This is a smart way to always know when your favorite creators (ahem, me!) have a new video live.
Tech how-to: Set up multiple desktops to keep work and home separate
Multitasking can feel overwhelming when working from home. You’ve got work and personal tabs open at once, not to mention all the new work-related programs you must use. Worse still is if you share a computer with family. But you can separate work-from-home programs by using multiple desktops.
Before you even think about optimizing your onscreen efficiency, you’ve got to set up your home office. Tap or click here for the 10 things you need to work from home.
For macOS and Windows, virtual desktops are just a few clicks away. But first, a quick lesson on what desktops are and why it makes sense to use multiples.
What are desktops?
Desktops are comprised of your screen and open browsers, apps and programs. To separate work from personal desktops, create multiples you can switch between. Want to take a break from work? Switch to your personal desktop to play a game or go online for some retail therapy.
You may think the same can be achieved by logging on as different users on your computer. This is true, but then you’re left switching between accounts throughout the day and having to enter passwords and it isn’t a quick or easy process. Why go through all those extra steps?
Instead, use multiple desktops. Not sure how? Well, you’re in luck if you have a Windows PC or Mac.
Windows’ Multiple Desktops
Microsoft calls its virtual desktop feature Multiple Desktops. Using this tool, you can generate new desktops and switch between them. Each desktop will house whatever programs you open on that desktop only.
The best part? Switching between desktops and moving apps and windows between them is easy.
Here’s how to use Multiple Desktops on a Windows PC:
- Click the Task View button from your taskbar. It looks like this:
- Click + New desktop at the top left of the screen to create new desktops. You’ll now see multiple desktops to choose from.
- Choose whichever desktop you’d like to jump to by clicking Task View again and choosing which desktop to use. Your initial desktop is called Desktop 1.
- Add new windows to your freshly created desktop by dragging the thumbnails of whichever open program you’d like to whichever desktop you’d like.
Tech how-to: Control your computer using your phone
Have you ever found yourself digging for a file in class or a work meeting, only to realize what you need is on your home computer? That problem can feel insurmountable — especially during a time crunch.
You might be able to get someone else to locate and send it to you, or if you’re a computer whiz, you may know some complicated method to retrieve it. But there must be an easier, safer way. After all, choosing the wrong remote desktop app could spell disaster (and hard-to-remove ransomware).
Computer acting up? Doing THIS puts your privacy in danger
When your computer starts acting up, there are a few things you should consider. Ensure that your software and operating system is up to date and that you have done the necessary security upgrades. Tap or click here for more than 50 laptop models that are a security risk after a bad update.
Tech how-to: How to automatically alert loved ones in an emergency
Uncertain times remind us that we’re not always as prepared as we need to be.
In the digital world, no one is ever truly ready for the reality of getting hacked. Tap or click to see if someone is really watching what you do or if you’re being paranoid.
Tech how-to: Sign any document digitally
Think about what we had to go through to sign documents and send them back in olden times. If the person wasn’t in the same room, you probably had to print it out on paper, sign it with a pen, snail mail it or scan it on your PC and email it back.
Tech how-to: Create your own keyboard shortcuts
You probably know that using keyboard shortcuts is a great way to save time and increase efficiency. You may not know every amazing thing you can do with a shortcut, though.
For example: How do you open a Windows application? Do you roll the mouse pointer over to an icon? Or do you lift your finger up and then tap on a tile? If yes, you are wasting plenty of time and exerting undue strain on your shoulder.
Tech how-to: Save important texts on iPhone and Android
It’s hard to imagine everyday life without text messages. In fact, people send nearly 23 billion text messages each day worldwide. Of course, not all texts are good news. Tap or click here to see six scam text messages that are ripping people off.
Tech how-to: 5 useful tricks to try with iPhone's Shortcuts app
Remember that old Workflow app that came loaded on the iPhone? Probably not — it wasn’t the most popular app by any means.
Well, Workflow may become a bit more popular soon because it’s gotten a major upgrade. These days, Workflow is known as Shortcuts, and it’s a really useful productivity app. Need help managing your to-do list? These apps will help.
Tech how-to: Convert any photo to 3D with one click
Day in and day out, people share their lives through the photos they take and post on social media. From weddings in exotic locations to an impromptu trip to the coffee shop, it’s all covered.
That’s why it’s not out of the ordinary to have hundreds, if not thousands of photos saved to our phones, computers and tablets — and backed up in cloud services. Need help sorting through them? Tap or click here to organize your messy photo collection in 3 simple steps.