Sunday, December 23, 2018

Sunday Post - Weebly Wobbles but it won't fall down

Welcome to my last Sunday post of 2018. It has been an awesome year and I can not thank you all enough for subscribing, reading, listening, and viewing my blog post each week. 


To wrap up this year I present to you the 15th episode, in my second season,  of my podcast Tech on the Side and all of it's associated articles and videos. 

If you have not yet shared the my blog with someone you think who may enjoy it, now would be the perfect time, and the perfect gift.

Happy Holidays and here's to the new year.



Google Lens arrives in iOS search app

Google is bringing its Lens visual search feature to the iOS Google app, giving iPhone users a new way to search the web on mobile. By tapping on the Google Lens icon, you dive straight into the camera at which point if Google recognizes something in the space that you tap on, the app will [&hellip...

10 tricks every iPhone user will wish they knew sooner

CLOSE An iPhone is basically just a computer that fits in your pocket - and in many ways, it's even better than a computer. The iPhone is more portable than a laptop. The camera is better than many point-and-shoot cameras.

19 Insanely Cool Gadgets That Are Going To Sell Out This Year - Prime 8

If you store your photos and videos on your computer or 'the cloud' then you know the risks that come with it: Computer crashes, viruses, and power surges that could wipe out 1,000's of your digital memories in seconds. And that's why The Photostick is one of the most in-demand gadgets of 2018, selling over 1,000 units per day.

Here's the Very Best of Oprah's Favorite Things

We looked through the 2018 Oprah's Favorite Things and selected our absolute faves that make the perfect gift ideas for this holiday season - or a gift for yourself.

Is You Mac Compatible with MacOS Mojave? Here's How to Find Out!

If you want to download the latest MacOS update, Mojave, and get the excellent new features like a built-in dark mode, then you need to make sure your Mac is ready. Here's your guide to MacOS Mojave compatibility, what Mac computers qualify, and what you need to successfully download.
Gingerbread Joke

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Sunday Post - Winter Web-a-thon Kick off!

  Season 2 Episode 14
 

Apple Watch electrocardiogram and irregular heart rate features are available today

Today, with an update to watchOS, Apple is making its electrocardiogram (EKG) reading feature available to Apple Watch Series 4 owners. It's also releasing an irregular rate notification feature that will be available on Apple Watches going back to Series 1. Both are a part of watchOS 5.1.2.

The best Android apps of 2018, according to Google

Google has come out with its picks for the top Android apps of the year and its choices might surprise you. The company published its end-of-year lists highlighting the best of Google Play, and it rewarded language-learning app Drops with its top honor.

All My End-Of-Year "Best" Lists For 2018 In One Place!

I have begun posting my end-of-year "Best" lists. There will ultimately be twenty-five or so (with that number, I have to start early to get them all done before January 1st), an...

Winter Web-a-thon Intro

Gearing up to look over several different Website platforms to check out what they can and can't do.

Mountain Joke

Sunday, December 9, 2018

Sunday Post : Translate

Season 2 Episode 13

#TechTipTuesday - Translate an entire Website to any language

I love learning new things, and today I discovered that there is a way to translate an entire website from one language to the another, all in less than 3 steps! Step 2. In the left hand window enter in the url of the webpage you want to translate (make sure you include the http:// in the url name) Step 3.

9 Hidden iPhone Features That Make Your Life Easier

This month a viral Twitter post taught us all a valuable lesson about just how intuitive phone interface aren't: Apple has let iPhone users move a text-editing cursor around on screen for a few years, but outside of the tech press nobody seemed to get the memo.

YouTube Originals will soon be free to watch for everyone

YouTube is changing its original content strategy. Starting next year, YouTube will make its original content free to watch on the platform. Previously, the company's scripted shows like the Karate Kid spinoff Cobra Kai were only made available to users who paid for its subscription offering, YouTube Premium.

Apple quietly introduces new iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands

Apple has quietly added some new iPhone XS cases and Apple Watch bands to its Online Store. Its silicone cases and sport bands now come in hibiscus, mellow yellow, and pacific green. Apple has also added the celestial teal, olive flak, and smokey mauve Nike Sport bands that were made available through nike.com earlier this month.

Clean the Grime Off That iPad's Screen

If your touchscreen is smudged and smeared from repeated taps, make sure you take the proper precautions as you clean it. The wrong type of cloth can cause a lot of damage. Here's the right way to make your iPad screen look brand new.

‎Nuzzel: News for Professionals

‎Named one of the "Best Apps of 2016" by the New York Times and Time Magazine! Nuzzel offers personalized news discovery for busy professionals. That's why top influencers in media, technology, and finance use Nuzzel to save time and stay informed. "I love Nuzzel. I'm obsessed with it, and I use...

Nuzzel: News for Busy Professionals - Apps on Google Play

Named one of the "Best Apps of 2016" by Google Play, New York Times, and Time Magazine! Nuzzel offers personalized news discovery and curated newsletters for busy professionals. That's why top influencers in media, technology, and finance use Nuzzel to save time and stay informed.
Snowmen Lunch Joke

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Sunday Post - Gearing Up

Season 2.  Episode 12

Netflix Just Revealed an Eye-Opening New Technology and It's Truly Amazing. (Or Maybe Terrifying. You Decide)

Suppose you want to watch Netflix, but you think tapping a screen on the Netflix app is too much work? Is this really a problem? Well, if so, does Netflix ever have a surprise for you! The company revealed a truly amazing new technology that they're calling EyeNav.

Apple's new iPad Pro seems to bend pretty easily

A new video from YouTube channel JerryRigEverything shows that Apple's latest iPad Pro can be bent and completely destroyed seemingly without much exertion. But tablets are thin devices with a lot of surface area, so that shouldn't be a surprise.

How artificial intelligence is changing wildlife research

San Diego Zoo's Jenna Stacy-Dawes knows all too well the urgency of her research. Reticulated giraffes across the regions in northern Kenya that she studies have declined up to 70 percent in the past thirty years. Across Africa, giraffe numbers have shrunk by 40 percent in the same period, down to less than 100,000 individuals.

Tech on the Side

A cross section of technology, learning, internet, hobbies, laughter, family and everything else that makes up my life. Come for the tech news, tips, and wal...

Anti freeze joke

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

#TechTipTuesday - Translate an entire Website to any language

I love learning new things, and today I discovered that there is a way to translate an entire website from one language to the another, all in less than 3 steps!


Step 1. Navigate yourself to translate.google.com

Step 2. In the left hand window enter in the url of the webpage you want to translate
(make sure you include the http:// in the url name)

Step 3. Choose the language you'd like the webpage to be transferred into and press translate.

The entire page will then be translated before your eyes to the chosen language.


For all my visual learners, check out the screen shots below to see:


Step 1. translate.google.com 
Step 2. add your URL


Step 3. Press translate
Happy Translating. 

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Sunday Post S2 ep.11 - Clips or Quips



am excited to share with you my first ever Clip show. It is comprised of this seasons entire Technology Tip lineup and filled with quips and antidotes  about each clip I share.  I hope you enjoy and if you keep scrolling down you with get a bonus Under Caffeinated Humor just for this post!

#TechTipTuesday - iPhone Camera

This week, is the week to check your iPhone camera setting to make sure your photos can be used outside of the Apple ecosystem. Watch the video below to learn how, listen to the podcast to learn more, or follwo the steps below to just make the change today.

#TechTipTuesday - Hard Reboot, you should try it

It's an oldy but a goody, For many of us in the education world we are starting a new year and with that in mind it's time to remember to take care of that piece of tech you use more often than your front door. Your phone.

#TechTipTuesday - Your Camera can do more than just take pictures

Did you know... That the camera app built right into your iPhone can also be used to scan QR codes? Give it a try today. Find a QR code, open up your camera app and point the lens at it.

#TechTipTuesday - Amazon Prime benefits

Let me start by sharing that this is not a sponsored post, just something that I thought twould be a worth while tip to share for all of you who have Amazon Prime already. You can also download the app Amazon Music for Ok, now that we have that out of the way...

#TechTipTuesday - Before you update your iPhone to iOS 12

It's that perfect time of the year to get ready for the latest and greatest from apple, because they just released a new update to their iPhone: iOS 12. But before you update to the new OS make sure you've backed up to iCloud or to your computer.

#TechTipTuesday - Allowing people to bypass Do not Disturb iOS 12

For those of you who have upgraded your iPhones to the latest you may have noticed one of my favorite new features which is the ability to turn off the do no disturb function on your phone from the lock screen.

#TechTipTuesday - Clearing up Digital Clutter Google Drive Edition

Ok I will be the first to admit it, I am a digital hoarder. I hold onto digital files for far too long. As a matter of fact, in this digital world it seems so easy to leave old files sitting their idly in the cloud.

#TechTipTuesday - Cleaning out Digital Clutter Gmail edition

Look, digital hoarding is just too easy these days, however, eventually we all run out of space in the digital void so with out further ado let's dive head first into the mess that can be (and is my) Gmail Inbox.

#TechTipTuesday - Cleaning out your digital clutter Gmail part 2.

Continuing our series on clearing out all the digital clutter in our lives I thought it would be important to spend a second post sharing how to setup your Gmail inbox to help do some of the work for you.

#TechTipTuesday - Cleaning out your digital clutter Gmail part 2.

Continuing our series on clearing out all the digital clutter in our lives I thought it would be important to spend a second post sharing how to setup your Gmail inbox to help do some of the work for you.
tur-Key joke

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Sunday Post - Season 2 ep. 10

Vine creator announces the name of his new app and it bites... er, it's byte!

If you're one of the many people who miss the looping video app Vine, we have some good news for you. Vine co-founder Dom Hofmann has just confirmed his plans to bring the popular app back are coming to fruition. On Wednesday, he tweeted out that the new looping video app will simply be called byte (with a lower-case "b").

Google confirms dark mode is a huge help for battery life on Android

We've known for a long time that dark mode / night mode apps can prolong battery life on smartphones with OLED screens. And now, Google has shared some data that underlines these benefits on Android. The company's own apps use a lot of white, but Google has increasingly started offering dark mode to its users.

40,000-year-old cave art may be world's oldest animal drawing

Countless caves perch atop the steep-sided mountains of East Kalimantan in Indonesia, on the island of Borneo. Draped in stone sheets and spindles, these natural limestone cathedrals showcase geology at its best. But tucked within the outcrops is something even more spectacular: a vast and ancient gallery of cave art.

Photopea is a Free Photoshop Clone That Runs In Your Browser

Want a Photoshop-style image editor without paying any money and without downloading any software? Check out Photopea. It's a free Photoshop clone that runs right in your Web browser. What's astonishing is the fact that the app was created and is being developed by a single person: Ivan Kutskir, a 28-year-old programmer based in Prague, Czech Republic.

Turkey Joke

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Sunday Post - S2 e9




The 5 biggest announcements from the October Apple event

After a busy fall announcement season, Apple has unveiled what's expected to be the last of its hardware refreshes this year with the introduction of a new iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini. All new devices are available for preorder today with a ship date of November 7th.

iPad Pro 2018 vs. iPad Pro 2017 vs. iPad 2018: Here's what's new and different

Riding high on the launch of its iPhone XS and iPhone XR, Apple announced the much-anticipated iPad Pro 2018 this week. There's just one problem. With two screen sizes, two connectivity options and four storage capacities, separating specs get confusing fast.

Snapchat launches 26 new premium video series in the UK

Snapchat has just announced the launch of 26 premium video series for its UK audience which could rival the likes of Instagram's IGTV and YouTube. Rami Saad, head of international content partnerships at Snap, told Mashable at an event on Tuesday that the company is expanding its Snapchat Shows product with local video-on-demand programming.

How to stop sites from autoplaying videos on your desktop

One of the pesky things about surfing the internet is the recent barrage of autoplaying videos on websites. You might be at work, opening a website to read some news, and suddenly a video will blast through your speakers. Worry not, we've got you covered.

Otakon 2016 Interview: LeSean Thomas

I had the pleasure of interviewing LeSean Thomas at Otakon 2016, where he was debuting his new animated short, Cannon Busters. Though we didn't talk much about Cannon Busters itself, I was pleased to find out about his life as an artist, his philosophy on art and anime, and even his family.
Pumpkin Pie Joke

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

#TechTipTuesday - Go VOTE

Before the day is over please make sure you take the time to get to the polls and vote.

Lyft and Uber are offering free or discounted rides to those who are looking to get to the polls
Even Lime is offering free bike rides to get people to the polls.

Check out the articles below to learn how to use them

Uber and Lyft Are Giving Discounted Rides to Vote on Tuesday. Here's How To Get One

Uber and Lyft have discounted rides to vote in the midterm elections on Election Day 2018, while other services are offering free rides.

Lime offers free bike and scooter rentals on Election Day

If you're looking for a way to the polls this Election Day, you can snag a free ride via bike or scooter from Lime. The company is offering free trips on its fl...
While you are waiting in line, if you have already read up on all your ballot options, check out my recent updates as I travel my way through #NanoWriMo #NanoBloMo using the Series feature inside Medium


Tech on the Side, perpetually beta testing.

Tech on the Side, perpetually beta testing., a Medium series by Jason P. Heisel



Sunday, November 4, 2018

Sunday Post Season 2 Episode 8


#TechTipTuesday - Digital Clutter Clean up part 4 Google Photos

Educational Technology, tech tutorials, tech tips, Google Apps, Google in Education, Tech on the Side

Stop Using Microsoft Edge To Download Chrome -- Unless You Want Malware

You had ONE job, Edge.

MacBook Air, Mac Mini and iPad Pro 2018: Everything Apple just announced

The Apple hardware event was clearly targeted at creative pros.

Innovation Isn't About Ideas - Member Feature Stories - Medium

All businesses must evolve to stay relevant. True innovation, though, requires a lot more than one big idea.

The Value of "Not Having a Choice" - George Couros - Medium

The concept of "choice" is something that is brought up in education as a good thing for students to help develop their passions and build on their gifts. I have advocated it for myself, but there is...

This New Trick Will Change How You Use Google Docs Forever

A new Google Docs trick lets you quickly open a new document right in your browser.
Exorcist Joke

We are now entering NaNoBlogMo and NaNoWriMo, a simple goal: Write and post each day. Follow my adventures on Medium this November: @TheTechSpec

I am writing each day and beta testing their "Series" feature. Check it out below and let me know what you think.


Tech on the Side, perpetually beta testing.

Tech on the Side, perpetually beta testing., a Medium series by Jason P. Heisel

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Sunday Post - Season 2, ep. 7

#TechTipTuesday - Digital Clutter Clean up part 4 Google Photos

Ok, we have come a long way to cleaning up our digital clutter, now it is time to dive into the thick of it. Lucky for us, Google Photos ( If you are using GB worth of space within Photo's and need to downsize you can navigate over to Our Photos....

YouTube was down but now it's back

YouTube experienced a major outage. Users across the world started to notice that the video service's sites and mobile apps were down around 9:20PM ET, and everything remained inaccessible more than an hour later. YouTube TV and YouTube Music were also affected by the service disruption.

Apple October Event: What a New Line of iMacs Could Look Like

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Apple's all-in-one desktop computer, the iMac. The device is unrecognizable from how it was first unveiled in 1998, but since 2012 its design has stagnated. Could an Apple October event bring about a whole new iMac?

YouTube finally lets you watch a video and browse the site at the same time

From the "why the hell did this take so long" department: YouTube has launched a new "Miniplayer" feature, which lets you continue watching a video in a smaller window while you browse other sections of the site. To say the feature was highly coveted is an understatement, especially since a similar feature has been available on the mobile version of YouTube for ages.

Someone Used a Deep Learning AI to Perfectly Insert Harrison Ford Into Solo: A Star Wars Story

Casting anyone other than Harrison Ford in the role of Han Solo just feels like sacrilege, but since Ford is now 76 years old, playing a younger version of himself would be all but impossible. Or at least impossible if you rely on the standard Hollywood de-aging tricks like makeup and CG.

Vampire Times Joke

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

#TechTipTuesday - Digital Clutter Clean up part 4 Google Photos

Ok, we have come a long way to cleaning up our digital clutter, now it is time to dive into the thick of it. 

Our Photos....

Lucky for us, Google Photos ( another terrific tool to use to back up all of your photos) will give us unlimited space for us to store our photos. However we do have to set them to upload as High quality vs the original quality. While this sounds daunting and frustrating, remember the photo's we are taking with our phones these day are SUPER hi-res and if we are just using Google Photos as a secondary backup method, then it will be ok. 

Honestly the quality of the photos is nearly indistinguishable to the untrained eye. So, let's go in and make sure all of our the photo's and videos we have uploaded over the past many many months...or even years, are in the format that Google will give us unlimited storage on.

In order to check and see how much of the storage space you are using up and where it is being consumed head on over to Google drive on a computer and scroll down a little ways. On the left hand side and click "upgrade storage". Then Google will give you the run down of your usage.

If you are using GB worth of space within Photo's and need to downsize you can navigate over to photos.google.com/settings



 It will then show you how much storage space you have.

(You also have the option to Buy storage, but this post is about cleaning up the digital clutter, not how to increase your capacity for it!)




When you choose "Recover Storage"

It will show you how much space you can recover.

When you are ready press the compress option.
 You will then of course be told that this process can not be undone before it goes through. 
When you are ready, press Compress, for the second time. 
Now, this process can take up to an hour but it is well worth it. It will even go through and compress items uploaded in other Google services like Google+, blogger, Picasa and web albums.


Trust me it is all worth it in the end. 
You will have increased your digital storage, made your inbox lighter, and can now rest easy. 
You've successfully cleaned out and made more space for future clutter. This time, you now have the tools to clean house when the time comes again. 

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Sunday Post - Season 2 ep. 6

Wait, why is the Apple iPad Air 2 on sale again? This deal is bonkers.

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. It's no secret that we ❤️ Apple, now and forever. But we don't always love how expensive their products are. Which is why when we see an Apple product on sale, like these iPads at Walmart, we want to tell everyone we know.

Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot shows upgraded agility in 'Parkour' video

Its latest highlight reel, however, is one that should make this guy very, very afraid. Dubbed "Parkour," it features a bipedal battery-powered robot that not only jogs, but hops over obstacles and up an uneven obstacle course with nary a bobble.

Hit farming simulator Stardew Valley is coming to iOS

Popular indie farming simulator Stardew Valley is finally making the leap to iPhone and iPad. The game has proven a smash hit on Mac and PC, selling over 400,000 copies during its first two weeks of availability, and has been well-received on console, with glowing review scores on Metacritic.

Google Just Revealed a Brilliantly Simple Trick That Will Totally Destroy Telemarketers. (Wait, Why Aren't We Doing This Already?)

Google just announced it has come up with a new way to thwart telemarketers--heck, to completely destroy their business model. It's brilliantly simple, and it seems like it will actually work. Here's how Google's solution works--introduced at its hardware event in New York City on Tuesday.

11 Tools for Teaching With Videos - A PDF Handout - Practical Ed Tech

There are times when a good video or video clip can be just the thing that a student needs to see how all of the pieces of a topic come together. And sometimes just seeing a demonstration or hearing an explanation from a voice other than yours can be what your students need.

Google's Failed Social Network, Google+, Will Be No More

Google+, a social network that we can certainly say existed and not much more, is slated for a long-overdue trip down the memory hole.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

#TechTipTuesday - Cleaning out your digital clutter Gmail part 2.

Continuing our series on clearing out all the digital clutter in our lives I thought it would be important to spend a second post sharing how to setup your Gmail inbox to help do some of the work for you.

If you have not yet setup your inbox to categorize email for you then I highly recommend you do so today.

It's made filtering through my email so much easier for me, and then when it is time for the big purge, again...super easy to get rid of loads of emails in one fell swoop. 

So to setup your inbox to auto categorize for you start by:

1. Click on the sprocket or gear on the right hand side of your inbox within Gmail (settings)
2. Click on 'Configure Inbox'
3. Check mark the categories you want to use ( I recommend all of them.)
4. Click Save

Now your emails will be sorted out into these different categories. I have found that very, and I mean very, rarely does some important email find itself in one of the categories it doesn't belong in. Then when you find it there, you can drag it into the category you want it to appear in and then future emails from that address will show up in the category you placed it in.

Why is this so helpful to clearing out the digital clutter, you may be asking yourself...Well, when it comes time to purge email, for me, I find it super easy to click into the promotion category and select them all and send them to the trash folder, same with the forums category (which for the most part are notifications about files shared with me in Google Drive).

I hope this tip helps you get out in front of an overwhelming inbox.

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Sunday Post - Season 2 Episode 5

#TechTipTuesday - Allowing people to bypass Do not Disturb iOS 12

For those of you who have upgraded your iPhones to the latest you may have noticed one of my favorite new features which is the ability to turn off the do no disturb function on your phone from the lock screen.

Apple's iOS 12.1 to bring over 70 new emoji, iPhone XS charging fix

Every product here is independently selected by Mashable journalists. If you buy something featured, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps support our work. The next iteration of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 12.1, is shaping up to be quite an interesting update.

[UPDATED] Avoid Windows 10 October Update Until You Do One Thing

Note: Several updates are listed at the bottom of this article, and there is a new development on this story here. Microsoft's big Windows 10 Update version 1809 is here and it brings a wealth of welcome features like less interruptions and update nags during gaming (something Alienware nailed years ago by the way).

Wear OS 2.1 is now rolling out to Google-powered smartwatches

We reported back in August that Wear OS was getting a hefty update from Google, and the new code is apparently now rolling out to compatible smartwatches. You might want to check the update screen on your wearable and see if the software is ready to go.

Halloween Chocolate Sauce

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

#TechTipTuesday - Cleaning out Digital Clutter Gmail edition


Look, digital hoarding is just too easy these days, however, eventually we all run out of space in the digital void so with out further ado let's dive head first into the mess that can be (and is my) Gmail Inbox.

While most emails do not take up that many GB of space, you can easily amass many emails with plenty of them having attachments, photos, pdf's etc. With all those attachments your email storage limits begin to run out. So the easiest first step to clearing out those old emails that are taking up space is to open Gmail on your web browser,

Once your inbox loads enter the following in the search box at the top of the screen (without the parenthesis) 

"has:attachment larger:10M"


Then hit enter. 

This will then show you all of the emails that have attachments larger than 10 megabytes. You can of course change the number 10 to be whatever you want it to be, however when you are looking to clear house, 10 is a good place to start.

Once you have done that you can do one of two things. 

Rip that bandaid off! OR You can slowly peel it away.

If you are just ready to clean house, then click the box at the top which will then select all of the emails at once then press DELETE (or the little trash bin)

This will relocate all of the selected emails on that page to your trash bin. Which means you are still housing them and they are still taking up space. 

Repeat this process until you have gone through all of the emails you are wanting to delete.

IF you would rather slowly peel that bandaid off, then you can scour over the emails that have attachments and make sure you have saved the images or attachments before you delete them.

Now once you have dropped those emails into the trash...it's time to empty that bin.

Click on the trash folder and click Empty Trash Bin

Now while this is a great first step, if you are like me, you still have loads of emails to sort through, so take a deep breath and stay tuned to next week's Tech Tip to continue to learn how to get this digital clutter under control...we can do this...

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Sunday Post

Setting up Scheduled Do not Disturb function iOS 12

Quickly learn how to setup a schedule for the do not disturb function on your iPhone or iPad within iOS 12 Not sure why there is no sound. Looking into issue presently.

23 Google Search Tips You'll Want to Learn

Most of us use Google every day, but many have likely only scratched the surface of the search engine's power. Here's how to become a Google search super sleuth. PCMag reviews products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Terms of use.

Crafty kids are finding ingenious ways to thwart Apple's 'Screen Time' feature

Apple first introduced Screen Time this summer as one of the key feature additions on iOS 12. By adding limits to specific apps, or your phone as a whole, Apple attempted to add a digital dose of self-control for those who need it most. People raved about the feature upon first hearing the news.

Flat Miner joke

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

#TechTipTuesday - Clearing up Digital Clutter Google Drive Edition

Ok I will be the first to admit it, I am a digital hoarder. I hold onto digital files for far too long. As a matter of fact, in this digital world it seems so easy to leave old files sitting their idly in the cloud. While I am happy that Google gives us so much free space in the cloud when using their products, files can begin to clog up the space up there and when that time comes, it is in fact time to PURGE!

Today, let's take a quick look at some of the places you may have old and probably obsolete files sitting in your google cloud that you can finally get rid of to free up some space.

For those of you with educational Google accounts, you do not have to worry about this...for now, as google gives you unlimited space. HOWEVER, after you leave your school as a student and want to take those files with you to your personal account, you will need to move into the itty bitty living space of 15 free GB of storage on Google Drive.

For this post, let's examine Google Drive Decluttering 

Where can the digital clutter come from that you did not realize:

1. Items in your trash bin

That's right, even in the cloud you have to empty that trash bin every once in awhile. There is no digital maid to do that dirty work for you.

2. Attachments from Gmail take up space in the drive.

Gmail and Google, the same digital space, so when you have tons and tons of emails (like myself) that include attachments, those MB have to be stored somewhere while residing in your inbox. Same thing with Google chat services.

Time to declutter:

Within Google Drive go over to the Trash bin on the left. Once you've entered the trash bin tap the arrow next to the word Trash at the top of the page. Then press empty Trash Bin.

ProTip: Scroll through the contents of your bin before you go deleting everything.

Ok, now that you've got your Google Drive cleaned up, lets take a deep breath...and wait until the next blog post to learn how to declutter the other areas of your Google Cloud Storage. 



Sunday, September 30, 2018

Sunday Post

Back by popular demand it's the Sunday Post.
Each week I will share the podcast which comes out on Monday and all the associated links mentioned in that episode.

Tech on the Side: Season 2 ep. 3



#TechTipTuesday - Before you update your iPhone to iOS 12

It's that perfect time of the year to get ready for the latest and greatest from apple, because they just released a new update to their iPhone: iOS 12. But before you update to the new OS make sure you've backed up to iCloud or to your computer.

iOS 12 release date, news and features: Everything you need to know

iOS 12 is rolling out to compatible iPhones and iPads from today, 17 September 2018. This next major update to the iPhone and iPad mobile operating system was initially rumoured to be all about improvements to quality and performance, but Apple had a few surprises in store, too.

How playing an instrument benefits your brain - Anita Collins

Check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/teded View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-playing-an-instrument-benefits-your-brain-anita-collins When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What's going on?

The benefits of a bilingual brain - Mia Nacamulli

Check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/teded View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-speaking-multiple-languages-benefits-the-brain-mia-nacamulli It's obvious that knowing more than one language can make certain things easier - like traveling or watching movies without subtitles. But are there other advantages to having a bilingual (or multilingual) brain?

Time for a refresh: Meet the new Google Classroom

Education Published Aug 7, 2018 In 2014, a team of Googlers, including several former teachers, began spending time with educators. We learned that teachers loved using G Suite's collaborative tools with their students, but found that some of the features were complicated to use.
Tractor Joke

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

#TechTipTuesday - Allowing people to bypass Do not Disturb iOS 12

For those of you who have upgraded your iPhones to the latest you may have noticed one of my favorite new features which is the ability to turn off the do no disturb function on your phone from the lock screen.

I like being able to do that, mostly in the morning so I can have it go a little longer even though I may be awake, there are times where I just do not want to be disturbed.  However there are a few people in my life of whom I want to be able to get ahold of(or if you always want to make sure your child get's your phone calls or texts like in my instance) here is how you setup a Bypass on your Do Not Disturb setting.

Luckily this is a per contact option and you can decide if you want to be able to break through with a phone call or a text or in this instance, BOTH!

Here is how to setup the bypass for individual contacts within iOS 12 in order to get their notifications or phone calls while in "Do not Disturb" mode


Navigate your phone to your contacts, search for the contact you would like to grant access to, tap on the contact and then:


  1. Tap on edit
  2. Tap ring tone 
  3. Toggle the Emergency Bypass switch to on (so it shows green)
  4. Tap done
If you would like this function on for texting:

  1. Tap on edit
  2. Tap text tone 
  3. Toggle the Emergency Bypass switch to on (so it shows green)
  4. Tap done


For those of you who have no idea what the do not Disturb function is check out this short video on what it is and how to turn it on and adjust the do not disturb hours.



Tuesday, September 18, 2018

#TechTipTuesday - Before you update your iPhone to iOS 12

It's that perfect time of the year to get ready for the latest
and greatest from apple, because they just released a new update to their iPhone: iOS 12.

But before you update to the new OS make sure you've backed up to iCloud or to your computer.

Quick tutorial-on backing up to to iCloud

Step 1. Go to settings
Step 2. Tap on your name (located at the top of settings)
Step 3.Tap iCloud
Step 4. Scroll down to iCloud Backup
Step 5. Tap on on iCloud Backup
Step 6. Tap Backup now

Now that you have that out of the way you are ready to go and and download iOS 12

Step 1. Go to settings
Step 2. Scroll down to General and tap General
Step 3. Tap on Software update
Step 4. Scroll down to Download and install and tap Download and install

Your iOS device will need to have at  least 50% charge our be plugged in in order to get the update.
in about 5- 10 minutes your iOS 12 download should be downloaded and ready to install.

Some of my favorite new features from the latest update:


  • Notification management - Notifications from single sources will cluster together on your lock screen instead of filling up your entire screen with notifications. With a single tap you can see all of them and then cluster them back together by tapping "show less"
  • Turn off your "Do not disturb" setting right from the lock screen
  • Messages feels a bit more snappier as do the built in Apple keyboards
  • Voice memos app for iPad and eventually Mac

For those of you with iPhone X you will have more access to:

  • Memoji - Create a digital likeness and use it as everywhere
  • Animoji updated with tongue detection...that's right



Tuesday, September 11, 2018

#TechTipTuesday - Amazon Prime benefits

Let me start by sharing that this is not a sponsored post, just something that I thought twould be a worth while tip to share for all of you who have Amazon Prime already.


Ok, now that we have that out of the way...

For those of you who have Amazon Prime accounts did you know that this also grants you access to Prime video and Prime music!


If you want to check out all the music you can stream just point your web browser to 
https://music.amazon.com/

Keep in mind that they have a second tier offerings that you will be prompted to consider purchasing Amazon Music Unlimited which is not necessary to listen to the music you already have access. 

You can also download the app Amazon Music for iOS or Android and login with your amazon account.




To check out what videos you can watch follow the link below and login with your amazon account or download the Prime Video App
https://www.primevideo.com/



Happy Streaming