.
Here are some time saving hot key (shortcuts).
- CTRL + SHIFT + T get back most recently closed tab
- CTRL + W close selected tab
- Screencastify extension
- CTRL + SHIFT + WINDOW SWITCH How to take a screenshot
- CTRL + 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9 to change tab
- CTRL + SHIFT + Q + Q to sign out
- CTRL + U to underline
- CTRL + D to save a bookmark
- CTRL + F Search within your current webpage
- CTRL + ALT + / keyboard overlay
- CTRL + / while on doc = keyboard shortcuts
- Siri trick planes above me (additional trick)
Google Docs vs Microsoft Word
By Kevin Hudson
Microsoft Word was released in the bundled pack of applications designed for business and work on the personal computer, Windows Office. It hit the market on November 19th of 1990. Originally developed by Charles Simonyi and Richard Brodie, these have become somewhat of household and school wide appliances. But now, with the use of Chromebooks, Windows Office isn’t as prevalent as it was before, or at least in comparison to the Google Docs app launched in February of 2007. While they seem very similar in both concept and use, a great debate between the two has recently A up. So the question remains, which one should you use?
One of the most commonly brought up points in favor of Google Docs superiority is its price. While Microsoft Word does come automatically downloaded on all Windows computers, it is usually a limited version with some features missing. To get the full experience from Office, a Microsoft account along with a fee is required to download the full versions of every Office app. On the other hand, Google Docs is free, and is open to anyone with a Google account. While additional fonts and effects can be downloaded, they are all available for free. Despite this flaw, do not discredit Microsoft Word, its system of word processing has been almost perfected after years of work, while Google Docs is a lot newer and unrefined. Even after what’s almost a decade later most of the bigger flaws that have come up have been left unaddressed.
Even with this problem, Google Docs has a very major advantage over its competitor, and that is the interface. With a design that can be easily navigated by anyone, Microsoft Word is left in the dust with a slightly archaic and convoluted interface. Although Microsoft Word has a cluttered design, this is for good reason. With a plethora of features, add-ons, and formatting tools, Word greatly outweighs Docs in this field. Through these features and additions, Word seems the best for business and work materials. Of course, there are some features that both applications share like multi-device functionality and sharing tools that each have their own quirks to them.
In the end, the superiority between these two applications comes down to what you use them for. Microsoft Word wins by a landslide in pure functionality and professional usage, while accessibility and price are right up Google Docs alley. Both have their fair share of tools, advantages, and characteristics unique to them. While they are similar, they were made in and can be used in many different ways. Just remember, the choice between the two is always up to the writer, and both serve great purposes of their own.
Microsoft Word was released in the bundled pack of applications designed for business and work on the personal computer, Windows Office. It hit the market on November 19th of 1990. Originally developed by Charles Simonyi and Richard Brodie, these have become somewhat of household and school wide appliances. But now, with the use of Chromebooks, Windows Office isn’t as prevalent as it was before, or at least in comparison to the Google Docs app launched in February of 2007. While they seem very similar in both concept and use, a great debate between the two has recently A up. So the question remains, which one should you use?
One of the most commonly brought up points in favor of Google Docs superiority is its price. While Microsoft Word does come automatically downloaded on all Windows computers, it is usually a limited version with some features missing. To get the full experience from Office, a Microsoft account along with a fee is required to download the full versions of every Office app. On the other hand, Google Docs is free, and is open to anyone with a Google account. While additional fonts and effects can be downloaded, they are all available for free. Despite this flaw, do not discredit Microsoft Word, its system of word processing has been almost perfected after years of work, while Google Docs is a lot newer and unrefined. Even after what’s almost a decade later most of the bigger flaws that have come up have been left unaddressed.
Even with this problem, Google Docs has a very major advantage over its competitor, and that is the interface. With a design that can be easily navigated by anyone, Microsoft Word is left in the dust with a slightly archaic and convoluted interface. Although Microsoft Word has a cluttered design, this is for good reason. With a plethora of features, add-ons, and formatting tools, Word greatly outweighs Docs in this field. Through these features and additions, Word seems the best for business and work materials. Of course, there are some features that both applications share like multi-device functionality and sharing tools that each have their own quirks to them.
In the end, the superiority between these two applications comes down to what you use them for. Microsoft Word wins by a landslide in pure functionality and professional usage, while accessibility and price are right up Google Docs alley. Both have their fair share of tools, advantages, and characteristics unique to them. While they are similar, they were made in and can be used in many different ways. Just remember, the choice between the two is always up to the writer, and both serve great purposes of their own.
New to Google: Google Explorer
By Sam Hulburt
As the advancements in technology keep coming; the demand for more and more features is imminent. The largest search engine company in the world, Google, has risen up to the challenge and created a genius new feature, called Google Explorer.
Google Explorer is a new feature for Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets. When you click on the sunburst in the bottom right corner of the page when it is lit up, it gives you a list of formats that you can choose from to make your presentation or essay look amazing. A simple slide with a text box, a title, and an image can be transformed into a much more complex slide. For example, you can blend images and words together, so you can see both the text and the image, instead of having to separate them. You usually get around three to five options to choose from, and all of them are great. All formats can be edited as much as you want.
This feature only works under specific circumstances, so don’t expect everything you do to be perfectly formatted. For example, in Google Slides, if a slide does not have enough words, or is just a big page that says “Thank You” on it, it will not do anything. What formatting will happen?
Also, on Google Docs, clicking on Google Explorer will give you image options, so you don’t have to search for a good image manually. Also, it gives you links to more information on the subject you are writing about. As you may already know, Google Slides is a great feature for projects, presentations, or almost anything.
As the advancements in technology keep coming; the demand for more and more features is imminent. The largest search engine company in the world, Google, has risen up to the challenge and created a genius new feature, called Google Explorer.
Google Explorer is a new feature for Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets. When you click on the sunburst in the bottom right corner of the page when it is lit up, it gives you a list of formats that you can choose from to make your presentation or essay look amazing. A simple slide with a text box, a title, and an image can be transformed into a much more complex slide. For example, you can blend images and words together, so you can see both the text and the image, instead of having to separate them. You usually get around three to five options to choose from, and all of them are great. All formats can be edited as much as you want.
This feature only works under specific circumstances, so don’t expect everything you do to be perfectly formatted. For example, in Google Slides, if a slide does not have enough words, or is just a big page that says “Thank You” on it, it will not do anything. What formatting will happen?
Also, on Google Docs, clicking on Google Explorer will give you image options, so you don’t have to search for a good image manually. Also, it gives you links to more information on the subject you are writing about. As you may already know, Google Slides is a great feature for projects, presentations, or almost anything.
Apple's new iOS 10 features
By Garrison Kunst
Apple Computers. Inventors, innovators, and creators. All of these words describe Apple Inc. And once again, they have released a new iOS version along with a new iPhone.
Changes with the new iOS are always imminent, so I thought I should tell you about them. Let’s start off with the new home screen. The home screen has many changes. You can no longer swipe your finger to unlock the phone. You must press the home button to get to the password input screen. If you swipe to the left, you get to the camera. If you swipe to the right, you get a notifications/news section. When you unlock the phone there aren’t too many changes in appearance. What you might not notice is the animation speed. The speed of animations has been decreased to increase frame rate and the smoothness of the transitions. This is true for changing screens, changing apps, and opening apps.
There is also a new lock sound that has a deeper tone. In comparison, to the older sound, the new tone sounds more like a lock rather than a click. There is a new font that adds a more modern, simple look. There are now animated text messages that allow you to draw/write messages. For example, you can add fireworks to a message, or you can use the “slam effect” to add importance to a message. Many apps now have versions that can work with the Apple Watch and the Apple TV.
With all these recent changes, iOS 1o will prove to a useful system. Though like many operating systems, there will be system updates throughout its life span and also bug fixes too. I hope you get a lot out of using iOS 10. We seem a seasonal OS system upgrade and new iPhone from Apple each fall, so enjoy iOS 10 for now, as it's quite likely that it will be upgraded again soon.
Apple Computers. Inventors, innovators, and creators. All of these words describe Apple Inc. And once again, they have released a new iOS version along with a new iPhone.
Changes with the new iOS are always imminent, so I thought I should tell you about them. Let’s start off with the new home screen. The home screen has many changes. You can no longer swipe your finger to unlock the phone. You must press the home button to get to the password input screen. If you swipe to the left, you get to the camera. If you swipe to the right, you get a notifications/news section. When you unlock the phone there aren’t too many changes in appearance. What you might not notice is the animation speed. The speed of animations has been decreased to increase frame rate and the smoothness of the transitions. This is true for changing screens, changing apps, and opening apps.
There is also a new lock sound that has a deeper tone. In comparison, to the older sound, the new tone sounds more like a lock rather than a click. There is a new font that adds a more modern, simple look. There are now animated text messages that allow you to draw/write messages. For example, you can add fireworks to a message, or you can use the “slam effect” to add importance to a message. Many apps now have versions that can work with the Apple Watch and the Apple TV.
With all these recent changes, iOS 1o will prove to a useful system. Though like many operating systems, there will be system updates throughout its life span and also bug fixes too. I hope you get a lot out of using iOS 10. We seem a seasonal OS system upgrade and new iPhone from Apple each fall, so enjoy iOS 10 for now, as it's quite likely that it will be upgraded again soon.